ɮʟօօɖ ǟռɖ ɢօʟɖ ·ï¡÷¡ï· ɮʊռռʏ♥ʝǟƈɛ ᶰᶳᶠʷ

[Bunny]

It had been expected that this human girl, an oddity in the realms of the Tarragon, would be the fated mate of their king, Oryn. It had been prophesied that the one to mate with a child of man would be Fire Blessed. The eternal fire, from which all Wyrms were born and would one day return. To be blessed by the fire was to be akin to a god. Blessed, chosen… Many words described it, very few did the blessing justice. Being Fire Blessed was a sign that you were meant to rule. Some, in the past had used the blessing to conquer other lands, to submit all to their rule. Others created a haven, strong, secure for their people. It depended on the Wyrm who was blessed.

The mating with a human, rare as they were, gave one power. Humans, unable to access the power they’d once wielded, it could be given however, to a Wyrm. Furthermore, not all humans possessed this power to offer, the eons having slowly drained them of their mystical abilities. Some races, like the elves, felt it fair that such a barbarous race be stripped of such power and that any power left be given to the Wyrm. Elves viewed them as near gods as it was, almost sycophantic in their worship of them.

Oryn the Golden was revered for his goodness. The holiness in which he ruled. Those who served him, served with a fanatical zeal that at times was frightening. Atrocities could be performed in his name, and because of the way the realms viewed him, they were swept under the rug, a necessary evil to ensure only good.

What would the realms care that that human, who had been so publicly paraded around was now chained to the wall in a dungeon. That her screams rent the air with each land of the thick, braided leather upon her back? The high Priest had never liked her. He’d been cruel, when given the chance.. But now that she’d failed Oryn? He took pleasure in her pain.

When the mating bond had failed to fall into place upon her eighteenth birthday, they’d given it a week. When the golden lily had appeared on her back, the symbol for a rival kingdom, Corvina had been tossed in the dungeon cell without a second thought. At first, she’d wondered if they’d forgotten her. Meals came randomly and in various forms of edibility. It had only been a few days, but she’d already given up hope that her words were falling on anything but deaf ears.

She couldn’t control who she was bound to. That even with the mating bond etched into her skin, she loved her King. She loved Oryn. It became clear though, that he did not return that affection.

Liar. Traitor. Whore.

The words had been slung at her with venom in the myriad of voices that spoke to her. It was the cold voice of the High Priest that scared her the most. There was more than venom in his voice.. There was true hate. When he’d ripped the back of her flimsy tunic, the wet sound of fabric had made her flinch, curling closer to the cold wall. The beating’s had started innocently enough, if one could call beatings innocent at all. Slowly he’d become more creative..

·ï¡÷¡ï·​

Sagging against the manacles that held her wrists, Corvina's breath came in raspy little puffs. The cold air bit into her lungs with each inhale, like shards of jagged glass. Close your eyes, Little Raven She’d heard this voice for days, warm with barely controlled anger. It had scared her at first, this voice curling through her mind. It was always there, when things were at the worst. The whip sounded behind her and she closed her eyes, as commanded. While the words had been gentle to her, the command had been there. She still felt the pain as the leather bit into her back, over barely healed wounds. She screamed, unable to help the wounded sound leaving her raw throat. It bounced against the stone walls, a cacophony of sound. She’d not even finished the sound before the whip sliced into her. Forehead against the stone, she kept her eyes closed. She could feel the rage with each bow that landed and it scared her almost as much as the Priest. Almost.

Blood trailed down her back, warm in the freezing cell. She felt his hand press against the ragged scraps of skin as he admired his word. It was that touch more than anything that enraged him. For that voice was a him and even in her near delirious state, she knew who’s anger she felt. Pain flared through her back and she gritted her teeth, her eyes slowly opening. He was almost here… She coughed out a laugh, barely able to stay conscious.. “You are a dead man..” Her laughter was unhinged, raspy and filled with a deep unabating satisfaction. He always had been, from the moment he’d laid hands on her.. But this final cruelty would be his last.

Her mate was here…

They may have destroyed the mark that claimed her as his, but he'd destroy them all...

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Bare feet padded on stone. Such cold floors in this place. It made him want to tear it all down and leave something warm behind. Granted that was why he was here in the first place. To tear this building to pieces and leave nothing but warm blood behind. They had taken something that belonged to him.

------

Derestraz, King of Zestis, had never had a mate. He honestly never had a country or a kingdom either. Zestis was known by most civilized countries as the Savage Lands or, to the friendlier ones, the Enchanted Forests. It was a loose alliance of villages and small cities that all had one thing in common. They served the Old Wyrms. Unlike their neighboring kin, the Old Wyrms had not given up on their connect to the lands and the old ways.

Their numbers were few, less than a hundred. This was by design. When magic was spread, it became thin. Most mated pairs only bred enough to keep their lineages strong. They held their power close and it stayed strong. Most had taken their piece of land and guarded it fiercely. The weaker races, mostly Elves, flocked to them. They maintained the land and the Old Wyrms received everything they needed in worship and gifts. They were Gods as far as any definition could say. Then, the new Wyrms had become jealous, coveted what they lost, what they tried to rip from the humans they mated with.

In the end, it had been war. The whole thing had been brief, a lesson in the old ways. Five Old Wyrms had come together for a single battle. It had been a massacre. So, the kingdoms had stayed to their borders and the Old Wyrms had stayed to theirs. They had no interest in watered down magic. An Old Wyrm had not left been outside their borders for ages. Until Deres felt the bond snap into place. Until they had taken his mate.

-----

At first, Deres planned to ignore the mating bond. Let her live some pathetic human life with some weak dragon. He managed to even quell interest in the sparks of magic that mingled between them. Then, the magic had been replaced by something else. Pain, fear, suffering. It came in waves and he could tell when each torture session started. That had been when he changed his mind. They would not beat her to death when he could feel every blow. Not when he was, in some way, responsible for her life falling apart.

So he had started to search. Old Wyrms had their gifts, their areas of magic where they excelled. For Derestraz, it was life. Plants, be preferred flowers and vines, and blood. Both were excellent conduits for his work. So, lacking any real information, he had reached out, spread his metaphorical fingers out in search of that magic that bound them.

All he could do was tug that connection, reach inside of her and try to find something. What he found made him feel something new. He found a burning anger deep inside himself, nestled close with this new bond. Her suffering came to him and in exchange he let her feel the hate that was building. Neither were feelings he had much experience with. First, he had tried to stop the fear, had tried to soothe her through the bond. That had only added more fear. Soft words then. Little Raven. It felt right. It helped. What it did not help was the anger.

It had been a matter of time. The things they did to her, things he could feel on the surface of his skin as hot stripes, drew plenty of blood. It dripped onto the stone, onto boots and into cracks. Eventually, a drop had sunk into the earth beneath the dungeon, had touched a deep root from a nearby tree. That sang to him like an opera, clear and beautiful. There she was...

When the wind picked up, no one thought much of it. The trees rustled between houses, in the gardens, even in the parks. No one thought much of it. When the petals began to fall, it had caught an eye or two. When they came down like heavy rain, everyone had been concerned. Most fled to their homes, watching the streets turn white like a snow storm on a Spring day. The ones who stayed outside would never return home.

Deres stepped through the petals, which parted before his steps. Everywhere around him, the petals were sprayed with red. In a gust, he appeared, simply standing where no one had been seconds before. The petals turns and twisted in the air, suddenly alive and aware. Anyone he could feel, anyone touching his petals, felt them go from soft flakes to wicked blades. They slid through skin, found the gaps in ramshackle armor. They did not stop to ask who each one was loyal to, did not care if they meant the Old Wyrm harm. They only followed the winds of magic. Now, they made a path for their King.

The castle was a bit more secure, but the heavy doors, the metal gates, all bent and bowed before twisting vines. Even if they had expected him, nothing these whelps could manage would stop him. With each step, more of the vines began to grow. They hunted through every crevice for the blood he had come in search of. Men tried to stop him, as well. They charged, tried to strike him down with mundane weapons. Deres made no effort to stop their charge. The blades sank in and hit bone, tore him. Just as quickly as they spilled blood, he turned it back on them. Each droplet was a projectile, caving in plate armor and shattering bone and body. His body mended while theirs broke.

By the time Deres found the blood he was looking for, his body had already guided him to the door. Those hot stripes had become pain, pure and simple. They were hurting her now. The door crumpled like old paper at his touch, more force than elegant life magic now. He stepped on the cold stone, left behind a trail of foot prints, bare feet drenched in arterial black and red.

There were a few others, prisoners of some kind. They drew none of his attention even as they begged for it. He could smell her blood now, taste it. Then, he felt it. Felt the press of fingers into that blood, onto her skin. That made him boil over. Perhaps it was some primitive part of him reacting to the bond, or maybe a little bit of affection that had crept in while he tried to soothe her. Whatever it was, her promise was certain to be true now.

The first sign of his arrival was not some bravado filled declaration. It was not some monologue about delivering justice or rescuing his love. The first sound that echoed down the hallway was a sweet and familiar little tune, hummed by a rough male voice. It had been a children's song in Zestis, a celebration of the coming harvest and the autumn colors, many centuries ago. It still was when you sang it within his borders. Here, took a darker tone. The notes were turned minor, the lyrics taking on a new meaning. During the single battle of the war, one of his kind had taken it upon themselves to hum this song as they laid waste to the weaker Wyrms and their lesser races. To the survivors, to the whole nation, it had become a grim reminder of Old Wyrm power, of their rage. The words came out in a lovely voice, echoing against cold stone.

"The weather turns, the hearth fire burns,
We reap and we sow, onward we go,
Cold days ahead, so many things dead
But still we sing, because the land is our King
The harvest has come..."

Derestraz came into view as he sang the last note. His finger tips dragged along the stone wall, bone-white vines spreading like thick veins from where he touched. He stood on the far side of the prison bars, stark white in only his blood-stained pants. That impossible wind blew again and, like broken glass, Deres fell apart into a rain of white petals. The gust caught them and carried them into the cell. Just as before, he appeared among them, yet this time, he was already in motion.

The priest, too stunned at this impossible thing before him, barely managed raise his leather lash in defense. Deres caught him around the throat with a pale hand and slammed him to the wall with a sickening crack. He was not dead, though. Deres was not that kind.

The priest's neck throbbed where it met the Old Wyrm's finger tips. Under the skin, tendrils began to move, spreading like wildfire and disappearing beneath clothing. It was a few long seconds before the High Priest opened his eyes, fluttering them open as he regained consciousness. It was a much smaller amount of time before fluttering eyes flew wide and screams began to erupt. The tendrils, those same white vines, ripped through his back and began to spread across the wall. Now, they possessed a thick red stripe, a throbbing artery full of life and magic. Deres released the man and the priest remained in place, held by his new appendages.

