Sweet Venom – Rebroken

Diego tugged awkwardly at the heavy golden collar around his neck, until finally it sat a little more comfortably. He played with the collar of his shirt then, thick and white with a delicate golden trimming that clung tightly against his body, trying his best to conceal the metal choker. His sleeves were currently rolled up above his elbows; he’d been hard at work for the last few hours, and didn’t want to scuff or stain the cuffs. Over his shirt he wore a dark, satin black waistcoat that had an almost stormy undertone to it, matching his smart black trousers and smart black shoes, that clacked irritatingly against the floor with every step he took. A tail covering completed his ensemble, draped over the top of his tail and strapped around its width, to keep it in place. The covering itself only went about halfway down, as was the fashion, and sported the same stormy satin and golden finish as the rest of his suit. With a dark and moody attire to match both his skin tone and his tired facial expression, he might have looked a little too broody for a party, if not for the golden trimming. It brought out the soft golden glow of the rings that surrounded his purple irises perfectly, and pulled the entire outfit together. He had been allowed to keep his swept back, chaotic hair, but it had been trimmed and tidied up. It was still very much Diego, just a little neater than usual.

 

He was standing at the front door before a golden hosting stand, his gaze flitting down the impeccably printed guest list resting atop it. There was not an imperfection to be seen, not a stray speck of ink, not a character out of place. Everything was to be perfect tonight.

 

Although Diego was already having some doubts. He had come to a halt at the very first name on the guest list. “D’Boris..? Duh-Boris?” He said out loud, trying to figure out if the name sounded as stupid as it was spelt. Then his ears twitched; behind him, a pair of footsteps were slowly approaching down the great staircase that resided in the mansion’s main foyer, interrupting his thoughts.

 

“So... how do I look?” Karen asked, clearing her throat. Diego turned slowly to face her as her hands patted against her hips, smoothing non-existent wrinkles out of the length of her dress.. She was smiling at him, albeit nervously, the slightest hint of cherry pink visible in her cheeks. Diego found himself smiling back at her.

 

“You look... fantastic!” She was wearing a long, sleek emerald dress. It ran the entire length of her body, the bottom of the dress sweeping gracefully along the floor. Above her waist, the dress allowed for just a tease of the dragoness’ golden cleavage, enough to catch the eye, but allow the wearer to maintain that element of grace and class, essential if a host was to succeed at an event such as this. Her chest had not been left bare either; she wore a shimmering storm-grey necklace, contrasting nicely against her shimmering golden scales beneath it, held by a tiny delicate chain around her neck. Her outfit was completed with a set of ear and horn jewellery, just a couple of small pendants on either side of the same material, and a dark silver pair of heels.

 

Karen was blushing gently under Diego’s gaze and approval. He turned back towards the hosting stand, feeling a little warm behind his ears himself, but continued to smile. “I just hope the guests will be worth all the effort. I can’t help but feel that all this grandeur will be wasted on the likes of Duh- Boris.” He gestured to the guest list and chuckled.

 

“The ‘D’ is silent. And that’s Fairylin’s husband by the way, so be nice.” 

 

Diego snorted and smirked. “I will not be silencing the ‘D’ for him.”

 

“Behave, you.” Karen replied, stifling a giggle. She glanced up at the grandfather clock on the landing. “Speaking of, they should be here shortly. And then, it’ll be time for the rest of the guests to arrive. Are we all set?”

 

“Yep!” Diego replied warmly. Fairylin had graciously allowed Karen the use of Darin and Katie to help Diego prep for the party, but even so it felt like he’d been working non-stop for hours, setting up chairs, laying tables, polishing pointless baubles and preparing various different entrees to suit both the most basic and exotic of palettes. “I have a good feeling about tonight, Karen. I think everything will go... exactly as planned.” The plan, Diego thought to himself, of course being the Solar Seraphim. They would be touching down in a matter of mere hours now, silently, in the dead of night, and finally, finally he would be on his way back to Seeth and Plasia... and the others, of course. The anticipation was starting to get to him, butterflies danced inside his stomach and excitement bubbled in his chest. Although he couldn’t quite shake the gnawing feeling at his stomach, the guilt of leaving Karen behind.

 

Just then, there was a noise at the front door; their first guests had arrived. “Shoot, that’s Fairylin!” Karen whispered, her voice a little panicked. “I’m going to do one final sweep of the house and the garden, once I’m out of sight, let them in!” And with that, Karen ducked quickly out of the foyer.

Diego waited just a moment. He sucked in the silence and savoured it; he wasn’t going to get much - if any - respite from the draconic upper classes now for the next several hours. We’re almost there, just a little longer... He sighed deeply through his nose, then marched up to the front doors, and pulled them open.

 

*

 

Two days ago, the dreadnought’s bridge had been a cold, empty shell, untouched for decades upon decades, save by Darkpaw’s engineers, who then had engaged with it with great caution and care. But now, the bridge was swarming with the Rewritten’s Nodes, at least on the lower decks. The Rewritten didn’t actually have the numbers to actually fill the bridge as it was so large, but the bottom deck was packed to the brim.

 

As per Moltezz’s demand, there were several caskets of drink and tables of food placed directly outside the blast door to the heat chamber. The deck above was carefully monitoring the situation. Every Node clung to their chairs, claws and nails digging into the rests as they felt the dreadnought warm and swell with energy.

 

They all stared at the number on their screens.

 

85% heat intensity.

 

It had steadily risen over the last two days, and although progress had slowed…

 

The blast doors suddenly creaked open and a wave of heat filled from the room. Moltezz. The Molten Mistress’ rippling muscles glistened in thick, dripping sweat, running down her ruby skin. Her body was clad only in her psyonic amplifier armour, trapped heavily over her shoulders and back.

 

She stomped up towards the suppliers laid out, snatched an entire keg off the floor, hauled it above her head and twisted the metal sharply. The keg sheared in half and water poured over Moltezz’s glowing frame, splashing into her open mouth and over her sweat-soaked body. The air filled with a violent  hiss as the water boiled away. She snatched up a second keg, opting to drink from this one’s tap instead.

 

“What's my progress?!” She boomed between mouthfuls of water.

 

“Eighty-five percent!” Tani screamed back, prompting a booming wave of cheers from the room.

A satisfied, knowing grin from the Mistress told the room all they needed to know. She snatched a handful of snacks from the table and quickly stuffed them into her mouth, washing them down with more water before holding her fist into the air, steam still rising from it.

 

As quickly as she had arrived, Moltezz turned back towards the blast doors and strode into the corridor, as the doors sealed shut behind her.

 

*

 

“The Thornscales!” Diego smiled heartily, determined not to let this draconic bitch get the better of him. “So pleased you’re here!”

 

“Well, look at that. She’s actually managed to tidy him up quite well!” Fairylin scoffed as she strutted through the open doors and past Diego, brushing softly against his arm as she went. Diego quickly tugged at his sleeves, rolling them down and buttoning them tightly at his wrists.

 

As was to be expected for such an event, Fairylin was dressed to impress, in a sparkly black dress that hung from her shoulders, and a long train trailing behind her. The dress left very little to the imagination, with a surprising amount of cleavage on show. Perhaps it was her frothing hatred and toxic demeanour that had distracted him before, but Diego hadn’t noticed before that Fairlyin was actually quite well endowed in that department.

 

An older, portly dragon arrived behind Fairylin, dressed in a simple but smart black suit that complimented his moody-grey scales. His faded green eyes seemed to bear a consistently worried, tired expression, although being Fairylin’s husband, Diego wasn’t exactly shocked at that. It was difficult to tell what wrinkles were due to age, and what were just a pure disdain for life.

 

“You must be D’Boris! I don’t believe we’ve met, a pleasure to meet you.”

 

“The ‘D’ is silent.” He murmured in response, taking off his jacket and hanging it on one of the many

hooks in Karen’s lobby area.

