The Wyrm's Curse Ch. 04

Kara wrenched her knife free from the wall and drummed on the door with the butt end.

"Mirielle Alexis Collessa, open the door you poxy, wine-swilling whore!"

She was sure Mirielle was standing on the other side of the door, making Kara wait for her amusement. While she waited outside on the raised front deck, Kara tried to ignore the welcoming committee.

For all appearances, the welcoming committee consisted of two average size goblins, one perched on a railing on either side of her. This put the short greenish fellows at an unfortunate height. Unfortunate for Kara, due to their lack of clothing and humongously oversized genitals. Just now the one on her right was setting up a merry, aimless melody on a stubby set of pipes. Both of them promptly broke into jigging, gyrating dance, setting their long, flaccid goblinhoods to flopping.

When Kara had first mounted the steps and ascended to the deck the goblins had suddenly hopped down from the lip of the roof to land on the railings. Reacting reflexively she had drawn and pitched one of her knives at the one on the left, then drawn two more and was about to engage the second potential threat when she realized the first hadn't gone down. She had stood squinting back and forth between the two for a long moment before it all came together. Two goblins hopping down from the roof to jump her was very unlikely. Kara put together the fact she hadn't missed after all, but that her knife had gone right through, with the fact that the goblin who had a cock that size had to be rarer than hen's teeth. So, Miri was having fun with her.

Finally there was a creaking and the door swung slowly inward. Seeing no one in the doorway, Kara hefted her seabag and stepped in.

"Oh, very dramatic Miri." she muttered.

The pipe playing behind her ceased abruptly. A figure hobbled from behind the door supported by a knotty pinewood staff. It's features were hidden beneath a ragged, shapeless black cloak.

"What do you seek?" The faint, rasping voice came slowly, stretching the words.

Kara set her bag down against the wall and closed the door behind her. Ignoring the cronish figure, she gazed around the room. Seeing it almost completely unchanged since her last visit brought on a brief wave of nostalgia. The great stone fireplace with the scarred shield Mirielle's father had carried hung over the mantle. The low, wide oak table surrounded by huge pillowy cushions in the fashion of the far off desert tribes. Kara walked over to run a hand over the Chess board carved into the center of the tabletop.

When she turned back Mirielle had set aside the cloak and staff. She was standing up straight now. Kara saw that she seemed not to have aged a bit. Not that either of them was old. Still, Kara enjoyed a measure of prolonged youth and slowed aging due to her half elven heritage. She assumed Miri was managing more or less the same effect through her magic because, if anything, her old friend looked younger than she had the last time Kara had seen her.

They stood looking each other over in silence. Miri was a few inches taller than Kara, slim and long of leg. Straight black hair was pulled back into a thick braid that hung to the middle of her back. A few loose locks hung along her cheeks, framing a face picked out in fine, delicate features. Silver rimmed spectacles perched on her sharp little nose - an affectation, Kara was sure, but behind them were the same lively, intelligent hazel eyes she remembered. Mirielle was a bit on the pale side, but Kara supposed that came with spending overmuch time studying spellbooks and brewing elixirs or whatever exactly it was that mages did to further their craft.

Mirielle's faded blue dress rustled when she shifted to strike a haughty pose, hands on hips.

"And pray tell, who do you think you're calling a poxy whore?" she posed, tipping her chin down to regard Kara over the tops of her spectacles.

"Oh, did you find a cure for that in one of your books?" Kara replied.

Miri tried not to smile and failed. Without another word she strode forward to embrace Kara. It had been some time since hugs had been a normal part of Kara's life, but after a moments awkward hesitation she relaxed and squeezed Miri tight.

"Oof," still smiling, Mirielle drew back to tap the handle of one of Kara's knives, "You've got more knobs here than a mating hydra."

Kara gave a weak laugh.

Indeed. Remember you were smiling when you said that.

"Are you well? What brings you out this way?" Miri bustled off to the kitchen, still talking as she went. "Sit down and stay a bit. Would you like some tea?"

Kara raised her eyebrows, shrugged, and seated herself on a velvety crimson cushion.

"I'm well enough, but I'm afraid this isn't an idle visit. Tea would be fine... if you don't have anything stronger."

