The Desert Heat (Sharonna's Story)

I tumbled out of the portal end over end and landed on my back in burning hot sand. At least it was soft, but not quite soft enough. I twisted my ankle in the landing and nearly dislocated my arm that was holding my spear. Altogether it took a moment for me to get back to my feet.

Then shadowy tendrils of dark magic emerged from the portal, and two demons with maces and tusks like wild boar ran out. I held my spear back, then with a twirl summoned a magical whirlwind which engulfed the two demons in a dust devil. I charged forward, tackled one to the ground and drove my spear through its back and stabbed the other through the neck.

Caustic, sickly-purple blood gushed from the two demons, and they burnt up into reeking, smoldering piles of ash. Nothing more came out of that first portal, but from my vantage point atop a high dune, I saw a dozen more open within a mile of me. Something dark and malicious clamored out of each one.

"This is going to be a very long day," I said. Then I looked around. And looked around. And looked around some more, but there was nothing except barren desert as far as I could see. For a second, I panicked. I had no idea where I was, but before mind numbing fear could set in, I calmed myself and said a prayer for guidance.

"Give me anything to guide me out of here," I said. Then on a whim, I looked to the east, at least I thought it was east given the position of the sun. There, at the very edge of the horizon was a nearly imperceptible column of smoke.

"The only things out here that burn are probably artificial," I said. It was the best sign I would get, so I set off into the blistering sun.

More demons attacked throughout the day, and my trek turned into a rolling skirmish atop the dunes. Some dove out of the sky, others tried to crawl up the sides, and all of them fell to my magic and my spear. By the time the smoke was just over the next dune, I was exhausted and deathly thirsty.

Finally, I crested the dune and my lungs felt like they were on fire. Far below a lone warrior held off a trio of encroaching demons. Before I could run in to help, one of the creatures tricked the warrior into swinging their sword too soon, which left them open for the other two demons. I ran down the sand, but the fighter was dead before I got there. The smoke was rising from a burning tent and two women huddled inside the flames. I feared the worst for them, but there were still demons to take care of. I whispered an incantation, and then I was surrounded by mystic, ethereal armor that seemed to be made of light. A blade of similar magic grew out of the tip of my spear and it transformed into a glowing glaive.

"HELLSPAWN!" I shouted, "YOU WILL NOT HARM THE INNOCENT!"

Then I threw the glaive at the nearest demon like a javelin. My aim was true and struck the creature in its stomach and the others separated to divide my attention. I pulled my weapon out of the demon's smoldering carcass and blocked with the haft of the glaive, stunned it with a pommel strike, then cleaved its arm at the shoulder. It roared in pain and terror just as the second demon attacked me from behind. I rolled out of its reach and swept my weapon in a wide arc, knocking it off its feet. I lunged and drove the blade right through it into the ground. Then the first one grabbed its disembodied arm and swung it like a club. I threw up a shield ward just in time, batted it to the side using its own momentum, then struck it in the stomach with a magically infused kick. The hit sent it flying into the side of the dune, and I yanked my spear out of the other fallen demon, aimed, then fired the ethereal blade like an arrow.

Just as before, the demons smoldered into piles of rancid ash which blew away in the blistering wind. Using my magic had really taken a lot out of me though, so I had to lean on my spear to avoid falling over, and my summoned armor faded.

"It's the goddess Kassia!" one of the women said.

"That's not the goddess, look at her," the other said, "She's human." Then I remembered the other two, the women who I thought were burning in the flames. Now I realized not only were they alright, but they weren't even human.

One of them was very thin with emerald green skin, two long horns like an antelope, and her hands ended in three claws. I also noticed her tail from which had a row of spines near the base but ended before they reached the tip. The other girl possessed a much more human skin tone, a dark olive color like people from the south, except her bare shoulders were covered in fine scales. Her body also had more generous curves, her horns were shorter and more jagged, and her tail had a long vertical fin all along its length.