 

“Silent? It's practically non-existent.” Fairylin muttered, rolling her eyes briefly as she removed her own jacket and dropped it into Diego’s arms, who had to scramble to catch it. He was caught quite off-guard by her comment; apparently not even her own husband was spared Fairylin’s cutting personality. “Never mind. Where are the drinks? I’m parched.”

 

“Err, they’re just through those doors there. Katie should be just about ready with them now. Karen will be back any moment, she’s just doing one final sweep of the garden.”

 

“Good. She’s right to double check your work.” She tutted loudly, then glanced back towards her husband and sighed in dismay. D’Boris was struggling to remove his shoes. He was holding himself  up against the wall, his face flushing red in a mixture of embarrassment and exertion. “Darling, what are you doing? Why are you taking your shoes off?”

 

“They're hurting my feet!” D’Boris spluttered. Diego could feel the dragon’s temper rising already. 

 

“We've only walked down the road!”

 

“I told you this would happen! You wouldn’t let me wear my orthopaedic pair!”

 

“Because they’re hideous!” Fairylin seethed through gritted teeth. She turned her glare towards Diego, who was trying very hard not to look at either of the Thornscales. He was instead very interested in the proper well-being of Fairylin’s jacket, taking extra time and effort to hang it up. He could feel her glare cutting into the side of his head as he tried desperately not to laugh. Finally, Fairylin huffed, and her hoarse voice echoed around the mansion: “DARIN! KATIE! Come help your master, already?!”

 

The two equine slaves quickly scooted in from behind them, and helped D’Boris remove his shoes. The older dragon quickly regained his composure, straightening himself out.

 

“Both of you are to help Diego with any further preparations, and then return to our sides immediately once he’s had enough of you. Understood?” Fairylin, ordered pointing a sharp, almost accusatory finger at her slaves. The two horses nodded obediently.

 

“Good. I - Darling, what are those?!” She was staring down at her husband’s feet in horror. 

 

“My socks?” D’Boris replied, confused.

 

“Why are you wearing the mustard-yellow ones?!”

 

As the Thornscales continued their bickering, Darin and Katie glanced across the hall towards Diego, a small smile on both of their faces as they made eye contact with him. Both were dressed in shirts and waistcoats, with sharp trousers and shoes to boot. Their outfits hid their bruises well; you’d hardly notice anything off at all, if not for Darin’s slight limp.

 

Finally, the two dragons subsided in their bickering long enough to leave the others’ company, and head into the main function room through a large pair of double doors to Diego's left. Between the two of them, Diego couldn’t quite tell who was the cause, and who was the effect. Once they were out of earshot, Diego quickly leapt away from his podium and gave the two horses a strong hug.

“You two go hang out in the kitchen for as long as you want, pour some drinks, wash some glasses, anything to get away from those nasty assholes.”

 

They hugged him back tightly and thanked him, before quickly making their way towards the kitchen, eager to put some space between themselves and the Thornscales.

 

Soon enough, more guests began arriving, a veritable flood of wealthy dragons from across DA space (temporary shuttle space had been allocated on the fields opposite Karen’s manor.) Regarding the guests themselves, their mannerisms were as varied as the colours of their scales. Some carried the same smug, ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude that Fairylin did. Some had a kindness to them, treating Diego

with a welcome warmth. Most were merely indifferent. But all were dressed to impress, eager to make their host's acquaintance, but more so to get acquainted with the variety of expensive drinks on offer.

 

The sound of light, relaxing orchestral music then started to float all around the manor. The guests around Diego ‘ooh-ed’ and ‘ahh-ed,’ remarking at the marvel of the occasion so far, and keen to see more. The music had rather the opposite effect on the komodo however, who winced behind his hosting stand as he greeted the next guest, and ticked their name off the list. The list itself was actually ticked off quite quickly. A fashionably late appearance wasn't a part of DA culture, everyone was punctual, and everyone was accounted for. With the list completed, Diego quickly shifted his role from greeter to server. He was keen to keep Darin and Katie in the kitchen out of Fairylin’s sight for as long as possible, and as he scanned down the completed guest list, he couldn't help but sigh - there were a lot of guests. He was going to have a busy night.

 

In his six months of service, Diego had never seen the manor so alive. The petshees had been preemptively relocated to the basement, for their own health more than anything else. Petshees could be skittish creatures, and this event was going to get loud. Morby in particular was a fussy little thing, and would stop eating his food if things got too loud.

 

The main function room was the glorious result of months worth of planning and weeks of ladder- assisted labour by none other than Diego himself, a vision of grandeur that both he and Karen had spent the last several months preparing for. The room was tall and sweeping, the windows hung with thick, silken tapestries of the most vibrant emerald and lined with sleek silver. Sprouting flower arrangements, vibrant with colour and sweet with delicate specks of pollen lined the walls at regular intervals, as well as guarding the doors into and out of the hall.

 

At the back of the room, a raised stage provided the perfect platform for the live orchestral ensemble to play out their delicate balance, loud enough to be recognised, quiet enough to talk pleasantly over. Their stage had the same emerald and silver trimming, as did their outfits and even their instruments had been garnished with colour to match the mood.

 

A glorious chandelier hung proudly from the very centre of the ceiling, glittering warmly from its crystalline spectacle. Shards of perfectly cut glass hung from its metallic frame so sharp you’d swear you could cut yourself just looking at them. The soft evening light illuminating the tall windows that lined the north and west walls of the hall glittered and shone against the chandelier, creating an almost starry effect against the ceiling, although the light had been somewhat dampened by the giant, plush ribbons that adorned the windows’ upper halves.

 

The southern wall was lined with vast, almost panoramic tables, garnished with plate after plate of freshly cooked food. Everything from small nibbles to slices of fresh, still-warm bread and mouth- watering spiced meats were available for guests to freely enjoy, along with several ice sculptures placed along the centre of the buffet tables. For all the grief Karen’s last client had given her about their last minute ice sculpture, it had apparently been a hit, and Karen was keen to keep up appearances. Some smaller ice sculptures had been placed within the punch bowls closer to the entrance, designed for guests to be able to chip off parts of them with a special delicate ice pick, and add the shavings into their drinks. The crowning jewel of the displays however was the wine waterfall, constantly running with dual streams of both red and white wine that had no right tasting as fine as it did, for such a vibrant and eye-catching display.

 

To describe the room and its atmosphere was an almost insulting understatement. It was warm, welcoming, but impressive at the same time, inviting you to indulge and savour in its fruits. After less  than an hour, the guest list was entirely checked off, and Diego was dispatched to his next duty for the night. A silver tray in each hand and a white towel draped over his forearm, he made his way into the function room with offerings of additional refreshments to the guests. The air hummed with anticipation as Diego made his way around to each settling group of guests. He greeted each group with a warming smile, humble and friendly, ensuring he made eye-contact with all of them before offering a small sampling of the food on offer. He would even offer a little bow to some of the ladies, which made many of them blush and giggle with delight as he offered out his refreshments.

 

As Diego circled the room, he couldn’t help but catch snippets of gossip as he drifted in and out of people’s lives. Snapshots into the lives of people he would never meet, nor ever hear about again, but was somehow still interesting to hear nonetheless. Despite the stoic, sanctimonious image they might try to maintain, it appeared that the dragons within the DA were every bit as homespun as the rest of the universe. If it wasn’t someone sleeping with the secretary, it was words of dodgy business deals, favours for favours or the prying open of one's reputation to reveal less than ideal truth of it. Nothing was off limits when it came to draconian gossip, with alcohol merely magnifying the volume of the conversation.

 

He'd barely made it halfway round the room when he noticed that the trays and glasses he was carrying were nearly empty. Quickly he ducked his head and weaved his way through guests, taking care not to bump into any middle-aged pot-bellies or step on the trims of any long elegant dresses. When he finally reached the kitchen, he stopped for a moment to take a breath away from the crowds; he couldn't help but notice the looks he was getting from some of the guests. There was the usual blushing from ‘accidental’ eye-contact, and some curious but innocent enough glances from others, but from a few of the guests, there was something darker to their gaze, something... sinister.

