By Bernie

Just as the shades of the sky turned from dark blue to a pink with the rising of the sun, the appearances of the adventurers had changed with the new day.  Lynthia kept herself covered with a thick hood and cloak, trying to keep her lovely face and sexy figure from view.  At the moment, the former queen had the self-confidence and self loathing of a damned street whore.  Jatz wore a new white shirt and dark pants he had bought with his significant earnings from last night, while Flinton wore a sleeveless green tunic and brown pants.  The archer's clothes however, smelled slightly of age.  Teneila and Karyn had replaced their party gowns for different attire.  Teneila enveloped her body with a lavender cloak, similar to the one she had in Nibi town, while underneath she covered her breasts with a tight, pale blue wrap.   Panties in a similar shade of blue wrapped snugly around her hips.  Karyn wore a short, black leather top and dark green pants, with her sword wrapped securely around her leg.  Choosing to keep her dark blue cloak, Karyn led the party out the hotel room to the edge of town. It was from there they mounted their various beasts of burden and took off, guided by Karyn and her medallion.

During this period of the quest, conversation between the party members was minimal for various reasons.  Karyn felt uncomfortable talking to Lynthia, with whom the feelings were mutual.  Lynthia herself felt a similar reluctance to speak to Teneila, who wished to speak to Lynthia but could not ponder the right things to say to the girl.  Although Lynthia secretly longed to resolve her issues with Teneila, she held no such desires towards Flinton, whom she despised even further after she and he had sex.  Jatz was unaware of the complex web of relationships that had been woven, and simply was confused when he found nobody was chatting as they usually did.  The thief decided from the look in everyone's eyes that they were not in the mood to discuss something as seemingly trivial as the group's morale.

The path out of town led to a deep forest, which stood before an enormous mountain range looming far far ahead of them.  Although the task of crossing through those mountains was obviously a daunting one from a first glance, the party hoped that it was not something they would have to concern themselves with later.  The forest right before them was the more pressing matter.  As the group journeyed down the path and the trees suddenly grew thicker, Teneila exclaimed, "Look!" and pointed further down.

"What is that?" Karyn asked when she saw what Teneila was referring to.  In the middle of the road was a large mass.  Everyone advanced on it to take a closer look, and soon they realized it was a body wrapped in a brown robe.  Karyn reached it first and turned it around so that she could see the body's face.  Instantly it was obvious the body was not human.  The skin was covered in dark green scales and the face was long and pointed, with a prominent snout.  The creature's eyes blinked open for a few moments at a time before closing again.  They were red with large black pupils.  Heavy breathing noises came out of its two large nostrils that stood at the end of its long face.

"Back off!" Jatz warned in a frantic yelp.

"Why?" asked Karyn.

"It's a lizaroid!  They despise humans!" the thief explained frantically.

"You mean the tales are true?" Flinton asked.

"The ones about the first encounters where we slaughtered a whole village for skins?  Yes, those are true." replied Jatz, the fear in his voice still evident.

"Why would we do such things?" asked Lynthia.

"Because," stuttered Flinton, "we didn't realize they were sentient beings."

"Well, this one is hurt." said Karyn after noticing the deep slash wounds on the lizaroid's arm and chest.  "We should help it."

"Are you mad?!" Jatz exclaimed, holding Karyn's wrist.  "It would kill us the instant it regains enough strength."

"No...I  would not..." a voice hissed.  Jatz almost jumped with surprise and the entire party turned towards the shifting reptile.

"I would...be grateful...for any help..." the lizaroid hissed between deep breaths.

"Then it is settled." said Karyn as she opened her satchel to retrieve some bandages.

***

The lizaroid sat on the rock and massaged his wounds gently through the thick layers of bandages that Karyn and Teneila had applied.  The warrior's medical skills and Teneila's magic helped the lizaroid make a quick recovery.  Karyn and Teneila wiped their hands carefully, making sure not a trace of lizaroid blood was on their skin.  It was known that the creature's blood caused severe rashes with prolonged exposure to the skin.  Most of the party was still quite wary of the lizaroid, a feeling the lizaroid could sense from their general attitude towards him.  Karyn proved to be the one exception, and sat down near the lizaroid in the hopes of speaking to him.

"What happened to you?" she asked as she continued to wipe her hands with a rag.

The lizaroid looked up at Karyn, scanning her for a moment before responding.  "I was in an argument with another lizaroid.  She attacked me and left me to die."

"What is your name?"

"I have no name in your language." the lizard man replied.  A loud, long hiss escaped his mouth before he spoke again.  "That, was my name."

"Then, we will call you Slithe."

"Very well." Slithe accepted.  "And who are you?"

