 
                          --===CHAPTER 7===--
 
Chapter 7
 
 
 
    "I don't know what the fuck he thought he was doing,
getting in the middle of this.  It's got nothing to do with him!  What
gives him the goddamned right to stick his nose in my business?" Paul
fumed.  He was pacing like a caged animal, licking his wounded ego more
than anything.  Don had not seriously injured him at all.  Paul was so
upset, he'd resorted to actually speaking in Carysta's presence.
 
    *<I don't know why he is acting the way he is.  You know
him better than I do,>* she said.
 
    Paul spun on her, and nearly snarled at her, but caught
himself.  "I don't seem to know him at all!  I *thought* he was my
friend!  This is bullshit!  First one friend starts messing with my
sister without so much as talking to me about it, and then the other
one has to stick his nose in when I'm trying to settle things with the
first one!"
 
    Carysta knew the real issue here was that Paul was not in
control of things, and he didn't like that.  Still, all of this worked
to her advantage, and that was the only thing that really mattered to
her, at this point.
 
    *<Do you think you will be able to work things out with
them?>*  She certainly hoped not, and she didn't think he could.
 
    Paul dropped himself onto the bed beside her.  Finally, he
was beginning to settle down, to let his emotions drop back to a
reasonable level.  It wasn't her he was mad at, anyway, and venting on
her was both childish and pointless.  He took several deep breaths,
trying to bring himself under control.  She could see that what she had
taught him so far was working, and she remained silent while he did a
very brief meditation to re-center himself.
 
    *<No,>* he finally responded mentally, *<I really don't
think that I can forgive either of them for what they've done.  I mean,
first seducing my sister and then telling me it's all my fault, I just
don't understand them.  I ought to go back out there and beat the
fucking shit out of both of them...>*
 
    Carysta had to turn him from that line of thinking
quickly.  *<Love, you've seen how strong Donald is already.  Magic is
easier to master than psionic power.  Someday, you will be able to
stand up against him.>*  *Maybe,* she added to herself.  *<But not
today.  If you force the issue to a more strenuous fight, you might get
hurt.  I don't want to see you hurt.>*
 
    *<So, what the fuck am I supposed to do?  Do I just let
Julie go with that asshole?>*
 
    *<Julie is enamored of Gill, my love.  However that came
about, changing it would be difficult.>*  Actually, it would have been
child's play for Carysta, but that would not suit her goal.  *<Dwelling
on your loss is not healthy, and it will prevent you from honing your
skills further.  It is best to leave all of this until such a time as
you can stand against them both and win.>*
 
    *<I suppose you're right... but what the hell am I supposed
to do now?  There is no fucking way that I'm going to be led around by
the nose by either one of those fuckers at this point!>*
 
    Carysta had been holding her breath.  Finding the
opportunity to ask him had been difficult.  She would have no better
chance than right now.  *<Stay with me, Love.  You have not challenged
Iamor, and you have not been a thorn in his side.  He would not object
to you remaining.  We could live here together.  You could continue to
train.  Perhaps, in time, you might even be able to forget about all of
the pain your sister and friends have caused you.>*  She hoped so; life
with him would not be pleasant if he was hell-bent on revenge.
 
    Paul looked at her for several moments.  *<You're serious,
aren't you?>*
 
    *<I have never been more so with you.  You have brought
into my life a warmth and a light that I have not known in many, many
years.  I don't think that I'm likely to see it again soon if you leave
me.  I admit, I'm being selfish, but, I don't want to lose you.>*
 
    Paul considered her words for a long time.  He rose from
the bed, and walked to the window, staring out across the field. 
Carysta waited in fearful silence.  She didn't like exposing herself;
it was something she'd carefully avoided for most of her life.  She'd
had relationships, but none had really meant much to her.  Paul was
different to her, and she was willing to share herself with him, though
this meant some risks to her carefully-constructed personality.
 
    Finally, he turned back to her.  She couldn't read the look
on his face, and he'd managed to wall off his thoughts.  She could have
broken through, but that would have been very much the wrong thing to
do under the circumstances.  She waited as calmly as she could manage
as he sat down beside her again.  He put his arm around her, and pulled
her to him.
 
    As they kissed, he said in his mind, *<Yes, I will stay
with you.  You're the only friend I have left.>*
 
    That suited Carysta just fine.
 
 
 
...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...
 
 
 
    "I don't think I'm ever going to figure this stuff out,"
Annie said in despair.  She was walking with Don in the meadow just in
front of the castle, outside the moat.  She held his hand more like a
little girl right now than like a girlfriend.  Her lessons with Gaphnia
were not going well, though it was obvious that Don was getting better
by the day.
 
    "You'll pick it up, Annie.  It's just taking you longer, is
all.  Hey, I spent a week screwing up before I got here.  Maybe you're
just in your adjustment period."
 
    She looked at him, knowing that he was just trying to make
her feel better, and loving him for the effort.  He looked down at her
with that smile on his face that she saw him wearing so often.  She
wasn't sure what it meant, but she liked it.  She pressed herself
against him, hugging him tightly.  He immediately responded in kind.
 
    "What if I don't?  What if I'm always a rotten sorceress? 
And I can't even learn my psionic skills, because I'm not getting in
the middle of the whole Carysta-Paul-you-Gill thing..."
 
    Don frowned for a moment.  They had not even seen Paul in
the last three days, since the fight.  Don didn't know what to do about
that.  He knew that it wasn't really up to him, though, and so he set
the thoughts aside.  His mind returned to the beautiful woman in his
arms, the one that was looking to him for security, comfort, and
encouragement.  He had little of the first to offer her, but the last
two, he could manage.
 
    "So what if you don't?  Gill says your sword fighting is
improving."
 
    "Yeah, but not nearly as good as he is!"
 
    "Shh," he said, pulling her tighter to him and stroking her
hair softly.  "Why does this bother you so much, Annie?"
 
    She pulled away from him, so that they could talk.  "How am
I supposed to help on our trip?  How can I go with you if I have no
skills to help with?"  He could see she really was near tears over
this.  He put his hands on her arms, lightly, to show support.
 
    "Annie, you *have* skills.  Maybe you're not a
master-sorceress, or a good psionic, or even an excellent
swordfighter.  But every little bit helps.  We learned that coming over
here.  You'll be there when we need you.  You're also another set of
eyes and ears, who can look out for danger.  But really, even if you
weren't useful to us in any way, shape, or form, I'd be taking you with
us."
 
    She looked him in the eye as she asked, "Why?"
 
    Don blushed and stumbled over some attempted words before
he finally turned away and said, "Just... 'cause.  I can't leave you
*here*, and you're not safe out there alone.  Somehow, someday, we'll
get home.  And that 'we' includes you."
 
