Magical Encounters [FF, MFF, exh, voy] "Do you want to go?" The words glowed across her screen. She pursed her lips and watched as her fingers flew across the keys, typing a response furiously, as though her fingers belonged to someone else. She hesitated, smiled, and then climbed to her feet. She walked swiftly down the carpeted hall, first poking her head into one room, then another. The forms within slumbered on, oblivious to her trespass. She opened the door to the master bedroom with a small squeak. "I'll be back before you know it," she whispered. Her footsteps carried her back towards the study and the glowing screen. "Of course, I want to go," she typed with a smile playing across her lips. She clicked the send button and then leaned back, letting her mind wander. <---===***===---> The Dragon sat quietly in the shade, contemplating the turbulent water. The wind off the lake was pleasantly cool, driving away the oppressive heat of the sun. The sand was warm and comforting. She grew tired of waiting beside the beast. She sighed. "What are those silly things?" She pointed one slender finger towards the wetlands to the north. The Dragon turned, shifting a red scaled head to follow her gesture. "You mean the Trumpeter Swans?" Janey grinned and nodded. "Yeah, those big things." "They're good to eat," the Dragon mumbled and shifted greenish-brown eyes back to the watch that adorned its wrist. Janey leaned back against the tree. "How much longer?" The Dragon remained silent. Janey turned away in disgust and began to walk down the beach, kicking small stones as she went. "Don't wander far," the Dragon spoke quietly. "I won't. Sheesh." After a few minutes, Janey returned to the Dragon and plopped herself down in the sand again. Sweat dotted her brow. "See that?" the Dragon lifted its great eyes skyward. "What, that ball of fusion reaction that is slowly killing me with heat?" The Dragon smiled. "Yeah." "What about it?" "It reaches zenith at ten seconds past noon." Janey turned towards the annoying creature with a scowl. "What? Do we go then?" "It will be equinox. Both sides of the world receive equal amounts of sunlight and darkness." "So what?" Her patience was thinning in the heat and the wind. "It's a magic time," the Dragon whispered. "Magic!?" Janey scoffed. "Magic," the Dragon replied firmly. "I don't believe in magic." "How do you explain this, then?" The Dragon held up a talon. Before her eyes, it shimmered and radiated. For a second, she saw a human hand beneath, long and thin. As quickly as it had appeared, it winked out. Janey cocked her head to the side and smiled. "Hypnosis. Optical delusion." The Dragon smiled enigmatically. "At equinox, the forces coalesce, joining together to find a path into our small corner of the universe." "And Dragons actually exist," Janey added thoughtfully. "Something like that." The Dragon stood. The watch ticked and Janey's eyes flitted to the crystal face. Exactly noon. She shivered, feeling the air charge, like static electricity before a storm. Ten seconds. A series of nonsensical words were formed by leathery lips. The Dragon's eyes had closed. With a final upward glance, the Dragon raised its arms. The second hand of the watch froze over the two. A wall of blue fire swept over the waves, gathering three metres offshore into a swirling portal. "You couldn't have made the thing on the shore, could you?" The Dragon looked apologetic, but Janey knew the creature wasn't sorry at all. The Dragon pointed towards the glowing gateway. Janey sighed and slowly removed her footwear. She slipped her hand into the paw of the beast and they walked into the frigid waters of Lake Ontario. The gateway beckoned. <---===***===---> The trip was surprisingly gentle - until the end. With a start, Janey found herself tumbling through unresisting air, landing with an undignified "Oof" in a field of soft grass and wildflowers. The Dragon shimmered as it emerged from the portal. With a blinding flash of light, the creature seemed to explode into a million shards, casting off the covering of scales and hide. In its place, a man emerged, tall, and dark, tumbling through the air. Almost effortlessly, he twisted, landing nimbly beside Janey. "M'lady," he grinned. Janey scowled at the man. "I'll never get used to that," she griped. The man extended his hand, the same hand that had shimmered through scales in another time and place. Janey was tall for a woman, at least 1.8 metres. Even so, the stranger, who had once been a Dragon, effortlessly lifted her fallen body. She idly brushed her dusty blonde hair out of her eyes. "Welcome," he muttered. "Are you all right?" Janey grinned and looked around, ignoring the question for now. Her body might hurt for a while, but the initial jolt of the landing would fade within a few moments. The field seemed to extend forever towards the north. She surveyed the surroundings, executing a slow pirouette. "You couldn't have put the portal on the ground? Could you?" The gateway still shimmered about three metres above the meadow. As she watched, the blue swirling turbulence began to abate. In moments, it had faded out of existence. "That would take the fun out of it." Her sharp eyes picked up movement to the south. A band of sparsely dressed people appeared to be chasing a few other grimy, pathetic creatures. The villagers carried spears and other weapons. The dingy creatures scuttled on all fours, trying to evade their pursuers. "Who the heck are they?" Janey asked quietly. The Dragon turned to follow her pointing finger. His eyes narrowed. "Well, they certainly weren't invited," he muttered. "Why are they chasing those pathetic things? Come to think of it, what are those pathetic things?" The Dragon strained to see the creatures so far away. "Those critters are uninvited 'guests'. I thought we'd chased them out last time, but they keep cropping up like termites. The scuttling ones, over there, are known as 'The Spammers'. I think the one out in front is 'Hot Stocks,' and the female one, just behind, is known, at least around here, as '20 Nubile Asian Chicks'. Their names are cumbersome, but let me assure you that they are unwelcome and not tolerated. If you ignore them, they probably won't bother you here. They are being taken care of as we speak." The Dragon squinted again. The leader of the villagers threw his spear. Janey watched in fascination as the spear entered the body of one of the slower spammers. She turned away