The Missing Dragon Ch. 02

"It was first crafted by an incredibly clever wizard, though it's a relatively simple spell once you know how it's done, or so I'm told. There are many such medallions made since it's a good way for wizards to make money." The old man informed Gregory with a small smile.

"Well thanks all the same." He said to Bolut before turning to the white haired man beside him once again. "I'm sorry, I didn't ask you your name last night."

"I am Emmet." The man helpfully filled in.

"Alright. Well is this all you wanted to talk to me about or was there something else?" Gregory set his empty bowl down in front of him where it was soon plucked up to wash by a passing human.

"Yes, there was something. Do you intend to live here?" The large orc was obviously being careful with his words.

"Well I haven't got anywhere else to go." Gregory replied with a long sigh. "I'll need to do some travelling soon but I was planning on staying here for a few days longer. I don't know much about this place or this world. It'd be pretty stupid of me to just jump out there and hope for the best."

Bolut nodded and considered the young man's words for a few long moments.

"If it's a problem then Algra has a camp we could just head back to." Gregory said causing Algra to perk up with an eager look in her eyes.

"No! No, I'm not trying to be rid of you, master. I'm just not sure that the one who mastered Algra Strongblood should be spending his nights in a tent that is designed for orcs to watch human women dance naked." Bolut tried to put it as tenderly as he could.

Gregory suddenly felt heat rush to his face. It seemed that it was improper for the equivalent of orc nobility to hang around in the equivalent of a strip joint. Who could have guessed?

"Right, ok, we won't sleep in there anymore." He lowered his head and rested his brow in his hand. Algra patted him on the back encouragingly whilst trying not to laugh at his oversight.

"So you will need a tent of your own. We have space here but most of my gold is resting within goods that I still need to sell..." Bolut was obviously dancing around a larger issue.

"Look, I appreciate the medallion. I really do. But right now I'd appreciate blunt honesty much more," Gregory gave the merchant a much needed push.

"Very well. I would like to know if you intend to make our challenge fixed," Bolut said.

Gregory patted the medallion beneath his t-shirt then looked back up at the big orc.

"Is this thing working right? I have no idea what you just meant."

"After a challenge is made, often the victor will take what he wishes from the loser and the loser must obey the victor from then on. Yet unless a challenge is fixed the loser may still be challenged by another orc. Fixing a challenge means that you will permanently own Bolut and that anyone who wishes to challenge him will have to issue the challenge to you instead." Algra supplied the explanation in language far more eloquent than Gregory was used to hearing from her. Then he realised that she was speaking her native tongue rather than the human language. The medallion was translating flawlessly.

"Oh, I see." Gregory lied.

Algra rolled her eyes. He wasn't very good at lying and appeared rather dumbfounded by the whole concept.

"If you leave your challenge un-fixed then other orcs may still challenge Bolut. I would guess that he wants you to fix the challenge since you're letting him keep his things and if you're his permanent master he won't have to worry about other orcs challenging him." Algra looked across to the merchant who was appearing slightly pained that she'd put the matter quite so bluntly.

"So you want me to look after you?" Gregory almost laughed, so far he'd barely been able to look after himself.

"Master, if you were to fix our challenge then I wouldn't need to hold back my business any longer. I could expand! Orc beer, steel, armour and weapons are prized on any market. I've had buyers begging me for our goods as the only other two merchants of my people don't even go far enough north to get to a city. If I didn't have to worry about looking like I had just enough to feed all my slaves then we could both be very rich men!" Bolut was clearly quite passionate about the issue.

"There are only three orc merchants?" Gregory asked sceptically.

"Bah! You may have noticed that my people value battle and war more than trade. Our biggest trading good at the moment is the meat and crops we trade with the human emissary and that business is done directly by the warchief. All young orcs want to be honoured in the battlefield, not sit at a table counting coins. We have many items to share with the world that the world is practically begging for and I can't sell them because if I do then I'll get my fat arse kicked and have all my profits swiped in a day. I can do sweet bugger all about it." The orc grunted and took a cup of offered water, guzzling the whole thing down at once.

"Alright then." Gregory shrugged.

"Hah! Oh you will not regret this!" Bolut was clearly elated. "What are your colours?"

Gregory blinked and turned to Algra.