    She stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. 
There were tears of happiness on her face for what he hadn't managed to
say.  "Thank you," she whispered.
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    The couple wandered through the meadow for a while after
that, but it started to get chilly, and so they made their way back to
the castle.  After they had turned their backs, a dark, winged shadow
left the ground, flying south over the surrounding hills.  Its master
would want to know about these two.
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    Inside the castle, Don walked Annie back to the room she
was now sharing with Julie.  He stifled a yawn as they went up the
stairs; the long days he'd been putting in were starting to wear on him.
 
    When they arrived at her room, he turned to her and took
her into his arms.  She came willingly, and tilted her head up to meet
his kiss.  Their lips moved gently together, and Don's hands caressed
her back, sending wonderful tingles throughout her body.
 
After a few minutes, however, he broke off their kiss.  She could see
the fatigue on his face, and knew that tonight would not be the night,
either.  She still couldn't bring herself to ask him about it for fear
that he would reject her, even though he was so very kind to her.
 
    "Good night," he said softly, interrupting her thoughts. 
His words were accompanied by a very warm smile.  "Pleasant dreams."
 
    "You, too," she responded, and watched him walk down the
hall.  He tiredly turned to go into his room, and the door clicked
shut.  She had a feeling he'd be asleep within the next five minutes.
 
    She, however, was *not* tired, and after that kiss, what
she really was, was horny.  She turned to go into her own room, not
quite sure what to do about her predicament.
 
    Once inside, she saw that Julie was already slipping into
bed.
 
    "Hey, Annie," she called quietly.
 
    "Hey, Jules," she responded.  It didn't take much, in her
current state, to remember the first time they'd been in bed together,
and what had happened.  She'd not had the courage to experiment further
with Julie, but it was clear that the other girl was available to her. 
Perhaps she *could* relieve her pent-up desires, in a way that probably
wouldn't bother Don if he learned about it.
 
    Julie didn't pay much attention as Annie moved about,
getting ready for bed.  She didn't even watch her as she undressed. 
She'd made her interest clear, but she wouldn't press herself on the
woman.
 
    When she felt a weight on the edge of the bed, she turned. 
They had not slept in the same bed since it became obvious that Paul
was not returning to this room.  As she finished rolling over, Annie
slid under the covers completely, and slipped against Julie.  Annie
wrapped her arms around Julie, and slowly, very tentatively, leaned in.
 
    The two girls pressed their lips softly together as their
bodies molded against one another.  Julie slipped her one arm around
Annie, pulling her in closer.  Her hand slipped down onto Annie's
buttock, and Annie moaned into Julie's mouth.  Annie slipped her leg on
top of Julie, and the two were now intertwined as tightly as they could
get.  Julie loved the feel of Annie's pert little breasts against her,
and Annie wondered at the soft, pillowy feel of Julie's large tits.
 
    Finally, their kiss broke, and Annie leaned her head back a
little so that she could look into Julie's eyes.  "Up for a little
playtime?" she asked lightly.
 
    "Always," Julie purred.
 
    Annie got an uncomfortable look on her face.  "I... don't
really know what I'm doing," she confessed.
 
    "You're doing damn well for someone who doesn't," Julie
said with a smile.  Turning slightly serious, she said, "Don't worry. 
I'll show you."
 
    Julie leaned in, and they were kissing again.  Julie's
tongue slipped out to run across her partner's lips.  Annie opened her
mouth, and Julie's tongue entered, probing against Annie's own tongue,
and the two kissed hotly, their passions rising.  Julie's thigh began
to slip against Annie's cunt, and Annie was soon wet and panting.
 
    Julie pushed Annie onto her back, moving with her, but not
rolling on top.  Julie's hand slipped around from Annie's ass, trailing
a hot path around her hip.  Annie's moaning grew more insistent as
Julie's hand began to slip between Annie's legs.  Julie's fingers
brushed along either side of Annie's sensitive clit, and Annie
shuddered, her back arching, and she squealed against Julie's mouth. 
Annie came down from her small orgasm quickly, and she redoubled her
tongue's movements inside Julie's mouth.
 
    Julie, in turn, allowed her hand to slip further between
her lover's legs.  Her fingers slipped along the moist folds of Annie's
cunt lips, getting drenched in Annie's love juices.  Once she'd found
the spot, Julie pressed her middle finger inward, probing Annie's
hole.  She found the entrance, and slowly, gently slipped her finger
into it.  The opening was hot, and wet, and *tight*, and Julie's finger
was gripped by strong pussy muscles.
 
    Annie groaned as she felt Julie's finger slip inside her,
and then start pumping in small motions at first, growing to
full-fledged strokes.  Annie broke their kiss, feeling the need to gasp
for air at the sensations in her pussy.  Julie soon added a second
finger, and Annie was lost in pleasure, her body overcome by the
wonderful feelings in her twat.
 
    Without a mouth to occupy Julie's lips, she slid down
Annie's body looking for a new target for them.  She paused at Annie's
nipples, licking and sucking them while Annie groaned out in ecstasy. 
Julie lapped at Annie's tits, sucking on them and running her tongue
all around them, paying lots of attention to Annie's erect little
nubbins.  Meanwhile, her fingers continued their dance in Annie's cunt,
and it was obvious that Annie was close to another, larger orgasm. 
Julie wasn't ready to let her have that climax yet, though, and so she
slowed down the movement of her fingers, and slipped her mouth off
Annie's tit.
 
    Annie, panting and heaving, looked up at her new lover with
questioning eyes.
 
    "It's time we played a little game," Julie said quietly. 
"It's called 'Mirror mirror'.  The idea is, whatever I do to you, you
then do to me.  The winner," Julie said with a smirk, "is the one who
gets off."
 
    Annie smiled, and nodded.  She did not expect what came
next, however, as Julie rolled on top of her, but in a sixty-nine
position.  Annie stared up at Julie's sweet pussy, dripping its
juices.  She could feel the heat emanating from that wonderful box, and
she was very curious about what it might be like to lick it.
 
    It was then she learned that she was about to find out,
because she felt Julie's soft tongue run along her own outer lips,
softly tickling them in a highly arousing manner.  Annie shuddered, but
then managed to pull Julie's hips down, pulling Julie's cunt right into
her face.  Annie stuck out her tongue and slowly, uncertainly, touched
it to Julie's skin.  She slid her tongue along the engorged outer folds
of Julie's pussy lips, moving along her entire length.  Julie groaned
out loud at the feel of Annie's inexperienced, but very soft and
alluring, tongue against her private place.
 
    Remembering what she was doing, Julie returned her tongue
to her partner's slit, using it to ply open Annie's outer lips, and
searching for the opening to her cunt.  It wasn't long before Annie
began to do the same to Julie, though admittedly, there was a long,
shivering pause before she began.  Julie smiled to herself about that,
knowing that she was good at this, and enjoying having a new partner to
enjoy, and to teach the pleasures of womanly touches to.
 
