Season of Bioluminescence
Brief Note from the Author:
((Taking a little break from art for a bit, I decided to write this potential one-shot of how Arietta came to have such a distaste for mating. Both an example of my writing, and insight into my dragoness' history, I do hope you enjoy. I may write more, but that is left up to debate.))
~*~
Something about the season was amiss, affecting everyone in the vicinity; her own clan, and the clan they visited. The dragons of the frosty realm of Filrynn had, perhaps, chosen an extremely poor time to venture out to the lords of the volcanic lands of Anzirr. No amount of diplomatic intentions would overcome the riotous rituals and instinct that accompanied this time: Season.
Both clans came into season at the same time, unexpectedly; no doubt caused by the presence of new females to the males of frost and fire. Sophisticated or not, instinct played a vital role in their society. The body would react to females of other clans more forcefully than with females of one's own clan, with the psychological knowledge that the females would be leaving. The urge to not let them leave without bearing a parting gift was painfully difficult to overcome.
So it was that the dragonlady Arietta was seated at a table near the highbornes with the rest of her family, eating food and drinking the spicy brew of the volcanic clan. Ari's parents, the clan leaders of Filrynn, had remained there, and had left herself, her two sisters, and her brother to take the journey with the rest of the clan and their liaison. Her brother Sangor sat to her right, eyes flicking around unsteadily. She almost pitied him; as a visiting male, she knew he too would be feeling the effects of the Season, possibly worse than she. Every female near that was not related to him was a potential target.
Her sisters, to her left, were living up to their respective reputations. Twins, they were, and complete opposites in every way. Ylan was outspoken, flirtatious, and Ari could tell she'd been the companion of a few dragonmen during the week they'd been here thus far. Sala had a far more reserved, sensible mind. She would not lay with anyone, and she had the willpower to hold fast to that. Sangor would age to take his place as the Clan Elder, after their father. Ylan would step up to act as High Elemancer, and Sala, as the eldest by merely a few seconds, had been promised to marry the son of a neighboring Clan Elder.
Arietta had no such commitments. She'd been selected for the position of the Elemancer before she'd given up a part of herself in trade to become more of a part of the earth, but now that she'd been rendered 'handicapped' was merely now suited to taking Sala's place, should she perish before the marriage.
Arietta gave up her wings, her gift of flight, to wield the cold chill of ice, the dull closeness of shadow, and the swift roar of the wind. Wingless, bipedal (as the rest of her kind were), and without magical means of flight, she was confined to the ground; a taboo amongst them.
But, she'd got what she'd wanted. The elements that heeded her call were her steadfast allies and companions. However, in this state of mind, with her body screaming in fatigue and frustration, she found that she wished for more.. physical companionship. Sala had retired to their quarters for the night. Ylan was long-gone, most likely into the bedroom of some other lucky young dragonman. All that sat now were herself, and her brother, who was continuing to watch the other clan members in their mealtime mingling.
"It's rubbish," he snorted, his nose scrunching up in dislike, his ears quirked onto the head table to catch the conversation being held. "Why would we want to have these dunderheads under our wings anyway?"
Though the expression threw another knife into her spine, Ari ignored the comment and instead tilted her eyes to the table he listened to.
"Ice and fire," she said simply. "If we have both extremes, it is less likely one will be able to overthrow the other. It becomes balanced, equ-"
"Aye, aye," Sangor said with an impatient wave of his hand. "You talk too much, sister."
They shared a laugh, though Ari's was significantly less hearty. One more upward glance after staring momentarily at a small burn in the wood on their table showed her a most unpleasant sight.
It was impossible to miss the way he'd been leering at her like a lecherous hound the entire night. Eyes that glowed gently with a ruby fire had locked on her every time she'd taken a moment to glance upward in his direction, and every time, she would feel the breath hitch in her throat, frozen like a small creature in the grasp of a predator. He'd hold her gaze and tip his head down just so, trapping her in his sights. Slowly, his lips would turn up in that frightening, malicious smirk; the one that clearly said, "You are mine, girl." Then, she would break away from his hold, turning her eyes away toward something else.. but he was always watching her, tracking her movements religiously.
"Sangor," Ari said in a hushed tone, leaning closer to him as she spoke to keep her voice between them. "Use your Mind's Eye, brother; look upon the one with the red eyes. Red hair. The cruel smirk."
