FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Lady of Luck 6

It took two long weeks for Dawn to recover and during those two weeks Peter couldn't have been happier. It was true that everything around him was soon to be nothing but radioactive glass but these days with Dawn had given him a sense of happiness that he had never felt before.

"You're staring" Dawn said laughingly at Peter

"I know I've got a permit" Peter replied smiling

Dawn laughed as they packed up the camp and threw a pot at Peter which clanged noisily against his foot.

"Ouch what was that for?" Peter asked

"Well you're packing the pots so it might help if you packed the pots" Dawn laughed

Peter grinned sheepishly and shoved the pot into the pack, they were finally moving off to attempt to save Dawn's brother Sokl from her other brother Shadow.

"Oh, Peter I think you might want to know" Dawn said slowly

"Yes..." Peter said slowly knowing what he was about to hear was going to be unpleasant

"In order to get to the Blacklands quickly enough to possibly beat Shadow there we will have to take a shortcut through the Great Forest" Dawn explained

"Yes what's so bad about that?" Peter asked

"Well it's not the forest you have to be worried about" Dawn assured him "It's the inhabitants, the Dryads. Closest thing you'll find to a human on Antaris, we won't be able to light fire or carry any axes inside the Great Forest; the Dryads are very touchy about axes and fire and can become violent if we take them into the Forest"

"Ah" Peter exhaled "How far is it to the Forest and can I keep my swords?"

"Oh not far about two days travel and they generally don't care about swords as long as you keep them sheathed" Dawn said

"You have a warped sense of distance" Peter said darkly

"Why Peter I'm shocked" Dawn said mockingly

The two days travel to the forest was surprisingly easy and the hill they had just crested gave a mind blowing view of the Great Forest and the raging river that guarded its entrance.

"And just how do we intend to cross that?" Peter gasped as he saw the river

"Simple we just asked permission and wait for the answer" Dawn replied evasively

"Somehow I knew you were going to say something like that" Peter said

Dawn and Peter walked down to the river and began to set up camp

"Why don't you just ask now?" Peter asked

"I will, after we're set up sometimes their answers take a while to come back" Dawn said

"Alright" Peter said and set up the camp at a furious pace, he was eager to see Dawn use some real magic unlike the destruction he had wrought on the Temple Town or the fire he used on the assassin

Dawn walked out to the river and poured what look to Peter to be blood into the river and simply requested to pass then walked back to the camp past Peter who was standing there with a doubtful expression on his face.

"Was that it?" he asked intently sure he had missed something

"Absolutely" Dawn said then warned "If the reply comes in the night don't draw your blade unless I say so, otherwise things could degenerate fast"

"Sure. What will the messenger look like?" he asked

"Gods you're full of questions aren't you?" Dawn said smiling "To be honest I don't know"

As they sat around the fire, Peter glanced over his shoulder and saw one of the most frightening things he had ever seen. A reanimated corpse stood behind him and it had something clenched in its hand.

"Dawn, is this the messenger?" Peter asked through gritted teeth

"It would appear so" she said "I wish they wouldn't use those"

"I know what you mean" Peter said in measured tones clenching and unclenching his fists getting his breath under control "Where the fuck did they get this, thing, any way?"

"Probably drowned trying to cross without permission" Dawn said disgust clear on her voice

Peter suddenly asked "How do we get rid of this?"

"Well if doesn't leave in about twenty seconds we can assume whoever is controlling it bears us some ill will because in about thirty they will lose control of it and it will attack us so we can destroy it" Dawn said simply

"Right" Peter asked grinning fiercely summoning the fire spell that had served him so well before

Dawn realised what he was preparing to do and stopped him just short of casting "Why did you stop me?" Peter asked indignantly

"Fire, Dryads controlling the beast. Dumb idea" Dawn said insultingly

"Stop that" Peter said

"Sorry" Dawn grimaced "Just stab the stupid thing through the heart"

"Right" Peter said then with a flourish whipped out the blade the assassin king had gifted to him and stabbed the corpse through the heart. Then resounding explosion of power could be heard miles away.

