A Little Piece Of Tail -OR- The Story Of A Familiar
#1 of A Little Piece Of Tail -OR- The Story Of A Familiar
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
This page may contain explicit description of sexual activity between anthropomorphic characters. If you have not yet attained the age of majority in your jurisdiction, please navigate away from this page now. If it is illegal in your jurisdiction to read this sort of material, please navigate away from this page now. If you are offended by reading this sort of material... What the hell are you doing here anyway?!
DISCLAIMER! DISCLAIMER! DISCLAIMER!
This is a work of fiction, total fiction, and absolute fantasy. Nothing that takes place herein ever really happened. Many of the things that take place in this story likely violate several immutable laws of physics. Nevertheless, please do not read this. The consequences of reading further include, but are not limited too:
1) Death
2) Blindness
3) Growing hair on the palms of your hands
4) Acquiring a taste for Brussels Sprouts
The aforementioned consequences will not necessarily accrue to the reader in the order stated.
PROCEED FURTHER ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Now that we've got that out of the way...
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read my story. I hope you derive as much pleasure from reading it as I did from writing it.
This is my first story submission, here or anywhere. Even if this were my thousandth story submission, I would welcome any and all comments, constructive criticism, and specific suggestions/requests.
Without further ado, on to the story.
+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+
A Little Piece Of Tail --OR-- The Story Of A Familiar
Chapter 1
"What do we have here?" The question was spoken by a deep, sonorous voice and rode on a warm breeze that smelled of incense.
The boy who heard the question was disoriented. At first he didn't know why, but he soon realized that he was on some sort of platform that was moving up and down and tipping from side to side. He reached out to stabilize himself and found a post as thick as his thigh. It was warm and slightly resilient, as was the platform itself. He tried to get his feet under himself to get some control over the way his field of vision was spinning. Using the post as a brace, he managed to rise to a crouch, knees bent to absorb the movement of the platform.
The platform had a cupped shape, and the post curved to match it, so it seemed he was near the center of a rough sphere. At about shoulder height, the material of the post changed from the warm resilient nature of the platform to something that was hard and cool, very much like metal. With the shock that he might be in some sort of cage, vision began to return to him.
The post was topped with a long, curved piece of something-like-metal that was thicker at the base and thinned as it arched over his head. He thought first of a scythe blade. Then it all snapped into a coherent whole. It was a talon, and he was standing in the hand of a huge creature that had claws the size of swords.
"So, little one..." It was the same voice, the same breeze.
He turned toward the source of the sound and saw a huge, reptilian head looming over him. It regarded him with curious, intelligent eyes, but his attention was focused mainly on the foot-long teeth that filled its mouth. That mouth repeated the question he had heard earlier.
"...what sort of creature are you?" The teeth asked.
"A dragon!" The boy screamed.
He backpedaled across the taloned paw in which he stood and bumped his head against another claw. Ducking his head from the impact, he noticed that the dragon opened its hand a bit. Still bent on escape, he continued moving away from the monster, stumbling backwards between the fingers of its hand. He stepped into open space.
Time slowed. He could tell that he was far enough above the ground that he would likely be badly hurt, or worse, from the fall. The dragon's other hand passed him on the way down and moved beneath him. He landed badly, tumbled out of its grip, and continued to fall. The dragon repeated the process at least twice more, leading him to the strange realization that it was taking elaborate care not to crush him in its grip or impale him on its claws. After being juggled a few more times, the boy finally plunged deep into a pool of warm seawater.
Time sped back up. He kicked off his shoes, losing his socks in the process, and began to swim upwards. When he broke the surface, the first thing he saw was the dragon, leaning close, with an expression on its face that he read as... concern?
"Are you injured?" It asked.
He decided he liked its voice. There was warmth there, not only of temperature, but of feeling as well.
"I'm not hurt, sir, just scared." He said.
Even as he spoke, he wondered why he had chosen the male honorific.
"That is understandable." it said. "Since you seem to be an adequate swimmer, I will remain still."
It spoke with a vaguely oriental accent, which he found quite pleasing. He swam toward it. Before long, his hands touched a sandy bottom sloping up from beneath him, leading to the beach on which the dragon sat.
"I am glad you did not fall into my drinking water." It said with a trace of amusement in its voice.
