Beneath the Surface

Story by Antoneth on SoFurry

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#10 of A New Acquisition


Jennifer sat calmly at the head of the conference table. To the knowledge of everyone at the board meeting, her attention was focused on the various division heads as they updated her on the latest developments in their respective departments. While she was definitely listening, she was also watching a lone figure seated at the far end of the room. There, wearing an impeccably tailored skirt and jacket, and with collar conspicuously absent, sat Storm.

The dragoness had been introduced to the board as Jennifer's new assistant; someone to take notes for her in case her memory failed her. There had been smiles at that: despite only knowing her for a few months, no one on the board could remember the vixen forgetting a single thing mentioned at their meetings. All of them suspected there was something they were not being told about the new assistant, but none suspected she was actually Jennifer's slave, or that she had more wealth than all of them combined, should the vixen decide to release it to her.

Jennifer sighed internally. Handing Storm control of her accounts was unlikely to be happening for a long time; the dragoness was still uncomfortable with any role other than that of slave. This was the third board meeting she had attended, kept secret from her fellow slaves by the excuse of a 'shopping trip'. The vixen had hoped that not making her wear the pin that would mark her falsely - for now - as a member of the Privileged would be enough to relieve the stress the dragoness felt when putting on her 'act', but she had been disappointed. While Storm never failed to keep up her façade during the meetings, as soon as the board had left, she would crumble.

The meeting drew to a close, and Jennifer exchanged pleasantries with her staff as they filed out of the room. As she closed the door behind them, her own business-like persona dropped, and she was forced to suppress a giggle as she turned to Storm. The dragoness, now freed from the restraints of company, was hunched over in her chair and staring intently at a waste bin in front of her. The bin had been placed near her seat on purpose: the dragoness's stomach had rebelled after the first meeting she had attended, so Jennifer had taken precautions. It looked like Storm had avoided losing her lunch this time, if only just.

Jennifer knelt next to the shaking dragoness, gently stroking her back. From her pocket, she retrieved Storm's collar and placed it around her slave's neck. As she expected, this helped to relax her: it was a sign that the dragoness was back to her usual, far less stressful, role.

Storm looked up at the vixen with watery eyes. "This isn't going to work, Jenny" she said. "This just isn't me. I can't be anything other than a slave. I throw up just from sitting in a corner and taking notes!" She sighed, and hung her head. "Maybe you should just use the money yourself. Then I can give up on the idea of becoming Privileged."

Jennifer grinned. "When I first suggested the idea, you said it was impossible. It seems to me you don't 'give up' on truly impossible ideas; just the ones you're not sure you can go through with."

Storm bit her lip. "I... I want to do it, but I just can't. It's not who I am."

"Storm, you know me quite well by now" said the vixen. "Am I the same person in the office that I am at my mansion?"

Sighing, the dragoness shook her head. "No... But you're a much better actress than I am."

Jennifer took Storm's hand and brought her to her feet. "It just takes practice" she said. "If it helps, think of it as a make-believe game, just like when you were a kid."

As she turned and walked from the room, the vixen missed the look that crossed Storm's face. The dragoness shuddered for a moment, then followed her mistress.

***

Unbeknownst to Jennifer and Storm, the dragoness was not the only one trying to learn new skills. Sky sat in the mansion's library, eyes open but not really focused on anything. The Dragon was inside his head, practicing his telepathy.

"Better, Sky" came a voice in his mind. "Hear you clearly this time." The voice belonged to Max: a Privileged dragon, friend to Jennifer, Sky's mentor in all things magical, and uncle to Storm. The two were not related, but Max had been a friend of her family since long before she was born. He had been the one to tutor her in magic when her powers awakened unusually early: the normal method of simply transferring all the relevant knowledge telepathically was less effective with children, so Max had taught her the old-fashioned way. When Storm was believed killed in the same accident that had claimed her parents, he had been devastated. Discovering her alive had been the only time anyone had seen him lost for words.