as the death scream echoed through the valley. "Another one bites the dust," the Dragon mumbled. The tall man closed his eyes and then, as if by magic, a new spear dropped into the villager's hand. The far off man stopped in confusion, staring at his new weapon. Then he turned slowly to the north. His voice was barely audible at this distance. "Crimson! You made it!" The tall man waved jauntily. The villager turned away and merrily resumed the chase of "20 Hot Asian Chicks." Janey stared at the Dragon. "He knew you. Who was that?" "Some call him See-El, the mysterious one." "Can't I ever get a straight answer out of you?" <---===***===---> "I suppose those are more 'Spammers'," Janey remarked as they continued up the dusty road. Crimson turned towards the east, scanning the fields. A rustling disturbed the early wheat, but it could have been the wind. "Where?" Janey stopped walking and pointed. Crimson smiled. A creature, remarkably similar in appearance to a troll, scuttled rapidly across an open patch of ground to hide under a rock. "Those critters are a little bigger, don't you think?" Janey nodded thoughtfully. The creatures still scuttled on all fours, but seemed more cunning, keeping to the shadows in an effort to avoid their pursuers. A lone, tall woman moved slowly towards the cowering creature. She wore war paint on her cheeks and a loincloth around her hips; her auburn hair tumbled free over her bare shoulders. Her eyes intent on her prey, she missed, or ignored, the two watching in fascination from the roadway. Crimson lowered his voice. "Those trolls are a subset of the 'Spammer' population. How the hell did they get in, this time? I thought, after last time, that they'd be afraid to show their faces in here..." Janey looked up quizzically. "Story thieves," Crimson muttered. "Scourge of our domain. Worse in some ways than Spammers. And devious as all hell. It takes a real talent to track them down." The Amazonian woman had nearly reached the hidden creature. In her hand, a tomahawk began a slow and methodical rise. The creature continued to dig in the earth intent on whatever was its incomprehensible task, unaware of its fate. As the tomahawk fell, a silent scream echoed through the valley. A satisfied grin spread across the Amazon's face. She rose, finally seeing the two on the roadway. She waved, and then crouched again, intent on finding the next thief. Before Janey could inquire, Crimson spoke. "Anne. She keeps them in line for us. Some call her The Huntress." The two began to walk again, the dust rising from their feet into the still air. Crimson continued, "If you're lucky, you might see her mud-wrestle later. She always wins, but she never lacks for opponents. I heard a rumour that Maria and Allison were going to tag-team her later. You'd think people would learn..." <---===***===---> "You can't enter like that." "Like what?" she asked. They had stopped in the middle of the dusty road. Her feet ached, because she'd left her shoes at the beach, but beyond that, she was comfortable enough. Her jeans were worn smooth with use, and her light blouse kept most of the heat from her skin. "Dressed like that." "This is how I always dress." The Dragon smiled and waved his hand at her. She felt different suddenly. She bit her lip and willed herself to look down. The simple cotton shift didn't surprise her as much as the fact that she wasn't stark naked. Her feet felt odd, though. She bent at the waist, studying her toes. Sandals. She turned towards the Dragon, who was quietly laughing. "If you could manufacture me shoes, why the hell didn't you give them to me earlier?" "Did you need them?" Janey grimaced, sure that such concerns weren't the point of this. She spluttered, "That's not the point. Do I *need* the dress?" The Dragon grinned evilly. "I take that back," she back-pedalled quickly. Soft sounds began to emerge from the road ahead. Janey's ears perked up as they moved closer to what seemed like a town square, or a gathering place. As they approached, forms became apparent, most in some state of undress. Janey gasped and halted. "Oh my!" breathed between her lips. The Dragon continued, oblivious to her hesitation. After a moment, Janey ran to catch up. "What the heck...?" "It's spring equinox, remember?" "So? Those people ... they're..." "Celebrating?" The Dragon provided helpfully. Janey swallowed heavily. "Yeah. Celebrating, that's what I was going to say." She couldn't keep her eyes off the couples strewn through the courtyard. One couple, a blonde female with a tall male, was leaning up against the fountain, her legs wrapped firmly around his waist. She threw back her head, her long blonde hair fluttering behind her. Her low moan permeated the still air. The man was unclothed from the waist down, the girl completely naked. Janey tore her eyes from the display and scuttled over to where Crimson was standing near a tall fellow who was carrying a broadsword and a spear. "...transformed into a male, this time, eh?" The stranger was speaking to the Dragon. Crimson smiled and ruefully nodded his head. "Thought I'd try something different this year." "The blonde bombshell you appeared as last year was interesting," the fighter remarked. "Yeah, well, sometimes you have to be mysterious, especially around this crowd." Janey gasped as the Dragon flipped his eye colour from greenish-brown to a deep red and then back again, as if to illustrate his point. Janey touched his shoulder. The Dragon turned, speaking rapidly. "Uther, meet Janey. Jane Urquhart. You've probably read her stories. Orgies, experimental, humorous. She's a curious creature." Uther smiled. "You'll fit right in." The Dragon laughed at that, his skin shimmering. Janey swallowed and gulped. Suddenly her shift seemed too thin and its hem too high. She idly wondered where her jeans, blouse, and undergarments had actually gone. "Where's Susan?" the Dragon asked Uther, changing the subject. "She's off with Mark, I think. Maybe at the barn." The Dragon nodded and shrugged. "I'm going to find myself a nice shady spot, and relax." "Some of your fans were wandering around a while back, asking about you." "They'll find me," Crimson grinned. As he turned away, another thought struck him. "Hey, Uther," he called. The big man grinned back. "Remember what happened last time. Attacking Dragons is a no-no at equinox. Keep those swords buckled." "I remember. But we rebuilt the town, didn't we?" The Dragon laughed and continued on, leading Janey away from the town square. <---===***===---> Janey was surprised by the looks of shock on some of the people's faces. Some went as far as to kneel for her as the Dragon led her down the path. "What are they doing?" Janey whispered. "Worshipping, I think," the Dragon muttered. "They think you are the Queen." "That's ridiculous," she whispered back. A petite, brunette, naked girl was kneeling, blocking the road. Her hair obscured her face as she kept her eyes on the road. "Consider it feedback," the Dragon whispered. "Personally, I think sending a note is easier, but to each their own." The Dragon yawned and then struck off towards a weeping willow. Janey followed him. