Tradition
"Look, Runda, you told me you liked working with inexperienced dragons, so that's what I've been giving you. There have been a lot of newcomers recently, too, so you can't complain about not getting enough work." "That doesn't mean you have to give all those appointments to me, or only let them be on my schedule!" the dragoness snarled. "The only dragon with any experience I've dommed in the last six months is someone who requested to work with me again after coming in for his first-ever bondage session and liking me. I've been doing this longer than most of the staff--" "Which is why you're so good at working with beginners, because you can read them so well and you know what level to take things with them. This is a business, and if you're the best way of getting us repeat customers then I'm going to put you to work so we can use that to our advantage." "Split my schedule, reserve some blocks for newcomers and some for dragons who know what they're doing." "And who would pick up that slack? We have an actual waiting list of inexperienced submissive dragons--" "All the more reason to give some of them to another dom! Carinth could take some, if amount of time worked here means so much to you, but anyone on staff can work with a beginner and you know it. Experience is a job requirement, in case you've forgotten." "I know my own application," her boss stood up. "I'll see what I can do about giving you some experienced dragons to work with, but your schedule is pretty full as it is. I won't make any guarantees." "Fine. Whatever. Forget I asked," she growled, then turned and left her boss' office. Fortunately she was done for the evening, and paused only to make sure of that fact with the receptionist, Sarah, before taking the stairs to the roof and leaping into the cold, cloudy sky. Looks like snow, she thought absently as she flew, banking around buildings until finally she reached the drab, faded brick of her apartment complex. She landed on her third-floor balcony, unlocked the sliding door and walked inside, shivering a little at the change in temperature. The cold didn't bother her, really, but to go from that to such a warm environment was just so... relaxing... She sighed, closed the blinds and took off her pants, tossing them into the corner with the rest of the week's used clothing. The cold flight had taken some of the edge off her anger, but it was still simmering, and she wanted... something. Food? She took a package of beef jerky from a cupboard and chewed idly on a couple of strips. But still her tail flicked back and forth, almost with a mind of its own, she felt restless, like she needed to fly somewhere, and her belly wouldn't stop tingling. The dried meat reached her belly quickly but it was clear food wasn't what she was after. Exercise? No, she had flown home from the dungeon more quickly than usual and was actually still breathing hard from that... A little warmth blossomed beneath her tail and she felt the restlessness rise up again, strong enough this time for her to know what her body was asking for: sex. She took a box from her closet, made sure the blinds were closed and the doors locked, then she opened the box and took out a dildo and some lube. But even while she prepared it she could tell it wouldn't be enough. This urge was different, stronger... She needed something more to satisfy this sudden lust. Maybe that hot black she'd dommed a couple of times at the dungeon would be willing to help her out; she knew his full name and only needed to check the phone book to be able to contact him... The phone was clutched in her paw before she finally stopped, and realized: she had just gone into heat. You've made it through your cycle before, she thought to herself, taking a couple of deep breaths and putting down the phone. Just relax, take a little time to collect yourself, and don't do anything stupid. She returned to the cushion that served as her bed and laid down on her back, taking the dildo in the coils of her tail and pressing it into her vent even though she knew it wouldn't fully satisfy her. Just something to give her lust some sensation to work on... Okay, maybe I should have done this sooner, she thought, because this feels better than I thought it would... But after a couple of minutes her body told her, as expected, that the dildo wasn't enough, and though she kept the toy inside her she stopped pushing it in and out. How had she dealt with the urges during her last cycle? She thought a moment, then remembered: it was when she had done the pair of shoots for Bad Dragons, and there had been more than enough guys--and contraceptives--on hand to help her deal with it. But their offices were all the way out in San Francisco, and she hadn't exactly left them on good terms... She sighed and tried to concentrate, but even with her vent stuffed by the dildo her body kept interrupting with demands that she find a well-endowed dragon to mount her, and fast. It ate at her for a little while, then she realized there was one place she knew of with more than enough dragons who could assist her: her old clan. But she hadn't left them with very good memories of her, either. Would it be worth it to return? Well, she