Dungeon - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Peleial woke to a terrible headache, her ears ringing in time to her own beating heart. Her vision was slowly waving in and out of focus, and her memory was just as fuzzy. She remembered a dungeon, a fight of some kind… her sister in trouble, Taya… a really fucking huge worm…

The worm!

The room finally snapped into focus, but the elf still had trouble understanding what she was seeing. The worm was still there, but it wasn’t waving all over the place anymore. Now it seemed focussed on the ground. It had its tentacles wrapped around something… a woman… A nude woman.

“Oh shit…”

Taya’s red hair was the give away. The rest of her was being fondled all over by the creature, and she didn’t seem to be fighting back at all. Either she was dead, or unconscious, or drugged. Regardless, it seriously looked like the creature was about to finish her as a nice snack.

She checked her weapons. Short sword or throwing knives? The long dagger had already gotten her tossed into the wall once. And if Taya and her spear couldn’t handle that beast, her toothpick of a blade wouldn’t be saving the day. Okay, knives…

That option didn’t seem much better. At most, she was likely to just piss it off unless she hit it someplace sensitive. It didn’t look to have genitalia… the whole thing was genitalia, or so it appeared in Taya’s case. She saw that the worm was lifting her, slowly drawing her naked body toward the mouth while it rubbed between her legs. That the human wasn’t even responding was probably a really bad thing.

She needed to act now. There were three visible diamond-shaped bulges on its side behind the mouth that might be eyes… or glowing scales… or just random decorations. Whatever the case, they were different. She withdrew the thin blades from her pouch and carefully calculated the spin.

“Aim, throw, repeat… Aim, throw, repeat…” she started saying to herself. On the third repetition she raised her arm and let the shim fly. it was a direct hit in the center ‘eye’.

Whatever the worm was about to do to Taya, it abruptly changed its mind, uncoiling its tentacles from the woman and dropping her to the ground with a splat. It then rose up, roaring in anger. The second blade also hit its mark, and the beast visibly jerked as the metal splinter lodged in the lower glowing diamond. Her third throw hit the tougher hide of the beast and quite literally bounced off, but the now flailing creature shook back and forth several times before finally voicing one more loud cry of anguish, and then dropped down into its hole.

“YES!” she screamed, and remembered Taya.

Running to her side, the woman was a real mess. She was covered in heavy slime, something she herself could relate to, but she wasn’t moving. Peleial checked for a pulse, and sighed in relief when she found one.

“Taya… er, wake up Lieutenant!” She saw the woman’s eyes were open, but unmoving. “Fuck. This is out of my league… Wendel! Taya’s in trouble! I think…”

She looked over and saw both the male and her sister lying on their backs.

“Lawen! Oh no nonono…” Carefully, she hopped over to their side of the room and dropped next to the she-elf.

“Lawen! By the goddess, are you okay??!”

The girl was still breathing hard.

“Just… tired. Wendel got me out of the trap, just in time. It was… stimulating, but not something I would recommend. Is the worm dead?”

“No! Oh crap, Wendel! You have to help Taya! The worm did something to her, and I can’t get her to snap out of it!”

Together, the trio made it to the far side of the room without incident. Once there, Wendel swallowed and dropped down next to the warrior, while trying not to notice that she was a glistening effigy to eroticism. He felt her neck, then looked in her eyes, frowning.

“Do you know what happened?” he asked Peleial.

“No, damnit. I was knocked unconscious. I woke up and put a couple of throwing knives in the worm’s eyes and it went away. It was… rubbing her, there… you know. She wasn’t reacting.”

“At all?”

The elf just shook her head.

Sighing, Wendel considered what to do. Finally, he started gathering up his bag.

“Lawen, check her pack and see if there’s any clothes you could throw on yourself, then grab her shield. Peleial, you take her spear and your own pack. We’ll worry about covering her up later. Right now, we need to get out of here in case the worm comes back.”

“You’re not going to leave her!” started Lawen.

He counted to three in his head. “No, I’m going to carry her. But despite her fair frame…”

“Not compared to me,” commented the other elf.

“… she will be heavy. I won’t be able to set her down quickly, so we’ll just go far enough to get to a safe place where I can get a better look at her.”

It took a bit to get her up on his shoulder, but he managed to hold her up with one hand, so that his other could tend his staff. They traveled a few hundred meters down the hall past the checkerboard room, and he called them to a halt. Carefully, he set the woman down against the wall and made a more thorough examination. After being distracted by her breasts for the third time, he finally pulled off his outer robes and draped them over her. Her mouth was partially open, and he happened to notice a slightly different colored ooze dripping from the corner of her lips. Coming closer, he reached a finger into her mouth and then smelled the thicker residue.

“Uh oh…” he said, frowning.

“What is it?” asked Lawen.

“Toxin. In the mouth. Probably right down her throat.” He leaned the woman over so that she was on her side.

“Sorry, Lieutenant…” he said, and checked her other two cavities. When he had seen what he needed, he righted her. “It filled her with a paralytic. My guess is she’s aware, but unable to move.”

“So… how do we fix her?” Peleial was leaning against the woman’s spear.

He sighed. “I don’t know if I can. The toxin might wear off in a few minutes, or hours… or days… or her state could be permanent. She has the dark magic working on her as well, which could also keep the toxin active. The safest thing would be for us to find a place to wait it out.”

“I could certainly use a rest,” admitted Lawen.

“We all could, I think. I don’t like spending any more time in this place as necessary, but at this point I don’t see an alternative. I won’t leave anyone behind while I still have breath.”

Wendel scouted ahead and was back a very short time later.

“I found a storage room just ahead. I wouldn’t touch any of whatever they’re storing, but it had a door we could rig to block from the inside. Let’s move her.”

Fifteen minutes later, Taya was laid out on a makeshift table composed of a couple of large boxes, and Lawen was curled up on the floor. Her sister sat on a small barrel eating a stick of venison jerky, watching Wendel secure the portal with both magic, and Taya’s spear.

“There. That should keep us safe for the moment. I don’t like being boxed in, but nearly anywhere in the dungeon is going to be that way at this point.” He pulled out a couple of low crates so that he could lean against the wall with his feet up.