Peter stared at what had previously been his hand then collapsed senseless in a heap next to a crater leaving Dawn standing there stunned with the power of the explosion.

Just minutes later the Dryads came rushing across the river to find Dawn huddled over the senseless body of Peter still smouldering from the explosion.

"Are you alright Dawn?" came the concerned voice of a young child

Dawn looked up and the Dryad shuddered with the power of the flame of hatred that burned within Dawn's eyes. "Get your best healers out here now and I want the River Master here NOW!" Dawn shouted

The healers came a few seconds later anxious to check on the Goddess who turned their powerful attentions to Peter who laid still stunned his right hand blackened and burned still aflame with an unholy light.

"Can't you put out the flame?" Dawn asked

"No" the Healer Chief said "It's his own power protecting his body; until he regains consciousness or you can calm him we can't help him. He'd fry us if he tried"

"Is he that powerful?" Dawn asked

"He would be a formidable challenge for the Dryad queen if he was properly trained" the Healer said with conviction

Dawn's eyes widened, the Dryad queen was a match for her in power. For the Healer chief to say that Peter would have to be one hell of a powerful mancer as the Dryads referred to mages.

Dawn approached Peter slowly aware that his body's power would and could lash out at any perceived threat no matter who the person was.

Dawn reached Peter and slowly stroked his brow; she gently reached inside his mind attempting to comfort the raging beast inside it. Dawn stepped through into Peter's subconscious "Peter" she cried out

"Dawn" Peter replied "What happened? Where am I?"

"This is your subconscious when you used the sword given to you by the Genthre King it exploded and did you a great deal of harm but the healers can't help you unless you lower you barriers" Dawn instructed

"How?" Peter asked

"There is a simple way or a hard way" Dawn said "The hard way you figure out how to do it yourself or the easy way we make our minds one and I help you"

"That won't be any major change" Peter said "Alright how we can merge"

Dawn began pushing her mind into Peter's, Peter winced as a pressure grew in his head and it soon grew to an unbearable level just as he was about to ask Dawn to stop the pressure vanished and was replaced by a sense of completeness that made Peter's eyes fill with tears.

"And now you're mine forever" Dawn said

"Wasn't I always" Peter replied

On the outside the healers sat around the fire, it had been days since Dawn had tried to help Peter and there was still no response from either. The Leader Healer sat up abruptly as he saw the fire on Peter's hand go out and Dawn slump away from him, fearing the worst he let out a cry and ran over to Dawn and Peter to see Dawn smiling with Peter lying next to her alive but hurt.

"I did it now hurry up" Dawn said in a rasping voice

The healers set about the business of healing in their tent firmly telling Dawn to stay out of the tent and away from the tent entrance. Dawn sighed as she sat by the fire then the Lead Healer burst out and slumped next to Dawn.

"Just how did he manage to do that kind of damage to himself" the Healer demanded

"Genthre explosive disguised as a ceremonial sword given to Peter by their King" Dawn sighed

"That explains a bit, well we have done as much as we can here and so we're going into the main city where we can better treat your friend" the Healer said "Also the Queen wants to meet your friend personally about what happened that sword as you call it should have killed him, you and destroyed about a two mile area of land but it didn't. Your friend here is a mancer of surpassing power not even our queen could overpower this one in a mancer's battle"

Dawn stared at the Healer disbelief clear on her face but Dryads don't lie, point of fact they can't lie so that meant that Peter had to be a match for her in terms of sheer power in the magic arts. A messenger came running across to the Healer "The Queen says that you and your patients must cross now if they want to avoid the gryphon force travelling at great speed towards your position"

The Healer let out a surprisingly loud and awful curse for a Healer and a female one at that as she roared orders telling her men to move the tents and everything across the river now. The soldiers quickly and efficiently packed up the camp and began moving towards the river which had stilled allowing rafts to be sent across, the soldiers heaved the gear onto most of the rafts leaving three for the healers and themselves.

