Chapter 5

"I cannot take sides, I don't have that luxury," Margarethe spoke slowly, carefully, as if reciting an oft used and hard learnt text. "It does not matter what my personal feelings are, I cannot take sides, I can only act for the good of all." Margarethe paused, looking deep into Lucy's eyes, for a moment she hesitated, then, "Perhaps your friend can be of more use than I, after all, she is a Haxlz, The Haxlz." For a moment longer Lucy felt the woman's eyes piercing her soul, then Margarethe turned away. "My slaves will bring you food now, perhaps we will talk again before you leave..."

Lucy turned to Kala. "One question, though I'm sure I won't like the answer, tell me, without riddles, tell me what is worse than rape? Why do so few survive... ?

For a moment Kala looked into Lucy's eyes and saw her own anger reflected, then she took her lover in her arms, held her tight, their heads close, cheeks touching as Kala spoke softly, as if by whispering she could dull the pain of her words. "You have tried to control your Dragon, to change only a single part of you, so you know it is not easy. When the black Dragons take the girls they don't care about them, they care only for their own pleasure, in their barbaric lust they partially change, the result is usually fatal..."

For a long time the two lovers stood there, holding each other tightly, at last Lucy pulled away, gently, just enough to look into Kala's eyes. "Whatever it takes, however long it takes, we will stop them." Lucy pressed her lips to Kala's sealing her promise. Only then did they realise that two slave girls were standing watching them, trays of food held ready.

They ate side by side, the trays on the floor before them, both looking out at the beauty of the valley. "I should have told you about my mother."

"Yes, you should."

"There is just so much you don't know, I don't want to overload you, I don't mean to hide anything from you."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, just tell me what she meant by you having been known to resist her summons, how did you resist it? And Why didn't you show me so I could resist it too... ?"

"I chewed kahveh beans and fucked myself senseless," Lucy had never seen Kala blush, not completely, she thought it looked cute. "It worked, for a while, but when it stopped working ... then my love the pain was ... well, I never ever want you to experience it, ok?"

Lucy didn't reply for a moment, then... "You mean you have coffee beans here and you never told me... !!!"

"Why should I... ? They're just weeds..."

"Just ... Weeds... !! If you can find me some of those beans and a gourd of boiling water, I'm yours forever..."

Kala nodded to one of the slaves who were kneeling to one side, the slave sprang to her feet and hurried away.

"Ok, so I'm yours forever even without the beans..." But now I'm yours forever with coffee..." Lucy grinned, partly because the one thing she had missed since falling off the mountain was a good strong mug of fresh brewed coffee, and also because it was obvious that Kala had no idea what coffee meant to Lucy.

Lucy was wrong, Kala had no idea what coffee was at all. She was about to find out.

When the slave returned, the water in the gourd was indeed boiling, but the beans were fresh picked. "I need to dry them."

"Breath on them."

"What?"

"Breath on them, you're a Dragon," Kala smiled, "a very sexy golden Dragon. So breath on them, you know, fire."

"But how.?"

"Ahh ... ok, you know how I told you changing was gross and to close your eyes... ?"

"Yes."

"Don't close your eyes. In fact lets go outside, just in case." Lucy grabbed the gourd and the beans and followed Kala outside.

"Ok, how do I breathe fire... ?"

"First change. Wow... !! That was fast... !! Ok, now close your fangs and let the side of the top ones rest against the side of the bottom ones ... Yes, like that, perfect. Now, all you have to do is, well, it's gross, but not as bad as changing, all you do is burp and hiccup at the same time, and as you do that, open your mouth and let your fangs rub against each other, just a little, that makes the spark that ignites your ... well, it ignites it. Simple... !! Gross, but simple..."

Lucy's first attempt had a lot in common with an Airbus A340-300 back-firing. The effect on Lucy was much the same as it would have been for the unfortunate pilot, except he would not have had to put up with Kala rolling on the ground and crying with laughter...

The second attempt worked perfectly ... too perfectly because the beans were not roasted, but thoroughly cremated, accompanied by Kala's now hysterical laughter.

The third time was, like her ass, perfect. Lucy changed back, grabbed the roasted beans, concentrated, extended two sharp claws and crushed the roasted beans triumphantly before dropping them into the gourd of hot water. A tentative sip later she smiled happily, scowled at Kala who still had tears streaming down her cheeks... "Because I love you, I'll let you taste it ... But only because I love you."

It wasn't instant coffee, but Kala was an instant coffee addict. As the girls agreed later, it really was very good coffee.

Supper had been a new experience for all three of them. By the time Eva had puzzled her way though all that she had learned, both Katja and Suze had a new respect for her, not to mention very pink asses and hot, wet, dripping pussies. Neither girl could think of anything but cumming, but each time they had begged, or their fingers had strayed from the ground beneath them, the long willow wand had beaten a rapid tattoo.

Later, back in the house, washed and hungry, both girls had obeyed Eva's commands and were kneeling before her, each holding a bowl containing the now peeled and still warm zucchini, topped with a selection of other fruits. Eva proceeded to sample each, feeding both the girls and herself, smiling as she considered what would happen after their meal.What did happen was an elemental force of nature, hurricane Suze met tornado Katja and both laid waste to Eva. The finale was less a mutual orgasm and more a tsunami.

In the morning Eva woke to Katja's tongue lapping at her aching sex, "good morning sweetie."

"Good morning, my Mistress." Katja smiled happily and returned to her self imposed duty. Eva stretched languidly, then looked over at the still sleeping Suze. A gentle swat on her ass awoke her.

"Oww ... Oh ... Umm ... good morning ... I think..." Suze stretched and yawned before tentatively exploring her tender ass with one hand... "You hurt me yesterday... !!" she grinned impishly, "I liked it, thank you."