thought, I'm not living much of a life here in the city. Having sex for a living? It's enjoyable, but where does it lead me a few years from now? A lot of the models and full-time doms I've known are already out of the business, and I imagine pretty soon my boss will try to force me out, too, because I won't be 'fresh enough' any more. Maybe he already is... That was just a distraction from the deeper question: what had she done with her life? Nothing, she growled to herself. She'd been raised in a traditional clan, but ever since that fight... She'd gone to the nearest city, tried to sort things out, then her first heat cycle had caught her and she'd ended up doing pornography. And that was supposed to be fulfilling? No hatchlings, no meaningful relationships, no time spent caring for other dragons, or hunting for the clan, or helping raise the clan's hatchlings, or tending the herb gardens... Well, how was I supposed to do that away from the clan? Runda thought. Life is completely different in the city; no sense of community, or reliance on each other to survive, or any of that... There were people she talked to every day, and was acquainted with, but she was pretty much alone in the city. And, she realized, she didn't want to be alone anymore. She looked at the clock; Sarah usually didn't go to bed until after midnight, and it wasn't even eleven yet: more than enough time to talk a few things over. She pulled the toy out of herself and put it aside, then reached for the phone and dialed the human's mobile number. "Hey, Runda, what's up? I heard you arguing with Jerry before you left; feel like venting?" "No... well, yes, but that's not why I called. It's going to be a lot of work, but I need you to reschedule all my appointments for the next ten days; I'm going on heat leave." "You should be taking a vacation anyway. When was the last time you took a day for yourself?" "Far too long ago. Wait-- I just had a thought. You shouldn't reschedule them for me, or at least..." Sarah seemed to know what she was on her mind. "Thinking about going back to the mountains?" She hesitated. "Yes, but I'd have to do a lot of things to cut my ties here, and by the time I did my cycle might already be over." "You should do it. Go back to your clan, make up with your mother, have the ritual, then come back to move out of your apartment and leave this job. There have been a lot of changes recently; I'm thinking of looking for work somewhere else myself." "It's not quite that simple. I haven't even spoken to her or anyone else in the clan since--" "It is simple and you know it. You were a lot younger when you had that fight, less mature, with less understanding of the world, trying to rebel just because it felt like the thing to do. I did the same thing when I was a teenager." "Yeah, well, you probably didn't slice apart your mother's wings when you left. The way I attacked her, she couldn't have been able to fly for a couple of months at least. I doubt she's forgotten that." "All you have to do is admit you were wrong. You've told me what her ego's like, and besides, maybe she's missed you. She won't mind having her daughter back." Runda thought for a moment. Being at the center of the clan's egg-ritual was supposed to be an incredible, unforgettable experience, and she was definitely old enough now to be a responsible mother--not that she'd even have to be one if she went, for if she had an egg with the clan it would be raised by the whole community, not just her. "But who's to say they'd take me back after the way I left?" she said. "I kind of made a show of renouncing the old ways." "Again: admit you were wrong, and everybody will be happy. Besides, considering the way dragons are moving away from the old clans these days I'm sure they'll take anyone they can get, if only to preserve traditions a little longer. They'll take you back, and probably without asking you any questions about your time away." "Right," she said, growling with fresh determination. "I'll do it. I'll stop by in the morning to resign, then I'm off to the mountains." "Why bother showing up to do it? Leave Jerry a nasty message, or I can tell him for you if you want. It's not like you're going to need to ask him for references for another job." "All right, sure, you can tell him. I'm sure it'll help you with your own plans for finding some other place to work." "Sure. Well, good luck, girl! Give me a call when you come back to move out and let me know how things go over there, okay?" She laughed. "You know I will. Later." * * *