“So…” started Peleial. “How long have you known the Lieutenant?”

“Taya? We met when we started this little excursion. I was told that she had to accompany me… To be sure I wouldn’t steal the rune stone for myself. As if I would want such an infernal thing…”

“Don’t you?”

“Oh hell’s no.”

She frowned. “But it’s a powerful artifact. I would think that’s right up your alley.”

Wendel snorted. “Some things aren’t meant to be messed around with, my dear.. especially by humans. Demonic relics, while predictable, are also quite prone to corrupting the bearer. Have you ever heard of The Glaver stone?”

“Sure. Uh, makes the wielder impervious to edged weapons, right?”

He touched his nose. “That’s the one. Did you know that King Lucas the Deldrite had it for nearly a year?”

“You’re kidding? But he doesn’t now? What happened to it?”

“He’s dead, killed by his own people.”

“The stone didn’t protect him?”

“Sure it did. No one could touch him with a blade… So they burned him at the stake. The rune corrupted him. He went on a mad rampage, going out with his army for a hundred leagues to kill anyone who opposed him, and a lot who didn’t, including women and children.”

“He wasn’t limited to using it once in a lunar cycle?” she asked.

“The imperviousness to blades was just a side benefit. It’s real power was crushing armies, literally.”

“Whoa…”

“You don’t fuck with relics.”

She was thoughtful for a few minutes, then asked, “Do you think The Charding has a ‘side benefit’?”

Wendel was just starting to nod off, when he popped open his eyes and fixed them on her.

“Don’t get any ideas, Peleial. The stones were not meant to be wielded by mortals, and Taya’s uncle is a fool. The rune stones get their secondary benefits from the demons charged with hiding them away. The Glaver was under the protection of Malchildress the Sharp, known for weapons so fine that they could cut through plate armor as easily as flesh. His weakness was magic. The Charding’s demon is Volscork, whose handiwork we have all been intimate with… It’s likely that the secondary effect on the rune stone would be something related to his speciality.”

“What, like making you really amazing in bed?”

He closed his eyes again. “Something like that.”

“That wouldn’t be so bad. A little redundant though…”

He opened one eye. She was grinning at him.

—

Some time later, he was awakened out of a dream in which both he and Peleial were being consumed by one of the floor traps as they fucked just below the surface. He was trying to tell her to stay still, but it wasn’t working. She was saying his name, over and over… Wendel… Wendel…

“Wendel!” Taya’s voice came to him in a loud whisper.

Shaking his head to clear the erotic vision, he immediately got up and went to her side.

“By the shards, it’s good to see you awake… Taya.”

She smiled. “And it’s good to be awake, though I wish I didn’t have to wake up still here in this accursed dungeon.”

“How do you feel?” he asked.

She sighed. “I can’t move my legs yet, but my arms are fine.” She wriggled her fingers above her. “That worm really… er, messed with me.”

“Yes it did. I‘m sorry. I didn’t even know you were in trouble. I was helping Lawen, who almost didn’t make it.”

“Forget it. You were trusting my skills, which, it turns out, were crap against that thing.”

“Taya…”

“Peleial took it out, didn’t she?”

He put a hand on her shoulder.

“She drove it away while it was distracted with you. Your skills are fine.”

“Wendel, that thing was seconds from sucking me down its gullet. It had me dead to rights.”

“But you are here. Stop tormenting yourself.”

“Just out of curiosity… my spear?”

He moved aside so she could see it holding the door closed.

With a sigh of relief, she let her head fall back. “I thought for sure the worm had eaten it with my armor.”

“Speaking of which, I’m afraid we’re a little shy on clothes. Lawen took your last shirt, otherwise she would be as naked as you are. You can try my spare pants. Probably a little big for you, but wearable. Do you think you can fight in my robes?”

“I fought a battle completely naked once. You’d be surprised what a difference a little distraction makes.”

“I bet I wouldn’t…”

She looked at the garment that was draped over her.

“It’s kinda baggy.”

“Did I mention it’s warded? With the hood up, it’s like wearing full chainmail.”

“Seriously? Nice! Okay, I’ll keep it on.”

“My libido thanks you.”

She looked around the room.

“Where are we?”

“Storage closet, I’d guess. Not the most comfortable of rooms I’ve slept in, but for this place, it’s downright luxury.”

“And Lawen? She okay?”

He looked to the elf, who was still curled up in the corner.

“Sleeping. She had a close call too, but I think she’ll be alright. Elves are pretty resilient mentally. If the Vale teaches you anything, it’s to roll with weirdness. You might as well try to get a little more rest until you have your legs back. I doubt we’re going to have another opportunity.”

—

Wendel had a much more difficult time letting go of his dream when his sleep was disrupted yet again. This cycle it was Taya who was kneeling before him, naked and glistening, her skin slick with erotic dark essence. She had just reached out and was stroking his member to hardness, when his eyes opened to the dim light of the storage closet. He groaned and blinked, trying to push back the sexual haze in his mind, but realized after a moment that the sensations from his groin had not faded with his waking.

When his vision cleared, he saw Peleial standing next to him, her mouth open as she breathlessly rubbed her hand up and down the very present bulge in his trousers. Her own eyes were heavy with lust.

Taking her fingers from his lap, he swung his legs down from the crates and tried to rouse her from her dream-like state. After repeating her name a few times, her eyes rolled, and her focus returned.

“What are you… oh. Damn…” she said, her face blushing deep red.

Wendel took a deep breath. “Right. Time to move. He gave the elf her hand back, and then turned to the warrior, who seemed to be groaning. With a start, he saw her sit up and gasp, her face almost as flushed as Peleial’s.

“Taya? You okay?”

She took a moment to answer. “Yeah… “

Next he checked on Lawen, and saw her still lying on her side, her eyes closed. But now, her pelvis was slowly undulating back and forth.

“I’ve got it,” said her sister. “Best if I pull her out of that…”

He let her.

“Legs?” he asked simply of the Lieutenant.

She nodded.

“Good. We’re leaving,” he explained to the group as a whole. “The dark magic is obviously starting to get to us now, so we’re going to have to go for the stone before we’re all too distracted to remember why we’re here.”