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as the naked girl who had blocked their path rose from her knees, her gaze following the two, and then continued slowly along the path with a shake of her brown hair. The Dragon settled under the hanging branches and closed his eyes. "Go explore," he muttered, as he slipped into sleep. <---===***===---> She wanted to ask a million questions, but the creature was stubbornly asleep. Dragons could be such ornery critters sometimes. She glanced around. The girl from the road had stopped before the first bend. She stood as though waiting for someone to appear. Nobody did. Janey rose to her feet and walked through the grass towards the girl. "Your Majesty," the girl whispered. Janey blushed, and spoke quickly. "I'm not the Queen, so you can get up off your knees and talk to me." The girl looked confused for a moment, and then hesitantly gained her bare feet. Her eyes remained downcast. Janey glanced down the road. A short distance beyond was the castle, a towering structure of dark stone silhouetted against the perfectly blue sky. "Can anyone go to the castle?" Janey asked the girl. The girl looked up in confusion. "M'lady?" "And why are you undressed?" The girl blushed for a moment, but then answered both questions. "Of course, anyone can go to the castle, and I'm unclothed because I desire it so." Janey nodded like the answer made sense, which it didn't, but it suddenly didn't seem important. "Are you going to the castle?" The girl looked hesitant, but then slowly nodded her head. Janey, without further thought, grabbed the girl's hand and began to walk towards the portcullis. "I'm Miranda," the girl spoke softly as their feet drew them closer to the stone walls. <---===***===---> The banquet hall was filled to capacity with all shapes and sizes of people. Most were dressed normally, in jeans and T-shirts. A few people were wearing shorts. Some were nude. As Janey entered the hall, she stepped over two girls, both naked, both moaning as fingers darted around nipples and lips. Janey watched, fascinated for a moment, before feeling a light tug on her own fingers. She tore her eyes from the naked girls, and followed Miranda over towards the tables, which were piled high with every conceivable food. Their hosts, whoever they were, were generous, if nothing else. To her surprise, she was ravenous. Janey followed the lithe girl from table to table, gathering various fruits, tasting delicacies, and heaping exotic food onto her plate. She became aware of being watched from across the watermelon. "Crimson brought you." It was a statement, not a question. Janey smiled, not knowing who addressed her. Not wanting to appear as if she didn't belong, Janey nodded slowly. The man across the table smiled and stuck out his hand. He was dressed normally in jeans and a T-shirt. Janey was suddenly conscious again of her short tunic, but the stranger didn't seem to notice. "Mat," he introduced himself with a smile. Janey took the offered hand, and began to introduce herself. "Jan-" "Janey Urquhart. I know you." The man had a gentle smile. Miranda glanced quizzically at Janey and then at Mat. Janey searched her memory, struggling to place the man. He seemed oddly familiar, like an old acquaintance with whom she'd lost touch. "Twassel?" He grinned. "Don't you owe me a note? Hmmmm?" Janey flushed, stepping around the table to give the man a hug. Mat grunted at the embrace. "Ooof! What are people going to say?" "Who cares?" But Janey could see a disproportionate number of people staring at her. She reluctantly released Mat. "They always stare at the authors," Mat explained quickly. "Don't think about it too much." "I try not to think, it generally gets me in trouble," Janey replied with a grin. Mat glanced over his shoulder. A rather restless looking brunette, standing by the cantaloupe, was trying to conceal her impatience. "You still owe me a note," he grinned at Janey. He turned towards the petite girl standing demurely behind Janey. "Miranda, make sure Janey enjoys herself." Miranda smiled knowingly, and then began to lead Janey away from the crowd that was beginning to form around the woman who would be Queen. Mat, with a single parting wave, returned to the brunette girl who giggled as his arm encircled her waist. Janey stepped over the girls at the doorway. They were lazier now, their energetic passion expended. The girls' fingers traced slowly over skin, and softly touched Janey's ankle as she stepped over their bare legs. "There ought to be a free bedroom around here somewhere..." Miranda mumbled as she struck out down the dimly lit hallway. She knocked at a promising door. There was no reply. Without further warning, she threw open the oaken door. Immediately Janey and Miranda blushed. A girl was tied securely and quite nakedly to the bed. The girl gasped as the other women stepped into the room and stopped. A man, also naked, stood transfixed by the side of the bed. He held a ball gag in his hand. Nobody spoke for a moment, until Miranda began to laugh. "Janey? Um. Meet Miss Behavin'." "Misbehaving?" Miranda guided Janey out the door slowly. "Close enough. I'll be more careful next time." Miranda smiled. The door snicked shut without another word. As they moved down the corridor, Janey began to make connections. Miss Behavin', Crimson ... this wasn't a strange magical land. It was a cold and forbidding land. Canada! Didn't those two jokers come from the Great White North? It would explain all those silly 'u's in all the words, too. Wouldn't it? She sighed as she followed the petite woman through the hall. It didn't make sense, though. Yes, 'u's were in abundance. Yes, they spelled things funny here, but then again, what makes American spelling