章二十
Chapter 20
It was a cheery day: sky a deep crystal blue, grass a bold green—soft under his back. Flowers blossomed in patches, only a single puffy cloud daring to break up the blue. Creeks burbled cheerfully through the surrounding meadows, fed by the mountains standing tall and clear in the distance.
Neltharion did not take in the sights, merely laying upon his back, staring at the bright yellow sun. He held the stare as long as he wanted, the glare not bothering his eyes.
Not because his eyes were immune to the brightness…
…but because the sun he saw was not real.
None of it was.
It was a safe space created inside of his mind, a sanctuary where he was placed while the Intruder commanded his body.
The Intruder…
He called himself Neltharion's protector from the darkness; the darkness that was slowly harming his flight.
The Intruder thought he knew what was best for Neltharion, increasingly treating him more like a whelp than an equal. He now said little of what he was doing outside—whom he was involved with, whom he interacted while he hijacked the Earth-Warder's body for his own purposes.
The Intruder promised that he would protect him.
But Neltharion was the Earth-Warder—he did not need protection.
His thoughts lingered most on those he cared for: his mates, his consorts, his best friend. He wanted to reach out to them, let them know he was here.
But such thoughts were forbidden.
The Intruder was protecting him, and to be protected he must remain in this safe space, as the Intruder often reminded.
But more recently, as he lingered…he had started to feel himself slipping away.
He held his memories tight, as they were what built him. For without them he would lose himself; he would be nothing.
Sintharia.
Malygos.
His children: Onyxia, Nefarian, Sabellian…and so many others.
He held their names tight.
He tried to call upon their faces as well, trying desperately to see in his mind's eye what he could no longer see in reality.
He called upon Malygos' cheerful face first. It came easily, appearing as it was before he was locked in this place. Smiling, laughing, always talking about something new he discovered, some new magic spell he invented, some new trick he wanted to teach Neltharion.
Good—Malygos was at least safe in his mind for now.
He called upon his children next. Some faces came easily, others wavering as if immersed in a deep fog. Sabellian's face was one, seeming to fade in and out, only growing more distant as he tried to recall more detail. Another son was even more faded, only the barest outline of his features remaining. He tried to recall their mother, one of his younger consorts.
He could only remember her laugh.
It was the first thing he had noticed about her when Sintharia introduced them. Such a whimsical laugh, a laugh she spouted whenever she felt embarrassed…as she had been at the time, stumbling over her greeting and feeling foolish in front of the Black Lord.
He had reassured her that even he had such silly moments—a reassurance he had repeated many times over the years, as she had laid by his side as one of his consorts.
But her name, her name escaped him.
No…
What was her name?
Why couldn't he remember her name?!
A frustrated tear dripped from the corner of his eye, trailing through the grooves between his scales to splash upon the grass.
Neltharion rolled over, fear clutching his heart.
He lost another name.
Another another piece of himself gone.
…Sintharia!
Alarmed, he concentrated upon his most beloved consort, his Black Queen: her dark radiance, her golden eyes, her strong frame.
Even that memory wavered.
He lurched, throat choked in a sob.
No, I won't lose her too!
He pawed the ground, enormous talons slicing deep tracts through the rich brown soil. His will followed, extending down into the ground, mind reaching out like a sculptor, nimble and precise—ready to mold the fresh clay. He called upon the shape he wanted, projecting his will into the soil below…
It did not obey.
His powers had been severed.
They will forget you…the thought hissed through his mind, so sickeningly sweet he nearly wretched at the terrible realization.
They will abandon you…followed another, as terrible as the first.
And you will be alone…concluded a third, his mind reverberating with the awful, irrefutable logic.
His breath trembled in his throat, tears splashing onto the ground.
Sintharia, he swore. I will hold onto your name, my beloved Sintharia. I will hold onto your name. I will never forget!
Thunder rolled off in the distance, smoldering black clouds churning and spreading toward him, devouring the blue sky. Neltharion turned toward them, sniffing as he lifted a claw to wipe his tears away.
The Intruder was coming.
His dark form burst from the clouds, breaking through the seal for a brief moment as he entered the safe place himself. His shadowy form and black wings enveloped the sky as he neared, ground vibrating as he landed close by.
The dragon barely had any sort of features to him, seeming drained of detail—his only clear feature two glowing red eyes, hot coals set in a void of inky blackness. He was like a solid black shadow, but carrying substance and a great, powerful girth.
Yet the Intruder's burly form was but a mere shadow compared to his own continuing, massively growing bulk, even in this mindscape he was locked in.
His swelling mass and girth was something the Intruder delighted in each time he came to visit.
And while he enjoyed it, something about the situation seemed…off.
This time there was a new feature in the Intruder's shape, his stomach distended as if he had been filled with great power. Yet he hobbled across the ground like he had been badly beaten, inky shape seeming tattered at the edges. The Intruder's Pride seemed similarly frayed, head drooping lower than its regular dignified profile, normally confident stride broken by a subtle limp he seemed too tired to hide. For a brief moment he locked eyes with Neltharion, before staggering away to rest himself upon a grassy knoll.