"He asks so that he may wear them in order to show that the challenge has become fixed." Algra explained.

"Oh, I dunno. Does it matter?" Gregory asked.

"Not really, which colours do you favour? There are usually no more than three."

"Black, red and blue?" Gregory ventured as if answering a question in school that he wasn't quite sure of.

"So be it! Thank you for this opportunity master. All that I own is yours and we are both soon to be rolling in gold!" Bolut virtually had dollar signs rolling around in his eyes. "I will prepare a caravan immediately and use some of my emergency gold to set you up with a tent. It will be up by the end of the day."

Bolut moved to stand and get on with his plans.

"Hold on," He quickly lifted his hand for the orc to slow down. Bolut visibly cringed, obviously waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Yes, master?" He asked, turning back to look at Gregory.

"Two things. The first is that if we're going to be rolling in gold I want the first thing we do to be going to get Emmet's brother and his family. I want them brought here when you return from this trip."

Bolut nodded in agreement, it certainly didn't seem to be a condition that he appeared to mind. Emmet's jaw practically bounced off of the ground. He'd apparently thought that Gregory had forgotten all about this and for him to make it such a prominent goal was a kindness the old man was far from used to.

"The second is that I've asked for Freddie, the human you had sent to the pits, to be returned into our care." Gregory's words suddenly caught Janette's attention as the girl jolted upright.

Bolut openly snarled at this particular request, clearly unhappy about Gregory's deal with Grolfir.

"He is no more than a dog and a coward!" The orc complained.

"Oh I know, believe me I know. But he's my responsibility. We'll take him and make sure you chain him up somewhere. I don't want him getting ideas. He's to be fed, cleaned and treated well...and very firmly chained to a post. Alright?"

Bolut seemed about to argue but he visibly stopped himself. This meeting had gotten him more than he'd ever hoped and he wasn't about to risk throwing it away over an argument about how a coward should be treated. In the end he said nothing but nodded his acquiescence.

"Alright, thank you Bolut, for the gift and for your understanding." Gregory nodded respectfully to the orc.

Bolut looked at Gregory for a long moment before offering a respectful bow and then moving off to begin preparations for his trip and suitably sheltering his new master.

"What was that?" Janette asked as Gregory stood up and stretched out his sore muscles.

"I asked Freddie to be released. We're going to keep him here at the camp." Gregory didn't even like the sound of himself saying it so he could hardly hold it against Bolut for getting angry at the arrangement.

"You did that for me?" Janette stood up along with Algra.

"Mostly. The guy deserves to be locked up, but no one deserves to die like that." Gregory heard Algra's grunt of disagreement and dutifully ignored it.

Janette was going to say more but she was suddenly interrupted when one of the other humans approached carrying a tray on which rested two very small cups filled with a pale blue creamy drink. The carrier was a woman who Gregory would have guessed to be in her very late thirties or early forties. Her face had begun to show pleasant lines that accented her equally pleasant features. As she stepped before them she gracefully curtsied and Algra casually stepped up to take one of the cups and knock it back like a shot.

"What's this?" Gregory asked.

"It is for your ladies, master. Unless you wish to have a child?" The woman seemed unsure she was doing the right thing.

"Nope! He's fine for the minute. Gimme." Janette reached out and took her cup, downing it quickly as Algra had. She noted that it smelled very faintly of eucalyptus and tasted somewhat like cough syrup.

Gregory remained wisely quiet on the subject. In truth he hadn't exactly considered the necessity for birth control. It had been an awfully stupid thing to forget about.

"Thanks! I've been worried about that all morning." Janette smiled at the woman who nodded with understanding.

"What's your name?" Gregory asked of the woman.

"Valise, master." She supplied.

"Thank you Valise. We're going to go wash up. If anyone comes looking for us then let them know we'll be back in an hour or so." Gregory moved but was suddenly stopped by Algra's hand snatching his.

"Two hours," The orc firmly corrected.

Gregory grinned as Janette hid a little laugh behind her own fingers.

"Two hours...or so," Gregory affirmed.