"I am Karyn.  And these are my traveling companions." Karyn explained, waving her arm in the party's direction.  She briefly introduced Slithe to the rest of them before continuing the personal conversation.  "Tell me Slithe, have you ever seen anything resembling an altar, with a series of circles and a small hole in the centre?"

"Yes.  You speak of our sacred shrine to our god.  He has a name that has no equivalent in your language."

"God?  There are multiple gods." Karyn contradicted.

"No.  Our belief states that we have one god, responsible for life, death, and creation of material things.  Are you suggesting that our beliefs are incorrect?" Slithe asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Absolutely not.  It is just that...oh pay it no attention." Karyn said to quickly end the conversation.  "You said that you knew of such an altar in your village?"

"Yes." Slithe nodded.

"Well, then I shall know what to look for when I arrive there.  Thank you Slithe." Karyn said before she stood up.

"No, you cannot go there now." Slithe said, grabbing her wrist.  "My species still hates your kind.  No doubt when they see a human wander into their village, the warriors will eat you alive."

"Well, could you then do something for me at the altar?  I would do it myself but your claims make it sound like I cannot."

Slithe let out a heavy sigh before saying, "I express my gratitude to you for saving me.  But I must know, why did you save me despite our hatred for your species."

"It was the right thing to do." Karyn explained.  "To help someone in needs as dire as yours were."

"I see." Slithe nodded.  "I would help you but I cannot at this moment."

"Why not?" Karyn asked, her voice possessing a slight hint of disappointment.

"It is mating season for my species." Slithe explained.  "It is the time when the people in my village make love to their mates, or to a nearby female."

"How does that prevent you from helping us?"

"I unfortunately do not have a mate." Slithe reluctantly admitted.  "And I cannot find a female nearby."

"Do you wish us to find you a mate?"

"No.  The village is too far away.  I need to mate, release my lust, or I will die." Slithe enunciated.  "I have to keep moving, either find a mate or die by the end of the day.  Thank you Karyn, I appreciate your help, but I must go now."

As Slithe stood up and began to walk away, Karyn thought, and pondered her available options.  A choice came up in her head, one that made her shudder at the sound of it, but one she knew was really her only option if she wanted to continue her quest.  "Wait!" she called out to Slithe.

Slithe turned and saw Karyn run up to him.  "Let me speak to you in private." Karyn whispered into the side of Slithe's head, the warrior assuming something like an ear was present there.

Slithe nodded in agreement and the two stepped into the thick trees.  Once inside, enfolded by the darkness and a small distance from the party, Karyn began speaking again.  "I will mate with you." she volunteered with a hesitant whisper.

"You?  A human?  The thought disgusts me!"

"It is that or you find a suitable sized bird.  We need to activate that altar, and you can guide us safely through your village."

"You know it will not be pleasant."

"I have found in sexual matters that it is not the act that brings the worse suffering, but the repercussions afterward.  We will keep this secret."

Slithe looked at her with a puzzled expression.  "You are very passionate about this quest." he observed.  "You would be willing to give up your body to do such a thing?"

"My body is just that, my body.  If I can use it to my advantage then I shall."

Slithe thought for a moment, pondering Karyn's words.  After a few moments, the lizard man hissed and said, "Very well.  I admit my time is running short."

The two emerged from the thick foliage and Karyn announced to her party, "Slithe and I will travel to his village and activate the altar.  Do not follow us.  It would be easier if I were to go in alone and finish it quickly."

"How long will you be gone?" Teneila asked.

"The village is far away." Karyn said, stating the lie so that she and Slithe would have an excuse to be gone for a long time.  "Please, do not follow us.  The lizaroids are still hateful towards humans.  At least Slithe can lead me to the village and I can use stealth to activate the altar without detection.".

"Karyn, may I have a word with you?" Teneila requested.

Karyn nodded and stepped up to Teneila.  The magician then whispered softly into Karyn's ear, "Please do not go alone with this creature."

The auburn warrior sighed and stepped away.  "I shall be fine." Karyn insisted.

"I have reservations about lizaroids..."

"I have made my decision." Karyn interrupted before she turned and walked away with Slithe at her side.  Teneila scoffed at Karyn behind her back for the warrior's immediate dismissal of the magician.

The path through the forest was ancient, and nature had gone to great efforts to reclaim the space that man had cleared.  Thus, the walk was a series of climbing over thick tree roots and wading through grasses that were almost as high as Karyn's knee.

"I must admit," said Slithe as he observed Karyn climb hand over hand on a large branch, "that even for a member of such a repulsive species, you are the easiest a human has ever been on my eyes.  You must be a greatly desired female."

