by Unknown
Got it. She felt the large pectoral tentacles lace around her body, pulling her into the sea dragon embrace that was so familiar to her. Is that okay? I'm not hurting you, am I? I've never done this before.
"Never done what before?" she asked, alarmed. She hoped he didn't mean he had never shape shifted to a sea dragon before. But he was already diving into the deeper waters, and swimming at speed, so he seemed competent enough.
Never had a companion, as you say. Never swum with a Traveler. I mean, I know about it theoretically, and from my brother, but—"
"You have a brother who is a Traveler?"
No, I have a brother who is the Zrakon. King of all shifters around here. Well, there are always disputes about that, of course, and Ross isn't the type of guy who bothers to sling his weight around. Now Cam, on the other hand, that's Ross's twin....This is amazing. I can talk to you so easily.
Ariane wasn't sure how she felt about a talking sea dragon. Particularly one who wasn't allowing her to control their bond. She was used to being the dominant partner. But with this man, this Colin, she was at his mercy.
"Where are you taking me? I need to find my companion. I need to locate Rin."
She received a mental image of blood and injury that terrified her before he guarded the thought. "Have you seen him? Is he dead? I can't contact him. Oh fires, I'm such an idiot. I'm so afraid he'd going to die because of me."
It's okay, this new strange sea dragon crooned to her. I haven't seen him, but I felt a struggle and I smelled his blood. At least, I reckon it was his. He might still be alive. This didn't sound like a confident thought. Maybe he got back through the Barrier, and that's why you can't feel him anymore.
"He saved me. We were attacked and he was injured, but Rin got me to shore. I don't even know how. I had passed out."
Who attacked?
"A darkling," she said, seeing it again as if in a nightmare. "I know it makes no sense, but I think it was the darkling that herded us right through your Barrier into this world and then pursued us into it. It felt...I got the sense...that it wanted us here."
Chapter 8
Colin was so concerned about getting the Traveler safely out of reach of anyone who might be curious about her that he initially didn't pay much attention to the way it felt to hold her pressed against his sea dragon body. And for most of the swim to Mallochbirn isle, he was so intrigued by the mental communication that had spontaneously sprung up between them that he could think of nothing else.
It was like magic. He knew the twins could do it with each other, and Ross had said he could do it with Kate. But it's hard to imagine something you've never experienced.
The language barrier had vanished as soon as they were mind to mind. He had no idea why. One thought in language, surely? But now he realized that thought was more than words.
Meeting Ariane's mind was a revelation to him, not only because he now understood something he had long wondered about—how Travelers communicated with their animal companions. But also because of what he now knew about her.
She had a bright, lively mind and a tender heart. She was mourning the loss of her sea dragon and resentful about having to swim with a substitute. Yet at the same time, she was as intrigued as he was by the ease of communication between them. Even Travelers, he realized, did not experience this joining of two intelligent minds. Their animal companions' brains were too different from the brains of humans.
It wasn't that a sea dragon was not intelligent. Colin knew from his own dealings with sea dragons in the waters of Dunya that they were. But it was a different kind of intelligence, meant for living a different kind of life.
He enjoyed "talking" with her. He tried to be a comfort to her, because he knew she was confused, scared, grief-stricken and guilty. He could tell that she was trying to be strong. She blamed herself for whatever had happened to her companion. He had no clue what she had done—she was protecting her thoughts and memories, although now and then he had a flash—but she believed her own actions had led to this debacle.
Colin was so drunk with the delight of meeting another person mind to mind that it was some time before he noticed how good she felt physically. But when he did realize it, he was horrified at the way his monster body reacted. Pleasure spiked deep in his vitals and the sea dragon cock, large in its ordinary state, began to swell and lengthen just like a man's.
It wasn't as if this had never happened to him before. Zrakons were horny creatures. During his explorations of the seas of her world, he had encountered female sea dragons. He had even considered indulging himself with one of the females who seemed to find him attractive there. He'd noticed, while observing other pairings, that they not only joined at the genital region, but also used their tentacles to caress and entangle themselves. His own tentacles were sensitive and, when he was aroused, erogenous.
He hadn't actually played around with any female sea dragons. His sea dragon self would grow quite excited while watching them. But his human side acted as an inhibitor. He wasn't really one of them, after all.
But now, he felt like a teenager again. Dancing in a pub with a girl who would notice that he had an erection. Such a thing never bothered him now, but this was different. What would Ariane think of him? Surely a Traveler didn't have to contend with erotically threatening predators? Anyway, a sea dragon couldn't mate with a human, except, well, there was that annual Midsummer's festival in the village at Mallochbirn. Ross had laughingly told him, "Good, you can take my place this year, Col. I'm not leaving my Kate for a summer solstice frolic, not this year. Or ever."
Ross had never shared exactly what happened during the "frolics," although he knew all the stories; everyone in the village knew them. "Exaggerated," was all Ross would tell him. "Don't believe everything you hear, young one."
The more he tried not to focus on his uncomfortable situation, the worse it got. He tried to shift Ariane, in hopes of lifting her away from his throbbing cock, but he couldn't move her much without jeopardizing her mouth's grip on the breathing bud. Besides, with his pectoral tentacles laced around her, he could feel every curve of her body.