the only way? After all, she'd already discussed such things with Crimson long ago. Yes, Miss Behavin' was here, and so was Crimson. But it was warm here, bordering on hot. Now, Canada was warm, generally, but at this time of year? Spring Equinox? And how did one explain shimmering blue portals and clothing manufactured out of thin air? Bewildered, she stopped thinking about location. It wasn't important, and thinking generally got her in trouble, didn't it? They passed another door, open this time, with two women kissing on the large bed. The women waved without parting their lips. The third door opened to reveal a quiet and quite empty bedroom. The bed was covered with an expensive looking quilt. The windows opened onto the courtyard. Janey crossed and pulled the curtains closed. Voyeurism was one thing, exhibitionism, quite another. When she had turned around, Miranda was settling herself on the bed, a grape held between her teeth. Janey, her nerves firing through her body, sat down at the side of the bed. Miranda chewed the grape thoughtfully, and then swallowed. She offered Janey a grape. Janey reached for it, but her hand was pressed gently away. With careful touches, she was guided to her back, her head pillowed by the quilt. Her heart began to hammer in her chest. Miranda crawled up the bed, another grape held lightly between her teeth. Janey closed her eyes, feeling the touch of the other woman above her. She felt the grape enter her mouth and the other set of teeth release it. The grape tasted like wine, filling her mouth with intoxicating flavour. Miranda sighed, and Janey opened her eyes again. Miranda's face hovered millimetres above her. The girl's bare breasts thrust at Janey's own, only the thin cotton of the shift separating them. Electricity sparked and flowed through Janey's nerves as lips caressed her own, travelling ever southward. The soft tongue licked at her nipples, wetting the shift, but hardening the nubs. Fingers scrabbled at the hem of the shift. Briefly, her exposure worried her, but then it seemed natural enough. After all, Miranda hadn't worn clothing since she'd met her. Janey sat, allowing the cloth to flutter over her head, and then onto the floor. Miranda gently pushed Janey back towards the bed and then let her tongue wander in ever increasing circles over Janey's hot skin. Nipples, ribs, calves, thighs. Janey squirmed beneath the touches, found her own fingers reaching for Miranda's skin, stroking, caressing. A cry echoed through the room as Miranda's soft tongue found Janey's vaginal lips. The tongue delved between, finding wetness and arousal. It took Janey a moment to realise that the moaning echoing through her ears was her own. She tried to stop, but the relentless friction of the girl's tongue continued to elicit louder and louder moans. Without warning, her body exploded, lights flashed beneath her eyelids, every muscle in her body in sudden competition. A scream echoed through the castle, travelling across the countryside. <---===***===---> Crimson looked up from his copy of "A Matter of Need" and smiled. <---===***===---> She was still trying to regain her breath when the door burst open. Janey screamed and attempted unsuccessfully to cover her nudity with the quilt. Miranda was atop it, and there wasn't enough to stretch over herself. Resigned, she sat up and regarded the intruders. She nearly laughed as she noted that they were both dressed in firemen outfits, and carrying fire extinguishers. "Fire patrol, Ma'am," the larger of the two spoke. His nametag proclaimed him to be Nick, whoever that was. The other was a bit smaller, and his uniform claimed him to be Sven. Miranda had stopped whatever she had been doing to gaze at the interlopers. "Fire?" Janey asked quizzically. Her fingers were still trying to cover her from the firemen. With a flash of irritation, she noted that neither man was openly ogling her. "Didn't someone scream?" Janey blushed deeply. Miranda spoke for her. The intrusion didn't seem to bother her. "You two jokers know exactly what that was. Now scoot. She's new here." Nick grinned and aimed the fire extinguisher at Miranda. "Noooooo!" she wailed, but it was far too late. Before she could move, white foam washed over her bare skin. "Shit!" Miranda exclaimed, jumping to her feet. Nick looked worried for a moment, and then both firemen hightailed it from the room, closing the door behind them. Miranda threw the bolt on the door and then began to mutter. "Freaking firemen practical jokers." Her finger wiped at the white substance that completely covered her breasts. A nipple peeked out from below the foam. She stuck her finger in her mouth and sighed. "At least it isn't chocolate syrup like last time," she mumbled. She sat quietly on the bed, and guided Janey's head towards her chest. Janey tried to turn away and Miranda laughed. "It's whipped cream." "Whipped cream? For a fire?" Miranda giggled. "You didn't think those idiots actually thought there was a fire in here?" Janey, bewildered, shook her head. Instead of answering, she daintily dipped her head towards the fluffy cream. Within moments, Miranda was clean, head to foot, squirming under Janey's soft tongue. Without further interruptions, Janey's fingers began explorations, touching. With her lips sucking gently at Miranda's breast, her fingers plunged deep inside the other girl. She sensed Miranda's rhythms, finding and maintaining a gentle caress between Miranda's legs. It didn't take long for the insistent brushes to push Miranda over the edge. Another scream echoed through the castle and over the countryside. Janey smiled when there was a bump and a pair of faint "Ooofs" as the locked door to the room rattled in its frame, refusing to open. "Damn firemen," Miranda mumbled. "Serves 'em right." <---===***===---> Crimson looked up from the story as the latest cry echoed from the castle. The last paragraph left a sense of completeness. As he dropped the pages to the grass, the wind snatched them and whisked them high into the sky, scattering them to the four corners of the land. A second scream brought a faint smile to his lips, and then a full-blown smile wiped away the last vestiges of residual melancholy from the story. Two girls, resplendent in their nudity, were approaching the willow from the road. One blonde, one brunette. The blonde carried a length of silken cord. "Are you Crimson Dragon?" they asked quietly. <---===***===---> The afternoon