Karyn chose not to answer Slithe's remark and simply dropped down to land on the grass and continue walking.  "I think we have gone far enough." Karyn said in an effort to dismiss Slithe's comment.  She then took off her cloak and began to remove her black leather top.  Slithe meanwhile, reached into a pouch he kept under his cloak and pulled out a set of heavy shackles.

"You had best wear these." the lizaroid said as he offered the chains to Karyn.  "It is a custom for females to wear this, and frankly I do not think you would be able to handle the passion of a lizaroid mating session."

Karyn stared at the chains, hesitant to accept them and a bit wary of Slithe's warning.  Once she finished removing her clothes, she took the chains and walked over to a large tree.  She laid her naked body against the tree's massive trunk while Slithe fastened the manacles to Karyn's wrists and looped the chains around the large tree.  Matching pairs of shackles went around her ankles.  Karyn tested the strength of her bonds by straining them, and after finding them unyielding, she nodded at Slithe to commence.

Slithe nodded in acknowledgment before taking a rag out of his cloak.  He tightly stuffed it into Karyn's mouth, explaining to the warrior, "It is best we are as quiet as possible."  Karyn nodded in agreement.

Slithe then took off his cloak and closed his eyes.  A few moments of silence followed, making Karyn wonder what was going on when suddenly Slithe shrieked.  His green skin turned a shade of red and a large, erect penis emerged from his body.  The look in his eyes was monstrous, even more so than before.  Karyn braced herself as best she could but nothing could have lessened the shock and pain she felt when Slithe grabbed Karyn's round hips and rammed himself into her vagina.  Karyn wailed with agony into the muffling rag, the reptile's cock continued to expand within her womanhood, pressing against her hot, slick walls like nothing she ever experienced.  The force of Slithe's thrusts was also inhuman, his animal ferocity was evident with the vigor he humped Karyn.  Karyn balled her hands into fists, the chains tensing as the pain and pleasure grew within her.  Karyn's screams faded to loud gasps as Slithe ceased expanding within her and she could feel her climax approaching.  Her clit throbbed with white-hot pleasure and her body shook violently when she came, another loud, stifled scream escaping her lips.  Karyn groaned as she felt her pussy burst with cream, and groaned even louder as she felt Slithe come within her.  The force and depth with which his cum erupted, was beyond anything Karyn had ever experienced with a human.  It brought incredible pleasure but an equally great level of pain.  She had no time to bask in the raw ecstasy it provided as Slithe continued to thrust into her endlessly, ramming his cock deeper and deeper up her belly.  Karyn continued to scream, her body rocking violently with Slithe's rabid thrusts.

Slithe gripped the back of Karyn's thighs as he humped her pussy even harder than before.  The lizard's long, agile tongue raked across Karyn's flesh roughly, it's texture like sandpaper and the warm bile it produced was like hot water on Karyn's skin.  Karyn closed her eyes with disgust as Slithe savoringly licked across her face, and shivered as he licked her hard nipples.  The versatility of his muscle was proven as he wrapped his tongue around her left, sweaty breast and tightened his grip.  Karyn begged the lizaroid to stop, the pain in her belly was as if a hot knife had been rammed up her womanhood, and it was going deeper and deeper.  She felt the lizaroid's cock touch her cervix, eliciting a long, hard groan from the naked warrior.  Her pleads with the lizaroid went unanswered, his savage lust had overtaken him.  Karyn tried to detach herself from the pain, but the frequent bursts of intense sexual bliss, were a constant reminder of her situation.  They were also reason why Karyn eventually stopped begging Slithe to stop.

***

"I simply cannot believe Karyn would agree to help such a beast." Teneila muttered.

"Well, this one seems noble enough." Jatz remarked.

"You should be one to talk about nobility." said Teneila.

"Teneila," Jatz sighed, "you have an attitude I do not approve of."

"Your approval was not something I seek." Teneila replied.  "Excuse me, but I will rejoin the party later."

"What?  Where are you going?"

"I need to do some thinking Jatz.  That is all I will divulge." Teneila said before she flew off into the deep woods, disappearing from sight behind their thick foliage.

"What is taking Karyn so long?" asked Lynthia as she paced frantically around the camp.

"It has only been several hours." replied Jatz.  "They did say the village was somewhat far away."

"I hope nothing has befallen her." Lynthia worried.  "I should hope you feel the same way Flinton." she said with gritted teeth.

"Oh yes, absolutely." Flinton hastily replied.

Lynthia sighed in disgust and gave a dismissive arm gesture to the archer.  "Excuse me gentlemen but I need to relieve myself." she said.

"Just go into the woods." Jatz said nonchalantly, pointing vaguely towards the deep forest.

Lynthia walked past Jatz to step up to Flinton.  "I hope you enjoyed your view of my privates Flinton, for that was the last time you will ever ever see them again." she snapped in a whisper before wandering deep into the thick forest.