    When Julie had Annie's pussy lips opening like a flower,
she stiffened her tongue, and pressed it to Annie's hole.  She pushed
in, as if her tongue were a small cock, only she was able to wiggle her
tongue, sending shivers throughout Annie's body.  Annie cried out in
pleasure, letting loose of Julie for a moment.  It wasn't long before
she returned her attention to her teacher's body, though.
 
    Annie was in heaven.  What Julie was doing to her was more
pleasant than anything anyone had done to her in a very long time.  She
shivered and writhed from the feel of the tongue invading her cunt, but
then she managed to remember that she was supposed to do the same
thing.  She slipped her tongue back against Julie's slit.  She tasted
Julie's juices, and found that she enjoyed the flavor.  Her tongue
waggled of its own accord, lapping up the juice and sending tingles
into Julie's brain.
 
    Annie poked her tongue up into Julie's twat, and wiggled
it.  Then she began to push it in and out of Julie's cunt, as if she
were actually fucking her with her tongue.  Julie screamed against
Annie's cunt, awash in the pleasure of the moment.  Annie, knowing she
was doing something right, kept up the effort.  Her hands, which
weren't busy at the moment, moved down, seeking out and finding Julie's
tits.  Her hands cupped and fondled those wonderful melons, tweaking
and then pinching the nipples.
 
    Julie was losing it, fast.  She thought to herself, *This
girl is a natural!  Oh, god, I hope this isn't a one-time shot!*  She
used her tongue and her fingers to stroke Annie's pussy.  Finally, she
moved her tongue up and, while her fingers continued to dance amid
Annie's cunt lips, Julie's tongue sought out and found Annie's clit. 
Julie's tongue danced along the length of that clit, until she sucked
it into her mouth.  A few strokes of her tongue along with the sucking
of her lips, and Annie was right on the brink of orgasm.
 
    Julie sunk her middle finger deep into Annie's cunt, and
started thrusting it in and out very fast.  Her tongue and lips
continued to work on Annie's clit, and that was the last straw for
Annie.  Her orgasm washed over her body, sending spasms and tingles all
along her limbs.  Annie screamed against Julie's cunt, her tongue,
still stiffened, was pushed even deeper into Julie's twat.  The
vibrations and the penetration were more than Julie could take, and her
body, too, began to writhe and buck in the throes of climax.
 
    The two ladies continued to spasm and lurch throughout
their orgasms.  Julie was actually thrown off Annie, and lay beside her
on the bed, panting and wriggling as her orgasm began to subside.
 
    When Julie finally calmed down from her climax, she found
Annie already sitting up next to her.  She struggled to raise her body
up off the bed, to sit with her new lover, and to see if they might do
this again at some point in the future.
 
    "That was incredible," Annie said.
 
    "Yeah," Julie confirmed.  "For a girl who doesn't know what
she's doing, you sure do it well!"
 
    "Thanks," Annie said, blushing.
 
    "So," Julie said, a little hesitantly, "did you like it?"
 
    "Oh, yeah," Annie responded, a little starry-eyed.
 
    "Then, we might do it again sometime?" Julie asked
hopefully.
 
    "Um..." Annie said, and Julie's heart skipped a beat, until
she saw the look on Annie's face.  "I was thinking about... well, right
now."  Annie didn't give Julie a chance to answer her, as she nearly
tackled her, pushing her down onto the bed as their mouths met once
again.
 
    *Oh, God, thank you!*
 
 
 
...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...
 
 
 
    The next morning, the two women woke up in a tangle of
bedclothes and limbs.  The first thing Annie did upon waking was to
kiss her bedmate good morning.  Julie returned the kiss, and they did
some heavy petting to continue their activity from the night before. 
Neither of them was in the mood for more sex, though, as they had sated
themselves quite nicely during the night.
 
    "I never thought sex with a girl would be so, well... fun,"
Annie admitted.
 
    "Yeah.  I still prefer guys, but when you can't have one of
those... a girl makes a damn good substitute," Julie said.  

    After kissing some more, Annie said, "We'd better get up.
 I've got to be to magic lessons in a little while, and I *definitely*
need a bath, now."
 
    "We can take one together.  I'll wash your back, if you'll
wash mine."
 
    Annie smiled devilishly and said, "Okay... but I think I'd
rather wash your front."  The two girls had a good laugh as they
climbed out of bed to start their day.
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    When they met out in the garden, Don noticed Annie's
lighter mood.  She fairly waltzed up to him and kissed him on the
cheek.  The sexual tension she'd been feeling was gone, and she was
able to feel a little less tense about her relationship with him.  Don
noticed all this without understanding any of it.  He gave her a hug,
as he usually did, and she returned it warmly, but it didn't seem as if
she clung to him as she had.  He couldn't begin to interpret what was
going on with her, and he wasn't about to ask her about it; certainly
not with Gaphnia sitting right next to them.
 
    "You seem to be in high spirits, Annabelle," Gaphnia said. 
All attempts to get Gaphnia to call her Annie had failed, so she just
rolled with it.  Especially this morning.
 
    "I had a good night's sleep, ma'am."
 
    "Oh, good.  Then perhaps we'll make more progress today.  A
fresh, rested mind is always more receptive to the ways of magic. 
Shall we begin?"
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    "No, Annabelle!" Gaphnia chided.  "Not like that!  You are
straining at the spell, when it needs to flow!"
 
    Annie slumped onto the bench in the garden.  Her eyes were
downcast, and her good mood was broken.  Don, seeing this and finally
understanding one of the emotions that had crossed her face today,
decided to take matters into his own hands.
 
    "Gaphnia, could we break for a little while?  I think we
could all do with a rest."
 
    Gaphnia thought to remind him of how limited their time
was, but she could see that there were things that needed saying
between the two, and so she nodded, rolling away to the other side of
the garden.  Don immediately knelt in front of Annie.
 
    "Hey.  Don't let this get you down.  You'll get it,
eventually.  Sometimes things just come harder to some people."
 
    "I'm an idiot!  She's as much as said so!"  Annie was
holding back tears, and Don could feel the pain radiating from her
heart.  He moved beside her, and wrapped his arm around her.
 
    "That's not what she meant to say, Annie.  I don't think
she's talked with people for a while.  She just wants you to do well,
and she's a bit frustrated because she can't find a good way to help
you understand what you need to do."
 
    "I can't even move a stupid fucking rock!" she said,
allowing profanity to slip into her language, which was something she
only did when she was upset.
 
    "You *are* trying too hard, you know," he said very
softly.  He turned his body so that he was straddling the bench, facing
her.  He gently pulled her against him, and she assumed a position
similar to his.  He wrapped his arms around her, and nodded to a rock
sitting near them on the ground.
 
    "Okay, you can see the rock, right?"
 
    "Of course I can see the rock," she said, a bit miffed.
 
    "Can you feel the rock?"
 
    "*What?*"
 
    "Can you feel it?  In your head, can you feel the rock?"
 
    "No, of course not!"
 
    "Why not?" he asked, still softly, still gently.
 
