Once again, I was in the bathroom doing my makeup for ... obvious reasons. I had brought Raathgur’s double-ended dildo. My magic again flowing, I wanted to call my partners again. Before I could overthink it, I cast the spell. Gradually, horns, smooth-scaled skin, and a muscular stature formed in the mirror.

Namali, she saw me almost immediately and just stared. With dark eyes every bit as communicative as anyone verbal. After another moment, Namali placed her head on whatever vertical surface she saw my reflection from. Mercifully saving me from my words.

I joined her, resting my head against the mirror.

Seeing her blurred like that made me feel, for just a fleeting moment, like she was holding me. Like the countless times when I’d slept on her dinosaurian body.

Namali gave a smile … one that somehow mystified me. It wasn’t fearful, it wasn’t hopeful, it wasn’t to cheer me up. It was just ... assured … in a way I couldn’t hope to understand. I didn’t know how she could possibly feel or express any such thing.

But, for a moment, I could feel her strength as my own.

Namali blew me a kiss before picking up something that had been on the ground. It looked like … a crowbar? Then the magic was gone.

"That went ... a lot better," Tab said, sounding deliberately delicate with her words. "You're okay this time?"

I took a breath and whispered, "Don't worry, I learned from the last two islands. I'm not going to try to bring anyone with us. I'm not going to try to learn any lesson. I'm ... not going to melt down again." I took a breath. "I'm just going to get us back, no matter how long it takes. And not make it any worse for us."

The words, even as they left my mouth, didn't feel entirely convincing. But I had meant them. I would enjoy this little excursion with Raathgur until my ship was back in the water. Then we would be gone. No fuss.

"We've got this," Tab replied with a nod of her own, her tone making me feel like we were both finally on the same page.

I gave my best attempt at a hopeful smile, and then opened the bathroom door.

Raathgur met my smile, having been waiting by the front door, and extended an arm.

I ignored a slight spike of guilt when I saw him. For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to feel like I did. Almost like any levity invalidated all the pain I’d previously felt. But I shook it off and took his outstretched arm.

Together, Raathgur and I walked out the door. Back up the stairs and through the window-lit main hall, the journey was very much a trust exercise. At any given point, I felt would have slid entirely and fallen.

Raathgur was steady, however. He opened each port door for me, offered support at difficult steps, and spoke encouragingly each time I got past an obstacle.

It wasn't long before more circle-dragons finally saw us. When they saw me, their surprise seemed purely at me not being a circle dragon. But even this was usually accompanied by a smile and an encouraging nod. Like I was acclimating correctly to the culture.

I had been a little worried about my sorcerer's clothes. But many of the people around me dressed in a bondage style themselves. It seemed Raathgur had been right about making a good impression.

“So … is all of this an Arch style specifically?” I asked, my mind now on the topic of clothing.

Raathgur nodded. “Those on the South Arch dress much more practically. Particularly for their tasks in raising children. As for the no-tailers ... well ... I'll just say that they are distinct from both. There are very different opinions on what honors Kavtagro.”

Fucking Kavtagro ...

"I don't think he cares, as long as you bang," I muttered before catching myself. The last thing I wanted was to be perceived as the prophet of Kavtagro. It was almost enough to make me shudder from the cringe.

However, Raathgur had already fixed an inquisitive stare on me.

Fuck, too late.

"What?" I asked, with a weak laugh in attempt to shrug off the matter.

"I'm just ... surprised at how devout a sorcerer you are," Raathgur said. "But you're right. That is the irony of the situation. Kavtagro wishes us to join, and yet we divide ourselves in the attempt to do so."

Devout ... a term I hadn't heard in reference to myself for a very long time. And certainly not ever in reference to Kavtagro. Still, I was relieved that he hadn't understood my comment as first-hand knowledge.

We reached a heavily-guarded door.

“Welcome, Chief Raathgur,” said another circle dragon in armor as we approached. She glanced at me and said, “I've not been made aware of any audience with the Queen.” She didn't seem distrustful of me, so much as genuinely confused.