Algra nodded contentedly and led him out of the merchant's part of the camp. Janette walked on his opposite flank and he caught her hand in his and lifted it to lightly set a kiss upon her smooth skin. She silently smiled at him and walked with her cloak partially open. Many orcs looked at them as they passed through the encampment, they were obviously the talk of the town. Janette scooted a little closer to Gregory as they walked, obviously somewhat un-nerved by the enormous beasts. Algra paid them no mind and Gregory gave Janette's hand a reassuring squeeze as they made their way to the outer gates.

As they stepped out of the camp the two guards on duty smashed their fists to their chests and lifted their arms to salute Algra who continued to ignore all but her destination.

Once they were out of sight of the orc settlement Janette seemed to relax a little more.

"Sorry, could we slow down a little? These sandals are too big to walk in. I feel like I'm gonna trip up at any minute." The pretty redhead humbly complained.

"Piggyback?" Gregory suggested.

Janette looked at him in surprise and then her lips curved into a beautiful white smile. Gregory released Algra's hand and bent his knees as Janette opened her long cloak and hopped up onto his back. Her long slender legs wrapped around his hips as her arms folded around his shoulders from behind. She was light to hold and felt incredibly good settled against his body. His hands snaked beneath her thighs and squeezed the firm flesh encouragingly.

They continued to walk toward the tree line and soon found themselves walking along a dirt path in amidst the Embervine Forest. Gregory enjoyed the feel of Janette holding onto him as he watched Algra's shapely bottom moving out in front, clad as it was in her short fur skirt.

It was a pleasant enough walk, though the forest was slightly more tropical than he was used to.

"Is there anything dangerous living here Algra?" He asked curiously.

"Many things are dangerous here. Great cats prowl the forests, serpents slither through the trees and other creatures crawl beneath us. We need not fear them so much. The forest is a home for the orcs and our guests. There is old magic here that protects us." Algra reached out to run her fingers along the bark of a tree as she passed.

"What did she say?" Janette whispered in his ear. Obviously Algra had been speaking in orcish.

"She said we're fine." He turned his head and kissed her rosy cheek affectionately.

They continued to walk, detouring from the road to make way directly for the stream.

"So what are you going to do with Freddie?" Janette asked

"Keep him restrained, treat him decently and hope to hell he doesn't do anything stupid." Gregory's expression darkened.

"Thanks for getting him out of there. I know you hate him. God knows you have a reason to. It's just...I know his mum. He's..." Janette was obviously struggling to explain the unexplainable.

"A person," Gregory helpfully filled in. "I know."

"You're a pretty amazing guy Greg." She lightly nipped his earlobe with her teeth.

"I know that too."

The sound of running water was heard soon enough after that and they stepped out to look over the place. The fresh water stream was just as he'd remembered it.

Above them the limbs and branches of the great trees on either side of the stream interlaced together. The shards of light that passed between the leaves made the area around the trickling water seem lighter than the much more dense surrounding forest. The stream itself was only about knee deep and not very wide, nor its current very strong. Smooth grey stone flanked its shores on either side making it an ideal place in which to bathe.

Gregory set Janette down behind him and the girl soon walked over to the crystalline water to run her fingertips through the icy liquid.

"It's freezing!"

"I know. It's better that way. If it was warm it'd probably be a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria." Gregory explained.

"Oh. Well this is going to be painful." Janette winced as she slipped her cloak from her shoulders to pool on the ground.

Algra quickly pulled off her skimpy top, letting her plentiful breasts bounce free before peeling the short fur skirt down her legs and stepping out of her sandals. Janette tentatively reached behind her to allow her fingers to unhook the clasp of her bra. She let the lacy scrap of material fall from her shoulders and then peeled down her thong before carefully placing her own sandals to one side.

"Well, me and Algra found a way to make the ordeal a lot more...amiable." Gregory himself had slipped out of his clothes and was approaching the orc with a very hungry look in his eye.

Algra turned her head to look over her shoulder at him, her long dark hair flowing wildly down across her beautiful jade hued back. As he neared her she never took those dark chocolate eyes from him for a second. Taking her hand in his, he led her down to the water and felt the icy chill soon washing over his feet. Algra's hands didn't have the silky delicate touch of Janette's for they had spent a life carrying weapons and using tools, yet they did have a pleasing nimbleness about them. She slid those fingers between his as they reached the centre of the stream and then pulled him back against her to press her luscious figure against his. Her breasts were soft and firm as they cushioned themselves against his taut body. The feel of her hard dark nipples poking into his chest was always a pleasing sensation. Gregory also noted the height difference as Algra stood at least four inches taller than his own impressive height.