Runda got up early the next morning. She put on some lightweight, form-fitting pants that wouldn't flap about in the wind while she flew, then made sure everything in the tiny apartment was clean and in order, from the perishable food to the lights to the dildo she'd used the previous night. Once it was all dealt with she locked the doors, put a forepaw on the railing of the balcony, tucked her wallet and keys into the zippered pocket on the chest of her pants and took off, making her way out of the city before rising to a good cruising altitude and turning westward. It was a full day's flight to her old clan's mountains. She flew hard as long as she could, stopping to rest and eat whenever it was necessary. The journey was tiring, but she didn't want to have to stop at a motel for the night, especially considering the desire still demanding her attention, and finally just as the sun set the mountains of her clan came into view. There was a ground-level entry checkpoint on the eastern border of clan territory, and she stopped there just as the dragon at the guardhouse was locking up. "Wait!" she called, landing clumsily, legs stiff after so much time flying through the cold air. "You'll have to come back in the morning," the dragon said, sniffing the air. "We don't allow visitors after dark." "I'm not a visitor," she growled, resisting the urge to pounce him and get the sex her body craved, then paused and switched to her clan's dialect of dragontongue. "I used to live with this clan, and I've come back to live here again. My name's Runda." The dragon's eyes widened a little bit, then he bared his teeth at her. "Oh! Yes, I remember you... How you left after fighting with your mother, and insulting how we live here," he snarled. She looked at the ground and said, "I was young, and foolish... I was wrong to disrespect our traditions, and I'll apologize to the current elder if necessary." "Hmm... Very well. Follow me." He turned towards a nearby mountain and spread his wings. "I know my way to the central cave," she snorted. "Is there a place I can leave this clothing, or must I wait to be accepted before I can take it off?" "I'll put it in a locker in the guardhouse," he said, taking the key-ring off his horn and walking inside. She growled thanks, stripped off her pants and passed them to him, and he put them away, then locked the building again. "Let's go." She ended up following him anyway; she was a little nervous, and didn't relish the thought of setting down in the middle a group of dragons all familiar with her and what she'd said on her departure--plus, flying behind him let her stare at his hindquarters (and slit, when the angle was right) as much as she wanted without him noticing... She growled and shook her head, trying to concentrate: hopefully, if she was preceded by this other dragon, and they all understood that she meant to apologize... They landed together in the central cave. Her purple, black and orange coloration was unusual and several dragons bared their teeth when they saw her, recognizing her even in the twilight, but the male who'd brought her to the cave fanned his wings to pacify them. "Where is elder Bassan?" "Here," said a large blue-and-white-scaled dragon, stepping forward. He seemed a little young to be elder, but considering how old the previous elder had been when she'd left, he probably hadn't been in his position for very long. "What are you doing here, Runda? You renounced our ways, and did so in... memorable fashion." She lowered her head respectfully. "Yes, I know, and... I'm very sorry for doing so. I spent time living among humans and the dragons who have forgotten the traditions of our kind, and discovered how empty life is without a clan to live with. I was wrong to say what I did, and I hope you will let me be a part of this clan again." He thought for a moment, sniffed the air and flicked his tail, then said, "we could hardly refuse one of our own, even if she lost her way for a little while. I'm sure your mother will be happy to see you again, knowing you have changed your mind, but she's already gone to her cave for the night. You'll have to find her there." Thank you, Sarah, she thought. "Of course. But... There's something else I came here for, as well." He grinned and smelled the air again, nostrils flaring. "I think I know what you're going to say, but go ahead and say it anyway." "I am in heat, and would like to have the clan take part in the egg-ritual with me." "We will be glad to. How long have you been in heat?" "It just started last night." "Hmm. We have some time, but it's been a while since we last performed an egg-ritual and I'm sure nobody would mind a little short notice. Would you be ready if it was tomorrow? You look tired." "I'm exhausted... I've been flying since morning, and I need to sleep. How much time would I need to prepare?" "Maybe half an hour. Nights are long this time of year; one night of rest should be enough time for you to recover and be ready, but it's up to you." She nodded. "I can be ready for it tomorrow, then." "Excellent." He reared back onto his hind legs and raised his voice. "We're going to have an egg-ritual tomorrow! Spread the word and begin making preparations; Runda has returned to us, accepted our traditions again, and will be the center of our attention." There were roars of joy and excitement from the dragons who were present, and several of them leapt into the sky immediately to find dragons who had gone to other caves for the night. "Go see your mother," Bassan said to her. "We will prepare what we can without you, then half an hour before dawn we will send someone to wake you so you can get ready. See your mother, send her here, and sleep in her cave until then." Runda growled assent, then flew from there to the cave her mother had held as long as she could remember. She landed cautiously on the