Raathgur shook his head. “Actually, our guest's arrival was quite on accident. However, I wanted to give the Queen the chance to meet her before she is again on her way. I know how she enjoys a courteous visitor.”

The other circle dragon guard regarded my clothing and then seemed to nod approvingly. “I’ll check in with her majesty.”

“My thanks,” Raathgur said.

We waited for a few minutes before the circle dragon guard returned and beckoned us up the staircase. Into a massive room, clearly a gallery.

Lights came in from the ceilings–reflected off a series of mirrors. The mosaics here went far beyond the pretty shapes and generalized images that characterized those on the main floor. These were detailed and in various styles–depicting scenes of the ocean, of the lakes, of the islands, and of their people.

Waiting at the center of the room was a circle-dragon whose mere presence made all else stand still. Her skin was dark blue, with shimmering silver frills along her tentacle-like hair. Her dark dress was embroidered with tiny crystals arranged in wave-like patterns. And, of course, she wore none of the bondage-gear that I did.

There was no mistaking that this was the Queen of the North Arch. She studied me for a moment, smiled, and finally said, “Welcome, dear guest, to the home of the circle-dragons.”

Unable to nod with the collar, I had to dip my body into an awkward bow. Which was ... probably for the best, anyways. “Thank you. Your home is so lovely.”

Raathgur nodded affirmingly and then said, “This sorcerer's ship was caught on the ceiling of the Arch. Given her clear confusion and lack of weapons or a crew, I determined that she was not a threat. As she seems to share our values and reverence, I thought an audience would please your highness.”

The Queen studied me again, her face like a living shield that blocked out all attempts to read it. “It seems like her clothing is from here. And her tail …”

“...is a prosthetic only meant as a show of respect, your Highness,” Raathgur quickly said as he reached behind me and picked up my actual cow tail in demonstration. “She comes from a people who mostly lack tails entirely. And yet, she has such manners as to have grown one anyways.”

The Queen put her hand to her mouth, her demeanor changing entirely. She smiled sympathetically and said, “Of course, apart from injuries of war, false tails are a fetishization I cannot abide. In this case, however, I can only call it inspiring.” She took my real tail in hand, as if to verify its authenticity, before releasing it with approval.

I exhaled a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. Once again, I repeated, “Thank you, your Highness.”

“I see why you thought it appropriate to introduce me to our stranded guest,” To my surprise, the Queen took me by my free arm and began walking me further into the museum.

Until we were both out of reach of Raathgur altogether. He seemed a bit apprehensive at this, but also like he was in no position to argue.

“Now you must have a hundred questions about our people," the Queen said. "So it's appropriate that we're here to the Royal North Arch Museum.”

I smiled awkwardly and followed along–helpless to do anything else but go where I was led by the circle dragons and their powers of grippy feet on wet surfaces.

The Queen turned to me and asked, “Dear, would you mind holding my drink? In the manner befitting a sorcerer?”

“Of course-er-I mean, I would be happy to” I said reaching my free hand out.

Instead of handing me a glass, however, the Queen placed her glass between my breasts. It seemed the cup and my corset both were shaped ... exactly for this very reason. More liquid was poured into it by an attendant.

Before I even had a chance to adjust, we were off again. Now it was all I could do to keep my balance enough not to spill—and even so, I ended up with plenty of amber drips on the tops of my breasts.

“Before our people were first brought to this world," the Queen said, beginning the story. "The tailed and tailless lived as one on the surface.”

We stopped at a portrait illustrating circle-dragons and their counterparts resting in and around a lake. Having made floating wooden huts that rested over the waves. It seemed like the circle-dragons needed a semi-aquatic home as part of their life-cycles.

“However, a divide formed between our people," the Queen said, and then gestured at her tail. "While some of us embraced sensual finesse, and every part of us that lent to it, we were outcompeted. By those who brawled in shows of physical dominance through combat. Those who dropped their tails so they could never be perceived as having lost it out of fear.”