sun woke her from a light doze. She gently moved Miranda's hand from cupping her left breast, and then swung her legs out of bed. Janey watched the naked girl in sleep for a while, then padded, still naked herself, to the window. The curtains fluttered in the breeze, letting the afternoon sun flash around the room. She crouched, carefully peering between the curtains. Outside, the two firemen were merrily spraying their whipped cream at naked girls. The women screeched and ran through the courtyard, trying to avoid the messy foam. Many of them were busy cleaning each other in the shade, similarly to the way that Janey had cleaned Miranda. A tingle raced through Janey, igniting her nipples and a quick throb between her thighs. But she was exhausted. After Miranda had recovered, she'd been relentless, pushing Janey further and further into the depths of oblivion. It had taken all of Janey's fading strength to beg for a rest. She returned her attention to the courtyard. The tone of the play and the female screeching had changed. Eventually, Nick's fire extinguisher ran out of cream, and he laughed as a gaggle of girls pounced on his undefended form. A youngish waif managed to slip his trousers from his body as the other girls held his willing body down. Even in the room above, the two sighs were audible as the waif lowered her nakedness to his erection. The other girls gently removed whipped cream from the girl's breasts, transferring each morsel into Nick's mouth. Janey grinned as Sven fell to a similar fate. Sighing, she closed the curtains again and padded over to the bed. She was still exhausted, but Miranda's body was so achingly desirable. Shaking herself, she wrapped the tunic around her body and padded to the doorway. The bolt was difficult to disengage, but she managed it. She peered into the empty hallway, finally stepping out barefoot. "Hi Janey," a voice whispered from the shadows. Janey turned towards the sound, her eyes widening. The voice came from a bedroom that she was currently passing. It was smaller than the one she had shared with Miranda, but still it was a room that put most hotel suites to shame. The voice came from the bed. "Who's there?" Janey called quietly. "'Tis Mat, again, fair lady. Shh. She's sleeping." Janey could make out a faint form lying in the bed with Mat, her head nestled into the crook of Mat's arm. Brunette hair fanned out across the man's chest. "The bathrooms? And the showers?" Janey whispered. Mat smiled, his teeth visible like a Cheshire cat in the darkened room. "Down the hall, turn left." Janey nodded and set out. Her bare feet whispered across the warm stone. <---===***===---> It turned out that the showers were clearly marked, though she wasn't sure which door led to the ladies', and which to the men's. She doubted if it made a difference. The washrooms were slightly better marked and were supposedly gender specific. She wasn't quite sure if the room she entered simply had a few guys dressed as girls, but she wasn't convinced that all the inhabitants of the ladies' room were, in fact, ladies. Her business taken care of, Janey pushed open a door marked with an icon of a shower. Steam assaulted her immediately as she slipped through the doorway. She heard laughing, both male and female, from various locations in the room. "Take your tunic, Ma'am?" A quiet voice guided her towards her left. Janey blushed, and shook her head. The demure girl behind the clothing check counter shrugged. "Do you have anything to change into?" She wished that Crimson was here to provide her with dry clothes after the shower. Magic. Sheesh. She briefly debated not showering, but her skin felt sticky from the over-spray of whipped cream, and she felt sweaty from her tryst with Miranda. And God knew where Crimson was. She couldn't get home alone. This tunic was all she had between her and wandering about naked. She shook her head for the attendant. "There's nothing saying that you can't shower like that, but you do realise that it's white, right?" Janey looked down. Already the steam from the bathroom was making the thin garment stick to her skin. It was becoming translucent anyway. She picked at the cloth in disgust. What the hell, she thought. With one motion, she whipped the tunic from her body, tossing it casually to the girl behind the counter, trying to control the automatic blush. "Will you be long, Ma'am?" the girl asked. "I don't think so," Janey replied, and then strode off into the steam. <---===***===---> The water felt wonderful against her skin. She half had expected that the castle would only have cold water, and truthfully, she needed a cold shower. However, when she pulled the chain, warm water sluiced over her bare skin. She scrubbed at herself, her fingers pushing away the fluids and stickiness that had imbued her since Miranda. A bar of soap provided her with lather that smelled like a peach orchard. She wasn't much for perfumed soaps, but this one tickled her senses. At last, she released the chain, and the steam ceased to flow over her. Laughter and cries of ecstasy surrounded her, hidden by the fog. She was half tempted to find the characters, if only to satisfy her curiosity. Now, where was the damn desk? Janey stumbled through the steam, her eyes trying to penetrate it. Panic began to set in. Nothing seemed familiar in her world of white. "Find a wall, Janey," she spoke softly to herself. After tripping over a man who was sandwiched between two women, Janey's fingers finally touched cool stone. Nobody seemed to mind, as she made her way slowly through open showers. "You're Janey," a female voice whispered. Janey turned, conscious suddenly of her nakedness. "I am. And you?" The woman had her back to Janey, warm water flowing down her posterior. "It's not important, is it?" The woman turned. She was stunning, even with her hair plastered to her head. "How'd you know me?" "You wrote 'Assignation', didn't you? Everybody knows you." Janey nodded. It didn't make sense, but she was becoming accustomed to strangeness in this magical land. The over-spray of the shower was wetting her skin, again. "Who else would be so tall?" the woman remarked over her shoulder. Janey blushed and began to turn away. "I didn't mean to offend," the showering woman spoke quietly. She beckoned with a finger. She could still feel the ache in all her muscles. That damn Crimson. Portals three metres off the ground and in lakes. She'd get him back for that, if