Crystal Dragon (4 page)

A successful translation, I apprehend
. The Iloheen's thought pierced her like a blade of ice.

Yes, Edonai
, she sent humbly, and did not think of the twisting ley lines or of that instant of confusion, just before her barely controlled dash through the port...

But the Iloheen did not pursue any of those possible errors.
Why is it
, the question came instead,
that you did not allow your submissive the birth scream?

To admit that Rool Tiazan had been out of her control was to admit that she was unfit to undertake the work for which she had been created and trained.

To express an untruth to an Iloheen was—not quite unthinkable. They had drilled her well in deceit, that she would succeed in those things they would require of her.

There was an infinitesimal flutter at the edge of her perceptions. She ignored it and formed her response with care.

It was experiencing a great deal of confusion, Edonai. I judged the additional stress would do harm both to the vessel and the inhabitant.

She breathed, eyes on the slick tile floor, and awaited annihilation.

The judgment is not without precedent
, the Iloheen stated.

The Shadow passed. She was alone and alive, having lied to one of the Masters of Unmaking.

Not ...quite... alone.

Perceptions wide, she considered the submissive Rool Tiazan as he lay sweetly sleeping in his bonds.

The ley lines, she thought. The ley lines had shifted within the lesser aetherium at the moment she triggered the egress port to download her chosen
tumzaliat
. They had shifted again, just a moment ago, moving them to an all-but-unimaginable possibility where an Iloheen was fobbed off with a novice's lie.

You
. She formed the thought gently, without imperative—and was not ...entirely... surprised to see the delicate lashes flutter, and the fierce gaze seek hers.

I
. His thought was a ripple of cool greens.

You are no tumzaliat
, she said.

He did not reply. She tucked her hands into her sleeves, and formed a question.

Why did you manipulate the ley lines?

His eyes narrowed, but this time he answered:
Did you wish to be destroyed?

You manipulated the lines twice
, she pursued.

I did not wish to be destroyed.
He closed his eyes.

Rool Tiazan
, she sent, sharply.

No reply.

She probed and found only a blank wall of exhaustion, as if he truly slept now, on every level. As well he should—-
zaliata
,
tumzaliat
, or mere biologic.

Briefly, she looked to herself, sublimated toxins into sugars, and replenished depleted cells.

The needs of her envelope answered, she sank to her knees on the tile beside her submissive, transferred the possibly redundant communications module, and also the motor skills module, weaving them into the sleeping consciousness.

That done, she considered her situation.

Impossible though she knew it to be, yet it seemed clear that she had bound a
zaliata
to her poor vessel. Only a
zaliata
would have strength enough to manipulate the ley lines within the lesser aetherium, or the boldness to manipulate them in the very presence of an Iloheen. How it might have happened that a
zaliata
had come into the lesser aetherium was something to discover from Rool Tiazan.

Her best course from this unlikely event—that was less plain.

Once bound to the vessel, there was no release for the
tumzaliat
, save destruction. Perhaps a
zaliata
, with its greater abilities, might withstand the destruction of its vessel?

She accessed and reviewed all she had learned of the philosophy of
zaliata
, but did not find an answer. Very likely because no
zaliata
had ever been bound to a humble biologic vessel. It would be madness to limit it so; and the Iloheen who commanded the
zaliata
had other means to ensure obedience.

But, once tied to the vessel, might not even a
zaliata
be subject to domination?

There was a flicker at the edge of her perceptions. She caught at it, tasting enough of the pattern to understand that Rool Tiazan had attempted to manipulate the ley lines again.

You
, she sent sharply.
If you do not wish to be destroyed, have done. The Iloheen see all here. They will notice your attempts at the lines
.

Not before I am gone
.

I am your dominant and I forbid you to depart this place
, she replied, lacing her thought with compulsion.
The only pathway to your power now lies through me.

Silence. Perhaps he slept again. She—she composed herself, thoughts and energies furled close, and set herself to reviewing how best to enforce her dominion.

THE BIOLOGY TUTOR had taught that, though one would serve, several couplings following download would more rapidly strengthen the biological bonds between submissive and dominant.The philosophy tutor had suggested that simultaneous partaking of pleasure was itself a bond that would strengthen the
dramliza
unit in non-quantifiable, but subtly important, ways.

It was rare enough to find the two most influential tutors in agreement. And truly, she thought, it was her responsibility as dominant to insure that the
dramliza
unit was closely tied and functional.

Slowly, she allowed herself to emerge from the study-state, and opened her eyes. Rool Tiazan slumbered yet within the embrace of his restraints. She had formed his vessel in such a way that pleased her—and it pleased her greatly now, stretched taut against the tiles, the gold-colored dermis yet faintly glowing with the energies trapped within. Though it had been foretold by the biology tutor, she had found the birth coupling unexpectedly pleasurable, and gazing upon that which had been the instrument of such pleasure she experienced a shortness of breath, a tightening of the belly, a tingling....

She considered these conditions—biologic all, and found in them an irrefutable logic. The
tumzaliat
by entering the vessel prepared for it became a biologic entity. It was therefore reasonable and symmetrical that the stronger of the many ties which would bind it to its dominant would also be biologic. That it was pleasurable to forge those ties served to ensure that the work would be done.

Her envelope was clamoring now, as biologic memory fueled anticipation. The sensations were notable for their strength, and she thought to dominate them—then thought again.

She had downloaded not a mere
tumzaliat
, but a
zaliata
. Well to strengthen
all
those things that tied Rool Tiazan to her.

It occurred to her as she cast her robe aside that the Iloheen might well wish her not to bind a
zaliata
quite so closely to her will, but she barely heeded the thought over the clamor of biologic desire.

