Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Tales of the Mansion by Diola Dragontail

   Neckaring with the Sphinx: Prologue

   "Wonderful." The Elvish woman replied with a smile.  "I think you will
do just fine here."

   Her eyes gazed across you once more, as if she was judging the sincerity
of your acceptance.

   "I think we should start you off with something relatively easy." Her
hands disappeared behind the desk again, followed by the unmistakable sound
of a drawer opening and then closing.  Her hands returned to the top of the
desk bringing with them a pair of stud boxes.

   "These studs were worn by Elias and Inda Glemmund." She stated matter of
factly as she placed the boxes on the desk in front of you.  "They are a
human couple that departed the Mansion this morning."

   Her fingers ran delicately across the top of the boxes.  "They told me
that they found their stay quite enjoyable and that they are already
planning for when they can return."

   Her lips curled in a slight smirk, "Being that this was their first stay
with us, I can not imagine that their stay was that extravagant."

   You nodded as you started to stand, "Thank you again."

   She stood at the same time, extending a hand across the desk.  "Your
welcome.  I expect to see great things from you."

   Taking her hand, you could feel that her fingers were warm, much warmer
than you would have expected.  "Uh, I'll do my best."

   "Good." She replied, smiling as she took her hand back.  "That's all we
expect."

   You nodded, collected your handful of jewelry boxes and set out of the
office.  Behind you, you could hear her hands shuffling through the papers
that lied on the desk.

   Opening the door with your free hand, you were immediately greeted by
the young man who had led you to the office to begin with.

   "Follow me, please." He said with a smile.  "I'll show you to your room
and your study."

   You nodded your reply and started your walk through the hallways.  It
was only a moment or so later when he glanced over his shoulder and smiled,
"By the way, welcome to the Mansion."

   Neckaring with the Sphinx

   Elias mentally tried to calculate how much this stay was going to cost
him and his wife.  He wasn't happy with any of the numbers that he was
coming up with.  Conservatively, he imagined it was going to easily take
half of their life savings.

   "Have you seen the washroom?" The excited voice of his wife drew him out
of his mental doldrums.  "There's running water, hot and cold!  Just like
an Elvish Palace!"

   Elias couldn't help but smile at the way she was bubbling around the
room.  Though he had never stayed at the Mansion before, the amenities
themselves were not new to him.  He had seen many wondrous things in his
travels, as well as many horrors.  Serving in the military had both that
benefit and curse.

   Inda, on the other hand, had not often seen the world outside her home
town.  She couldn't possibly contain her excitement and her reaction was
infectious, drawing Elias out of his thoughts.

   "That's as it should be." He said with a smile, walking up behind his
wife as she inspected the bed.  "Only the best for my princess."

   Right then and there he made a decision, he would enjoy the week they
had here.  Ruining the week by spending it worrying about the bill made no
sense.  Better to enjoy it and have something to look back on for the
price.

   "With a bed like this..." Inda murmured as she ran her hand over the
fine cloth.  "I'll certainly feel like a princess."

   He smiled again as he wrapped his arms around her.  He towered over her,
a full head at least, making her tiny in his grasp.  He lifted her slightly
off the ground, causing her to whoop in surprise.  When he set her back
down, she immediately spun in place to face him, giggling the whole time.

   "We could stay in here all day you know." Elias offered with a smile. 
"But that really wouldn't make the most of our day, would it?"

   Inda glanced at him and smiled as she shook her head, "No, it wouldn't."
She agreed, mimicking his serious tone of voice.

   Elias nodded with a laugh and then reached for the door to their room.
He held it open for her as she passed though.  He could see that she was
bubbling with the excitement of seeing what else this adventure had in
store for them.

   She glanced up and down the hallway excitedly as she waited for him to
join her.  Just like a little child, even these few seconds of waiting
seemed to be intolerable to her.  That only made him take slightly longer
to step into the hallway, an amused look on his face.

   He took her hand and began the trek down the hall.  "Would you like to
get something to eat or explore a bit first?" he asked her, smiling.

   "Explore.  Please." Her voice was still giddy and he hoped that effect
wouldn't wear off.  He liked to see her this happy and excited.

   "Now you remember what I told you about this place, right?" He asked, a
bit cautiously.  He wanted to be absolutely sure that she was prepared for
what she'd see.  So far they had been pretty lucky in that nothing out of
the ordinary had come up to shock her.

   She nodded in reply, "I do."

   "Okay.  Then how about we go to that balcony we passed on the way in? 
The one that overlooked the garden?" He offered.

   She nodded again in reply, squeezing his hand at the same time.  It
wasn't exactly as exciting a prospect as she had anticipated, but it was a
start.

   "Good." He said as he led the way through the hallways.  He had made it
a point to get a room on the second floor, but they really didn't have the
money to get a balcony of their own.  The windows in their rooms looked
out, away from the mansion, back towards the rest of the world outside.

   "Ah, here it is." He announced as they arrived at the large glass door
that led to the public balcony.  He reached to open the door, but at the
same time, his eyes looked through it to see who else might already be out
there.  And if they might be intruding on anything.

   To his relief, he saw that the balcony was mostly vacant.  In fact,
there were only two other people on it.  An Elvish couple who looked to be
busy enjoying their morning tea at one of the small tables.

   The garden looked magnificent even from inside.  It was totally incased
in the center of the mansion, with open air above it.  He couldn't see the
grounds from here, but he could see the upper half of the trees that grew
below.