While moving about the kitchen preparing drinks Mirielle kept up a seemingly endless stream of questions and comments. Another thing about practicing magic and keeping yourself mostly to yourself - you didn't get a lot of chance for conversation. Not with other people at any rate. Kara noticed that aside from taking verbal advantage of the company, Miri had developed the habit of talking to herself.

When Miri returned from the kitchen she set a wooden serving tray on the table and sat on a cushion opposite Kara. There were two clay mugs of pine needle tea with honey and cinnamon as well as two pint-size bottles wrought of blue glass. The bottles were short and round, their corks dribbled with sealing wax. Miri set one of the mugs before Kara then applied a corkscrew to a cork and set the opened bottle next to Kara's mug.

"Tea ... and something stronger." she announced merrily.

They sipped their tea.

"You don't treat everyone to the same welcome I got?" Kara asked, consciously putting off bringing up the reason for her visit.

"The illusions? Oh, no, I only lavish such special attention on old friends and tax collectors. Normally I go with a pair of big, armored halberdiers. You got a treat actually. I only just recently learned to add sound to my illusions. Can't manage much yet, hence the redundant tunes on the pipes, but it's a start."

"Well, you've certainly gotten the hang of green cocks, so to speak." Kara replied wryly.

Miri smiled into her tea. Kara decided to go ahead and lay her cards on the table. But first, 'something stronger'. She lifted the blue glass bottle and peered curiously at the contents. Whatever it was, it looked a reddish brown and thick. She frowned, shrugged.

"Here's blood in your eye." she said under her breath.

With half the bottle down she barely managed to set it back on the table and finish swallowing without spilling or spitting any of the mystery drink. She coughed convulsively, sputtered and wiped at her watering eyes. It was thick. Terribly potent, heavily sugared - possibly with honey, enough cinnamon that Kara expected to breath fire and enough anis that it would be clearing her sinuses if the alcohol fumes hadn't already taken care of that. When she could breath more or less normally, Kara drank down most of her tea.

"Gods, Miri, what in the frozen Hell is that?" she asked, still blinking tears from the corners of her eyes.

Miri's eyes had gone wide and her mouth dropped open when Kara had incautiously tipped the bottle up.

"Oh... oh dear. I didn't think you would try to drink it all at once. It's really meant to be watered down when you serve it. I thought... I thought you could try a bit and follow it with tea. Are you alright? You should probably drink more tea. I don't think that was enough to cause serious poisoning, but you should really probably drink more tea. You can sleep in my bed and I'll just fetch a quilt and sleep in here."

"Why would I sleep in your bed? There are still inns in Tollenville, yes?" Kara asked before Miri could continue.

"Ah, well um, it might have been difficult to tell just how strong that was, what with the cinnamon and -"

"And the anis. Aye, well, in fact it felt plenty strong anyhow." Kara cut in.

Miri tipped her head back to look down her little nose at Kara.

"Yes, well, you'll be quite drunk very shortly."

Kara half expected her to finish with 'so there.' She refrained from coming up with a retort and instead finished her mug of tea. She was beginning to feel the mystery drink take effect already. She fixed Miri with a withering look and held her mug out.

"More tea."

While Mirielle retrieved the pitcher of tea from the kitchen Kara untied a pouch from her belt and opened it. She tipped it up and shook the contents out on the table. The coins that toppled out she returned to the pouch, leaving only the little copper scroll. When Miri returned Kara waited for her to set down the pitcher and her refilled mug. Once she was seated Kara held the scroll out to her.

"Let's see if your bookwormery can actually be put to good use. What do you make of this?"

Miri hesitated when she touched it, surprised to discover it really was copper. She unrolled it and held it up mere inches from her face. At length she spoke without lowering it.

"Well, there is one thing you might not have noticed."

"Yes?"

"It appears to be made of copper."

Kara sighed. Her mental clarity was going fuzzy around the edges. Miri was right – she'd be tipsy in short order. The prospect of trying to explain her predicament while slurring her words was not an appealing one. In that case Miri would doubtless think it a joke.

"Similar to old dwarvish runescript. Not something I can translate. Why? Where'd you find it? If I had some idea what you were looking for I might be more help." Miri continued.

"Mirielle."

"Hmm?"

"Look at me. Please. Pay attention and save the jokes - preferably until I'm not present. I want to try to explain while I can still speak properly."