With screams still filling the air, Deres turned to his reason for being here. For the first time, he laid eyes on the woman he was bound to by ancient magic and immutable fate. All he could see was stripes of torn flesh and a broken creature. That anger, still hot and fresh, cooled to something softer. His hands wrapped around the chains that connected to her manacles. They twisted and rippled as magic destroyed everything about what they were and replaced them with something new. In place of hard metal, warm flowers now began to form. They wrapped around her wrists, tight cords of twisting stem binding them together. The flowers spread, knitting together in an intricate weave. It covered her front, wrapped around her with loose braids of stem at the neck and waist. Her back, a mangled mess, was left uncovered.

He touched her then, soft like he was trying to approach a frightened animal. The tips of his fingers trailed along the edges of her wound, coming away sticky and red. With a flick of his wrist, the drops splattered on the wall, right next to his masterpiece that was the High Priest. The vines from his body were still growing, burrowing into stone and pulsing with power. Yet, at these new drops of blood, a portion branched off, eager to serve their master. They formed a large circle, taller and wider than Derestraz. From the drops of blood came a sea of flowers, white with threads of red like the rest. They grew until the whole circle was full and every inch of stone inside it was hidden.

Without another glance at the priest that had become living fuel for his curse, Deres scooped the limp human girl into his arms. He stepped into the ring of flowers like it was an open doorway. One moment they stood in the dungeon, the next, they were in the bright sun. All around them was an ocean of those flowers, the blood lilies that were the symbol of the King of the Savage Lands. In the distance was a village, surrounded by this sea growth, with forest on all sides past that. Deres sank down to his knees, sitting the human onto the ground and supporting her shoulders, trying to avoid her torn back.

"I found you, Little Raven."

 

[Bunny]

"The weather turns, the hearth fire burns,
We reap and we sow, onward we go,
Cold days ahead, so many things dead
But still we sing, because the land is our King
The harvest has come..."

The song played in her head, the closer he got and it filled Corvina with relief. She only needed to hold on a little longer. It was almost a tangible thing, his presence, as he drew closer to the cell in which she was held. If asked, she wouldn’t have been able to explain the how of it, likely something to do with the bond. She both loved and hated the one who was her mate. He’d ruined her life, though through no means of his making. He was no more responsible than she was for the bond.. Yet he, it, had ruined everything.

She couldn’t see the petals as they slipped into her cell, nor could she see her mate as his hand closed around the priest’s throat. The impact sounded far off, fuzzy as she slowly slipped in and out of consciousness. The screams were a symphony of sound, something that Corvina had dreamed of. To hear him scream as she had. Her head turned to the side, her cheek scraping against the cold stone, the pain almost non existent when compared to the dreads of flesh that hung from her bare back.

Blue eyes, like an endless glacier pound met his. They were unfocused, pain filled, almost entirely black, with only a thin stripe of the blue peaking through. Warmth slowly covered her arms, along her front, the heat sinking into her. Her lips parted and she let out an almost dreamy sigh. Her flashes fluttering. His touch made her struggle to stay away from the darkness. When his hand touched her, she flinched and let out a soft cry. Gentle as he had been, Corvina’s back was a destroyed mass of cuts, blood still flowing slowly from the wounds. Black, blue, green and gold mingled with her pale skin and the ruby red of her blood.

Scooped into his arms, Corvina passed out. She missed the lovely portal of flowers, it was the warmth of the sun, the rumble of his voice that had her lashes fluttering open again.. A hand rose, touching his face lightly, as if he was some figment of a dream. Darkness crowded at the edges of her vision, flickers of coming closer and closer together.

Safe.

At. ​

Last. ​

Covina slipped into the welcome arms of the darkness, where if for a short while, the pain would not plague her. He’d come. There would be no more pain. Perhaps she was dead. Perhaps this was just some favored dream. It mattered not. It was the end, one way or another.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Deres had whispered to her, given her a few words of kindness. She was safe now. A moment later, she fell limp, only the hand supporting her shoulders keeping her from falling into the flowers. It was in this moment that the tension fully drained from the dragon. All he could manage was a weary sigh. This bond would be the death of him.

"I don't suppose you would like to regain consciousness and walk yourself to the village? I thought not." Without the malice and power, his voice was soft, almost dreamy.

With a glance to the village in the distance, Derestraz regretted not placing them closer. It had been an afterthought in the moment. His mind had been so full of anger and power that carrying a wounded girl had not even registered as a possibility. Now, he had to deal with the consequences. Reaching into the pool of magic, he cracked the glamour on his body a fraction. His draconic strength poured through, making the weight of the girl trivial. It had been easy enough to carry her with human strength, but Deres detested work.

Gently, he laid her over a shoulder. Bridal carry was more dignified, but this would keep her ruined back from splitting open even more. With that sorted, Deres began his walk to the village. The pair of them left a trail of droplets in the field, dots of red left on the petals of the lilies, who would greedily drink it once it reached the roots.

By the time he reached the village outskirts, forced to a normal human pace by the frailty of her body, the residents were already gathering. After all, their God had come to see them. He was surrounded by an ever-moving crowd that shifted to accommodate his every step. It was not until a woman, an Elf who still appeared to be in her twenties, broke through the circle. Her tunic bore a few decorations, including the braided blood lilies woven near the collar that signified leadership in his sections of the Savage Lands. Deres recognized her, of course. Over the last century this Elf had been the one to ask his favor in the name of this village.

"My Lord! You have blessed us! Is there anything we can do to serve you? Does the woman need tending?" She was walking beside him with wide eyes, afraid this might turn ill at any moment.

Verity... that was her name if he recalled correctly. She was the one he needed.

"Fetch a doctor and have someone bring hot water. I will be taking one of the houses..." Deres looked around at the modest homes before letting his eyes fall on the village center. "On second thought, bring it to the open portion of the village center. Your homes are pathetically inadequate."

Verity was quick to squeak affirmation despite his blatant insult. She had dealt with Deres on occasion for over a century. Even without that, one did not take offense when a God spoke down to you. It was expected. She was quickly pushing through the crowd to follow his orders while the rest stayed in their circular formation.

When Deres reached the open center crossroads, he looked around at the other homes. This would be a simple enough process and they would likely worship him for a thousand years for this. He pressed a toe into the dirt and vines sprung up, forming an ivory hammock. He unceremoniously removed Corvina from his shoulder and laid her flat on her face. He barked angrily at the Elves as they moved closer. Stupid lesser races...

"If you enjoy living, keep your hands off her and step away. Far away."

Deres knew they would obey without bothering to confirm. He moved to the open crossroads again, glancing around to try to confirm the center. Deciding that he was close enough, Deres moved into a crouch. He took one finger and pressed into the earth, digging through the compacted surface and making a hole a few inches deep. He took that same finger and brought it to the point of his horn, applying pressure. Once it broke skin, he held it over the hole. The blood gathered and fell, changing shape as it left his finger. What dropped into the hole was a single crimson seed. A sweep of the hand returned the dirt to the hole, a smear of blood resulting.

Stepping back again to stand next to the hammock, Deres let his magic pour out. It came off him in waves, a shimmer of light that moved like liquid. Each wave dropped to the soil and flew to the spot he had planted the seed, sinking into the earth.

It took a few long seconds to begin, all the onlookers a mix between terrified and in awe. Finally, a single seedling broke the soil. Once the sunlight touched it, the growth exploded. The seedling spread wide, forming neat rows of wood, pressed close and impossibly flat. Once the rows were complete, it grew upward, then over and down, moving in a complex maze to form a simple floor plan. When it was done, all the branches twisted up the sides and formed together, spiraling into a fat trunk the size of the entire base. It grew upward, spiraling higher and higher. Dozens of feet up, it exploded out, forming long hanging branches. The form complete, it was almost difficult to tell what it was, aside from a strange tree. It was only the open windows and doorway that gave it away.

Gathering up his mate from her hammock, which withered to dry leaves as soon as she left it, Deres walked into the newly formed house. Even as he walked, the treetop continued to form, growing an ocean of rich green leaves. The final few steps toward the entrance, the tree responded to Deres' presence, roots bursting out and creating stairs between each step so he could reach the doorway. As he disappeared inside, more branches closed behind, blocking the opening in the shape of a door.

Inside, away from prying eyes, Deres let his mind move to the practical. All it took was a thought, an image of a table, and the tree responded. The roots and branches formed to match his needs and he laid the girl on top of it, this time making sure her face was not pressed to the wood. Sighing as he examined the remains of her back, Deres began to untie the stem weave that held the backs of the flower tunic together. First at her neck, then her waist. The flowers were already developing the the tell-tale red sprays on their petals that meant the lilies had drank blood. He was beginning to be concerned she might not have much blood left.

If she were awake, he might be able to convince her to be mended, but magic had some rules that could not be broken. One of those rules was that you could not change a body without permission. He could rip the blood from their veins, grow vines inside them, but he could not mend flesh or change her shape. Looking at the mess of skin, Deres considered for a moment simply killing her on the spot. Unfortunately, the old magic that formed their bond likely would not take it kindly, if it even let him try. A little surface work it was, then.

Holding a hand above her back, Deres reached in and found what did not belong. He pulled out dirt and stone that had worked into the wounds in the dungeon. He removed bits of flesh that had already died or become infected, had already become something besides her own body. This resulted in renewed blood flow, making him curse under his breath.

It was in that moment that Verity and the Elf doctor arrived, pounding at the wooden door. Verity must have shared the extent of her injuries. Deres opened the door with a thought and the two rushed in. The dragon passed them, stepping into the doorway.

"The tree will answer her thoughts, make whatever she likes, change shape. It will grow fruit soon. Make her eat it. It will help."

"My Lord, you are not staying?" Verity seemed a little panicked at the idea of being left with someone so obviously important to God in this condition.

A dreamy smile appeared on Deres' face.

"Why would I stay?"

With that, a gust carried blood lily petals into the wind and Derestraz was gone.

 

[Bunny]

No, she did not. Her body remained limp in his arms as he questioned her. The darkness that had claimed her was peaceful, empty and much needed after the hell her mind and body had been put through. That deep, dreamless slumber would last nearly a week. Little did she know when she’d wake that her mate would have abandoned her, leaving her in a magical house with a village of people that worshiped him like a god. No, for now, she was blissfully unaware of that fact, but sadly not for much longer.

Corvina stirred and she gave a soft groan, her body stiff from laying prone for so long. There were sweet calls of birds, the sound of voices somewhere far off. Her lashes fluttered slightly as her eyes moved beneath them. Had she died? What would greet her when she opened her eyes? Had Oryn forgiven her? That bubble of hope was dangerous but not altogether out of the norm. Oryn had been her king, who she’d been trained to be a mate for. She knew his likes and dislikes. She was versed in poetry and other pretty things that would please the Wyrm.

Dark lashes opened slowly and what greeted her was not the place, but someone entirely foreign. Of course, they had trees, plants and the like in her kingdom, but nothing made from them like this. Confusion filled her eyes as she struggled to push herself to sit and then Corvina remembered his midnight voice, ”I found you Little Raven.” Her.. mate. Derestraz. Panic filled her and for someone who had laughed in the face of the priest, told them they would die, she now found horror in the fact he was her mate once more. He’d saved her, yes.. Her heart racing, she looked around. There was no one else within the treehouse, perfumed softly with the scent of pine and lilies.