   He pushed the door open easily and remained inside while he again held
the door open for her.  He watched as she stepped onto the stone floor
outside, her eyes darting about to take it all in.  Unlike the hallway,
once she was on the other side of the door, she didn't stop.  She kept
walking, straight for the railing of the balcony.  He took a quick deep
breath and followed her.

   He stepped up next to her and gazed down on the large pool that
dominated the center of the garden.  It was certainly man made, but made to
look natural.  Waterfalls fell from the side of the building, running along
a small river to fill the pond.  He could see the handful of people already
enjoying a morning swim, all of them quite plainly naked and unashamed.

   Cobblestone paths wove an intricate web of walkways, between which
numerous trees and bushes created natural fences and walls.  Small sections
of grass were carefully cordoned off between the foliage, offering only a
few points to enter and a small amount of privacy.

   Still, while the natural beauty was certainly impressive, it was the
patrons of the garden that were even more interesting.  They came in all
shapes and sizes; humans, elves, dwarves, and some even more exotic.

   His eyes followed what looked like a swarm of bees buzzing around the
garden, but when he narrowed his eyes he could see that they were actually
a mass of tiny winged faeries.  He watched the flying mass dive up and
down, banking left and right, as if they were playing a game that they only
understood.

   There were still even more exotic creatures; centaurs, giants, caitians,
the variety seemed limitless.  He took a deep breath as he waited for
Inda's reaction to all of this.

   "Goddess." Inda murmured as her hands gripped the balcony railing
tighter.  Elias let out his large breath of air and readied himself, he was
unable to judge just by the tone of her voice what her reaction was.

   "This is incredible." She said, the awe becoming obvious in her voice.
"Are those elves dark elves?"

   He glanced where she was looking and saw the figures she meant.  A trio
of coal skinned elves were reclining in the shade of one of the trees.  Two
females and a male, all with bright golden hair and wearing thin cotton
shifts.

   He nodded, "Yes, I believe they are, but don't call them dark elves. 
They prefer Elarel."

   She glanced at him, slightly embarrassed by her mistake.  "Oh.  I'll
remember that."

   "Good." He replied, still smiling, trying to smooth out the verbal
correction and not make her feel worried for it.

   She felt almost like a fish out of water.  This was not the sort of
place she had ever imagined being.  Her life had been so simple before
Elias showed up and she had no belief that that would ever have changed. 
Her parents were dairy farmers, just like their parents before them had
been.  And so on back as far as any one could remember.  She had expected
that that was all that life had in store for her.

   Then Elias and his squadron showed up in her town.  All of the villagers
had been up in arms about it, but to her, they were an entirely new life
that she hadn't even imagined.  And, to make a long story short, that's how
they had gotten to this point.  That was years ago and she hadn't regretted
it a single day since.

   Her eyes continued to scan across the gardens below.  Taking in every
detail she could, drinking in as much of the environment as her mind was
willing to accept.  Then she just stopped, frozen still, her eyes stared at
the two figures that had just finally proved to be too much for her.

   There were two of them, large, golden, and sleek.  They padded slowly
through the garden with an air of strength and assurance that she hadn't
seen the like of before.  They seemed to be exploring as well, taking in
everything about them.

   Inda went to say something to Elias about this.  To ask what they were.
If they really were what she thought they were.  But she failed to find her
voice and, instead, just stood there staring in awe.

   One of the figures padded to a slow stop, as if it could feel Inda's
eyes on them.  As the second figure slowed to a stop as well, the first
glanced up, making eye contact with Inda.

   Inda felt immediately embarrassed, a red warm feeling filling her eyes
and face.  But she could not avert her eyes.  It was like the eye contact
had engaged her soul and it wasn't willing to let her go that easily.  The
face that stared up at her was obviously female, piercing red eyes set in
and exotically sharp set of features.  All framed in by bright golden hair,
the color of the morning sun.

   The female broke the eye contact as she looked to the figure with her.
With the contact broken, Inda could feel her body gasp for air.  It was as
if she had not actually been in her body for the last few moments.  As if
she had been drawn out of herself and ensnared in this female's gaze.

   Inda embarrassment grew within herself to almost a mortal wound now. 
She looked to Elias, feeling quite small and almost terrified.  Had she
done something horribly rude?  Some unknown to her, but none the less
insulting social misstep?

   The look on Elias' face as one of confusion and indecision.  Like even
he did not know what to do at this point.

   Inda looked back to the garden quickly now, looking down to see both of
the figures looking up at Elias and herself.  She could see the lips of the
second figure speaking.  And she could see the female figure nodding slowly
in reply as it listened.  The second figure's face was decidedly male, but
otherwise much like the females.  Dark red eyes, angular, almost regal
features, and a strong jaw to form a base for its face.  All of this also
framed by a mane of golden hair.

   Inda drew in a breath of surprise as the female figure unfurled its
wings.  Spreading them out wide from its broad, strong back.  The very tips
vibrated, like they were being stretched taut.  They then started gently
flapping as the figure reared slowly back on its hind legs.  A moment later
and its rear feet no longer touched the ground either.

   In surprise, Inda took a step back from the railing, backing up right
into Elias.  He followed suit though, placing a protective arm around his
mate as he stepped backwards as well.