 

But, the show must go on. He swapped his empty trays with Katie for freshly prepared ones, and continued his circuit of the room.

 

Fairylin and her lapdog of her husband were at least easy to spot (and avoid) thanks to both her shrill chortling and D'Boris’ yellow socks, which stood out amongst the black tie event like a luminous sore thumb. The pair had found a quieter corner with a few of the other guests, and would not stop staring at Diego as he went past. At first he thought it was simply because he wasn't serving fast enough for their liking; the wealthy could put it away when they wanted to. However, he couldn’t shake their piercing, judgemental stare, even as he brought them more alcohol.

 

Karen, on the other hand, was in a league of her own. She practically danced from guest to guest, sweeping through the room in a flurry of pleasant exchanges and small-talk. It might not have seemed too impressive at first glance, but she knew everyone’s names, their favourite food and drinks, their jobs and business, and even more personal, but polite and appropriate, details about her guests. She had done her research. She was seamless, bouncing from one conversation to the next, each person visibly looking more relaxed, their smile a little wider as she approached with a warm and engaging smile. As far as hosts went, Diego remarked, Karen was a damn good one. This was Karen in her element, smoothing the roughness of a long journey with a silver tongue and an ever-welcoming, ever-gracious demeanour that could adapt to even the most stubborn of personalities. There was no comment too uncomfortable for her not to laugh off, no figure so prickly that she couldn’t mould herself around. Although, he couldn't help but notice the subtle change in her demeanour, whenever she caught him watching her. It was slight, but it was there, the way she held her tail a little higher, her step a little bouncier…

 

Or was he overthinking it..?

 

Diego shook his head. Whatever the case, the party was well underway, and if it kept up like this it would be a good finale, and time served, should the Solar Seraphim keep their word.

 

*

 

“Those have gotta come out now or they’ll over-crispen!” Diego yelled, both his hands full with cold bottles of champagne. He was pouring both bottles as fast as he could into a waiting line of glasses, which Katie had shined to a crystal sheen. Darin darted across the kitchen as fast as his limping leg would allow, shoving his hands into a pair of oven gloves and pulling the oven door open to reveal a tray of golden nibbles, cooked to absolute perfection. He quickly pulled the tray out and placed it on the cooling rack by his side, and prepared to dish them out onto a silver tray for serving.

 

“Right, perfect! I gotta go! Keep it up you two!” Diego smiled, throwing the two empty bottles into the trash. Then, he carefully placed the tray of glasses onto his outstretched palm, as quickly as he could without spilling any. Darin placed the tray of nibbles into his other waiting hand, and just like that, Diego was away, drinks in one hand, food in the other.

 

I hate how good I am at this.

 

He started around the outside of the manor now, stopping first by the pool. There were only a handful of guests out here, enjoying the view over her estate as the evening sky turned a beautiful shade of orange behind them. The atmosphere was relaxed and warm, with those outside enjoying quiet conversation beneath large white parasols, away from the louder innards of the manor. Slowly though, more people were filtering outside, beads of condensation slowly dripping off their glasses drunk thirstily by the sun-baked stonework of the estate. The weather had picked up nicely just in time for the party; the afternoon had felt closer in temperature to a summer break than a spring swing.

 

Fresh drinks and snacks were taken eagerly, often accompanied by a delighted or surprised expression by the warm pastries, as light and fluffy as they were delicious. Karen’s estate was nothing if not inviting and it was making more and more sense to Diego why it was built how it was.

 

Gently, the volume of conversation began to increase, proportional to the amount of drinks served. Diego did his best to remain focused; to be fair, most of the conversations had absolutely nothing to do with him or anything he was interested in. Money talk always did bore him.

 

*

 

Just as the party was in full swing, Diego’s dance of drinks, food and entertainment was interrupted by a buzz around his neck as his collar gently vibrated with a notification. Across the room, he caught sight of Karen briefly flicking through her data pad (which had been in her hand practically the entire night, to refer to her notes made on her numerous guests, and ensure everything kept running smoothly.) She met his gaze and silently mouthed the word ‘door’ to him, before resuming her current conversation. Diego was apparently acting as doorman tonight too, as well as his multitude of other roles, and he quickly placed his tray down and jogged over to the front door.

 

That's odd, he thought to himself. It's not like Karen has any other neighbours, and the guest list is fully checked off…

 

He patted himself down and straightened his shirt collar before pulling the door open with a soft *click.*

 

Outside, in the soft gloom of dusk, stood a tall, dark dragon, who was subtly turning his snout up just as he caught sight of Diego. He was tall, between seven and eight feet, not including the long curved horns on his head. He had a slender, well-maintained look to him. A pair of deep, fiercely intelligent crimson eyes quickly surveyed Diego, and for just a brief moment, Diego swore he saw a flicker of recognition in them. It faded as fast as it happened however, and the dragon’s demeanour quickly returned to a more neutral one. He even gave Diego a polite smile.

 

“My apologies for the disturbance, sir. My name is Daxxon K’Varnyir. I am not here for the party, only to speak with one of your guests briefly, if I may?” He asked softly. “I believe Mr Thornscale is here this evening?”

 

“Oh, D’Boris?”

 

“I believe the ‘D’ is silent.” The stranger replied politely, although there was definitely a hint of amusement in his tone. 

 

“Yeah, I know! If you’d like to wait inside, I'll go find him for you.” Diego stepped back, gesturing for the dragon to enter.

 

“Thank you. If you have a quiet room we could talk in briefly, that would be much appreciated. I won’t be long and appreciate your cooperation.”

 

Daxxon spoke with a sharp dialect, pronouncing every word to its fullest extent. He was dressed as sharply as the guests, in a clean cut suit that matched his dark, almost demonic complexion. The lizard couldn’t help but notice the dragon’s precise gait, and the near-mechanical nature of his motion, as if he was an animatronic replica of a person rather than a real one. 

 

“No problem, I'll be back in a minute.” Diego went back inside, but caught Karen hovering near the foyer, doing her best to hide her curiosity over the unexpected guest. “Who is it?” She asked.

 

“A gentleman called Daxxon K’Varnyir, he’s looking for big man Boris. Do you know where he is?”

 

Karen stifled another smirk, then her amused expression slipped into one of perplexion as she tried to place the visitor's name.

 

“Huh, I don’t know anyone by that name. D’Boris is just in the function room I think, hovering around the wine. Do let Daxxon know if he’s a friend of D’Boris, he’s welcome to stay.”

 

“You got it. I’ll grab Doris and be on my way.”

 

Diego quickly nipped through the manor and found D’Boris where Karen had said, practically clinging onto the wine-fall. His bright socks made his already pulpy silhouette stand out to a nearly upsetting degree.

 

“Mr Thornscale, there is a guest here to see you.” Diego announced overly loudly, with a whimsical bow.

 

The dragon merely raised an eyebrow in response.

 

“Daxxon K’Varnyir has asked for a few minutes of your time.”

 

The name prompted an instant shot of adrenaline within the ageing dragon's creaking frame. He promptly shot upright from the overly cushioned seat with a loud crack of the leather, and motioned for Diego to escort him.

 

Diego found himself oddly curious as he lead D’Boris back to the front of the manor, where the stranger was politely waiting for their return, glancing around the hall. 

 

“Thank you, sir. I don’t believe you introduced yourself?” Daxxon inquired, extending his hand towards Diego. He shook it firmly in response.

 

“Diego.” With his other hand, the lizard gestured towards a nearby door, which led to Karen’s drawing room and was gently off-limits. “This should be fine, if it's only a short stay.”

 

“A pleasure. Thank you once again for accommodating. Just through here?” Daxxon asked, nodding towards the door.