He wasn’t here and something told her he had not been here in a long while. Hurt, anger and rage seethed through her. There was a gentle knock and then, as if it was only for ceremony, an elf entered. Corvina was leaning up on her arms and as the woman entered, she struggled to push herself to face her. “Lady?” The elf’s voice was uncertain as she found the human fighting to sit up. She hurried in, and helped her sit up fully. Her hand moved to Corvina’s forehead and in return she hissed at the elf. The elf smiled slightly and dropped her hand. She still didn’t know who this human was, but she had theories. Turning away she pulled a blue fruit from a basket. They were a soft, almost sky blue, with darker blue swirls along each petal. The tips of each petal were purple that faded into pink, the ends curling slightly. Carefully cutting it open, the first time she’d had a reason to touch the fruit their god had made this human, she found the interior a vibrant green. It was almost like a gel and the sweet fragrance that came from it made Corvina’s mouth water.

“You must be hungry lady..” She offered Corvina a slice of the fruit. She.. was hungry. "... Thank you." Taking it carefully she took a bite of the fruit and almost moaned in pleasure. “My Lord said if you were to eat it, it would help heal you.” Mid-bite, she stopped and looked back at the woman. “I want nothing from him.” Her voice was cold, the anger that had been there before returning. She put the fruit down.

--

Corvina’s pleas to leave fell on deaf ears and for the next month, the whole village was on high alert to keep the human female from leaving their land. Corvina also refused to eat the fruit he’d provided. She lived on bread and water mostly. Little did she know that Verity was at her wit's end. Rather than getting better, Corvina was getting worse. She didn’t know if it had to do with her refusal to sleep in the house, to eat the food or if something else plagued her. The message she'd sent to him begged him to come help, for they didn’t know what to do with the human.

Her pale kin had taken on an unhealthy pallor once more, dark bluish circles were under her eyes. Those eyes which had once been bright and vibrant were duller now too. Without his aid, who knew how long she’d last..

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Now that he had dealt with the human, Derestraz was happy to continue about his business. That business consisted mostly of relaxing in the depths of the forest when he could help it. Unfortunately, though he was king of a broken kingdom, he was still king by lineage. The other Old Wyrms brought their problems to him when they could not solve it themselves. Even worse, the lesser races seemed to think they were entitled to the same. There were periods of time when he would only be left only for several days.

Worse yet, that pathetic Oryn seemed intent on recapturing the girl. By the time the first month had passed, Deres had killed at least a dozen Wyrms and ten times as many Elves. It was, to be honest, exhausting. The only positive was that the blood lilies were looking incredible with such regular feeding. It was his most important responsibility to tend to his garden, after all. It kept those insipid worshipers fed and pleased his eyes. It was simply an unfortunate side effect that it led him close to the village, to the edge of the fields surrounding it and within sight of his tree. Coincidence really.

-----

It was on one of these trips to feed his lilies that Verity managed to spot him. Derestraz considered simply drifting into the wind when he saw her hurrying toward him. However, it would likely involve his mate. She had been dropped off by their personal God, so he was certain she would ve sitting on a gilded throne and being lavished in gifts, or whatever other gaudy thing the people of her barbaric country enjoyed. It might even be funny.

------

The village was suddenly an ocean of sound. There was yelling and cheering at first. A loud voice rose above it and then there was silence. Then, the shaking started. The ground trembled at first, like the start of an earthquake. The shaking turned into a tremble and soon it was nearly vibrating. The amount of power pouring into the earth was astronomical.

It persisted for nearly a minute, steadily growing in intensity until the walls of every building in the village were twisting and warping. Just when it seemed the entire thing would be swallowed into the earth, the door of a single barn exploded into tiny wooden splinters, ripped to pieces by raw magic. There were no vines or petals, no drops of blood. Just a whirlwind of power and in the center was Derestraz, not in his mortal form, but his true one.

The Old Wyrm was massive, filling the double doors of the barn almost completely with his head alone. He had a long snout and tapered head, crowned with the same curling horns that his mortal form possessed. His scales were a luminous white, patterned with thin branching lines of pinkish-red that made it look like you could see the veins under his hide. Spread wide were a pair of petal wings, seemingly formed from the same braided blood lilies he had made her tunic from. In his mouth, gently held by a curled fang, was a wicker basket full of the fruit Corvina had been refusing.

Right before her eyes, Deres shifted, shrinking and warping to take on his mortal form. The basket hung from a single extended finger. In his crimson eyes, Deres had nothing but anger. He stalked forward a few steps before throwing the basket, letting it slide to Corvina's feet before toppling and spilling.

"I was informed you are not eating. Or sleeping. Or staying in the home I made for you. The Elf was crying when she told me. Apparently she has been spilling blood at the altar every day, begging for my help." His voice was low and controlled.

"I did not slaughter all those lesser things and drag you here for fun. It was quite fun, but I did it because this damned bond made me feel your torture."

He took the remaining steps to close the distance. Leaning forward, Deres grabbed a fruit from the basket. He held it tight in his grip before opening his mouth wide, showing the long draconic fangs in his mouth. With an exaggerated bite, he ripped a large piece of fruit off, the green juices running down from the corners of his mouth. His throat bobbed as he swallowed.

"It seems you won't take my help willingly, but your lack of care for your body is beginning to wear on the bond. So, I will be forcing you. Now, eat the fruit and return to the tree this instant, or I will be making you do both."

To make the ease of such a task obvious, Deres let a thrum of magic pulse from his bare feet. Two of his vines sprouted and whipped in the air, ready to make good on his threat. Meanwhile, a serpentine tongue flicked out and lapped at the juice running down his cheek. If he was to be bound to her, a magicless human would not be in control of their relationship.

 

[Bunny]

Vibrations disturbed her listless sort of daydreaming, if one could call staring at the rough thatched roof as daydreaming. She didn’t move or flinch. If it was an earthquake, fine. The amount of fucks the human gave were minimal at best. She ate when her body demanded it. Drank only enough to live and for the past week she’d moved twice. When her mind wasn’t this blank void of nothingness. It flitted between hatred of her mate and hatred of Oryn. There was nothing else. Oryn had abandoned her and let that twisted priest flay her. Her mate had rescued her and then abandoned her. All of them were the same. Wyrms cared not for those they should and tossed her aside like a doll who failed to amuse.

When the door exploded, Corvina didn’t even flinch. Her head turned to the side, to see his massive head within the doorway, some six feet away from her. She turned away from him and his tantrum. She didn't see him turn back into his human form and the basket that skittered along the hay strewn floor bumped her foot, but otherwise was ignored. His voice was low, controlled, but there was anger lurking underneath.

Good. He should be angry too.

“I don’t want anything from you.” Her voice was a dull, rasp of sound. It was clear she’d not had anything to drink. Also the fact that he was the first she’d spoken to in almost two weeks. The old Corvina might have felt something for Verity, the elf as named by him, but she didn’t care. Not about her or him or herself. “Poor little wyrm..” The sarcasm was thick in her voice.. The only emotions she’d shown since she’d woken “Felt some of my pain too, you poor baby? My back bled for you.” Which was true. Her blood had been spilt because of him. The words should have held venom, but he wasn’t worth her time.

She felt his shadow and looked toward him. Dull eyes watched him eat the fruit. “Then you should have let me die in that cell.” Slowly that anger was waking though, and more than that... Hate.

Corvina hated him.

It was the whip like vines that had her anger surfacing. “How. Dare. You.” The anger in her voice burned between them and she rose shakily to her feet. “I am not afraid of you, you selfish asshole.” Her voice rasped as she spoke, but the anger burned hotter.

“You rescued me because I caused you a problem and then you dumped me here as if I was nothing! You might be a wrym, but you are not better than a common snake!” Seething she picked up a fruit and threw it at him. “I will not eat, you will not touch me. You are just like him. Pathetic.” She reached for another. “I didn’t ask to be your mate! I didn't ask to be tortured because I wasn’t his! Only worth your attention or care when you deign to give it like some benevolent god! I am not some sycophantic elf! I am not going to come crying to you! Go the fuck away and leave me to my life! You don’t care about me! You only care about how I inconvenience you!”

“LET ME DIE AND THEN YOU WILL BE RID OF ME!” ​

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

The expression on his face should have been controlled, like his anger had been a moment ago. Deres should have been mature and spoken to the little human like he was over a century her senior, like he was a king. Instead, the anger started to leak immediately. His face twisted and he bared his teeth, showing very clearly that he was no human. However, he let her finish, let her vent it all and scream at him. The fruit bounced off his chest without so much as a glance toward it. It was not until she let out her throat-tearing screech in his face that he finally moved.

"Let us make a few things clear, you ungrateful fucking child. You did not do anything for me. We were bonded by magic older than this world. The fundamental forces of the universe, the same things that make fire hot and the sun shine, decided to tie us together. You bled because your former king is a moron." Deres had a cruel little smile forming on his face now.

He took a step closer, standing over her. The vines stayed ready but did not move to take action. The Wyrm looked down at her, making it abundantly clear that he had no reason to respect any of her wishes.

"He wanted to stick his cock in you and steal the magic in your blood, in your soul. The bond would never let him do that, so he threw a fit and had you tortured. No, what I did was hunt you down. I became the first of my kind to leave our borders in centuries. I killed dozens at the castle and twice as many since. All because I could feel what they were doing. Who cares if it was selfish? I did what no one else would."

Now, it was time for the vines to act. They were quicker than a predator pouncing, wrapping around her wrists. They bound her arms, twisting around her torso and between her breasts before finally wrapping around her neck. Once she was bound completely, he held up the fruit in front of her.

"Then, I took you to a village in my own territory. I grew you a home that would shape and change at your will. I made sure to speak to the Elf myself, made sure they knew you meant something to me. I gave you a chance at living like a queen because, here? I am a God here."

His hand moved then to wrap around her throat, just under her jaw. He squeezed and talons extended, pressing to skin. The tiniest dots of blood formed pearls and slid to the vines.

"But, I'll tell you a secret. I am no God. I am nothing compared to the bond between us. I don't know if I could kill you if I wanted. Even if I did, I have no idea what it would do to me. So..."

He took another bite of the fruit, ripping off a chunk. The talons retracted and he squeezed her throat harder. Without warning, he leaned forward and crashed their lips together. That serpent tongue forced between her lips and his grip held tight. In the midst of the rough kiss, Deres pushed the fruit between them, the green gel easily sliding into Corvina's mouth. That had been all he planned. He would force the fruit between her lips and hold her mouth shut. Something else occurred.

Deres found himself holding the kiss, squeezing the sides of her throat with a savage urgency. His tongue stayed in her mouth until ever bit of the gelatinous insides of the fruit had gone down her throat and for a few moments after. When he finally pulled away, there was a small flick of his tongue on her top lip. Green juice decorated both their lips and had run down the side of Corvina's face.

"We will do things your way. I won't be letting you die. And since you have such an issue with my leaving, I'll stay. I will feed you like this whenever you refuse. I will keep you healthy and bathed. Give you everything you need."