"What did she say to you?" asked Jatz.

"That she needs to go very badly." Flinton replied abruptly.

***

Lynthia pulled up her pants as she prepared to return to the camp.  She briefly surveyed the forest around her, noticing the enormous trees that flanked her on all sides.  The forest atmosphere was quite different than that of the Nightwood forest, she noted.  The sky was quite visible above her head, and that ominous feeling of constant dread was not present in this area.  Birds sang, crickets chirped, the wind rustled the leaves, sounds of a perfectly normal forest.

Among the thick green of the leaves however, stood out a sliver of lavender.  Lynthia squinted and stared at the patch of unusual color, which was when she recognized it as a cloak draped around a woman.

"Teneila?!" the former queen called out.  The shape turned and faced Lynthia, revealing herself to be Teneila.  Teneila however, merely gasped and leaped with inhuman power to the next tree.

"No, wait Teneila!" Lynthia insisted as she ran after her.  "Let me speak to you!"

Teneila dismissed Lynthia's pleas and continued to run, leaping from tree to tree with the agility of a cat.  It was due to this inhuman speed that Lynthia stared too intently at the streak of purple above, and not at the ground below.  A thick tree root caught her toe and send the blonde woman to the ground.  Lynthia grunted as she hit the dirt and dried leaves.  She picked herself up, dusted her clothes with her hands but could not see Teneila.  Lynthia called out, "TENEILA!!" repeatedly, but only the echoes replied.  Lynthia swore under her breath and was about to walk away when she heard a faint noise in the distance.

***

"I shall be in the bush for a few moments." Jatz announced suddenly before walking into the bush.  Flinton merely nodded in acknowledgment, not even looking up from the arrows he was fixing.

Jatz pulled down his pants and squatted, whistling quietly and nervously, his eyes darting around him.  The woods were very dark, and the air possessed a wet chill.  The thick smell of plants and animals hung on the air like a blanket, and the constant sounds of rustling combined to make the forest a terrifying place for Jatz to be left with his pants down.

One of the noises stood out in Jatz's ear like a loud echo.  The thief recognized it as a hiss, but not of any snake, of a lizaroid.  He slowly turned in the direction he thought he heard the sound coming from, hoping he had heard wrong.  The glowing eyes staring back at him in the shadows, proved he was unfortunately right.  A red hued lizaroid jumped at him, its fangs bared and glinting with drool.  Jatz yelped and rolled out of the way, watching as the lizaroid crashed into a large tree.  The thief got to his feet in a panic, frantically trying to pull up his pants while running as fast as he could.  He heard the lizaroid gaining speed and ran into the clearing where the campsite was.

"HELP!!  HELP!!!" Jatz cried out.

"Jatz!" Flinton exclaimed as he averted his eyes away from the thief.  Jatz looked down and saw his pants had fallen to his knees again.

"Jatz, please put that away." Flinton insisted, still looking away from him.  The loud snarl of a lizaroid suddenly entered the campsite.  Flinton looked and saw it standing at the edge of the clearing, examining the two men.  It suddenly dove at Jatz, the nearer of the two.  The thief fell to the ground, covering himself with his arms in the best defensive position he could muster in a split second.  A split second was all it took, for Flinton to arm his bow and launch an arrow at the rushing lizaroid.  The arrow pieced through the beast's right shoulder with enough force to send it backward.  The arrow flew into a large tree, pinning the lizaroid to it.  The screams echoed through the forest, piercing the men's eardrums and sending frightened flocks of birds into the air from their perches atop a nearby tree.

***

Lynthia walked quietly through the woods, trying to find Teneila in the treetops.  Her mind raced with the possible scenarios that would transpire when she and Teneila met again.  She wondered how the magician would react to her, and how she would react to the magician.  Feelings of love mingled with feelings of shame towards her, conflicting inside Lynthia's head and making her even more disoriented.  Her confused state of mind made the endless twisting branches and thick foliage seem like an endless labyrinth, and Lynthia was worried for a moment she would not be able to find her way back to camp.

Suddenly the noises Lynthia had caught previously returned.  This time they were closer, and clearer.  Lynthia heard feminine moans and what sounded like hissing or roaring.  She could see through gaps in the thick growth of trees before her that there was a slight clearing ahead, and she could make out what looked like two moving figures.  Curiosity and the erotic sounds of moaning got the better of Lynthia, so she peeked inside to see Slithe humping Karyn's vagina, with Karyn in chains against a tree.

"Karyn?!  Oh gods!!" Lynthia gasped in horror.