   The figure rose up into view, turned and started towards the balcony. 
It's movements through the air were slow and deliberate, but seemed
impossible to be happening.  It's powerful, sleek body just seemed
unnatural in the air, its feathery wings were just too delicate looking to
support it.  Yet, there it was in front of them.  Defying what ever natural
laws were screaming in their heads.

   It landed lightly on the balcony; the only sound it made was the click
of its sharp nails when its paws touched the balcony.  It just stood there
for a moment, regarding them from the spot they had just been occupying, as
its wings folded back up against its back.

   "You're... You're..." Inda stammered out, staring in wide eyed wonder at
the creature in front of her.  She felt a slight twinge of fear, but that
felt minor now, blotted out by awe.

   "A sphinx." The creature replied, a smile still gracing her face. 
"You've never met one of my kind before, have you?"

   "No..." Inda said slowly, none of the wonder had left her eyes.

   "I'm sorry to have startled you." The sphinx said as it regarded Inda
slowly.  "I saw you both up here looking and I thought I would introduce
myself."

   "But..." Inda started to stammer out again, but said nothing more.

   "What?" the creature inquired, curiously.

   "Don't you... eat humans?" Inda asked, embarrassed.  After all, it was
obvious that she had no plans to eat either of them.  Unless this was just
the dinner conversation before the meal.

   The creature literally roared with laughter, causing both Inda and Elias
to jump slightly in surprise.  "No, I don't.  And neither do I talk in
riddles or guard tombs of long dead rulers."

   "Oh." Inda said, a slight reddish hue heating her cheeks in
embarrassment.

   ""Some sphinixi might." She replied, with a toothy smile.  "But they are
about as closely related to me as apes might be to you."

   "Oh." Inda said again, suddenly grasping what the sphinx was trying to
explain to her.

   The sphinx's smile broadened slightly now, becoming a little less
toothy, "I am Kellet, of the Shield Clan Alvius." She lowered her head
slightly when she said her name, as if that was a motion of respect.

   "Inda... Inda Glemmund." Inda managed to reply, still feeling woefully
out of place in this conversation.

   "Glemmund... Glemmund..." Kellet repeated now, as if she was rolling it
around in her mouth and trying it on.  "From the manor of the yellow
flowers?" she added, sounding slightly unsure.

   Elias nodded now; somewhat surprised that anyone would know the meaning
of his family's name.

   Kellet glanced at Elias and smiled again, then looked back to Inda.  "A
noble family line indeed."

   "Oh!" Inda said suddenly, as if she just remembered something.  "This is
Elias, my husband."

   Elias had the urge to extend his hand in greeting, but held it back and
just kept his hands where they were.  He wasn't entirely sure what the
proper manner in which one should behave when meeting a sphinx for the
first time.  "Pleased to meet you."

   Kellet smiled again, nodding slightly in reply to the introduction. 
"And I am pleased to meet you both." She turned slightly now, showing them
her profile as she nodded to the male sphinx still standing in the garden
below.  "That is Tadis, my shield mate."

   The male sphinx below seemed to understand that he had been introduced,
his head dropping low for a moment as well.  In the same manner that Kellet
had when she stated her name.  Inda, for lack of a better movement to do,
raised her hand and waved slightly to Tadis, Elias doing the same after a
momentary pause.

   Kellet turned to look at them again and took a couple of steps towards
them.  Closing the distance to what would be probably considered a more
acceptable distance for polite conversation in sphinx society.

   "Well, I do not wish to detain your exploration any further." Kellet
said, now able to use a more polite volume of conversation.  "Perhaps, this
evening, you might wish to join us for dinner?" Kellet's smile broadened
even further now, as if she was enjoying this conversation.  "So that I can
prove to you that we do not actually eat humans."

   Inda was startled by this invitation, but Elias was quick to respond. 
"We would be honored."

   "Wonderful." Kellet said with the same pleased smile.  "Then perhaps
after dinner I can show you the only manner in which I do enjoy eating
humans."

   Not waiting for a reply, Kellet unfurled her wings again.  "We are in
room one hundred and seventy-two.  Come by this evening, let' us say an
hour before dusk?" Her wings flapped lightly as her body lifted up off the
balcony.  While floating in front of them, she turned in place then slipped
over the side of the balcony, soaring gently to her mate on the ground
below.

   Elias chuckled lightly at this, "I do believe we've just been
propositioned by a pair of sphinx."

   Inda nodded in reply, still at a loss for words.

   ==

   As near as they could tell, they arrived at Kellet and Tadis' room at
the prescribed time.  If they hadn't, there was no hint of a problem from
either of the sphinxi.

   To Inda and Elias' surprise, the room was a relatively barren affair. 
There was no furniture in it to speak of, except for a large round table
set right in the center of the room.  The rest of the room was lined with a
multitude of pillows of all sizes and colors.  The pillows were so numerous
it was almost impossible to see the floor below.

   The room had a musky smell to it that wasn't entirely unpleasant.  In
fact, it was fairly engaging and spiced with the scent of roasted meat. 
Meat that Kellet was very amused to mention was in fact venison and in no
way human in nature.

   ==

   The foursome sat relaxing on the pillows around the table.  Feeling
quite contented and lethargic after leisurely finished what turned out to
be an excellent meal.  Both Inda and Elias were surprised to find that
having dinner with Kellet and Tadis wasn't all that exotic an affair.  In
fact, if they had eaten with their eyes closed, the meal would be
indistinguishable from any other meal with new friends.

