Lay the Dragon v2 (18+ NSFW)

Arland hit the ground before bringing his knees to his chest, pushed his butt up, and kicked out, continuing his momentum in a reverse somersault, bringing him back to his feet. He held his sword at a ready stance as he prepared to take the breath attack of the drake.

He saw the glow in its throat. He glanced at his sword which now seemed so puny in comparison.

Arland stood, relaxing his stance. He tossed his sword down and sheathed his dagger, "You win, Drake. Kill me if you must."

For a long, tense moment the drake didn't respond, before it closed its maw and nodded, "You pass. Lady Seraphina doesn't abide killing dragons or their kin, such as drakes, needlessly. False dragons, like kobolds, are fair game, however."

Arland stared blank-faced as the seconds seemed to pass into eternity. Eventually, he shook his head before looking at the drake, "Wait, I passed? How? By surrendering?"

The drake seemed to chuckle, a long, hissing chortle, "No. By refusing to attack a dragonkin. This dungeon has two trials, and one total theme. Tell the difference between a dragonkin and a false dragon. Kobolds, despite appearing draconian, aren't related to dragons. They're more closely related to rats. They're not the children of our lady Seraphina."

Arland collapsed down, sitting in the dirt, "Ah... I suppose that makes sense..."

The drake walked over and lay beside him, "I should explain a bit better. Generally, drakes such as myself don't have breath attacks. Lady Seraphina granted me a second life to guard her dungeon here. I'm technically undead. With the blessing that she granted me, I'm able to use the breath of true dragons. If you had struck me with the desire to kill, I wouldn't have been truly injured. But you accepted defeat gracefully. In the end, it's my call who passes. So when you're ready, head through the doors over there."

The drake pointed with its snout. Arland followed his gaze and saw a door that he'd missed earlier.

"Not to worry, Arland. Lady Seraphina can be quite kind to those who treat her children with respect. I'm sure she'll like you. Rest now. The door will remain. While you sleep, I'll stand guard."

Arland looked into its eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. He nodded and laid back, closing his eyes and sighing a breath of relieved tension he didn't realize he'd been holding.

Within moments, he was asleep, his exhaustion overwhelming him.

***

Arland stepped through the doors and found himself in a long hallway. The floor was stone, and the walls and ceiling were covered in mosaics of dragons, each depicting a different scene. He walked down the hall until he came to a large door.

He pushed it open and stepped into a room. At the far end of the room sat a massive, golden, female dragon. She looked at him and smiled, "Welcome, Arland. I've had my eye on you. You've come for my blessing, correct?"

Arland stepped in, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, "I have, Lady Seraphina."

She kept his stare for a breath before she waved her claw and began to shift and change, shrinking and taking the guise of a humanoid. She had vibrant green hair, with golden horns that arced and curved skyward, forming a glorious crown atop her head. Her claws formed human hands, and her wings wrapped around her and became a shimmering robe.

But what had Arland's attention was her face. Her eyes were dragon-slit pupils, her skin was fair, and she had a small splatter of freckles across the bridge of her nose. He was struck by her beauty.

"You're... Wow..." He stammered, unable to form his thoughts into words.

She walked closer, "You're sweet. I can see why Nury likes you. If you had come just a year later, I might've had to steal you from her. It's been so long since I've had a human."

Arland swallowed hard, not sure how to respond.

She just grinned, "I'm kidding, of course. A love like you share with Nury is once in a lifetime. I wouldn't ruin that, dear boy. Come. Walk with me."

Arland nodded, falling into step with her as they left the room, moving down a short hallway to another, smaller chamber.

In the center of the room was a large bed, covered in a plush-looking blanket.

"Now, I must ask... Why do you seek my blessing, Arland? What does it mean to you?" She asked, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed.

Arland followed her, "I seek your blessing as you're the creator of dragons. They're the most fearsome creatures that roam the world. Your blessing should offer me the strength I require to protect Nury and the others to the best of my ability."

She met his gaze, "It's true that it could. It could also help you free the elves, as you promised your teacher you could."

Arland's mouth dropped open, "H-How did...?"

