Message-ID: <54922asstr$1164604202@assm.asstr.org>
From: Shalon Wood <dstar@pele.cx>
Subject: {ASSM} New Age Dawning 8 (Ff rom fantasy viol blood)
Lines: 255
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2006 00:10:02 -0500
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Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories
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Standard disclaimers apply; this story may or may not contain, in any
given part, graphic depictions of lesbianism, homosexuality, group sex,
bdsm, underage (teen) sex, magic, occultism, violence, and biting 
sarcasm.  If you're underage, or if for any other reason it's illegal 
for you to read this, or you're disturbed by the content, please don't 
read it.

Archived at http://pandora.pele.cx, and we've got a web-forum at
http://playground.pele.cx/forums as well, for discussion of both
Pandora and our other stories. 

Comments *greatly* appreciated.

Enjoy,

Velvet
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The dalas didn't care for Rhishandri. They were already nervous from the
scent of blood, and when she reached hesitantly for one of the leads, the
creature rolled its eyes and squealed, rearing in terror. She scrambled
hastily back as Adara grabbed for the dangling lead rope.

Fortunately, Adara had had similar problems in the past, and she was able
to murmur a quick calming spell. The beast still trembled nervously,
shuffling its feet, but it let Rhi take its lead. The girl didn't seem to
trust the animal anymore than it trusted her, but their cautious truce held
on the walk to the inn, and Adara repeated the spell on the other animals
so that Rhi could help with the loading.

The girl's eyes were still glowing, just slightly, and her previous
lethargy had disappeared entirely. She practically bounced through her
share of the work, with more energy than Adara had ever seen her with.

Even with the spells, the dalas remained skittish around Rhishandri, but
the smallest one let her mount without too much complaint. She rode
stiffly, nervously, and it was very obvious she'd never been in a saddle in
her life. She made no complaint, though, and as they left the lights of the
town behind, she sighed happily and looked up at the half-full moon.

A jingle of tack announced a visitor an instant before the man from the
stables stepped out into the road, leading a large warhorse. He glanced at
Adara fearfully, then turned his attention to Rhishandri. "Mistress, I am
here," he said in a strange, calm tone, and she stared down at him, her
face betraying her discomfort.

Finally, though, she nodded. "Mount and follow," she said quietly,
unhappily.

They rode in silence until, a few moments later, they came to where Conor
waited. He looked slightly mussed, and was bleeding from several small
wounds, though the one he'd acquired in the stable was neatly bandaged.

Adara cocked her head. "You okay?"

"Well, now... you should see the other fellow!" He grinned, shrugging.
"Aye. I'm a bit scratched up, but nothin' serious." He glanced at the man
following as docilely as the pack animals. "Ah, I see ye've picked up yer
little pet," he said, making Rhishandri wince guiltily. "If you ladies will
follow me, then, we'll be off to see the wizard, eh?"

Adara nodded, and they rode in silence for a few more minutes before Conor
led them off the road. The narrow trail was lined by late-turning trees
which had  dropped a carpet of yellow leaves that crunched beneath the
dala's feet.

The path was long and winding, barely a path at all in places, but
eventually they came to a small clearing which held a dilapidated hut and a
stone well.

Rhishandri eyed the wizard's hut distrustfully as Conor dismounted. She
fiddled with the reins of her dala, making it dance nervously, mimicking
her own expression.

Adara slid off of her dala and watched the girl calmly, waiting.

Rhi looked away from her. "I don't like wizards," she muttered.

"I don't blame you."

The girl nibbled her lower lip, sharp little fangs causing a drop of blood
to well up, black in the moonlight. She licked it away without seeming to
even realize she'd done so, and looked back at Adara. "If... if he tries
anything--" Her voice trailed off questioningly.

"I'll protect you."

Rhishandri gave her a quick, relieved smile, and nodded. "All right then."
But she sighed as she slipped from the back of the dala.

Adara squeezed Rhi's shoulder gently, then followed her towards the hut.
The girl's new minion dismounted and followed silently.

Conor knocked on the rickety door, but there was no answer. He knocked
again, and waited again, and still no answer. He had his hand raised for
one final try when the door opened and a wizened old man stuck his head
out, his bald scalp shining in the moonlight. "Eh? What the hell do you
want?" he asked irritably.

Conor gave the old man his best smile and bowed deeply. "Good even to ye,
father. Myself and these good ladies would like ta consult wi' ye on a
matter o' th' arcane, which only yer great knowledge may solve."

The wizard snorted. "Save it for someone who gives a damn, you primpy young
bastard. Do you even have any coin?"

Conor sighed, looking wounded. "Of course, grandsire."

"Then come in, and don't be all night about it. I'm too old to be dealing
with smarmy dalashit."

Rhishandri leaned close to Adara. "He doesn't _look_ like a wizard," she
whispered.

"You never know," Adara whispered back, with a shrug.

Rhi licked her lips, then reluctantly followed Conor into the house.

There were no chairs or benches in the ramshackle dwelling, just a low
table surrounded by cushions in the middle of the floor,  and a tattered
curtain hanging over a doorway in the wall which divided the small hut into
two halves. The only other furnishings were the shelves that lined each
wall, filled with a bizarre assortment of things: oddly colored stones and
crystals, tattered books and crumbling scrolls, bits of bone and wood, and
small, dusty sacks, as well as small bottles in numerous shapes and colors.
The old man plopped gracelessly onto one of the cushions and motioned for
them to take the others.

