Monsterboy Quest Ch. 05

The Harpy's Pride by taiyakisoba

Levinja pressed the bear's fur more tightly around her, despite the smell, as the next onslaught of ice and sleet smashed against her. She shivered, blinking snow-blind against the chaos of white and grey. There, the path. The path! It continued, almost totally obscured around the edge of the mountain.

The green mountain meadows she had gazed upon with Jameth were just a dream, now. The storm had come, unexpected as all storms on the mountain did, turning the world from that endless cool blue vault to a swirling grey nightmare of shrieking winds and freezing temperatures.

Luckily, the bear had attacked her. It had been an old bear, rendered aggressive from starvation, brought on by an old injury she had later discovered in its side. But she'd had no chance to negotiate with it. She had struck it through the middle with her sword as the huge black body had flung itself at her from above, its great paws gouging the air. Bears, for all their beauty, were dangerous creatures which would disembowel you and eat you alive and screaming, but still she had felt a sting of regret at the great furry body laid out on the rapidly reddening snow before her.

She had thanked the gods and taken out her knife and skinned it with the rapid cuts of an experienced hunter. All the Knights of the Order of the Evening Star were trained to survive in the wild.

Yes, to survive... but sometimes surviving smelled very, very bad.

The world darkened now. Ah, so the sun, which she had not seen for so long, was slipping beneath the earth. Levinja doggedly pushed her aching and exhausted body to keep going. She had abandoned her armour further down the mountain - it was simply too heavy to wear, especially in this storm. What was the point in wearing it, if it did not defend you from the ice and snow? Her corpse would not benefit from its protection. But it was still with a sting of fear and regret that she had tossed her cuirass and greaves aside.

Levinja stumbled. She shielded her eyes, stared forward through the black of the bear's fur. The path was invisible now. The mountain side, coated in snow and ice, had become one with the white of the icy storm. Only here and there did small knots of grey appear, the outcrops of rocks and crags which the snow could not find purchase on.

She had to find shelter, no matter how small. Even just a tiny overhang, somewhere she could shield her face from the constant onslaught of this shrieking, icy gale.

There, ahead! A dark irregular shape, jutting out like a thick spine. An overhang? Hope burst out in Levinja's heart and she pushed one leg after the other, the snow crunching beneath her.

That hope saved her. She reached the overhang just as her strength gave out. She stumbled and collapsed forward into the warm and comparatively still air of the overhang and lay there, here heart and lungs pumping. She pulled the bear's fur over her and squirmed forward like a hairy caterpillar until her entire body was clear of the wind and ice. And then she let her eyelids fall and she slept.

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Levinja awoke with a start. She must have been asleep only for a few minutes, but it had been enough to revitalise her. Her knight's instincts had dragged her back out of that deliciously warm embrace of sleep, knowing she must first be sure she was somewhere safe.

With a grunt she rose up. Ah, but this place was paradise! The overhang was more than just that, she knew now. This was the entrance to a cave, hidden by the side of the mountain - a hollow, curved like a shell. Outside, the storm continued to shriek to the heavens, but here the air, despite the icy ghost of an odd flurry which wandered in from outside, was still and warm.

Warmer than she could ever have expected. Like the lair of the imps, there must be some volcanic activity in the heart of the mountain, heating the air. Levinja sniffed. No, no sign of any of the poisonous gasses that such volcanoes could sometimes produce. Truly, the gods were smiling on her.

But then she detected some other scent. The bear's stinky hide obscured it, but she was trained to see with her nose as much as with her eyes and her ears. Yes, there was a definite scent. This cave was the home to someone - or something.

There was light, too. Levinja, her hand drifting to the hilt of her sword, took a few steps forward. It was not the warm buttery light of a fire, but a blue light, more a glow, as that from glow-worms or phosphorescent lichen.

And now she heard movement, the shifting of something. The sound was odd but strangely familiar, and Levinja struggled through her exhaustion to remember where she had heard it before. A dry sound, like leaves rubbing against each other. No, not leaves - something softer. Scales?