She was stunning.

He reached up and caught her chin with his fingers, raising his head and lowering her lips to meet his. Though he could no longer feel his feet in the cold water, he did feel the heat rise inside him as their lips met and their arms encircled each other. She tasted downright yummy and Algra, who thought herself talented at making love before she met Gregory, was always eager to see what his imaginative lips would do next.

Slowly, she moved to turn with him. Her legs lowered her down into the water until she came to rest upon her bottom with her human lover contentedly settled between her thighs. Her arms lifted her upper body out of the flowing water and Gregory let out a sharp intake of breath as he descended with her into the cold shallow waters of the stream. Their lips parted and he looked down over her, the picture of alien beauty as the crystal clear liquid constantly flowed over her gorgeous green curves. Even despite the cold, his lust for her burned hot and his rigid member soon slid up between her legs. Sinking himself into that tight slippery heat once again was blissful and he was very eager to spend the next while warming them both up.

Janette watched the show from the shoreline. Still not quite having the courage of the two insane lovers to go skinny dipping in a freezing stream, she settled for sitting on the rocky shore, spreading her legs and letting her fingers explore the silken pink petals of her own pussy. Gregory was a ravenous lover, his hands disappearing into the stream as he held himself aloft and moved his lower body with the steady rhythm of their mutual hearbeats. Dusky pink met dark green once more as they kissed and allowed their tongues to tease and caress. Janette moaned softly as she watched Gregory's body, gleaming with fresh water, moving in time with his unearthly lover. His muscle rippled with every movement and she still couldn't believe that body had been hidden under those heavy sweaters for all these years.

Algra's body began to quiver and her mouth slipped from Gregory's as her head lolled back and she groaned with raw, unbridled lust. He knew the steps well enough by now and quickly increased his thrusts, sending a sharp climax to devastate her pleasure centres.

That was when Janette saw the other pair of eyes looking at them. It came as such a shock to notice such a thing that she actually let out a short scream of alarm. The noise immediately caught the attention of Algra and Gregory who looked over to see if she was alright. Gregory quickly slipped himself from Algra's thoroughly pleased pussy and scrambled to his feet. His own very needy jutting cock lifted out from between her open thighs, dripping with annoyance at being denied its reward for all that hard work. Algra was on her feet a moment later and instinctively stepped between Gregory and the spot where Janette's gaze was fixed.

Nothing stared back at them, the stream was empty.

"What is it Jan?" Gregory continued to look for whatever had made the girl scream.

"Something was in the water." She seemed quite certain.

"Something like what?" He asked.

"I don't know, I think it was human. It was in the water down there looking at us. I just saw its eyes come up from under the stream." She took a few tentative steps forwards.

"Well this stream doesn't seem deep enough to hide someone Jan." Gregory replied sceptically.

"It deepens down there. Grows out to join river." Algra informed them, though she too didn't seem to think they had been watched.

"Well there was something looking at us." Janette affirmed resolutely.

"I believe you." Gregory turned to look at her.

"Look I know what I saw! I'm not some...wait, what?" Janette was obviously all too prepped to defend herself.

"Well you're not an idiot Jan and Algra says that this forest is filled with all kinds of things. But nothing here will hurt us, right?" Gregory turned to Algra who nodded in the affirmative. "Alright then. So let's trust our guide here and finish washing up. If we had an audience out there it didn't seem too dangerous and it looks like it's gone now."

"I am not going in there Greg. I'll freeze." Janette shivered as she looked at the flowing water.

"Algra? Get her."

"Yes master." The orc grinned and then ran out of the water toward Janette.

The beautiful redhead let out a scream of terror before turning to run away, still completely nude. She didn't stand a chance. Algra was a creature at the pinnacle of fitness and it took her all of two seconds before she had Janette locked tightly in her arms. Janette wiggled, writhed and laughed in an effort to escape. Algra enjoyed the sensation of the slender girl slipping against her wet body as she brought her over to Gregory on the shore. The orc slid her arms up beneath Janette's, tightening her grip around the girl's shoulders and offering Gregory a rather stunning view of Janette's gloriously naked body.