He put his feet down on the sand and began to wade ashore. He stopped about knee deep, not because he didn't want to leave the water, but because the dragon filled his field of vision. It was rich gold in color and had a body that seemed more serpentine than lizard-like. There were no wings that he could see, even looking down the entire length of it body to the tip of its long tail. But what he mostly looked at now was its face. Its eyes were bright yellow in color, with slitted pupils, like a cat's. From its lips dangled fleshy tendrils that reminded him of the whiskers on a catfish. The number and shape of its barbels gave the impression of a mustache and a pointed goatee.
He kept coming back to its eyes. Despite their alien appearance, he sensed behind them a very real concern for... himself? He realized it was looking at him as intently as he was looking at it. He dropped his own eyes to the water lapping at his sodden jeans.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I was staring."
"You have caused me no harm." It said. "I suspect that you have never seen another dragon."
An impulse to please this creature, to acknowledge its majesty and beauty suddenly struck him with a near-physical force, taking his breath away. He sank to his knees and looked back up to it. It regarded him with wise eyes, remaining silent.
"Your Grace, my name is Jasper." The boy said when he could speak again.
"Jasper is a good name." It said, leaning closer. "How did you know to address me as 'Your Grace'?"
"I didn't actually know." he said, looking down again, "What should I call you?"
"The term 'Your Grace' is accurate," it said, "as is your use of the word 'Sir', but they are far too formal for the way that I want to know you. You may call me 'William' for now."
He looked up, somehow thrilled that the dragon wanted to know him better. He met the dragon's gaze for a moment and the huge creature's eyes seemed to sparkle. Then it settled right down onto the sand, chin resting on one forepaw.
"I hope, sir, that I'm not a dinner guest." Jasper said.
The dragon looked at the boy for a long moment, before his lips curled into a... smile?
"I make it a point not to eat creatures that have a sense of humor." he said, "furthermore; you would hardly constitute 'dinner' for me, you would barely make one bite."
It was the boy's turn to laugh, albeit nervously, at the dragon's words.
"Why am I here then?" Jasper asked.
I have summoned you. More properly, I have 'called across the Infinities', to you to be my familiar." William said.
"I don't remember answering a call." Jasper said.
"You would not have heard it on a conscious level." William said, "But let me ask you this: Do you want to go back?"
"No thank you, sir!" Jasper blurted out, with a vehemence that surprised him.
"It is as I hoped." William said. "Now since you will be staying, will you please come in closer? You look a bit pitiful kneeling there in the water."
Jasper stood and waded nearer the dragon, noting oddly the gritty pleasure of his toes pressing into the sand. Choosing a position off-center of William's nose he stopped and waited.
"I have asked twice already, and received only a partial answer so far;" William said, "though you were obviously distracted both times previously."
"I'm not sure what question you mean." Jasper said.
"What sort of dragon are you?" William asked.
"Hunh?" Jasper said, blinking in surprise, "Oh... When I yelled 'A dragon!' a few minutes ago, I wasn't answering your question."
Opening his arms in a broad shrug, Jasper turned around once where he stood.
"I'm just a boy, a human boy, a wet human boy." He said.
"Do you know your parents?" William asked.
"No, sir," Jasper said, "I've been in foster care my whole life."
"And how long is that?" William continued his interrogation.
"Nine years and a few months." Jasper said.
"It is unfortunate that you were left so long trapped in one form, not your true form at that." William said.
The dragon moved his taloned paw from beneath his chin and shifted. Moving his balance backwards a bit, he brought both forelegs beneath him and rested his weight on his elbows. Jasper resisted the impulse to flee, instead waiting to learn William's intentions.
"Is there no aspect of your being that has hinted to you, through the years, that you are more than human;" William asked, "no little thing that has let you know you are different?
Jasper blushed furiously and brought his arms forward, crossing his hands in front of himself, below the level of his waist.
"How did you know?" The boy asked, looking at the sand before him.
"What do I know?" William said with encouragement in his voice.
"I never thought it made me better than anyone else, only some kind of freak." Jasper said.
"How are you different from other human boys, even wet ones?" William asked.
Despite his embarrassment, the boy giggled.
"It's... down there." He pointed at his crotch. "I'm forked."
William nodded sagely. "Though you speak vaguely, I know what you mean."
The dragon paused a moment.