Jimmy was slung into one of the rafts with the Lead Healer and her most trusted healers leaving Dawn to pile into one of the other rafts which were pulled across the river quicker than Dawn would have thought possible.

The healers and soldiers could hear the outraged cries of the gryphons from the other side of the river as the river began to churn and froth as its former ferocity returned make the river again impassable to all but the most suicidal and lucky adventures.

"I doubt those monsters would dare to cross my river" said one of the Dryads a fierce expression on her face

"I take it that you are the River Master" Dawn said in a cold voice

"Yes I am" the River Master said confusedly

"Why was one of your creatures hanging round my camp?" Dawn demanded

"What?" the River Master said confusion clear on her face "I didn't send any creature, I sent for the Queen's men to pick you up. That's the reason for the escort"

"Well one of your creatures was hanging around our camp and it didn't leave that's why Peter attacked it resulting in our current situation" Dawn said voice still burning with cold fury, her eyes hard

The River Master shook her head "No I didn't send any messenger"

"Then who sent the fucking creature?" Dawn shouted

The River Master barked out a series of orders and soon the entire Dryad River Command Centre was assembled before the River Master.

"I have gather you here to ask you all a very important question" the River Master shouted authority clearly carrying on her voice "Someone sent a messenger to Dawn's camp. Now who the hell sent it?"

None of the Dryads stepped forwards and it became obvious that the River Master was not going to allow the trespass on her territory and authority to ride.

"Is there any Dryads missing?" Dawn questioned

"Shit" the River Master breathed out "Is there anyone missing?" she shouted out

One of the Dryads stepped forwards "I believe River Commander Willow is missing" she said quietly

"Shit" the River Master swore again "Find her now!" she roared

A squad of soldiers approached Dawn "The Queen requests your presence My Lady" the captain of the soldiers spoke

"Alright" Dawn said "Let's go. Oh and River Master I expect to meet the traitor who sent that messenger" Dawn continued dark intent clear on her voice

"Understood" the River Master said darkly

The soldiers formed a tight square around Dawn it was obvious that they believed that the treachery at the River went further than one Dryad. The soldiers kept a solid step up moving quickly through the tree kingdom on the Dryad Queens that had been around longer than all other life except the Gods.

Soon Dawn passed through a group of massive trees forming an arching roof of incredible beauty covered with flowers of infinite colour and shapes.

"Well I certainly didn't expect to see you again" the Dryad Queen said happily running down and embracing Dawn

Dawn tries to smile and hugged the queen back "Well as you can see a friend of mine has been badly hurt trying to cross your river and I really would like to know who caused it to happen"

The Dryad Queen gave an anguished cry "Truly? Has one of your friends been hurt trying to cross our River?"

"Yes my friend Peter attempted to kill one of your messengers because we thought it might attack us and when he did the weapon the Genthre King gave him exploded badly hurting him. Surely your mancers told you?" Dawn explained

"No they told me of no events involving the art around the River" the Dryad Queen said suspicion heavy on her voice

"Really well no one told the River Master about the messenger either. I think you might have a problem with your servant's loyalty" Dawn suggested

"Indeed" the Dryad Queen said then ordered "Mancers to me"

"Yes my Queen" said one of the Mancers

"Would you care to explain why you did not inform me of the explosion involving the art by the River" the Queen asked

The Mancer made a shocked expression "Neither I or any of my mancers sensed anything involving the art by the River" concern on her voice

Dawn gritted her teeth "Then why did you not hear it the explosion was quite loud the damage done to my friend is testimony to the power of the explosion" she growled "Where is Peter?"

"He is with our healers now you can see him now if you wish" the Dryad Queen said

"Indeed I would like to see him" Dawn voice suddenly very formal and cold as she stared down the Mancer

The Mancer broke the stare but as she did Dawn caught a glimpse of something dark that seemed to absorb the light around it nestled between the Mancer's breasts. Dawn's eyes harden and she crash tackled the Mancer to the floor reached between the Mancer's breasts and pulled out a dark pendant emblazoned on it was a bloody symbol of Shadow.