   As they talked about nothing in particular, Inda couldn't help but
venture to touch Tadis' huge golden paw.  It sat on one of the pillows next
to her and was bigger than both her feet put together.  Somehow she felt
like just touching it could make all of this seem real.

   Inda's fingers had only been on his paw for a moment when Tadis turned
his attention to her.  A look of bemusement on his face.  He just watched
her as her fingers traced the outline of his toes then followed the length
of one of his dark nails.

   Inda noticed how the short, stubby hair felt unbelievably soft.  How his
nails felt like warm glass.  As she thought about this she glanced up to
see him looking at her.  Instinctively pulling back her hand, she blushed
heavily as she glanced around the table, only to find that both Kellet and
Elias had been watching her as well.

   Tadis laughed now, his chuckling breaking through the tension like a
hammer through ice.

   "Well, I have to admit that I did promise to show our guests something."
Kellet's crimson eyes twinkling as she spoke.

   "Oh, did you now?" Tadis laughter had drifted to speaking in a bemused
roar.  "Care to share with me, my mate?"

   The right corner of Kellet's mouth curled into a smile.  "Why, the only
manner is which I do enjoy eating humans, of course."

   Tadis laughed again, shaking his head slightly before looking back to
Inda and Elias.  "You will have to excuse my mate.  She seems to have
acquired this taste for human semen that I will never understand."

   Inda just blinked, glancing slowly from one sphinx to the other.  She
was surprised by the frankness in their conversation.  After all, this
wasn't the usual level of openness she had come to expect in after dinner
conversation.

   Elias, on the other hand, could feel his breeches growing tight around
his lap just from the thought of this.  This was, after all, why he chose
to bring his wife to the mansion.  Of course, when he pictured this scene,
sphinxi never had entered into his imagination.  He glanced at Inda now, to
try to gauge her reaction to this.

   "And you will have to excuse my mate." Kellet added.  "He does not quite
understand that words like `human semen' are not the least bit arousing."

   Kellet paused for a second and sniffed the air, before winking at Elias.
"But it seems that has not daunted your interest."

   Elias, for the first time in what seemed like forever, actually blushed.
He coughed lightly into his hand though, in an unsuccessful attempt to try
and hide his reaction.  "What do you think?" he asked Inda now, still a bit
nervous about her reaction to this.

   Inda thought for a moment, still looking at their host and hostess.  A
small lump descended her throat as she swallowed.  Then she nodded, "Okay."

   With that one word leaving her lips, Elias felt all his nervousness melt
away.  And he couldn't help but imagine what it would look like to see his
lnda in the throes of passion with someone else.  What she would look like
curled up underneath Tadis.  He wondered if her small frame would be able
to handle such a penetration from the large sphinx.  And he was getting
even more eager to find out.

   "Wonderful." Kellet's voice drew Elias out of his thoughts, a pleased
smile gracing her face.

   "Indeed." Kellet's mate added, turning his attention fully to Inda
again. "Touch me again." He said, almost like an order.  Forceful, but not
demanding, not yet anyway.

   Inda nodded and reached a shaky, nervous hand over towards Tadis.  She
laid her hand lightly on his back and moved it slowly, following the grain
of his golden fur.  It was soft, but slightly bristly, almost silky, but
with a strength to it.  She had no idea it would felt like this.  She could
feel the muscles of his back ripple under his fur, strong and hard, coiled
like springs ready to leap.

   Feeling only slightly bolder, she tentatively ran her hand down his
side, feeling his rib cage under her fingers.  His heart was beating,
strong and steady, making his whole chest vibrate.  She followed his rib
cage lower, feeling it end and his even softer belly hair begin.  It was
longer than the hair on his back and softer; underneath it she could feel
his belly quiver.  Was it just his meal or was she doing this to him?  She
glanced at his face, but he had just a contented look betraying nothing. 
His eyes were closed, like a cat regal and trusting, but at the same time
uncaring.

   She lowered her hand even further.  Fingers moving through his soft fur
a bit more deliberately, but it didn't take long to find what it was she
was seeking.  She felt just the tip buried under his hair.  Hard, hot, wet,
the stickiness quickly coating her fingers as he let out a loud, contented
sigh.

   She wrapped her fingers around his tip, feeling it's heaviness in her
palm.  It wasn't quite as big as she expected it to be.  No bigger than a
plum in fact, probably only slightly larger than her own husband's.

   "Reach further." Tadis said now with the same forceful tone of voice. 
It was like he was reading her mind.

   Inda nodded slightly, swallowing again as his pre-cum continued to leak
from him.  Making her entire hand feel slick and cold as the liquid quickly
cooled.

   Kellet licked her lips as she watched this little nervous human explore
her mate.  She could smell his musk in the air; it was a deep, dark,
familiar scent.  It was twinged by the slightly sweeter smell of the
females own arousal, not quite fully found, but coming along nicely.  The
human male, on the other hand, was quite noticeably aroused.  She could
smell it leak out of him, a dull, slightly metallic musky smell.  These
scents combined with her own arousal created a symphony for her nose to
follow.

   Elias just watched as his Inda explored the body of this creature.  His
little Inda, always the prim and reserved woman, touching the sphinx while
he watched.  He felt so aroused that it was almost painful.