Slithe turned around and saw Lynthia in the bush.  He licked his lips with a long reptilian tongue and dove at Lynthia.  Lynthia attempted to run, but Slithe caught up with her and knocked her down on her back. Lynthia screamed in resistance, but Slithe was remorseless and lightning fast.  Slithe knocked Lynthia to the ground and forcefully ripped away the girl's clothes.  He gripped her wrists and held them above her head, positioning his large cock at her womanhood and entering her with one hard thrust.  Lynthia wailed, and could only cry as Slithe rammed into her like the wild beast he was, continuous and unrelenting.  His cock was immense and continuing to expand, Lynthia experienced multiple, horribly pleasurable orgasms from his rape before the lizaroid came with a howl.  His cock burst with hot cum, flowing into Lynthia's womb and down her spread legs in small rivers.  She sobbed and moaned as she felt his cock pump its load into her, flashbacks of her horrible ordeal at Nibi town flooding her mind.  As soon as he finished, Slithe began thrusting again, Lynthia moaning weakly with each thrust until he came into her again, causing her to scream.

"Lynthia...no..." wheezed Karyn into her drool soaked rag, her breasts heaving with desperate panting.  Her former lover's screams echoed through her mind like a banshee's piercing wail, bringing the naked warrior to tears.

***

"What in the god's name is that?" Jatz asked sheepishly, his forehead coated with beads of sweat.

"A female lizaroid.  And she is in desperate heat." observed Flinton as the lizard woman thrashed wildly against the tree, the creature's cries stinging his ears.

"You don't say." remarked Jatz with sarcasm as he dug through his bags to find a replacement pair of trousers.

"We can not just leave her there.  If she does not mate, she will burn out."

"Well, if you want to volunteer!" snapped Jatz as he pulled up the second leg of his new pants.

"No!" exclaimed Flinton.  "We need another way."

"Hmm..." both men murmured, their observant eyes leering towards Jatz's reptilian beast of burden.

***

"Now." whispered Jatz from deep within the dark bushes.

Flinton pulled on the string in his hand, which pulled out the arrow holding the lizard woman.  The beast snarled in pain as the projectile went through her body again, followed by a hearty sign of relief when it became dislodged.  She frantically scanned the area, her libido still rampant, when her eyes became locked on the enormous, four legged reptilian beast.

The beast turned to her and sensed her intentions.  A low growl of slight confusion escaped it's maw before the lizard woman dove onto it.

***

"M'lady." Slithe cried, his skin back to its original green color.  "I apologize deeply for my misdeeds.  I was not in control of my actions I swear."

Lynthia merely sat, looking away from Slithe and her arms clutching her body gently as she tried to ignore the pain that radiated from her vagina.  Her clothes were nothing but tatters, and small bloodstains were visible from the scratches Slithe had marked on her skin.  With teary eyes, Lynthia turned to Slithe and spat, "I hate you lizardman!"

"You have no reason to feel otherwise." Slithe admitted.  "I cannot begin to express my remorse."

"Karyn!" Lynthia growled at the warrior, who leaned naked against the tree, her wrists and ankles still red from the recently removed chains.  "I have been violated yet again without my consent!  I was a virgin before I joined you on this accursed quest!"

"Lynthia.  I apologize.  I truly do." Karyn said between deep gasps, her body still spent from Slithe's ravages.  "However, I hate to bring such matters up, but I did warn you did I not?  I warned you there would be dangers.  And you refused to listen to me."

"How can you be so cold to me Karyn?!  This is a side that I could never have seen in you before!" Lynthia screamed.

Karyn looked down shamefully, her breasts still panting with severe exhaustion.  "I will deal with you in a moment Lynthia." she finally said as she turned her attention to Slithe.

"Take this amulet Slithe." instructed Karyn between heavy pants.  "You will sense vibrations when you point it in the right direction.  Follow it until you reach an altar, it should look like a stone circle.  In the center, there will be a hole the amulet fits into.  Fit it correctly and turn it."

"You can count on me." said Slithe.  "I will return shortly."  The lizaroid then dashed into the woods, disappearing into the thick green foliage.

Karyn then returned her attentions to Lynthia.  "Lynthia...I..." she started.

"You what Karyn?!  Now I have reptile seed in my womb!  Reptile seed!  May the gods help me if I become pregnant!!" Lynthia interrupted loudly.

"You will not.  Reptile and humans cannot interbreed." Karyn explained, trying her best to soothe Lynthia.

"Karyn, I...I just do not understand you.  I do not know how you can simply brush aside these matters of the flesh.  But I do understand one thing.  I've been raped multiple times already.  And I say no more!  DO YOU HEAR ME GODS?!!  NO MORE!!!  The next time anyone gazes upon my naked body is when I next make love to someone I truly care for!"  Lynthia yelled in defiance of recent events.  After nothing but her own feminine echo replied to her, the blonde former queen turned to Karyn and venomously said, "I wish I had not met you Karyn."