Neltharion huffed at the sight, mouth spreading with a great frown. More and more, he felt himself becoming embittered at the Intruder…his so-called protector.
Warden was a better word for him.
The Intruder kept him away from everyone he knew, everyone he loved. When the Intruder was away, he paced up and down, his thoughts on his consorts, his children. He longed to see them again, to reach out to them, to hold them.
But all he had was the Intruder to hold, the Intruder to reach out to.
He did not want the Intruder—he wanted Sintharia, he wanted Onyxia and Nefarian and Sabellian. He wanted Malygos. He wanted to smell them, to capture a fresh memory of their scent, feel them, listen to them laugh and cry, or just talk. He wanted to talk to them. He wanted to see them, see their smiling faces one more time.
But all he had was the Intruder.
Each time he asked the Intruder to let him see his beloved flight, to see his family, he was denied.
And now, the memories of what they sounded like, what they smelled like, what they looked like—they were fading away, like the false sun before the darkening sky overhead.
Whatever darkness the Intruder said would harm him…it could not be as bad as losing the memories of those he loved.
Yet he wondered…
Had any of them ever existed at all? Or did he only made them up from the stories the Intruder shared with him? Was there nothing more than the Intruder and this sanctuary?
The uncertainty muddied his thoughts, a fog casting them into shadow.
He had to see them.
Just to be sure. Just to confirm their validity, to be sure they were not just some figment of his imagination.
The Intruder kept him from them.
Perhaps with the Intruder weakened, he could at last get that one request.
The Intruder had promised that he would allow Neltharion to see his friends and family. And Neltharion had waited patiently. For so long he waited…until the names of those he loved were now starting to slip from his grasp.
Too long.
He had to ask now.
The grass muffled his steps as he approached the Intruder's haggard form, collapsed upon a knoll. After a moment the inky dragon lifted his head, exhaustion in every line of the motion.
"What…what is it, whelp?" he asked, breath coming in tired pants.
Neltharion's lip trembled at the word he used: Whelp. He hated the little nickname the Intruder gave him.
He was no whelp.
He was the Black Aspect.
"I am…tired. Could you let me rest?"
"I want to see them," Neltharion said.
The Intruder turned away, rumbling.
"You promised me I could see them!" Neltharion called.
"See…who…?"
"Sintharia!" Neltharion said, saying her name first to fix the memory. "And Malygos! And my children! I want to see them!"
"I told you: it is not safe!" the words burst from the Intruder in a rush, eyes wide, pupils mere pinpricks as an instinctive shudder rippled down his form. He visibly caught himself, suppressing the uncharacteristic reaction with noticeable effort. After a moment his exhaustion reasserted itself, sending him slumping back to the ground, barely able to keep his head raised. "Now, let me rest, whelp. I have had quite a…struggle...today. I need rest. We will…discuss this later."
Neltharion turned away, defeated. He distanced himself from the Intruder, allowing his tears to fall again.
At least for now he was allowed to weep. Most of the time, the Intruder forbade him that emotion.
He settled upon his belly, folding his forepaws in front of his great chest. His hind legs settled underneath, wings tucked to his sides, tail lashing the ground like a frustrated cat. A paw lifted to his eyes, cupping around them as they again grew wet.
Sintharia, he thought. Say her name over and over, that is what he had to do.
He could not lose her too.
Neltharion curled up, wings folding over his head. He no longer wanted to look at the false sun, no longer wanted to look at what was left of the cheery blue sky. The black clouds continued to roll on through, more of the blue draining from the sky.
The sound of his sobs went unnoticed by his captor.
Even with the company, Neltharion felt utterly alone.
Perhaps that was the Intruder's plan: make him forget everything he held dear so that he would only love his captor. The Intruder was rather driven in that regard, wanting Neltharion to focus upon him in each of their encounters—eyes on him, thoughts on him.
He huffed at the thought: that Neltharion should be grateful for what the Intruder fed him; that everything was all for him.
He was just a toy.
A trophy to be admired when the Intruder wanted to admire him, a toy to play with when the Intruder wanted to play with him.
He did everything as the Intruder instructed. He did what he was told, like a good whelp. For that was all he was now, just a whelp to the Intruder.
Nothing more.
He enjoyed the encounters, but he did not desire to be used in such a way. He was no mere toy for the Intruder's pleasure—to be played with one hour and then put away in the cupboard afterwards.
What do you think he sees you as?
Who does he think he is? To keep you away from your family?
And you let him. He makes you feel safe here, while he walks around in your skin, carrying your face and using your voice.
A distant peal of thunder rolled through, and he growled, thoughts echoing the mood as a dark truth became apparent.