He longed to caress her intimately. Slide inside her. Fuck her until they both screamed aloud. How would her mouth feel against his lips? His cock? His balls? How would it feel to stroke her with his tentacles? A sea dragon cock was too damn large to fit inside a human woman, but his tentacles would work, no problem. Would she enjoy a wild ride on one of those? He could penetrate her in all her holes at once. It would be a one-man gangbang.
Damn, he was deviant. He hoped she wasn't reading every one of these thoughts and fantasies via their telepathic bond.
His obsession grew until he could think of nothing else. Her mouth was already around that bud on his chest—the one she needed so she could breathe underwater— and now it began to feel unbearably delicious and erotic, which made his monster cock filled even more.
"Don't be embarrassed," Ariane told him, after he'd suffered this discomfiture for several minutes. "I'm used to it."
Humiliation warred with curiosity. As usual with him, curiosity won. Sorry. Reflex. My sea dragon is quite the juvenile.
"Our companions are usually young males. Because they are away from their kind for a time, they have less opportunity to mate. So such reflexes are common."
He began to feel better. No less aroused, but not as awkward about it. She sounded cool and matter of fact. Does it ever cause a problem?
"If you're asking if Travelers are ever raped by their companions, the answer is no. We control the bond, you see." She paused, suddenly vulnerable. "Usually."
Don't worry about me, he said quickly. I'm not really a sea dragon, I just take the shape of one sometimes. But not for that. For that I, well, I keep my human form. He had a flash of the evening's shag with Evie. Evie was a fine lass, and he liked her, but, this woman, this Traveler—she was really something.
As soon as he had the thought, he felt surprised by it. Poor Traveler! It was not
just his sea dragon who wanted to fuck her. Damn, his erection got even harder as he thought about shagging her in human form.
She must have been curious too, though. "Do people in your world mate the same way we do in ours?"
Oh aye, I reckon so. I mean, you look just like a human woman to me. And feel like one.
She laughed softly. If you could laugh telepathically. Was it a flirty laugh? Dear Christ, he hoped so. "And you look like one of our men." She'd had plenty of time to evaluate him. He'd been completely starkers when they'd met. "Except for the shape shifting part."
I suppose we must have evolved along similar lines.
"Evolved?"
You know—slowly developed into complex creatures out of the primal ooze.
"What's the primal ooze? Is that one of your creation myths?"
He snorted. I guess you could say so. Theory of evolution. Darwin. Mid-19th century. From what he'd seen of the great cities of Dunya, the development of culture, civilization and learning paralleled early Renaissance Europe. 15th century or so would be his best guess. Jeez. What did Travelers know about the solar system? The atom? Microbes?
Compared to those things, sex was a simple matter.
Chapter 9
"What is this place?" Ariane had seen many wonders during her travel, but the cavern they had emerged into was dazzling. The low ceiling was encrusted with crystals, gleaming in a bright array of colors.
They had come in via some sort of underwater tunnel. The pool they had ended their journey in was quiet, and the roar of the sea now seemed distant, although it could not be far away. "It's beautiful," she added.
"We're under the keep," he explained. As he strode out of the water, his enormous body changed again, compressing to the size and shape of a man. He was nicely made, she noted. Compact, with firm smooth muscles. On closer inspection, she noted that one of his hips was slightly higher than the other. Yes, the lower section of his spine was askew. She had seen this before, in her own world. His was not a severe case. Quite mild, in fact.
She decided she liked it. His body was otherwise perfect—all the proportions were exact, as if the Mother Creator had crafted him as a model, but found at the last moment that his perfection was too godlike—a sure recipe for arrogance. So the Creator's fingers had nudged his spine, shifted the bones and marred in the smallest way the flawlessness of her own creature. Arrogance was an affront to the gods.
"You have the Maker's curse," she called out after him. "Your spine. That is reassuring."
He stopped and slowly turned. The color came up in his cheeks—his skin was paler than hers so she could see this clearly. Had she embarrassed him? Strange how easy it was to embarrass this man. His male appendage was not jutting. Although as she followed him out of the water, it perked up as the sea dragon's had. "Is my scoliosis that noticeable?"
"No, not really. I was looking closely because your body is quite beautiful."
He blushed even more, but he smiled at the same time. "Thank you. So is yours. But why is my twisted spine reassuring? No one has ever told me that before."
"We say in Zanovar that every person bears a curse from the Creator that mars their godlike perfection. Some bear it where all can see, but most keep their imperfection hidden inside. The more deeply it is hidden, the more powerful it grows, and it longs to show itself. But when the mark of the Goddess is plain for all to see, there is no pride, no arrogance, no darkness, no secrecy. More often than not, that will be a person you can trust."
He smiled. "I like that interpretation." The smile changed to a laugh, which was pleasant to her ears. "I'm not sure I believe it, but tis a fine notion." She felt his gaze on her body now, surveying her openly. "I can see no imperfection in you. Should I be alarmed?"