He listened carefully at the door before handing Taya her spear, then cracked the door to peer out. The hall was empty. When everyone signaled they were ready, they continued their quest.

After a few minutes of thankfully uneventful travel, they noticed a change in the appearance of the walls. Instead of the normal rough stone, these were polished and inlaid with colored mosaics in places. There were also lights. They weren’t torches, but rather glowing amber stones that cast a very strange warm light around the already steamy tunnels. Wendel detected dark magic, but it was passive.

“Hey, did it just get quiet in here?” asked Lawen directly behind him.

Her voice sounded muffled, even far away, and he turned to look at the elf girl. As he did, he noticed it too. There was a heaviness in the air that seemed to suck away all sound. He could barely make out their own footsteps. Alert, he returned his attention forward as they came to another odd change in the hall. The passage grew less and less wide until it was no more than shoulder width across. There was also a wall of stone from the ceiling that blocked a little more than the top half of the passage. Wendel crouched down and could see another short wall just past the other, but from the floor up. There wasn’t much room, probably not more than enough for one of them at a time.

“Is it a trap?” quired the elf behind him.

He sighed, passing his staff in front of the structures. “If it is, there’s no detectable mechanism. There’s definitely strong magic though.”

“What do we do?” He found he had a hard time even hearing the female, as though his ears were stuffed with cotton.

“I suppose we go through. I don’t know what choice we have. Stay close, and be ready for anything.”

With that, he ducked under the wall and scooted forward until he was just inside the space between the walls. Standing, he could see another wall from the ceiling, just over the top of the inner short wall. It wasn’t hard to scale the wall in front of him, and he needed to make room for Lawen, so he scrambled over the blockade and then crouched into the next space, only to find a repeat of what he had just done. This whole serpentine-like configuration recurred three more times, before opening into an empty room with a wide dias in the center.

Turning and crouching, he called back through the strange passage.

“It opens up just ahead. Come on through.”

There was no response.

“Lawen?”

Something wasn’t right. Wendel moved quickly, navigating the short walls until he came out on the other end, surprised that he did not meet anyone on the return trip. He was even more surprised to find that the other end was no longer the simple passage with the amber glowing stones. Now the end opened to a blue-walled chamber half full of water.

“Shit.”

—

Peleial was a little panicked. When she climbed under the last wall barrier, she saw a wider open passage, but no Wendel. Surely he couldn’t have gotten that far ahead of her, could he?

“Yo! Magic man,” she called out. “You there? Slow down.”

When there was no answer, she followed the amber lights, hoping that the human was just up ahead, but the further she went, the less she was convinced of that.

It was hotter here than anywhere else they had been, and she started to feel drips of water or slime or something foul hitting her head. Barefoot, she was vividly aware of the slippery floor, that had started to feel almost squishy between her toes. The amber lights grew fainter and fainter until it was nearly dark, and she fervently wished for Taya’s shield to guide her, or Taya herself for that matter.

Finally, she came to a doorway off the main hall, out of which flowed a somewhat brighter light. Carefully sneaking a peek into the room, Peleial blinked in confusion and she risked a second look just to be sure about what she was seeing. A fully made bedroom in the middle of a dungeon? One that looked like it belonged to a human girl? But it was. Such a thing felt terribly out of place, but a slow drip of slime down her forehead convinced her to check it out.

Cautiously, she entered, wary for the owner, but the room was indeed unoccupied. Aside from the decorative wall coverings, there was a standing carved rosewood armoire and a changing table and bench. Spaced in the center of the room was a medium-sized bed with a white down comforter and a number of fluffy pillows. At the sight of the extravagant sleeper, Peleial noticed that her mouth was hanging open, and she snapped it shut.

Quietly, she stepped up to the changing table and spied a number of little bottles along the edge, as well as a silver hair bush. Picking up a blue bottle, she sniffed at the top. A fruity rose perfume filled her nostrils. Whoever she was, she had nice stuff, thought the elf setting the bottle back where she found it.

She tried the armoire, but the door was locked. It was something she might have been able to pick, but that just didn’t seem right somehow. It would be better to leave things alone. The bed, however, beckoned to her.

Smiling, she ran her fingers over the cool, clean comforter until she was standing at the foot of the raised sleeper, amazed that something so fine could stay dry and unsoiled in such a place. With a mischievous grin, she sat down and sighed. It must have had a full feather mattress to feel so soft and wonderful under her tired ass. Humans always had such ridiculous tastes in furnishings, but Peleial did like their beds.

Enjoying the brief respite, she took a more detailed look at the room. In retrospect, the wall hangings did carry a certain eroticism about them that definitely fit with the demon Volscork. She could make out embroidered figures, mostly unclothed, frolicking and embracing in happy dancing. A few were pairing off, as though preparing for more lascivious activities.

Directly across from the bed, was a large, round hanging mirror with an ornate frame. Peleial realized that it was positioned so that someone laying in the bed would have a perfect view of themselves.

“Whoever you are, you’re one kinky minx,” she said to the non-present owner of the room. She could see herself in the mirror, sitting there at the end of the bed, her bare feet just touching the carpeted floor. It felt so wonderful to simply rest there, watching herself breathe. She was tired, physically exhausted. In fact, until that very moment, she hadn’t realized just how drained she had become. Sleeping in the storage room had been terrible. Painful even. But here… she could really sleep here.

She leaned back onto her elbows, still watching herself. She looked tiny on the human-sized bed, but that just meant she had room to spread out. She noticed the slow rise and fall of her chest, her nipples somewhat present under the light fabric of her shirt… Wendel’s shirt.

Thinking of the wizard, she couldn’t help but remember how she had climbed up onto his lap in a drugged haze and fucked him (and herself) unconscious. She’d basically raped him… He was a sport about it though, joking with her while they were recovering. Laughing. It sure had felt good to come with him. Really good… She groaned, feeling the ever-present dark lust playing at her.

She flopped back on the bed with a deep sigh. She’d had other human lovers, but none quite so… well endowed. Wendel had surprised her. In size, yes, but also in his tenderness for her. Her other human lovers hadn’t shown that. Taya said he hadn’t hesitated to cover her when he was awake. Ever a gentleman.