My face and my voice, Neltharion thought. Does Sintharia even know? Does he…love her as I would? An Imposter walking around in my skin, pretending to be me…lying to my beloved Sintharia…
He shivered, horror sparking into his heavy chest. Was Sintharia safe in the arms of the Intruder? Did the Intruder tell her that Neltharion was safe? Did he remind her that Neltharion still loved her?
Did the Intruder even speak of Neltharion at all when they lay together?
Was the world slowly beginning to forget him as well?
Your flight sees him as you. They do as he says as if the commands came from you. How can you trust that he has your best interests at heart when he has yet to even explain himself to you?
He looked to the darkening skies, eyes falling to the Intruder's prone form.
Could he trust the Intruder?
Was he not seeing the Intruder's true motives, pleasure and comfort blinding him?
He let another tear seep from his eyes, joining the rest dripping down his snout as he bowed his head.
My Sintharia, Neltharion thought. My dear Sintharia. Does he keep you safe, my Sintharia? Does he keep my children safe? Please tell me, Sintharia.
There was no answer.
He shuddered.
Oh how I long for you to be here with me, my Sintharia. I want you here with me instead of him. I want to hold you rather than him. I want to look into your eyes and know that everything will be alright. Just once, I want to see you again…before you too are forgotten.
Before I am forgotten.
I need you, my beloved Sintharia. I need you.
Neltharion exhaled, gathering his thoughts, focusing upon the memory he could feel slipping away.
It did not come.
Why allow him to keep things from you? Why allow him to use you: the true Black Aspect?
His impertinence must not go unanswered.
He is a black dragon: he is yours to do with as you please!
His paws slammed down, sending a tremor through the ground, a low growl vibrating in his chest as the storm clouds built overhead.
He would not be used! Not by the one who stole his body, who is slowly making him forget—making him lose himself.
He could play the game of his captor as well. He could play that game the Intruder loved, turn it back on him.
A grin spread across his face at the thought.
He would use him instead, make the Intruder his toy.
Oh, the Intruder loved their encounters. Perhaps another encounter would make the Intruder more amendable to Neltharion's requests.
Overwhelm him, inundate him, until the Intruder melted under the sensation.
Until the Intruder could only surrender to it.
Surrender to him.
Then the Intruder would have no choice but to yield to his wishes; to let him see his beloved Sintharia.
He shivered in excitement as his thoughts came together, rising from the grass in one smooth motion. A moment and he was already walking toward the Intruder, excitement growing as he imagined the Intruder's overwhelmed surrender. His steps sped at the thought, confidence soaring as he neared the Intruder—goal nearly within his grasp.
The thought sent a powerful, newfound strength rippling through his form, stride growing increasingly heavy as he shifted larger. A thrill tingled his scales as his great bulk dwarfed even the Intruder's burly form into insignificance.
Sintharia, he thought. I will make him yield to me—make him let me see you, hold you again.
Yet as he neared the Intruder, he slowed—the vibrations of his heavy steps faltering as he took in the sight.
The Intruder's inky form seemed to waver, the edges ragged, tattered, like black paper frayed.
A sense of disquiet rose at the sight…evidence of some great struggle the Intruder had survived.
Had he won?
The uneasy thought confused his purpose, evidence churning in his mind. The wind picked up as his confusion grew, thick black locks from his beard blowing across his face, blocking his sight. He lifted a talon, pulling them away from his eyes.
He looked down as his vision cleared, noting how his shadow seemed to melt, to blend with the Intruder's.
No…it was more like the Intruder was Neltharion's shadow, like he was a part of him rather than being the Intruder.
The observation left him uncertain, its meaning unclear.
He pushed the thought away, instead settling beside the shadowy dragon. A scent curled around his nose…
A wound.
Previously masked by the Intruder's near-featureless form, it radiated a feverish rise as he neared.
He swallowed at the feeling, tongue reaching out to lick the wound.
Blood—a metallic twang upon his tongue.
The Intruder grunted as Neltharion's tongue ran along the open fissure on his side. He swung his head up, a slow, tired motion.
"What are you doing, whelp?" he asked. "I told you I wanted to be alone."
Neltharion snorted: "Who sounds more like a whelp, you or me?"
He continued his licking, tracing the lines between the scales.
"Whelp," he began. "Enough. I need to be left alone for a moment. Then, you and I can go play, if you like."
Neltharion growled, coming to his feet.
"Then get out of my head and go sulk somewhere else!"
The Intruder huffed, red eyes wide at the unexpected tone. Yet the tone matched Neltharion's expression, green eyes cold, their depths churning.
"Has…something happened?" the Intruder probed, hoping to find the source of the uncharacteristic hostility, the wind whipping around them both.
"Goes without saying," said Neltharion. "If you wanted to be alone, then why land so near me? Why not go over there, away from my sight? Unless you wanted me to see how pitiful you looked from whatever fight you seem to have lost…"
"This is the only place I can go," said the Intruder. "The only place that is safe. I did not make this place just for you. I need it as well. It is for both of us."