"Sindarans? Oh gods," I said, this was just about the last thing I expected today, "There's nothing more to fear, ladies. I am Paladin Sharonna, I'm here to protect you."

"I am Franya," the green one said, "And this is my harem sister, Iman." I nodded to them each in turn.

"How were you able to cast magic?" Iman asked, "Humans can't use magic on this world."

"I may be human but my magic isn't," I said as a demonic wail echoed through the dunes. The two half-dragons held each other tight and I gripped my spear tightly while anticipating another attack.

"If we stay out here the demons will swarm us," I said, "We need to find shelter."

Franya looked at the burning remains of their tent and said, "That was it."

"What is the fastest route back to civilization?" I asked and Iman pointed towards the mountains.

"Then follow me," I said.

"In this heat we'll never make it!" Franya said as another demon wailed somewhere in the desert.

"We don't have a choice," I said, "The dunes will protect us if we keep low and stick to the shade. I'll use my magic however I can to protect us from the heat."

If thirst doesn't kill me first, I thought.

Before we set out, Iman ran up to the fallen warrior, but it was far too late. The young Sindaran girl sighed and removed the dead woman's helmet, placed it on the fallen warrior's chest, then folded her cold hands across it.

"Who was she?" I asked.

"Her name was Mantle," Iman said, "She served and protected my family for years."

"I'm sorry," I said, "Were you close?"

"No, but she defended us to the very end," Iman said. Next she whispered a prayer in draconic then took the fallen sword.

"She was a foreigner to these lands," Iman explained, "Her people have a custom that their weapons should be returned to their next of kin. She can't use it anyway."

"Neither can you," Franya finally said.

"Ladies, we need to move," I said.

"Right," the young women said. We went slowly to avoid overexerting ourselves in the heat. We stuck to the shade of the dunes wherever possible, but even in the shade it was sweltering hot. The worst part was that unlike my lover, Adiran, I had actually paid attention during lectures and knew that a day was considerably longer on this planet than on Cadionia. So, it wasn't about to improve any time soon.

I did what I could to keep myself cool, using my magic to remove the heat from the air immediately around me. This was a mixed blessing though, because using my magic tired me out quicker. On the other hand, while this gods-forsaken desert was harsh, it wasn't anything I hadn't experienced before either. I also offered my magic to the two half-dragon girls, but they insisted they were more acclimated to the heat than me, and I wasn't in the mood to disagree with that assessment right now.

Meanwhile my dragonblood was making my temper as hot as my surroundings, and I very much wanted to take it out on either the next demon I met, or on Adiran's cock. Wherever he was. However, I had enough self-control not to be too irritable towards my new travelling companions, even as they pelted me with question after question.

"How did you find us?" Franya asked.

"I followed the smoke from your tent," I said, "Ironically if it weren't for the demons, I wouldn't have found you, but if it weren't for the demons I wouldn't have needed to either. Fate is a double-edged sword."

"But what are you doing on Sindara?" Iman asked, "Wait, you're a paladin. Are you here to attack us?"

"Really, Iman?" Franya asked, "Then why would she be helping us now?"

"For all either of you know I could be leading you right to a battalion of battlemages," I joked, "Actually, I'm here completely by accident. One of my comrades caused a portal storm back on my world. I have no idea why that sent me to Sindara, but here I am."

"And the demons?" Franya asked.

"We were already fighting them when it happened," I said.

"You said there was someone else," Iman spoke up, "Where are they?"

"I have no idea," I said, and then the realization struck me. I really had no idea where they were, and it made me angry that I hadn't thought of it sooner. Then again, I had more pressing concerns like surviving a day in the desert on another planet.

"We were travelling to join a harem in another tribe," Franya said although I never asked, "We only set out two days ago."

"Just the three of you?" I asked, "Sounds dangerous."

"Well we hadn't planned on a demonic incursion," she said, "Besides, this region of the desert is a lot less hostile. The dunes are too shallow for sandspiders, and this isn't enemy territory. So, it should have been relatively safe."

"I see," I said, "Is it breeding season or something?"