it were the last thing she did. The water felt good as she stepped beneath the flow. Suddenly, wet lips were brushing her own, damp fingers exploring. Janey sighed, and let the girl massage the aches from her. The lips left, as suddenly as they had appeared. A wetness, more solid than the trickling shower, trailed down her chest as the woman lowered herself. Janey's nipples, despite her best efforts, tightened with the touches of the tongue. Dancing fingers toyed with her thighs, sending bolts of electricity up her spine. The water continued to fall over the girls like a warm waterfall. The fingers entered her, like a phallus, filling her. Her voice mixed with the beat of the shower, entwined with the other moans and cries from around the steam-filled room. The fingers began to slide within her, in, out, in, out. Each time the fingers left her, she felt empty. Then, at the peak of an 'in' stroke, she felt the tongue return, teasing her clitoris. She pressed her hips forward, felt the increased friction, felt the fingers move ever so slightly within her. She could feel the tensing, her muscles rebelling. Another touch teased her nipples; she could sense another presence, but dared not open her eyes. The smell of peaches suffused the air. She tried to resist, to prolong the pleasure, but unconsciously her fingers found the stone behind her, giving her balance when the last soft touch of a tongue pushed her over the edge. Her scream of delight echoed through the steam. She thought she even heard faint clapping from across the enclosure. She flushed with more than simply the after-effects of the climax. Her face blushing scarlet, she gently pushed away the hands that still were upon her skin. As she sank to her knees, she fought the blackness that threatened to overwhelm her. At last, she caught her breath and opened her eyes. The girl was kneeling back on her heels, face upturned, her mouth catching some of the water from the shower. Miranda remained standing, smiling down at her. Janey leaned her head back, once again, exhausted. "I thought I might find you here," Miranda spoke cheerily. "And Mat kind of spilled the beans." Janey nodded, not having the energy to speak. When she opened her eyes to soft moaning, she was surprised to see Miranda and the girl, still in the shower spray. The girl had switched to all fours, and was enjoying Miranda's fingers as Miranda knelt behind. With a small cry, the nameless woman shuddered, and then collapsed onto the warm stone, facedown. The water continued to wash over her skin, flowing lazily towards the drain. <---===***===---> She didn't remember the trip from the showers, nor dressing herself. She vaguely recalled Miranda sharing her towel, patting the droplets of water from her skin. She didn't know how she had ended up back in bed with Miranda draped around her. She could vaguely smell the sweet odour of wood smoke drifting in through the open window. She lay for a long time, staring at the timbers of the ceiling, not wanting to disturb Miranda. If the girl felt anywhere as tired as Janey, then she deserved her rest. It was a long time before she noticed the scarlet shimmering from near the window. She stifled a scream. Laughing gently, Crimson stepped from the shadows. "How long have you been here?" she hissed into the darkness. The Dragon smiled enigmatically. "Not long enough to know what you were doing with Miranda. But I could guess." Janey relaxed, not sure whether she was disappointed or relieved that he hadn't been a witness to her romping. "She's asleep." "I know, I've been watching you both sleep for a while." "What time is it?" "Almost time for the festival. Might already be swinging." He cocked his head to the side. Janey could hear faint music wafting from somewhere beyond the window. Festival? "I can't take another sex session here," she spoke wearily. "I wasn't suggesting that we join in," the Dragon spoke softly. "But we shouldn't miss it entirely. Miranda is going to kill me if she discovers that she missed the festival." Janey began to extract herself from entangling limbs. The slight caresses, from Miranda's skin sliding across her own, ignited yet another shiver of electricity through Janey's nerves. She knew that she didn't have a hope of climaxing again, but nostalgia nearly overwhelmed her. She didn't want to leave the warmth of the bed. Festival, shmestival. At last, she worked herself free of Miranda's limbs. Miranda murmured in her sleep, and then turned over, presenting an exquisitely curved back. "Toss me that ridiculous shift, and then you can turn around." Janey whispered. Crimson grinned, and did as he was bid. Moments later, Janey physically turned the creature around. She was clothed again in the short tunic and her sandals. "I don't suppose that you'll return my normal clothing?" she inquired hopefully. The Dragon grinned, and shook his head. "Wouldn't be proper," he muttered. "Wouldn't be prudent..." Walking around the bed, he bent and kissed Miranda's cheek chastely. The girl's eyes fluttered open briefly, and she whispered sleepily. "See you next time, Crimson." "Until next time," he whispered back. But she was already back asleep. Taking Janey's hand, he led her to the doorway, which remained bolted against intruders. He slipped the bolt effortlessly and the two writers stepped into the hallway. "Do you have any idea of what bolts are for?" Janey whispered as the bolt released the door. "Latches?" Crimson inquired innocently. "What are they for?" Janey scowled at the creature, but followed along the dark hallway. Crimson glanced back at the bedroom. "She's going to murder me for not waking her." Crimson shook his head with a grin. <---===***===---> The light from the bonfire and the overhead moonlight lit the clearing as brightly as if a spotlight were shining. Janey heard the laughter and the music well before the two of them arrived at the festival. She stared in awe at the abandon. It reminded her of a tribal ritual or a rave. A large platform made of wooden planks was raised like a stage on the other side of the clearing. Music boomed from loudspeakers. She idly wondered where electricity to drive the amplifiers came from, but decided that she really didn't want to know. A downtown club wasn't this boisterous. Multiple dancers whirled with frenetic grace across the stage. Clothed, unclothed, it didn't seem to make a difference. She plucked at her tunic, which was sticking to her skin