I found myself focusing on the tails of the depicted circle-dragon … her tail sticking out behind her like a normal lizard or axolotl. Immediately, I wanted to explode with questions. However, I had just enough self-preservation to know that it was not the time to ask questions.

At this point we reached a portrait of tailless circle-dragons burning a pile of their own dropped appendages. The picture seemed horrifyingly grotesque to me, but the Queen eyed this picture with a glance that seemed almost … lustful.

“This barbaric ritual spread until it became mandatory. Which was when they discovered that only half our kind were actually capable of dropping our tails.”

The Queen lifted her drink from between my breasts, took a sip, and then returned it. She then traced her finger along my skin to catch the spilled drops and then placed her finger in my mouth for me to taste.

The gesture was ... powerful … and it made me glad for my chastity cage.

However, my arousal was suddenly stopped in its tracks when reached the next portrait. Which was ... difficult for me to look at. A tailless circle dragon carving another's tail off with a knife.

The Queen seemed not to notice, but also somewhat ... respectful ... at my reaction. “The tailless forced us to cower. To forget our magic, like they soon forgot theirs. To keep our heads back and beneath theirs at every moment. Generations of this, until our backs had literally been misshapen by the exertion.”

We reached a picture showing a child whose back-bend was so significant that, like a contortionist, she had made a complete loop. Much like the circle-dragons standing around me. The entire story had taken a turn I ... hadn't expected.

"So we circle-dragons built this city," the Queen said, gesturing around her "A place where we could stand in safety. Where no coward who could drop their tail would ever be able to hurt us. Or impede our mission to get our magic back.”

It took me a moment to realize the distinction. When I did, I furrowed my brow and asked, "But ... what about the circle-dragons who didn't want to drop their tails?"

The Queen nodded, “Exactly our problem at hand, the imposters.”

“Imposters?” I asked, despite the chill down my spine that told me I would do better not to ask.

The Queen nodded with spite. “With both the blood and the raising of the tailless. I suppose I have some pity, but they are a danger. They haven’t gone through the generations of resistance we have. And we have to keep our own safe.”

I took a deep breath, the familiarity of her words causing something to boil inside me. “Have they … actually been the abusers? The ones who wish to join you up here? To live exactly like you?” I had managed to keep my words measured, if only barely.

The Queen shook her head. “And they will never be given the chance.”

Virtually straining to keep a polite tone, I said, “They sound ... literally the same as you. Just with a slightly different genetic circumstance at birth."

The Queen looked surprised by my comment.

I ... needed to remain silent. However, something that I hadn't felt in a long time, was taking the wheel. And I didn't know how to stop it. "Have you ... even imagined the hell they have to live with?" I drew a sharp breath.

"Lilly ..." Tab warned from my ear.

But I couldn't stop. "Feeling all your same need of safety ... freedom. All to be accused of being the predators themselves? To have bodies that are so revoltingly incomplete?”

The Queen went chillingly cold, for a moment. Then her eyes fell on my chastity cage again. Somehow, this softened her demeanor once again. The Queen regarded me with a pitiable look and shook her head. “Ah, I see why this has touched you." She patted my head as if I were a troubled puppy.

Sucking the energy right out of me, as if by magic.

The Queen smiled. "You ... have old pains, sorcerer. And for them, you will receive only my deepest condolences. But we would never mistreat or invalidate someone for how they live out their sex or gender. Tails are ... another matter entirely.”

My jaw dropped.

I ... didn’t know how to reply.

“Oh dear, you look so worn,” the Queen looked over at Raathgur, beckoned him, and said, “Best get this darling creature back to her room. She clearly needs some rest. And please do bring her back. I simply adore her—so earnest and fiery!”

“Yes, your Highness,” Raathgur said, giving a deep bow. Then he took my hand and began leading me away. As he did, he exhaled and whispered, “You do realize that you’re lucky she didn’t decide to take your head, right?”

I let out a small groan, my brain in a fog. Maybe execution would have been less exhausting than the world’s increasingly concerning obsession with metaphors.