The vines unfurled just as suddenly, giving her free control of her movement, except for the hand around her throat. He found he rather enjoyed holding her like this. Deres leaned close, his tongue flicking out to clean her cheek.

"I won't be held responsible the consequences if you continue to fight me. Now, get back to the fucking tree before I rip those filthy rags off and throw you in the river, Little Raven." The words were honey coated poison, dripped directly onto her skin.

Then, he pulled away, finally releasing her throat. He leaned over and began collecting the fruit, the threat of violence hidden behind his calm movements.

 

[Bunny]

When his teeth bared feral at her, Corvina matched him and she gave a growl as he called her an ungrateful child. The words made sense, on some level.. But Corvina wasn’t a child. “I am not a child, you arrogant snake!” Crossing her arms she hissed at him. “I am aware of what binds us, I am not stupid.” She looked away for a moment, the pain of the man she’d been meant to love, to mate with had tortured her. “He threw a tantrum when he didn’t get what he wanted..” He’d wanted her, the magic that the world said a human would give a Wyrm.

He stepped into her and she could feel the heat that rippled off him. He wasn’t wrong, she’d already said as much. “You did so for yourself, not for me. But because the bond caused you a problem. It wasn’t some sweet gesture or one meant to be kind. You did it for yourself.” Her head snapped up and her hand drew back. She was human, weak due to her own negligence. It didn’t stop her from punching him. Not a wimpy slap, but Corvina put her entire behind the blow. It wouldn’t even hurt him, she was more likely to hurt herself, but damn him!

“I care, damnit!”

The vines restrained her and she growled, struggling against them weakly.”I don’t want to be a queen, nor did I want to live like one. I am not some fucking problem to be shipped off!” That was the core of what stung. No one wanted her. Her king had been pissy he couldn’t take the magic from her blood and the arrogant asshole before her, saw her as nothing but a problem, nuisance…

His hand slipped around her throat and she bared her teeth at him again, even as the tips of his nails bit into her skin. The pain registered, but did nothing to tame his mate. “It’s all about you, isn’t it.” Corvina wasn’t some docile little elf that would quake before him, begging for his forgiveness. That much became clear as she spit in his face. That was a small thrill for the action.. But he all but ignored her as he took a bite of the fruit. Infuriated, she wasn’t expecting what would come next.

Deres’ mouth crashed against hers. His tongue formed into her mouth and her lips parted, almost of their own volition. The sweet fruit spilled into her mouth and she swallowed, though, where he lingered, her body and mind betrayed her for a moment, her body softening against him, curling closer as if seeking more of his touch and she kissed him back. Her tongue brushed his, eyes closed and she gave a breathy sigh as he pulled away.

Pink cheeks, a new color in her current state, told more than she did as she shook herself and tried to shove him, the vines restraining her. “Stay away from me.” She didn’t want him near her, didn’t want any more… kisses. Even as she thought about the brief moment, she felt her body respond and she hated it. It wasn’t just her though, he’d lingered, she’d swallowed the damn fruit almost right away…

The vines slid away, but his hand stayed encircling her throat. His tongue brushed her cheek and she shivered. “I will never not fight you..” The words a solemn promise from his little human mate. As he bent to pick up the fruit she spun on her heel and marched off. A cursory glance would show she seemed to be heading in the direction of the tree.

Yet when he arrived he’d not find her within. Corvina had climbed the tree and was sitting deep within the canopy, far away from eyes or reach. She was carefully plucking fruit off and throwing them to the ground. Damn him. Damn this fruit. When he got close enough she threw one of the fruit at him for a second time.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

When she spit in his face, that was nearly it. Corvina had said she was not afraid of him. That was unwise. He took a long moment to consider the possibility of tightening the vines and simply squeezing the life from her. Maybe he would show her the true meaning of torture. They had simply whipped her back. He could flay all the flesh from her meat, drop the bloody remains on Oryn's doorstep so he could try to fuck it. The darkness showed in Deres' eyes, cloudy with a truly dangerous malice.

Had he not chosen to kiss her in that moment, to force feed her, it would have been because he tested the bond and went with violence. Instead, the bond tested him. The kiss was delicious and the fruit had little to do with it. Their tongues played and he felt a heat rising in his belly. That alone was enough to concern him. Carnal need was not the way of the Old Wyrm. They had purged it. Sex was only for shoring up numbers when one of them died. Now, it was flooding his mind.

There was no malice when he lapped at her cheek, only a strange affection. The bond did many things. Distance made one long and feel, proximity caused a heat of desire. Something unfathomable forced them together and it planned to damn well keep them there. It was only her anger and obstinate yelling that protected him from the magic. He would teach her how futile it was to fight him.

It seemed for now that he would get what he wanted. The dirty little human was stalking her way to the tree. He gathered the remaining fruit and followed, leisurely. Corvina had a good lead on him and he hoped, with great futility, that she might have even told the tree to form a bath. Conjuring water would be easy enough even if it was not his expertise. These idle thoughts carried on until he nearly reached the twisting roots that formed the stairs. A fruit, thrown from above, bounced off his head. He even recoiled, surprised even if it did not hurt.

"You little bitch." The words grumbled from deep in his chest.

The winds blew in a great gust and petals flocked to his back, forming wings identical to his dragon form. The flowers, looking delicate and beautiful, moved on their own and sent massive puffs of dust out as they slammed down. He moved in a blur, a white streak racing up the trunk of the tree. There was a crack of wood shattering into splinters beside her head. His hand was buried into the trunk of the tree, muscles flexing as wood turned to pulp under his grip. Long fangs glistened in her face as he snarled.

"That fruit is infused with my own life force! I did everything you could ask for from the most powerful Wyrms in your country and a thousand times more. If it were not for this bond, I would tear your flesh apart in ways that man would never dare imagine." There was that darkness again, making his voice match his eyes.

"Instead, I am forced to watch over you. You are right. It is all about me. It will always be about me. But, you are making that difficult."

Those razor sharp talons extended again, forming on his left hand while the right pulled free in a shower of wood chips. A moment later, he was on her. His right hand found her shoulder, shoving her down to the large brach that she sat on. His legs rested on either side of her. The taloned hand made good on his earlier threat. The dirty thing she wore was likely some scrap cloth. It might have come apart with just a tug. Instead, he curled the sharp tips into it, peeling it apart from her waist up with a single jerk.

"I can make it all go back. I can torture you and rip the magic from you just like your king wanted. It might hurt, but I think I can bear with it long enough to break your mind. You are making a mistake, human. This is not a fight. You are mine, bound by magic to be my property. You are like a pet to me. All of this petty resistance will end when I decide. I will have to shorten your leash. If you choke, so be it."

Deres let his own anger drip into his words. It was boiling now. Yet, under it all, there was a thrill. A bit of joy in fighting her will like this. He lifted his weight, gave her room to wriggle free if she wanted it, though the second half of her destroyed makeshift outfit would not be coming with her.

 

[Bunny]

You little bitch

The words were like music to her ears. She’d not hurt him, of that Corvina was sadly certain of, but she’d pissed him off. Good. Prick. She heard him coming, the rustle of leaves, the groan of branches as they were hit by an impossibly strong wind. When he landed before her, his hand crashing into the tree above her head little pieces of back falling onto her hair she looked up at him. His snarl was met with bored eyes. “I was just giving it back to you then. Aren't I the sweetest mate?” The darkness didn’t scare her, though it should have. It should have terrified her. But Corvina was broken.. And this display of anger wasn’t going to phase her. He didn’t want her. Oryn didn’t want her. The thing she’d been groomed for her whole life and no one wanted her. Well, Oryn did, but only if he got the power from her.

“Poor thing. Having a pesky human mate, weighing you down.”

More bark fell on her hair, dusted her upturned face. She gasped as he pushed her back, her back finding the solid branch beneath her. He bared her body to the warm air and the damage she’d been doing to herself was on full display. She’d not been fed well in that cage and since then, she’d not worked to fix it. He’d be able to count every rib, her body dirty and bruised in places.

This wasn’t what angered her again though. It was his words. When his body shifted, allowed her to flee, like some coward she narrowed her eyes and called on the tree.. "How about... you go fuck yourself?" He’d said it would follow her desires. Branches snaked out, like living water and wrapped around his wrists and legs. They tightened for a moment before thrusting him from the canopy without ceremony. The ‘god’ was airborne and falling quickly. Rising to her feet, she walked back toward the trunk, a hole opening for her to vanish through. “Do not let him back in” Even Corvina doubted that this would work, but if it stalled him, even for a moment, it would be worth it. She found a chair and took a seat. She was in the damned house. He would be pissed though. Again, that flair of pleasure at getting under his skin.

Yawning, her haad fell to her folded arms, the debris from his tantrum falling to the table in a little halo. Eyes closing Corvina waited. He’d not take her little act of rebellion well. She found fighting with him the only thing that drew her out of her shell.. And she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not.

It was at least fun.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Deres was on the verge of having enough for a long time. Each little act of defiance made him get closer to losing his temper. No matter what he said to this stubborn thing, she threw it back in his face. No appreciation for anything he had done, no fear from his threats. The appreciation he could almost understand. They were meant to be enemies, though Oryn was far more interested in Old Wyrm magic than the Old Wyrms were in taking his land. It was hard to change what you had known your whole life. But the threats? She had to know he was fully capable and willing to visit atrocities on those who wronged him. There was something truly wrong with this girl.

The Wyrm was tempted to say as much, staring down at what she had done to herself. There had likely been a beautiful young woman in there before. Now, he was looking at her ghost. He resolved something in that moment. Deres needed to fix whatever had broken, or at least get it into a shape that would allow the girl to take care of herself. So, he prepared to stand and lift her, prepared to try going the path of least resistance. Then, he was airborne.

The tree threw him into the open air and he considered responding in a dozen ways. Turning to petals, using the wings he had just manifested, even simply shifting into his true form. Instead, Deres allowed himself to fall. He struck the ground hard, the curves of his horns leaving indents in the dirt. It did not hurt him. It was likely that there was no way Corvina could harm a creature armies could not. All it did was turn his resolution to dust. Least resistance could burn. She was going to do what he wanted.

Deres pulled himself to his feet, not bothering to dust himself off. Clouds of the dry road dust fell off as he strode up to the root staircase. One hand dipped low to retrieve the basket, left behind when he took to the air. A thought was projected to the tree and he expected the branches to part. Instead, he nearly collided with them. That was it.

"Really, you side with her? I created you, you fucking twig." Deres did not take a moment to reflect on the fact he was insulting a tree, magical or not. Perhaps he had given the thing too much of his life blood.

There were sparks as his magic clashed with itself, his hand sinking into the wood like water. With a swipe, the branches were torn to pieces, an angled opening forming. The tree was not mortally wounded. In fact, the branches were pressing closed even as Deres stepped through the opening. His eyes had gone cold, his movements back under his control.

The few long strides it took to reach the table were almost silent, his bare feet landing on soft wood. The first real warning Corvina would get of his approach aside from the splintering of wood was the basket dropping on the table.