    "Because..." she stuttered.  After a long pause, she said,
"Because it's just a rock."
 
    "Exactly.  It's just a rock.  It's not going to fight you. 
Magic is normal to that rock.  Magic is completely expected by the
rock, and by the birds, and by the mountains.  They don't fight magic,
because it's part of who and what they are, here in Zemlia Nov.  So,
you don't need to struggle with the rock, because it's not going to
fight back.  You simply need to use the magic to tell the rock where to
go."
 
    "But... how?"
 
    "Well, magic is energy, like.  So, if you can shape the
energy, you can move the rock.  The magic spell calls up the energy,
but you still have to think about what you want all that energy to do. 
So, when we chant the movement spell, we have the right form of energy
to move the rock, but you've still got to imagine the rock moving.  So,
picture in your mind that the rock moves from where it is to, oh, say,
the end of the bench, and then, while you keep that image in your head,
chant the spell, but make sure you don't lose the image."
 
    "But... what if it fails?"
 
    "Then you can try again later," he said, squeezing her
lightly to reassure her.  He could feel Gaphnia's eyes on them, but he
wasn't about to say that to Annie.  "C'mon.  What have you got to
lose?"  He kissed her softly at the base of the neck, and she smiled
warmly.
 
    Annie closed her eyes for a moment, and took a deep
breath.  She formed the image in her mind, and let it play over and
over again.  As it was playing, she started to chant the spell, and she
opened her eyes.  She was careful to keep the image playing in her
mind, over and over.  She was shocked to see the stone lift off the
ground and, shakily, move over to the bench.  It settled with a solid
clunk onto the bench, and Annie cried out.
 
    "You made it do that!" she exclaimed accusingly.
 
    "I didn't lift a finger.  You were the one casting the
spell, I can't do magic without a spell, either.  Face it, Sweetheart,
you can do magic, if you just let go a little bit."
 
    She turned herself toward him, and they kissed briefly.  He
could tell there was a difference in her kiss, but he wasn't sure what
it was.  It was still damned nice, however, and he enjoyed it while it
lasted.
 
    When she broke their kiss, he could see that she looked a
little fatigued.  "Why don't we take a break?  You look a little punked
out."
 
    "Yeah.  This stuff is hard."
 
    He smiled at her.  "I want to talk to Gaphnia for a
minute.  Will I see you at lunch?"  Normally, he would not have had to
ask the question, but this morning, things seemed a little odd.
 
    "Of course," she said, sensing that he was suddenly uneasy
about something, but not aware of what it was.  "I'll see you later." 
She kissed him again, and then moved off.
 
    *What the hell is up with *her* now?*
 
    Don's thoughts were interrupted as Gaphnia wheeled over to
him.  Her voice was much softer now, and held what he considered to be
a lot of self-doubt.
 
    "You were able to explain to her something that I could
not."
 
    He looked at her, and shook his head.  "Not really.  I just
told her the way that I do it.  Though, I admit, it doesn't take me as
long as it does her, but then, it doesn't take you as long as it does
me, so it all evens out in the end."
 
    "I may not be the best teacher for either of you, Donald."
 
    "You're the only teacher we've got, Gaphnia.  I'd prefer
not to have to learn this at all.  I'd prefer to be back home, worrying
about finding a girlfriend and who's going to beat me up next week in
school.  I guess we don't always get what we want."
 
    "You aren't happy here, with your new friend, and your...
more accommodating sister?"
 
    Don blushed fiercely.  Everyone in the castle knew about
the siblings, of course; there was simply no way to hide it.
 
    "I love Katie.  And I do like our relationship now.  But
she shouldn't have to be scared like this all the time.  As to
Annie..." he looked off into the distance.  "I'm not sure what she
feels for me, so how I feel about her isn't really important.  I feel
kind of responsible for her, and that's why I want her to learn to use
her magic better.  All in all, as miserable as life at home was, at
least I knew what was going on.  I'm not real happy with not having a
handle on what's going to happen after lunch, let alone tomorrow or the
next day."
 
    "I can certainly understand that.  Life was once that
unpredictable for me, as well.  Then... well, things changed, and now I
am a crippled old woman, bound to this chair and stuck in this place. 
Nothing changes."
 
    Don turned to face her fully.  "If I may ask, how did you
end up in that wheelchair?"
 
    Gaphnia frowned for a moment, and Don thought he'd just put
his foot in his mouth.  Then she took a deep breath.  "It's not
something I've considered for a long time," she said.  "It happened
about a hundred years ago."
 
    She wheeled herself over next to him.  "About a hundred
years ago," she repeated.  "There was a beautiful woman living in this
castle.  Her name was Dina Hollie."
 
    "The woman who first wielded Annie's sword," Don
interrupted.
 
    "Yes.  That is yet another reason that Iamor does not like
her.  Iamor was enamored of Miss Hollie.  She, of course, felt little
to nothing for an old sorcerer.  Dina was a great fighter, and a woman
not to be trifled with.  No one knows exactly what happened to her, of
course, but it is hard to believe she didn't make it out of Zemlia Nov
alive.
 
    "Anyway, I'm getting off track.  Miss Hollie lived here in
the castle for nearly a year.  She was charmed into staying by one of
Iamor's spells, along with many excuses he gave her to remain.  The
girl was not stupid, and she realized that she was behaving oddly.  She
came to me for help, and asked me if I knew what was happening to her.
 
    "Well, I was still a bit young then, for a sorceress, and I
didn't like the things my brother did most of the time.  Banishing
Denonia was about the only thing we ever agreed on, really.  Anyway, I
told her in no uncertain terms what he was doing.
 
    "She got very angry.  She stormed into his chamber and
confronted him.  I knew what would happen, which is why I made sure to
follow her, in the guise of a small bird.  Sure enough, Iamor got angry
and childish, and he made all sorts of threats against her life if she
didn't stay and become his wife.  The brave child told him... well, you
can imagine what one of your world would say to such a demand."
 
    Don nodded.  He could imagine what Susan, under normal
circumstances, would have said to what Gill was doing to her.
 
    Gaphnia continued.  "Finally, seeing that he was not going
to be able to coerce her into staying, he decided to use his magic on
her.  That's when I stepped in.  I fought off all of his attempts at
hurting her, and all of his attempts at manipulating her.  He was so
very frustrated, and he was horribly angry with me, but I was able to
hold him off until she was out of his reach, outside the valley.
 
    "But you see, while I may be as strong - some even say
stronger - than Iamor, I do not have his stamina.  Eventually, he wore
me down.  With no spells left to summon, I surrendered to him, and that
was when he gave me a choice.
 
    "He told me that I could either become a hideously ugly old
woman, or I would be confined to this wheelchair for the rest of my
life.  Well, I am foolish, and as vain as the next sorceress, and I had
no desire to become... well, I guess your people would have then called
me a witch.  I did not want to take that path.  It's stupid, and
childish, I know, but this chair is not so much a burden, anymore."
 