She stared at the big round mirror… watching her chest rise and fall… slowing as she gradually relaxed. The covers felt amazingly soft, her body seemed surrounded by the comforter as though it were hugging her… Cuddling.

She stretched out, her arms reaching up high above her head, and she still couldn’t feel the headboard. In the mirror, her breasts were flattened out erotically, the cones of her nipples much more visible now under the taut fabric. She giggled, imagining what Wendel would think of her in this position. This would be a really nice bed to have sex in… She could almost picture him, standing at the end, his hands on her knees. She started to pant as her arousal rekindled and grew the lust she was feeling. Caught between her sexual need, and her physical exhaustion, her eyes grew heavy and half-lidded. The mirror…

She imagined she could see Wendel in the mirror. He was sliding his hands up her thighs, slowly reaching up her body until his fingers started to move over the bottom of her leather skirt, to the ties on the side.

“Oh gods…” she moaned, unable to stop the fantasy. She imagined him pulling the strings and slowly unhooking the garment until it was completely undone and loose. She saw him smile softly as he pulled open her skirt, exposing her nakedness. Her panties were somewhere back in the round room…

“Ughmmm… Wendel…” she moaned. What was happening to her? Why couldn’t she shake the daydreaming? She was so tired… Her eyelids drooped further as the image of Wendel moved his hands back to her knees, which he very patiently began to push apart.

She just stared, fascinated, growing quickly wet and hot with lust. Her heart rate climbed dangerously fast, and her breath was no longer relaxed. Instead, it came in short little gasps as the man moved up between her thighs, watching her quickening reaction. She knew where he was headed… where she so badly wanted him to be…

His hands smoothed up her belly, pushing up the shirt, even as his head dropped down into the “V” of her thighs.

“Goddess yes… please…” she begged.

And the image of the man in the mirror complied to her request, his lips alighting to the top of her sex with a gentle kiss.

“AHH!! Ahhh… Oh god! What’s happening to MEEEE!? AHH!!”

The kisses turned more determined, and were joined by his tongue as it flicked out and found her jewel. It felt incredible. Impossibly good… But some deep part of her will understood that she shouldn’t be feeling anything. It was just her imagination, right? The wet muscle lapped right into her petals, causing her to cry out softly. It was so good, so damned good… but it shouldn’t have been. It was wrong. Wendel warned them not to do this… not to give in to the lust.

“Ughnn… W-Wendel… you have to… mmm… s-stop. We c-c-can’t!”

He continued to work her without pause.

“Ahhhh! No, ughnnn… Goddess help me… Wendel! Ughhhnn!”

Realizing that something strange was happening, she went to bring her arms down to push his head away from her center, but found them tangled in the comforter somehow. She pulled harder, but they were trapped. Feeling herself nearing her moment, she started to struggle in a panic, but her ankles were equally tangled.

“N-nooo… AHH! Oh god ohgodohgodUGHNN! AHHH! AHHH!!”

Her orgasm lifted her pelvis right off the bed, and went on and on for longer than she ever thought it could without passing out. Her whole body trembled and spasmed until she finally collapsed back to the covers, her energy utterly sapped. And she opened her eyes… and screamed.

The room was gone. In its place was a horror of flesh and dripping slime. All of it, the wall decorations, the rug, the fucking armoire… They were all gone, replaced by twisted blobs of red flesh. And what was the mirror, was now a single massive eye that was fixed on her.

She screamed until she was out of breath, and had just started to draw in for another round, when she felt something moving up her face. Stringy bundles of pale sinew stretched up each side of her head and then inward to cover her mouth and neck. Her cries of terror were muffled under the knot of flesh that formed over the lower half of her face.

Her hands were entangled by more of the stringy pale flesh, and even the bed itself was nothing but a pulsing mound of red tissues into which she was half submerged. She could feel it moving all around her, sucking at her body and reaching more of itself around her all the time as though it meant to consume her. But the fingers of slippery muscle only held her, caressing and teasing her already excited nerves. She looked to her lap, and saw that what she had seen in her mind as Wendel’s loving hands, were nothing more than thick, flat tentacles of the red flesh, and his tongue yet another with a long smooth tip that continued to tease and lap at her gates.

And over it all was the eye, staring down at her in a way that made her want to hide herself. It was as though it were looking right into her, violating her with only its gaze. And for the first time, she heard it.

<such a delicious treat!> said a deep, gravely voice in her head. <so easily captured. surprising for an elf, you are usually more cunning.>

Tendrils of the lighter flesh curved in over her chest and swirled around her nipples, teasing and stroking them. Peleial groaned in rebellion under her mask of meat as she strained and twisted in her bonds against the rising sexual arousal.

“UGHHHMM!!”

<oh no, you can’t get away. you are mine to feast on, little elf. but don’t worry… i won’t damage your body in a literal sense. no… it’s your mind that i’m going to consume… your pleasure.>

She felt it pressing at her thoughts, snaking through her memories and emotions. It was pushing itself into her psyche, violating her in a way that left her feeling far more dirtied than had it merely raped her flesh. It was exposing her private inner self, wrapping it up in lust and lasciviousness.

<yes. that’s it… you feel me inside you. give in to it, elf. you can not resist…>

The long tongue slipped through her petals and slithered into her tunnel, undulating and pulsing in a way that was more like a large slug than a penis. It was also driving her quickly toward another orgasm.

<just as i penetrate your body, i also ravage your soul. i’m going to make you come she-elf, you are helpless to stop it. Over and over, and each time you will lose a little more of yourself to me…>

“Ughmmnn!! UGHN! UGHN! Nmmmm… UGHNNNNN!!” The demonic creature was right about making her come. With her body bound by the cords of sinew, there was nothing at all she could do to escape the building pressure of ecstasy that finally released in a great heaving wave from her lower torso. She bucked her hips uncontrollably for almost a full minute before the shock of the orgasm finally settled down, only to rekindle anew all over again as the tongue continued to slide slowly in and out of her tunnel.

<there, see. and the next one will be even easier… and stronger.>

She was so tired. Her body was shaking with overuse and stimulation. The orgasms were draining her, and not just physically. She found she couldn’t concentrate. Her thoughts kept slipping back into the erotic. She couldn’t stop picturing herself with various lovers, recent and long past.