"It's called a breeding cycle, and no it isn't," she continued, "It will be soon though. We were... exchanged to strengthen ties with the other tribe."

"Is that where we're going now?" I asked.

"Yes," they both said.

"Exchanged?" I asked.

"Harems trade women periodically for various reasons," Iman explained, "Another tribe desired us for our skills, so it was our duty to strengthen our relations with them."

"Your duty?" I asked, "Were given a choice in this exchange?"

"Don't insult us, Sharonna," Franya said, "We aren't slaves. No woman can be to join a harem, but it comes with some expectations."

"Alright, I'm sorry," I said, "But what did your tribe get out of the exchange?"

"Two women with skills equal to our own," Iman said, "I'm a healer and Franya knows seven languages."

"Nine languages," the other woman corrected her.

"Wow," I said somewhat insincerely. I didn't mean to be rude, but I was in a very bad mood. A very draconic mood. "Is that all you do?"

"Well, I'm also a poet," Franya said.

"And we both dance," Iman said.

"Dancers, and a poet," I whispered, "So you're both useless..."

"What?" Iman asked, "Sorry, paladin, but not everyone can use a spear and magic like you can?"

"How many languages do you know anyway?" Franya asked.

"Forget I- just forget I-" I gasped. It was now high noon, and I was parched of thirst, dangerously so, and there was no sign of water. My magic was faltering, and I was having trouble walking let alone standing up. Eventually my body had enough and I collapsed in the sand.

"Franya," Iman said, "I'll take care of her, get up to the top of that dune, look for any sign of water."

"I'll be right back," Franya said.

"I understand that a warrior like you doesn't think too highly of our skills," Iman said, "Allow me to change your mind." Then she whispered an incantation and laid her hands on my breasts.

"So soft," I barely heard her whisper and I looked at her quizzically. She kept chanting though, and while I didn't recognize the language, I thought I understood what she was doing. There were a few scattered patches of grass nearby, protected by the shade of the dune. While scraggly, they were still green, but then I watched them wither and die right before my eyes. Iman cupped her hands together and drew all the moisture out of the plants until her palms held a tiny pool of fresh water.

"Here," she lowered her hands to my lips and I felt the cool water trickle down my throat.

"Thank you," I said, "And I'm sorry. I had a very long and troublesome day. I shouldn't have taken in out on you."

"You're forgiven," she said then I saw her eyes wander over my body. I was fairly sure she had never seen a human being up close before, certainly not close enough to touch at any rate, so I didn't mind when she started touching me. Not at first, but then her hands started wandering near more intimate parts.

"What are you-" I asked and she quickly folded her hands in her lap.

"Iman!" Franya called, "Come see this!"

~

"Oh, thank the gods!" I cried when I saw it, "An oasis!" It had water, shade, and judging by the blooming cacti, even food. It wasn't close, but the water from Iman gave me life long enough to reach it.

Finally I kneeled in the shade at the water's edge and dipped my hands into the water with a satisfied sigh. I also splashed my face and then cupped my hands to drink. The water wasn't cool, but it was cooler than the desert and it felt like life itself as it poured down my sore, raspy throat. Franya and Iman joined me a moment later, and no one spoke as the three of us drank our fill.

Knowing we would survive now, I laid my cloak down in the shade to recover my strength after coming dangerously close to dying from dehydration. To my surprise, Franya and Iman started tearing off their clothes and they both jumped into the water.

"Oh that is divine!" Iman said before Franya playfully yanked her underwater. Then they surfaced again and laughed hysterically as they got into a splash fight while I watched them speechlessly. They moved like the very water they were playing in, effortlessly, and more fluid than any human I had ever seen. Their skin glistened in the sun and drew my eyes to their strong thighs, hips, and supple breasts.

I blushed and looked away before one of them caught me staring and I felt very hot again despite being in the shade. I thought I wasn't into women. Sure, I had been with another woman, one of Adiran's other lovers, but that was more like sharing him with her, and I had paid more attention to him the whole time. Maybe it was just seeing two women of another species for the first time, but these two grabbed my attention like no other women had before. Before I knew it, I started watching them again.