Neltharion's eyes rolled as he turned away.
The Intruder lifted to a slight recline.
"Have I offended you?" he asked. "I am sorry if I have. I just require some rest, then you can have me."
I don't even want you, Neltharion thought. "Of course, if it so pleases you. I only wish to try and take care of you since you are injured. But you don't want me. I suppose that's all I am, isn't it? Only to be there when you need me. I should leave you alone until you call me. I'll go back to my cupboard, sir. Excuse me."
"Whelp..." began the Intruder.
See how he belittles you, thinks you a child.
Are you a child?
Show him you are not.
A snap and Neltharion came upon him like lightning, mountainous form burying the other like a landslide loosed by a storm. He slammed a paw down upon the Intruder's back, pinning him against the ground. Thick talons grasped the Intruder by the neck, bending him close to Neltharion's jagged teeth. A flash of lightning and a crack of thunder split the heavens, the sky above raging in red and black.
The Intruder froze in shock, trying to look away from the fire in Neltharion's gaze, fearing its meaning.
He could not.
"Don't ever call me that again!" Neltharion bellowed, the booming thunder only adding more power to his voice. "I am not a whelp! I am certainly not your whelp! Do you understand?"
His voice deepened to the lowest register, threatening, reverberating through the Intruder's core as his great head drew closer.
"Or do I have to make you understand?"
The Intruder tried to speak, but the words could not pass Neltharion's grip on his throat. He shut his eyes, and merely nodded.
"I am not your toy either," Neltharion continued. "And I am not to be treated as such. Do you understand?"
The Intruder tried to speak, though only a whisper escaped: "Why…why do you think you are…?"
He looked away, his talons releasing the Intruder's throat.
The Intruder coughed and sputtered, leaning back down upon one paw. He turned towards Neltharion, only to find the brilliant, purple crystals of Neltharion's back filling his vision.
"Neltharion," the Intruder said, trying to rise despite the pain from his injuries. "What has happened? Are you hurt? Why are you…angry...with me?"
"Nothing," Neltharion snapped with a deep growl. He blinked, letting a single tear splash upon the grass.
"I want to help…"
"Shut. Up!"
Neltharion rose to his feet, the wind caressing his wings as he gave them a good spread— almost pulling him upward to the storm above, to what lay beyond.
He wanted to leave.
He wanted to fly away from the Intruder that stole him away from his beloved Sintharia. He did not want to look upon the Intruder's face anymore, if one could call an inky blackness with two glowing, red orbs a face.
"Neltharion…" said the Intruder, reaching out to touch the crystals. "Please. I wish for you to remain. I landed here to see that you are safe. Knowing that you are safe here, being near you gives me solace. It helps me to heal."
Neltharion felt the Intruder's snout nuzzle his back. He shut his eyes.
"Tell me what has upset you," said the Intruder. "I wish to help you in any way I can. Tell me—why are you upset?"
"None of your damned business," hissed Neltharion.
The Intruder shrank from the poison in his words.
"Nothing I can do about it anyhow," Neltharion continued. "Since you will not set me free or let me see Sintharia."
"I told you…it's not…"
"You wear my body," Neltharion stood, heavy paws slamming down under him.
The Intruder drew himself back.
"You use my face!" Neltharion encroached upon him.
The Intruder coiled, attempting to make himself smaller.
"You use my voice!" Neltharion pressed his paw upon the Intruder's neck. "And you keep me from my flight."
"Neltharion…"
He turned away again, letting the Intruder go.
Tell him! Make him see his follies!
Make him pay for them!
Why should he have what you have earned? What gives him the right?
"Sabellian's mother," Neltharion interjected, whipping his head back around to the Intruder. He thundered his words, the timber of his voice echoing the storm overhead. "What is her name?!"
The wind picked up around the Intruder. He shivered.
"Do…do you not know her name?"
Neltharion bellowed his rage to the sky.
"...oh." the Intruder said, seeing the evidence in his eyes. "I…Lanthia. That's her name. She tends to laugh when she's nervous, as when we first met her. See, you're…upset over nothing..."
"Nothing…" Neltharion growled. "Like what you are? Nothing?"
The Intruder shifted: "That was…hurtful."
"No shit."
"Neltharion, I want to help you," said the Intruder, laying back down. "But…right now I need rest. I can't help you if I cannot heal myself." He looked pitifully at Neltharion. "And you need rest too."
Neltharion huffed and settled to his haunches, his back turned towards his companion.
"Do you desire my company?"
Neltharion rumbled, shoulders hunching forward at the light touch of the Intruder's snout against his back.
The Intruder laid back down, rumbling. His eyes focused upon Neltharion.
"I am here for you," the Intruder said, watching his companion turn his head slightly.
Here for you…
The situation felt upside-down, the words askew. Because after hearing them, he felt...reassured. He wanted to hear those words: that the Intruder was here for him, that the Intruder wanted to take care of him.