    "So, you're stuck in that chair, but you get to stay
beautiful for the rest of your life?"
 
    Gaphnia blushed slightly.  "Thank you, Donald.  Though I
dare say I am not quite as attractive as I once was, at least I am not
a beast."
 
    "Gaphnia," Don said, trying to wrap his mind around the
thought he'd just had.  "Have you ever tried to stand up, since then?"
 
    "Heavens, no.  Why would I?  I cannot walk, for he cast a
spell on me."
 
    "But you're a stronger magician than he is."
 
    "For short periods of time, yes."
 
    "Everything you've both taught me says that he *can't* do
what you just said he did."
 
    "Donald, I..." Gaphnia's voice trailed off.  "But I can't
walk!"
 
    "Have you tried?"
 
    Gaphnia stared at him incredulously.  He looked back at
her, and he said, "Perception is the essence of all magic, remember?"
 
    Gaphnia sat, stunned by the very thought.  It would take a
newcomer to have told her this; anyone living in the castle would
certainly have been threatened into silence by Iamor, if Don was, in
fact, correct.
 
    She had to know, but there was one last, nagging thought. 
"What if I can stand, but it turns me into a hideous monster?"
 
    "Well, even if it does, something tells me you could change
yourself back.  But something tells me that Iamor didn't actually *do*
anything to you, except convince you of the truth of his lie."
 
    Gaphnia nodded.  "If I do change, you will be honest with
me?"
 
    Don nodded.
 
    Gaphnia took a deep breath, and used her hands to move her
feet onto the ground.  She was very nervous, and this was unusual for
her; she was normally a confident woman.  She summoned up all the pride
and dignity she had within, and they bolstered her.  She was Gaphnia,
Master Sorceress of Castle Ballor, and no one would keep her down!
 
    Slowly, painfully, Gaphnia pushed herself out of the
chair.  She straightened her arms, and put her weight onto her legs. 
Her knees wobbled, and her ankles shook, for her leg muscles were
certainly not used to carrying even her light weight.  She was,
however, standing.  Don put out his hands to help support her, and she
accepted that.
 
    "Have I changed into a hideous woman, now?" she asked
seriously.
 
    Don *had* noticed a change, and he thought he discovered
Iamor's mistake.  "You have changed," Don answered with a smile.  "But
it is a very minor change.  I think that perhaps his spell has mostly
worn off.  In fact, I think that you can probably shake the last of his
spell loose without much trouble, and you will be your old self again. 
Um... excuse me for that slip."
 
    She laughed at him easily.  "I am old," she said.  "I am
very old, by your standards.  And," she added, "I am getting tired
quickly.  Help me back to my chair."
 
    Don immediately moved her back to her seat.  She closed her
eyes and chanted a long series of spells, or so it seemed.  Before his
eyes, Gaphnia transformed herself.  Her facial features tightened, her
hair restored itself back to an almost-blonde state, and her skin
smoothed itself.  After some time, she opened her eyes, to see him
staring at her.
 
    "Do I look *that* much better to you?" she asked with a
smile.
 
    Don blushed.  "I honestly didn't think you looked bad
before, but now you're a stunning woman."
 
    "Well, help this stunning woman up to her room, would you,
so she can rest?"
 
    "Yes, ma'am."
 
    She pulled him down, and kissed him on the cheek.  "Thank
you."
 
    "I just thought you deserved to have your legs back, and
didn't see any reason that the most powerful magician in the land
couldn't heal herself."
 
    "Sometimes it takes the eyes of a newborn to see the wisdom
that the aged miss."
 
 
 
...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...
 
 
 
    "Waaa-uff!" Annie cried as she made her way - heavily - to
the ground.  Gill grinned, but managed not to laugh at her.  He knew
she wouldn't take it very well, and he didn't want to discourage her.
 
    She sat for a few moments, rubbing her backside, and
cursing silently at herself for her stupid move.  She'd lunged too far,
and he'd caught her off-balance, and she'd paid the price for it.  Had
it been a real fight, she'd be dead now, she was sure.
 
    Don also knew this was what she was thinking.  He was
watching her from the side, and so he muttered a little spell. 
Suddenly, bright flashes of light filled Gill's vision, startling him,
and he drew back, unsure of what was going on.  Annie, taking advantage
of her chance, quickly rolled up to her feet, her sword in hand, her
stance proclaiming her readiness to fight.
 
    Don let up on his spell, and Gill's vision started to
clear.  He shook his head, and then looked with annoyance over at Don. 
"No fair helping her!"
 
    Don shook his head.  "That's where you're wrong.  The whole
*point* is that we're going to be helping each other.  When she slips,
I cover her.  When I slip, you cover me.  When you slip, she covers
you.  That's the way it has to work, or we're already dead."
 
    Gill bowed to the wisdom of that.  "Okay, fair enough...
but did you have to use such an *annoying* damned spell?"
 
    Don chuckled.  "Seems to me I remember someone bitching
about how I wasn't any good, just a few weeks ago."
 
    Annie giggled, and Gill let it ride with a muttered curse. 
He liked both of them, but being the target of the teasing wasn't
necessarily fun.  "Shall we go again?" he said to her.  She nodded,
ready for his attack.
 
    But she wasn't, not really.  Gill sidestepped and swung. 
Annie brought her sword up to parry, but it was clumsy.  She didn't
have a chance to counter before he brought his sword around again for
another strike.  This block was better, but still not great.  His third
swing nearly got through, and he could see that scared her.  She
stepped back, hoping to give herself some room, but it was the wrong
move.  He followed her, and that set up a chasing pattern that she
couldn't hope to win from, unless she changed tactics.  It was hard to
think in the midst of battle, and that's why some things had to become
natural reactions.
 
    Finally, Gill thought it was time to teach her the mistake
she was making.  He backed her against the weapons shed, and now she
had nowhere to go.  His last thrust impaled the shed, very near her ear.
 
    He saw the terror in her eyes, which was immediately
followed by despair.  He hadn't meant to shake what little confidence
she had, but he'd obviously done so.  He turned to Don in concern, but
Don was already there.  He put his arm around her, and she cried
against him.
 
    "I think that's enough for today, don't you, Gill?"
 
    "It most certainly is," Darnell interrupted.  He'd watched
the whole scene without comment, but now he took Gill away, apparently
for either a lesson in teaching or a chewing out.  Don didn't want to
know which, just now.  He focused on the scared girl in his arms.
 
    "Oh, Don, what am I going to do?  I can't defend myself, I
can't do magic... I'm useless!"
 
    "But you're pretty," he said, trying to add some levity to
the situation.  It almost worked; she smiled at him, but her anguish
was too deep for that to work easily.  "Pretty hopeless, you mean!"
 
    He pulled her more tightly to him.  "Hey, remember what we
talked about earlier?  It doesn't matter to me how good you are at
this.  Look, I don't want to sound cruel or mean, but let's face it:
Julie is not exactly a big help, except that she can cook.  But I've
never considered once leaving her behind."
 