Steeling herself for a desperate battle, she pushed away the mist of her brain and crept forward. If she had to fight the denizen of this cave, be it dragon or serpent, to survive, she would do so. She could not give up, not now she was so close to the goal of her quest.

Her desperate heart rose in her chest and, emboldened, she turned the corner of the mouth of the cave into the source of the blue glow.

Light bled from the huge crystals hanging from the roof of the cave. For a heartbeat Levinja was left blinking, trying to make out what she was seeing. After days of snow and grey rock and clouds she was half-blind and the colours before her confused her, expecting as she had the bone-littered lair of some great predator.

Instead, there was furniture - a mirror, a dresser, a wardrobe as well, human-sized and of expertly carved and lacquered wood. Brightly-dyed tapestries hung from the walls and the cave's floor was strewn with rugs. No, this was not merely a cave. This was someone's home!

But this was not the home of a human, for all the human furniture. At the far end of the cave was a great, bowl-shaped nest - at least, that's what it looked like to Levinja. It seemed to be fashioned from thin branches, but was filled with pillows and blankets, as luxurious as one would expect in a rich human's mansion. Whoever lived in this place had expensive tastes.

But no sign of the inhabitant. Perhaps the sound she'd heard had been the product of her feverish mind.

She moved forward, her hand slipping from the hilt of her sword. Something intelligent and non-human lived here, and she did not wish to bring about a battle by appearing in their home armed and belligerent.

Her eyes scanned the room. The tapestries had martial scenes on them, knights and pennants and battles. They were something Levinja herself might have had hanging from the walls of her own home. She passed the mirror and glanced at it. A tired old woman looked back at her and her heart skipped. But no, it was just her reflection. Gods, she looked haggard!

But then she saw a gleam of colourful movement in the corner of the mirror and she swung around. Something human-sized but clearly not human, with wide shimmering wings, glided to the floor from where it had been hiding high up in the roof of the cave. Stupid! She'd forgotten the first rule of entering a potentially hostile place - always look up!

"Who are you?" demanded a haughty voice.

Levinja raised her hands. She couldn't see the face of who had spoken - all she could see was those wide, powerful wings, the colours of the feathers shimmering as the monster advanced. "I mean you no harm!" she cried. "Please. The storm-"

"What? A human?" The great wings beat the air, glittering, before they furled away, revealing their owner: a slender male with long dark hair, resembling a human except for those wings and the clawed feet that now tapped on the stone floor as he took a step forward. Levinja gasped. A harpy! She had never before encountered one of these shy and rare monsters. This one was ruggedly handsome, with huge dark eyes and sharp cheek-bones and a full, sensual mouth - but his lips were twisted in a sneer, his nostrils flaring as his eyes considered her with naked revulsion.

"The storm," Levinja repeated. "I was caught in it. Please, if I could just rest here for a -"

"Why are you here?" the harpy demanded, folding his wings across his chest as an angry man might cross his arms. "Humans never come to these mountains. This is harpy territory."

"I'm on a quest," said Levinja quickly. She shifted her bear-skin and ran a hand through her matted hair. Gods, she was so ugly right now! And standing before this gorgeous monster-boy she felt terribly self-conscious.

"A quest," repeated the boy, snorting. "Dressed like that?"

"I was forced to abandon my armour," said Levinja, suddenly fragile. The boy had homed-in on the one thing that would hurt her and she smarted under those dark, accusatory eyes, but she held his gaze and straightened her back. "I am a knight of the Order of the Evening Star."

"Hah!" the boy chuckled. "A likely story." He swept out a red-green wing, the tip pointing towards a tapestry beside them. Knights rode in single file on a green field, the yellow sun bright on their blue pennants. "That tapestry is of a mustering of the Knights of Evening Star. You do not look like one of them, I'm afraid." His eyes narrowed and he took another clicking step forward. "No, you look more to me like an exile. What was your crime?"