ledge outside and peered into the darkness of the shallow cave, then said, "mother?" A green-and-brown dragoness pounced from the shadows of the cave, getting claws around her throat and forcing her to the ground. "Why have you come back here? You are not wanted anymore, after how you insulted our ways." "I've apologized to the clan!" she cried, not trying to fight her mother off. "I'm sorry for speaking as I did, and I'm going to be a part of this clan again. I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble, mother... I was wrong." The pressure disappeared from around her neck, and the older dragoness backed away a couple of steps. "Really?" "Yes, mother." Her mother nuzzled her hard on the snout. "Oh, thank the ancients, you've set your mind right. I was so worried about you while you were gone... I didn't think you'd survive on your own, in such a big world. I'm glad you're safe." "I'm glad you'll have me back." She returned the nuzzle. "And to make things even more exciting, I'm having my own egg-ritual in the morning!" She froze for a moment, then flicked her tail back and forth. "An egg-ritual! Oh, it's been almost a year since we last had one... And it will be my own daughter's! Will it be your first egg?" "Yes." "That's wonderful. Have you started to prepare at all?" "No; elder Bassan wanted me to talk to you first, and since I had to fly all day to get here I need to sleep before I can start getting ready. He wants you to go help in the main cave, though." "Of course. You make sure to get some rest, and I'll come get you when we need you." She spread her wings and flew off towards the main cave. Runda watched her go, then curled up inside the cave to rest; she thought her anticipation of what would be coming in the morning would keep her awake, but she was so exhausted from her trip to the mountains that she fell asleep after only a few moments, not even the urges of her heat enough to keep her awake. * * *
"Ah, there's our center of attention," Bassan greeted her warmly as she landed in the main cave, about half an hour before dawn. "You get enough rest? Today's going to be quite a workout, for all of us." "I think I'm ready," she said, hoping he didn't notice how she twisted her tail when she said it. She knew what the ritual required from her, and while she'd submitted to other dragons a couple of times before, during her short career in pornography, it had just never felt right to her. But maybe that was because of the kind of tradition she was used to being attached to such an action... "You've been gone a while, so you won't know: the vines we used to use to keep the dragoness bound have disappeared from our territory, so we've been forced to seek equipment from humans in order to preserve the ritual. It has its advantages, since we don't have to keep re-tying her after pretty much every climax, but in some ways that takes away from the process because the dragoness isn't submitting to the rest of the clan over and over again." "What do... What do you use now?" "Well, we bought some adjustable shackles and chains, and at first we had those attached to a wooden platform to keep her still, but during one ritual a dragoness had a big, fiery climax and set it alight. If one of the ritual-queens hadn't had the presence of mind to dump her water bowl on the flames the whole thing could have gone up before we got her off... But anyway, now we rig the equipment to a steel platform with a coating to help our claws grip it properly. More rigid, more stable, and surprisingly comfortable for the dragoness and whoever's turn it is, from what I've heard and experienced. Look, here it is now." Two dragons walked past, carrying the platform and the bondage gear between them. Runda looked it over: not only were they types of gear she'd used--and been under--before, she thought she recognized the brand that made each piece of equipment. So at least I'll have some past experience to help me prepare, she thought. "Looks like it'll be secure," she said, not sure how else she could have ended the long silence. Bassan laughed. "Once you're locked in you won't be getting out of those chains unless we let you." He paused and looked at her carefully. "You are prepared for such a total loss of control, I hope? Some dragonesses don't seem ready for it and have trouble enjoying the ritual, and we have to let them out early. Are you sure you're ready for this?" So he had noticed her uncertainty. "I... I don't know. I hope I am, I think I can do it, but it's hard to say without knowing my decision will really set the ritual in motion." He draped a wing across her back. "Here's my advice: don't think about it very much. You know all the dragons here, you trust them all, and you can give control to dragons you trust, can't you? Don't worry yourself thinking about it, just relax and enjoy the ritual." His words struck where they were meant to, and she relaxed a little bit; even if he hadn't been elder for long, he seemed good at it. "I hope to," she smiled, looking over at him. "Glad to hear it. Now where's your mother?" He raised his head to look, but she appeared out of the growing crowd of dragons almost before he called her name. "Perfect timing! Your