He pulled her head back with a tight grip, kicking the table so hard it skittered across the room. The cold eyes looked into her own, seemingly ready to end it all. Then, there was a little smirk and a spark in his eyes. Deres leaned over and wrapped an arm around her waist. He lifted her, pulling her hair back while his arm held her waist to his chest. The result was him holding her with his arm under her rear. He had her head pulled back to keep her breasts from pressing to his face, making her arch back to avoid the pain.

"I told you how this would go. Now, I'll make good on it."

It seemed the tree had decided to forget rebellion for the moment. It answered his thoughts, twisting the floor in a spiral of tightly woven roots, taking the shape of a bowl. It spun around until it reached nearly to his chest. Once it finished, a circle of vines formed on the ceiling.

All at once, Deres took one step forward and released Corvina. The edge of the tub was right below her, making her tumble back into the roots. The roots seemed to be more kind than the Wyrm, cradling her fall and guiding her to the bottom of the basin. She had barely had a moment to react to the fall when the flowers bloomed on the vines, opening the gateway. Water, hot enough make a fine bath, poured out in a torrent, a waterfall drenching Corvina and leaving sloshing water three quarters of the way up the tub.

When the woman recovered from the dousing, Deres was standing beside the tub, his mortal form completely bare with his normal simple pants pooled at the floor.

"Time for your bath. I am tired of wrestling a disgusting half-shell of a woman."

The basket had spilled on the floor again and he leaned to retrieve a fruit. With a wide mouth, he bit into it, releasing streaks of green from the corners of his mouth. It seemed he intended to make her eat in the bath as well.

 

[Bunny]

His voice carried through a closed window and in that moment Corvina loved that damned tree. So what if it was his magic, it had done as she asked against the Wyrm that had created it. “Good Tree.” Her voice was a murmur as she watched the doorway. She saw the asshole rip into her tree and she smiled as the tree still tried to keep him out, closing as fast as it could. It had tried and that mattered to the young woman. She rubbed her foot against the floor, a small thank you to it. Not even a heartbeat later, the basket dropped to the table and his hand tightened in her hair, lifting her head up roughly. It hurt, but she did no more than glare at him from underneath her lashes. “Put me down!” She struggled against the hand in her hair, against him, the effort futile.

Corvina did nothing more than pull her ebon locks tighter against his clenched fist. Her legs aimed and missed him and she gave a feral growl. “Bastard” The words hissed through clenched teeth even as the tree decided to obey him suddenly. Airborne for a moment she hissed, but then the tree was there, gently cradling her as it lowered her into the basin. She glared up at him from the bottom, seconds before the water fell onto her. She scratched like a cat and tried to climb from the now filling tub, only to find him now nude beside her. She backed away from him, and the edge. Water still filled the bath and it felt glorious, but she wouldn’t admit it to him.

Her eyes fell to his mouth, the trickle of green trailing down his chin. “No.” She tried for the other side, trying to climb out of the bath. She didn’t want him in there with her, didn’t want him to force feed her by fucking kiss. He cared only because he was forced to. She didn’t care at all. He could drop dead and she’d not shed a tear before likely following him. Hell she’d have likely welcomed it.

All their lives, they were told about the Wyrms. How amazing, benevolent they were. They were indifferent, power hungry, infuriating pricks!! No one ever got close enough to really know them, clearly and Corvina wished that she hadn’t either. Her life had been given purpose and it was nothing more than a pretty lie. She’d fallen for it, hook, line and sinker. In part she was far more disgusted with herself, for just going along with it like a good little girl…

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Between her flailing legs and his general disinterest in the human form, Deres found the whole experience of throwing a nude girl into a bath to be rather annoying. This human was going to learn the hard way how things that annoyed him were treated. Whatever was the most convenient for him was the solution, consequences for others be damned. She was perfectly correct about Wyrms and Deres made it no secret, unlike her royals. Verity begged and groveled for a reason. She would too.

The panic at the water pouring on top of Corvina brought a small smile to his lips. The game was fun when he was winning. Too bad winning against the stubborn girl was difficult when he couldn't just kill her when he was losing. She seemed to realize that he planned to finally resort to force from the way she scrambled at the sight of the fruit. Or maybe it was his nudity she fled from? Mortals were incomprehensible.

As she crawled toward the far end of the tub, Deres decided there was no need for magic. She would understand this was all futile. His tree had helped her once, but nothing would help her now. With a long stride, Deres planted a foot on the side of the tub. He vaulted over and into the water with a splash, water overflowing onto the floor of the house. Before Corvina could make it completely over the side, he had a hand wrapped around her ankle. With a tug, he pulled her into the warm water.

With one hand still holding the fruit, Deres shifted toward his true form, a whip-like ivory tail exploding into the water like a snake. It wrapped around one of her legs before coiling around her waist. His free hand grabbed a wrist, flipping her over so that she was facing him. From there, he simply pushed her back, the water sloshing again as he pinned her to the edge of the tub. His body crashed into her own. In the moment, chaos and violence exploding from the Wyrm, Deres found himself thinking only about how warm and soft she felt right then.

The thought was fleeting and he released her wrist from his hand, only to slide it up her back and grab another fistful of her hair. He tugged roughly, forcing her face to him. Then, he repeated what he had done in the barn.

Their lips collided with an unexpected urgency. His dragon tongue slipped between her lips with no effort, coiling around her own tongue as he passed the fruit to her. Leaning over her like this, her body pressed to the tub, they were in a rather dramatic pose. If one were looking in without the truth of it all, they might think it would make a lovely painting. The Wyrm even wrapped a leg around her ankle.

Reality was in no way as flattering. Deres gripped tighter, pulling painfully at her scalp as he pressed her harder to the tub wall. The fruit had been shared and swallowed already, yet his tongue still stayed wrapped around her own. In the strange silence of their struggle, the Wyrm let out the softest of content groans, finally releasing his hold on her mouth. What came next was something he would later blame on the bond.

His mouth found hers again, his hand sliding from her hair to the back of her neck. Below the water, he nudged against her belly with something that was most certainly not a tail. As he broke this most recent kiss, his eyes opened and his expression seemed inexplicably just a little softer. The words that came out were strangely soft.

"Open your mouth and I'll feed you more."

 

[Bunny]

She should have known she wouldn’t be able to escape. Even as she tried, felt rather than saw him join her in the tub. Water sloshed up along her body and the wave crashed over the side and to the floor. A hand caught her ankle and she gave a feral shriek as she was pulled back into the water. Her nails biting into the tub’s edge, nails screaming in pain as she fought back against him. Futile really, but it made Corvina feel better. Ivory scales slid along her leg, towing around it and then around her waist, pinning her to the damned tub. Flipped her back slammed into the tub and she glared at him, her mouth closed tightly.

When his body pushed against hers, she felt his warmth and for a moment, just a moment, she basked in it. Like the feral little creature she was, the warmth was comforting. Then she remembered what was making it so warm. Strong, hard and damned if he didn’t smell good. The thought was unwelcome and she was frowning at it when his hand tangled in her hair once more, making her look at him for a moment before his mouth claimed hers.

I should fight. The thought came and she fully intended to follow through and then she softened against him. Her body was more than willing to comply with the bond’s wishes. Her mouth parted for him and that sweetness of fruit slid from his mouth to hers. It was gone in seconds, their tongues twined together. When he broke the kiss, his soft little groan made her cheeks heat and something between her legs gave a sharp ache. When his mouth found hers the second time, she was already leaning into him.

It was the bond. All the bond.

She felt his length against her stomach, even as her tongue danced with his own boldly. The order.. No request had her lips parting for him, her eyes on his, blush deepening to a ruby shade as she looked up at him. She wanted to fight, to spit, claw and yet the bond wanted nothing more than to ease the ache between her thighs.

The real question was which would win. If he won this battle, she’d never hear the end of it. Her will to fight was tempered though and she moved against him, restless.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

The lack of fight was almost anticlimactic. The Wyrm wanted her to fight him, make him pin her down and show her how she belonged to him now.

Deres caught himself deep in this train of thought, found the words his inner voice selected to be vexing. Wanted her to fight? It had been an absolute hell trying to get the human to comply with his demands. It seemed stupid to think he wanted this. Worse, since when did she belong to him? She did, in the roundabout way all of his people did, belong to him. Deres found the focus on her specifically worrisome. What was the bond doing to him?

As they kissed, he was becoming very aware that it was doing more than he expected. Was it becoming stronger the more they fought it, making them want physically when they loathed one another? He had to admit it was doing a subtle and effective job. The Wyrm had not noticed his lust creeping up on him.

Derestraz was not foreign to the pleasures of mortal races. His brethren had encouraged him to try it. After all, their ability to shift shapes was an inborn part of being a Wyrm. Even the most ungifted and powerless of their kind could tap into the deep magic and change. It understood and corrected in ways normal magic did not. If one simply desired to become a mortal, the magic did the rest. It was even known to manifest forms that fit the individual, like a subconscious desire made flesh. It was completely natural for Wyrms to use their forms to mingle with their lessers. Mingling, especially when one was as fiercely worshipped as Deres, led to carnal acts.

He had enjoyed it quite a bit. There were plenty of attractive Elves who had been tasted by him, though he was under the impression his concept of beauty was off from mortal standards. When they brought themselves to him, he used them as they sought to be used. It was not often that Deres would request a consort. Lust was simply a tedious desire among the Old Wyrms, best stomped out rather than indulged.

The hot press of Corvina's skin to his own did not feel tedious and it seemed less and less likely it would fade on its own. When his mortal form responded to her body, he felt her softness against the underside. He wanted this, wanted to feel her skin and ravage her. It was strange to say the least and, as with so many strange things in his life lately, he blamed the bond.

More importantly, Corvina seemed to be more willing to cooperate for the moment. Her mouth was open slightly, despite her half-hearted efforts to shove him away. So, he did as he promised. Another messy bite of fruit, followed by another kiss. This was the pattern, simple to follow.

The pattern, unfortunately, was constantly disrupted by small demands from his body. To hold the kiss a little longer, to tease her tongue into his own mouth, to give her tongue a small nip. All of it broke up the process of feeding Corvina the fruit. Worse yet, they seemed to compound with one another and make things worse. Soon, he was pressing her even harder to the edge of the tub, yet it was completely different. He held her in place by molding their bodies together, keeping a hand on the back of her neck.

When the fruit was nearly gone and the hand on her neck desired to roam, he shifted their position a bit more. His tail uncoiled from her waist and the hand that had held the fruit grasped a firm handful of her ass. He lifted her, pushing with his hips to guide her to sit on the edge of the tub. It put their faces on more even level and allowed him more access to her body.

The hand on her ass did not move away. Instead, it held tighter and his finger tips dug in. The tail, not wishing to be forgotten, slithered along her spine, teasing skin in a strangely gentle was before reaching its destination. It coiled again, wrapping around her throat in a loose but threatening hold. Their latest kiss had been long, intense, and when it finally broke, a strand of saliva connected his serpent tongue to her own.