   Inda relaxed her hand slightly, allowing his tip to slip free.  She
leaned closer as she used her fingers to trace the length of his shaft. 
Buried underneath his fur, there was no way to explore it other than by
touch.  And, to her amazement, it seemed almost to go on forever.  The
thickness remained the same for the entire length, which was easily a foot
and a half.

   She traced her fingers back up, circling his tip once more, before
descending back down again.  She needed to do this once more, just to
confirm her amazement.

   "You have had your chance to touch me." Tadis announced with the same
forcefulness.  "Now it is my turn.  Stand up and undress for me.  For us."

   Inda blinking at his words and pulled back her hand in surprise.  It was
like she had been enchanted and the words had snapped her out of the spell.
She heard the words and she knew what he wanted, but a wave of nervousness
passed over her.  She glanced at Elias for some sort of reassurance or
protest of offense.

   Elias knew that this was the deciding moment.  That this was where the
balance of the entire trip hinged.  His arousal was screaming in his head
for release, he wanted to just shout out for her to undress.  But he
couldn't do that.  He knew he had to let her make up her own mind.  He
found himself just smiling at her, not a wide or happy smile, an accepting
one.  One that said that it didn't matter what she chose to do, that no
matter which way she decided, he'd still love her just the same.

   At seeing his smile, Inda blushed as she understood the depth of it.  In
that second she had made up her mind, but she had little chance to reflect
on her decision.

   "Do not look at him." Using the tip of his tail, Tadis nudged Inda's
face to look at him again.  "Undress."

   Inda nodding slightly, swallowing hard again then rose to her feet on
shaky legs.  The entire time she kept her eyes fixed on Tadis' crimson
eyes. She could hear the far off sound of drums beating in her ears and it
took a moment for her to realize that this was the sound of her own blood
rushing in her body.

   Kellet sprawled her body out a bit more on the pillows, relaxing her
muscles as she watched.  The room was thick with the musky smell of
longing, but there was something more.  The scents were laced with Inda's
nervousness, a kind of delicate, sweet smell.  It permeated the other
scents, lined their edges, barely there, yet impossible not to notice.  It
wasn't so much the scent itself that thrilled her, but the effect the scent
had on all the other scents.

   Kellet closed her eyes and just absorbed the sensations that her nose
was providing her.  A low, satisfied purr rumbled from the bottom of her
soul, echoing out of her as she sleepily opened her eyes.

   Inda's hands moved carefully, trying her best not to stain her dress
with Tadis cold semen that still covered one of her hands.  The pearl
buttons that ran down the back of her dress proved to be too much of a
challenge for her.  They held the dress undaunted as they slipped from
between her slick, twitching fingers.

   "Here." Elias said softly as he rose to his feet.  "Let me help you."
His fingers reaching to glide softly down the back of his neck, before
grasping the delicate buttons.

   Tadis hummed his approval as he watched.  This was how it should be, he
felt.  Present your mate to me.  Unwrap her for me.  Deliver her to me. 
Watch as I savor her.

   Elias' hands moved quickly, unbuttoning each of the pearls in rapid
succession.  His hands were at her waist when he reached the last button
and he paused only for the briefest of seconds before deciding to proceed.
He parted the dress slightly and pushed it forward, letting it go slack in
the front.  His hands slid across her back and nudged the dress from her
shoulders, letting it fall freely down the front of her body.  Slipping off
her arms and dangling from her waist.

   She stood there, before the sphinx, her expensive dress hanging from her
hips and only her plain white slip covering her chest.  She considered
reaching to push the dress the rest of the way down, but instead she just
stood there.

   Elias' hands moved around his wife lightly.  Slipping over the soft
cotton of her slip, feeling the tender bumps where her hips began
underneath the cloth.  It only took the scantest of pressure to cause the
dress to glide over her hips and tumble to the floor.

   He took a step back so that he could see both her and her suitor at the
same time.  He wanted to see the other male's reaction.  He wanted to know
that this male, who would soon be sampling things that until this point had
only been enjoyed by him, would see her beauty.

   Tadis' eyes moved slowly over this creature before him.  She wasn't
overly beautiful, not to one who would just look at the surface anyway. 
But he could see her for more now.  A burning mass of yearning, wrapped in
a skin of nervous rusticness.  There was a nobility to her character, a
strength of spirit and will that was yet still dormant.  Bringing that to
the surface, that was the pleasure he wanted to savor.

   Nervousness still gripped Inda and kept her standing still.  But that
was okay, she felt like a goddess in a temple.  No, that's wrong.  She felt
like the statue of a goddess in a temple and before her was a pilgrim come
to gaze up at her magnificence.  She could see herself as if she was
watching from another spot in the room.  Her curly brown coiled on her
shoulders, hiding her neck, her skin white and flawless, like alabaster.

   "Kneel." Tadis' said as he lifted his body up onto all four paws.  His
eyes never left her as she followed his direction, dropping slowly to her
knees on the pillows.  He moved closer to her, taking just two slow strides
to be standing right in front of her.

   Inda watched as his face came right up to hers, their noses almost
touching.  She thought he was going to kiss her and she closed her eyes to
receive it.  But he didn't.  Instead she could feel him smell her, his hot
breath exhaling down her body, making her slip shimmer and caress her
chest.

   From her scent he could tell that she was almost ready.  Not quite yet,
but very close.  He lowered his head until he touched her knee, nudging
them apart as he started to delve between her thighs.

