by Reed James
“How's that!” she hissed in Draconese at the reptilian beast. “Eh, bastard? You're not the only one that can breathe.”
The dragon snarled at her, “Half-breed bitch! Suffer the pain! The pain. The PAIN!”
The storm elementals fired lightning at her, still whirling away. Flames danced amid their black clouds for a moment. She gasped, taking more damage. Her Hit Points plunged down towards critical. She thrust her wavy blade. Out of TP, all she had left was slashing and stabbing.
“Twist!” Maria gasped, ramming her black blade into one of the whirlwinds, disrupting the storm clouds that made it up.
Healing energy engulfed Dëshoma. It shivered through her. Out of the corner of Twist's eye, she spotted the angelborn downing a milky potion. Twist gave her a short nod and then slashed hard with her dagger, enervated by the surge of positive magic. Her dagger slashed.
The storm elemental winds spilled away in a wild gust, ripping apart the storm clouds. The other sparked. Maria's rapier plunged into it as Twist dodged a crackling arc of white-blue plasma. The Thief laughed, ramming her dagger into it from the other side.
Grinning at Maria, she said, “We got a dragon to butcher.”
“Isn't that a cousin of yours?” she asked.
“Do I look like my mother fucked a storm dragon?” Twist asked. Or was it my father who fucked the dragon? Twist didn't know. She'd been found by Grunt young. Barely more than a hatchling. “Either way, the hoary bastard hates me. Half-breed bitch!”
“PAIN!” roared the dragon and lightning burst from its maw at Twist.
Marcus flung himself before them. Plasma discharges exploded around him. They glowed so bright he became a shadow. He snarled out his pain. Dëshoma cried out in fear. Twist felt his Hit Points plummeting to critical levels.
“Marcus!” Maria gasped.
Twist shook her head. How does he do that? Take the pain meant for us and keep fighting?
* * / *
I roared through the pain of the breath weapon blazing through me. My entire body shook and spasmed. The electricity coursed through every bit of me. My Hit Points plunged towards death. Would it kill me?
Fuck that.
I activated my ax's once per day ability. As the breath weapon finished discharging, my Hit Points surged up to full. I laughed at the beast and threw myself forward, slamming my ax into the beast's hide. It roared its fury.
Twist laughed behind me and snarled back at it, hissing in the same language.
Maria came up on my right. Twist on my left. The three of us slammed our attacks into the beast. Éjyona's gun fired. Kulri's magical shards slashed into the dragon's hide. Its eyes blazed with wild pain. Its wings swung down at us. Claws slashed. Maria and Twist ducked. I blocked. Pain ripped across my face. My exposed forearms. It tore through my breastplate and left bleeding wounds across my chest.
Dëshoma's miracles surged over me.
The dragon reared up for a final breath. Twist thrust her dagger into the hide of its chest. Maria lunged forward, a smooth thrust that plunged her sword into its shoulder joint. My ax crashed down hard into the neck, chopping through scales.
The dragon breathed.
The electricity slammed through me again. I roared my pain and chopped my ax again. And again. I slammed it into the same spot as the pain surged over me. Healing energy surged through my body. Draconic blood splashed through the air.
I hit bone. The dragon collapsed, its neck half-severed. I panted, staring down at the beast lying crumpled on the ground. The size of a box truck. We just killed that thing. I sucked in deep breaths, its blood dripping down my face, stinging the wounds. My body ached from the singes.
Twist snarled something at the corpse and then spat on it.
“Twist!” gasped Dëshoma. “Show some decorum. Our foe was driven by its malady to attack us.”
“Called me a half-breed bitch,” Twist muttered. “Bastard can rot.”
I just panted as the level up surged over us. It was a lot. So much that we went from almost Level 13 up to nearly Level 14. I staggered from the force of it. The magic burst around us, restoring bodies. The scorching pain vanished from my body, the ache from my joints. I felt the ability to upgrade any of my abilities as Twist began cutting off pieces of the fallen dragon for loot.
Dëshoma shook her head in disapproval.
“What is going on here?” I growled. “This disease drove that thing mad.”