 

“Yes, close the door behind you, you should have all the privacy you need. We’ve asked the guests not to go in there so you shouldn’t be disturbed.” Diego replied, doing his best to ignore the uneasy feeling that was growing in his stomach. As they turned to depart, Daxxon’s stare remained fixed on Diego a little longer than was comfortable, then he and D’Boris entered the side room together, closing the door firmly behind them.

 

Diego scowled to himself, knowing he wouldn’t be able to directly listen in on their conversation, but he was able to leverage the rapidly depleting food tables for several extended trips back and forth past the door. If anyone had directly watched him, he might have looked a little strange, but thankfully, the endless wine was eating the bulk of the party's attention.

 

Their conversation was muffled through the thick, waxed oak that made up most of the doors, but the tone of voice was easy to make out.

 

D’Boris was getting a dressing down, big time. Whoever this Daxxon person was, he clearly had significant authority over the portly D’dragon and was laying it on him without hesitation. Diego squinted, doing his best to ignore the increasing bustle coming from the function room as he escorted yet more empty plates back to the kitchen. He scooted just a little closer to the door as their conversation shifted again. Daxxon didn’t raise his voice at any point, he just retained a stern, scolding tone the entire time, rather like a disappointed parent.

 

Suddenly, a smashing sound rang out of the function room, likely a dropped glass or plate, but the silence that followed allowed Diego just a single sentence of their conversation:

 

“With that in mind, we have decided to seek alternative methods of procurement. On reflection, it was delirious to think you could trust their kind with such a delicate task.”

 

A round of applause rang out from the function room, followed by a howl of laughter and quickly drowned out any more of their conversation, much to Diego’s annoyance. But the smashed item unfortunately required his extended attention. With a frustrated sigh he nipped into the hall with a dustpan and brush; an emerald coloured dragoness grimacing in embarrassment over a smashed plate, and looking around for help. Her face lit up with relief when she saw Diego, and she stepped out of the way. Luckily it was a clean break, and only took a few seconds to clean up, but by then, Daxxon had concluded his business with D'Boris. He'd been true to his word; he can't have been talking for more than ten minutes. He stood patiently in the foyer and waited for Diego to finish tidying up, before beckoning him and Karen over. 

 

“Thank you both for your hospitality and for pardoning my intrusion. I just wanted to let you know I'll be taking my leave now.”

 

“Oh, are you sure?” Karen asked. “You're free to stay if you like?”

 

“No, I couldn’t. I wouldn't want to intrude on you any further. But thank you again and have a pleasant remainder of your evening.” 

 

Diego watched him walk down the cobblestone path, unsure of what to think of the stranger. He couldn’t make any sense of the snippet of conversation he’d manage to glean, but regardless, it was satisfying as hell to hear someone debase D’Boris that thoroughly.

 

Daxxon cast a quick glance back towards the manor as he stepped onto the boarding ramp to his ship, which had landed just across the road. For a moment, he locked eye contact with Diego as the lizard lingered at the front door. His ship was a sleek, posh-looking vessel, clearly expensive and beyond well-maintained, but then, the inner sphere of the DA was incredibly wealthy. A manor like Karen’s was little more than a play-house compared to the mega-city structures that dominated the DA’s core worlds.

 

The ship took off in silence - any noise it would have made would have been silenced by the manor’s sound-shielding anyway, but as he left, Diego couldn’t stop replaying that initial interaction with Daxxon in his mind. Maybe Daxxon just thought he knew him. Maybe he’d seen him around here before. There were plenty of reasonable explanations. But all the reason in the world couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach; Diego swore that Daxxon had recognised him, and that couldn't be a good thing.

 

At least it won’t be my problem for much longer.

 

He turned his attention back inside just as D’Boris sauntered out of the room, clearly waiting until he was sure Daxxon had left. He wore a considerable pout on his face. Upon seeing Diego however, his face hardened.

 

“Boy, fetch me some strong spirits. Fairylin too. And don’t let her say no!” 

 

“Uh, s-sure thing.” Diego smirked, fighting back a giggle with all his might.

 

“Chop-chop, boy. Before I get cranky!”

 

*

 

Katie had spent the last couple of hours in the kitchen, a black and white pinny tied around her waist, washing, drying, cleaning up and cooking fresh food for the guests. It was a blissful evening doing something she actually enjoyed, even if her cooking wasn't quite as good as Diego's. Not that the lizard had been rude or mean about that, quite the opposite, he’d actually shared a lot of very good tips over the course of the night. And beyond that, she actively cherished every moment of relative peace she could get away from Fairylin. All in all, it had actually been an extremely pleasant evening for her and Darin so far. 

 

If only their life could be like this all the time.

 

Just then however, she heard a pair of footsteps at the doorway, heavy and clumsy compared to the quick pitter patter of Diego's. Apprehensively she turned to see who it was, fearing her time away from the Thornscales was at an end.

 

A bright orange dragon was standing in the door, propping himself up against the doorframe, eyeing Katie eagerly as she pulled on a pair of yellow rubber gloves. He glanced down at the pinny around her waist. 

 

Oh no… I know that look… Katie thought to herself.

 

“I have been completely lost in these pastries all night, very nice pastries, and I just HAD to meet the chef.” The orange dragon grinned. “I knew that komodo couldn’t have been in here alone, he couldn’t of, and now I see you’re the master behind all this food! A d-delicious spectacle, truly.”

 

Apparently the liquor Karen kept was no joke; the sheer amount of slurring alone was indication that the guest was absolutely hammered. He stumbled his way into the kitchen and propped himself up against the work surfaces.

 

“An equine cooker, amazing! Really just very good, very real.” He couldn’t take his eyes off Katie as she turned to face him properly, unsure of what to do. “You know, in the core wur-worlds, we usually use-using auto-cooks, for the cooking. They can prepare a three course meal in three minutes.” He held up four fingers and waved them in front of her face. “The selection is endless. But there is something about *hic* hand-cooked food that just…” He pressed his fingers to his lips with a near-quivering passion.

 

“Y-Yeah. I bet!” Katie laughed nervously.

 

“The same with our cleaning, really. Core cleaning. It's all a-automated, but I've often wondered what it would be like to have a cleaner. Like, not a drone cleaner. A real cleaner.”

 

“I-It takes ages.” Katie smiled, pointing over at the huge pile of washing up. “It's not much fun. I’d love a drone to help.”

 

“After t-tonight, I'm not so sure drones are where i-it’s at. I think the DA should get more of your kind in. Don’t get me t-twisted like a k-knot, it's purely about your talent, you know? You’re a talented young - young - young woman! We should be enriching our empire with your skills.” The dragon stuttered and stumbled his way through his poor compliment with all the grace of a lawnmower in a tailor's shop.

 

Katie’s face scrunched up into disgusted wince at the orange dragon's words, despite trying to feign a small laugh. The dragon appeared not to notice her discomfort, and continued unabated.

 

“I mean, it's l-love, talent and l-l-learning, isn’t it? What can a drone learn? They have improvement algorithms and memory and w-whatnot, but it's not the same, you know what I mean? Am I m-making snense? They can l-learn how to fold my clothes, but they can’t l-learn me.”

 

The equine shook her head gently, still cringing fiercely. “I-I don’t really know what that means. That kind of sounds like they can learn.”

 

He scooched closer to Katie and put an arm over her shoulder, the air immediately saturating with the musk of wine. He leaned on her, as much for support as it was to whisper in her ear.

 

“Mhmm. T-Totally. Would you like to see the core worlds? I m-make m-music. M-My studio is insane, have you ‘Glittering Whimpers’ yet? I m-mixed it myself, it's really huge in the inner sphere. No, it's bigger than huge, it's large.” He declared proudly. The orange dragon then cleared his throat several times before leaning even closer to Katie, practically nudging her ears with his snout. “L-Listen, l-let's cut the nonsense here. It’s fucking e-electric between us… Let’s say, me and you find somewhere -”

 

*WHAMP*

 

A silver tray slammed straight into the back of the dragon’s head! It was lights out instantly for the dragon, but not before he did a dramatic spin and buckled over. Before his body could hit the ground though, a strong black arm looped around his waist and caught him like one would drape a towel.

