I Ain't Actually All That And A Side Of Biscuits, YET, But Luck Is Still With Me...

The Dragoness gets back up, but her eyes show a very different gleam now... This is when she proves that no matter if you are an over trained American Teenager or a veteran Monster Tamer from The Norical Imperial Republic, getting arrogant might get you killed.

"Shibless, Chizrich, Slirmach!" She hisses and I feel a RUSH of Mana race out of the ley-lines and nodes to form a vortex of combos and spell chains! Suddenly my **** barrier is shattering like a Christmas ornament under a hobnailed boot, my telekinetic fist has turned against me, flying back and grabbing me as though I were an action figure in the hands of an over-enthusiastic child...

"Thou'art bold, but foolish; little mage!" The Dragoness hisses at me in the common tongue. "Now, I could kill thee QUICKLY; but I think it would be far better to consume thy flesh slowly while I **** thine little Orcish slut to watch! Then I'll send her back to her village to tell everyone that the sorcerer they called to 'save' them from paying my tribute is dead and they have **** but to be obedient..." She sneers. My lungs have no breath to scream, my struggling is futile... As she has the **** hand pull free one arm, she leans down to bite off my pinky finger...

This is her big mistake.

The moment her teeth break my skin and her flickering tongue tastes my blood I feel a strange connection with her, through that newfound mental link she howls in frustration! On the verge of blacking out from lack of oxygen I think [[I need air!]], whereupon the bands of **** crushing my chest slacken and I fall to the ground, gasping.

[[What is thy bidding, Mistress?]] The Dragoness thinks into my mind, but I just lay there breathing great wracking draughts of the pure air of the forest...

As soon as I can think straight again I say "You can hear me think?"

[[I can, and vice-versa.]] Comes the reply.

[[Then fill me in on what's going on right now?]] I think back.

[[Thou hast most cunningly played me for a fool. Thou didst bring none of thy monsters, and attacked most in cautiously like a powerful but arrogant Sorceress, when in truth thou art a Monster Tammer. When I tasted thy blood I was well and justly caught and bound to thy service, now I must serve at thy whim for the next year-and-a-day unless thou canst convince me to bind myself to thy household for the rest of thy days, which wouldst be hot ice and wondrous strange snow...]] The Dragoness explains mentally.

[[What's your name? I like to be on a first name basis with my partners.]] I think to her, and she cocks one mental eyebrow.

[[Thou may know me as Cindra: and why dost thou reference me as though I were a queen?]] The Dragoness thinks back. I sense she isn't telling me everything, but I let it slide for now, there will be time to probe later...