That he was not alone, unprotected.
He swallowed, eyes returning to the Intruder. The Intruder had laid his head back down, a pained rumble coming from his throat.
He winced at the sound, nose twitching from the scent of the Intruder's injuries.
Should...should he be angry at the Intruder right now? When whatever hell the Intruder had gone though was worse than him just… forgetting…the name of one of their consorts?
Perhaps it was not him who needed the Intruder, but the Intruder who needed him?
In a moment he had decided, turning to lay beside the Intruder, encircling him with his much thicker form. The Intruder rumbled in response to the embrace, pressing himself against him, curling up to enjoy his warmth—a shelter from the storm overhead.
He could sense the horrible pain of the Intruder's wounds through the touch, and shifted to encircle him tighter, laying his head upon the Intruder's neck.
Was that even right? Should he comfort the very jailor who kept him from his beloved Sintharia? Who stole his memories?
…was the Intruder really the one stealing his memories?
He could not reconcile the thought; unchallenged by the din of the storm. Uncertain, he instead returned to grooming, tongue brushing against the Intruder's back. He felt a twitch again, his scales heating as he concentrated on his task. The Intruder was so weak, so helpless, so battered and bruised. This pathetic wretch could not be…not him.
Wings quivered as Neltharion traced his tongue over the Intruder's back.
"I know being here can be stressful at times," the Intruder added, tilting into the grooming. "But it will get better. I will keep my promise. You will see them again."
Neltharion nuzzled him, his tail coiling around to the Intruder's, his wings blanketing both of them.
"I...I feel that I am useless," he admitted. "All I am is just…here. The longer I stay here, the more I feel like I am losing myself."
"You shouldn't be feeling that at all," said the Intruder. "And you are not useless. You are very important to me, more than you know. I cannot lose you."
"Why do I have to be here?" Neltharion asked, shuddering a sob. "Why can't I see my beloved Sintharia? Why can't I see Malygos or my children?"
"It is not safe," the Intruder whispered, eyes focused off to the distant horizon, storm filling the darkened sky from end to end—barely held at bay. A near-imperceptible shudder ran down his form at the words, the vibration felt through Neltharion's touch.
"Why?"
"I…I…cannot begin to explain it just yet," said the Intruder, tearing his gaze from the tormented sky. "You are not…strong enough to face the darkness outside. That is where they are. If you leave now to see them, the darkness will destroy you."
Neltharion curled under the Intruder's chin.
"I will not let the darkness get you," said the Intruder, voice firm. "I will not let the darkness destroy you. For it will destroy me. If the darkness has you, I will have failed to protect you. I would die."
He reached up to lick away the tear.
"And I won't have you weep," he said. "I will not have you in pain."
Neltharion lifted, grazing his tongue against the Intruder's neck. He cleaned the fresh talon wounds upon the Intruder's throat.
"I am sorry I…snapped…"
"Perhaps I stayed away for too long," the Intruder said. "I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have left you alone for so long. Being here with no one else…it does things to a being. It was my fault. You have every right to be angry. I am sorry for leaving you alone. It won't happen again, Neltharion. I promise."
He laid his head back down and rumbled, muscles unwinding as Neltharion wrapped his great forelegs around his body.
Safety. He felt Neltharion's body fold all around him, wrapping him in comforting safety.
Neltharion held him, talons brushing down the Intruder's sides to his stomach, tracing how full, how distended it was. To dragons, it was normally a wonderful thing to see and feel: a sign of the joyful connection between mates, a sign of the ties that bound them all together as a flight. It carried a sense of strength, attraction, and unity that expanded as the dragon did; shared for all to enjoy.
Yet…the way the Intruder was injured suggested something…else…had happened to him.
But he could not identify what it might have been.
The question vibrated in his mind, unsatisfied. Curious, he lifted and tilted the Intruder, gently rolling the other dragon to his back to get a better view. He pressed his great chest against the Intruder, capturing him in his emerald eyes as he tried to make sense of what he saw—small rips on the Intruder's chest and sides, abrasions wrapping neck, limbs and tail.
The answer did not come.
Uncertain, he resumed grooming, cleaning the wounds marking the Intruder's inky body, shifting to pin the Intruder with his hind legs to make the access easier. The Intruder did not interfere, merely spreading his legs as Neltharion moved down, yielding to the grooming.
He grazed over the rips with his tongue, frustration growing as he could not divine their source. He grew increasingly forceful as his frustration mounted, skies churning overhead as he pressed harder—chasing an answer that would not come. His companion winced in response, breath shuddering at the touch.
The Intruder rumbled, a paw reaching out for Neltharion's shoulder. He wanted to stop.
The motion ignited his confusion.
...a toy set back into a cupboard at it's owner's discretion...
...flickers of faces he could no longer remember…
...a yearning for comfort, for strength…for control.
It was not up to him!