“I fear for the inhabitants of this plateau,” Dëshoma said. “I pray to Ëshuxeri that she doth watch over them and protect them from this twisted malady that has so vilely afflicted the dragon and the other poor denizens of this broken plain.”
I nodded my head in agreement.
“On the hill!” Éjyona shouted.
I threw my head to the right. On a misty rise watching us stood the armored Warrior who had led me into the ambush. I recognized his armor, the blue plume on his closed-faced helmet. He had his eyes fixed on us, arms crossed.
“What's that fucker doing here?” I snarled.
BOOM!
Éjyona's rifle bucked against her shoulder. The figure twisted, dodging her bullet. The warrior gave a mocking salute. Energized by my level up, I charged forward. The mist thickened. A cloud bank washed in. Maria and Twist raced at my side, anger surging through me.
The hill appeared out of the dense cloud a minute later. My endurance carried me up it with ease. I pounded to the top of it, grass slick with the dew. The air held a damp stillness. I reached the top and hefted my ax, ready to fight.
No one was here.
Chapter Thirteen: Misty Night, Naughty Fun
“Where did he go?” I growled, staring at the hilltop.
“Lot's of tracks up here,” Maria said, peering down. “Ground's trampled. But... This way.”
“Let's go,” I growled.
“Lord Marcus!” Dëshoma called. “Wait for us. We are coming.”
Up the hill, Dëshoma, Éjyona, and Kulri approached, Dëshoma with a comfortable lead as she climbed the hill with surprising dexterity. The swan feathers that made up her stilettos seemed to be propelling her up it. She reached us first, dew soaking into her stockings. She clutched her bible to her chest, breathing heavily.
“I do not... have thy... stamina...” she panted, sweat beading on her flushed face. “Mine apologies for delaying thee.”
“Not as much as Éjyona did. Is this a leisure stroll?” Twist called.
“I made sure we weren't running into an ambush,” the halfling answered back, still running up the hill. “I know some get so eager, they just have to thrust their hand into the chest to grab the gold without seeing if it's a mimic.”
“But that's the fun,” Twist said. “The surprisssse.”
Éjyona grinned, reaching the top. She wasn't out of breath like Kulri. The busty elf's large tits heaved as she leaned on her pale staff. Her ears twitched, her pale-blonde hair clinging to parts of her forehead.
“He went this way, Marcus,” Maria said. She padded down the backside of the hill.
As they went down, I focused on my upgrades. Level 13, like Level 3, let me increase an aspect of my abilities at the cost of increasing the MP or TP of it. It was an interesting mechanic. I could keep a low-level, but useful, skill competitive or buff the newer ones. I had dumped a lot into increasing Hard Strike. It might be a Level 1 ability, but it dealt as much damage as Holy Strike thanks to my upgrades. I could also increase buff or debuff duration, lower cool downs, and, I imagined, reduce cast time if I had any spells like that.
I upgraded the damage to Holy Strike. I had a good range of abilities that used TP, but since I was now a hybrid class, having more use for my MP sounded like a good idea. I felt the magic of my Path click into place as I made the decision. I could check the character sheets of the rest of my party if I wanted, seeing how they spent their upgrade.
The trail led towards the edge of the cliff where severed ropes lay. On the other side of the wide ravine
, a similar tangle of hacked ropes. I peered down into the chasm, staring for any sign of the bridge.
Only clouds.
“Fuck,” I growled. “That bridge cutting, cock-sucking bastard.”
“No way you can toss me across that,” said Éjyona. “Right?” She glanced at me, a nervous look on her face. “Well, I mean, you did get a level up. Your Strength went up, right?”
“Two points.” I gained two in Strength and one in Faith. Every other level, my Dexterity increased while my Intelligence increased once every three levels.
“I'll mark the position,” Maria said. She had the Map Maker trait. “If we can find another way onto this plateau, I'll know.”
I nodded.
We pressed on while I seethed. That armored bastard was here. Why? How could he have known I was coming here? Or was it a coincidence? Were the followers of Pushijer involved in this strange blight on the cliff? I wanted answers.
“Éjyona,” I said as we walked to where we had killed the dragon. Twist was anxious to resume looting.
The halfling hurried to fall in beside me. “Marcus?”
“Would the followers of Pushijer be involved with the plague?”