"It's hard to make contact at this distance" thought Sky.

"Can't sense people like you can in person: have to know them! Reach out!" came the response. "Enough. Done well!"

"Thank you, Max. As much as I enjoy Jennifer's magic training regime, sometimes it's nice to practice in a more mundane way." Sky blushed as memories of the vixen's training methods entered his mind. Fortunately, at this distance, there was no way for Max to pick up on them; even though he already knew the general approach Jennifer was taking, the details remained rather personal.

"Hah! Girl knows what she's doing! Much more interesting than when I was training. She knows how to push you. Not surprising."

"Thanks again, Max. I'll let you get back to work."

"Work? Bah! Company runs itself! Magic's much more fun!"

Sky laughed, and began to let go of the telepathic connection. Before he could break it, Max interrupted him.

"Before you go, been meaning to talk to you about Storm" said Max. "Girl needs training, too!"

Sky blinked. "As in magic training? But..." He thought for a second. "Wait, her magic's still active?" That should probably have occurred to him already, but somehow it had slipped his attention.

"Not still; again! Lost her memory, and abused by that bitch of a tigress. Her magic went into hiding, just like her personality! If she's herself, her magic'll be back. Changed, didn't she? She's an adult now. Just give her the knowledge, she'll be fine." Though the weak link could only convey words, Sky swore he could feel Max smile. "Get to train her. Use Jennifer's tricks!"

Sky blushed as he thought of training Storm the same way the vixen did with him. Or worse - well, better if he was honest - was the idea of the two of them training together.

"She'll Change at will, once she gets the hang of it" came the next message. "Can't imagine what two Changed dragons could get up to, all that airspace over Jennifer's house..."

This time, Sky was certain Max was leering. "Max, you're supposed to be her uncle. Should you really be encouraging that sort of behaviour?"

"Why not? Girl's grown up. Deserves as much pleasure as she can get! One last thing: you should train Jennifer, too. Well past time she learnt."

"Train her in what?"

"Same as you. Same as Storm! Magic! Told you before, girl's got potential!"

Sky's thoughts derailed entirely. "What?! When did you tell me that!"

"Told both of you! When your magic woke up!"

Sky thought back to that occasion, but any memory of such a major pronouncement was lost in the whirlwind of his own magical awakening. "So, she can use magic?"

"Of course! Girl's a natural, too. How'd you think she's so good with you lot? Been using empathy without knowing it! Bit of telepathy, too. Maybe even clairvoyance: girl's always been a little too good at business, you know? Just dump it all in her head, then you get to train her, too!"

Heedless of the bombshell he had dropped, Max broke off the connection, leaving Sky to consider just how to deal with this new revelation. He was still thinking about it late into the night, when Jennifer woke him up for a special task.

***

Despite the late hour, the pool room was well lit as Storm walked in. The full moon blazed through the glass ceiling, some three storeys above. A quick glance showed the place to be empty, so Storm snuck towards the newly-installed slime pool.

It had only been three weeks since the goo had arrived, a present from her Uncle Max. She and Sky had set up a temporary pool for it, but Jennifer had already had builders in to remodel the pool area and incorporate a more permanent home for it. While the gunge only had an effect on the scales of the mansion's two resident dragons, Storm had seen the others taking a dip on more than one occasion. Recognising the fascination it held for everyone, Jennifer had increased the size of the permanent pool and acquired more of its contents from Max.

The pit, as everyone was now calling it, was easily three times the size of the original goo pool. It had been built next to the artificial rocks that enclosed most of the main swimming pool, and Jennifer had taken advantage of that to add a slide, various nozzles, and an extra shower, so the slime wouldn't get trailed across the whole pool room.