"Hey, I'm going to try and get some sleep," I said sheepishly.

"What?" Iman asked, "Oh alright."

"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Franya asked.

"Yeah yeah, I- I- I'm sure," I stuttered and myself to look away again. At any rate, it didn't take long to drift to sleep.

Unfortunately, I dreamt of demons. First, Franya was lying on the ground with one of the creatures looming over her. She screamed in abject horror as I approached the monster from behind and broke its neck in one fluid motion. Its body crumbled to dust and floated away into an alien sky.

When I looked down again, Franya was lying naked in front of me, staring into my eyes, and she motioned for me to come hither. I through off my cloak, ripped off my dress underneath, and approached the Sindaran girl with confidence. While I am a specimen of strength and beauty, in this dream I was even stronger than I was in real life, and I effortlessly lifted the half-dragon girl up by her thighs and devoured the most intimate part of her body. I never dreamt of making love to other women before now.

"Oh, Sharonna," she moaned and wrapped her legs around my neck and shoulders.

Before long a storm whipped up the sand around me. Franya was gone, and now I was the one on the ground, helpless as a huge demon of sand and fire emerged from the ground. I felt my body desiccating, and I screamed in anguish, but the creature wouldn't let me die. Then Iman stepped forward, brandishing the fallen warrior's sword in her hands, and sliced the demon into dozens of pieces which blew away in the wind.

When the monster was slain, Iman knelt beside me, held out her hands, and I drank from them until I felt not just rejuvenated. Then Iman placed a hand behind my head while we stared into each other's eyes. My breathing came heavy making my breasts hypnotically rise and fall. Iman smiled and wrapped her lips around one of my nipples. She tugged with her sharp teeth making me yelp more from pleasure than pain.

"So soft," she said again, but much more seductively than she had for real. Then we both leaned in and kissed passionately as more fresh water poured down my throat through her lips. When I had drank my fill, Iman turned to dust and was blown away.

I woke up and my fingers felt strangely moist. When I looked down, I realized my hand had slipped beneath my undergarments. Then it hit me that I had been pleasuring myself in my sleep, and I pulled my hand away from my hot slit, blushing again. When I looked around though, Iman and Franya weren't immediately visible. Their clothes were right where they left them though, so I knew that they hadn't just left me behind.

It was well into the evening now, and I was well rested but still weak from dehydration, so I approached the water again to drink. When I bent down, I looked around a bend in the shoreline and saw Franya's bright green tail dip beneath the water a short distance away.

I thought she whispered something like "Only you, Iman," and there was a gentle splash and a quiet moan. Now I was definitely curious, so I crawled forward while hiding in the reeds. When I peeked out, I clapped my hand over my mouth.

"Oh my," I gasped through my fingers.

Franya pulled Iman close, fondled the other woman's fuller breasts, and wrapped her lips around one of Iman's large nipples. Iman hissed and dipped her hand below the water. I couldn't see where it went, but I could guess when Franya started squirming and moaning into Iman's flesh. She came up and hungrily kissed Iman's glossy, brown lips, and then their tails rose out of the water a second later, intertwined and coiling like mating snakes.

I was utterly entranced watching Franya's slim but muscular limbs, and the soft quivering of Iman's tits and my pussy felt hot and damp. Without thinking, or just not caring, I slid my fingers into my undergarments again and gently dipped my finger inside my pussy. After a while, their tails uncoiled and dipped back under the water.

"Use your tail on me, Franya," Iman whispered and dove in for another long kiss. I still couldn't see what was happening under the water, but after that Iman almost screamed into her lover's mouth and raked her claws through Franya's deep purple hair. They came up for air a whole minute later, their long, forked tongues trailing behind and left a string of saliva between them. I had been trying very hard not to make a sound until now, but seeing this made me lose my concentration and I let out a tiny little moan. It was just enough for them to hear me, and they caught me red, sticky-handed.