"Lynthia...please..." Karyn said, trying to hold Lynthia in a comforting manner.

"Away from me you whore." Lynthia spat, knocking away Karyn's hands.

Lynthia turned around and gently wiped the tears from her eyes, trying hard to keep Karyn from seeing it.  Karyn however, did not notice, for she was too busy wiping a tear from her own eye.

***

"Good gods!" exclaimed Jatz as he covered his ears.  "Are they still doing it?"

Flinton, also covering his ears, reluctantly peered over the edge of the bush they were hiding behind, and then immediately ducked back down, a grimace of disgust marking his face.

"Yes." he shuddered.  "Who would have thought such acts could produce such wretched noises?!"

***

Slithe walked through the lizaroid's village with the amulet held firmly in his palm.  Although the streets were still fairly crowded, everyone knew at least one third of their population was in their huts making love to their mates.  Slithe walked casually through the crowds towards the quieter section of the town, where the altar stood.  He took a few quick glances around to make sure no one was watching him.  Then he retrieved the amulet from inside his cloak, placed it in the small indentation in the middle of the altar, and turned it.

The light that burst in a series of concentric circles startled the lizaroid, causing him to jump off the altar and gaze at the brilliant illumination with awe.  The entire village's population look towards the heavens as the brilliant light became brighter, their sensitive eyes beginning to hurt from the light's intensity.

***

Karyn gasped and fell to her knees as a strange, powerful sensation washed over her.  She closed her eyes and clutched herself, the sensations covering her naked flesh like multiple pairs of roving hands.  Karyn fell to her side and writhed against the ground, her moans becoming more sensual as they increased in volume.

"Karyn?  What is wrong?" Lynthia asked as she watched Karyn thrash against the ground.

Karyn continued to pant harshly, the strong sensations overwhelming her, drowning out Lynthia's words of concern.  Without warning the warrior orgasmed, her back arching and her hips thrusting skyward.  Sexual juices trickled out of her cunt, down her curved ass and thighs.  Karyn finally was able to relax, and eased herself onto the ground, her panting settling down to a steady, if not intense, breathing pattern.

"Karyn?" Lynthia asked, the concern in her voice mingled with a sense of fear.

"I am alright." Karyn replied.

"What happened?" Lynthia asked, Karyn's response doing nothing to ease her fear.

"Slithe activated the altar." Karyn explained.  "The sensations, they have been growing more and more since my quest began.  Now, it appears I no longer have to be there to experience them."

"But, do you have any idea what these sensations are?"

"Only that they are pleasurable." Karyn sighed, the memory of her climax still fresh in her mind.

***

"Slithe, you have defiled our sacred altar." the large lizard chief scolded.

Slithe did not look up from the ground as he knelt before the chief and dozens of fellow lizaroids.  "I am sorry." he finally said.  "It was for my honor that I kept this promise."

"What honor is there in defiling out most sacred altar to our god?!" another lizaroid snapped.

"I have no good answer to that." Slithe admitted.  "I only beg your forgiveness, and accept whatever punishment you see fit."

"You realize that the penalty for defiling our altar is death." a wrinkled lizaroid said.

"I am aware." Slithe replied, a hint of fear in his voice.

Several of the lizaroids talked for a moment, their hisses unintelligible to Slithe, who merely stared vacantly at the ground in shame.  Finally, he heard the lizaroids address him again, instructing him to stand and look at them as they dictated Slithe's punishment.

"Slithe, you are hereby banished from this village, immediately.  If you are seen again, you will be killed on the spot."

Slithe's eyes widened with surprise as he heard their verdict.  "Why do you spare my life?"

"Slithe, for all you have done as a soldier, and for your noble acceptance of your fate, it would be a crime to rid the world of a creature such as you in such a manner.  Now go."

Slithe bowed in acknowledgment and thanks before running out of the village, leaving the silent mass of lizaroids behind.

***

Karyn finished putting on her clothes while Lynthia did her best to cover herself, but to her dismay the tattered rags she wore did nothing.  Her pants were covered in holes and her shirt was a few flimsy scraps of fabric.  She knew she could not be seen like this.  Her breasts and vagina were fully exposed, reminders of her horrible experiences during this quest.  Lynthia was almost ready to weep once more when the rustling of the bushes revealed that Slithe had returned.

"Karyn.  Lynthia.  I wish to go with you." the lizaroid said up front, extending the medallion to Karyn.

"The answer is no Slithe." Karyn replied as she accepted her medallion.  "You have done your task and I thank you for it."