While the new features had already proved amusing in the couple of days since the pit had been finished, they had little to do with why Storm was paying a late-night visit. Approaching the pit, she stepped in and sat on the convenient ledge beneath the surface, the yellow goo only reaching her stomach at this part of the pool. By now, she was used to the burst of cold as the slime made contact with her hide. As she relaxed, she felt the first tingles on her skin as the gel went to work; removing a few traces of dirt and grime from beneath her scales, and soaking into the one or two areas that still bore damage from her past. She suspected the goo was partly magical; enchanted either by Max or by the person he had bought it from. If that was true, maybe she could talk to someone about having their particular batch 'upgraded' to work on the household's non-scaled residents; a dip in the pit was certainly more fun than a shower, though those did have other... advantages.

She smiled as an image came to her. A few days earlier, she had caught Sky unawares in the communal shower adjoining the pool room, naked after indulging in various carnal pleasures with the other girls. The sight of the soapy water running over his hide had lodged in her mind; especially as he had been cleaning his more intimate areas when she interrupted him. Replaying the memory in her head, she felt another burst of cold as her dragonhood began to poke from its concealing slit.

Over the last few weeks, the herm dragoness had established an uneasy relationship with her member. Despite the continued assurances of the others, she still tended to regard it as unnatural; something external to her body, and something to be ignored if at all possible. Unfortunately, her first dip in the slime pool had taught her that it could also give her a great amount of pleasure, particularly if her other hand started playing with her more feminine area. She had spent many hours in her room trying to become accustomed to the sight of its ten-inch, slightly ridged, white length, but somehow she still couldn't get used to feeling her own touch on it. She had tried closing her eyes, even tying a blindfold around them, but the image of it still burned in her mind. In the end, she had turned to the original source of her dilemma: the yellow-orange, opaque slime sitting in the pool room. With her body immersed in the goo, she could keep her eyes open and not risk seeing her dragonhood extending before her. It kept it just enough removed that she could enjoy the sensations it gave her without flinching at the sight of it.

And enjoy its gifts she had. Every night since her first successful 'session' in the goo pool, she had returned to learn more about the pleasures her body could deliver. The first few visits had been not long after the mansion's residents had gone to bed, and she had occasionally walked in to find one of the others paying their own late-night visit to the pool room; either for mundane exercise, or more carnal pursuits. Rather than risk getting caught herself, she had started to delay her trips until two or three in the morning, when the house was finally asleep.

As she sat in the pit, her imagination spinning countless fantasies for her, Storm felt her dragonhood emerge completely from its sheath. Almost unconsciously, her hand reached for it, providing some relief from the coolness of the slime in which it was enveloped. The first touch sent a trickle of pleasure up her spine, causing her to shudder slightly. Her hand began to move gradually up and down as she slid forward on the bench, bringing the goo up to the level of her breasts. Eagerly, her free hand scooped a little of the gunge up and over her naked mounds, gently massaging it into her hide. Almost by accident, her nipple became trapped between two fingers, and she began to gently pull at it as she continued her ministrations, moaning quietly.

By now, her member was fully erect, and her neglected treasure was asking for attention. Splaying her fingers, she placed her hand between her male and female parts and began to rub up and down. She had discovered this particular trick a few nights earlier; each stroke would run her thumb along the sensitive underside of her maleness, and her little finger over her nether lips, as well as the little bud that sent waves of pleasure rocketing through her.

Resting her head against the side of the pit, Storm gave a louder groan. Her hand left her breasts and slowly slid down her body, only stopping when her fingertips reached her clit. Freed from its duties, her other hand took a more firm grip on her dragonhood and began to stroke it. The dragoness shuddered with the increased gratification. The only problem with her recent experimentations was that as she learnt what her body liked, it was more and more difficult to resist the urge to rush towards a climax rather than enjoy the feelings for as long as possible.