daughter's all ready, she just needs the symbols painted on. Orange would be a good color for the coupling mark; it'll match her wings and eyes and stand out well on her scales. Go on, not much time until sunrise... Oh, and I had someone catch a small meal for her; make sure she eats it, and make sure she has some water, too." Her mother and an older dragoness took her back to Bassan's alcove at the back of the main cave, where another old female waited with a collection of scale-paints. The two old ones--the ritual-queens, who were too old to take part in the ritual and would oversee it instead--traced elaborate designs in several different colors down Runda's neck, chest, sides and belly, while she ate a freshly killed young doe and drank from a wooden bowl her mother brought to her. Then after waiting a few minutes for that paint to dry and consulting with Bassan to see how much time they had left, her mother painted a large double triangle in bright orange around her vent, repeating the pattern several times until it was thick almost to the point of dripping. "That's the color elder Bassan suggested?" one of the ritual-queens asked. "Yes, and I agreed." "Good. I'll put what we have in that color by the platform, for later." Her mother returned to the middle of the cave, where a circle of dragons was forming, and the two ritual-queens draped blankets of thick grass over their hindquarters, then spread their wings to hide Runda from the view of those in the main cave. There was silence, for less than a minute, then she heard the scrabbling of claws on stone as a dragon landed in the cave. "I can see the sun from rain-cloud level," he said. "Time to begin, then," came Bassan's baritone. "The clan calls upon dragoness Runda." The two ritual-queens folded their wings and she stepped forward, walking through a gap in the gathered circle of dragons and into the center of the cave, where Bassan stood next to the platform of bondage gear. She glanced around: every adult dragon and dragoness from the clan was present, all of them dragons she'd known since she was a hatchling. She knew them as well as any human knew its family, and they had either helped to raise her or been raised with her; no better group of dragons to help her reach the next stage of her life. She stopped in front of the platform, facing Bassan, and lowered her head. "Runda, you are in heat," he recited. "There is an egg inside you, waiting for a seed to make it grow and blossom into a hatchling dragon. We, your clan, would like to give you that seed today, if you would accept it." "I will accept it," she said. He touched one paw to the platform and the open restraints before her. "It will take the efforts of every dragon here to give you the seed your egg is waiting for. We must have you submit yourself to us, each and every one of us, if that seed is to find its way to you. You must give us total control over your body. Will you?" She paused only for a moment. "I will." "Then step onto the platform and submit." Runda stepped up onto the low steel platform, unable to keep herself from lifting a paw in surprise at the soft, rubbery surface coating it. Should be comfortable for the day, she thought, then crouched on the platform and let Bassan chain her. He closed manacles around her forepaws and locked them in place in front of her. Then he took her hind paws, shackled them to either end of a spreader bar and locked that to the platform near its back edge, the restraints making her stretch her body so her hindquarters were elevated and her front paws were as far forward as she could reach, forcing her chest to the ground. He then wrapped chains around her body to pin her wings and tail to her back, locked them in place, and finally closed a collar around her throat. He attached the collar to the end of a short chain that was anchored to the platform between her forepaws, stretching her neck so far that she couldn't twist it at all without starting to choke herself: she could not turn her head to see her hindquarters. The clan watched this procedure silently, while Bassan made sure everything was secure, and once he was done he put his head down to whisper in her earhole, "one of the ritual-queens will watch over you at all times; if it ever becomes too much for you, tell her that we have to stop." She nodded, and he stepped away. She grunted once and tried not to test her restraints, conscious of every eye resting on her, bound and made to present herself to them all. But lust still ate away at her and she couldn't silence a low growl, her body demanding that someone accept her display, now. "Bring the herbs," Bassan said, and the two ritual-queens stepped forward. They both held bowls filled with a dried herb from the garden; the larger bowl was placed somewhere behind her, and the other between her forepaws, right under her nose. A short pause, then the flapping of wings and a dragon roared from outside, "sunlight on the peak of the mountain!" Bassan reared back on his hind legs and roared. "The day begins! Light her herbs." One ritual-queen breathed a single drop of flame into the bowl beneath her snout, and it caught, not hot enough to scald her but enough to begin to