Something doesn't feel right about the path Angela is leading us down, and after taking a fourth torch lit hallway that is definitely leading down deeper into the mountain, I stop us. It's also getting hotter the further we go.
"Don't we need to be going out? We're going down. I thought the entrance was at the top, or the side of TanaVesta's chamber," I ask the succubus, fear filling me once more. I don't remember ever being this paranoid before, but after what I've experienced, I don't think I can be too careful either.
"If we were going back to the oak to get out, then yes," she tells me impatiently. "We'd never make it that far. There is another portal deeper down inside the mountain to get back to your realm. It'll be quicker to get to it, than all the way back to the oak."
She makes sense, and we start running again. My only concern is: why didn't we use the one here in the first place? We could have completely avoided those trolls.
It only takes another five minutes or so, before our way is blocked by a flow of magma. The air above the flow shimmers from the heat of the molten rock, and I have to shield my eyes from its brightness after the dimmer tunnels.
"Great," I mumble before turning to face the succubus. "Is there another way around?"
"No, that's the portal right there," she tells us, pointing above the lava.
"You want us to jump into the lava? Are you nuts?" I demand, but I can actually feel it there, now that I concentrate on it. Something. . . It almost feels as though I can feel time slipping away through the heated haze.
"Not in. OVER," she informs me. I turn back to the burning river and shake my head. I might be able to make it over with my new strength, but there's no way either of the two women can.
I wish time didn't feel like it was slipping away. I need to think. Blocking the feeling of flowing time, I concentrate on the magma river.
"Oh, for the love of—" Brooke says as she takes a running leap, and vanishes when she's over the liquid rock.
Will I ever get used to magic?
I watch as Angela takes a few steps back, then dashes forward, elegantly jumping in the air, and doing a full flip, before vanishing.
"Show off"! I yell, certain she can't hear me. Crouching where I am, I shove hard off the ground, hearing the rock crack under the force of my push, and the world blurs around me before going black.
I realize my mistake too late, as soft looking tan ground hurtles past me. I shoved so hard that I almost feel as though I'm flying, but I know gravity will take over soon enough, and painfully show me who the boss is.
As soon as I stop ascending, and can feel myself getting pulled back downwards, I try frantically flapping my arms, as if I'm some cartoon character, and that'll save me. The chains still attached to my wrists jingle as I stressfully struggle to stay aloft. Somehow, after the direction my life has been going, I think it just might work. My shoulders flair with agony, and it feels like two sharp daggers are protruding from my shoulder blades. Something outside my vision grabs hold of whatever is back there, and I realize that one of the two women must be using their magic to save me. As thankful as I am, I wish it didn't hurt so much.
No longer worried about falling, I quit uselessly flapping my arms, and begin to plummet again. Once more I move my arms, but notice something at the same time. I can actually feel whatever is sticking out of my back, as if it's a part of me.
"Nice wings," Angela's voice breaks my thoughts, and I see her flapping her own way over to me. From her back are two large gray bat-like wings. "I was afraid I wouldn't catch you before you hit the ground. When did you learn you could do that, and whatever possessed you to jump through the portal that hard?"
"About three seconds ago, I didn't want to get burned, and I wanted to outdo a show-off succubus," I tell her, feeling embarrassed. It had been a foolish thing to do. Neither one of them had pushed that hard from the ground, but the sheer joy of my extra strength and power is somewhat intoxicating, and I'm still not used to it. As degrading as it had been to be raped time and again by the red dragon, I'm not about to complain about my new strength, and I shiver in delight at what I want to do to the Pillar of Fire if I ever get my hands on her again.
I attempt to flap my way over to the succubus, and somehow end up upside-down, and headed quickly for the ground again.
Angela grabs me by my ankles, and with the size of her Amazonian arms, she is easily able to help me to the ground. "Easy now. Flying isn't as easy as it looks," she tells me as I regain my feet. She gives a slightly annoyed sigh, before adding, "I guess we're walking back to the assassin. Come on, she's this way."
It takes me a second to figure out how to wrap my wings about me, and for the first time, I notice the uncomfortably cool air after the heat of the tunnel, the stars in the night sky, and the endless dunes of sand around us.
"Um, Angela, where are we?" This doesn't look like anywhere in the developed world. Did we go to some parallel universe?
"The Sahara Desert somewhere southwest of Minya, Egypt." She continues trudging through the sand, without looking back.
Well, that would explain why we didn't use this portal to go see TanaVesta in the first place. I shudder at the thought of her name, glad to be away from the power-hungry red dragon, while at the same time, looking forward to destroying her. As powerful as she is, she's made an enemy in me.
