The Rat and the Dragon
Copyright© 2024 by Cly Anders
Chapter 24
Fantasy Sex Story: Chapter 24 - In a magical land set upon by monsters of nightmares, Roan was found as an orphan with a powerful artifact that he doesn't know how he came upon already fused to his body. Raised as a Seeker, his mission- and his life- take a wild turn when a strange elf and her magical panther hiding secrets of their own cross his path. Unable to forget her and intent on possessing her, it sets the two on a quest to discover the truth of their shared origins and to save their world from a terrible threat.
Caution: This Fantasy Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Consensual Reluctant Heterosexual High Fantasy Magic Vampires Demons BDSM DomSub MaleDom Spanking First Masturbation Violence
The sharp knock on the door was merely a formality–one that made Zilfiris sigh. He knew the knock was not a request for entry as much as an announcement of presence. The door swung open without his bidding, and the threshold was darkened by the man he had once called his master.
“I knew you’d show up after she came to you,” Zilfiris said as Alanis stepped into his office like an approaching storm front. The ancient elf waved his hand, and the door shut behind him.
“Then you have an explanation for me,” Alanis replied as he came to stand before the desk littered with paperwork.
Zilfiris scowled. “I’m a member of the Council of Twelve! I am not obligated to give you any form of explanation for my decisions! You could have been sitting here, making these choices, but you choose your plants. Don’t you dare try to lecture me.”
The disappointment on his teacher’s face stung far more than Zilfiris would ever admit.
“I must blame myself, then,” Alanis said, “that I failed to teach you well enough before the power of your position consumed you.”
Snarling, Zilfiris slammed his fist on the table. “What the fuck did you expect me to do? That dragon bitch brought a panther into the heart of human history! Was I supposed to let him wander through the halls? Visible for every human to see and record? It was bad enough that Azeruatt got his hands on the cat before I was summoned. Keeping him in the dungeon was the best choice I had. His presence is still a rumor among the Seekers, and I’m trying to keep it that way.”
“He merely humors you.”
“He believes the dragon woman is in danger if he does not comply,” Zilfiris shot back, which cracked Alanis’ stoic mask into a frown. “Besides that, I’ve said nothing more to him. He has chosen to remain silent–and that’s what I wanted.”
Letting out a sigh so deep that it might have come from the earth beneath his feet, Zilfiris dropped into his chair with a shake of his head. “It’s not like anyone can reach him, now, anyway. I put him in the largest cell and gave him a sun ball so that he would be warm, but by the time I had a mattress made for him, he’d somehow grown a jungle in the dungeon. Azeruatt is furious. Lurn tried for nearly an hour, but every tree he ripped out simply grew another. When he thought he was making progress, he found himself back at the entrance after walking in circles. No magic can penetrate it.”
When he looked up, he didn’t miss that smug smirk and it made his brows knit together. “You are the cause of this, aren’t you? I should have known. You did this somehow, when we weren’t watching...”
“You were most certainly watching,” Alanis interrupted matter-of-fact, “just not the one you should have been. I was aware your focus would be on Cylthan. Perhaps too much focus...”
Zilfiris bristled at the insinuating tone. “I’m not a voyeur! The panthers made her in good taste, but I’ve no interest in watching Roan act like a beast–and neither do my assistants. I assigned them to keep watch with Azeruatt’s assistants since he’s the one interested in the dragon, but they refuse to watch at all once Roan puts his hands on her. I intend to reprimand him for it, but that’s a conversation that makes me ... uncomfortable, to say the least.”
“Roan is aware of what he’s doing. After all, a Seeker’s quarters should be his sanctuary, and what goes on within their walls should be known only to its occupants. This has always been the foundation of trust in the Council.”
Zilfiris shot him a glare. “I’m not the one who insists on keeping her under constant watch!” He growled with a disgusted curl of his lip. “Dragon or not, it felt cruel to leave her in the dungeon. No panther would be that loyal to someone any less than innocent. But, I felt almost just as bad handing her over to him because I knew what he intended to do with her. I’d hoped he could behave himself, but he’s had her not three days, and his repulsive behavior has already caused two of Azeruatt’s assistants to outright quit, while my own are ... distressed.”
When he looked up, expecting Alanis to share his frustration, his brows drew together. His old teacher studied him with cold, narrow eyes.
“What?”
“I’m deciding,” Alanis replied, his voice as cool as marble, “if you are being willfully insolent–or perhaps you have forgotten her name.”
A low, feral growl bubbled out of Zilfiris. “She’s the one pretending to be an elf!”
“And you,” the old elf retorted dryly, “pretend to be a politician.”
Sneering, Zilfiris decided not to take the bait. “At least I’m not all over her like a beast in heat.”
“His behavior toward her will improve,” Alanis replied without a hint of doubt. “My greater concern is what you intend to do with the panther.”
Zilfiris glared at him. “And what would you do, Master?” He spat the title. “Would you let him roam freely? For all the humans to see him? We clearly do not have the same intentions–”
“If you claim that your intentions are to protect the Panther, then our intentions are the same,” Alanis corrected him sternly. “It is our methods that are causing this friction. You ask what I would do? I would not lie to him. The panthers of Sau’Rah are as close to gods as mortals can come. I would grant him enough respect to have a choice.”
“Well, if I could reach him, I’d think of something else, but no one can reach him now. His magic is so powerful, the scrying ball only sees a bright light so I honestly can’t even know if he’s in there.”