"It seems the bond is tired of our protest. I can feel it making every place we touch sing. So, I propose a truce." His eyes were a little more telling, announcing how much this desire was controlling him despite his words. "I will fuck you until it is satisfied."

"I will not take your magic away. I have no interest in stealing power. I may be cruel and uncaring, but I am not one of the pathetic Wyrms from your land. Do you accept? I doubt we have long to decide before the old magic becomes impatient."

 

[Bunny]

She had been willing to give into the bond, willing to stop fighting, if only for now and then the idiotic man opened his mouth once more. He wasn't wrong, where they touched the bond made the meeting of flesh ache in the sweetest of ways. Hell the truce was welcome, it was what came next that her body stilling. He didn't even seem to notice, as he made claims of not taking the power that lay within her. He and the power could fuck themselves. She'd have no part in it! The anger bubbled back up, chasing away the lust. Nothing would soothe the ache, but she could deal with that herself or suffer alone. The key part in her mind was that Wyrm would not be sharing in it with her.

Trapped as she was against the tub, the solid wall of muscle locking her in place, she didn't have many options to escape. Tipping her face up towards him, she let her face soften as if she was still giving into the bond, as if she'd accept his offer. Leaning into him, Corvina could feel the heat of his body, it was warm, comforting even and she hated it. Him. What could she do? Her mind drifted to the living tree, to which she was pressed so firmly against. It had defended her against him, would it do so again? She brought her knee up between his legs, aiming to throw him off balance. A single thought to the tree as he stiffened in surprise. That was after all the only way she was beating this arrogant prick. The image of a wooden dagger formed in her mind and it appeared in her hand. Magic was nifty… That thought was given a moment of freedom before she stabbed him. She didn't try and kill him, Corvina was quite sure the bond wouldn't allow it anyway. Why bother, when it was bound to fail?

The feeling of the wooden blade sliding into his flesh was too pleasant a sensation for Corvina to ignore. The way it slipped into him, as if it had always been a part of him. Little did she know, it was that very fact that allowed her to stab him. Leaving the blade buried in his shoulder she shoved at him, and with a little help from the tree house she watched him flip over the side of the tub and land in a very undignified position. "I am not sure if it is your old age or the fact that these people treat you like a god that has dulled your wits, but I am not just some home for your prick when the bond demands it. You will not rob me of the power, but you will demean and belittle me as nothing more than that?" She snarled and she motioned with her hands for the tree to expel him from the premises. Much like stabbing him, watching a naked, shocked Wyrm be bodily thrown from the home to land in the dirt once more made her smile; something he might see if he looked back up as the tree closed to him once more.

The water in the rub was still warm, and she settled back into it now, her head resting on a lush pillow of moss. The momentary pleasure at pissing him off was already vanishing. This was to be her life? Used for the magic or verbally abused, resented and used to soothe the ache of the bond? Oh goodie… which was honestly worse? Torture aside, had things not gone awry and she'd not been bonded to the now likely muddy and highly pissed off naked Wrym just outside, she would have lost that power, but been cherished… wouldn't she? Honestly she didn't know. She didn't want to know. All she knew was that where she was now, with… him that she wasn't wanted. That she was seen at a burden at best. Slowly she began to lean herself. She might as well, right? The layers of filth that slipped from her skin were ignored and the tree created more water for her as it became too dirty. Her body and hair clean, she slipped into one of the many outfits the elf had provided. It was loose, billowy even. A body suit of sorts, it fell around her breasts gently, secured at her waist with a vibrant sash and her legs were enveloped in the soft fabric, with slits from ankle to hip.

Picking up a fruit, she took a bite. She ate, not for him or herself. She ate so she'd live long enough to drive this arrogant Wyrm to drink..

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Deres was happy to see that soft expression. Happy to know that she had finally given up on fighting him. Any more of it and his patience might run out. He had every intention of beating her at this little game she created, but if it cut into his leisure time, he might really have done something drastic. Now, he could simply lean in and capture those lips, no fruit involved, and at least get some enjoyment out of the bond.

The knee that came up between his legs startled him. He was nigh invulnerable and something as mundane as a knee, no matter where it went, would do nothing. Except, Corvina had him on edge. He expected only the worst. So, when the knee came up and made contact with what would have been a very vulnerable spot on an actual human or Elf, he reacted. His body stepped back, freeing Corvina. What came next he had no way of expecting.

The wooden blade sank in with an ease that worried him. During her rescue, Derestraz had let the knights cut into him over and over, spilling the blood of his mortal form. What they cut was nothing real. They were chopping away at a layer of magic wrapped around the core of the Wyrm's essence. This blade went right through the glamour and into his true self. It bit into the flesh of his soul. He had only a moment to consider the implication of this before he was bodily thrown across the room by the tree, then taken to the exit and tossed into the dirt.

This, he could have stopped. He could have used magic to simply rip the branches to bits. However, fighting back against her when she acted out was undignified as far as the Wyrm was concerned. So, he lay in a crumpled heap on the dirty crossroad for a few seconds. As his thoughts caught up to his body, something struck him.

It was not a physical blow, but it was close enough. The wooden blade was radiating pain through his shoulder. From the wound, blood ran freely in large trickles. As Deres began to right himself, he even had to take care not to put too much weight on the arm. In his centuries, he had been truly hurt so few times he could count it on one hand. Of those injuries, all of them were territorial disputes with other Old Wyrms, squabbles over who would collect treasure from where. A human doing so was unimaginable. Yet, his eyes were watching his own blood drip into the dirt.

What came crawling up from the darkest parts of him was not anger. It was the fury of a creature who truly believed they deserved to be a god. He gripped the makeshift handle of the blade and pulled it free, snarling at the pain that lanced through him. The dagger fell from his grasp and he held a hand over the wound. The blood was pouring freely now, running between his fingers as he squeezed. He snarled as magic worked to knit the skin, as well as the underlying supernatural damage that could not be seen. He would not face her with an injury.

By the time it was fully healed, Corvina had finished her bath. Deres now stood surrounded by droplets of blood absorbed into the dirt. The caked on mud that covered him began to peel away dandelion petals, simply becoming nothingness on the wind. The vibration of magic once again filled the ground and are as something began to happen. For a moment, everything stood still.

It happened in a surge. Each droplet of blood exploded into life, thick and heavy tendrils of snow-white vines surrounding Deres like a whirlwind. They moved toward the tree in a stampede and the spot Deres had been a moment before was vacant. At first, it seemed like the vines would clash with the tree. Instead, the tree seemed to bend and warp the instant before they made contact. It broke into splinters, which fell into powder. The resulting opening now consisted of the majority of the front face of the tree-turned-house. It tried to close itself again, but the vines forced it open, yielding no ground as they crashed inside.

Everything in the house was thrown aside or consumed by the massive wave of vines that now crashed into the space. It spared nothing, filling the air with the sound of splintering wood. They spread wide and wrecked every inch of the rooms, everything except Corvina. They spread around her like waves on a rock, making sure there was no escape.

From the center of this wave, a face appeared. Deres was in the middle of the impossible tangle, cradled like he was riding in a carriage. With slow and deliberate motion, he stood from his spot and the vines opened as he stepped out. There was still a streak of crimson on his arm, but nothing compared to the real damage it had done. With a long stride, he closed the distance. It seemed like he intended to get physical with her again.

Except, the vines did not wait. They exploded into action again, wrapping around Corvina from every angle. Her throat, her wrists, her ankles, even tightly coiling around her waist. She was bound completely in a blink. Deres stopped walking then. There was no spark of amusement in his eyes.

"You win. I'll give you what you want. Good-bye, little raven."

The vines behind him coiled and wrapped around one another, forming a column of solid plant matter. It was like a battering ram. With a small exhale from his nose, Deres flipped the mental switch to send it forward. For the space of a breath, Deres thought it was over, thought it had followed his command and crushed the human so that this would be over. It was not until he was certain that the sounds were missing, that he had not felt the reverberating impact through his vines, that he unveiled them to reveal the scene.

There sat Corvina, unscathed. The pillar of vines had stopped just short, the deep magic or the bond halting it before Deres could sever it. With a frustrated growl, the Wyrm simply buried his face in his hand.

"Fuck! Fuck this magic and this bond!"

The heavy, panting breaths that followed had nothing to do with exhaustion.

"Fine! I get it. You win. Truly. Both of you."

It seemed now he was speaking to both the bond and Corvina. The vines began to unwrap then, keeping a loose hold on the girl while Deres once again took steps forward. They seemed ready to release her completely for a moment, until the Wyrm pressed himself against her again. This time, there was something different. Softer. When he spoke, the arrogance was tempered.

"You seem to take issue with my attitude, despite my obvious superiority. You and the bond. It seems we are meant to be... equals. So, I will give you something I do not give to anyone."

The vines continued to loosen, but their hold never disappeared. Instead, they coiled upward and inward. They snaked up Corvina's legs, barely visible through the high slits. Around her neck, they were like a choker, a constant reminder of their presence without any pain. It was the Wyrm's hands that changed the most, though. They followed the vines' lead, gliding up the slits of her outfit, finger tips tracing skin. His eyes closed as he caressed her, staying shut for a few heartbeats before snapping open.

"I want you more than I have wanted anything, girl. I do not lust for flesh. I lay with my worshipers to reward them, not for my own needs. This is not even my true form. I have no reason to want you. Right now, though, I want to tear this tree to pieces and ravage you in the remains. I want to keep feeding you fruit while we kiss until we are both so hot it hurts. I want you and if I cannot be rid of you, I need to have you."

As if to prove his point, he leaned his head to one side. His lips caught the side of her throat and his tongue flicked the skin. One hand moved from the top the leg slit, sliding upward until it cupped her breast, first with a gentle curiosity, then a rougher need. There was a shuddering breath of approval from his lips as he finally gave in to his needs.

 

[Bunny]

Did a Wyrm like him have anything but leisure time? His mouth had come closer to her own, a whisper away when her knee connected with his groin. Oh,s he’d wanted to kiss him, the bond made her determination waiver for a moment, urging her to kiss him. Close the bond, tighten it, forge them as one… To just give in. His reeling back, though far from hurt, broke the spell and she was free once more front he damned bond and the siren’s call it elicited in her veins. Panting softly she acted without a second thought she plunged the wooden dager home. She felt it part skin, muscle and finally bury itself in bone.

Her hand went numb for a moment after the impact. She’d not planned to hit bone and when the wood and it connected it had reverberated back through the handle and into her small hand. Honestly, she’d not expected it to work. Why would she? He’d shaken off far worse coming to rescue her. He shook off her attacks as if she was no more than a fly and in truth, she wasn’t when it came to her anger and her mortal shell. This however had worked and while she was left wondering how the house listened to her second request and he was thrown bodily to the dusty street just beyond.