"Ha, there is no need to waste my energy," he retorted with a scoff, shaking his head as soon as his eyes had found her requested target.
"..why not?"
"If you've got your eye on him, give it up. He is the Elder's brother."
"I-I do not! It is he who has been watching me this entire cycle."
"That's wishful thinking," Sangor drawled, his scaled lips pursing as he eyed his empty goblet of spice mead. "One, as the brother of an elder, he wouldn't so much as offer you a second glance. Two, you're the daughter of a neighboring Elder; if, Father forbid, Sala were to die, you would have to take her place in the union with the Water beasts."
A sharp kick of her leg hit her brother square in the shin, making him jump in his seat.
"Do not call them beasts."
"Aye, I know. You sound like mother, you know that?"
Sangor gave a disgruntled huff, then went back to his plate of meat and roots. Ari smiled at him. Sibling rivalry aside, she loved her brother very much, and he looked after her. She sighed and shook her head, then chanced another glance upward. Again, the dragonman was eyeing her, staring intently; she flicked her gaze to her sides. There was none other present he could've been looking at in that direction, save for her brother. That would've been.. awkward.
"..his brother," she initiated, making Sangor roll his eyes at the rekindled conversation string. "But.. he looks so young."
"He is," the older dragonman answered with a shake of his large head. "Maybe a few years older than we are. Before the Elder's parents returned to the earth, they had one last Roil. He was the result."
"Ahh, a late birth.. that would explain the difference in age between the two."
Sangor chuckled and nodded, looking up to see the man. For the first time since she'd looked at him, he turned his eyes away from her, and onto the opposite wall. He leaned against the wall farthest from him, one leg propped up against it, and both arms folded over his chest.
"Why does he look so.. so.."
"Human? That's a touchy subject. The mother had more than the proper father in that Roil period. A human man included."
Arietta gasped openly, looking back up at the scale-less man.
"..he is half human?"
"It is speculated. That would also explain his lack of wings."
At this, his sister turned her attention fully to him and scowled.
"..there is nothing wrong with having no wings."
"Sister, we have been through this. You are moody from the Season. Go to bed."
"Brother, I do-"
"Now."
Holding the commanding presence of their father, he could retire even her to her room. Or, at least, out of his sight.
She left the dining hall, but had lost sight of her 'friend' in the meantime. He'd no doubt retired as well. The cycle was growing late, and the volcanic lands of Anzirr were notorious for night-time 'accidents'. As she walked down the hall toward the line of rooms that had been prepared for them, the only thing that met her ears was a chorus of noise; hot, passionate noise. The sounds of many dragons in the throes of the Roil. The dragonwoman grimaced and turned on her heel. She would go to the artisan's quarter, where she could have a moment to look through the literature there.
But she did not reach her destination. One round of the corner away from the room, she was caught by a silky voice from the shadows; being so in-tune with the shadows, she heard it better, clearer. And it sent a chill down her spine.
"You have no wings," the brother of Anzirr's Elder said blatantly, now taking his leaning pose on the wall to her right. He was swathed in shadow-it surprised her she hadn't detected him.
"You are observant," Ari retorted coolly, lifting her muzzle in the air slightly. Half human or not, he was all dragonman; he had the height, the crownspikes, horns, and that tell-tale glow in his eyes that brightened when aroused. They were glowing with a dim aura, she was pleased to see.
"I am. Are you the girl who gave up your wings for charms?"
"They're not charms. They are elemental proficiencies. And I can use them to teach you that lesson too, master."
At the mocking title given to those of higher or elder birth than yourself, the man let a cold laugh leave his throat.
"Mmh, be careful what you offer," he said, voice dropping a few tones to barely a whisper. Ari's heart quickened its pace when he pushed off of the wall and started to step towards her, arms never uncrossing from over his chest. "Now, what is a little princess like you wandering about my halls at this hour, I wonder? Seeking trouble?"
Ari withdrew without realizing it, taking a step back with each of his advancing steps. The smirk threw his features into harsh relief; he was infallibly handsome, with the full fruits of the dragons' comely features. She realized that, with a painful jolt, her body was reacting to him in its traditional way, the glow in her eyes intensifying to a soft shine.
"N-no," she stammered, swallowing the saliva on her tongue. "I was going to the artisan quarter to study."