<its taking you, elf. soon you will be nothing but desire and lust and pleasure. you will want nothing more than to come for me day and night. and i will keep you conscious and aware of your demise.>

“NMMM!”

<still you resist? you wish to speak? so be it…>

The cords of flesh at her mouth parted and slipped away.

“FUCK YOU! I’m not ever going to give in to you! Ughhn…AHH!”

<your body betrays you, even now. i can make it much harder you know…>

Suddenly, there was a pressure at her rear.

“AHH! Nooo….”

She couldn’t hold back the smaller tendril that gradually penetrated her sphincter and continued to move itself within her body until she felt it coiling through her innards. The sensations were strange and terribly arousing on their own, but when the whole length of the new appendage grew warm within her, and then released a thick slime all along its length… her body simply shifted directly into yet another powerful moment of bliss.

It was harder to come back to the present this time, and when she did, her whole body was soaked in sweat and slime. There were thin runnels of the dark essence cascading down on her from the fleshy ceiling above, and she was instantly reminded of her time under the same kind of evil shower back in the round room. In despair she realized that the creature had just filled her bowels with that same essence. Even as she was slowly covered from head to toe, she could already feel it working on her libido, breaking her from the inside out.

“Nooo… no no no… ughnn… AHH! mmmm… goddess h-help me!”

<there is no one to help you, little elf. you are alone, and it’s too late now. too late to save you. the essence is inside you… it’s only a matter of time.>

“…ahhh… no… I won’t… ughnn… give in!… UGHNN!”

<you continue to fight me… perhaps something more permanent will change your mind…>

“Wha… what are… ugmmm… you talking about?”

The tentacle that slowly pistoned in and out of hers sex lifted, and she could see that it actually originated in the ceiling above her. Even as she watched, a bulge appeared in the tentacle, slowly making its way downward. Peleial’s eyes widened and she shook her head back and forth in denial when she realized what it was.

<yes. it is my seed. in a few moments it will be inserted into your womb, and your days as a surface dweller will be over.>

“NOO!! HELP!! Ughnnn!! AHH! Stop, p-please!…”

The bulge came ever closer, and the elf pulled frantically at her hands and feet, which seemed completely covered in the red flesh now. She could not escape. She was about to be impregnated, and all she could do was lay there and watch. Whimpering, she felt a pressure at her sex, and in a panic, clenched her pelvic muscles hard. The seed, for the moment, moved no further, though she could feel the constant pressure increasing.

<let it in… let it take you… come for me, little elf…>

Suddenly there was a new touch at her apex, as a dozen thin tendrils of pale flesh reached up and added to her stimulation. Some teased her vulva and pubic mound, while still others swirled in around her clit. It was going to make her orgasm again, and when it did, her muscles would never be able to hold back the seed, which would slip inside and into her womb.

“AHHH!! NOO!! AHHH! UGHNN! I… I… Nooo.. AHHH!”

She could feel the tension building in her middle, the queasy sensation right before her moment, and her hips started to rock on their own. She was losing control. She was going to come…

THUNK!

Pain lanced through her head, stunning her. But it wasn’t enough to quell her ecstasy, and she arched her back up while the monumental pleasure gripped her and pushed her right into unconsciousness.

When she awakened, her body was still shaking. At first, she saw the robes and thought that it was Wendel, but it was Taya kneeling over her.

“Just ride it out, girl…” she said, smiling. “Fight it. I know you can do it.”

She gasped and clutched at the woman until the worst of her trembling finally slowed several minutes later. Panting, she understood that her hands and feet were free again.

“The seed!” she gasped.

“Destroyed. It didn’t go inside,” she replied.

Peleial visibly relaxed.

“Th-the creature?”

“See for yourself,” answered the Lieutenant, moving aside. The elf didn’t want to look up at that terrible eye, but she no longer felt the other’s presence in her mind. Screwing up her courage, she saw the eye was dark and motionless. It also had Taya’s spear sticking out of it.

She giggled in relief.

“Go for the eyes, right?” Taya smiled knowingly at her. “Learned that trick from a friend. Let’s grab your skirt and my weapon, and get the hell out of here, shall we?”

Peleial reached over and hugged the human female, wrapping her arms around the woman.

“Thank you,” she said, tears rolling down her face.

Taya didn’t know how to respond. “Uh, hey, I owed you, and then some, right? I’m just glad I got here in time.”

The elf sniffed and nodded, aware of just how close she had come to her end. She was also suddenly aware of Taya herself. With her arms wrapped around her waist under the robes, she was acutely cognizant of the human’s well toned curves. Almost unconsciously, she slid her hands up the woman’s back.

“Um… Peleial?”

The warrior felt so safe… so warm. She moved her hands around to the Lieutenant’s belly, stroking her softly. To her surprise, she felt the woman shudder.

“Peleial! Snap out of it!” she said a bit louder than was necessary. She also pushed her hands away and stood.

Blinking, the elf blushed.

“Oh god… I’m so sorry, Taya. I… I still feel so aroused. That thing… injected something in my ass. More of the essence I think. It’s really messing with my head.”

A look of recognition crossed Taya’s also very flushed face. “Yeah, I know how that feels. Sorry. I think we better find Wendel before it drives you out of control.”

—

Wendel actually found them a short time later. It started with Peleial noticing a note of paper affixed to a wall.

If you find this, STAY THERE for as long as you can. I will come to you.

Wendel

Right on cue, ten minutes later, the wizard stepped around the corner with Lawen right behind him.

“Outstanding,” he commented, and then saw that Peleial was shaking.

“She had a run-in with a rather nasty illusionist,” explained Taya. “Nearly got impregnated. It’s dead, but it filled her bum with more of that dark essence stuff I think.”

He nodded and rummaged through his bag. Finding the small bottle, he performed the quick ritual and clapped again. The elf gasped, and then let out all her breath in a great heave of relief.

“Better?” he asked.

“Not exactly how I wanted to scratch that itch,” she replied, looking up at him, “but miles better. Thanks.”

Taya was smiling. “The note was a good idea, but how did it work?”

