Drulissa's Domain

Her body ached for a touch, the night upon her naked skin. She wanted to cry out in anguish, but no one was near to hear ,  so she suffered as she lay beneath the cool coverlet of the bed. She thought that perhaps he had not come yet—the man who should have been with her this hour before —but only fancy took shape between sleep's dark curtains , while on every side brooded silence deep as death itself could make it. And now came soft sounds through the room like low tones of music from an unseen orchestra. Their coming sweetened her dreams , and her slumber grew lighter at its approach. She rolled across the white sheets of her bed, her nude dark elven skin caressing the sheets beneath her. She rolled into a stark patch of moonlight that shared her bed and let the light make love to her flesh. Her bare breasts were full and rounded under the moon, making two perfect spheres that reflected the silvery beams onto each other. The nipples puckered slightly, betraying how arouse

Amelia stood in the gallery watching as her father spoke with the men from the Death Cult. They wore black robes with hoods that covered their heads and faces. In front of her father was a tall, lean, muscular man with short white hair facing him. She watched the man's hands for a long moment when she realized he was holding a dagger. "Do you see?" the head priestess asked. Amelia turned to her in confusion. The head priestess smiled sadly. "He will attack us first. He will use the men from the Death Cult while his army attacks the temple. Then, he will loot our home and burn it." Amelia looked back at the scene below her and felt a pit in her stomach grow deeper. She felt the anger growing inside her, but she couldn't stop it. The head priestess put her hand on Amelia's shoulder and sighed. "It is time to go. The attack will begin soon." "I want to lead it," Amelia said. "I am done with being weak." Amelia t

 She laughed. He looked terrified. The mercenaries all around him began shouting and screaming at the sight of the dragon flying in circles above them. General Von Zinzer tried to yell at them to stay calm, but nothing he said could stop them. They started running back to their horses, hoping to reach the tents and escape. The dragon flew straight to the temple's dome, causing a deep booming sound that shook everything around it. Amelia ducked as far as she could to avoid being thrown off as Sapphire landed in the mountaintop temple courtyard. She carefully climbed off Sapphire's back, using the dragon's head for balance until she reached the ground. She patted the dragon's head in gratitude before turning around to watch what would happen next. The temple priestesses surrounded Amelia and the dragon in arches around the courtyard. Their robes fluttered in the breeze as they stared at them both. Amelia could feel them focusing their magic on her, and she did not

 She took a deep breath and sat down, listening hard. "Why are you here?" the powerful voice asked, rumbling her chest. "I would like to know the answer to that, too," Amelia said. "I was washed ashore and barely survived. I met a kind tribe who took me in. And I was betrayed by my father." She paused, listening for any other movement. "I am here because my people plan to attack and destroy the temple, but I cannot climb the mountain to warn them." "Your people?" the voice asked. "The Mal'a'kai people," she said, feeling close to tears. "And their goddess Kayala. My father is planning to destroy the temple today. They helped me! And he is just going to loot the temple for himself. And he is using a stupid dragon to help him." She heard a low rumble of laughter come from deep in the cave. "This sounds like a foolish plan for someone to implement." "It is," Amelia agreed, "a

 Amelia stepped outside her tent to find everyone had gathered to listen to their father speak to them about what would happen during the attack and what would likely occur during the chaos. Her father was standing in front of the tents next to several other men dressed in full armor carrying shields made of leather-covered wood and spears with black tips that shone brightly in the light like polished iron. The mercenaries were arranged around two large fires, sitting around the flames drinking beer and eating meat pies, flatbreads, dried fruits, cheese, and roasted boar. She slipped between the tents with Shayana right behind her. "How much time do we have before the attack begins?" Amelia asked nervously. Shayana took her by the hand and led her toward the edge of the camp as quietly and unseen as they could manage. She pointed out over the desert and pulled Amelia beside her under some rocks where they could hear and see everything without being seen. She looked back

 "We have a problem," he said bluntly. Amelia swallowed hard. "I am going to the temple in the morning with some men to set things right. You're coming with me." "I can't." "I need my daughter with me." Amelia shook her head at him. Her voice cracked with tears. "Why? Why would you want someone like me when I don't know anything? Why would you bring me into your world? To die?" "No!" her father shouted in anger. He looked down to stare at the floor, ashamed of what he said next. "You must come with me," he told her again, more softly this time. "If you go with them, they will kill you, and I cannot let them do that. Do you understand? This isn't about your feelings; it's about doing what needs to be done to save lives. "If we fight and they win, they will turn us against each other and tear our country apart. We've seen it happen before. The heathens here now, like th