He snapped at the paw, a silent message for the Intruder to know his role in this moment. A glare followed, the Intruder averting his eyes in response.
He huffed, satisfied, working his way down to the Intruder's belly, pressing a paw against it.
A grunt sounded from the pressure.
The Intruder felt full.
Perhaps he could make the Intruder fuller.
A heat rose at the thought, mingling with the heat radiating from the Intruder. His scales twitched and tingled, the warmth spreading up his abdomen.
He worked down further, cleaning the abrasions crisscrossing the Intruder's thighs, toes twitching with the flick of his tongue. The journey brought him back to the Intruder's abdomen, tongue tracking over his stomach, the sense of heat rising, kindling.
A scent hit him as he continued: inviting, alluring.
He looked to the Intruder, laid back against the ground, almost…timid, hesitant. The Intruder looked away from his gaze, lifting his forepaws up in surrender, black wings fluttering at the tips as he worked downward to the source.
Submissive.
Show him that you are no whelp.
Control him! Dominate him!
Make him pay for his impertinence; make him your toy!
The Intruder thundered a cry, storm rumbling in portent as his grooming grew deeper.
"Perhaps…this would be…a good way…to work out some frustration…" the Intruder gasped.
Neltharion's lip pulled back against his teeth in a snarl.
He did not want his "toy" to speak.
The snap of his jaws were a thunderclap over the landscape, throat frill vibrating with his fervor, sky raging above them. The Intruder swallowed at his stormy expression, turning and looking away in deference—eyes averted, panting heavily.
Laid out flat upon the ground underneath him.
Neltharion seized the opportunity, shifting larger to gain leverage. His grooming tracked upward, pulses growing, matching the beat of his racing heart, the rumbling beat of the storm.
The Intruder at last looked up at him, eyes pleading as the larger dragon scorched his body…leaving him exposed, vulnerable.
He did not give the Intruder his wish, thunder rumbling as the storm above them grew, confidence swelling with each crescendo.
He struck like lightning, the Intruder's back arcing underneath him, a strangled roar escaping.
He laid down upon the Intruder to still his thrashing, enjoying the Intruder shaking, straining under his weight.
A final pull and the Intruder jumped underneath him, a roar bursting out of him. In a flash he reared forward, capturing the flood.
He growled in pleasure as the Intruder's energy flooded into him, his chest starting to widen, deepen as power built within him, thickening muscles pressing down upon the Intruder. A moment and the power surged into his stomach, its black scaled expanse swelling with heat and pressure, compressing the Intruder against the ground.
He continued even as the transfer slackened, rumbling in pleasure as his growing girth pressed down upon the Intruder— holding him in place despite his struggles.
It was not the Intruder's will to decide.
Drops fell from the clouds above, thunder rumbling in appreciation as the storm built further––twisting, cyclonic. Curtains of rain neared, the horizon shrinking in toward them.
He stood when he was finished, licking his jaws, lips curled in a furious, bestial sneer, the Intruder gasping underneath him.
Rain fell in sheets on the distant mountains, creeks growing engorged as the floods grew near.
He shared the feeling.
Crouching, he pressed against the Intruder, heavy chest and stomach bearing down as he ground against the Intruder.
"Neltharion…" the Intruder gasped, jaws open as he panted from the sensation.
Neltharion rumbled, pleasure spreading through his system as the Intruder throbbed underneath him.
Each climb was followed by another crash, another beat.
He felt full, so very full from their last encounter, from the energy the Intruder drove into him.
Perhaps he could return the favor.
He wrapped an enormous forepaw around the Intruders head, taking hold of the Intruder's horns as he forged a connection.
Wind tore through the sky, lightning striking the surrounding hills as his motions grew rougher, grinding against his mate with the sound of faults grinding together.
Each motion was an updraft, climbing, higher and higher.
At the top he fell, a downburst crashing through him and into the Intruder. He tightened his grip on the Intruder's horns, holding him still as it raged on like the rapids in the surrounding creeks.
A powerful thrill rippled through him as the Intruder swelled with the rising flood, the Intruder's eyes growing half-lidded.
He'd make him surrender to it.
The storm nearly vibrated with pleasure, the ceiling of clouds twisting downward toward them, creeks bursting their banks, rising waters flooding the landscape.
He paid it no mind.
Waves rose and fell, flash floods crashing into the Intruder. Each only rose the following higher, the Intruder swelling, unable to contain the deluge. It set his senses alight, and he shifted, weight bearing down further with each crescendo, surrounding the Intruder with his mass, his power.
More! Neltharion caught the flash of the Intruder's surface thoughts. I want more!
The thoughts were igniting, senses alight as the Intruder yielded to his dominance. Power burst through him, a dam collapsing before a flood, his roar shaking the sky as it rushed into the Intruder.
Withdrawing, he pulled the Intruder's head close, paws latched tight to his horns. Softly, Neltharion whispered into his ear.