Rhishandri sat uneasily, and Adara knelt beside her, her staff in hand. The
old man pulled out a battered deck of strange cards and started idly
shuffling them. "Well? What are you people after, to disturb an old man at
his rest, eh?" he asked grumpily, glaring at them.

Adara looked at him calmly. "We want to know what Rhi is," she said
bluntly, laying a hand on Rhishandri's shoulder.

He looked at the girl, his brow wrinkling, and his watery grey eyes took on
a hint of curiosity. He frowned. "Something smelling of death, that's for
sure," he said, and Rhi flinched, looking down at the floor.

"Now don't be like that, girly," he said, gruffly. "I calls 'em as I sees
'em. No good to anyone to lie, even as a kindness." The cards moved
effortlessly in his gnarled hands, a shimmer of color that drew the eye
almost hypnotically. He seemed to pay no attention to them as he looked
from one to the other of the party, his frown deepening. He turned to
Adara. "You know about the link between her and you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "No."

"Well, 'tis there. The nature of it, I'm not sure of, yet, but it's strong.
Possible it is that she could suck energy from you like a giant leech," he
said.

Adara wondered why the idea didn't particularly bother her. It really
should. It would, were it anyone else. But it didn't. Certainly not as much
as it bothered Rhi, who'd gone deathly pale and was looking at her with
worry. "Odd," she said, shrugging, and gave the girl's shoulder a
reassuring squeeze.

The wizard continued to look around, and his gaze fell on the man from the
stables. "Not as odd as that," he said, his eyes widening, and Rhishandri
flinched again, hunching her shoulders and staring, shame-faced, at the
floor.

The old man set the cards down, and reached into a pocket of his ratty
robe. He pulled out a small sack, and from that he took a pinch of grey
powder. He tossed the powder into the air towards the unmoving man, and the
air crackled as it burned away with a bright flash of red light. The wizard
went pale, and the wrinkles on the old face looked cavernous as his frown
deepened.

Muttering darkly to himself, the old man stood up and went to one of the
shelves, rummaging around until he found a piece of clear crystal, smooth
and concave on one side, convex on the other. The convex side looked like
it might have been faceted at one point, but every edge and crease had been
worn smooth, leaving gentle waves and troughs instead.

He held the crystal up, the smooth side against his eye, and peered at each
of them in turn, as his muttering slowed and then broke off abruptly. The
crystal fell from his hand, and he didn't seem to notice. He sat and
stared, all color gone from his face, and his eyes wide with fear.

"What is it?" Adara asked, frowning. "What's wrong?"

The man looked at her in horror. "You mean you don't _know?"_

_Why_ did people always waste time asking stupid questions? She resisted
the urge to growl at him, and shook her head. "No."

He was shaking, trembling with fear, when he turned to Rhi. After one
quick, darting glance to her face, he lowered his eyes. "Lady, f-forgive
me," he pleaded, his voice quivering. "I... I didn't know. Ask what you
will of me, and I will serve."

Rhi cringed back from him and looked up at Adara helplessly.

"Didn't know what?" Adara asked sharply.

He shook his head and didn't turn away from Rhishandri. "I'll not speak
without Your permission, Lady. Your secrets are safe with me."

The girl looked totally confused. "_What_ secrets? If you know something,
then _speak_!"

Again, that quick peek, as if he were afraid to look directly at her.
"Lady, I beg you. Don't toy with an old man."

Rhishandri rubbed her forehead tiredly. "_Look_--" she began, frustrated,
and broke off as the man paled even further and started shaking violently
at the anger in her voice.

"Please Lady! Just tell me what you wish of me. I would make a poor
sacrifice, I would."

"I _wish_ that you would stop blathering and make _sense_!" she snapped.

The old man was crying, slow tears seeping down his lined cheeks. "I
thought you all gone, in truth I did," he whispered. "My brother went
insane when his god stopped answering his prayers, stopped granting him
healing. He ran from a cliff, screaming that the gods were all dead and man
soon to follow."

Adara's eyes narrowed at the implication, but Rhishandri seemed oblivious
to it. "I'm sorry about your brother," the girl said. "But I don't
understand what that has to do with me."

The old man finally raised his head and stared at her, speechless. She
glared at him, getting more irritated by the moment, and Adara decided
she'd best interfere.

"Stop." She looked at the wizard, trying determine whether or not he was
serious, or if this was some sort of trick. But everything about him, from
the scent of his fear and shock to the sound of his rapidly beating heart
seemed to confirm that _something_ had both surprised him and scared the
hell out of him. "Are you implying what I think you are?" she asked,
watching his face carefully.

He nodded, and his voice was a reverent whisper as he said, "Yes,
Priestess."

"You're saying that Rhi is a... a goddess?"

"_Oh_ yes!" he said, and slid off the cushion to kneel in the floor in
front of the girl, his hands clasped together as if in prayer. "Praise be
to you, Lady. Thank you for returning to us."

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If you like this, you might want to take a look at Strange Love, an
e-zine of sf/fantasy/paranormal erotica. The first issue is on sale
now for $2 at:

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Take a look!

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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