again in the heat and the humidity. The bedroom had been cooler. Crimson pointed toward the edge of the clearing, where a girl sat busily scribing something on a bit of parchment. Every so often, she'd glance up and stare into the crowd, her gaze held by certain individuals dancing near the fire. Then, she'd return to frantic scribbling. Janey nodded in confusion, following Crimson's gesture. "That's Kivi," he said. "Kivi?" "Yeah, she's watching and keeping track." The girl looked up, made eye contact with both of them, and waved merrily. "A scribe?" Janey asked. "A demographer," Crimson managed to say with a straight face. Bewildered, Janey simply regarded the Dragon strangely. "She can dance like a demon, too," he offered with a shrug. Janey studied the girl. She was shorter than Janey, and didn't have much of a tan. Kivi was wearing a short dress, but it was more modest than the one Crimson had bestowed upon Janey at the beginning of this insane day. Janey's attention was torn from the girl to another one by Crimson's urging. "See the girl up there?" Crimson pointed. Janey nodded, unsure if her voice could possibly compete with the driving beat. The music sounded familiar, and she was just about to place it when Crimson's strong voice overpowered the bass. "That's Mercury," he said. The girl was whirling about the stage with far more abandon than any of the other dancers. She was nude, her breasts bouncing with the beat. "Mercury?" Then she recognised the music. Some joker had put on the sixties tune by that name. "I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury..." Mercury tossed her hair, and began to dance with a new partner, grinding her hips to the beat. A mug of mead was pressed into Janey's hand, though she didn't know who had given it to her, or what the amber liquid was. She was surprised to discover that she was parched. The sweetness immediately flowed to her head, making her giddy. In her peripheral vision, she noted that Crimson had already knocked back his mead with one long swallow. Damn Dragons. She suspected they were immune to intoxication, or perhaps lived in a state where they only occasionally had blood mixed with the alcohol within their veins and thus had a tolerance to the stuff. Unfortunately, she didn't have Crimson's immunity. With a sense of determination, she quickly downed the rest of the mug in her hand. With a start, she felt a strong hand grab hers, and she was sucked into the writhing mass of dancers near the fire. Her cry was swallowed by the thumping bass. The man who'd grabbed her was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and matching shorts. Janey grimaced at the choice, but then realised that her attire wasn't much better. The music swept her, and she forced her aching muscles into a half-hearted dance. The man danced with abandon around her as though frantic energy was expected. Slowly, she noticed that her feet were matching the beat despite her exhaustion. She tossed her hair and smiled at her unknown suitor. She ached between her legs, and her breasts felt like they were on fire. If this guy wanted some, she was afraid that he'd be disappointed. Miranda had seen to that. She didn't think she would ever climax again, as long as she lived. The Hawaiian didn't seem to have anything on his mind other than dancing, so she was spared from breaking the bad news of her impending retreat to a convent. She mused idly whether she would prefer being a nun, or a perhaps a monk? There were unsubstantiated rumours that the Dragon was head over heels for a certain female monk. The music changed into a low driving beat, something from the eighties. She thought she recognised Duran Duran, but she wasn't positive. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Mercury climbed down from the platform and spun effortlessly through the dancers around the bonfire. Her head swimming, Janey at last fell to her knees, and then sat. Her vagina ached, and her calves felt like they were on fire. Even her nipples ached. The dancers spun around her in a haze, but none stepped on the sitting woman. When she looked up again, two male forms were crouched beside her; worried looks graced their faces. "Are you all right?" Mat yelled over the music. Janey nodded. She vaguely recognised the other man as the villager who had been chasing the 'spammers'. "Hello spammer-buster," she slurred and waved her fingers at the leader, her voice barely audible above the music. She felt herself lifted, and more carried than supported by the two men. The procession was constantly bumped by dancing apparitions, but Janey didn't stumble with the assistance of Mat. Most of the dancers the men seemed to know by name. Crimson's face emerged from the haze. The world was shimmering and spinning. She felt a faint buzzing in her brain, but nothing like the times that she'd really indulged back in Boston. She'd be fine if she didn't have any more of the sweet stuff. The exhaustion was another matter, though. She sang with Duran Duran. Something about a Wolf. "Can someone stop the world? I'd like to get off," Janey mumbled. Voices floated past her from far away. "Mead?" "She's not used to it..." "Thanks for rescuing her, See-El. That stuff generally wears off quickly. I should have been watching her more closely, though." Released from the men's grasp, Janey slowly sank back to the earth, shaking her head. Her fingers gripped her feet, trying to steady the world. It helped. The fuzziness lifted a little. Fresh air cleared her head quickly. In a few moments, she regained control of her tongue. "Crimson?" The Dragon was crouching in front of Janey. "I'm taking you home," he spoke quietly. There was a naked woman crouched beside him, demurely keeping her legs together. Janey silently thanked the girl for that. One more glimpse of sexual abandon was going to drive her crazy. "Mercury?" Janey ventured. The nude girl nodded, looked up, and smiled at Janey. Her fingers traced Janey's cheek. New sparks, which she tried to quell, flashed through Janey's nerves. Instead, she studied her fingers. "She's flushed, Crimson. You better get her home." Crimson laughed, but not unkindly. "She got into the mead before I could warn her." "I'm fine," Janey protested, but weakly. God, she was tired. Crimson rose and helped Janey to her feet. Mercury smiled. "Next time, we dance without this, and up there," she plucked at Janey's shift and pointed towards the platform. Janey flushed, but