burn the plant within. She took a deep breath, and another, then gasped; the smoke from the herbs seemed to magnify the effects of her heat a hundred times over, and she couldn't keep herself from fighting her restraints anymore. She didn't just want sex anymore, she was desperate for it, she needed it, and every moment that passed without a male mounting her seemed painful. "Take me," she pleaded, squirming and bucking helplessly against the chains that held her. No dragon in the circle moved--though she noticed nearly all of the males in her field of vision had erections she would have loved to take inside her--but after a moment she felt paws pressing down on her shoulders, a warm belly against her back, and a dragon's head dipped into her view: it was Bassan. He paused, took in the smoke from the bowl beneath her snout, then growled and pushed his way into her vent. She cried out at the sudden sensation; the herbs had magnified the sensations of mating as well and she could feel every twitch of his penis inside her, the beat of his heart, the clenching of muscles, then the wonderful friction as he began to thrust. Every stroke seemed to bring more pleasure than she'd ever felt in her life, and her orgasm came after only a few moments, making her thrash in her chains and roar with all her might as the spasms ripped through her body. Runda subsided only to discover that it wasn't anywhere near enough, that her body craved more, and she began to grind against him the little that she could as he continued to thrust. He sped up, then snarled, dug his claws into the thick scales of her back, and came, prompting her to her second incredible orgasm in as many minutes. She roared again, straining reflexively against her bonds and clenching down tight against him, encouraging every last twitch he would give her before his climax ended and he pulled out. The circle around them remained still, though every dragon present was clearly aroused. "She is ready," he panted, and walked around in front of her so she could see his used, dripping cock and the orange triangle that framed it: the wet paint around her vent had rubbed off onto his scales, and now he was marked just as she was. "Anyone who thinks he can help her egg find its seed may mount her; she has given herself up for all of us to use, and is more than willing to take all that we can give to her. And don't worry if you have to wait for another dragon to finish; I'm sure another dragoness will give you some attention until it's your turn to take her. Light the second bowl." Runda was panting already from her exertions and it only made her take in more of the smoke from the herbs beneath her snout; even though she had just had two of the most powerful climaxes of her life she still found her body demanding more, more, as much as could possibly be given. She could not be satisfied by one dragon, or two, or who could tell how many would be mounting her today... She needed more inside her, more thrusting, more orgasms, and she could get none of it on her own; all she could do was wave her hindquarters back and forth eagerly and beg for the next dragon to step forward. It didn't take long, now that Bassan had let them break the circle, and even though only one dragon could mount her at a time it didn't stop the rest of the clan from throwing themselves into a massive tangle of legs, wings, necks and tails, the smoke from the much larger bowl behind her washing over them all and affecting them just as her personal bowl was arousing her. They all dove in looking for whatever attention they could get from each other, whether it was from a vent, paw, tail, penis, tongue... Runda thought she saw her mother, taking two dragons inside her at once and entertaining a third with her tongue, but then finally another set of paws pressed down against her shoulders, demanding her attention, and after a couple more excruciating moments without sex the dragon penetrated her, making her gasp and squirm in her restraints at the sudden, wonderful return of sensation. He began to thrust and she bucked against him, twisting her hips, digging her claws into the rubbery surface beneath her and encouraging him to go faster, harder. He readily accepted the invitation, pounding his underbelly against her flanks until she tensed and came yet again, not thrashing this time but still roaring at the intense feeling of pleasure washing through her body. The dragon mounting her reached climax moments later, grunting and emptying himself inside her, and she felt her need subside the slightest bit as his hot seed splashed into her womb--but it wasn't enough. "More," she cried when he pulled out, pausing to show her the orange mark around his slit, and only a couple of moments passed before his spent cock was replaced by a fresh one, rock-hard and eager to thrust. She moaned and clamped down on it, demanding the sensation once again, and the unseen dragon was more than happy to oblige her. The orgy went on for hours. Runda took dragon after dragon inside her, each of them drawing at least one orgasm from her--one particularly large and resilient dragon worked her through four--and only getting to rest when the ritual-queens moved to