   Elias watched in rapt attention as the sphinx descended on his wife. 
His mind was so enflamed that he could barely breathe now.  His shaft was
so rigid in his breeches that it strained painfully against the rough
cloth.

   Inda spread her knees at Tadis' movements, his mane tickled her inner
thighs as it brushed by, but she felt no urge to laugh.  Then she felt
something warm and wet against her, like moist sandpaper.  It ran up her
slit, parting her folds, seeping into the fiber of her being.

   Tadis ran his tongue roughly over the woman's sex, pushing his tongue
against the slight resistance her flesh provided.  He was pleased to see
the full matte of dark hair crowning her cunt.  The ones without always
seemed somehow unnatural to him.

   He ran his tongue down her once more, this time pushing it into her
slightly.  Testing her resistance once more and pleased to find even less
than just seconds before.

   Inda's body writhed in pleasure and a shriek issued out of her lungs as
she felt the sphinx's tongue enter her.  It was savage, harsh; it entered
her with an urgency like it was trying to impale her.

   When Inda screamed, Elias almost came in his pants unbidden and urged on
only by what he was seeing and hearing.  He wasn't sure that he could
handle much more of this, but had no desire to rush it either.

   Tadis set back on his rear legs, drawing his face up and away from Inda.
He swallowed the taste of her essence as he regarded her, panting in front
of him.  He could see the spirit starting to burn in her.  It was just
kindling up, but he wasn't ready for that yet.  He would snuff out this
fire, and then kindle a new one, a stronger one.

   "I have tasted you." He stated, matter of factly, "Now you will taste
me."

   Inda opened her eyes slowly, her body still wracked by the stray
sensation diffusing out from between her legs.  She nodded slowly, leaning
forward to crawl on all fours underneath the sphinx.  She breathed in his
scent, masculine and wild, so strong that it came close to offending her.
She slipped her hand into his fine fur again, easily finding his throbbing
shaft, just as firm as it felt before.  Without even a second thought, she
brought her face into his soft hair and engulfed the tip in her mouth.

   Elias gasped as he took in every detail of his sweet wife's face.  Only
in his fantasies had he thought he would have been able to see her do
something like this.  He watched as her lips, the lips he yearned to kiss
so often, wrapped around the tip of this...beast's rod.

   Kellet stalked silently around the edge of the room, enjoying all of the
sights and smells offered to her.  She crawled slowly across the pillows so
that she could be directly behind the male whose wife her mate was using.
The smell of his arousal was so intense now that it was intoxicating.

   "Your mate," Kellet whispered now, not wanting to startle her prey. 
"Seems to be enjoying this."

   Elias nodded slowly in agreement, but never removed his eyes from the
scene before him.

   "But you seem to me enjoying it even more." Kellet added, an amused and
lustful smile gracing her face.

   Elias nodded again, but this time he was able to draw his attention over
to the she-sphinx.  "Yes," he started to say, but then fell silent.  He
could not think of a way to explain his enjoyment without sounding like a
fool.

   Kellet cocked her head slightly to the side, in an amused way.  She
flexed her front paw, extending her nails gracefully.  "Shush.  I think I
understand."

   She reached her paw forward, into his lap, and traced the front of his
breeches with the tip of her nail.  Almost immediately Elias could feel the
pressure on his shaft relax, as it sprang free from its prison.

   "Let us see if we can not increase your enjoyment?" Kellet asked as she
leaned forward, moving her head into his lap.  "This is the part that I
really enjoy..." her voice trailing off as her tongue moved over length of
his shaft, collecting the cum that had copiously run down and covered its
length.

   Elias sucked air in sharply as the she-sphinx's tongue expertly cleaned
his shaft.  More cum oozed slowly from the tip as he continued to watch
Inda.  He could see that she had taken more of the sphinx's length in her
mouth; the twitching lump in her cheek betrayed the movements of her
tongue.

   It was then that Tadis lifted one of his paws and placed it on Inda's
back, protectively, possessively.  And Elias just could not hold back any
longer.  He felt the burning of his cum moving through him and spurting out
onto the she-sphinx's face.  The hot white ropes draped across her face as
his hips spasmed, covering her nose, landing in her mane.

   Kellet groaned her enjoyment as she felt the splashes across her face,
the purring welling up in her again.  She positioned her mouth to catch it,
but was only able to taste the final, salty spurt as it issued out of him.
She took a moment to savor the taste as she watched the waves of release
pass over his face.

   She swallowed and then brushed her face against his hand as his cum
began to drip from her.  "Feed me."

   Elias thought he understood what she meant, but he felt a bit scattered
and not entirely sure.  He nodded and then used his fingers to gently scoop
some of his discharge from her face.  He brought his fingers to her mouth
to see if this was what she meant.  Her reply was only to lick it from his
lips.

   Inda felt Tadis' paw on her back, encouraging her on.  She could feel
his heart beating next to her head, overwhelming the sound of her own
heartbeat.  She started to time the movements of her mouth with his
heartbeat.  Sucking on him harder when she felt the beat and releasing when
he was still.  She found herself quickening her pace as his pulse began to
race.

   Tadis started to make a dull, grumbly noise, which to Inda's ears
sounded like a sort of warning.  In truth, in Tadis tongue it translated
more as "back away, this is mine" and was meant more for Inda's mate than
Inda herself.  This miscommunication did not matter though, as Inda's
efforts quickly came to fruition.