Tonight felt like it would be no different as two fingers from her hand dipped inside her cunny, her thumb rubbing over her nub. Her other hand was now gripping her member tightly and increasing its pace; the slime made a wonderful lubricant as well as a cleansing fluid. Storm made a sound somewhere between a wail and a roar as she climaxed, her lightning markings flaring brilliantly. She felt a gentle tingle as the enchanted slime cleaned up her seed and juices. Drained, she managed to slide a little deeper into the pit, where she lay recovering.

After only a couple of minutes, the dragoness was startled to see a flash of light as the pool room door opened. She repressed the urge to blush as she saw Jennifer and Sky walk in. Both were totally naked, and the vixen was walking towards the pit with a sensual grace.

Jennifer smiled at Storm, showing no surprise at her presence so late at night. "Mind if we join you?" she asked.

"Of- of course not" the dragoness replied, suddenly thankful she hadn't tried to extend tonight's session.

Storm had expected the pair to simply step into the pool as she had done, so she was surprised to see them exchange a grin and run behind the rocks. They appeared at the top of the slide and tried to push each other down into the waiting goo, laughing all the while.

Storm watched in shock as a grinning Sky grabbed the vixen's tail and gave it a pull. The vixen shrieked, and before she could recover, she was rushing head-first down the slide. There was another scream as she hit the cold slime, cut short as she plunged beneath the surface.

The slime was still for a moment, then erupted as a thoroughly covered Jennifer emerged and waved a fist at Sky, who was watching from his vantage point at the top of the rocks, laughing loudly.

"Are you going to come down here," called the slimy vixen, "or do I have to come up there and throw you down myself?"

"I'd like to see you try!" replied Sky. "I doubt you could throw anything, being that slippery!"

Jennifer waded to the shallow end of the pit and rose to her full, if rather messy, height, with her hands on her hips. "Slave!" she shouted in mock indignation. "Down the slide, now!"

A look of utterly fake contrition appeared on Sky's face. "Yes, Mistress" he said, pushing himself down the sloping surface. He, too, descended head first and vanished into the gunge. Storm watched in confusion and growing concern as her fellow dragon failed to emerge.

Suddenly, there was an explosion of yellow goo: Sky had worked his way up the pool below the surface and pounced on Jennifer from behind. With a laugh, she was dragged under yet again. Storm pulled her legs up to her chest and watched, biting her lip, as the two played in the slime.

Jennifer looked over at the dragoness, her violet eyes blazing with mirth. "What's wrong, Storm?" she asked. "Can't I act like a kid if I want to? I didn't have the slide and all the other features added just for your benefit, you know!"

The dragoness hugged her legs tighter, and her wings wrapped around her huddled form. Almost instantly, Jennifer and Sky were sat beside her. "What's wrong, Storm?" the vixen repeated.

Storm's lost their focus as she shivered slightly. "Is that how kids act?" she said. "I didn't." A hint of anger flew through her gaze for a split second. "I never had the chance." Jennifer and Sky both stared at the dragoness, concerned, but Storm paid no attention to either of them. "When you're a kid, you're supposed to have fun. That's the point of being a kid."

"All my parents wanted me to do was learn" she continued. "They said I had to be prepared to become a member of the Privileged when I grew up." At that, Jennifer stiffened. "Learning magic with Uncle Max was the only time I got to have fun." The dragoness sniffed quietly, tears forming in her eyes. "I know they loved me. They wanted me to be all I could be, but it turned out I couldn't be a kid. And then..."

Suddenly, she stood up and wandered away from her companions, barely seeming to notice their presence. "Even if they're slaves, kids have fun. It's a harder life, but they're still allowed to be kids." Her hands bunched into fists. "And there are people that make sure they're allowed to! Inspectors and authorities and governments and..." She spun and stared at Jennifer, her yellow eyes blazing with rage. "Where were they? Where were they for me?" She turned to Sky, and he could see tears running down her cheeks. "Where were they when I lost my memory? Where were they when some anonymous dragon-child was sold into slavery? Where were they?!"