"I shall give you more. So much that you will not be able to walk afterwards."
The Intruder twitched with excitement as the words graced his thoughts, frame quivering in anticipation, the two sharing a look.
Lighting screeched, a new wind shearing against the storm, driving it back as the two continued together.
The Intruder merely panted, tongue hanging out over his fangs, back agains the ground, Neltharion's thick form blotting out the sky above him.
He howled as Neltharion pressed forward: sparks flashing in his eyes with every slip and catch, bursts shooting through him as he swelled with Neltharion's great power.
Neltharion rumbled, deep pleasured growls escaping as the Intruder bent to his power: yielding, pliant.
The storm fought back against the wind sheer, twisting clouds fighting to descend.
Fangs latched around the Intruder's neck, claws shackling the Intruder's wrists to the ground, a look of pleasurable agony on the Intruder's face.
Neltharion rumbled at the sight, shifting larger in response, enjoying the Intruder's look deepening,.
Above them the storm battled, trying to reach down through the bubble of clear air that surrounded them.
Locked in their passion, the two roared out, hind claws driving deep furrows through the ground as it trembled with their joyous call, the Intruder swelling with Neltharion's passion.
Neltharion shifted, turning to lay upon his side, pulling the Intruder with him. Still connected, he rolled his mate gently over until the Intruder laid upon his stomach.
The Intruder trembled at the motion, bracing himself against his great chest.
"Neltharion…" he whimpered pitifully, his senses still recovering from the violent downburst. "I…wonder if I could ever match your… tenacity."
"Don't flatter me," Neltharion said, forelegs reaching around his mate's heavy abdomen, pressing against it. A flash ran through him at the touch, and he squeezed tighter in response, his other paw grasping the Intruder, adding to the onslaught of painful pleasure.
The Intruder shut his eyes tightly, mouth agape, reeling upon the waves and waves of pleasurable agony shooting through every inch of his body.
Neltharion did not intend to stop this time.
It was the Intruder's turn to be unable to escape.
The storm rippled in response, a squall line churning as the clear air and the storm battled, lighting splitting the sky.
There was no down, no pause, no rest, there was only the height of sensation, and then a higher height of sensation, and higher and higher. The Intruder's senses were blinded white with every flash, every expansive crest.
The storm opened up in response, filling the long valleys his body had made at the beginning.
Neltharion rocked against another wave, another crest and fall. He lifted and brought the Intruder to rest, belly flat against the wet grass. His chest driving his captive prey's head flat against the ground as he shifted larger, muscles bulging and popping.
The Intruder seemed so diminutive compared to his increasing mass. So helpless.
Yes, right where you want him! The quiet thought brushed through his awareness, somehow strained, desperate. He brushed it aside, focusing only on his mate, the following whispers muted to intelligibility.
New sensations ignited upon his scales as he grew rougher, matching the turmoil of the sky above, winds tearing at the storm, the sky at war with itself.
He wanted the Intruder to take it all; wanted to make the Intruder take it all.
His paws dug into the Intruder's heavy middle, a building fire kindling inside him at the sensation—far greater than the ones before. His eyes closed tightly, his teeth clenching as it threatened to engulf him, the Intruder's wings fluttering under the strong binds of his barreled forelegs, tail thrashing.
His roar shook the landscape, drowning out the storm, the Intruder flailing in his grasp.
As the last wave crashed and subsided, Neltharion leaned away, panting. He looked at his work, a deep pleasure suffusing his core at how much he had shared.
The Intruder was safe in his grasp.
The storm roared in frustration, clouds fragmenting under the growing wind shear, driven back away from them.
He squeezed tighter, paying it no mind.
The Intruder panted.
Vision returned slowly, a cradle of heavy limbs, a hint of pressure the first sensation. A tug came as Neltharion rolled to his side, pulling him along until he was wrapped in Neltharion's limbs, back pressed to his chest.
Vision clearing, the Intruder reached down, trying and failing to wrap his forelegs around his middle. He grinned and braced himself back against Neltharion's chest, pressing into the embrace.
"Neltharion," he said. "That was...wonderful."
"Did I…hurt you?" Neltharion asked, resting his forelegs over the Intruder's belly.
"No," said the Intruder. "You did exactly what I needed, what I hoped you would one day do. Start to use your power: learn it, demonstrate it, share it. That is what you need to do. To…"
He yelped as Neltharion's forelegs suddenly bore down, compressing him with tectonic force. The sudden flash of pressure seared his vision white, entire form seizing up, senses shorting out as he was filled further by Neltharion's' growing power.
He relished every moment.
"Y-yes…" he managed, pressed his forepaws against his middle, leaning back to bask in the euphoric fullness. "Yes…like that. Exactly like that."
"I…I think I've had enough…" Neltharion gasped. He lowered his head to the ground, black beard tangling in his face.
The Intruder turned, reaching back to pull a lock free from his eyes. He cupped Neltharion's cheek in a paw.