"Please. There is nothing left for me at my village, and more importantly, I want to make penance for my wrong doings.  Lynthia, I bring you a gift."  Slithe retrieved a parcel from his pack and handed it to Lynthia.  Lynthia took it warily and untied the thin piece of rawhide that held the package together.  A set of soft clothing was inside.

"Made of fine mammalian hide." Slithe explained.  "Soft and warm.  I apologize however, I did not know your size and I was in a hurry."

"Oh, thank you." Lynthia said, her tone a mixture of sincere appreciation and hesitance.  She took off her tattered rags and placed the new clothes on.  It consisted of brown pants and a long sleeved shirt that was cut off just below her breasts, revealing her navel.

"How does it look?" Lynthia asked.

"To me, you look hideous, as all humans do." Slithe admitted.  "But, I suppose it is acceptable in appearance."

"I think you look beautiful.  As you always do." said Karyn.

A slight rose hue flushed Lynthia's cheeks for a moment.  "Thank you Karyn." she said reluctantly.

"I also have one other thing for you." said Slithe, reaching into his pack once again.  He pulled out a sheathed blade and gave it to Lynthia.  "To my people, a woman warrior carries a blade such as this.  I feel such an item would be appropriate for you to own on this quest."

"Yes, it would.  Thank you Slithe." said Lynthia, admiring the fine craftsmanship of the handle.  Smooth grips were carved into it, making the blade feel secure and comfortable within Lynthia's delicate fingers.  The unique, curved shape of the blade made its beautiful and deadly in appearance at the same time.  She placed in a loop on her belt and began walking towards the camp, motioning Karyn and Slithe to come with her.

***

With a great deal of caution and their weapons drawn, Jatz and Flinton slowly peeked over the top of the bush they hid behind.  The sounds had ceased, and both men could have sworn they heard the lizard woman leave, but both were too nervous to check.

Luckily, their suspicions proved correct, and the lizaroid was gone.

"Well, that will teach her to tangle with me." Jatz boasted mockingly.

***

The tree was enormous, its trunk was as wide as a small room and its branches extended skyward in a tangled mass.  Teneila sat on one of the highest ones in a cross-legged position, her hands resting on her knees and her eyes closed.  Her body reacted very little to the cool breeze and the general discomfort she felt from sitting on the tree's rough bark.  Her mind was wandering freely, away from the constraints her body regularly placed on it.

In the world that her mind currently ventured, she appeared as a glowing, naked ghost, floating freely through the air in a place unlike anything the physical world could ever reproduce.  All her senses were constantly bombarded with incredible sensations, ones that blew her mind with their complexity or brought her peace from their simplicity.  To Teneila, it was here that one could always find answers to everything, even questions of the heart.

"Lynthia.  How foolish I have been." she thought to herself.  "Even though you should not have attempted to make love to me without consent, I did not wish to harm you like I did.  And yet I could not face you, not until I ponder what to say."

Suddenly a dark shadow appeared from one of the furthest corners of Teneila's vision.  It had no tangible shape, but appeared to be a large mass with several tendrils extending from a centralized mass.  The magician gasped at the sight, and almost screamed when she saw the tendrils rush suddenly at her.

Teneila flew away, trying to return to her point of entry on the strange plane she occupied.  The tendrils proved too quick however and one of them was able to wrap around her ankle.  Its touch was cold and unyielding, sending a large chill up the magician's spine.  Teneila launch a magic spell at the shadow out of reflex, not putting any thought into its strength.  A purple ball of sparkling energy flew towards the central mass, but passed harmlessly through it.  The tendril around Teneila's ankle began to drag her closer to the large mass, while other tendrils grabbed her other ankle and both her wrists.

The nude magician struggled within her bonds, trying to ignore the increasing sensation of cold that rippled through her body.  Her breasts jiggled alluringly as she struggled, her nipples becoming hard as the cold spread through her frame.  She felt a sudden jerk from the tendrils and suddenly her arms were pinned behind her back and her luscious legs were spread apart, revealing her pussy to the shadow mass.  Teneila screamed, in the vain hope that somebody would hear her, but her mouth was instantly covered with another tendril, silencing her.  Another tendril came over her eyes and she could feel others wrap around her breasts and thighs.  Blind and gagged, she could not see the large, bulbous tendril coming out of the central mass and coming towards her pussy.  She only felt the sudden shock as it rammed up her vagina with one, hard push.  Teneila bit down on the tendril in her mouth, her screams coming out as coarse moans as the tendril pumped madly into her cunt.  With a series of pushes and pulls by the tendrils around her wrists, waist and ankles, her body was thrust against the probing tentacle in unison with its humping motions.  Teneila groaned with pain and a strange, growing feeling of pleasure as she was pushed and pulled against the long, dark shaft like a puppet of flesh.  The small tendrils around her breasts teased her, the combination of their deft touch and cold feel made Teneila's nipples hard and erect.  The screams of resistance turned into groans of intensifying pleasure, a bliss so intense it caused Teneila to close her eyes and lower her defenses.  Teneila's hands clenched within her bonds and her head tossed back as the pleasure waves intensified.  The tendrils around her breasts had stopped teasing her nipples and relentlessly fondled her mammaries, her tits heaving with arousal as the tendrils wrapped around them.  Tendrils caressed the tender undersides of her breasts, while the bulbous shaft in her pussy grew wider and plunged deeper within her.