We meet Brooke walking towards us, and she stops in shock at the sight of my wings. I see anger enter her beautiful green eyes, as she glares at Angela. "I see she's truly turning you into an incubus after all," she states, derision dripping from her tone.
"I don't think that's what's happened to him," Angela says carefully. I look to the tall woman, wondering why she isn't getting angry with my friend. What happened between these two back in that mountain peak? "Look closer at his wings. Those aren't the wings of an incubus. They look more akin to those of a dragon."
I don't remember sitting down, but there is no mistaking the feeling of sand in my naked butt crack.
Dragon wings? How? TanaVesta didn't have wings.
"Your master didn't have wings, succubus," Brooke echoes my thoughts.
"TanaVesta is no longer my master. I denounce her." The look in her eyes doesn't allow for any argument. I wonder how she must feel right now, with her entire world having been flipped. She'd called the dragon a friend, but the Pillar of Fire had arrested the succubus on false charges. "She can take the form of whatever type of dragon she pleases. The Oriental dragon is her favorite, I think because of all the chaos she caused in ancient China, before separating our worlds." Angela looks to Brooke, and I can tell that she wants the assassin to understand. "Look closer at my wings. I only have three fingers in mine. His have five, and are the same color as his brown hair."
Spreading my wings to get a better look at them, I end up tipping over and lying in the sand again. They're too big for me, I realize. While on my back, I examine my new appendages, and see that Angela is correct. The skin between the fingers is thick and leathery. Each bony finger ends in a curved and wickedly sharp talon.
If I didn't know what was happening to me before, I know even less now. I'm not becoming an incubus, but I have some of their abilities. I'm also apparently gaining the traits of dragons now. Do I absorb a person's abilities when I have sex with them? What then does that mean with Becky and Lisa? Will I start becoming a female? I sincerely hope not! Not that I have anything against women, but I like the way I am right now. Of course, that could lead to some interesting lesbian adventures. . . . Shaking my head, I try to come back to the present.
Brooke and Angela have been talking while I was absorbed in my own thoughts, but when I hear Brooke ask, "What's happening to him, then?" I perk back up.
"I'm not sure. TanaVesta said something about him being a Generator, which makes sense on one level, but doesn't explain his transformations." I can tell from her tone that Angela is just as worried about me as Brooke is.
"A Generator?" Brooke asks skeptically. "That's impossible. They were killed off after the four pillars made our realm, and neither of his parents were a generator."
"Wait," I interrupt, "you knew my parents?"
She flinches at my question, and I realize that she let slip something she hadn't intended to. "That's not important right now," the redhead tries to cover her mistake. "We need to find a way out of here as soon as possible. There isn't enough water in the air here, and I spent too long in the fire's demesne. I'll die if I don't get out of here soon."
Part of me wonders if this is just a ploy to change the subject, but I remember that she owes her allegiance to the Pillar of Water, and how tired she looks. It finally dawns on me to wonder if she's even human.
Sighing, I give Brooke a look to let her know I haven't forgotten my question, before turning to Angela to ask, "How long will it take to get to a city?"
"Walking from here? A couple days, which will be too long for her." She looks worriedly at my childhood friend, and again I have to wonder what transpired between the two while I was chained up. "I'm not strong enough to carry either of you while flying, but Lyden, if you can figure out how to fly, your wings are big enough. We could hit the Mediterranean before sunrise. Things will become much worse for her when the sun appears." I don't even want to think what the Saharan sun will be like.
I carefully stand up, being mindful of the weight of my wings, and stare dubiously at the tall Amazon. "How long did it take you to learn after becoming a succubus?" I ask her.
Her face drops in consternation, and I know I won't like her answer. "A little over a week." Yep, I really didn't like that answer. "But maybe with your larger wings, it won't take that long!" I can hear the hope in her voice, and I'm willing to try, if for no other reason than that I have to try something.
Several failed attempts, one hour, and a massively bruised ego later, I give up. I'm still full of vigor after all the rapings by TanaVesta, but I don't think I'll ever get flying down. At least, not in time to save Brooke. Looking to the curly haired woman, I can see that she's having problems. Her lips are dry and cracked, she isn't sweating like Angela and I am, and her breathing is haggard.
"Why is she hurting so badly, this quickly?" I ask the succubus.
"This quickly? Lyden, she came to rescue you when we didn't come back after a day. She found and rescued me first, and we tried to get to you, but that rock was always blocking our path when the dragon wasn't with you." That means she was in the fire realm for well over a day. I shudder to think what might have happened to her if the red dragon hadn't gotten distracted while replacing the boulder in front of that antechamber.