The Altar of Storms

"Indeed," Sennidor agreed. "Then we are agreed on our course?" the others nodded grimly. "We must wait until we are up the mountain, where there is no chance for a peasant to stumble on us and give the plot away. Once we have passed beyond the fields and even the woodsman's huts, we will deal with Zyek, and then on to the altar."

The men smiled together, fearsome in the firelight. Soon, I will have the book, and all the rewards it entails, Sennidor thought to himself.

Aranthir roused his party before dawn. After a hastily cooked meal, they set off into the hills. The trees grew thinner around them and the ground rockier, sloping ever upward toward the gray crown far ahead of them. They passed a patch of lightning-blasted trees, a solemn reminder of the Storm Goddess' fury. Beyond the shattered copse lay a gray waste through which they struggled to discern the trail. Only Aranthir's elven eyes allowed him pick out the path through which pilgrims had wound their way to the summit since ancient times.

For most of the morning they struggled up the increasingly loose and rocky ground, making so little progress that Aranthir thought by midday he could still reach their starting point with a vigorous throw. At last, the rocky slop gave way to towering granite cliffs, and a narrow path that wound between them toward the peak. Aranthir stopped in sight of the canyon mouth to catch his breath and allow the others to catch up.

"At least it looks like easier going up there," Janguld panted as he struggled up next to Aranthir.

"Aye, the trail isn't so steep there," Raenia agreed. Selvenna said nothing, her eyes following Aranthir's to the cliff above them.

"It's the perfect ambush spot," Aranthir muttered. "Load your firearms and stay on your guard."

"Is there a way around?" wondered Selvenna. She cast her gaze to either side of the trail mouth, but all they could see were sheer cliffs, an impenetrable belt around the mountain's wide waist.

"Damn," Janguld muttered. "Check your weapons and armor, then let's get going. This won't get any easier if we wait."

Aranthir checked his pistols to ensure that the flashpans were filled, then reholstered them and looked toward the crags. He drew his longsword and started forward toward the canyon mouth. They passed through the narrow mouth of the trail without incident, and Aranthir could see that countless generations of pilgrims had left their mark on it. Names and prayers were painted or chiseled into the rock in scripts long forgotten, and one boulder had been carved into a passable seat. The trail did indeed flatten out, making for a welcome relief from the hard climb they had endured to reach this place, but Aranthir could not relax.

He kept his eyes ever upward, looking for something peering over the cliff's rim above him. The terrible howl from the previous night echoed in his mind and he drew his pistol for comfort. While painfully claustrophobic at first, the trail soon widened enough to allow them to spread out, though they were still hemmed in by granite cliffs no more than fifteen paces apart. Aranthir had felt less corralled when crossing a fortress' killing field.

Movement up high alerted him, and he spun toward the source. A lone pebble bounced down the cliff face, each strike against the rocks echoing sharply off the canyon walls. Aranthir's pistol snapped to position.

From above came a terrible roar, then a great winged beast sprang over the cliff's edge and swooped down on them. It had the body and claws of a great lion, with a long, spiked tail behind it. Two dark bat wings beat at the air, swirling up the dust and rocks about them, while a toothy maw opened wide. The monster dove from above at Janguld, the closest to it, and he readied his arquebus. He pulled the trigger and the burning match cord swung low, but the powder in the flashpan sizzled without sparking. Janguld discarded the arquebus and threw himself aside as the beast pounced, narrowly avoiding its razor-sharp claws.

The manticore struck the ground with a great crash, throwing up rocks as it landed. Its spiked tail whipped around and hurled needle spines at Raenia and Selvenna, and Aranthir heard the bony missiles strike off their cuirasses. He dashed to meet he monster, sword flashing, pistol at the ready, and fired. The spring-loaded wheels spun, sparking as he ran. Where Janguld's borrowed arquebus had failed, his weapon fired and the shot struck the manticore in its flank. The creature roared in pain, turning its head to glare at Aranthir, much to Janguld's relief, for he still lay within reach of its claws.

Aranthir found himself looking into a surprisingly human face. It was ringed in golden hair like a lion's mane, and its mouth was too wide and too toothy, but it was otherwise like a face he would see in any town, and the incongruity of its form gave Aranthir the slightest moment's pause.