 

Diego hauled the dragon over his shoulder. In his other hand, he still had hold of the tray. 

 

“Poor fella, looks like he's had a bit too much to drink and passed out by the pool, hasn't he?” Diego winked at Katie, carrying the man out towards the poolside.

Katie didn’t know what to say. It took her a second to process exactly what had happened, but finally a wave of relief rushed over her and she quickly joined Diego’s side as the lizard carefully laid the dragon out on a pool lounger. The dragon promptly began to snore loudly, his tongue flopping out the side of his maw. Before leaving, Katie glanced around to ensure no one was looking, then snatched a half full drink from a nearby table and poured it over the dragon’s lap defiantly.

 

“Ugh. What a creepy old man.” She poked her tongue out at the dragon before throwing her arms around Diego and pressing a kiss against his cheek. “Thank you, Diego!”

 

“You’re welcome, hun.” He smiled back. “Glad I could help.”

 

*

 

The evening had drawn on well into night, but the party was showing no sign of ending yet. Although a decent handful of guests had already excused themselves and graciously thanked their host for such a well put together and wonderful time, there was still plenty of fun - and drinks - to be had. That upper-class mannerism that draconic individuals were known for had quickly disappeared, and with little prompting, with most individuals in fact seeming rather keen to show the worst of themselves. It appeared that the metaphorical gloves of the party had slipped off, leaving their bare knuckle behaviour on full display for Diego to enjoy. The quiet, polite chatter had evolved from rumour and gossip into unsubstantiated slander and bitter rivalry bitching. The live music had finished for the night and been replaced with light jazz, mixing with the now hearty chortles of the crowds. Sly suggestions of intent gave way to full frontal flirting, irrespective of previously given statements of intent, or pre-existing relationships. Many couples or even whole groups had broken off to find a quieter place to enjoy one-another's company, on a belly full of Diego’s finest pasties and the best on-tap wine from Karen’s cellar.

 

Diego was frantically mopping up spilled drinks off the floor and doing his best to avoid the many  pairs of teasing hands reaching out for him, when Karen approached him quietly, and tapped him on the shoulder. 

 

“Diego, I don’t exactly know why, but D’Boris has asked to see you.”

 

“Oh?” Diego turned around to look at her. A cute, if completely intoxicated dragoness was batting at his tail and giggling to herself, her attempts having intensified over the last hour. He quickly took the opportunity to remove himself from her game, grabbed Karen’s hand and dashed out of the room,  nimbly dodging her swipes in much the same way someone would play with a cat. They paused out in the hallway, the loud sounds of laughter and drunken merriment muffled slightly from within the other room.

 

“You said D’Boris has asked for me?”

 

“Yes…” Karen replied, a little uncertainly. “He’s upstairs. Fairylin has had an awful lot to drink tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised if he needs help taking her home. The way she was drinking, I’m surprised she didn’t pass out hours ago if I’m honest.”

 

“Maybe he needs help putting his shoes back on.” Diego chuckled. Karen grinned and tapped him on the arm playfully. 

“If it gets them out of my house quicker, I’ll help you! We can take one shoe each.” Karen laughed. She didn’t seem particularly drunk, Diego noticed - in fact, he couldn’t remember when he’d last handed Karen a drink, but it must have been a few hours ago now. Perhaps with how much mingling and organising she’d done this evening, she hadn’t had time to actually enjoy her own party.

 

As he made his way upstairs, he casted a cursory glance out the window and towards the pool, just in case, only to see the poolside snoozer he deposited earlier still comfortably snoring away. With his intervention successful, Diego quickly scampered up the stairs, and noticed that one of the spare bedroom’s doors was slightly ajar. 

 

Gotcha. What you want, Doris? A backrub and a fresh whiskey? “Mr Thornscale? Are you in here? Karen said you asked to see me?”

 

“Diego? Come in, please.” D’Boris said from the other side of the door. His voice was… oddly soft, and there was some almost desperate in his tone. 

 

“Certainly, sir.” Diego responded sarcastically, pushing the door open. “Do you require some assist- WHAT THE FUCK?!”

 

Fairylin was spread eagle on the bed in the middle of the room, her dress pulled up and her panties gone, womanhood on full display. She was rubbing herself furiously as D’Boris stood at the window, and watched. Diego shuddered in horror and pushed himself back against the wall, his eyes wide, his skin immediately going clammy.

 

“A-Am I interrupting?!” Diego stuttered.

 

“Close the door, please.” D’Boris’ voice was almost a whisper.

 

Fairylin glanced up, her eyes mad with lust. Upon seeing Diego’s complete bewilderment, her self-pleasuring intensified dramatically, twisting her hips around her fingers as her head collapsed back against the bed again. “Yes, YES! You’re finally here! On the bed, NOW! You mutt.” Fairlyin’s eyes rolled back, as though the mere sound of her own voice was getting her off. 

 

“Wh-What?!” 

 

D’Boris took a seat in the corner of the room, facing towards the bed. He let out a long, satisfied sigh and took a sip of his drink.

 

“Barely cognizant drool!” Fairylin laughed, wriggling around on the bed happily. “Subservient subspecies! To do our bidding! Get on the bed, get your clothes off and please me! Now! Penetrate my womanhood! I’m beyond ready.”

 

The lizard’s eyes bounced between the half-spasming dragoness on the bed, and the weirdly calm dragon in the corner of the room, calmly sipping his drink. The ice cubes tinked against the glass in a sharp contrast to the sound of wet spaghetti currently filling Diego’s ears, much against his will.

 

“Pathetic creature that you are…” Fairylin muttered as she panted. “Stop staring and start masturbating to me! You must be able to maintain an erection, surely!”

D’Boris turned to face Diego with a deadly serious expression and a sinister grin. 

 

“Fuck my wife.”

 

Words failed him. Of everything he expected to happen tonight, this was not on the list. Diego’s throat croaked quietly as his entire body tried to retreat directly through the wall behind him. The collar around his neck beeped quietly in acknowledgement of his rapidly escalating heart-rate.

 

“Please, Diego. I know you’re easily overwhelmed but this is easy for you. Just follow your instinct. You should be good at this.” D’Boris repeated, to fill the void of silence. “You were born to be commanded. Don’t pretend you don’t like it. Do as she says.”

 

“Yes! Yes! Curse my body with your touch!” Fairylin cried out, rubbing herself more frantically. A perverted grin fell upon D’Boris’s face as his nostrils flared in excitement. “Taint my womb with your disgusting, substandard sperm. Do it!”

 

“Oh my fuck!” Diego coughed in surprise, actually looking frightened for his life. “Wha-What?!”

 

“Yes! YES! THEN I’M GOING TO CARRY HIS MUTT BABIES INSIDE ME!” Fairylin clenched her legs on the bed, writhing in pleasure as the idea coursed through her. “Half perfect! Half flawed! I’ll be forced to incubate your filthy offspring against my wishes! YES!”

 

“Have you not had sex before?” D’Boris asked quietly, noticing Diego’s complete lack of enthusiasm. A sense of panic began to overcome him as the situation unfolded differently to their expectations. “Karen hasn’t told us anything about you. A-Are you a virgin? Are you intimidated by my wife’s visible vulva?”

 

“STUPID QUESTIONS, D’BORIS. YOU’RE CONFUSING HIS SLIME BRAIN.” Fairylin yelled, half furious, half lost in pleasure. “YOU SHOULD ASK HIM SOMETHING MORE ON TOPIC. ARE YOU BIG, DIEGO? ARE YOU GOING TO STRETCH ME OUT?! WILL IT HURT?! OH YOU BETTER, YOU SUBSPECIES FILTH! UNF, BREED ME LIKE IT'S A FORBIDDEN!”