   Tadis' paw stiffened, holding the human in place.  She would not be
spared from his mark.  She'd carry his seed in her, here and now.

   Inda felt his paw pressing heavier on her back.  She felt his pulse race
and become irregular.  She was sure of what was about to happen, but could
not back away.  His rod suddenly exploding in her mouth, filling it with
his seed.  She swallowed as fast as she could, but could still feel it
swell up in her mouth, the hot liquid touching the back of her nose and
threatening to flow out of her.  She just kept swallowing, barely able to
keep ahead of the storm.

   Tadis rose his head up, majestically as he relaxed his paw, allowing
Inda to relax.  Inda backed up immediately, gasping for air now.  She felt
slightly pained, but triumphant at the same time.

   Tadis looked down at the human now.  He could see the fire in her had
been renewed, restored stronger.  She was almost there.  He turned his gaze
to his own mate and the other human.  He watched as the human slowly
cleaned her face and his mate suckled those fingers clean.  Others had told
him that humans were capable of this level of emotion, but he did not
believe that until now.

   The he heard her voice, barely above a whisper.  He turned his head to
the owner of the voice, back to the human female.  "What did you say?" he
asked, calmly, just slightly above a whisper.

   "I want you to fuck me...mount me." She said, quietly, almost
sheepishly. "Please?" she added.

   Good, good, Tadis thought to himself.  She was almost there.  She knew
what she wanted and she was asking for it.  He shook his head slightly,
"Again.  I could not hear you."

   Inda looked at him for a second, unbelieving, then it seemed to dawn on
her.  Her voice came out stronger, more self-assured.  "I want you to fuck
me.  Now.  Here."

   Tadis smiled broadly at that, "Of course, my dear.  All you had to do
was ask."

   Hearing his wife utter those words was all it took to spur Elias on.  He
leaned in closer to the she-sphinx and kissed her on the mouth.  He could
taste his own semen as his tongue scraped across her sharp teeth, her mouth
opening willingly to let their tongues intertwine.  His hand moved from her
face, to her mane, stroking the downy fur and causing her to purr into him.

   "Get on your hands and knees for me." Tadis said with a tone just
slightly less forceful than it had been before.

   Inda was quick to follow his instructions, moving in front of him again
and into a prone position.  Her hands reaching down to lift the slip out of
the way, presenting her pale hips to his approving eyes.

   "Guide me into you." Tadis moved over her, a paw landing on the ground
just to the side of both of her shoulders.  His rod slipping between her
legs and slapping wetly against her belly.

   Kellet backed away from Elias, ending their kiss, but she continued to
purr.  Without saying a word, she rolled over on to her back, exposing her
belly to him.  He looked down at her for a moment, admiring the sight
before him.  True, it wasn't exactly what he expected, but he couldn't deny
how aroused he was.  And she was attractive in an unconventional and exotic
sense.

   He stood up as he started to unbutton his shirt, standing over her as he
continued to undress.  Her purring continuing the entire time and just
spurring him on.  He considered exploring her further with his mouth, but
decided against it.  His body demanded release.

   He lay down on the pillows next to her and used his hands to part the
pale belly hair.  As he got closer to her center, her purring increased,
and then he felt it.  Her opening was like a burning furnace hidden
underneath all the fur.  He ran his fingers tips up and down it, exploring
the length of what he couldn't see.  Her purring increased as her head
threw from side to side, her paws grasping his shoulders.

   He found her hood and teased it apart gently with his finger tips, using
the opening to stroke her clit.  The result was immediate as her body
jerked violently and her purring gave way to a deep growl of need.

   He shifted closed as he guided his shaft to her.  He rubbed just the tip
of him against her clit, intentionally teasing the she-sphinx.  Causing her
growl to grow deeper, almost in frustration.  He pushed himself into her, a
howl of satisfaction echoed from her.

   He reached his hands around her, gripping her wings where they joined
with her back, and started to rock in and out of her.  Her paws knitted
behind his neck, not allowing him to move away.  Her nose moving
alternately between his hair and his neck as her tongue licked his ear.

   Elias gripped her wings tighter as he started to thrust harder into her.
Unable to hold back any longer, he felt the release as he spurted deep into
her.

   Inda leaned to the side slightly, supporting all of her upper body with
one hand while she used the other hand to reach for him.  She easily found
his dick, still pressed up against her belly.  She held it to herself as
she started to rock forward and back, grinding her cunt up and down its
heated length.

   She could feel her juices coating it, mingling with his stronger,
stickier cum.  His belly hair cushioned her butt and she could feel his
heart thundering against her back.  She threw back her head and found his
mane to get lost in, her nose brushing up and down his neck as he panted.

   He shifted back, his penis slipping out of her hand.  She knew what was
coming next and she felt ready for it.  Her hand moving down to hold her
lips open for him, a finger still hanging down, waiting to feel him, to
guide him home.

   He leaned forward and with her help his tip found her without fail. 
Just the crown of his rod slipping between her lips causing her to moan out
loudly.  He hardly gave her a chance to get accustom to the feeling when he
started to push forward, his length sliding into her deeply.  For a moment
she felt his paw on her back, but that was quickly gone as both paws came
crashing down on either side of her, the rest of his rod plunging into her
at the same time.