repaint the triangles around her vent, also taking these breaks to give her water and put fresh herbs in her bowl. The rest of the clan all seemed as eager to mate as she was, and even those who had just climaxed inside her dove right into the mass of dragon that wasn't waiting for a turn to mount her, the satisfied roars of their own orgasms echoing off the walls of the cave. But it was always clear that she was the center of their attention. Dragons who had just finished with her nuzzled her bound head and neck before moving on, those waiting to mate with her gathered around her to show off their erections, and from time to time a dragoness would extricate herself from the others, walk over to her and congratulate her for the ritual--not that she paid much attention to them when they did, busy as she was grinding against whichever hard cock was inside her at the time. It never even crossed her mind to ask them all to stop. Whenever she was mounted it was all she could do just to comprehend the incredible sensations, and in the brief moments she wasn't she could only beg for more, as quickly as the next dragon could be ready. She thought she understood why the chains were necessary now; her orgasms were so powerful she thought she had felt the steel plate actually bend beneath her, and if she wasn't so immobilized she would have been assaulting every dragon in the cave in order to slake her lust. But that didn't stop her from struggling against her restraints at every opportunity, trying to buck more and harder against the dragon fucking her when she was mounted, and straining desperately to reach the dragons gathered around her, displaying themselves so that they almost seemed to be taunting her, whenever she was empty. Finally, as the sun set and the inside of the cave went dark, the smoldering herbs in her bowl went out and were not replaced, and when the dragon mounting her was finished, drawing one last powerful orgasm from her spent frame, Bassan roared and called them all to a halt. "Runda," he walked over to her and lowered his head to look her in the eye--she barely had the strength left to look back at him--"we have given all that we can to you. Every dragon here is marked with the symbol of your egg, every dragon contributing to what we hope will grow and develop into a new member of this clan. Are you satisfied by our efforts?" Runda paused, and after a moment realized that for the first time since the evening two days ago, when her heat had begun, the drive to mate wasn't burning inside her. "Yes," she said, her voice hoarse from roaring so much. "We're glad to hear it," he smiled, and after being given the keys to her restraints by one of the ritual-queens he crouched over her and set her free. "The ritual is complete. I'm sure all of us need rest after today, especially you, Runda," he laughed. "You all may go." The dragons dispersed, each of them muttering thanks and congratulations to her before they left--a few of her old friends welcomed her back and said they'd talk to her more in the morning--and some of the older dragons remained to put away the equipment and clean up the mess the ritual had left behind. But nobody made to wash themselves, so the paint on each male's underbelly would remain, along with all of the symbols on her own scales. She didn't have to think much about whether she'd made the right decision. She felt at home here, happy, carefree... sexually satisfied... How could I have ever left? she wondered. Life was easy with the clan, and more fulfilling than anything she could imagine doing back in the city. I'm home, she thought, and old enough now to appreciate what I have here. Her mother finally approached after most of the work was done, smiling and purring at her. "My own daughter, the center of an egg-ritual," she said, nuzzling her. "I'm so proud of you." Runda stretched, wincing at the soreness in all her joints from her exertions that day. "And I'm glad I came back to be a part of this clan again. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed you..." "We missed you, too. I don't need to ask if you enjoyed today, of course, but are you injured at all? The metal is a lot more rigid than the vines we used to use, and we've had a dragoness or two pull out a joint without even realizing it until the next day." She paused, flexing everything she could think of in every direction, and felt fine. "Nothing feels wrong." She yawned, then said, "tired, though..." "Of course you are. Don't worry about having to fly anywhere; you'll be spending tonight in Bassan's alcove with the ritual-queens. You get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning." Runda watched her go, then went back to the alcove she had been painted in. The two old females were already there, no longer wearing the grass blankets, and they instructed her to lie down on her back, stretched out across the alcove. She did, twisting her back a little and closing her eyes, exhaustion catching up to her. She listened for a few moments as the ritual-queens recited quiet chants over her, wishing for luck with the egg's conception, delivery and, a few years down the road, its hatching, then purred softly and drifted off to sleep.