 

Finally, Diego's brain kicked into gear. His feet edged towards the door, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights, prompting D’Boris to scowl at him angrily. 

 

“Where do you think you’re going?! This is the chance of a lifetime for someone like you. We could make it a regular thing! We could buy you from Karen! You could be the Thornscale stallion! You’re not allowed to say no! You will fuck my wife, you mutt!”

 

Diego slowly shook his head in complete and utter bewilderment and horror and edged closer to the door again, when the sound of Fairylin rubbing herself suddenly stopped and she bolted upright with the utmost urgency.

 

“NO!” Fairylin cried out, tears swelling in the corners of her eyes furiously. “YOU MUST INVADE ME! You must taint me, you awful, attractive thug!”

 

“If you leave this room -” D’Boris cried out, on the verge of crying as Diego shook his head again. “You will never get the chance again! Never! Think about -”

 

Diego immediately slid out the door without a second thought, closing it behind him firmly and ran for the stairs, half stumbling down them in sheer panic.

 

He immediately charged into Karen, who was looking at her data pad in concern before seeing him.

 

“D-Diego, are you okay? Your heart-rate just skyrocketed! I-Is everything okay?”

 

Diego shook his head again, the sound of Fairylin rubbing herself somehow stuck in his twitching ears.

 

“Do you need a water..?” Karen’s voice trailed off as she noticed that Diego’s hands were shaking, and his breaths were heavy. “...Or maybe something stronger?”

 

*

 

Slowly, the night aged one hour at a time. The potency of the drinks on offer, combined with their more than adequate flavour meant guests were trickling out of the party in a rather hurried fashion as they approached the midnight hour. What scandals the DA would wake up to remained unknown at this point in time, although Diego could make an educated guess that there would be some relational fall-out, if any of them would even remember the events of the night before. He ensured the departing guests made it safely to their landed ships, acting as a crutch for more than a few and eventually, the manor was now only a guest to those that had found a place to rest their eyes, or were labouring in the party’s aftermath. 

 

Darin and Katie were helping with the clean-up operation as Diego did his final patrol of the gardens and guest rooms to ensure everyone was safely accounted for. Fairylin and D’Boris had settled down in the guest room on the upper floor, both snoring loudly on the bed. The poolside snoozer was brought inside and placed on a lounger downstairs, along with a comfortable blanket to see him through the night. Out of nowhere it seemed, the party had finished successfully! Karen’s palpable sense of relief was felt throughout the manor, and she retreated to her office to do some after-party admin.

 

The loudness of the last few hours drained away like the last drips of a bottle, replaced with the quiet, tired chatter of Darin and Katie, along with the clinking of dishes and distant snoring. As the cleaning commenced, he purposely stayed at the front of the manor, his eyes flicking constantly towards the windows.

 

The time was nearing. 

 

His heart began to thump against his ribs, this is what he’d been waiting for. He peered through the window to see a quiet black slither of a vehicle making its way down the road towards Karen’s manor. It would stop for only a brief minute, before carrying on as if it had never stopped at all.

 

This was it. It was time. This was his ticket out of here. His ears twitched and swivelled on his head, listening closely, but all was normal inside the manor. Karen was still in her office, door closed, typing away. Darin and Katie were in the depths of the kitchen, and everyone else was out-cold.

 

He swallowed quietly and made his way to the front door, his anxiety ramping up higher and higher. All he had to do was make his way to the front gate and hop in. It would be hours before anyone noticed he was gone, and by then, it would be far, far too late. His collar beeped softly just as he was told; the approaching vehicle was jamming its signal providing false positives to the network to fake his position.

 

He twitched in anticipation, the knot in his stomach tightening to a nearly suffocating degree.

 

This should be easy… He thought to himself. This is what I've been waiting for. This is my chance to leave! To no longer be a slave!

 

But… But he couldn’t do it. His mind, his honour, wouldn’t let him take a step out the door. As much as he wanted it all back. There was someone who needed it more.

 

He could hear their voices in the kitchen, quiet and worried about the next day. They’d suffered so much here under needless and sustained cruelty. 

 

He almost hated himself for it. 

 

There are things at stake here. 

 

He dreaded to think how much damage Moltezz and Leech had reaped after all this time. He wondered desperately, achingly how Seeth, Plasia and the gang were holding up without him. And yet, he couldn’t leave this place behind, knowing he’d left them behind. He clenched his fists tightly, his gaze focused and steady as he made his way towards the kitchen.

 

Katie was gently applying a heat-pad to Darin’s legs, her younger brother wincing in pain from yet another night on his hooves with no chance to rest. His bad leg was aching terribly, he'd rolled his trouser leg up and was tentatively trying to massage his calf. Their eyes shot up at the sound of his approaching footsteps, but quickly relaxed when they saw it was Diego.

 

“Hey… you survived tonight then?” Katie smiled.

 

“Ayup. Despite Fairylin’s best efforts.” Diego nodded back, glad to see the both of them happier for a change.

 

“You’re totally out of her league anyway!” Darin snorted, wiping a tear from his eye; Diego had told the pair about his encounter earlier on. Katie chuckled, and Diego smiled too, when suddenly Darin winced and hissed sharply through his teeth; Katie had pressed too hard with the heat-pad while she was laughing. Katie immediately shifted back to serious, apologising softly and re-applying the pad, gently. Diego's face hardened. 

 

They wouldn't have much time.

 

“You two need to come with me, now. Quietly.” Diego said urgently, a hint of authority in his voice that the siblings hadn't witnessed before.

 

“Why, what's going on? Is everything alright?” Katie asked, her arm instinctively wrapping around her brother's shoulders.

 

“It will be, I promise, but we don't have long. Do you trust me?” Diego knelt down, and offered Darin his hand.

 

The two horses looked at one another for a moment, then nodded together. Darin took Diego's outstretched hand and the komodo pulled him to his feet.

 

They followed Diego through the manor as quickly as Darin's tired aching legs would allow, which even with Katie supporting him wasn't particularly fast. Their anxiety increased with every step they took as they made their way out of the manor and down the path, shooting worried glances over their shoulder with each trembling step they took.

 

“D-Diego, are you sure about this? Where are you taking us?”

 

He led them quickly to the front gate, pulling it open just enough for the trio to slip through as they vehicle arrived, a black ramp unfolding from its rear. A white draconic figure stepped out, cloaked in black and orange robes, an emblem of a blazing sun visible on its sleeves. The Solar Seraphim.

 

“Ready to go?” He asked calmly, exchanging glances with Diego.

 

“You’re taking these two.” Diego responded, placing his hands firmly on Darin and Katie’s shoulders, their bodies wiry and malnourished under his grip.

 

“Two? I was told we were picking up one. We’ve barely got room as it is.” The seraphite questioned, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Well, now it's two.” Diego commanded, as though he was the one in charge rather than the seraphite.

 

The seraphite hesitated briefly, giving the siblings a quick up and down. “You sure?” He asked. “If these two suddenly disappear, there are going to be questions, investigations. We won’t be able to arrange another attempt here for a year at least, maybe longer.”

 

“I’m sure. Get them past the border, look after them. They don’t deserve any of this.” Diego responded, his voice steady. He turned his attention to the brother and sister who were utterly lost, still glancing back towards the manor with great concern. “You’re both leaving, now. This part of your life is over. You’ll never see Fairylin or D’Boris again. The Solar Seraphim will take you past the border and can help you get back on your feet.”

 

The siblings stuttered, lost for words, caught in a visible limbo of hope and fear.

 

“Wait, w-was this for you? Are we going instead of you? C-Can we not all leave?” Darin asked. You could see in his eyes that he was torn; so desperately he wanted to leave, but the guilt at leaving Diego behind to deal with the potential fallout from Fairylin…

 

The seraphite shook his head and then tapped his wrist. They needed to go. “We barely have the room for one, nevermind three. Quickly now, or no one is leaving.”