He was gone though and she could at least bathe, dress and she was biting into a fruit when she realized it wasn’t like him to take such a thing lightly. Chewing thoughtfully on sweet flesh. Swallowing, Corvina gave a small shrug and then as she moved to take another bite, her world exploded. The sound of the wood splintering was like a crack of thunder, repeated a thousand times. Shards of wood flew inward, though none touched her, the splinters of wood becoming nothing more than ash in his rage. The vines were what held her attention more than anything. They moved like living water as they created a cocoon of living matter around her. Writhing and slithering around the surfaces, they gave her no chance for escape, not that she’d have given him the pleasure of seeing her flee.

His face slipped through the vines first and she tried to not let anything show on her face. She’d thought he’d hell, threaten her again.. But she gasped, surprised more than anything as the vines covered her. Wrapping around her. Wrists, ankles, throat and even her middle as he bound her. Panic filled her, though it wasn’t Deres she was afraid of. It was that small, dank room, where she’d been whipped, her back torn to shreds, as if they could erase his mark from her one perfect skin.

“Good-bye, little raven.”

The words fell on deaf ears for a moment as she tried to reign in her terror, her fear. She’d not seen the vines as they moved to break her. To give her the sweet relief she’d asked for and to rid him of the annoyance of her presence. It was his voice, annoyed, that made her flinch back into her reality. No dank cell, the scent of her blood not in the air. Nor the rot as the wounds festered.

She began to struggle, words still at a loss for the opinionated woman. She needed him to release her. They loosened and she breathed in, trying to not tremble before him, to not sag to her feet and sob until she could cry no more. He pressed his body to hers and she felt the warmth of his body. She could smell the scent of Deres. Oddly calming on her frazzled nerves. Hos words heard over the pounding of her heart. Her head fell forward to Deres’ shoulder as the vines changed. They were not restraints, but something softer and far more intimate. This didn’t scare her and she was able to focus on the rumble of his voice even as his fingers railed the path the vines took.

From terrified to aroused.. She didn’t focus on that. He didn’t know. He could never know. She gave a soft snort, her face turning toward the crook of his neck, her warm breath playing against his neck. “Are you sure that you’re superior?” Her words soft, breathy. “Or had you never met someone who could be a match for your arrogance?”

Corvina shifted against him and her lips brushed his jaw. “I am not some prize Deres. Not for you and not for him. You seem to think because you are Wyrm, that you own me. Are above me.. Yet you bend the same to the bond, just like I do.” His mouth found her neck and for a moment her thoughts shattered, faltered and when his hand found her breast she bit her lower lip, swallowing her moan. “Promise me two things..” A hand slipped onto his hair, fingers curling in the soft, white locks. “You lay with no other… And if you hurt my house again, I get to flay you..” She shifted, jumping up, forcing him to catch her, support her. Her mouth found his.

This was the bond. She knew it.. But he wasn’t the only one burning at the end of it.

She needed him.

She’d never be some submissive, innocent toy.

Corvina would challenge him, own him just as much as he owned her…

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

What Deres did notice was the way that Corvina relaxed when his body pinned her. It seemed, as far as he could tell, that the bond was playing games with both of them. It forced their desires to become furnaces, almost like torture until they gave it what it wanted. Deres should have despised it. Nothing claimed power over him. Instead, it was becoming strangely thrilling. It was not so had to have something to want. The Wyrm was ready to devour her when she played with words again. He replied from the crook of her neck, ready to finally give in.

"My superiority is not a matter of debate. We pride ourselves on being the most powerful creatures you can find. As for my arrogance... you would be quite unhappy to meet any others of my kind. Some have played god for centuries longer than me."

Then, he was at her throat, tasting her skin. It was pathetic what the bond had reduced him to. He truly hated that something controlled him. That mattered very little when his tongue brushed against her. She tasted divine. His eyes drifted closed and his hand moved to her chest, exploring the softness of her body through the garment. He felt her breath tickle his neck, her lips brush his jaw. She complained about his attitude again, even as he could tell they were both giving in. He had no interest in arguing now. He wanted to keep tasting her.

What really spelled his doom was the fingers tangled in his hair. No one had ever touched him so intimately before. They were always afraid on some level, ready to try to escape even when they wanted him and not the other way around. Corvina held him close, invited him to enjoy her. It made his chest ache with a need he never knew he had. Her terms were simple enough, but he knew he had to move from this new position to answer.

That is, until she jumped on to him. Caught unaware, Derestraz slid one hand from her thigh to her rear, the other from her chest to her waist. She was eye level with him now, making it easy for Corvina to capture his lips. Fuck appearances. Deres groaned openly at the hungry kiss. He leaned forward to close the small gap between them and the wall. In the end, he was holding most of her weight, her shoulders pressed to the wall while the rest of her was glued against his body. His grip was tight and it barely loosened when he finally broke the kiss.

"I told you that I never lusted for anyone before. I meant it. If they take issue with their god being bonded, they can tell me directly. As for the tree, it will depend on its attitude. I'll resist as best I can."

He attacked her again, making their mouths mold together. His draconic tongue once again barged into her mouth without waiting for invitation or permission. He was aching for her, so full of want that he barely remembered she had stabbed him only a few minutes before. That want was currently coming to the forefront again.

While Corvina had slipped into the outfit, Deres was still well and truly naked. Their proximity, along with the lusty kissing, had made him stand at full attention again. He shifted Corvina in his arms, leaving a little space. He wanted to make her fully aware of what she did to him, to let her know it was her responsibility. So, he lifted his hips and pressed the shaft of his length between her legs. With only the soft fabric between them, Deres could feel the shape of her, could feel the way his cock seemed to settle right into place. It was maddening.

The Wyrm could not hold back after that. He kissed her deeply, his tongue playing wild and impossible games in her mouth, wrapping around and teasing with the dexterous tip. His hips were just as eager. Holding her just slightly away from himself, Deres began a slow and grinding rhythm. His shaft slid against her, letting her experience the hardness, the bulging veins and slight curve changing the pressure constantly. The Wyrm was lost now, ready to take what he wanted right here, against the wall.

 

[Bunny]

She gave a soft snort as he claimed his superiority was not up for debate. He was a lie and they both knew it. He was likely lying to himself, but for some reason they’d been bonded. She was not going to be submissive to him, not in the way his sycophant worshipers were or in a way that would likely make his life easier. She’d spent her whole life being groomed for one outcome and that had been thrown out the window the moment his mark had appeared on her flesh. It had killed something inside her and what had been born from the ashes was the woman who stood before him now.

Maybe she’d always been this woman, just buried beneath the lessons and demented view of her ‘god’.

“You mean they are worse than you? Be still my little heart” Came her quick response, her breathy voice vibrating with her laughter as she poked at him with her words. It seemed she wasn’t ever going to be some supple female to bed. She would always needle him, poke at him. Fight with him.

Her skin clean from her bath, he’d taste her. The sweet almost fruitiness of the water lingered slightly on her skin, but beneath it was just Corvina. The fight in her was waning, if for a moment and even still, she made demands of him. He’d responded as she’d jumped up and one hand cupped her as, the other slipping to her waist to hold her aloft. Her back hit a wall and she gave a breathy chuckle, which was swallowed by the kiss as his tongue played with hers.

“Yet you still laid with them. No more, Deres.” Her voice was soft, but there was a soft promise of violence in her words. She’d not allow it. Any further comments or protests were silenced by his mouth claiming hers once more. His tongue brushing against hers. Her arms locked around his shoulders and her nails scratched gently at scalp and his back as they kissed. She could feel him, all of him, pressed hard and aching against her.

That feeling was made only more pronounced as shifted her, she felt him brush against that sensitive spot, the once that begged for him. Her body aching for him. It was the bond. It had to be the bond. The soft fabric of the outfit molded to her and after a few agonizing moments, he’d feel and likely smell her reaction. The fabric soaking through with her eager need. Her nails along his back bit in and she moaned outright into his mouth.

She needed him.

Breaking the kiss she made a soft, begging demand. One word as all she could manage.

“Deres!”

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Deres could have made arguments. He could have explained that his policy of mostly ignoring his worshipers was far better than the tyrannical actions of Old Wyrms took. How he felt it was better than claiming to be a king and ruling over them directly. He could have formed a dozen ideas that would keep their banter going. Later, he might remember to bring it up again. For now, he was drowning in the first real pleasures of the flesh he had ever desired.

Even as she seemed to threaten him, like she had the power to do anything, he was too busy sampling the different portions of her neck to see if the taste was all over. The bond was indeed a wicked thing. It was impossible to know if this was all the work of the bond, a random act of deep magic tying them together, or if the magic knew better and bound them because they were meant to be like this, entwined and devouring one another. The latter he had not even dared to consider until he began to feel it.

The sharpness of her nails on his scalp, the way she demanded that he stay in place and keep kissing her, it felt so damned good. Her scratching in particular was fantastic. His human form was not so easily made to suffer pain, but the feeling of his skin reacting, the hot trails she left in her wake, the pressure of her finger tips, all of it was new and thrilling. The last straw was when she broke their kiss.

Deres was left panting, basking in the sensation of her womanhood making the spot they touched increasingly slick. He was sliding himself back and forth from base to tip now, leaving a streak of his precum along her belly. Then she said only his name. The words were dripping with lust. True, that was all this was, but even lust a novelty to him. It pierced to the core of him and he reached for his magic before he could think.

The vines once again sprang to life. The ones still draped around her arms moved up to the loose openings of her outfit, disappearing like snakes after their prey. The ones on her legs, meanwhile, retreated. They moved to coil at her thighs, each leg wrapped a half dozen times tight enough to indent her skin. When the vines from her arms reappeared, they were at her neck, though her choker of vines had never moved. The tips of them morphed, turning into large bulbs that ended in long and curving thorns. Both vines moved together, catching the fabric as they slid down. The hooked end of the thorns tore through it with ease, pulling away from her body to make sure her skin was kept safe. They ripped from her neckline to the slits on her legs. It made the garment fall into three pieces, barely hanging on at points while her body was almost completely exposed.

All Deres had to do was pull his hips back and the remains fell away. He could see her aching entrance now, see what had felt so incredible with the fabric in the way. All at once, his hands released her, but she did not move an inch. The vines on her thighs kept her held to the wall. Deres, completely free to use his hands now, looked her over with a more serious gaze. He appreciated the beauty of her body, even half starved. It seemed the fruit had begun to help already.

Moving close again, he let the vines hold her with her legs wide. His hand wrapped around the base of his cock and he moved close again. Without the fabric to stop him, Deres was free to press the head against the head of her pussy. The small hiss of pleasure at the first contact did little to betray how amazing it truly was. He could have never imagined wanting something like her as a mate, yet here he was ready and eager to take her. Panting, he lifted his eyes to hers.

"I'm going to take you now, little raven. Corvina."

It was the first time he spoke the name. He was not even sure he had known it before, but it flooded him now. With more care than he expected from himself, he pushed forward, feeling her part around him with ease. Virgin or not, they both wanted this, needed this. She was slick and hot and it made him gasp as she readily wrapped around his tip. It was a slow process, the vines keeping her from struggling or falling, but doing little else to restrict her movement. He filled her over an eternity and as quickly as a breath. When he finally nudged her deepest parts, he let out the breath he did not know he was holding.