Now she was embarrassed, and embarrassment did not come easily to her. "No imperfection? You must not be looking hard enough. I am too short and small and my skin color has more than the usual amount of red tones. As for my hair, it should be brown like yours, but as you see, it is a pale and boring shade of yellow."
"We call that blonde. In this world, many women dye their hair in an attempt to capture that color."
"Really? Women color their hair in my world, too." She smiled. "I guess vanity is universal."
She knew women who spent a good deal of time primping and polishing, clipping and buffing, painting and decorating their bodies. Unless she was making a formal diplomatic appearance, she rarely worried about how she looked, how she dressed, or the state of her hair. As for cosmetics and body paint, they smeared and washed off in the sea anyway, so what was the point? She did have several tattoos from her sojourn in Sariye, where tattooing was all the rage. But they were small and discreetly located.
"There's a waterproof locker back here," he said, climbing to one of the highest spots in the cavern where she could vaguely see some type of chest. "Kate's idea. We keep towels and dry clothes here. I think there are even women's clothes in here." He opened the chest and rooted around inside it. "If you would like to change out of that remarkable wet suit you're wearing."
She would. Her Traveler's uniform—the one suitable for swimming with sea dragons—would dry on its own rapidly, but the sea here was icy and this was not a hot climate. Warm dry clothing would be welcome.
"Who is Kate?"
"My eldest brother's wife. Ross is the laird of this place. It is an ancient title, not much respected in these modern times. But we are a strange little corner of Scotland, and we hold with many of the old ways."
He gave her garments that were unfamiliar, but easy enough to figure out. Leggings and a separate top with sleeves that closed in the front with a mechanism she had never seen before—something smooth and hard with little teeth that fit into each other, although she wasn't sure how.
"I think there are some underthings here, too, although I don't know if they will fit you." He held out something that looked like a harness and restraint designed for the breasts. For an instant, she just stared at it, wondering what sort of customs they had in this world. One did not restrain one's breasts in Zanovar or Arralon or even in Sariye, unless one was playing some sort of sex game.
As for the other item, she realized where that must go, too. Had she come to a place where everyone hid their genitals, or was it only for women? And what was the point, anyhow, since the other garments he had handed her would cover her flesh completely?
"I don't think I need those undergarments. Unless I would violate your customs to leave them off? I wouldn't want to offend anyone's sensibilities."
"Sensibilities?" He grinned. "Not around here. Outside the castle...well...we'll fret about that when the time comes." His expression grew serious. He gave her a towel to dry herself and did the same to his body. Then he clothed himself in trousers and a top that were exactly like the ones he had given to her, although larger. Did men and women wear the same clothing?
"These are just sweat suits," he said. "We'll find you some better clothing when we get upstairs. And I'll go back to one of my comfy kilts."
They had stopped communicating telepathically upon leaving the water, although she hadn't noticed it until now. He had resumed speaking to her in the Common Tongue.
"What will I find upstairs?" she asked, copying him in donning the garments. She watched closely as he fastened the two sides of the top together and moved a little tab upward toward his throat, sealing the garment. When she tried it herself, though, it wouldn't slide until he showed her how to do it.
"It's called a zipper. Neat, isn't it? You can move it up or down, depending on whether you're too warm."
She experimented with this, finding the mechanism simple but delightful. Not as wondrous as that huge flying machine that had hovered over the beach, but satisfying to her curious soul nonetheless.
"As for what you'll find upstairs, my brothers, mainly. Ross is the eldest. He's married to Kate, who is soon to birth her first child. Ross has a twin, Cameron, who isn't here at the moment, but will probabl
y arrive shortly. My sister might be around, but I doubt it. My younger brother Jack is definitely not at home. I haven't seen him for a while. Our mother lives in Edinburgh—that's the capital city of Scotland. She comes to visit, but she isn't here just now."
"And your father?"
"Our father died about ten years ago. Ross is the head of the family now."
"I am grateful for the way you've been taking care of me. I know I wasn't very coherent when we met. I just—my companion— I've never—" her voice broke off.
She wasn't accustomed to people being so friendly. Usually they wanted or expected something from her. Or else they were intimidated by her status as a Traveler. It had been a long time since anyone had treated her like an ordinary person. That she would find a man who would treat her amiably, especially in a world that was not her own, seemed remarkable. Magical, almost.
"I am happy to be of assistance. But I should warn you." He hesitated. "My brothers, Cam in particular, will not be so welcoming. In fact, he will probably be a dick. Um, an asshole." He screwed up his features. "I'm not teaching you polite language, am I? He will be suspicious of you, and probably unpleasant. But stick with me, lass, and I'll do what I can to protect you. Okay?"
She smiled her assent, not at all sure what he meant about his brother. Perhaps they didn't get along? Well, she was dependent upon Colin for help and protection, at least until she learned to speak whatever native language was used around here.
Although he hadn't explained himself, Colin must have been to her world. Not only did he speak the Common Tongue, but he had also identified her as a Traveler right from the start. She had not known that there were people from other worlds who visited hers, but there was a great deal she had yet to learn from the senior members of the Travelers Guild.
Chapter 10