The groans that escaped from the tendril shoved in Teneila's mouth turned into an erotic crescendo of screams, growing louder and coarser as her vaginal muscles tightened around the invading probe like a vice.  The long shaft had taken a permanent presence inside her womb, its thrusting motions only drove it deeper and harder into her.  Teneila groaned erotically as she felt her vaginal walls being caressed by the massive tendril in her cunt, small feelers had erupted from the surface of the large tendril to caress and fondle her insides.  She cried out desperately with increasing passion, the pleasure was now mind-blowing.  The magician's back arched suddenly and she wailed as she finally came to orgasm, her cunt bursting with fresh honey.  Teneila continued to scream around the tendril in her mouth, her mind facing the full force of the climax; without the pleasure spreading evenly across her flesh as it normally happened.  The experience was so intense, so pleasurable, she suddenly snapped back to reality.

Teneila bolted to alertness with a gasp, almost falling out of the tree.  Her lips shivered as cold sweat beaded on her skin, and a sense of strange, erotic gratification swept over her body.  Teneila gasped for a while longer, her brain still foggy with bliss and her breasts pumping madly for air.  "What...who...who was that?" Teneila finally gasped to herself.  She reached down to gently touch her crotch through her clothes, and found she was wet with thick globules of feminine honey.

***

Karna walked into the large hotel suite and closed the door behind her.  In the centre of the room was Xarthul, sitting cross legged and wearing nothing but black trousers.  His eyes were closed and sweat gleamed off his skin.  Karna walked up to him with a smile on her face, sitting behind him and stroking his back while purring sensually.

"She fell, just as I expected." Xarthul boasted.

***

"What happened to you two?" Lynthia asked as she noticed the somber expressions on their faces.

"Oh, nothing." replied Jatz.  "Lynthia, where did you get those clothes?" the thief asked as he noticed Lynthia's new wardrobe.

"Oh, Slithe gave them to me." Lynthia explained hastily, somewhat surprised at Jatz's inquiry and not wishing to divulge the details as to what happened to her old clothes.

"Her clothes were ugly, I simply wanted to...give her something more presentable.  After all, I will be joining the quest and I would not want to stare at such ugly attire." Slithe interrupted, blurting out his explanation with evident haste.

"You?  Join us?" Flinton said with confusion.

"Yes, Slithe will be joining our expedition."  explained Karyn.  The lizardman bowed nobly once his presence was explained.  "It is a...tradition for lizaroids to accompany those who save their lives."

"Where is Teneila?" Lynthia asked Jatz.

"She said she went off to meditate.  She said she had some repentance to face, or something along that line." the thief answered.

Lynthia paused as she interpreted the explanation, and pondered at what Teneila was doing in the trees.

"I have returned." Teneila's voice suddenly announced.  The party turned and saw Teneila descending towards them.  "What...what is that thing doing here?!" Teneila exclaimed, pointing at Slithe.

"Slithe will be joining us." Karyn said as she sat down, trying to hide the pain that radiated from her vagina.  "He has expressed his desire to join us out of honor.  Is there an objection Teneila?"

"It is, it is just that I recalled that it will be the mating season for lizaroids very soon." Teneila said.  "That is why I am worried about seeing a lizaroid at this time."

Lynthia and Karyn shared a brief glance before Karyn said to Teneila, "It..has already passed."

Teneila shrugged her shoulders in acknowledgement before looking momentarily at Lynthia.  "Lynthia...I like your new clothes." she complimented warily.

"Thank you." Lynthia replied awkwardly.  The two women went through a thousand words within their minds, scanning and reviewing what words could express the mixture of emotions they had towards each other, and trying to predict one another's reactions to possible statements.  But it was all for naught, the courage for the act was not in either of them, and they simply turned away without saying another word.

"Another time." they both thought.

Flinton turned to Jatz and said in a tone of voice just higher than a whisper, "By the way Jatz, you scream like a woman."

"Shut up." Jatz replied as he mounted his run lizard.  The beast suddenly shook beneath the thief, almost knocking him off.

"Jatz, your run lizard seems to be energetic all of a sudden." Karyn noticed.

THE END