    "But she's..."
 
    "Just a friend.  Just like you.  Well, not *quite* like
you.  I don't kiss Julie very often," he said with a wink.  Then he
kissed her, and she melted against him.  It felt so wonderful to be
with him like this, but he never seemed ready to go any further with
her.  Well, she had Julie to relieve her frustrations, and if Don
didn't want her... but did he?
 
    She didn't know.
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    That night, Don was out on the balcony of his bedroom.  He
was sitting on the low wall of the balcony, staring up at the stars. 
His back was against the castle wall, and his hands held a small
crystal orb.  It wasn't used for seeing; it was a concentration device,
and it would, when used properly, sing in the mind of its user a
beautiful song.  He was looking at the moon and contemplating his
future.  Needless to say, he was not hearing any song at that moment.
 
    His thought patterns were interrupted by a flutter in the
night.  He heard the sound, and he *thought* he saw a shadow, but he
just could not be sure what he might have seen.
 
    "Katie?" he called softly.  She emerged almost immediately
from their room to be by his side.
 
    "Yeah?"
 
    "Oh, so it wasn't you.  I thought I saw something, I wanted
to make sure you weren't out flying around."  He took the opportunity
to reach out for her, and she came to him gladly.
 
    "I'm sorry that I haven't been with you more lately," he
said.  "Shit, I feel like I'm doing as badly as Paul did to Julie."
 
    "Bro, it's okay."  She caressed his face, and laid her head
on his chest.  She loved the feel of his arm around her back, enfolding
her and her damnable wings.  "I know you're busy, and I know that Annie
needs you.  You're *not* behaving like Paul, because I know, beyond a
shadow of a doubt, that you love me."
 
    She looked up at him, and he gazed deeply into her eyes,
and he nodded, ever so slightly.  Their mouths came together almost of
their own accord, and the two kissed warmly.  Don used what little of
his attention he could spare to set his concentration orb down on the
table out here, and then his hands both wrapped around his sister,
pulling her to him.  He could feel her wonderful breasts mashed against
him, and he could feel the heat of her body.
 
    "How long has it been?" he asked her when they broke their
kiss.
 
    "Too damned long," she responded.
 
    "Well, I think we should fix that," he said, unhooking the
back of her shirt, and pulling it forward.  She didn't hesitate, even
outside, to allow her brother to undress her.  She bowed her head to
make getting the shirt off easier, and as he was setting it on the
table, Kate pushed her skirt and panties off her hips, allowing them to
drop to the stone floor.  She slid out of the slippers she was wearing,
and now she stood before her brother, completely nude.
 
    Don admired her body for what seemed to him an eternity. 
He soaked in her every curve.  He loved how the moonlight reflected off
her pale skin, and she seemed very angelic.  What he wanted to do to
her, however, was not something that angels did.
 
    Moving off the wall onto his feet, Don unhooked his robe. 
Once it was unfastened, Kate pushed it off his shoulders, causing it to
drop to the ground to join her clothing.  She eagerly gripped his
underwear and dragged them off his hips as well.  Now, with both of
them naked, Kate pressed herself fully against her brother, and they
kissed hotly, their tongues intertwining.
 
    Don's hands roamed his sister's body, settling comfortably
onto her ass.  Kate moaned at his touch.  She was grinding her hips
against him, making sure his cock was fully hard and ready for her.  It
was then that Don decided to do something unique.  He broke their
kissing, and he stared into her eyes for a long moment.  Then, taking a
deep breath, he closed his eyes and started to chant.
 
    Kate didn't know what her brother was doing, but she
trusted him, and that was all that mattered.  Soon, she felt her feet
leave the ground.  She looked down to see the castle falling away
quickly.  They were levitating upward at a very fast pace.  Don
continued his chant until they were several thousand feet above the
ground.  When he stopped chanting, he opened his eyes.  Looking down,
they were above some clouds, and actually could not see the castle
below.  Looking up, the moon and the stars shone as brightly as ever. 
Don floated downward, settling into a position that looked for all the
world like he was sitting on a cloud.
 
    Kate let go of her brother as she unfolded her wings.  She
floated away from him slightly and did a pirouette.  Don sighed to look
at his beautiful, naked sister, bathed in moonlight.
 
    Soon, she returned to him.  Her eyes were now locked on the
object of her desire: his erect cock.  She floated downward until she
was lying against the cloud.  Her hand reached out and softly took her
brother's dick into its gentle grasp.  As she jacked him, her tongue
snaked out and licked along his length, paying special attention to his
balls, as well.
 
    Finally, when she felt he was ready, she moved her mouth to
the head of his prick.  She pressed her lips against his dick, and then
very slowly parted them.  Don grunted in pleasure as Kate's lips slowly
slid over the skin of his cock, sending shivers from his toes to his
head and back.  Her hand was still stroking him, and her other hand
began to fondle his balls.  As her mouth made its way past the head of
his dick and onto the shaft, he knew he couldn't last too long.
 
    Kate took him in until he reached the back of her throat,
and then she began to move her head up and down, sucking on him as her
hands did their pleasant dance.  Don was grunting in joy and trying his
best to hold back, but he just couldn't do it.  Finally, he gave his
sister a warning groan, and then he blasted his cum deep into her
throat.  Kate swallowed and continued sucking until every last drop of
cum had been pulled from Don's dick.  She swirled her tongue around the
head of his dick to clean it off, and then she gently let it out of her
mouth.  She moved up against her brother, hugging him and pressing her
body against him, letting him know how hot for him she was.
 
    Don held his sister for a few long moments, but then he
pushed her slightly away from himself, and upward.  He moved her so
that his mouth could engage her nipple.  Kate sighed and shuddered as
she felt his lips cupping her breast, his tongue flitting across her
nipple.  His other hand worked at her other tit, caressing and
massaging the flesh there.  Kate was moaning now, lost in pleasure.
 
    After a while, Don pushed Katie up even farther, trailing
wet kisses across her abdomen.  Kate moaned in anticipation of what was
coming.  Don's mouth soon found its target, and his tongue slipped out,
pressing against her wet pussy lips, soaked with her love juices.  He
lapped at her wetness, causing her to writhe and moan above him.  His
hands moved up to continue playing with her tits, and Kate arched her
back, pressing her breasts into his palms, her nipples on fire with
arousal.
 
    As Don continued his work, Kate began to cry out in her
ecstasy.  She was fully engulfed in pleasure now, and she wanted
nothing more than for her brother to fill her cunt with his dick.  She
twisted and thrashed above him until she could take no more.
 
    "Donny, fuck me, please!" she cried out.  Realizing she was
more than ready for him, Don eased his sister downward.  His cock was
once again rock-hard, and he was eager to have her warm, velvety
tightness wrapped around it.
 