"Look at me, Jasper." He said.
The boy looked up, meeting the gaze of the huge creature before him.
"So am I." William said.
Jasper stood silently, stunned. William smiled at him, waiting for the boy to speak.
"Can I see it?" Jasper finally asked.
A rumble of laughter escaped the dragon.
"What is it about boy cubs and genitalia?" William said. "You all seem to have an obsession with comparisons."
"Is that a yes?" Jasper asked.
"I promise, young champion of curiosity, that you will eventually see all of me. But for right now, I have other plans for you." William said. "I need for you to remove all of your clothing."
Jasper began unbuttoning his shirt.
"If you wanted me to show you mine first, all you had to do was say so." Jasper said.
"While I am interested in seeing how you are endowed, that is not the reason I have asked you to disrobe." William said. "My actual purpose is to use a spell on you to release your true draconic form."
"And for that I have to be naked?" Jasper said as he struggled to get out of his wet jeans.
"Technically, no," William said, "but I suspect your draconic form is larger than the form you are using presently."
"So my clothes would get shredded." Jasper concluded.
"That would be the best that could be hoped for." William said. "In fact, you might be injured while morphing if the process were impeded by restrictive clothing."
Now attired only in a damp pair of white cotton briefs, Jasper shivered as he stood before the dragon.
"Are you cold?" William asked.
"A little, I guess." the boy said "Mostly I'm nervous, and kind of excited."
"All of those feelings are understandable." William said. "I can dry you quite easily, if that will make you more comfortable."
"It couldn't hurt." Jasper said.
Taking a deep breath and pursing his lips, William let forth a long, gentle, steady breath of heated air. Jasper experienced the gentle breath as a 30 mile per hour gust of hot air.
"What do you use for mouthwash?" Jasper asked.
William cocked an eyebrow, but continued breathing.
"Your breath smells like incense," Jasper said, "I'm not sure what the name is... something that starts with an 'S'... sandalwood or saffron, I think."
Jasper turned his back to the source of heat, and ran his fingers through his hair to expose more of it to the heat. Finally dry, he turned around again just as William emptied his lungs.
After a moment, William said "Is that better?"
"Yes, sir," Jasper replied, "thanks very much."
"It is the odor of saffron that you detect on my breath." William said. "I use no preparation to cause it, however. It is a personal characteristic; nothing more."
"When you change me into a dragon, will my breath smell like yours?" Jasper asked.
"I won't be 'changing' you into anything that you are not already," William said, "only releasing the form that is properly yours. As to your breath, though it won't necessarily be the same as mine, you may rest assured that your unique fragrance will be pleasing."
The boy nodded, gulped, and stripped off the last of his clothing.
"Will this hurt?" He asked.
William looked at the naked boy for a long moment.
"You are quite pleasing to my eye even in this shape." The dragon said. "I look forward to seeing your true form."
"That means it's going to hurt." Jasper said.
William shook his head and blinked.
"I was distracted by your appearance." William said. "If all goes according to plan, you will experience a very intense sensation of bodily awareness. If you do not let fear override reason, you will not experience the sensation as pain."
"So the more scared I am, the more likely this will hurt." Jasper said.
"Succinctly put." The Dragon agreed.
Jasper looked at the sand before him, took a deep breath, and then looked back up to the dragon.
"I'm ready." The boy said.
"Then you are brave as well as beautiful." The dragon said.
William positioned his forepaws before himself, one palm up, the other palm down.
"I must touch both ends of your spine, Jasper." The Dragon said. "Please place yourself between the talons of my two forepaws.
Jasper walked forward, noting again the immense lethality implied by the size and shape of the dragon's claws. Putting down a surge of panic, he placed his tail-bone against the extended claw offered by the paw William had turned palm up. The dragon brought one claw of the other paw in closer proximity, and Jasper guided that one to a position at the base of his skull.
"Is this right?" Jasper asked.
"Perfect." William said. "Now relax, and remember: fear is your enemy here."
With that, the dragon closed his eyes for a moment to gather his energy. When he re-opened his eyes, Jasper could see a red-gold glow within them. Then the dragon released the force he had prepared.
Eyes and mouth thrown wide, the boy gasped as eldritch energy coursed through his body.
"Hmmm..." William muttered. "This is NOT going as I planned."