Diego gently pushed the two horses towards the ship, his mind already made up. There was no question, it had to be this way.

 

The siblings threw their arms around Diego, burying their faces into the crook of his neck, on the verge of bursting into tears. The lizard hugged them back tightly, blinking back his own tears. After a few seconds of their warm embrace they parted, the equines shaking from head to toe with overflowing emotion.

 

“T-Thank you, Diego. Thank you so much. We won’t forget this, ever.” Katie smiled behind her glassy eyes. “We owe you everything.”

 

“You owe me nothing. I'll see you on the other side of the border before you even know it!” Diego chuckled. “Now, you need to go, before someone looks out the window.”

 

The seraphite guided the pair up the ramp, immediately spotting Darin’s limp, intensified from the evening's festivities. He exchanged a knowing look with Diego before stepping inside himself. The ramp folded up and, just like that, it was done. The vehicle took off, floating down the road, barely making a sound. Soon enough, it merged into the darkness of the night, as if it had never been here in the first place.

 

A year at least, huh? I think I can survive that. Diego thought to himself, a warm feeling perimating through his chest. Darin and Katie were safe, finally relieved of the Thornscales cruelty. He pried his mind away from the greater consequences. He would find his freedom, but it couldn’t come at a cost like this. He sighed softly, rubbing the back of his head before making his way back through the gate and back to the manor. It didn’t seem like anyone had stirred.

 

He padded slowly up the path and entered through the front door, closing it softly behind him with a gentle sigh. It was done. There was nothing more to consider. He leaned back against the lobby wall, letting his head rest against the cool stonework. The party was all but over and his ticket out of here was gone. His heart rushed with mixed feelings, he was so close to bringing himself closer to Seeth and Plasia, his body flushed with the memories of them, the arousal so visceral it was painful. That wasn’t the only thing he missed about them of course, but it had been months since he’d seen any action…

 

Any action.

 

The heart-rate monitoring function on his collar had meant privacy was simply non-existent, and he didn’t have the confidence to ask for it. There was something extraordinarily demeaning about asking your literal owner if you could crank one out without her checking up on you…

 

He had an owner. Someone legally owned him. His blood rushed through his ears loudly, the very thought made his skin crawl.

 

Karen…

 

The thought almost brought him to a halt - almost. More mixed feelings coursed through him. Karen wasn’t all what he’d first thought she was. She was a beautiful, sweet, fun-loving young woman with as much desire to run free as him. And yet, here she was, still a part of this wretched system, his owner. An impulsive, angry surge flared in his chest and spread out through this entire body like a lightning strike. His blood was hot, his head muggy. 

 

It wasn’t fair. It was never fair. His mind went back to Oxyi, her plea for help and his more than willing sacrifice to save her life. How different things would be right now if he had chosen to be selfish for once? It felt like his ribcage was lined with knives, all pointing at his heart. He imagined where he would have been if he had accepted Moltezz’s offer back in the heart of her dungeon. The thought sent self-indulgent shivers down his spine; he could taste her spice, her power on the very tip of his tongue. 

 

If only she were here to ask him now…

 

He gripped at his collar tightly, squeezing the metal in the palms on his hands. Once again, he was left with the consequences of choosing others over himself. Why did he keep doing it?

 

His grip on the collar softened.

 

That was a stupid question.

 

He knew exactly why he kept doing it.

 

But that changed nothing. His exit was still gone. And now, there was a dark part of his soul demanding for control. 

 

It needn’t be excessive or dangerous. No one needed to suffer.

 

And he knew it was what she wanted…

 

His thoughts were perfectly timed with the creaking of an upstairs floorboard. Karen. He knew everything about her at this point; her gait, her weight, her routine and habits. His face hardened. His muscles tensed. Finally, he was going to take some control back.

 

Diego moved slowly up the staircase. Karen was standing on the landing, as expected, gently rubbing her bare feet into the soft upstairs carpet as she stared out of the window, a small drink cradled between her hands. She turned upon hearing Diego approach her. 

 

“Hey, Diego! It’s getting late now, we can finish tidying up in the morning if you’d like?”

 

He didn’t respond. Instead, he stared at her with an intense, brooding ire. Although she’d removed her shoes, Karen had yet to change out of her dress, and even after a long evening of drunken guests, partying and hosting, somehow she still looked… positively immaculate. Her golden hair tousled around her neck and shoulders. She leaned towards him, as though to move closer, the slit in her dress slipping to reveal more of her upper thigh. 

 

The lizard approached her, his chest pumped with confidence, his gaze fixated on hers. An immediate and strong blush overtook her and she tried to hide her face behind her hair. Fear then surged through her as she was pushed backwards against the wall,  a strong, scaled hand fixed around her throat. For a moment her mind went blank with fear, and her drink slipped from her hand to the floor. Something had happened, Diego had finally snapped… 

 

No. She was still breathing. He hadn’t hurt her, pushing her against the wall… And a new, not so subtle feeling began to take over.

 

He leaned in close to her, his snout gently brushing against hers, almost as if he was asking for permission. She breathed in his scent, wild, warm and fierce, almost like a crackling fire, it was beyond intoxicating and she melted in his grip, visible arousal on both of them as she relaxed around his hand and pushed her body towards him.

 

*** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level GREEN \\\-/// Caution Advised***

 

 A small involuntary moan snuck its way out of her mouth as they pressed their lips together, a spark of excitement visibly shuddering down the length of Karen’s body. Diego growled in response, his fingers squeezing the sides of her neck as they tasted each-other. More low moans escaped the dragoness at his touch.

 

She didn't think, couldn't think. She’d wanted this for how long now, weeks? No, that was being generous, more like months, but even so, it wouldn’t be right! She couldn’t possibly have fallen in love with her staff, nevermind the societal implications, it was surely downright immoral and advantageous to make a move on someone you literally own! But she wasn’t about to let her own brain take this moment away from her. She wanted him. And as he pushed her back with the gentle force of his own body, against the cool smooth wall, she responded in tow, pushing herself against it and throwing her legs around his waist, wrapping them around him tightly, pulling him in closer to her. All the while he was kissing her, nibbling at her lips, exploring her mouth with his tongue, and she was more than happy to receive. 

 

She could feel his arousal, hard against hers. Desire throbbed inside her.

 

Finally, she pulled away, gasping for breath. But the air around them was hot and heavy, and provided little respite. Diego growled again in response, as she breathed him in deeply, he stared down at her lips, then locked into her eyes. There was something… almost angry, dangerous in his startling purple eyes. They were dark and piercing, that seemed to see all of her, and right through her all at once. After several long seconds of silence that felt like an eternity, he uttered one word.

 

“No.”

 

And in his free hand he had Karen’s hair, gently pulling her head back, and his lips were on hers again. Karen was trembling. Then, Diego’s hands were moving away from her neck and hair, and tracing down the lengths of her dress.

 

Please, PLEASE don’t stop!

 

At about that moment, Karen suddenly became aware of a quiet but infuriating beeping from beside her. The datapad was resting on the windowsill beside her, alerting her to ‘abnormal activity’ Diego was currently partaking in. In a daze, she flapped and tried to move her hand and find it, and switch the damn thing off, but Diego got to it first. He pulled away from her, ever so slightly, and grabbed the datapad from the windowsill. He glanced at its screen, his heart-rate was through the roof apparently. He looked down at Karen, and the corner of his lip curled into the slightest hint of a snarl.

 

“No more.”

 

He dropped the data pad to the floor and crushed it underneath his foot. Karen gasped slightly, but Diego interrupted her with a warm, firm kiss.

 

“No more cheating. You want to know my heart rate? You can feel it for real.” He whispered gently into her ear, teasing her hair with hands as they stroked slowly down her neck, and then kept heading down.

 

“Don't you want to feel the real me?”