"Sharonna," Iman said, "We didn't know you were awake."

"Did you enjoy that?" Franya asked huskily. I blushed and turned away.

"She did," she smiled and gave Iman a quick kiss then swam to the shoreline.

"Don't be shy now," she said, "You were so brave fighting the demons today."

"I'm not lacking for bravery or confidence," I said, "I just didn't expect this. I knew you were harem sisters, I didn't know you were lovers too." Iman swam up beside Franya and laid her cheek in her palm while taking me in.

"Intimacy and sex are facts of life in a harem," she explained, "and without any of the men awake right now, we find them with each other."

"I shouldn't have spied," I said, "I'll leave you two alone."

"Why?" Franya asked, "Actually, I had hoped you would find us."

"You did?" I asked and both of them nodded.

"You were so brave when we first met," Iman said, "I immediately grew to admire you, and that was before I realized how... intensely beautiful you were.

"Intense am I?" I said, "Well, you're not wrong."

"She is a beautiful woman, isn't she?" Franya said, "Are her breasts as divine as they look?"

"Even more," I said matter-of-factly.

People called me vain arrogant, cocky, and they were right. They were some of my less admirable traits caused by having a dragon soul, but I had a lot to be proud of regarding my body. I slipped out of my shirt letting my grand tits fall back down. Now it was the other girls' turn to admire my body just as I had theirs. I had the musculature of Franya, and the curves of Iman, a voluptuous hourglass figure, and tits that were far less heavy than they should have been for their size.

Admittedly, part of it was my magic. I'll let you in on a little secret, magic doesn't actually enhance natural beauty. High saturations of magic just create a glamor that affects the minds of those who witness it, making them think I'm even more attractive than I am. It's nothing I can control, but it makes men drool like dogs when they see me, so I can't complain. That said, I am still a paladin, a warrior. I earned this body through years of grueling, mind-breaking training. I was already practically a goddess by human standards, my magic just made everyone believe that.

I'm also not afraid to show it off to others. I twisted sideways flexing the muscles in my torso for them, then around so they could see my back and my firm but impressive ass. Then I stepped out of my lower garments and tossed them aside to flex my chiseled legs for them.

"See, I told you she was the goddess Kassia," Franya said as I laid down on my side and draped my hand over my shapely hip. Iman ran her hands over my hard thighs and abs while Franya moved up and fondled my tits.

"They're more than a handful aren't they," she giggled and they both looked me in the eyes.

"So," Iman said, "Would you like to join us now, Sharonna?"

While I was proud to show off my body, being intimate with just anyone was another matter. I still preferred men, actually I preferred Adiran. Though he had other lovers besides me, I accepted it on the condition that I too could sleep with other people, which he agreed to.

The thing was, I almost never followed up on it. Sure, I had slept with men other than him, but they rarely impressed me after the fact. Adiran had taken my virginity when we were both teenagers, so for some reason my inner dragon was very possessive of him. Maybe because to a dragon, he had been a thief who had taken my most precious treasure, or something. I don't know. We shared the same body, but the dragon and I weren't always of the same mind. Attractive men still excited me, but only rarely women like Franya and Iman. On the other hand, I am dragonblood after all, and here were two very attractive and lustful dragons who wanted to have sex with me. So, I smiled at them seductively and slipped into the water.

Once the initial wall was broken down, I took initiative almost immediately. As soon as I was in the water, I took Franya's hand and pulled her into my bosom, pressing my tits into her smooth, green flesh. Then I gently grabbed her chin and planted a hungry kiss on her full, purple lips while Iman pet my thighs and shoulders.

A moment later, I pulled away from Franya's kiss and directed her lips to my hard nipple which she nipped with her fangs. Then I turned to Iman and kissed her as well, moaning into each other's mouths. While I wrapped one hand around Franya's head and brushed my fingers over her long horns, Iman took my other hand and moved it to her hot, willing slit.

"Just so you know, Iman," you said, "The admiration is mutual."

"Oh really?" she asked.