"Then rest."
They lay for a while, the storm breaking down to a soft rain as Neltharion gently cradled the Intruder in his forelegs, paws tracing over his form. After a time the Intruder rolled to face him, pressing against him, the two of them thrumming at the touch, the evidence of their shared connection.
Neltharion's laid back, basking in its glow as the Intruder reciprocated their earlier grooming, the storm giving a final frustrated rumble as it started to disperse.
A look in the Intruder's eye and Neltharion responded, dominance leaving as he rolled to his back, submitting to the Intruder.
"Now, I wish to return the favor," said the Intruder, surveying Neltharion's form. "All of this has to go somewhere."
He wanted every inch of Neltharion gigantic.
He'd make Neltharion bigger, stronger, until he was able to weather any storm.
Neltharion gasped, breath escaping as the Intruder pressed against him. He quivered at the gentleness of the touch, looking away to show his submission.
"No!" the Intruder called. "I wish to see your eyes, whelp."
Whelp…there was that word again, but this time Neltharion did not mind it. He was the whelp once more, as before...
As he wanted.
The Intruder began slowly, each motion exquisitely gentile, aligned with his breath, lips crossing his scales as he was rocked back and forth.
He fell over his mate's shoulder as the sensations overflowed, tears streaming from his eyes.
The Intruder gently pulled back him away, capturing him in his fiery orbs. Neltharion's muscled quivered and tensed at the pause.
He felt safe with the Intruder.
He wanted to be with the Intruder; wanted the Intruder to fill him with strength as the Intruder promised. He pressed against his mate, burying his face into the Intruder's neck, the tips of the Intruder's talons brushing along his scales. A gentle warmth suffused him at the Intruder's presence, soft sunlight breaking the fragmenting clouds to warm his scales.
He could not contain the emotion, a deep whine of need escaping as he press back against the intruder. His tears splashed upon the Intruder's neck, quite whimpers escaping.
"It is alright," the Intruder whispered, noting the clouds receding to a distant haze. "You're safe."
Neltharion moaned, quivering in the Intruder's grasp.
"Please..." he asked, question a breath agains the Intruder's ear.
"Is there something you desire, whelp?" the Intruder asked
"Yes…" Neltharion replied, quivering as he looked to the Intruder's heavy form. "Make me enormous, strong."
The Intruder chuckled, his eyes warm.
He could only gasp as as the Intruder sped, wings fluttering, feet curling.
It arrived suddenly, the Intruder's full strength apparent as he squeezed them together, a final deep thrust heralded the flood.
Heat burst through him, a growing fire spreading to his muscles, outshining the sun in the sky. The pressure only grew, the Intruder rumbling distantly as his motions continued, heat filling him, rising. It piled like magma beneath the surface, pushing up and out.
He thrashed as it reached a breaking point, muscles tensing in anticipation.
The surge slammed home.
He looked down, meeting the Intruder's eyes, excitement mirrored between them.
The view was interrupted by the growing landscape of his chest, great muscles expanding outward and to the sides. The front of his chest grew forward, vying against his thickening neck, sternum deepening, talons sharpening as his paws thickened. He rumbled, pleasure growing as the feeling intensified.
The energy cascaded through him, pushing him through each rapturous break.
He grew, a colossal mountain against the tiny hill of his mate.
The Intruder looked on, a grin spreading across his face as the landscape before him became mountainous. He pressed himself to Neltharion, forepaws wrapping and holding him close.
Neltharion looked down his chest at the sensation, watching as his mate became increasingly dwarfed by his growing girth. His mind sparked, body tingling as he imagined demonstrating his growing power on the Intruder.
A thought intruded into the ocean of ecstasy in his mind...offset, out of place; a fog clouding his perceptions.
Is this what I want?
He clenched his paws as a burst of growth shot through his awareness.
This couldn't be real...could it?
His mouth parted, teeth gritting, pressure building within his hefty girth.
I shouldn't enjoy growing so large.
He panted as he felt himself expand in all directions, throwing his head back, mouth gaping wide.
Why would I want to be so large? I couldn't want to be so large! I don't need to be this large!
He clenched his talons as a burst of growth shot through his awareness, pressing back against the Intruder., wanting to be filled with power.
I...I...couldn't...want...from him...
He squeezed himself in a vice-like grip, holding on, trying to ride out the sensation as his girth doubled, the Intruder's motion speeding on at the sight.
This should stop! I need to stop! I need to leave! Stop!
His heavy girth was taut and full, power gathering pressing outward from within him. He shuddered, mouth wide and panting.
At last, he met the Intruder's eyes, despite his growing chest threatening to obscure the Intruder's face.
Their eyes locked, expressions mirrored.
Pleasure blasted through him at the sight, body expanding explosively as it arrived.
The Intruder held his gaze as his power erupted forth.
Stop! I don't want to see it anymore! Please…please…stop!