“That hall we found with all those low walls… That’s a clever little trap to separate us. It worked too. It’s designed to somewhat randomly dump you into one of eight different passages. I knew if I kept going back through it, I would eventually get the right one, but I had to find you all first. The easiest way was to come to you, thus the note.”

“Damn,” commented Lawen.

“Indeed. I believe that I can beat it now, but I will need the rope.”

A short time later, they had all passed successfully through the tricky pass, and were standing in the blue-walled chamber.

Taya was the last out of the maze. “So what’s this then? More puzzles?”

Wendel was crouched down at the edge of what looked like a pool of water. He was staring at the far side of the pool, about ten meters away.

“There’s a puzzle here for sure, but the prize is in sight, look.” He pointed across the pool to a large flat dais that was dimly illuminated by more of the amber lights. Sitting in the middle of the platform, was what was unmistakably a large marble penis covered in carved writing.

Peleial laughed. “THAT’S the rune stone?! Well of course it is… It’s perfect!”

Lawen wasn’t so humored. “Just like Volscork to make the Charding look like a massive dildo.”

“Uh…” began Wendel. “I’m afraid it’s not just for looks.”

All three of the females looked at him like he was insane.

“I understood the full meaning of the rituals I studied as soon as I caught a glimpse of it,” continued the wizard. “I also realized why the rumors about it only being obtainable by a female were actually true.”

“Wait…” said Peleial. “Are you saying that in order to activate the Charding stone, you have to… use that thing?!”

“That is correct, or more specifically, have an orgasm while the stone is within you.”

Lawen just guffawed. “Well, it looks like I’m fuck out of luck. There’s no way I could take that monster.”

“I like ‘em big, but that’s a touch out of my league,” said Peleial, who glanced at Wendel and blushed.

All three turned and looked at Taya.

“What? Wait… no… NO! You can’t be serious?!” she stated loudly.

“The effect will apply to anyone that is in direct contact with the operator, but…I do believe you’re the only one who can do this, Taya. I’m am sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Couldn’t we just get the damn thing and take it back out the way we came?” asked the warrior, looking a little nervious.

“Volscork specifically designed this place to be difficult to leave. He knew that others would figure out that they could use the Charding stone to escape, so he put a limitation on it making it only applicable to females. Then, he purposely filled his dungeon with creatures bred to foil those females. It’s quite the effective defense, actually.”

“Well, fuck,” she exclaimed, resigned. “So all we have to do is get it and… and we can get the hell out of here?”

“Uh, that would entail the other problem I discovered.” He then lifted his fist and leaned over the liquid a few feet.

<tap tap>

Lawen caught on first. “There’s a wall there. An invisible wall!”

“Yup. More than a wall, he confirmed. “The ceiling is lower almost all the way across. It comes down to just a foot or so above the surface.”

“So, we have to go through the water…” picked up Peleial. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“Water would be easy. Unfortunately, that’s not water.”

“What is it?” asked the warrior.

Wendel sighed. “It’s the source of the dark essence.”

“The SLIME?!”

“Afraid so.”

Peleial was the first to speak again. “We can’t get through that! How are we going to get through that? I’ve been covered in that stuff twice now, and both times it nearly drove me insane! If we have to literally swim through a whole pool of that shit, we’ll never make it!”

“She’s right, Wendel,” said Taya, frowning. “I… I don’t know that I could stay in control of myself through another exposure.”

He took a deep breath. “I have an idea so that you might not have to. Lawen, could you hand me my bag please?”

Near the bottom of his pack, he found the small, round metal device and held it up so they could see.”

“Is that a clock?” asked Taya.

“In a way, yes. It is built the same as a timepiece, with many of the same functions. When I was told by your uncle where we were going, I knew right away that… distraction was going to be an issue. I had this little gizmo made for a previous expedition where it was crucial that I not fall asleep, and it seemed like a good fit for Volscork, so I brought it along.”

Peleial took it from his hand and played with the long straps. “What does it do?”

“You wind it up, and every twenty seconds or so, four tiny needles will poke from the bottom and… keep you focused.”

She handed it back to him. “How will this help us? Have you got more?”

“Only the one I’m afraid, but I have an idea for that too. He reached into his bag and withdrew a coiled rope.

“Oh no…” started Taya. “Seriously?!”

“I’ll need your spear as well. I assume you don’t want to leave it behind?”

“I’d rather leave you behind.” She grinned.

“Ouch. Okay, here’s how it will work…”

The plan was simple enough. Wendel would be the mule, carrying the others along through the pit while wearing the “focuser” like a belt around his waist with the device at his back. Everyone else would be tied up so that they couldn’t go crazy and do something that would likely end up with them all drowning in the goo. He originally thought of tying the girls to the spear trailing behind him, with Taya in the back, but such a configuration would be much too unstable. He needed them close so he could deal with any problems. Unfortunately, that meant tying them directly to his own body. He would put Taya behind him, to support most of her weight on his back. Lawen would be tied to Taya’s back, in the hope that she could help lift them out when they reached the far side. Peleial would be strapped to his front, facing him.

It wasn’t perfect, but a quick test before they hopped into the slime showed that they could move as a unit. The spear and his staff would be tied across Wendel’s back and serve as a good base to attach Taya’s and Peleial’s hands. Lawen’s were also tied on, but with her arms over top of Taya’s shoulders so that she couldn’t slip off and drown.

The only other complication was Wendel’s robes. It was quickly obvious that they would create far too much drag in the essence. He agreed to leave them behind with Taya’s shield, but that meant that Taya had to go topless, a feature that wasn’t lost on the Wizard. Getting sandwiched between Peleial and the half naked warrior was going to be distraction enough even without the thick evil amber.

“We leave everything else but the small bag I’m bringing with the constituents for a clearing charm. This either works, or we die trying. We won’t be coming back. Once we get to the other side, our main goal will be to cancel the effects of the essence, and then get Taya onto that rune stone. Does everyone understand?”

They all nodded.

“Taya, when you eh… I mean, when you use the stone to, um… get us out of here, just picture where you want us to go in your head. Think of someplace you know well and can see clearly. I have one more spell that I’m going to cast on myself, which is a standard short-term one for strength. I’ll pay for it for weeks physically, but that beats being dead by a long shot. Stand back.”