The Mancer continued to struggle until Dawn punched her in the temple sending the Mancer to collapse limply on the ground. Dawn stood up and ordered the guards to arrest the other Mancers wherever they were in the city and bring them into the palace.

The guards spread throughout the city quickly finding all the mancers and bringing them to the palace largely without incident though one had to be rendered unconscious and sure enough the mancer was wearing a Shadow symbol, none of the other mancers bore the symbol but after the captain of the guards informed her that these were the two most powerful mancers in the city Dawn was sure that they were behind the River incident.

The Queen was still in a state of shock when Dawn gave her the two unconscious bodies of the traitor mancers but seemed to snap back to her senses when Dawn asked her what the punishment for traitors was.

"Oh we have a certain spell that I'm sure you'll find interesting that we use in their case" the Queen told Dawn

The Dryad Queen had the other mancers hold the traitors outside the palace in the plain view of the public then the Queen began to chant in a language Dawn had not heard in thousands of years. A black blue light began to gather around the traitors as a cold breeze blew chillingly through the branches of the tree city. The light flashed blindingly bright and two statues of black blue glass stood in place of the traitors.

"What happened to the traitors?" Dawn growled

"They're right in front of you" the Dryad Queen said darkly "I froze them in glass they're still aware. Not dead, not alive, trapped like that for as long as my spell lasts"

"And how long is that?" Dawn asked

"Oh about forever" the Queen said "And maybe a day"

Dawn's eyes widened as she considered what the Dryad Queen had just told her. What the Queen had done to those traitors was easily considered a fate worse than death and Dawn had to agree when she saw the statues of the traitors frozen forever.

"Interesting" came Peter's voice as he staggered out to meet Dawn

"How?" Dawn started

"Shhh" Peter hissed "Don't alert the healers"

"Where is that man?" came the Lead Healer's voice from one of the trees

"Shit now they know I'm gone" Peter laughed and Dawn couldn't help but laugh as she saw the expression on the Healer's face as she scanned the ground for Peter

The Healer spotted Peter and came sliding down the tree anger obvious on her face "Get back here" she shouted

"Not on your life" Peter replied as the Healer reached the ground

Peter swore as he saw the statues "What happened there?" he asked Dawn

"Queen froze them in glass, they're not dead and they're trapped until the spell lasts they won't age or anything unfortunately for them the spell is forever in their case" Dawn explained

"Really" Peter said

The Healer walked up slowly as she saw the statues and gave a large sigh "I wish the queen hadn't done that" she said

"Why?" asked Dawn

"Well considering the fact that the Mancer was close to figuring out how to break the petrifying curse I would expect the Queen to act so drastically to...... What did she do?" the Healer asked

"She was the one behind the messenger at the River" Dawn said "She was a disciple of Shadow"

The Healer's eyes widened at that "Never would have expected that" she said in a low voice then "Well Peter I need you back up there if we are to fit you a new hand or would you rather go through life with one hand"

Peter swore then said "Well get it done"

It took the better part of five hours but Peter's hand was a work of art and not just in the artistic sense the hand was clockwork and magic and was sheathed in a metal that Peter had never seen before but it was incredibly soft to touch yet it proved to be quite hard. And best yet they proved Peter could still feel with it, the hand was amazing it was just like wearing a glove over his real hand Peter concluded.

"Wow" Dawn commented as she saw Peter's new hand

"Truly a work of art" said the Queen "I take it there are no hard feelings over the River" she asked

"None at all" Peter said "And thank you for the hand, it is truly beautiful"

The guards escorted Peter and Dawn to a grand house that look like it had been formed out of one tree, not cut but simply moulded. The guards left quickly after Dawn and Peter entered the house evidently they didn't want to be around there for some reason Peter noted.