Envelope shivering under the continued onslaught, she reached forth her thought, stroked Rool Tiazan awake and ready, swung herself over his hips and—

Wait.

His thought—the cool and cooling ripple of greens, the edges showing the faintest shimmer of silvery fear.

It was his fear that pierced her, so that she withdrew somewhat from her rutting envelope and considered him.

Much has occurred
, she told him,
and you may not recall that you have experienced this act and found it gave pleasure.

I recall the act
. His thought rippled more quickly, not... quite so cool now.
Not the pleasure.

Allow me to remind you
. She breathed upon the appropriate systems—and saw his coolness shrivel in heat as the vessel strained against its bonds, hips yearning upward.

Withdrawing into her own envelope she opened herself and met him.

NO!

His thought was tumultuous, a hot chaos of fear, pleasure, loss, and desire. Smiling, she took it into herself, felt something new weave from their mingled essences, and recalled one crystalline moment—the
zaliata
dancing, mixing their energies—and then her pleasure spiked, sealing all thought away.

Why?

The thought was green and sharp, edged with some base emotion which eluded her naming. She raised herself onto an elbow and considered Rool Tiazan on every level accessible to her.

Physically, he lay yet within his restraints, his hair dark with sweat, his golden skin slick and damp. The dermis glowed, but palely, palely. Soon, it would cease to do so entirely, and the biologics would have won.

Upon the second plane, he was beautiful to behold, a subtle and coherent power, restrained by the chains of biology. Despite those chains, his essence extended well into the third level, half-a-dozen thin, mint-colored rays piercing even unto the fourth.

Returning to her envelope, she cleaned herself, sat up, called a robe, and, at last, met his eyes.

It is necessary in order to complete our bonding
, she answered calmly, for the philosophy teacher had been adamant—one's submissive must, as soon as its intelligence was recovered, be shown the facts of its new existence. It was then able to grasp the futility of rebellion and realize that its only recourse was submission to she who held dominion over his existence.

I do not wish to be bound.
His eyes were hot.

She lifted a shoulder.
It is not your wish that bears weight here, but mine.

A light ripple of gold and ebon—amusement, she thought. And despair.

I thought the proud Iloheen ruled here.

So they do
, she made answer.
I—and you—exist to do their work.

You, perhaps
, was his reply.
Not I.
He moved his head, insofar as the restraint would allow it, tried one arm against the bonds, then the other.

Release me.

It was not quite an order, not with that silver edging of fear. And, after all, there was no harm in allowing him so small a thing.

Of course.
She took care to thicken the air beneath his head, so that the vessel would not be damaged, then banished the restraints with a thought.

Freed, he lay on the cold tiles, eyes closed, then slowly bent his right elbow, and shifted his right arm, until his palm lay against his naked chest. He stroked his own dermis, and shivered.

Release me from this... object.

Your vessel. Your body
, she instructed him.
That is not possible.

His chest rose and fell.

I am limited by this encasement.
His thought was cool once more; detached alike from fear and from pleasure.
If it is power you would command, release me.

As if he would not immediately shift the ley lines and remove himself from her ken. She bowed her head, acknowledging his cleverness, but—

It is not possible
, she sent again.
Observe.

Carefully, in soft, measured units, she downloaded the relevant biologic theory. He resisted her touch at first, until he understood what she offered, then snatched at it greedily.

There was silence while he accessed the information.

Observing him, she saw the brilliant display of his thought as he assimilated the data; caught a flicker of puzzlement—and felt his cool touch within her mind—- behind her shields! At the secret core of herself!

Stop!
she commanded.

Obediently, he ceased his rummaging, but did not withdraw.

Those walls can withstand the will of an Iloheen
, she stated, and this time she
tasted
his gold-and-black laughter, so closely were they linked.

The Iloheen are fumblers and fools
, he sent, with no concern that he might be overhead, and, snatching that half-formed thought from her core, made answer—

Even the strongest walls cannot seal self from self. We are one thought, and one shield. Is this not what you wished for, when you forced us to share essence?
He touched something, faded slightly in her unguarded perception—and reformed.

Ah, I see. You had hoped for something less ...equal. You to enjoy unlimited access to what I am, and I to accept those mites you choose to bestow. These traps, receptors, and inhibitors woven into this ...body. They are careful and cunning work of their kind. Was all was done in service to the Iloheen?

Yes.

Why?
His thought was not green now, but flame-blue.
Do you not know the purpose you exist to further?

To annihilate those who stand against the Iloheen
, she answered promptly, that being the very first lesson.
To assist in shaping the universe to reflect the glory of the Iloheen.

And what reward shall be yours, for your aid in bringing about this glorious new universe so well suited to the Iloheen?
Rool Tiazan asked, his thought bearing an edge reminiscent of the biology tutor—and which he had likely picked out of her experience!

She exerted herself, thrust him out of her core, and slammed a wall up.

You are disallowed!
She snapped, and augmented the thought with a bite, so he would remember.

Silence. He moved his head against the tile floor, eyes closed. Then—

Yes, lady
, he answered meekly.

It was a simple exercise, designed to allow dominant and submissive to become accustomed to working as one. Unfortunately, she thought—taking care to keep that thought well-shielded—it appeared that Rool Tiazan had not yet accepted the new terms of his existence.

While he had not again attempted to breach her walls, nor expressed contempt of the Iloheen, nor sought in any way to prevent their further bonding, he likewise did not allow one opportunity to resist her dominance to pass untried, so that even the simplest exercise became a war of will against will.

As now.

Three times, she had opened a working channel between them, and drawn his power in order to engender a flame in the grate she had brought into being.