It pounced, with jaws and claws lunging for him. Aranthir raised his sword in defense, his pistol discarded, and while he fended off its claws, the beast bore him to the ground. His head hit the rocky ground and he felt sharp pain crackle across his body. He heard himself cry out, but it was drowned in the manticore's roar. Spittle flew, and he felt its hot breath on his face.

With his longsword held in front of him, he dug for a dagger with his other hand. The manticore thrashed about on top of him, its wings and tail fending off relief attempts by his companions. Taking advantage of its momentary distraction, Aranthir tore a poignard free from his belt and thrust it into the beast's underbelly.

The manticore bellowed in fury, its attention once again refocused on him in full. A great paw slammed into his face, crushing his head into the rocks as it dug its claws into the top of his head. He felt the claws scrape against his skull, and the warm blood begin to flow down his scalp.

The manticore jolted, its body shaking atop him as it roared yet again. Aranthir's vision was blinded by the paw, but he heard muffled shouts and Raenia crying in triumph.

"It's stuck! My spear's in there good!" the manticore thrashed again and lifted its paw, allowing Aranthir to free himself. He scrabbled out from beneath it, narrowly ducking a flailing paw. Its other paw came across and smashed into him, screeching terribly against his cuirass as it threw him to the ground. The breath was nearly blasted from him, but at last he got a look at what his companions had done.

Raenia had indeed lodged her spear in the beast's flank, and held on to it as best she could. Selvenna had her blade drawn, fencing desperately with the monster's flashing tail. And Janguld lifted his arquebus, taking aim again.

The weapon cracked, and a gout of blood erupted from the manticore's side, just beneath place where its wing joined the shoulder. It whirled on Janguld, its tail flashing in a great arc as it did. Aranthir ducked the bony appendage as it went whistling overhead. The spear in its flank was torn out, and Raenia stumbled to the ground. Janguld knelt where he had recovered the arquebus as the enraged manticore stared hatred down at him. It lumbered forward, limping with each step, but snarling and frothing with vengeful fury. Janguld fumbled for his sword, the spent arquebus toppling to the ground.

Raenia jumped in front of the beast, her blade held at the ready.

"Have a chance at me, monster!" she spat, and the manticore considered her for a moment. Its tail twitched, then its wings beat once. Aranthir drew his second pistol.

The monster pounced, and though Raenia darted aside and smote it on its neck, its good wing surged forward and knocked her off balance. The beast pounced and threw her to the ground, her sword flying from her grasp. She cried out, vanishing beneath the beast's bulk until all Aranthir could see was her red hair underneath it. He ran forward and leapt onto the monster's back. Seizing a handful of its majestic mane, he jammed the muzzle of his pistol against its skull and pilled the trigger. The wheels spun, the sparks flew, and the pistol cracked.

A geyser blood, bone, and brains shot backward. The monster spasmed, then went limp and slumped to the side.

Selvenna ran to her companion. "Raenia, Raenia? Are you alright?"

Aranthir dismounted from the beast. All he could see of the White Sister was her hair and one hand that lay still against the rocks. Selvenna tried to shove the corpse off.

"Gods, it's so heavy!"

"Janguld!" Aranthir barked. "Let's get this ugly bastard off her!"

The three of them put their shoulders against the dead manticore and, with great groaning and straining, at last shoved it off Raenia to get a look at her. She lay pressed against the rocks, partly buried beneath the loose rocks. Blood ran down her face and chest, soaking her white tunic beneath her armor. Selvenna knelt beside her, her face taught as she reached out a hand.

Raenia's opens flew open, shining blue in the noon sun. Aranthir breathed a sigh of relief as she sat up.

"Thank Arvoran!" Selvenna gasped. She threw her arms around her sister, and Raenia slowly reciprocated. "We feared the worst."

Raenia looked to her bloody tunic and ran her hands over herself. "It didn't get me," she whispered. She touched a hand to her head. "This is all the beast's blood."

"Apliss smiles on us indeed," Janguld beamed. Aranthir smiled softly and extended a hand. Raenia took his hand and pulled herself to her feet. Dusting herself off, she smiled sadly at her clothes.

"And I just bought this. Just my luck," she laughed.

"We lead a hazardous life for apparel," Aranthir said, looked down to the fresh scratches on his cuirass. He dabbed at his head wounds with a bandage before casting a spell of healing. He felt the wounds tingle as they knitted themselves up, and washed away the blood with water from his waterskin.