So Kara told a somewhat abridged version of the events of the trip to the Ironflank Mountains, the empty dwarven halls, the dragon 'Copper.' Despite her long friendship with Miri, and the increasing effects of her intoxication, her gaze drifted down to the tabletop or her mug of tea during the more bizarre and personal bits. There was a brief unintentional intermission after her murder of Collen something-or-other due to Kara hurriedly vacating through the front door to vomit over the railing of the deck. Aside from insisting that Kara swallow down a thick, chalky mixture which was supposed to help settle her stomach, Miri was quiet and attentive throughout.

By the time Kara had finished her story she was laying on her side, speaking in a bleary mumble, clearly fighting to remember what she was talking about. Miri had lit a few candles with one of her homemade matches. Dusk was turning to night outside. Crickets and miller beetles were making their music. Fireflies drifted in and out of view outside the windows.

Mirielle pondered for a bit. When she looked at Kara next the poor drunk lass had passed out curled up on the floor against the red cushion she had earlier been sitting on. Miri tapped her mug on the tabletop.

"Hey!"

Kara's head jerked up, but her eyelids only made it up to half-mast.

"Humm? Hell?" she grumbled.

"You can't sleep there. You'll be needing a double dose of my hangover cure tomorrow as it is. The last thing you want is a stiff neck from sleeping like that and bruised ribs from laying on all those knife handles. Come on. You'll sleep in my bed. There's plenty of room."

Miri carried on speaking while half leading - half carrying Kara back to her bedroom, despite Kara's insensate, grumbling responses.

"Let's get you out of some of this leather. And the socks. You'll end up with swampfoot otherwise, and then I'll have to buy some more brimstone to make a batch of Seg's Foot Powder, which you wouldn't apply as prescribed."

Kara's attempts at helping Miri get her undressed and into bed only served to slow the process. Miri kept up a rambling monologue, patiently working around Kara's unbalanced movements. When Kara was sitting on the bed wearing only the linen wrap binding her breasts and her tights, Miri's genuine curiosity, more than any prurient impulse, goaded her to continue. Besides, it was Kara. It wasn't as if they hadn't enjoyed a good many nights together in this same bed back when Kara was staying in Tollenville.

Aside from a couple scars that Miri didn't remember, Kara's naked body was as lovely and tantalizing as the last time she saw it. What with the drunkenness and vomiting, Miri wasn't as tempted as she might have been, but she did take a good look to satisfy her curiosity. No, no extra bits. Well, Kara had said that it came and went, so to speak. They could discuss it in the morning.

Miri tended to prefer sleeping nude. As she recalled, it was a preference Kara shared, but just in case Miri found a short tunic for her. It was just long enough to leave Kara a bit of modesty, assuming she didn't move too much.

With Kara tucked into bed, Miri padded back out to pick up their dishes. Having forgone dinner she was feeling peckish. A piece of soft sourdough bread with a sliver of herb stuffed goat cheese went down well with half a glass of cold milk from her 'cold chest.' Miri reflected that the enchantment keeping the inside of the chest almost cold enough to freeze water was, in hindsight, definitely one of her better choices.

Happily sated, Miri blew out the candles and made her way back to join Kara in bed.

Miri finished the last bite of her breakfast of ham and cheese while running a finger along the text she was reading. The old tome in front of her was titled 'Magick & Heretic Belief of the Lower Races,' written by one 'Evelard Mockin II, Scientist, Researcher and Scribe of the Holy Church by appointment by Archbishop Halliot.' The passage she was reading described the Shamanistic practices of goblin 'witch doctors.' Miri suspected that most of it was conjecture or pure fabrication, but it made for entertaining reading.

A faint moaning from the bedroom drew her attention from the reading. Smiling to herself, she marked the page with a frayed strip of blue linen and closed the heavy book. Rising and moving around the table, Miri took the clay bottle she had earlier prepared from the shelf over the washbasin.

"Coming." she called as she started down the hall.

Kara was sitting up in bed, the heels of her palms pressed over her eyes.

"Here, drink this. I'd suggest all at once."

Kara lowered a hand to open one eye a crack. She stared for several seconds. Miri loomed, wearing a brick red tunic belted over crimson leggings and proferring a small clay bottle.

"What is it?"

"Sailor's Succor – my hangover cure. Come now, drink." Mirielle's voice grew stern, as if Kara were a recalcitrant child refusing medicine.

Kara wrinkled her nose, but took the bottle and tipped it up.