The sensation was overwhelming and he leaned forward, placing his forehead against the wall. His hands moved to grip her ass tightly on either side. Deres had never been more than an inch or two away, but closing that distance and feeling her soft breasts press against him felt like a relief. The vines on her thighs loosened and her weight rested once again in his hands. He would wait, let her adjust to him. He understood that much, at least. From the way he throbbed inside her and poured out precum, it was likely risky for him to move either way.

With his eyes closed, he could feel something else. Deres could feel the Fire that Corvina's king had wanted so badly, the magic that sang in her blood and soul. It was powerful, standing in defiance to the invader. It suited her perfectly. So, he reached for it. His magic was drawn to it like a magnet. The two forces mingled and he knew, for just a moment, that he could steal it away. He could take over everything with that power. Even his own kind would be nothing.

Deres left the Fire where it rested, but not alone. His magic stayed, twisted together just like their bodies. It made sense now. He understood all at once why they were bonded. His eyes opened and all the pleasure rushed to his brain. He growled out a needy and animalistic sound, pulling his hips back suddenly. For a moment, it seemed like he would pull himself completely out of her. Then, he began the slow process of filling her again. It was the start of a painstakingly slow rhythm, each thrust able to be counted over seconds. He feared for his control if he went any faster.

 

[Bunny]

No answer came from the Wyrm and yet Corvina wasn’t foolish enough to think that the prick had run out of retorts. No, his mouth was busy.. A small part of her came up with a handful of different things to say. To tease or taunt him. Her mouth opened and rather than words she moaned. The sound was soft, full of need. Hadn’t she meant to say something? What had it been? Fuck.. His mouth felt amazing. Mmn, his mouth could stay on her like this forever and then.. She didn’t have to listen to him talk.

Yes, she’d tell him that one, that one was good. Then his mouth caught hers. She couldn’t talk, it wasn’t because she liked kissing him. Didn’t like the taste of him without that damned fruit as much as she liked it with.. Her hand curled in his hair, the soft white locks felt like silk in her hand. She needed to ground herself though. The nails that bit into his back seemed to make her feel more grounded and yet.. It wasn’t enough.

The teasing slide of his hips against her. The hard length so close and yet miles away from satisfying her. His hot breath came in soft little pants, matching her own. She could feel the trail of precum on her belly, warm, never allowed to cool as a new trail was laid as he ground himself against her. He was driving her mad. His name was on her lips, her demands simple. He needed to fix this. Needed to make the ache go away. Only he could..

The vines were back, but this time, there was no fear as they coiled along her skin. He was too close to make her scared and there was no anger here. Tight enough, she’d have an imprint left after they were gone and yet, no fear. The primal fear she’d felt just moments before, in the face of his rage and the fact he’d bound her, was gone. The sound of the fabric tearing, wet and oh so loud against their panting made her shiver. The feeling of the soft cloth being pulled away from her skin made her squirm as the cooler air touched her hot skin.

When he pulled back, Corvina made a sound in her throat. One of protest.. An almost sulky sound that he dared move away from her, even for a heartbeat. When his hands left her too, she made a soft cry. She didn’t move though, it was the fact that he no longer touched her. She might have said something, if it wasn’t for the way his eyes devoured her. She could feel the way his eyes took her in, like a brand.

His warmth ate into her again and Corvina made a sound in her throat akin to a purr. Deres guided himself to her aching entrance and she struggled slightly against the vines, as if trying to demand more, than the tip of him teasing her. When his eyes met hers, Covina whimpered softly. Such a soft sound from a woman who’d stabbed him not twenty minutes ago.

His words ran along her spine and it wasn’t the nickname that made her whisper his name like a prayer, it was her name.
To feel him push into her was bliss. Nothing could have prepared her for the way his thick cock felt pushing into her. She could feel the way her body adjusted to fit him. The bond had done its work, the pair of them aroused to the point that his size was not too much of an issue as he slid into her slick pussy. She squirmed, slightly, though the vines didn’t allow her to move much. She wanted to touch him, to feel her nails bit into his skin. Inch by inch, he slid into her and only once he was buried in her, did she reached for him. Unable to keep herself from touching him.

His body pressed into her and his hands moved back to her rear as she pulled him closer still. Cradling him to her. Her eyes closed and she let her head fall to the cook of his neck. The thick beat of his heart felt against her lips as they stood there, still. He didn’t move and for a long moment neither did Corvina.

For the first time in her life, she could feel the magic she’d been told she had. It was because of him. Of his magic rubbing against her. Like two cats, their magic brushed along one another. She could sense something like pleasure from his magic. Pleasure and a need to possess her. Not her magic. But her. The growl of his voice broke the spell and she realized that this wasn’t enough.

She bit him then, a small demand and as if in answer he pulled back, slowly. The feeling of him leaving her created an ache in her body that was only satisfied as he began to push back into her. It felt amazing, but it wasn’t good enough. She tried to move against him, to force him to pick up the pace.. To make the ache go away.. When he refused to let her force him, she bit him again, this however was no loving demand. She bit him with one intent.

She wanted to shatter his control.

Corvina didn’t know why he went slow. Why he was so tender now. She’d regret it, perhaps later.. But for now.. She knew what she wanted.

Him. No restraint. Just.. Deres.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

The noises that came from Corvina were a delight. For one, they were the first real sign of submission from the human. Deres was not stupid. He knew it would not last. Knew that as soon as they were sated she would make some snarky comment. But, in the heat of their passion, hearing her whimper and purr in response to the mere feeling of their skin pressing together, their bodies molding perfectly, it was perfect.

Unfortunately for him, Deres was beginning to feel his sense of superiority slip away. From the moment he had entered her, the Wyrm felt his body begging for release. He was not sure if it was the bond, ignored for over a month, making them sensitive beyond belief, or if it was simply the difference between fucking his followers to reward them and bring with Corvina out of true desire. His pace was a symptom of his uncertainty, his fear of losing an imaginary battle of endurance they had never agreed upon.

So, Deres was slow. He spread her open over and over, throbbing wildly and swelling almost painfully every time he completely filled her and she squeezed his base. The first bite surprised him. It was almost tender, playful. He found it pleasant. It made Corvina almost cute. Even more surprising was the slightest twitch of pain where her teeth sank in. The more their magic mingled and played, the more of his true self rose to the surface, like the magic wanted to make them more compatible.

The second bite was not a surprise. He saw her open her mouth wide in preparation. If he had any instinct that feared humans, he might have even tried to avoid it. Her teeth sank in at his collar bone and a lance of pain ran down his spine like electricity. Deres flinched for perhaps the first time in his life. He growled in reply and his body tensed, making his hips slam forward, pressing Corvina into the wall with his whole body.

It was too much. Despite all of his effort to hold back, despite freezing as soon as he felt it start, the Wyrm let out a single rope of his seed inside of her, the tip of his cock firmly nestled against her deepest parts as he did so. His head pressed to the wall again, his chest shuddering as he let out a ragged breath. It felt fantastic, better than anything he had ever felt with a worshiper. Yet, he felt no satisfaction, no relief. His cock was harder than ever, grinding against her walls.

"I can't believe you bit me like an animal... More."

The last word was a feral growl, a reminder that he was no human male. The vines on her thighs tightened again, forcing her legs up and wider. His grip tightened on her ass, his finger tips digging in to the soft skin. Fuck holding back. He wanted this too much.

The Wyrm began his movement anew, pulling back his hips so that the head of his cock was barely between her folds. He could feel the mix of their needy fluids running down his shaft. This time, when he filled that aching absence inside Corvina, it was with a hard thrust. When he pulled back again, he still did not break into rapid thrusts. He pulled back slowly each time, but every time he nearly exited her, he would slam her, his grip the only thing keeping her from being hit against the wall.

It was maddening. He needed to consume her, touch everything. His groans were growing louder, his mind becoming more primal as pleasure wiped out thought. Somewhere in those deep and lusty corners of his feral brain, his magic began to stir. The vines, still surrounding them and binding Corvina, became eager to touch as well. They coiled and slid on her body, sweeping over her breasts, curling around her throat to stroke her cheek. Below her, one vine in particular seemed eager to explore.

It first slid along the curves of her ass, the tip gently stroking her skin. Almost like it was curious, it moved closer to the center, prodding the opening of her spread ass. It was unclear at first if Deres was even aware of it. Then, it shifted its shape. The tip bulged out into a thick bud. The bug began to drip a clear sap, viscous and slick as it rub along her tiny entrance. Experimenting, the bulb pressed to the hole, making it spread the slightest amount. The sap made it impossibly slippery, only the smallest pressure needed for it to completely enter her. Then, the Wyrm let out a hungry growl of words, the vine around Corvina's throat tightening until it was barely allowing her to breath.

"Should I fill you?"

 

[Bunny]

There was no battle to adhere to some silent agreement from the two of them for Covina. There was one need, one desire and her mate wasn’t meeting it. Her body was fragile, something that maybe she should have taken into account. A virgin. A human. Yet she needed him in a way she couldn’t describe. This almost gentle love making, it felt good.. Even she couldn’t deny that and yet, something inside her, something far more close to Deres than herself, needed him. Not in this oh too sweet tender way. Corvina wanted him feral.

It was why she’d bitten him and when that didn’t get her the desired result, she’d bitten him harder. A demand of her mate. This time, the message seemed to sink in. He slammed into her and she moaned against his neck, a low, ragged sound.She could feel the impact shudder through her system, along her spine and then back down as her back hit the wall. Nails bit into his skin and she could feel his skin give under her nails.

His body crowded her own and she could feel the thump of his heart and the ragged pull of his breath as he inhaled. She chuckled against his skin as he demanded she bite him again. It had felt so good to do and she was pleased, truly pleased, he’d liked it. The world around her seemed to react to his need, his magic pouring through the vines.

She was pulled taunt against the wall and she felt his fingers dig into the softness of her ass. Corvina had wanted to break his control and he met her halfway. Pulling out till just the tip of him was still inside her. Another little whimpering growl. How dare he leave her empty like this? Even for a moment? Then he slammed back into her and she bit down on the tender skin of his shoulder. The scream, for it was a scream of pleasure, that left her muffled. It became a pattern and she scrambled to find a way to hold onto him, the world around her. He didn’t fuck her like a wild beast, no, he claimed her, each hard thrust, that rocked her to her very core. Deliberate..

His vines joined in and she didn’t understand nor question it. They trailed along her skin like the hands of a lover. Cupping her breasts, stroking her cheek. She turned her cheek into the vine, nuzzling it. They all touched her, but it was the one from below that moved between her cheeks that made her moans change. Surprised and yet.. Eager. When the little bulb pressed against her, spreading her, she whimpered his name.

Was it the way she’d whimpered his name that had the vines around her neck tightening and growling. Breathing became harder and yet, there was no fear. “Deres!” Again.. That one word.. That one need. Her face turned from his shoulder toward the vine that had been stroking her cheek. She licked it, testing the reaction of her mate..

She needed him. No other.

She wanted him to fill her..