Sky slowly moved closer to the angry dragoness, holding out his hands. As he approached, Storm raised her fists to her breast. "Where were they when- when-" Her hand lashed out, hitting weakly against Sky's chest. "When that... that monster! When she-" Her fists began to pound at him. "It's not fair!" she yelled. "I just wanted to be a kid! I WAS just a kid!" She stopped beating Sky and collapsed in his arms as he held her tight. "I was just a child!"

Jennifer moved behind the sobbing dragoness and wrapped her own arms around her, just as Sky was doing from the front. The two held her tightly, crying themselves at her distress. Carefully, they guided her to the edge of the pit, where Sky hugged her as close as she could, rocking her gently, while Jennifer washed the slime from all their bodies.

Eventually, Storm's sobbing slowed to a series of sniffs. As Jennifer sat next to her and wrapped her arms around the dragoness, she looked up at the vixen, a watery smile on her face. "I'm sorry" she said.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Storm" the vixen whispered. "Nothing at all." The three sat on the floor for a long time, snuggled together.

Jennifer glanced at Sky, then gave Storm another hug. "If anyone needs to be sorry, it's me." The vixen finally understood why the dragoness's subconscious was rebelling against the training she was trying to impart. "No more lessons."

The dragoness looked up at Jennifer as she caught her meaning. She, too, now understood her reaction to her Privileged training. Sky merely glanced between the pair, confused. At his puzzled look, Storm giggled slightly. "It's a secret, Sky" she said.

Jennifer smiled. It looked like Storm was recovering from her outburst. "I think," she said, hugging Storm tightly, "that we need to help you be a kid for a while."

Storm sniffed. "I'd like that, Jen. Although..." She glanced at Sky and blushed. "I want to learn to be an adult, too."

The vixen caught her meaning and grinned, while Sky reddened slightly. "Oh, really?" she purred. "Well, that can certainly be arranged. Although I suspect you've already been indulging in a little self-study..."

Storm stared at Jennifer, shocked. "H-how did you know?" she asked.

The vixen smiled. "There's very little that goes on in this mansion that I'm not aware of" she replied. "I'm sure Sky would be delighted to help introduce you to group learning..."

"If Storm's willing, I'd be happy to" said the blushing dragon. He bit his lip for a moment, thinking. "I don't know what lessons you were referring to before, but... there's something important Storm could be learning." Both women looked at him, puzzled. "If you want, you can have your magic back."

Storm gazed up at him, wide-eyed. "My... My magic?" Her face lit up as she smiled. "Really?"

Sky nodded. "If you want, and-" he smiled at Jennifer "-if our owner approves."

Jennifer grinned. "Of course I approve, Sky."

"When would I start learning?" asked Storm.

"Right now, if you want" replied Sky, smiling. "You're an adult now, so I can give you all the knowledge in one telepathic 'lesson', as it was given to me." Storm, lost for words, nodded at him. Gently, he placed a hand on her forehead as both dragons closed their eyes.

A happy grin spread slowly over Storm's face as her markings began to glow brighter than ever before. After a few moments more, Sky removed his hand, and Storm opened her eyes, which were glowing softly. With a grin, she held up a hand, wiggling her fingers as yellow sparks jumped from tip to tip. A delighted look settled on her face as her gaze flew between Jennifer and Sky. "I'd forgotten..." she whispered happily. "I-" Unable to put her joy into words, she threw her arms around Sky and kissed the startled dragon deeply. Breaking the embrace, she hesitated for a moment before repeating the gesture with the vixen, who eagerly returned her kiss.

Jennifer reluctantly pulled away from the dragoness. "I'm happy for you, Storm" she said. "And as Sky will no doubt explain to you later, I'm looking forward to helping you practice. But right now," she said, glancing at Sky, "it's time to be a kid!"

Jennifer and Sky both leapt forward into the slime pit, pulling Storm with them. For the next hour, the night was filled with the sounds of shrieks, giggles, and laughter.