He made the appropriate configuration marks on the ground and then let the spell fly. It was an exhilarating experience. He knew he was stronger, but he was still the same visually. He then had them all tie in and made sure they were secure and couldn’t get out on their own. Everyone needed physical contact with Taya. Her breasts were pressed into his back, so he was certainly good (very good), and Lawen was draped over her. But he had to tie Paleial’s arms right on top of the Lieutenant’s to be sure she didn’t lose contact. He wasn’t about to leave anyone behind…

He was stuck in a devilish daydream where he simply decided to take advantage of the girl’s bound state and ravage them one by one, when his focuser activated for the first time. A sharp jab of pain hit him in the lower back, and he yelped and snapped back to reality.

“YIKES! Holy crap, I’d forgotten how much that thing hurts. Ready? Let’s go!”

Holding Peleial up under her rear, they made short steps toward the edge of the pool. The elf gasped sharply as her buttocks passed into the slippery clear essence, and behind him he could hear Taya softly cursing under her breath. He got a hard-on the moment his balls hit the surface.

“Whoa, Wendel… Down boy!” said the elf strapped to his chest.

“Shut up and hold still…” he grumbled. The wizard then had to crouch to keep her from hitting her head on the lower ceiling until he was deeper. When they were finally all up to their necks in the goo, he took a quick inventory to be sure everyone still had their head above the surface. Behind him, he heard Taya moan and then shudder. Her trembling pleasure was translated right to him through her breasts, and specifically her nipples, which he felt quite clearly now.

“Ughnn… Oh god, Wendel… please hurry… It’s much worse than b-before… ahhh!”

He could feel it too. As the source, the essence was at its purest, and strongest here. He had only taken a few slow steps before he realized their first problem. The evil gel wasn’t like water. It was actually closer to the consistency of honey, which meant walking through it was not only much more tiring, but far slower as well. The focuser hit him again.

“OWW!”

Checking on Peleial, he saw that the elf was staring at him with her mouth open, panting.

“Um… Pel? You okay?”

He saw her eyelids flutter. Her thighs, which were basically wrapped around his hips, started to move against him.

“Oh shit…” Behind him, he could also feel Taya pulling at her bonds. This was not good. They had only gone a few meters and the dark essence was already pushing them into uncontrolled behavior. He trudged on, very much trying not to notice that Peleial was rubbing erotically against the bulge in his pants. He couldn’t see Lawen, but he doubted she was unaffected. A moment later he heard her panting as well, so at least her head was still above the surface.

They were about halfway across when Taya had her first orgasm. It had snuck up on her, and then hit hard enough to cause her to jerk her whole body, almost causing them all to fall over, an action that Wendel was pretty sure would be their end. She didn’t pass out, which was curious, but he reached back and gave her leg a pinch anyway, hoping that the pain might snap her back to reality. To his surprise, he found her thigh bare. What had happened to her pants? Lawen’s foot brushed his hand and he understood. The elf on her back must have used her own legs to push the trousers right off her hips. He gave her leg another pinch, but she only shivered against him. The sound of her gasping into ecstasy had been contagious, unfortunately, and just behind her, Lawen must have come as well, and a few seconds later it was Peleial’s turn. She was staring right at him when she peaked and cried out, a vision that probably would have made him lose his own load had the focuser not chosen that exact second to jab him in the back.

“Gah! Fuck!”

Peleial’s eyes widened, and he realized his poor choice of words too late. Suddenly, her thighs were clutching at him quite differently, and when he understood what she was trying to do, he redoubled his efforts to move through the slime. By shifting back and forth, she was slowly working his trousers off, just as Lawen had done to Taya.

He had only gone a few more steps when the warrior undulated her body against his back and then launched into a second orgasm. This time, unfortunately, she lifted her feet right off the ground in shocked ecstasy. The effect not only stopped his forward motion cold, but almost tipped them over backwards. At the last second, he managed to get his hands up out of the slime and wedged onto the invisible ceiling. He wasn’t tilting backwards any further, but when he didn’t hear either Taya or Lawen moaning anymore, he realized that their faces were under the surface. With a sudden sense of clarifying panic, he arched over forward. Behind him, the human and elf gasped for air, while each shivered almost constantly in arousal. When he glanced forward, he saw Peleial’s face just under a layer of slime.

“Shit!”

He straightened and pushed up as far as he could to lift them all. Peleial came up orgasming, her pelvis trembling against his cock in a way that was seriously threatening to put him over the edge… where was that focuser?

<SNAP!>

“AHHH!”

He pushed on, watching as the elf in front of him lapped at the goo around her face, swallowing it as fast as she could. Like a drug, it had taken control of her, so that all she wanted was more. Her legs continued to work his pants off, and to his dismay, she succeeded. He had to keep his hands on the ceiling or risk them falling backwards again, so he was powerless to stop the garment from getting in the way and tangling his progress. Rather than fight it, he kicked them off and continued. Unfortunately, Peleial now had access to his manhood more directly.

It was actually watching the elf climb his body that he realized she was clear of the low ceiling. They were so close! If he could just get Taya to the dais, they had a real chance to escape the dungeon. He found the stairs leading up out of the pit, and leaned forward in order to keep the weight balanced… just as Peleial angled her pelvis to capture the tip of his penis.

He reached for her, but it was too late. She clutched her body against his, and the slippery ooze combined with the sudden weight out of the pool, drew her right down over him. The feel of his shaft pressing up into the very warm she-elf would have been more than enough to set him off, if his focuser had not gone off again at that very moment.

“YAAAAH!” he screamed in pain and pleasure. He rushed up the steps in a wave of adrenalin, his balls starting to tense under him.

“TAYA, TAKE US HOME!” he yelled to her as he turned around, took aim, and set the woman down right on top of the phallic rune stone.

He wasn’t even sure she was conscious when her thighs parted around the hard dildo, but she woke up real fast when it moved into her tunnel, slowly stretching her as their combined weight drove the massive dildo into her slick body. He felt her start to squirm and struggle on his back, torn between panic and absolute ecstasy.

Meanwhile, Peleial was bucking atop his member with all her strength. Her voice became a series of loud cries, as she, Taya, and Lawen all seemed to reach orgasm at the exact same time. And to his surprise, and unbounded relief, so did he.