"Ah, like a good girl, off to study," he teased, his deep voice husky and laced with silky.. lust. He may've been born half-human, but his body was governed by the same things it would've been were he a full dragon: He was also in Season. "Maybe we can study together?"
Her back hit the wall and she froze, her ears falling down in a catlike manner. In one hasty stride, he closed the distance between them in her moment of shock and trapped her against the wall with one hand on either side of her head. His head dipped down, the lock he'd established between their eyes so strong, it might as well have been physical.
"I've.. many things that I want to teach you," he breathed, red eyes now glowing as brightly as she knew her own were. Ari's lips parted in a soft pant while she watched him hovering so close to her face. Before she could gather the breath to form a proper sentence, he leaned in and ran his bifurcated, dragon-like tongue over the end of her muzzle. The dragonwoman shivered, and they both inhaled a mutual gasp. Fire burned in her core, and that one gesture had forced it into a roaring inferno. She let out a tiny moan, and he snickered at her, though his own body had begun to quiver slightly with the force of his self-restraint, and his anticipation.
"Under the full effects of the Season are we, girl?" he asked, taking his chances with kissing her again this way: Licking her muzzle, preventing her from responding with another shock to the senses, and earning himself another gratifying little moan.
Ari would've responded if she had any breath at all, but she could not inhale a decent one. This close, his scent was far more than intoxicating; it was a thoroughly addictive drug. The brother of the Elder leaned his weight on his left hand and dropped his right, trailing a slow path down her neck and to her collarbone.
"As the third daughter, you are to take over for your older sister if she falls in battle, and marry another for the good of your clan, am I right?"
Ari glared up at him, both offended by his touch and excited by it, gasping openly with the movement of his hand. She tried to hold as much of her composure as possible, but it was fast becoming impossible for her to do so. With the full effects of being in heat, to boot..
"Mmh," he mused, slowly letting his hand travel lower until he tickled the top of her soft-scaled cleavage. "But this is not to be. Your sister will be fine. You should not wait."
A proposition, from this man, and such a blatant one? Her mind reeled with the mere suggestion. Surely, he knew her position, and understood that she, like her sister, could not mate so frivolously.. but her body seemed perfectly fine with the idea. Indeed, her back arched forward against him, pushing his hand farther into her cleavage.
"Ooh, so eager.." he chided, though he did not waste his time in taking advantage of her momentary loss of focus. Both of his arms went down and around her waist to lift her up, throwing her onto his shoulder in a deft move. Though Ari let out a shrill chirp of shock, there was no one about to hear her noises. She realized this with an almost painful dread; by the simple hour, or by the order of the man that now toted her on his shoulder, there were no others in these halls. She could almost feel the dogged smirk on her captor's face.
He threw her against the wall once the door leading to his quarters had closed behind them, and though she struggled with all her might, she could not push him back. He quickly took hold of the ropes that were knotted spaced apart from each other on heavy spikes on the wall, and looped them around her wrists to bind her arms apart and keep her from pushing him away. Her elements would not respond to her when she was this far into arousal; advertent or not, her body was positively crying with need. Her clothes lay in tatters around the room, leaving her anthromorphic body bare, nipples turned up, and chest heaving for breath. He was busy fumbling with his belt, having never been wearing a shirt, his eyes raking over her body; both dragonfolk were panting. Arietta's luminescent attributes were glowing brightly, casting a gentle blue shimmer over the objects around her. It was a stark contrast to the blood red of his eyes, which sent their own crimson glow to mingle with the blue of hers. Everything in her mind told her to run, to try to escape this man, but her body...
He tore his belt off and quickly undid his pants, opening them to reveal the solid erection he harbored. Unlike most dragonmen, he had no sheath, but he had the size. Arietta braced herself against the wall, muttering breathy pleas for him to release her from this captivity. The man gave her a snarling grin and advanced on her naked body. Pinned between him and the wall, she could do nothing but allow this man's hands to roam over her chest, to fondle the glowing nipples and to suckle them until they hurt. Arietta had never known such pleasure, never known the touch of a man.