She shook her head. “I don't think they would. They're corrupt, but not that way. They still want to protect, and I'm sure the Warrior thinks he's doing that by trying to kill us.”
“Yet he watched us during the fight with the dragon,” said Dëshoma. “Methinks that is not a coincidence. These corrupt and traitorous followers of Pushijer must have some purpose on the plain. They are cutting the bridges to hinder our progress.”
“Or channel it away from something they're protecting,” I muttered. “The source of the plague?”
“Why would they spread a plague?” Éjyona asked. “They're just corrupt like Twist. Greedy. Want money. Not to inflict harm.”
Twist hissed in laughter. “All priests are greedy.”
“Not mine mother or me, Twist,” Dëshoma huffed. “Nor the others who dwelt at mine convent.”
“Fine, some are fanatics too horny for their God to enjoy their life, but not those who live in communities.” Twist rolled. “Power, wealth, these are hard things to escape. They enslave.”
I nodded. In my other life, I had spent my time chasing money. Trying to get more prestige, rise higher in the company, have the newest car, the biggest house. All the stuff I thought would make my ex-wife happy. I chased and chased it and found only emptiness at the end of it.
Now here I was.
We found another bridge, but it led away from the plateau the Warrior escaped to. More blighted wildlife assaulted us, eagles with shriveled feathers, foxes bursting out of their dens to tear at our legs. We fought and battled across. We worked well together. A cohesive unit against these threats as we penetrated deeper into the Airy Plateau.
The sun sank down into the mist behind us as we crossed to another plateau. Night was falling fast on us. It wouldn't be long before we would be plunged into the dark. I sighed, wanting answers to what was going on. We found a dell, surrounded by several hills that sheltered us from the wind. Here, we pitched our camp.
A fire was started. Dëshoma volunteered to cook dinner, food provided by Shelley. It wasn't special food to buff us, just to fill our bellies with something hearty. Hunger was... strange. I didn't feel it until we were camping, then I became ravenous.
As she cooked, I pitched a large tent for us all to share. Bedrolls were spread out in it. I stripped out of my armor, down to just my leather pants. We sat around the fire, the bright light driving back the ever-growing dark that descended. The mist, drifting around us, swallowed up the world, the chilly tendrils reaching for us.
“The stew is ready, Lord Marcus,” Dëshoma said. She seemed to like calling me that.
“Thank you, my lady,” I said, taking the bowl from her. It was a hearty meal, seasoned with herbs. The meat turned out to be rabbit. I'd never had it before. It had a wild taste to it. Strong, but the sauce and vegetables stewed with it provided the perfect balance.
“Rabbit and potatoes,” I said. “Like something Sam would cook.”
“Hmm?” Maria asked. She sat on my left cross-legged, her boots off. “Who's Sam?”
“Is she cute?” Éjyona asked.
“He was a halfling,” I said. “A great hero. He climbed a deadly volcano with his friend to destroy an evil talisman. He also knew how to cook a good rabbit stew.”
“'Course he did,” said Éjyona. “Who cooks better than a halfling?”
“Shelly,” Maria said and then brought her bowl to her mouth and drank back the contents.
“She clearly has halfling blood in her,” Éjyona said and then did the same. She smacked her lips when she was finished.
“I have never heard this story,” Kulri said. “Sam the Halfling. Doesn't sound like a halfling name.”
“Nickname,” I said. “Maybe it's just told in my homeland. They call it the Lord of the Rings. It's a great cycle. Would take hours to tell.” And watch. How long had it been since I watched those movies? Even longer since I'd read those books. “Maybe I'll tell you about them sometime.”
“Mmm, someone is getting horny,” Éjyona said. “Good food, warm fire, and sexy ladies. That'll get any man hard.”
“True,” I said, glancing over at Kulri. Her nipples poked so succulently through her robe.
I leaned over and sucked on one. She gasped for a moment. A whimper burst through her as I nursed. Her thighs rubbed together. I knew her pussy was getting wet. She hadn't had an orgasm since yesterday.
Would she crack tonight? I was eager to find out.
* * / *
Maria du Marne
“Marcus!” the human Duelist moaned as his tongue licked over her asshole. “Oh, yes, yes, Marcus.”