"Why did they leave so quickly?" Peter asked

"Respect" Dawn said simply

"Really one thing bothers me about the Dryads though" Peter said

"Oh what's that?" Dawn asked

"Where are the males?" Peter questioned "All I've seen are female Dryads not one male"

"That's simple" Dawn replied "There isn't any male Dryads if they want company they generally go across the River and find some poor lost soul and give him a night he won't soon forget"

"Ah" Peter said quickly "That explains quite a bit actually"

Dawn laughed and kissed Peter, Peter responded quickly drawing Dawn into a deeper kiss pressing his body hard against her.

"Gods I've missed this" Dawn moaned as Peter caressed her breasts

"You have no idea" Peter replied and he slowly pulled Dawn's clothes off before starting on his own

Peter slowly traced his hands across down Dawn's neck causing shudders of pleasure to run delightfully through her body, slowly he continued down his fingers playing across her breasts lightly playing with Dawn's nipples eliciting a low moan from her.

Peter continued down Dawn's body coming to rest with his face just above her thighs and blew lightly across the lips of pussy causing Dawn to squirm in pleasure.

"Well hurry up" Dawn hissed in pleasure

Peter dashed in and began to hungrily lick at Dawn's cunt drawing louder and louder moans from her, Dawn clutched at the back of Peter's head trying to force him to lick harder and faster and that he did pushing Dawn over the edge making her howl as she came onto his muzzle.

Dawn smiled as she came down from her pleasure high then grinning impishly flipped Peter onto his back then slid down and gave his cock and long slow lick. Peter moaned as Dawn sucked lightly on the tip of his length driving him crazy with arousal.

Peter moaned and ground his hips upwards into Dawn's mouth desperate for release, Dawn suddenly began sucking hard on Peter's cock driving closer to release bobbing her head up and down quickly finally driving Peter over the edge sending howling bucking his hips upwards into Dawn's mouth emptying himself thoroughly.

"Mmmm tasty" Dawn said then laughed as she snuggled down next to her love

Then the door burst open Peter swore and rolled for his sword coming up ready to fight. In the doorway stood one of the Dryad Mancer staring at Peter.

"Can you tell her to fuck off" Peter said vexedly to Dawn

"Why are you here?" Dawn said just as annoyed

"My Lady the Queen sends word the statues of the traitors are gone the spell was broken" the mancer gasped out

"What?" Dawn said coldly

"The Queen requests your presence to discuss these events" the mancer replied

"Fine now leave and tell the Queen we are coming" Dawn ordered the mancer gave a curious look over Peter's naked body before dashing back towards the palace

"Now why do they continue to do that?" Peter growled after the mancer left

"They are curious" Dawn said amusedly

"Yes well now it's just annoying" Peter growled again

Peter shook his head and shrugged on his cuirass and began to strap on his armour a gift of the Dryad guards his old armour had been to badly damaged to reuse after the exploding sword incident. Dawn quickly dressed into a shape hugging emerald dress strapping on a short sword to her side.

"You look beautiful dear" Peter remarked as the set off towards the palace

"Why thank you Peter" Dawn said then smiled "Now let's sort out this problem before we get to distracted"

Peter laughed then swore as they heard the obvious explosion of magic from the palace. When they arrived the front of the palace was scorched and blackened by some powerful spell obviously gone awry.

"Where the hell are the mancers?" Peter swore as he searched the palace

"Oh don't worry about them I saw to it that they are well distracted" came a familiar voice from the throne

"Shadow" Dawn spat "Where is the Queen?"

"Oh you could say she is tied up" Shadow said darkly "And don't expect any help from the guards they're distracted by something quite unfriendly in the river"

Dawn's eyes narrowed with hatred as she took a spell casting stance

"That won't avail you here" Shadow said but was silenced as a massive fire ball ripped into the throne turning it into ashes in an instant

Peter smirked as he observed the destruction, his smirk evaporated as he saw Shadow standing there unhurt

"Don't bother Peter" Dawn said calmly "He finds it amusing to cast his appearance around quite childish"

Shadow roared "I am not childish"

"The Queen is outside find her now" Dawn whispered "I'll distract Shadow for as long as I can"

Peter raced out off the palace desperate to find the Dryad Queen before it was too late.