 

Delicately but firmly they traced along her curves, her breasts, her hips, down her navel. They slipped underneath the bottom of her dress. His fingers were warm and strong against her calves, and then her thighs. 

 

Yes… I do…

 

Karen’s wings opened out any splayed against the back wall, fluttering in anticipation as Diego’s hands finally made it to her underwear. Her breaths came in short, quick gasps only when Diego permitted her to take one, releasing his lips from hers just long enough to suck in a precious mouthful of hot, heavy air. 

 

I want it… please!

 

Suddenly, both of Diego’s hands were on her hips and pushing her back, higher against the wall. Her legs slipped momentarily as he pushed her into the air, then came back to rest loosely around his neck. 

 

Oh my god.

 

His hands reached down and tugged at her dress, pushing it up past the curves of her thighs.

 

OH MY GOD!

 

Diego kissed, nibbled and nipped at her inner thighs, his teeth pressing against her skin with the perfect amount of sharp and sweet. His lips explored against her skin, a growl vibrating from deep within his throat. Both of his hands were holding onto her hips, propping her up. They squeezed at her curves, feeling her softness with an animalistic hunger. His desire was on full show, as his right hand slipped further back and stroked up the underside of her tail.

 

Karen couldn’t deny her own body; she subconsciously re-tightened her legs around Diego’s neck, and her tail snaked up his body and wrapped around his torso. He was still teasing her, kissing her innermost thighs. He was so close… 

 

Shaking slightly, Karen moved her own hands, placing one of them on the back of Diego’s head, nervously trying to guide him upwards, while the other reached down, and started to tug desperately at her underwear. 

 

It was like a signal Diego had been waiting for. He took hold of her pair of lacy black panties between his teeth, and pulled. His head yanked back and the panties tore away from her skin. Karen’s heart skipped a beat as for the most fleeting of moments, she felt a rush of cooling air against her nethers, but fleeting it was, as Diego started to kiss hungrily around her lips. 

 

Karen let out a low moan. Her now free hand gripped desperately against the windowsill beside her as her other hand pulled Diego’s head in, with more confidence, more necessity now. But he needed no further encouragement, his snout already teasing and pressed against her clit.

 

“Oh, Diego…” 

 

The sound of his name escaping her own mouth made her shiver. She felt no such response from the man between her legs, but she heard the satisfied growl. He moved his maw, kissing, licking, and sucking at every part of her below. His tongue was gentle but fast, lapping hungrily against her nethers, and it was blissfully euphoric. Karen moaned again, louder, she clenched her legs tighter around Diego’s head, holding him tightly against her body. 

 

“Diego…”

 

Warmth and wetness spread across her thighs, and trickled down her legs. Diego’s mouth continued to eat her out, hungrily, greedily, licking up every drop of her sickly sweetness that he could. Karen’s stomach was tingling, an intense shiver ran down the length of her back. Her tail tensed, her legs clenched, and her vagina throbbed.

 

“DIEGO!”

 

Karen moaned his name loudly as her orgasm rippled through her, her waist, her stomach, trembling down her legs like an electric shock running through her veins. The tips of her wings flapped in ecstasy as Karen gasped desperately for breath. Her vision was blurry - she realised that she had teared up as she came, the intensity of it was so strong. 

 

She closed her eyes, let her head roll back and allowed the sweet euphoric feeling wash over her entire body. It felt wonderful. She was so lost in her euphoria that she didn’t notice that the wall was no longer supporting her back; indeed, she didn’t even truly notice until she landed firmly back against something soft. As she slowly blinked her eyes back open, she realised she was staring up at the ceiling of her four-poster bed, and Diego… Diego was directly above her, staring down at her with that intense, amethystine stare. 

 

He reached down again with his hands and pulled her dress off over her head. She gripped tightly at her soft, satin sheets as her head gently thumped back down against the pillows. She lay there, exposed all for Diego to see, to enjoy, to savour. He quickly pulled off his own clothes, his waistcoat, his shirt, with little regard for the buttons, which popped off and tapped against the bedroom floor with a soft patter-patter, like falling rain. Karen moved to reach for his trousers, but he batted her hand away and pulled them down himself. Both were breathing heavily. Karen didn’t move, and waited instead for her man to make his move, however desperately she wanted him. Diego’s hands moved over her body, her curves, rubbing and teasing against her hard nipples. His pupils were large and dilated. His tongue ran slowly over his lips as he stared down at his possession in anticipation.

 

“It’s my turn now.” He whispered. 

 

The rest of the night was a blur of flashing euphoric golden light against the darkness of her bedroom. Diego moved slowly inside her at first, warming her up, breaking her in. He thrust back and forth, eventually pushing the length of his member deep inside her, and Karen cried out in response. He was big, bigger than anyone else she’d had, and by god was it incredible. The insides of her legs were wet. She traced her fingers gingerly against his smooth, scaled skin, against his pecks, his abs, and then further down, and gripped onto his legs. Her body responded and moved perfectly in time to Diego’s rhythm, and as his thrusts quickened and deepened, Karen’s moans became louder, more desperate. She clung onto his body desperately, his muscles like iron, unrelenting and powerful.

 

Take me… Make me yours, PLEASE. Make me yours…

 

Diego pushed his muzzle deep against her neck and shuddered as he came. His hands gripped at the pillows beside her head and his thrusts slowed as he gasped slowly. But he was only just getting started, and Karen gasped in pleasant surprise as suddenly Diego started to speed back up, thrusting with even more vigour, even more desire. He moved her hands away from his legs and pushed them up above her head. His fingers squeezed and interlocked tightly with hers, and held them there. Karen’s legs locked back around Diego’s hips, using her tail to push herself upwards, curling inwards towards him. He stared down at her, breathing heavily, the golden rings around his eyes shining with a vibrance that Karen hadn’t seen before. 

 

His muzzle rested millimetres away from her own snout, but he never again went down to kiss her. That’s where he stayed, as his hips moved back and forth, moving Karen into his own rhythm as the pair moaned and came together, then again, and again. Karen’s fingers gripped tightly around Diego’s, and they didn’t loosen again until the sun started to peak over the distant rolling mountains, an entire world away. 

*** Hazard Warning \\\-/// Level GREEN \\\-/// Advisory End***

*

 

“Where are we?! Where the fuck did we warp?!” The Vora Baron captain slobbered, wiping the sweat from his brow. His cohorts all wore the same worried, stressed expression as him. 

 

As his navigator went to respond, more Baron ships warped in around them of various sizes.

 

“Nomad space, sire. Looks like an adjacent sector. Only point of interest is an abandoned space station, known as Barru X.”

 

“What's our fuel looking like?!”

 

“Low, sire. We can’t keep jumping like this forever.”

 

“How much time do we have before the fuckin’ guild hounds find us?!”

 

“An hour at the longest. Maybe less.”

 

“Then we need to - wait, what the fuck is that?!” The Baron stood from his chair, staring out of the cockpit window at the gargantuan ship visible in the distance.

 

The two Barons stared at the dreadnought curiously, trying to gauge what it was.

 

“I-Is it broadcasting anything? Does it match any faction?”

 

“Not that I can tell.” The navigator replied, his eyes darting between his screens and the dreadnought through the window. “Doesn’t match anything I know of.”

 

“You’re certain it's not guild either?”

 

“No chance, look at the thing! It's not broadcasting, but it does appear operational.”

 

The captain felt his heart pound in his chest as an idea began to form in his head. He plucked at his chin curiously as his eyes narrowed.

 

“Tell the other ships we’re moving in. Huddle up to the dreadnought in formation, pretend the unknown ship is ours. Should make those guild cunts think twice about opening fire on us while we plan an escape.”

 

“Sire, are you certain? What if it opens fire on us?”

 

“We’re fucking dead either way, so just do it. If it was gonna shoot, it would have done so already. Play it cool, let's not give our new friends any reason to hate us.” The captain growled. It was as good-a-plan as any at this point.

 

“What's the worst that could happen?”