"Be a good girl," he hissed, taking her roughly by the hips and turning her so he could slip behind her slightly. With her head turned away from him, cheek pressing into the cold stone behind her, she could not look back at him, and likewise could not keep track of his moves behind her; but her eyes did not need this luxury. With one hand, he reached down and hauled her leg up, gripping her thigh tightly with her calf draped over his arm. Aside from her tail, which tried to arch itself defensively between herself and him, Ari was completely exposed to him now. He nestled his face into her neck and hair, the blazing red color from his eyes vanishing for a moment with the closing of his eyes, then reappearing as suddenly as he opened them again.
"Your body is perfection," he whispered into her flesh, using his legs to trap her tail between them. "It is most unkind to present yourself in public. You draw too many eyes to keep yourself for some nonexistent man."
Ari tilted her head back, her open mouth drawing in all the air she could.
"Don't do this, I beg you," she pleaded, trying to ignore the feeling of his hard shaft as he ran its hot length along the curve of her buttocks.
"Ahh, that's it," he murmured, now resting his chin on her shoulder. "Beg me not to take you, yes.."
Already, the bulbous head of his sex had found her dripping slit. With little tilts of his hips, he probed her gently, barely letting his head caress her inner lips. The dragonlady whimpered softly, but other than the noticeable tensing of her muscles, did not try to stop him; in her position, she couldn't. He'd trapped her in such a pose that she could barely keep herself standing, much less try to shove him away.
"P-please," Ari groaned, her eyes squeezing closed as if to hide from the moment.
"Nnh, more," he growled into her scales, nipping at her shoulder with his sharp teeth. She jumped, her movement pushing him into her just slightly; he snarled pleasurably, his fingers curling into her, keeping his mind sane with his simple hold.
Arietta panicked, but not in the way one usually would've, flailing about and screaming. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins, straight to her brain and muscles, and her eyes snapped open. With her lips peeling back from her teeth to bare them, she ground them together, scowling as she angled her eyes sideways to look at him.
"Get your body away from mine," she demanded, her intended lover pausing to look up at her. The humor in his eyes vanished, one of his eyebrows quirking in a questioning manner.
"..ordering me about now?" he queried. "I like independence in women, but this may be unwise."
She pushed her leg out, but he merely tightened his strong arm on her, hitching it up painfully high.
"It is clear, girl," he continued. The smirk was now gone completely, replaced with a thin line. "That I am the one who is to give the orders here."
For emphasis, he thrust his hips forward, his head pushing into her wet body until it met resistance. The pace of her heart quickened, pounding a thundering tempo in her ears. Ari cried out, the adrenaline blurring her vision and making her squeeze around him like a vice in an attempt to hold him where he was. He groaned quietly, readjusting his arm beneath her leg and bracing himself against the wall with his free hand.
"Relax," he encouraged, pressing his teeth to her shoulder once again. She resisted jumping this time, for fear that any movement she might make would push him into her too far. "You know this will help us both."
Before the shaking girl could answer, the man had pulled back to the ridge of his head; with a sudden forward shift, he thrust his cock into her body. He felt her maidenhead part for him, and he sank deeply into her, her sharp inhale and pained moan only adding to the pleasure of the inside of her unexplored flower. She was wet, velvet fire, gripping him with her walls so tightly.. He may've been an asshole, but he held himself steady, though he wanted badly to move. She was a virgin; he had to take it slow, or risk scaring her away from the idea of a repeat encounter. Giving her a few moments, he bent his head to suckle her shoulder, scraping her scales with his teeth and offering soft grunts every few moments. When Ari relaxed enough to let out a sighing moan, making her inner muscles flutter on his cock; his hips bucked and he drew in a gasp. Words escaped them both, but they didn't need them now. He knew she would let him move; she had no choice.
He pulled out of her slowly, as steadily as possible, then pushed back into her with the same agonizing slowness. She would've preferred him to move faster, to get it over with, but he intended to take his sweet time with her. Ari breathed sideways against the wall, her body twisted at such an odd angle that it allowed this. She couldn't feel the toes of her left leg; the lack of circulation had numbed them. Had she focused on any part of her body other than her core, she would've been in excruciating pain.. but her mind was inside of herself. With him. He thrust with their breathing, as it had calmed with their moment of rest, in and out in a steady rhythm. He was waiting for her, she realized past the dull ache of her pussy. Quiet acceptance made her close her eyes, and she relaxed fully for him. With a fervent growl, he pulled out one final time, and thrust forward roughly, burying his entire length into her and making her cry out-in pleasure. His lips twisted into a malicious grin and he adjusted his grip to begin the manly rhythm.
