“You have felt my power,” it said proudly. Enna leaned back, fuming quietly. “Now, remove your armor.”
Goosebumps rose over her neck. “What?”
“Do it!” the dragon hissed. “Armor is a sign of war, of unrest. You are my herald, and you will be the sign of my peace.” Enna grimaced and stood as her hand passed over where her sword usually sat. She began to turn around before the dragon interrupted her. “No. Face me.”
Enna hesitated for a moment, but continued. Her fingers traced the seam along her back, feeling for the laces which tied her mail together, and began to undo each one. The long chain came loose, and she hefted it off, leaving her in nothing but wools. The cold cave air clung to her even more tightly, and Enna folded her arms in front of her to keep warm. “I’m to go out like this?” she asked.
“Do you know,” the dragon said, ignoring her question, “what the priest did with me when I was not devouring his prisoners?”
Her skin began to crawl. “I don’t,” she said flatly.
The dragon began to circle Enna, never removing its eyes from her body. “That man worshiped dragons. He grew infatuated with the power we represented, and he was thus furious at our fall. When he found me in the east, I think he saw it as a sign. He took me while I was young and brought me westward, where he gathered many followers to himself. I was his symbol, his prize. His most devoted were promised a share of my presence. Of course, I was young and alone then. I soon began to enjoy the company of some of them.” Enna felt the dragon stop behind her, then felt as its long tail rubbed up the outside of her legs, pushing the soft wool aside. The scales felt surprisingly soft, but the touch sent shivers over her entire body. “Especially the women,” he whispered. Its tongue flicked lightly over her left ear. His tongue, she thought grimly.
He began to move around her again, coming to her front and facing her with his topaz eyes. “As my herald, you will be in my company more than any other ever has been. In time, you might even learn to enjoy my presence.” He advanced upon Enna, drawing close enough for her to feel his steaming breath upon her neck. “Do you trust me, herald?”
Enna stood her ground. “No,” she said, “and forcing yourself upon me will never change that.”
The dragon inhaled deeply, and his forked tongue flicked over her bared flesh. “Force? No, not force, my herald. Those I choose to bond with do so willingly; they usually offer themselves, but you are stubborn. By the end, you will be begging for my touch. In this, I will not force you; I will have no need to.” He lifted up his forelimb to the top of her garment, the tip of his razor claw resting on the edge of the worn gray wool.
Enna scowled up at him. “You’re disgusting,” she spat.
“You bear fire within your soul,” he remarked casually. “I will change that. Tell me your name, girl.”
Enna lifted her chin at him. “I am Enna, daughter of Tsri and of the family Kestrel.”
“A meaningless title stuffed with pomp,” the dragon huffed. “From now on, you will be called Ladria: my treasured one. Your life belongs to me know.”
Enna felt her skin crawl. “And am I to know the name of my captor?”
“Ladria,” he hissed, “you may call your new master Kathari.” His eyes stayed fixed to her own, unblinking and glimmering in the dim light. “You are cold,” he stated, “let me warm you.” At that, Kathari pressed gently downward on her garment, tearing the fabric easily in one motion and leaving Enna completely exposed. He breathed in deeply once again. “Your smell intoxicates me, Ladria,” he remarked.
He gently stroked her supple breasts with the back of his talon, rubbing them upwards and pausing carefully on each nipple. His touch was softer than any Enna had felt, causing her to gasp. “Do not be so surprised. As I said, I have been with many human women. I know a thousand ways to pleasure you.” Kathari exaggerated each word with a long breath over her, sending goosebumps across her body. “Have I warmed you enough, Ladria?”
Enna’s head swam. Pleasure mixed with fear; she could feel herself teetering as if intoxicated. “Somewhat,” she responded weakly.
As this thought crossed her mind, she felt the soft leathery tail once again creep up the inside of her leg and gently pass over her folds. To her own surprise, it slid wetly across. Kathari brought his head closer to her own and rubbed his cheek upon hers. “You worry without need, Ladria. I will bring peace to this land. Is that so wrong? You will see: I shall be the greatest emperor the annals of history have ever known.” The tail continued its slow crawl between her legs as it spiraled around her, the fan at the end caressing her right breast tenderly. “All I need is a herald that I can trust, and who trusts me in return. You will trust me, Ladria.” As Kathari’s tongue and tail teased her now-erect mounds, Enna wondered whether Kathari were right.
“Past emperors have fallen,” Enna remarked, “And they held even more power than you. Why do you think you will succeed where they didn’t?”
Kathari drew his tongue slowly across her stomach, causing Enna to squirm as the rough, wet tongue wandered slowly up her middle. “I am young, but I am no fool. The dragons of the past grew complacent and haughty; they believed they could do no wrong. They grew jealous of each other, and soon their influence dwindled to nothing when you humans knew that they had no heirs.” Kathari reached a claw toward her snatch, causing Enna to panic somewhat at the thought that he might still eviscerate her. However, as he placed his middle talon against her flesh, she felt its dulled edge begin to stroke her folds carefully.
“While I was yet captive, my followers told me many tales of the world of men. They recounted many histories to me, teaching me of many good and bad rulers through the ages. None lasted, of course, because they lacked the one thing only a dragon can provide.”
Lewd images flashed across Enna’s mind at what a dragon could provide, but she quickly stifled them. “And what’s that?” she asked.
“Continuity,” Kathari said simply. His tail, woven between her legs, up her back, and around to her chest, began to slide back and forth as his dulled claw probed and stroked her entrance. “The old kings grew old quickly, and either they or their sons forgot why their kingdoms continued to stand. They abolished tradition, grew soft. Other men saw this weakness and took advantage of it. That is what is happening now, here. The road you traveled on is notorious for banditry- no sane merchant travels it alone. And yet the human who rules this land sits in his walled city, afraid of phantoms and bereft of the knowledge to make things right.” Kathari withdrew the tip of his claw, then pressed and rubbed its back edge against her slit.
Without thinking, Enna snaked her hand downwards to rub her clit. As she touched it, she let out a low moan and felt her legs weaken. Kathari’s tail stiffened beneath her, lifted Enna lightly off her feet and laid her gently horizontal, the tip of his tail never stopping its constant massaging of her breasts. Kathari moved his head downwards and sniffed deeply between her legs.