"Ughh! That's almost as bad as the liquor was." Kara complained, handing the empty bottle back.

"Yes, well, it works. Now, what would you like to break your fast on? It'll be lunch at this point. After breakfast we can visit a friend of mine at the library who might be able to help with the scroll."

To her pleasant surprise, the pain in Kara's head, punctuated with each beat of her heart, was already diminishing. She noted the sunlight filtering through the thin curtains.

"All right, it works. I still don't think -"

"Believe me, when it kicks in you'll develop an appetite. I'll make a hash." Miri interrupted before leaving the room again.

When Kara emerged from the hallway a few minutes later it was with a much clearer head and settled stomach. In fact, she felt like she had been chewing on ginseng. She was flush with a growing warmth and energy. Maybe she would eat something after all. Right after she had a word...

"Mirielle, dear, why am I naked?" she affected a sarcastically pleasant tone, stepping over to speak quietly in Miri's ear.

"You're not – you're wearing one of my old tunics. And don't you usually sleep naked?"

Kara moved in against Miri's back, putting her hands on her friend's hips, and stood on tiptoes to look over her shoulder. The smell of the sizzling ham and potato hash already wafted about the room pleasantly. This close, Kara breathed in the lavender and rosewater scent of Miri's hair as well.

"Yes, but your old tunic falls barely below my naval," she exaggerated slightly, "and where are my knives?"

"It's no wonder you never settled down with a man. Always more interested in playing with your knives." Miri rolled her eyes.

Her words were wasted, kara's attention having strayed. Hardly conscious of what she was doing, eyes closing, Kara nuzzled her face against Miri's neck, inhaling deeply. Her hands slid forward to form an embrace from behind.

"Oh," Miri gently pushed herself back against Kara, smiling, "changed your mind about the knives?"

Kara paused, eyes still closed, lips parted, in preparation for what she wasn't sure. What was she doing? In a few minutes she had gone from a hangover to hungry to... Could this be another side effect of the Wyrm's curse?

Kara deliberately moved her face away and started to draw back, but Miri took hold of her wrists.

"Don't panic. You're not losing your mind. Please don't be angry, but I um, I might have put a little something extra in your hangover drought. After your story I was curious and..."

Kara blinked, trying to process what was being said while fighting the urges growing along with the heat inside her. Her nipples were hard against Miri's back and her sex was beginning to throb.

"You poisoned me?"

"I – well, technically you could say that. It'll wear off in a while." Miri released Kara long enough to move the griddle of food off the hot stove then turned about to face her. "I know we haven't been together like this in a long time, but there's no harm in a little experimental research, hmm?"

Kara hadn't moved except to press a hand to herself low on her tummy where the heat was now accompanied by a sense of building pressure. Miri moved in this time, sliding a hand up along the back of Kara's neck into her hair.

"Here, let me apologize." she whispered.

The softness of the kiss only served to fuel the impatience of Kara's lust. She held her breath as Miri lingered, drawing out that first gentle contact. When Miri drew back to set aside her spectacles, Kara took a deep, trembling breath. Miri looked her in the eyes, smiling in anticipation.

Her smile disappeared when Kara lurched and doubled up, clutching her stomach. She started to bend down to try to help, afraid Kara was having an unforeseen reaction to the aphrodisiac-laced concoction, but Kara was already straightening up. Kara steadied herself against Miri.

"Well, it wasn't as bad as last time I was awake for it." she said, half to herself.

"You're all right? Wha-?" Mirielle began, concerned.

Kara tried not to blush on top of everything else. She stepped back and wiggled her hips. Miri's questions stopped abruptly when her eyes caught the tented spot in the tunic above Kara's crotch sliding about to the motion of her hips. Kara felt a certain satisfaction in seeing her old friend's reaction. It wasn't often Mirielle was rendered speechless.

"Oh... my..." Miri eventually murmured.

Glancing between Kara's face and the hovering hem of her borrowed tunic, Miri tentatively moved to kneel in front of Kara. Watching her reach up, Kara felt herself shiver in anticipation. Muscles down below her tummy twitched.

Miri flinched when Kara's erection jumped. There was a moment of silence before the two simultaneously burst into nervous laughter. When their laughter had subsided, Kara took a deep breath and pulled the tunic up and off.

"Oh..." was all Miri managed this time.

Kara swallowed and concentrated on speaking despite the aphrodisiac's rapidly growing control.