"This one thanks you too, my Mistress" Katja paused only long enough to speak, then resumed her licking.

"Oh fu ... Oh no, we have things to do today, you two are incorrigible... !!"

They had a busy day ahead, but not so busy that she denied Katja the chance to finish her self imposed duty. Eva was still gasping for breath as Suze returned with a tray, having already fetched bowls to wash in.

"Breakfast is ready"

"Coming." Gasped Eva

"The whole village knows that... !!" Suze replied, giggling.

Katja just licked her lips and smiled at her Mistress adoringly.

Breakfast cleared away, Eva put the girls to work, "Katja, please take Suze and show her where the Kalabrx plants are, then help her pick those she needs, then return to me."

"This one will obey, my Mistress." Katja replied happily.

"Suze, you need to pick enough fruit so that you can fill a gourd with Bergamot oil, we need about four litres. Can you extract the oil from the rind yourself... ?"

"Sure, if I need help perhaps Katja can have a few of your slaves help me... ??

For a moment Eva looked at Suze, "yes, of course, I really should go and greet them, it's just taking me a while to get used to the idea," she glanced at Katja and smiled tenderly, "although it has it's attractions."

"For us as well as for you." Suze grinned. "I almost envy Katja ... I don't suppose... ? No, forget it." Suze sprang to her feet and headed towards the door, Katja quickly following her.

Eva sat watching them go, thinking of what Suze had said, almost said. With a shake of her head she stood and headed out to meet her slaves, "perhaps it's better I just think of them as staff?" Eva smiled, for as she looked out across the sunlit valley she felt at home, really at home, as if in some way she was meant to be there. Slowly the Haxlz within Eva was awakening.

Back in the village the girls were busy once again, Monika busying herself in the kitchen experimenting, for Helen had found some fruits neither had ever seen before. It had taken a rather comical series of signs and gestures to check with the other women that the fruits were edible and not poisonous. She could have continued the comedy and tried to find out how the strange fruits were prepared, but Monika didn't want to simply copy a recipe, her greatest enjoyment in the kitchen came from inventing new dishes. No, that was wrong, until recently that had been her greatest enjoyment in the kitchen, but now it took second place to Helen, who had interrupted Monika's preparation of a fruit compote, using a variety of fruits to make what Monika later christened a fruit cumpot ... At the time she had neither the breath nor the intelligence to christen anything, not when Helen was giving new meaning to the phrase, "fucked senseless."

Anja had almost finished a set of warm clothes for everyone and was already thinking of another project to keep her busy whilst Fran had finished preparing all the leather Anja needed and had suggested to Maja they go swimming in the bathing pool. Although naturally giggly and prone to appear rather ditzy, Fran was very conscious of those around her, especially her friends and their moods and feelings.

The two girls played in the warm water, splashing around and amusing themselves with silly games. It was Fran who first climbed up besides the chilly waterfall to dive into the deepest part of the pool, Maja followed her, but not as far, for as both knew, Maja was scared of heights, a phobia that the girls often teased her about, mostly because of all the girls it was Maja who wore the highest heels.

At noon all the girls gathered together for lunch, a lunch punctuated by much mock gagging and faked choking as they sampled Monica's latest recipe experiment. Their horseplay was interrupted by Eva's arrival, a very hungry Eva who happily joined in with their lunch, struggling to wolf down the food whilst fending off a barrage of questions.

"Ok, ok, one at a time, please..." Eva finished her apple juice before continuing. "Yes I've worked out what the markings in the cave mean, yes they explain how we might be able to return to our world, No, I don't know where Lucy and Kala are, or when they'll return. No, I'm not certain it'll work. Yes I will explain everything." Eva paused for breath. Holding her hands up. "I've come to invite you all to the cave so I can explain everything."

For a moment the girls were silent as they digested all that Eva had said, but only for a moment, then they descended on her, hugging and kissing her and each other, all talking at once. It was Monika who shushed them.

"You said might and not certain ... So we could be stuck here forever... ?"

Eva looked around at each of the girls in turn before replying, "I'm sure I understand what the inscription says," she paused, "it's just that, well, there is no way to test it. I don't want to say anything more until we are all together in the cave, being there will make it easier to explain, and besides..." she paused, a far away look in her eyes," ... I'm ... I'm not sure if I want to return, ok... ?"

At that moment Lucy wasn't sure either.

She and Kala had spent the rest of the morning sipping coffee and talking, by mid afternoon both of them were well practised at roasting kahveh beans. For a while they had sat in the sun, bodies touching, content to just be together, to touch and kiss as they talked, both avoiding any serious discussion, both aware that they were far more than just lovers, they were in love.

Maybe it was the caffeine, or perhaps they had sat long enough, either way they had finally begun to walk, hand in hand, as Kala explained more to Lucy, who in turn questioned her lover, trying to fill in the gaps and finally understand at least some of what had already been hinted at.

"How come Margarethe is black and white? I thought Dragon's colours reflected their heart?"

"They do, my mother is black and white because her heart is black and white. I often hate it, not her, but the things she does, but however much I hate it I know she truly does do what is best, best for everyone, it's just hard to accept sometimes." Kala smiled as Lucy squeezed her hand in understanding. "She is white because she is truly good, always acting for the good of all, and black because sometimes her judgements have truly awful consequences." Kala paused again, took a deep breath then continued. "No Dragon can change their colour, but they can sometimes change their heart, if they truly think and act differently for long enough, their colour will eventually change, perhaps the colour will simply get lighter or darker, sometimes it can change completely, it's rare, very rare, but it can happen."