    Kate slid down her brother's body as he slid up hers.  They
met in the middle, and they were now standing in the midst of the
cloud, the vapors enveloping them, hiding them from sight.  The pair
barely noticed the wet world surrounding them as they held each other. 
Their lips pressed together and their tongues danced as their hands
caressed each other's body.
 
    Kate parted her legs and lifted them, her magic wings
keeping her from falling.  She wrapped her legs around Don's waist, and
pressed herself to him.  She broke their kiss as she maneuvered herself
so that Don's cock was pressed to her waiting hole.
 
    Don looked into his sister's eyes and saw a deep, abiding
need.  He smiled at her, and then used his hands to gently push her
down onto his cock.  Kate growled in pleasure as she felt herself being
filled up by his manhood.  Don kept pressing in slowly until he was
buried in her pussy.  Once they were fully joined, Kate wrapped her
arms around Don's neck and pressed herself fully against him, her lips
seeking and finding his, and their tongues once again beginning their
sensuous dance.
 
    Don began to move inside his sister, making small thrusts
at first.  Kate moaned into his mouth, awash in the pleasant sensations
her brother was causing inside her.  He continued to slide in and out
of her as he rotated their bodies, ending up with her beneath him.  As
they fucked, they floated amidst the cloud, bobbing and weaving, their
cries of joy muffled by the moist air, their bodies soaked from cloud
moisture and sweat.
 
    The pair had established a fast rhythm, and they were both
in high spirits as their bodies moved together.  They moved in perfect
sync, speeding up and slowing down as one, extending their pleasure for
as long as they could.
 
    Suddenly, Kate broke their kiss.  She pushed herself away
from her brother, slipping off of him.  He looked at her in dismay,
until she turned around and bent herself over.
 
    "Do me this way," she said hungrily.  In less than a
second, he was with her, and his cock was once again slipping gently
inside of her.  Once he felt her wetness around him again, he started
to thrust into her.  He reached forward and took her tits in hand,
kneading the wonderful flesh there.  Kate moaned and mewled, her cries
growing louder as she became more and more aroused.
 
    Don slammed into her harder and harder, sensing that they
were both close to their orgasm.  He very gently pinched his sister's
nipples, and he felt the shudders begin in her body.  Her back arched,
thrusting her tits more firmly against his hands.  She made not a
sound, but it was clear that she was lost in the throes of her climax.
 
    Kate's pussy gripped Don's prick deliciously, and it was
impossible for him to control himself any longer.  He slammed into her
one last time, burying his prick as deeply as possible, and fired his
load deep into her.  He continued blasting his load, and was so
overcome by the feelings of bliss that he temporarily blacked out.
 
    When Don's eyes opened, he realized Kate was not next to
him.  He also realized that he was falling, very fast.
 
    *Oh shit!* he cried to himself.  Looking down, he realized
he still had time.  He was chanting furiously, trying to hold the image
in his head.
 
    For her part, it had taken Kate a second to realize her
brother was no longer with her.  She looked around frantically, and
then flew out of the cloud.  Looking down, she saw him falling, and
plunged downward to try to reach him.
 
    They were only three hundred feet above the ground when
Don's chanting managed to engage the spell, and his body slowed to a
halt.  Kate had tried to stop his fall, but her magic was only strong
enough to allow her to fly, not to carry someone else.
 
    With both of them gasping for air, they hugged tightly,
slowly floating in the direction of the ground, and the castle.  They
kissed passionately and eagerly, wanting to reaffirm their devotion to
each other.
 
    When they finally broke their kiss, and they were mere feet
above the balcony floor, Don looked at his sister and said, "Well, I
guess now I've *really* fallen for you, Katie."
 
    She giggled and hugged him, her head on his shoulder.  "I
love you, Donny."
 
    "I love you, too."
 
 
 
...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...
 
 
 
    After breakfast the next morning, Kate was up, flying with
her eagle friend.  The two soared together, wheeling and turning in the
sky, as if they were playing an unspoken game of tag.  The eagle kept
close to Kate, but not so close that they might collide.  For her part,
Kate was thankful to this creature for teaching her, in its own way,
how to fully control her flight.  She rode a thermal up above the
castle, and giggled when she thought about the previous night.
 
    Her attention was focused on her memory, and so she didn't
hear anything out of the ordinary.  It took her several moments, in
fact, to realize that her eagle friend was not with her anymore.  She
turned her head to look for him, and that's when she saw it, but by
then it was far too late.
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    "Concentrate, Annabelle!" Gaphnia said.  She was attempting
to stand, but needed a cane to do so.  It would take a few more days
for her body to fully recover its strength.  She still had not stood in
front of Iamor; she didn't feel the need for that confrontation yet.
 
    "I *am* concentrating!" Annabelle growled back.  Don, who
had kept out of their session to this point, took Annie's hand and
squeezed it.  She took a moment to glance at him, and smiled tightly,
but was too upset to really show her appreciation.
 
    Gaphnia saw how the two worked together, and envied both of
them.  She didn't have anyone to care for her, and that was lonely, in
or out of Zemlia Nov.  Annie closed her eyes again, and began the
chant.  She could feel the energy in her mind, and she continued to
chant as she opened her eyes.  She stared fixedly at the ingot of iron
before her, and, as she continued her chant, it began to change before
her eyes.  Sweat popped out on her brow as she continued, watching as
the unshaped bar took on the form of a hammer.  Finally, she stopped
her chant.
 
    "Very good, Annabelle!" Gaphnia exclaimed, praising Annie
for her work.  Don gave her a hug, and Gaphnia knew that was higher
praise in Annie's mind, but she didn't mind being one-upped.
 
    "God, that's hard work."
 
    "It grows easier with time," Gaphnia assured her.  "You've
done well, I..."  Gaphnia's voice was cut off by a loud scream.
 
    "That was Katie!" Don cried, and was off in a flash toward
the sound, the others behind him.
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    Everyone had heard the scream, and Gill came running, with
Susan close behind, both of them carrying their weapons.  As Don
rounded the corner, his breath caught in his throat.  Flying through
the air was a large, red dragon.  The horns on its head curved up, and
then forward.  Its eyes glinted a deep red.  Its leathery wings were
fully outstretched, and its tail whipped from side to side.
 
    Don saw the sharp claws on his forelimbs, and saw blood on
one of them.  That worried him, because he couldn't yet see Kate.  Gill
grabbed his shoulder and pointed.  Lying in the pasture, crumpled on
the ground, was a body.  Don's worst nightmares flashed through his
head as he ran to her.
 
    Bending down, he could tell she was still alive.  He rolled
her over, and saw that she was, just barely, conscious.
 
    "Donny, it hurts," she moaned.  He looked at the horrendous
gash on her side, and it nearly made him sick.  He set that aside,
however, as he placed his hands on the wound and began to chant.  In
moments, he'd closed the wound.  It would hurt for several days,
however, and she needed time to fully recover.  He picked her up and
carried her back to the castle, setting her down near some shrubbery.
 