She smiled and placed her hand over her face. Her eye changed, revealing the conversation he'd had with Leera years ago, with him pinned to the wall and her explaining where the other elves were. "I'm a goddess. You shouldn't underestimate us. As I said, I've been watching you since you first met Nury all those twelve years ago."

His eyes went wide, and his mouth gaped, opening and closing like a fish out of water.

She grinned, "Don't worry, I won't tell. Your secret activities when you think no one is watching are safe with me. Though... Leera might speak up."

Arland blushed and tried to change the subject, "So, why would you think Nury and I are in love? I've only spent a week getting to know her."

Seraphina sighed, "That doesn't matter. Dragons aren't sly. They don't pretend to be someone or something they're not. And you were but a child. Far from an adult trying to get into her pants. Or scales, as the case may be. The fact that you've spent over a decade striving to be good enough for her means that your feelings were genuine. You loved her the moment you laid eyes on her. And now, after you've grown, I can see it in you. You love her still. You have a burning passion for her. The kind of love I'd expect from a dragon. You may have been born a human, Arland. But you're a dragon at heart."

She stood and walked over to him, "So I feel it's only appropriate I make it official. When a god or goddess grants a blessing, they place a claim on the soul of the recipient. If you wish to receive mine, then your soul will join the other dragons upon your death. The process will be painful while I mark your soul. Do you still wish to receive it?"

Arland set his jaw and nodded, "Of course, my lady."

Seraphina slipped her arms around him and pulled him against her. She moved in and placed a gentle but insistent kiss on his lips, even as her hand slipped into his tunic, over his heart. He felt a sudden flash of burning, white-hot pain sear his flesh. He felt like he was about to collapse when he felt Seraphina pull him closer to her, deepening their kiss.

As she pulled away, she pulled her hand back. The pain slowly subsided. He dropped to his knees and grasped his chest. He pulled his tunic away and looked down. He saw a symbol charred onto his flesh - a wyrm circled, devouring its own tail, with a dragon's eye in the center of it.

Seraphina knelt and placed her hand on his shoulder, "I warned you, it'd be painful. I marked your body and soul. That symbol signifies you as a child of mine, even if you aren't draconic."

Arland nodded, feeling the pain recede further, "Thank you, my lady."

She grinned and aided him back to his feet, "I'm surprised. I brought you in here because most humans pass out when they're marked. The bed would be far more comfortable than waking up on the stone floor."

He stood on shaky legs, "The pain was excruciating, but it was tolerable. That kiss was unexpected though."

Seraphina grinned, "I apologize. Two points of contact are required, but the kiss was partly to help distract you from the pain and partly for my purposes. As I said, you're cute. And I've been alone for nearly five thousand years."

Arland grinned and fixed his tunic, "Well, I can't say it wasn't pleasurable. You're stunningly beautiful. And considerably more kind than I'd been led to believe."

Seraphina moved in and stopped just short of his lips as he tensed up, "Relax. No pain this time. I promise."

Arland relaxed and moved in, his lips touching hers. He felt her hands running up his sides, to his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss. His hand went to the small of her back. He felt her breasts squished against his chest as their tongues tangled.

Eventually, she pulled back, "You're good at that. Nury picked a good one," She panted.

He looked into her eyes, "Well, now I'm torn."

She smiled kindly, "Choose your heart. Your loins are rarely a reliable source of advice. That said, maybe one day you and I can have our dance. If Nury approves of you keeping me company between your death and hers."

Arland nodded and stepped back, "Thank you, Lady Seraphina."

"You can call me Sera. Now go. The drake will allow you out, and the torches in the kobold room will be lit. Oh, and Arland... Don't forget that pendant Nury gave you. I'm mildly amused that you chose not to use it when fighting the kobold."

Arland pulled out the pendant, "Honestly, I didn't think about it."

"I figured as much. Still, your use of echolocation? Most interesting. I didn't realize humans could do that. So thanks for the knowledge. Now go."

Arland nodded, bowed, and turned on his heel, heading out the door and making his way back outside. He stopped at the mouth of the cave and allowed his eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight before he made his way back to town to find Leera and report his success.