   Her knees felt weak, both of her arms gripped the pillows below them
now, shaking from the exquisite strain.  She threw her head back again, but
instead of finding his mane, she found nothing.  She felt his nose nuzzling
against her neck instead, his hips starting to flex over her.  Pumping
himself into and out of her.  With each forward thrust, the breath was
forced from her body and with each retreat she felt an ache of absence.

   His hips picked up speed and then she felt his teeth on her neck, sharp,
barely grazing her flesh.  She knew he was poised above her and if she
tried to get away, his teeth would surely sink into her flesh.  The
slightest loss of control on his part and she'd surely not survive the
coupling.

   Aft first this realization scared her, held her frigid in fright.  But
then it started to excite her, having turned her body over to this powerful
creature, being totally at its mercy.  It was...liberating.  She started to
thrust her hips back against him, meeting his thrusts.

   And just like that, it was over.  She felt his penis swell and then burn
hotly as it throbbed.  She could feel his seed exploding deep inside her,
every drip burning her.  Filling her to the point that with each added
thrust, his seed bubbled and hissed its way from between them.  Falling to
the pillows below in long, thin strands.

   Tadis pulled back, feeling himself slip free from her.  Without him in
her she just fell to the pillows, like a rag doll.  Her body gently heaved
for air as the sweat rolled off her body in big droplets.  She rolled onto
her back, looking up at him with a dazed expression of wonderment.  He saw
her belly twitch as more of his seed continued to ooze out of her as
remnants of her climaxes continued to roll through her body.

   Kellet stood now and padded closer to her mate, "May I?" she asked
demurely.

   Tadis nuzzled her side with his face, before backing off slightly.  "Of
course, shield mate.  You would never forgive me if I denied you."

   Kellet made a thankful purring noise as she strode forward.  She stood
over the human female, taking the time to accept the scents issuing off and
from her, then placed a paw on the woman's belly.

   Inda just stared up at this, uncaring.  She had not the energy nor the
mental facilities left to be nervous or scared or anything.  She was just
lost in the moment.  She reached a hand to her belly, to hold the paw on
her chest.

   Kellet's purr dwindled as she leaned her head down and ran her tongue
tentatively across the woman's lips.  She loved the taste of her mate's
seed, but tasting it from others always provided an additional thrill.  The
taste of this woman, a copperish sort of taste, laced the familiar taste of
his seed.  Giving the familiar taste a whole new intrigue.

   Inda shuttered at the touch of the tongue on her.  She'd never even
considered letting a human female do this to her, and here she was
accepting it from a non-human female.  Her mind reeled with the thought
even as her body reeled in the sensations.

   Kellet turned her head slightly as she looked at the females opening;
she studied it for just a moment until she saw what she seeked.  Leaning
back forward, she used her teeth to graze the inside of the woman's thigh.
Not enough to cause permanent damage, but enough to start a tiny trickle of
blood.

   Inda's body shaked and her back arched when the sharp teeth penetrated
her skin.  It was just a prick, it barely hurt, but in her over sensitized
state it was like an electric shock through her body.  She felt a series of
small orgasms run up and down her spine, like little children playing tag
in her body.

   Kellet's tongue resumed it's cleaning of the human, the taste now laced
with the hint of her blood.  It was a more carnal, burning sensation on her
tongue.  It spoke to her core, freeing something within her, even if it was
only for a few moments.

   Inda just lied back on the pillows, enjoying the ministrations of her
new friend.  Her hand started to stroke the paw on her belly.  After all,
it all started with just the paw.

   Neckaring with the Sphinx: Epilogue

   Viewing the initial day of the Glemmund's stay at the mansion was not at
east feat for you.  You found you had to stop and pause repeatedly, just to
keep the mental facilities together to concentrate.

   Yet watching these memories transpire was nothing compared to recording
them.  Never have you found your mind and body tried so heavily while doing
a simple transcription task.

   You can now see why these positions rarely vacate, transcribing
Magistrate Sobet's weekly meetings was no where near as entertaining as
this.

   So now you sit here, before the same big desk while the Elvish woman,
the mistress of the mansion, looks over your work.  She shuffled through
the pages, taking the time to read each page.  Her occasional "hmms" and
"umhms" made you feel both nervous and calm, depending on the exact tone
she used.

   The, finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she placed the papers
down on the desk.  Her eyes feel on you, studying you for a moment, before
she said anything.

   "Well, it seems that I was incorrect." She said with a shrug.

   "How do you mean?" You replied, a bit confused.

   "I expected that the Glemmund's stay to be relatively uneventful." She
sat back in her seat, arching her fingers together as she spoke.  "Usually
initial visits are much more calm and sedate."

   You couldn't help but chuckle in reply, there was nothing in there that
you felt was either calm or sedate.

   She glanced down at the two stud cases that you placed on her desk at
the start of the meeting.  The cases that held the studs worn by Elias and
Inda Glemmund.  "I think I will have to pay closer attention to the
Glemmunds during their future visits."

   You nodded in reply, actually somewhat eager to see their future
escapades.

   She reached to the desk and picked up the pages, straightened them up,
and then looked at you again.  "This really was excellent work.  I am
impressed that you could handle such an involved task during your first
assignment."

   "Thank you." Was all you could manage to reply to her, not wanting to
sound smug or embarrassed.

   "Go ahead and relax for the rest of the day.  We will meet again in the
morning and discuss your next assignment."