Meanwhile, Janguld bent by the manticore's side, a knife in hand. He cut a tooth from its mouth, along with a lock of hair that he braided around his belt.

"There, now maybe someone will believe me when I tell the tale," he proclaimed.

"Come on," he said. "There is still quite a way to go."

Their trophies claimed, they resumed their hike up the mountain. The canyon they had been in widened further until it ceased to exist completely, leaving them back on the mountain's open slopes, now blanketed with snowfields. The sudden cold bit at him sharply, and he drew a scarf from his pack that he wrapped around his shoulders for warmth.

The view from here was spectacular, and far off to the west, Aranthir thought he could make out the smoke climbing from the chimneys of Dalthem. He wondered if the guards were still looking for them. He could not help but smile at the thought.

"Look!" called Selvenna. "There is a clear mountain pool. We can wash your clothes there, Raenia."

Aranthir saw that she was right. On a flat expanse of the mountain lay a shallow pool of clear mountain water fed by melting snow, no more than waist-deep for him. The Sisters ran to it eagerly, their waterskins in their hands. Janguld smiled as he followed them.

Raenia drank right from the pool before filling her waterskin. She then stripped off her armor and tunic, baring her round breasts in the cold sun. Aranthir saw that she had broken out in gooseflesh, and her pink nipples stood out tall and hard as a cold wind whipped across the slopes. On her flank was a tattoo of a spear with a serpent coiled around it, brilliantly colored and emblazoned with some script he did not know. He studied it, trying to place it or discern its meaning, but to no avail. The White Sisters were part mercenary company and part secret society; no doubt this was related to the latter.

Raenia paid little mind to him, submerging her blood-stained clothing in the cold water and scrubbing vigorously at it. Aranthir filled his own waterskin from the far side of the pool and watched with interest. Selvenna noticed, and smiled at his sudden embarrassment.

"We are all a bit dusty," she said, unbuckling her sculpted cuirass. "Perhaps a bath before we move on?"

"Aye, the mountain will be there when we're done," Janguld agreed, casting a look up its long slope to the distant summit."

Selvenna was already pulling off her shirt to let her big breasts spill out into the mountain air. Aranthir felt his breath catch in his throat. His breath now came shallower in the thin mountain air. Selvenna unbuckled her sword belt and let her trousers fall to her ankles. Janguld was not far behind her in stripping to his skin.

Raenia looked up from her laundering in shock. "What are you doing?!"

"Taking a bath," came Selvenna's reply. "You could use one too, Raenia. You look filthy."

The elder of the Sisters stood up, her face twisted in disapproval. But Aranthir could not staring at her round little breasts as she stood topless and wringing her wet tunic in her hands. Selvenna and Janguld waded naked into the pool, cringing as the icy waters crept up their legs and then to their most sensitive regions. Selvenna shuddered as the water rose up over her shaven sex and wrapped her arms around her chest.

"Don't do that," Janguld teased. "You'll obscure our view of those magnificent tits of yours."

She smiled shyly, looking down to the breasts she sheltered under her arms. "She's no whore," Raenia warned from the other side, covering her own breasts with one arm. Her tunic was washed mostly free of blood, but still hung dripping wet from her hand.

"I'm well aware," Janguld replied. He too stood naked in the pool, though even the icy waters were not enough to keep his cock down. Aranthir saw it now, rising just above the water's surface. Selvenna saw it too. She blushed and turned away. Janguld stood his ground proudly, turning an eye to Aranthir. "Won't you come in?"

Aranthir looked up the mountain slope, then to Selvenna's naked form standing in the pool. The woman smiled at him, her long black hair cascading over her big breasts as she stroked it in her hands. He stood up and removed his armor and weapons.

Winter's icy grip closed in about his legs as he stepped into the pool. He waded deeper into the water to reach Selvenna, who watched him approach with great interest. Behind her, Janguld cupped his hands together and raised a handful of water over her head. He opened his hands and the cold, clear water rained down on her.

Selvenna yelped, her mouth falling open and her eyes wide. She whirled on him in shock, her arms wrapping themselves around her as the frigid water ran down her naked chest. Janguld laughed, and she reached down to sweep an arm through the water and douse him with a great wave. He staggered back as the cold grip extended up his chest, then splashed her right back. His wave washed over her to hit Aranthir as well, and he too cringed in the cold.