Levinja smiled grimly. He was so cocksure and sharp-tongued! In another situation she would have had the boy over her knees, no matter he was on the cusp of manhood, and laid the flat of her hand against his round, recalcitrant buttocks! That would teach him some manners. But she was in no position to do that here, now. She would have to tread carefully.

"I have committed no crime," said Levinja quietly. "I am travelling to the Tower of Maona. I seek the Saint's Mirror."

The harpy-boy blinked. "The Tower is not so very far from here," he said. "Several hours flight when the updrafts are in your favour." He pursed his lips. "But how do you know of it?"

"Like I said," repeated Levinja. "I am a knight. The Tower is the goal of my quest. But I have travelled far and as you can see, this is all I have left of my possessions." She let the bear-skin fall away, revealing her tattered jerkin. The top laces had worn open and her collar, neck and the upper curve of one breast were visible. Coming from the cold into warmth, her skin was flush and pink and when the harpy-boy's eyes fell upon her flesh, Levinja held back a mischievous smile. Ah, so her gambit had been correct. Despite his haughtiness, this boy was just like any other. Now he realised she was a female and not just a vagrant, she might just be able to convince him to allow her to stay. She had no desire to fight this beautiful creature, and her body was still suffering from too little food and too long a journey through the blistering cold.

The harpy lifted his eyes from her bared flesh. Annoyance flashed in his eyes. "You may be on a quest, but you are no knight," he sniffed.

"Is that so?" said Levinja quietly. She took a few short steps toward the tapestry the boy had indicated earlier and he watched her. "I like this tapestry. You know which even it illustrates, yes?"

The boy frowned, but he nodded. "Yes, I know. But you -"

"The Muster before the Battle of Tarphessa," said Levinja. "I remember it well."

The boy's mouth fell open. "You were there?" But just as quickly his sneer returned. "You were not there."

"Oh, but I was," said Levinja. She drew a finger along the tapestry. "See? Here is Radolpho, the leader of the muster. Even without the labels, there would be no mistaking that unruly red hair. And this is the famed knight-errant Everean. And here- come, look." She gestured for the boy to come closer. His wide forehead furrowing in a frown, he took a few hops forward. "You can read Common, yes?"

The boy's eyes flashed. "Of course I can read Common," he sniffed.

"I meant no offence," said Levinja, fighting back a smile. The boy's curiosity was getting the better of him and he was quite close to her now. His oval face and dark features were open to her inspection as his eyes followed her finger across the tapestry. He truly was remarkably handsome. His eyes, wide-spaced, gave him a look of innocence, but his pouting lips and flaring nostrils prevented him from looking gentle. A delightful combination! Levinja leaned closer. Ah yes, he smelled good, too. This lair smelled of him, giving off that pleasant lived-in scent of a male. She missed that smell.

"Just what are you showing me?" the boy muttered. Levinja shook her head and refocussed. The sudden closeness of his body had distracted her.

"Here," she said. "Under this knight. The one on the white horse. Can you read the name?"

The boy narrowed his eyes. "L- Levinja Verada," he said. He sat back, blinking at her.

Levinja allowed herself a smile. "See? I told you I was a knight."

The boy frowned. "That is you?"

Levinja laughed. "It is. Of course, this tapestry must have been woven a few years ago when I was a much younger woman." She rested her hands on her wide hips and tilted them. "I've had two sons since then."

The boy looked at her, as if seeing her as a woman for the first time, his eyes lingering on her body. Levinja struggled to make her playful smile a warm one. Hadn't she been on the verge of exhaustion just a short while ago? And now she was showing off for this beautiful boy.

She caught his eyes and he tore his gaze away, blushing. He took a hop closer to the tapestry and examined it again.

"You read this name before," the boy said. "This isn't really you."

Levinja chuckled. "Oh, now how could I have read this label from way over there?"

"Then you already knew the name," said the boy.

"And I don't even know yours," murmured Levinja. She was not likely to win this argument, seeing as how the boy was adamant not to believe her. It didn't matter. With her foot in the door, she had already half-reached her goal. Better to change the subject.