Ari's breasts bounced as he rammed himself into her, jarring her body with each powerful thrust. They groaned and gasped, the sounds of slapping flesh ringing through the darkness of the room around them. Her core burned with the heat of his sex and her own hotness that blazed in her very blood, heating every inch of her body. She gripped the ropes that held her wrists, digging her claws into her own palms. Without the restraint in her mind, she let herself go to feel rather than think. And what wonders she beheld. He tilted his hips a little more, and pushed his cock against that sweet spot inside her vagina that caused her to shudder and moan loudly, a fresh spurt of feminine lubrication coating his cock. He was already slick with her juices, pushing in and out of her with delightful sucking sounds from her body. Again, he pushed across this spot and made her hips jerk, sending a sharp shock of pleasure through him. The way she held him with her walls as he thrust into her, the soft sounds of urgent need she made, and the sudden uneven staccato of her breath alerted him that their playtime had almost come to an end; for both of them. He held on as long as he could, watching the emotions play across her face. First came surprise, then necessity, and finally, an almost pained look of unbearable pleasure that was accompanied by her throat opening on an avid, keening cry. His body shook with the release of her juices that flowed freely around his cock, sending a fresh wave of desire crashing over him. Ari felt she could've died from the sheer ecstasy, drowning in the feeling of his body inside hers, mating them as one for this single moment. Her lover growled huskily, pushing into her with uneven strength; with a final snarl, he buried himself inside her and released his seed, coating her inner walls with thick, rich ropes. A spasm took him as he came, making his back arch in a jerking manner. However, as soon as the spasm was finished, he felt his body relax, and began to slide out of her. He stood with her for a moment before he summoned the strength to release her leg and undo her bonds, catching her as she started to fall to the floor. Laying her down, he took his place beside her, propping his head up on his hand. They were both spent, catching their breath as they took this moment of rest.
His dragoness tried to relax on her back, the lines of her features deepened with pain, both physical and psychological. She hadn't been ready for this mentally, though her body had been a most willing partner. He quietly observed her, the glow in the various points of her body dimming and almost vanishing, as his own eyes had. Ari was exhausted from their primal fucking, and from the alarm she felt; she'd have to tell her parents. He seemed to feel her discomfort, and rose into a sitting position. One of his hands reached out to trace absent circles around her bellybutton, soft movements meant to soothe her. When her expression remained unchanged, the human-dragon frowned, shifting himself so he was now seated in front of her. He parted her legs, laying down so his face sat barely an inch away from her ravaged womanhood. Folding his arms under his chest, he extended his tongue to taste of their mingled liquids, the metallic taste of blood also finding its hold on his tastebuds. He lapped at her slit, drinking their juices until his mouth was covered and wet, then turned his attention onto the little nub of flesh that held so many pleasurable nerve endings within it. The split tip of his tongue curled around it in opposite directions, trapping it in a circle of muscle. He tugged on it with his tongue for a moment, and then released it to lean in and wrap his lips around it, sucking it gently into his mouth. Her lover was by no means rough with her, licking her like a dog licked a wound and trying to soothe her. Ari sighed softly, managing to lift her hands and reach down to him, losing her fingers in his red hair. With the sign of life from the girl, he released her clit, tilting his head to look up at her. When he saw she was resting comfortably, the expression on her face shifted from pain to calm, he took his cue to cease.
He did not speak as he moved to lay beside her again, this time resting on his back to let her turn and lay on his side with her head against his chest. Ari half wondered if he cared for speech. He seemed like the quiet type, after all; though, he was by no means meek and reserved. Inside this body lay the heart of a leader, just as resided in his brother, the will to govern a clan. However, just like herself, his outward appearances had stripped him of any truly worthy title within the clan itself. They were misfits of sorts, and they'd both learned to cope with and overcome their little differences. Though, he still seemed a little odd to her, even as he bent his head to kiss her forehead before dropping back down and closing his eyes. Whatever the morning brought, she didn't worry about; odd or not, he'd taken her. As her first lover, she was obliged to remain here with him throughout the night..and she'd never even learned his name. With a soft laugh to herself, she too closed her eyes and let her mind drift into the recesses of subconscious thought.
Sleep, right now, seemed like the best route to take.