    "Don't move, Kate.  I've got to go... deal with this guy." 
*Kill the cocksucker*, was the thought that ran through his head.
 
    Don turned to join the others, and they all stared up at
the huge dragon flying in circles over the castle.
 
    "What the fuck's he waiting for?" Gill wanted to know.
 
    "Hell if I know," Don responded.
 
    "I think he's waiting to see Iamor," Gaphnia opined.
 
    "Yeah?  Well, I'm not."  Don raised his hands and began his
chant.  He released the ball of fire up at the dragon.  The dragon
dodged it, but it wasn't that easy.  The magic fireball turned and
chased him like a guided missile.  The dragon finally got hit in the
tail, and he roared in rage.
 
    "Who do you think you are, boy?" the creature screamed. 
"You think you can challenge Dan-Gelmer?  I am more powerful than you
will ever *hope* to be!"  The creature flew down, and it was clear he
was about to let loose with a ball of flame.  Susan had an arrow
strung, and let it fly.  The creature was too intent on his attack, and
so was struck by the arrow, which stuck into his chest, but not deeply
enough to do serious damage.
 
    It was, however, enough to infuriate Dan-Gelmer.  He
shrieked in anger and pain.  The dragon wheeled, and soared higher into
the sky.  Then he dove straight at the group, ready to take them out. 
Don chanted a spell that should shield them all, but it was clear that
the dragon would probably break through it.  Gaphnia wished she could
help, but she was too weak from trying to regenerate her body over the
last day.
 
    Dan-Gelmer impacted Don's shield, and kept coming, though
slower.  The dragon pushed through it, and everyone except Don started
to run.  Annie turned to see Don still standing there, trying to fight
off the dragon's attack.  If Dan-Gelmer penetrated the shield, he would
land right on top of Don.  

    She saw the dragon breaking through.  Her mind raced, and
she knew her magic would do nothing.  She couldn't run fast enough to
make it to Don in time.  Her world seemed to stop as she watched the
scene, seemingly in slow motion.
 
    Her hands rose of their own accord and, chanting no spell,
she leveled a blast of energy at the dragon.  She watched it impact,
and she saw the dragon's reaction to it.  She let loose with another
shot, and then another.  It drove the dragon sideways, and when he hit
the ground, he missed Don by all of five feet.
 
    Don, realizing he'd just missed becoming a mage-burger, ran
to join his friends.  When he reached Annie, he hugged her.
 
    "Thanks, I owe you one," he said, and then kissed her
quickly.  They turned to see that Dan-Gelmer had risen from his
crumpled position, and he was facing them now.
 
    "You *dare* challenge me?  First you ease my *dear*
brother's suffering, and now you have the nerve to defy the Great and
Glorious Dan-Gelmer?"  The dragon's voice boomed across the meadow.
 
    "His brother?" Gill asked.  Don shrugged.
 
    "I will kill you all!" The dragon screamed, and then raced
forward.  Don had never thought such a large animal could move so
quickly on the ground.  Annie pulled her sword, and saw that Gill
already had his out.  Susan was stringing another arrow onto her bow.
 
    Don readied another spell, but the dragon was upon them too
quickly.  Gill's blade flashed against the animal's front talons, and
then Annie joined in.  Gill managed to slip inside, and found his mark,
slashing at the creature's wrist.  Dan-Gelmer, shrieking in rage,
flicked his other hand and sent Annie flying.
 
    Don saw what was going to happen, and he quickly changed
his spell.  He caught Annie, and lowered her gently to the ground
before she crashed into the castle wall.  He let her take a breather as
he turned back to the dragon.  He leveled several fireballs at the
creature, but they were too small to be of real damage to the beast.
 
    Dan-Gelmer stalked toward them.  Susan let loose another
arrow, but, though it stuck, it had little effect.  It was then that
Don got an idea.
 
    "Susan, string one of your smaller arrowheads."  She nodded
at him, and reached for her regular hunting arrows.  Stringing it, she
took aim.
 
    Don started to chant furiously, and as he did, he nodded to
her.  When the arrow left her bow, it was trailed by a neon blue streak
of light.  The arrow impacted the dragon's side, and went fully
inside.  The dragon roared in pain, and it was clear the wound was deep
and burning.
 
    "Another one, Susan!" Don cried.  Quickly, she strung
another arrow.  Again she loosed it, and again it was followed by a
magical trail of light.  This one impacted on the dragon's shoulder,
and buried itself in bone.
 
    Dan-Gelmer shrieked in agony and fury.  He rose high into
the air before looking back down at them.  "Do not think you have won,
humans!  I am not finished with you!"  With that, the animal wheeled in
the sky and flew off to the east.
 
    "Yes!" Gill cried.  They were all in good spirits.  Don
went over and gave Susan a hug.  She accepted that, now, with
surprising good grace.
 
    "Great job, Susan," Don said.  She blushed at his praise,
and said nothing.  He then hugged Annie.
 
    "I guess we're back to being even," she said with a smile. 
They kissed warmly, but briefly.
 
    "You got lucky," a voice said behind them.  They all turned
to see Iamor.  "Do you think that really hurt him all that much?  You
are puny to him."
 
    Don noticed that, all of a sudden, Iamor's speech pattern
was far clearer, and completely devoid of the strange quirks of before.
 
    "And where the fuck were *you*?  We could have used your
help!" Don shot back hotly.
 
    "It wasn't me he was after, now *was it?*" Iamor spat. 
"What is it about you, that you think you can dictate to others what we
must do?  I do not live by *your* rules."
 
    "No, you live by your own, which are basically whatever is
in your self-interest."
 
    "I do not need to be lectured by someone who hasn't even
lived a quarter of a century yet.  I make my own rules, and I live the
way I damn well please!"  Turning on Gaphnia, he said, "So, I see you
have finally beaten my spell.  Don't worry, I'll put it back soon."
 
    "No, you won't," Don shot.  "Because you're not strong
enough to fight her, and you damn well know it."  Gaphnia looked at him
gratefully for the support.
 
    Iamor wheeled on him, "I am the strongest magician in
Zemlia Nov, *boy!*"
 
    "Maybe, maybe not," Don said, glaring at the man, making
sure Iamor realized that Don was a full foot taller than him.  Iamor
stared back up at him, his eyes flashing in anger.
 
    "I want you out of this castle before day's end, or we will
see which of us is the strongest.  And do not return."
 
    "Why the fuck would I want to, you self-centered,
egotistical little brat?" Don snarled.
 
    "Leave, boy, before you wind up dead."
 
    "We'll leave, but I want you to know something, Ia-less,"
Don said, intentionally making fun of the man's name, "you might be the
most practiced magician here.  You *might* even be the strongest.  But
you will *never* be the *best*.  Your sister will always be better than
you, because she has a heart."
 
    Iamor stalked away, fuming, without another word.
 
 
 
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