Selvenna waded forward and grabbed Janguld's shoulders, then shoved him down into the water. He lost his footing and went under, crying in pained surprise as the cold water swallowed him up. Moments later, he burst from the water again, shaking his head like a dog and spraying frigid droplets over them.

"I was only trying to help you wash off the dirt and sweat," he laughed. Selvenna scowled playfully at him, her arms wrapped around her chest again.

"Your help comes unbidden and unwanted. But seeing as I'm wet already..."

She crossed her arms over her chest and toppled herself backwards into the water with a great splash. Aranthir raised an arm to shield himself from the spray. Smaller waves lapped against his chest and Selvenna rose from the water again, brushing her long, dark, wet hair back from her eyes. Her bare chest glistened in the sun, and Aranthir's hungry gaze was drawn to it.

"Gods, that's cold!" she gasped. She saw him staring at her breasts and smiled coyly. "Like what you see, half-elf?"

"Indeed," he replied, moving closer. She raised her arms above her head and arched her back.

"Help me clean off the dirt of the road."

Aranthir and Janguld closed in about her, scrubbing and rubbing at her naked form. Aranthir felt his cock harden. Janguld's had long ago done the same, and Selvenna noticed. Gently, she touched their cocks and began to slowly stroke them. Aranthir brushed away the locks of hair covering her breast and kissed her cheek.

Selvenna giggled and gripped their cocks tighter. She stroked harder, a man to either side, and turned a hungry gaze to the shore.

"Won't you come in Raenia? There's one for each of us..."

Raenia scowled. Her wet tunic she had laid out on a flat boulder behind her to dry, but though she stood naked above the waist, her stance showed no intention of joining in the fun.

"We still have a mountain to climb," Raenia complained, her arms crossed across her bare chest.

"It's not going anywhere. Come on and have some fun, Raenia!" The other woman wordlessly sat down on her tunic and looked away. "Fine. More for me."

Selvenna knelt in the icy pool, bringing her mouth down to their cocks. With red lips she touched Aranthir's cock and slid it into her mouth. He moaned softly with pleasure and she giggled around his cock in reply. She stroked and sucked him for a few moments and then withdrew her mouth.

"Good enough for you?" she asked playfully, and Aranthir nodded.

"Don't neglect me," Janguld urged. He held his hard cock forward for her and gently turned her head toward it. He pressed his cock against her lips and Selvenna smiled before opening to admit him. Aranthir stroked her long hair with one hand, leaning down to play with her breasts with the other. They were big and firm, but receptive to his touch. Her pink nipples grew darker in cold in the cold, and he bent his head to kiss them.

Looking up, he saw Raenia standing unamused on the shore, but a slight crook at the edge of her mouth betrayed her growing interest. Aranthir merely smiled at her before turning his attention back to her younger companion. Janguld was thrusting his cock into her mouth even as she sucked and stroked him. She turned her eyes upward to stare into his and Janguld matcher her gaze. He grabbed at her long hair and wrapped it about her throat, at which Selvenna smiled and stood up. Turning, she offered her behind to Janguld and bent to suck Aranthir's cock again.

Standing nude in the cold water, Selvenna braced herself with two hands on Aranthir's hips. Janguld took her by her own hips and hungrily slid his cock inside her. Selvenna moaned around the cock in her mouth, her big breasts swinging underneath her as Janguld's powerful impacts struck hers.

"Harder," she moaned, holding Aranthir's cock against her lips with one hand. She kissed it and Janguld slammed himself into her, drawing a delighted squeal. Aranthir looked to Raenia again, who was seated on a rock trying hard to look anywhere else. Selvenna followed his gaze and giggled.

"Come on, Raenia. It's all good fun."

Aranthir grabbed a handful of her hair and wound his fingers through it. She swallowed his cock again, all the way to the base, and ran her tongue around it. He felt her cute little nose against his belly and looked down at her bare back. Her plump beckoned, ripples pulsing through it with each slap of Janguld's hips against her thighs. Aranthir gave her ass a slap, and she squealed again. Janguld did the same, and her squeals fueled his vigorous fucking. Aranthir began to feel neglected as Selvenna spent more time squealing and begging for more than she spent sucking his cock. He reached beneath her and grabbed her big breasts in his hands to amuse himself. He squeezed them between his fingers, kneading her nipples with two fingers each and Selvenna moaned again. Janguld lifted one of her legs up, providing Raenia with a clear view of the other woman's sex being penetrated.