nodded wearily. She released Crimson's support and gamely swayed. "Let's go," she yelled through the music. Her fingers grasped the bottom of the shift, ready to whip it from her body -- ready to at least try to join Mercury's energy at the bonfire. She steadied herself briefly on Crimson's shoulder. Crimson laughed. "That dance will have to wait for next time." Janey whirled on her feet, her eyes flashing in gentle anger. "I'm not dead, you know...I do have a say in this...I can dance." The shift was fluttering dangerously high on her thighs. The crowd around her was staring, wondering if the shift was going to be removed or not. Soft fingers again stroked Janey's cheek. Mercury's face floated in front of Janey's eyes. "Not tonight, Janey," the other woman spoke above the music. "But..." "There is another equinox in six months, and probably a solstice in between. We'll dance then. You'll collapse." Janey looked from Mercury, to Crimson, and then back to Mercury. "I can do it," she mumbled. Her body cried out its protest as she tried to execute a quick dance step. She stumbled but maintained her balance. Mercury laughed kindly, extending her arm. "Next time," she whispered in Janey's ear. Janey turned toward Crimson, a look of pleading in her eyes. "You've had enough excitement for one day," he smiled easily. With a wave of his hand, a blue portal opened, this time not in a lake or metres off the ground. He took Janey's hand firmly. Before they could walk into it, a strong hand on Crimson's shoulder stopped them. "You weren't planning on leaving, were you? Without saying good-bye?" Crimson nodded. "The little lady is a bit tired. I wonder why?" See-El materialised out of the crowd, three women surrounding him. Two were nude, the other in a diaphanous white cloak. See-El and the girls waved jauntily, and then began a short walk towards the castle. Janey could hear the soft murmur of See-El's voice as he spoke animatedly with the girls. Something about spam, and research being the Holy Grail of existence. She failed to grasp the meaning. Mat patted Janey's shoulder and then shook Crimson's hand. "You'll be returning, I suppose," Mat inquired of Janey. Janey smiled, and then without a word stepped into the portal. <---===***===---> It was dark when she spilled out of the blue turbulence. "Not agaaaaain!" she screamed as she hurtled through thin air, at last landing in shallow frigid water. She screamed again as the icy fluid caressed her skin through the thin tunic she still wore. The water drove the last vestiges of fuzziness from her brain. Insults, directed mostly at idiotic scarlet lizards, hurtled into the night air. Distractedly, she noticed a large brown mink swim away, carrying a small gerund in its mouth. She must have disturbed it with her cursing as it dined. The creature was by far the nicest northern mink she had ever seen, and she would have liked to watch it longer, but it disappeared into the shadows as silently as it had appeared. She struggled to her feet, her sandals sinking into the soft bottom of the lake. She slogged the ten metres to the beach and fell into the soft sand, her arms wrapped around her knees. The tunic was dripping. She glanced down at the now translucent material. Crimson was going to get a show when he meandered through the portal. Her eyelids felt like they were made of lead. She was so tired, she couldn't even gather the energy to further curse the creature. Shivering, she silently waited for the Dragon to appear. At last, he emerged, appearing in a red shimmer above the water. A soft fragrance of smoke and perfume wafted across the crisp air. The Dragon missed the execution of the flip, and landed as Janey had, ungracefully in the lake. Janey began to giggle as the tall man slowly raised himself out of the lake with a scowl. "Damn," he muttered. "I always knew that was going to backfire on me one day." He shook his arms, spraying water across the waves. Janey rose to her feet, still laughing. "Is it proper for me to be wearing this now?" She slipped the useless, dripping garment over her head and threw it at the man walking across the beach towards her. She stood defiant, but shivering, in her nudity in the moonlight. The Dragon grinned and nimbly caught the shift. With a wave of his hand, her jeans and blouse covered her. They were soaked as much as the shift had been. She glared at the Dragon. The man waved again, and she felt the frigid water evaporate from the clothing. She began to feel warm, at least. Janey pulled out the top of her blouse and looked down. "Underwear, too, you mangy Dragon." The Dragon sighed. "Sometimes, you aren't much fun," he remarked. Janey felt the panties and bra snake around her body as if by magic. A tingling surrounded her skin, feeling remarkably like Miranda's lips, and then the sensation faded into the night. She slipped her hand into the Dragon's and they began the long walk back to civilisation. "Did you have fun?" he asked quietly. "Oh, yes," she replied as her bare feet indented the sand. "But I've never been so tired in my life." "I wonder why," the Dragon remarked with a smirk on his face. <---===***===---> She glanced out the bedroom window, between the curtains. Her neighbours were at it again. She thought she saw the shadow of a pot fly across the drawn shades, two houses down. She sighed. A shape something like a bat but much larger flitted across the full moon face. It had a faintly reddish tinge to it. Her cheek tingled as though Dragon lips, or pixie dust, had kissed her good-night. She sighed, watching as the shape flew ever northwards until she could no longer follow it with her eyes. She fought the drowsiness and the dull sense of nausea that had settled in her stomach. Never again, she swore. Mead was definitely out of her diet. And God help Crimson if she had a hangover tomorrow. "Come to bed, honey," a sleepy voice murmured in the darkness. Janey wearily rose to her feet, still feeling the ache deeply within her muscles. She smiled at the moon once more, hearing melodies from the sixties, and smelling the acrid wafts of wood smoke. They were all still there. Somewhere. "I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury," she mumbled as her head touched the pillow. She fought off sleep for a moment longer. She felt relaxed and free. "What?" her husband mumbled as his arm encircled her waist. "It was equinox today," she mumbled before surrendering to a dreamless sleep.