"Yes," I breathed as her tail wrapped around my legs, "That was an impressive feat of magic, and I was wrong to underestimate you. You saved my life even after I was a bitch to you."

"Here's your chance to make up for it," Iman joked, "You know I wouldn't have left you to die."

"All the same..." I said then dipped under the water and kissed both of their pussies.

"Thank you," I finished after coming up for air.

"Get her!" Franya said playfully and they threw themselves at me.

"What are you- AAAAH!" I yelped as they pushed me back underwater. When I surfaced, Iman wrapped her arms and legs around my tight, muscular body and shoved her tongue down my throat. Meanwhile, Franya dove between my thighs and started thoroughly licking the inside of my cunt, her tongue was so long that I felt the tines of it tickling womb. I felt like I was melting and reached a powerful orgasm that made my whole body shake. I grabbed Franya's horns and greedily kept her down there until she had to pat the side of my hip to tell me she needed to surface for air.

She shot out of the water like a hungry crocodile and tackled me back under where we light-heartedly wrestled for dominance. Despite my own strength, she was much stronger than her wiry frame let on and we must have decided it was a draw when we both came back up for air. No sooner did I surface when Iman ripped my legs open and attacked my pussy just like Franya had and I moaned and laughed excitedly.

"Oh wow you're both very good at that!" I gasped, "Even better than-" Franya surprised me by wrapping her legs around my head and making me eat her, so I wrapped my arms around her waist and happily (if a bit unskillfully) devoured her hot, moist cunt.

"Hey, Franya," Iman said thick with lust, "Why don't you show her what you can do with that tail of yours?" Before I could ask, I felt the appendage tickling my pussy lips then it wormed its way inside like a pseudo-penis and I screamed with joy into Franya's legs.

"You're enjoying that, Sharonna?" she asked and I nodded enthusiastically.

"Unfortunately I can't do that with mine on account of my fin," Iman said.

It was a lot more flexible than a real cock, longer too, and reached places deep inside me that no penis could. On the other hand, there's just something about the folds and bumps of a nice cock that Franya's tail didn't have. Too streamlined, and too thin.

That's not to say I was at all disappointed. It felt just as incredible as a real cock. Franya had a lot more control over it, and a lot of experience too. Eventually the tip of her tail found the spot inside my pussy that drove me wild.

"OH GODS!" I screamed, "Right there don't stop!"

Iman embraced Franya from behind watching her tail-fuck me while greedily kissing her green neck. I came twice more then Franya and Iman switched places sitting on my face. Eventually we were all exhausted, but oh so satisfied, and decided it was time to crawl back onto land. None of us bothered to redress, opting to recline naked under a tree so we could admire each other's bodies and watch the sunset.

"That was incredible," I said.

"I'm glad," Iman said, "Have you done something like that before?"

"Not with another woman before, no," I said.

"Well, I think we can teach her a thing or two," Franya said, "What do you think, Iman?"

"I'm looking forward to it," Iman said

"I am too," I said, "Although I think it's only fair I teach you some things, since we'll be travelling together."

"This sounds like something other than sex," Iman said.

"Yeah well," I glanced at the fallen warrior, Mantle's sword and said, "I can show you how to use that, for one."

"It's not mine," she said.

"That doesn't mean you can't use it," I said then turned to Franya, "And perhaps I could teach you some magic, unless you would prefer swordplay."

"I know a couple spells," Franya said, "Mostly for retaining and transcribing information though. Some defensive magic would be a godsend out here and now."

"How long do you think you'll be here, Sharonna?" Iman asked as the sun dipped beneath the horizon.

"I don't know," I admitted, "Why do you ask?"

"Well since our retainer was killed, I don't expect us to leave your side until we get back to civilization," she explained, "After that, my family could use your talents. Would you consider staying if they hired you?"

"One thing at a time, please," I said, "Let's get out of this desert alive first. Speaking of which, I think it's best if we travel only at night for now, and look for shelter in the morning. The sun nearly killed me today and I'm not looking forward to it again."