<SPLAT!>

The four adventurers hit the floor of the King’s Hall with a wet rush of slime, their bodies all still trembling in bliss. Wendel was the first to regain his composure, and started laughing as soon as he looked around. He reached up and pulled the loop in the rope that released the females attached to him, and then rolled onto his back, still panting. All around them were about a hundred people, all dressed in their finery. Taya had taken them back to the keep in the middle of a wedding.

When he had enough strength, he checked on the Lieutenant first. The Charding stone had slipped out of her, and was laying on the floor nearby. He carefully picked it up, and noted that it was still warm from her body.

<SNAP!>

“HOLY HELL!!” he yelped, and then ripped the focuser from his back, tossing it clear across the hall over the heads of stunned guests..

“Wendel?” called the king, tentatively, as he recognized the man who was standing naked in the middle of his cousin’s wedding ceremony.

“Your Majesty! Good news! I have brought you the item you requested. I present to you, the Charding rune stone…” He placed the still dripping dildo into the king’s hands with a wet plop and turned to walk away, then stopped. Turning back to the highborne, he said, “Oh, and I quit. Good luck with your new toy.”

Stunned, the king stared at the item in his hands in disbelief. “HA! You did it! I honestly didn’t think you would!… So, er, how does it work?”

Wendel grinned. “You figure it out. That wasn’t part of the deal. I have legally fulfilled my obligation to you and to my sect. I owe you nothing, and I certainly don’t want anything else from you.” He made a halfhearted bow, and went to check on the rest of his group.

—

Wendel knocked softly on the door to Taya’s room, the sounds of drunken mayhem downstairs still raging. The night was young, and the inn was happily crowded.

The door opened and the warrior stood there in a towel. Her hair was still wet from her bath.

“Wendel!”

“Hello, Taya. How are you feeling?”

She smiled. “Much better, thank you. I have never wanted to take a bath so much in my entire life.”

He laughed. “I… I was wondering if you considered my offer.”

Her face took on a somewhat pained expression. “I did, and I have decided that… I’m just not ready for a relationship with a wizard right now. I like you, and I think you’re an amazing friend, but…”

“But,” he accepted, sadly. “Perhaps it is for the best.”

“I’m sorry.” She leaned out the door and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. “See you in the morning?”

“Yes of course. Good night… Taya. I hope you dream peacefully.”

“It might be a while before any of us get that,” she replied, her face frowning slightly. “Good night, Wendel.”

And she closed the door.

With a deep sigh, he let it go. Maybe it really was for the best.

“Red refused you, didn’t she?” said a familiar voice from just down the hall. Turning, he saw Peleial leaning out of her room. She too wore a towel, but she had yet to take her well earned bath.

“Age differences,” he said as means of an explanation.

She laughed. “Is that what she said? Well, you can believe that if you want, but that’s not why she didn’t want you in her bed.”

He was genuinely curious. “It’s not?”

“Nope. You never even had a chance, magic man.”

“Really, and why’s that?”

“Wrong gender.”

He blinked. “What? But…” He looked at her closed door, frowning. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Just after she rescued me from that room with the giant eye-ball, I gave her a hug. I was still pretty strongly under the influence of the dark essence, and I sort of gave her a little more than was friendly.”

“That doesn’t prove…”

“She reacted, Wendel. It wasn’t just that place, or the constant sexual arousal… She genuinely reacted to my touch. I felt it. I’m not often wrong about people, but in her case, I misconstrued her frustration about having to share you, with having to share us.”

He looked back to the door. “I’ll be dipped.”

“So… what are you going to do now?”

He turned back to the elf. “I have no idea. I really thought she and I… The innkeeper only had the two rooms.”

“I thought as much. Look, Lawen is downstairs getting completely plastered. If I know her, she’ll drink herself silly and pass out on one of the tables. Hell, I wouldn’t even be surprised if she ended up in Taya’s bed tonight. I know my sister is attracted to her, even if she doesn’t quite want to admit it yet. She’s done it before… I’ll end up sleeping by myself in this huge room, and frankly, I hate sleeping alone.”

He regarded her. “Is that so?”

“It is. So, why don’t you forget about the Lieutenant, come in here, and spend the night with me instead.” She put on a big grin.

Forty minutes later, he was relaxing in a warm bath, Peleial leaning against his chest.

“I still can’t believe her uncle is the fucking king,” said the elf. “Do you think he’ll come after you?”

“I doubt it,” he replied, enjoying the feel of her supple body under his hands. “He won’t risk pissing off the wizard’s guild.”

“I thought you quit your sect?”

He grinned at the thought. “Oh, I did. But quit or no, they don’t like people picking on their own, especially highborne. I fully filled my obligations to him. He has no legitimate grievance.”

“And so now you’re… free?”

He tweaked her nipple, enjoying the way she shivered.

“What are you getting at, vixen.”

“Why don’t you come to the Vale with Law and I? We pretty much lost everything when the Orcs attacked our caravan, so we’d be starting over, but you could certainly make a living there. Always good money for magic users.”

“Hmmm. Interesting idea…”

“Hell, bring Taya along. She resigned her commission, yes?”

He thought of the woman and what Peleial had said about her. “She did. She said she didn’t want to be around her uncle anymore. Can’t say I blame her.”

“So she has nowhere to go either. Let’s all go. We’ll find a place and piece out jobs for hire. She can be the muscle.”

He laughed. “And you? What’s your job?”

“I told you, I’m good with a bow. Really. Every group needs an archer. But I wouldn’t mind learning some magic as well. You could teach me.”

“Fascinating. I like it. I could use a good starting over… I’ll talk to Taya in the morning. I’m sure she’ll want to…”

“Not so fast, magic-man,” said Peleial, turning over. “You got these rooms for three days, yes?”

“Yes, but…”

“Then we shouldn’t waste them.” She sat up and let her thighs slip to either side of his, her upper body displayed nicely before him.

“Money is the one resource I have aplenty,” he commented, pulling her closer. Even as his manhood slid sensuously through the folds of her sex, he let himself freely feel her desire. He knew it wasn’t dark magic that drew them together now. Just good clean lust.

Continued in The Dryad's Dream

---