She had experienced so many wicked and wonderful delights since meeting Marcus. She didn't know how she could give them up when she eventually found Ëshuxeri's Tear. She would have to. Her village awaited her. The men—Derrick—needed to be healed.
Marcus's tongue felt amazing as it swabbed over her asshole. Her heart sped up with delight. Her butt-cheeks clenched about his face. She gripped the bedroll she knelt on in the pavilion, loving every moment of his swabbing delight.
Dëshoma lay on her back nearby while Éjyona knelt between her thighs, licking her while Kulri, at Marcus's order, feasted on Twist and used a dildo on her asshole. Their moans mixed with Maria's own as that naughty tongue swept over her asshole.
“Marcus, I love your tongue!” she moaned. “Your mouth. Oh, yes, yes!”
Her pussy juices soaked through her fiery bush. She groaned, round tits jiggling as her party leader drove her wild. His fingers caressed over her pussy lips, collecting her cream. He pressed his digits just into her folds.
Bliss rippled through her. A wonderful joy that would have her gasping and moaning and crying out in orgasmic fervor. His tongue wiggled against her anal ring. It surrendered to the pressure. His tongue popped into her bowels.
Maria's grip on the bedroll tightened. Her fiery hair swept about her face. Then she gasped as two of his fingers thrust into her pussy. He sank them to the hilt in her, his knuckles pressing against her vulva. His tongue danced through her.
“Marcus! Marcus!”
“Mmm, just getting your ass ready,” he said. “Patience, Maria.”
“I wasn't...” She trailed off, cheeks blazing. “I was just enjoying it.”
“Yes, you love all the naughty things I do to you.” He thrust his tongue back into her asshole.
As the pleasure swept through her, she thought, I really, truly do.
Her pussy clamped down on his fingers soaking in her. His tongue fucked in and out of her bowels. The naughty ripples of delight washed through her flesh. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, enjoying how he played with her backdoor.
Then he ripped his tongue away from her butthole and his fingers from her pussy. He pressed them against her asshole, smea
ring her pussy cream across her sphincter. She groaned, loving him getting her ready. She would take his cock in any of her holes.
She loved submitting to her party leader.
“That's it, pretty Maria,” he said, his fingers pushing on her anal ring. Lubed by her pussy juices, they slipped in with ease.
She groaned as they reached deeper into her asshole. They were thicker, too. He wiggled them around in her. She panted and groaned. Her eyes squeezed shut. Then she gasped as he pressed his pierced dick against her pussy and slid into her. He soaked his shaft in her for one glorious moment, the cock ring rubbing along her pussy walls.
Then his shaft and digits ripped out of her holes.
“Marcus!” she howled now with wild need.
“So impatient,” he said, pressing his dripping cock between her butt-cheeks to find her asshole.
“Isn't she just?” Twist asked, grinding her twat on Kulri's mouth on the other side of the tent. Her pink, banded tits heaved as she shuddered. “Such a slut for your cock.”
It was so true. Maria knew it. She didn't care who else did right now because Marcus pressed his cock forward. Her asshole stretched and stretched to swallow him and his piercing. He groaned as he entered her. She moaned, her anal sheath savoring the velvety friction, the cock ring rubbing along her anal sheath.
Heat melted down to her cunt.
She wiggled her hips back and forth. She stirred her backdoor around his pierced cock. Boobs shook. Pussy clenched. She loved every moment of it. She arched her back and thrust her hips at him. She swallowed every inch of his dick, her butt-cheeks smacking into his crotch.
“Maria,” he groaned, his hands stroking her sides. “I love how eager you are. Show me your passion.”
“Yes, yes, Marcus!” she groaned, squeezing her bowels around him.
She fucked him. She rocked forward and backward, sliding her anal sheath up and down his pierced cock. The ring massaged her, adding a thrill to his big shaft stretching her out. The friction surged through her. She loved every moment of it. Her anal sheath stirred around his thick shaft as she smacked her butt-cheeks into his crotch.
It was so naughty to do this. Show him and the others just how much she loved his cock. Her moans mixed with Twist's and Dëshoma's and Éjyona's. Marcus's groans added to it as her asshole swallowed his cock again and again. She savored that bliss.