The boy blinked at her. Oh, those eyes! Under those sharp, dark brows, and so dark against his pale skin, she thought she would never tire of having them upon her.

"My name?"

Levinja murmured. "I want to know the name of my benefactor," she said.

The harpy knitted his eyebrows, thinking it over, but then he relented.

"My name is Feura," he said.

"Feura," repeated Levinja. "A beautiful, striking name. It suits you well."

Feura looked at her. Levinja knew she was not being subtle with her flattery, but something told her this boy's haughty heart would appreciate such bluntness. She knew she was right when the earlier blush returned.

"It means 'swift'," he said. "In the language of the harpies."

Levinja placed a hand over her mouth in a coquettish gesture. "Ah, so a very appropriate name, then."

Feura's eyes met Levinja's. Hers were sparkling, but he narrowed his. "You're flattering me," he muttered. "Just so you can stay here."

"Oh," said Levinja. "But -"

The boy shrugged. "It doesn't matter. You can stay here. I don't care." He swept a wing across the breadth of the room. "There is plenty of space on the floor."

"I see," said Levinja. Well, it was a bit much to have expected to be welcomed straight into the boy's cosy looking nest. Her eyes scanned the little lair. Still far better than being stuck out in a snow storm! "Anywhere is fine?"

Feura nodded. "But try not to mess anything up."

Levinja bit back a smile. So haughty! Well, she was a guest in his home and he was showing her hospitality, even if it was a little chilly. She walked over to a corner and heaved off her pack. "I will be careful," she said.

She took out her bedroll and lay it out. Feura watched her.

"Humans take their nest with them?" he murmured.

"Well," said Levinja, pleased that the boy was displaying his earlier curiosity again. She far preferred it to his arrogant dismissiveness, and males with a brain in their heads had always attracted her. "Only when we are on a quest."

"The Tower of Maona," he said. "You're really searching for it?"

Levinja nodded and crouched herself down on the bedroll. Ah, but these old bones had taken a pounding today! "Yes," she said. "Do you know where it is?"

Feura lifted his eyes to the glittering ceiling of his cavern. Then he nodded. "I will show you tomorrow," he said. "When the snow storm is over you will leave, yes?"

"I would not want to impose on your hospitality any longer," she said.

She had tried to keep the irony from coming through in her voice, and she seemed to have succeeded, as the boy was mollified. "You will leave tomorrow then," he said simply. He hopped over to his nest, perched on the edge, then hopped inside. He fluffed up his feathers just like a bird would and Levinja watched, her heart touched by the sudden cuteness of such an otherwise arrogant young male.

Feura took a while to get comfortable, but at last he stopped his fussy fluffing and lay there, his face amidst the green and gold of the pile of feathery wings. His dark eyes considered her and Levinja resisted the urge to meet his gaze. Oh, but his eyes were so beautiful, and indeed it was a face that one could not quickly get tired of looking at. His mate, if she could tame his proud ways, would be lucky, spending her life sharing that warm, cosy nest with such a gorgeous creature.

Levinja tired of busying herself with her bedroll and glanced at the boy, still watching her. What on earth was he thinking?

"Good night," she said.

The boy said nothing, but looked away, tucking his face under the arc of a wing like a bird would.

Levinja sighed. Well, hopefully his future mate would teach him some manners. Hard to stay angry at such a cute male, though. She felt that familiar twinge. Oh, now she was warm and dry her body had awakened. Greedy thing! She bit her lip. Later, when the lair was dark and Feura asleep, she would pleasure herself and find release. If only it would be the boy's fingers which...

Oh, but then, he did not have fingers, did he? He would have to rely on his tongue and his lips.

A sudden vision of herself, spread-eagled, the proud harpy boy's face between her naked thighs and lapping at her sex as she squirmed and moaned pushed its way into her consciousness. Levinja grit her teeth and quickly began to remove her clothes.

The stinky bear skin was placed far away, and then she removed her jerkin. Having abandoned her cuirass, there was no reason to bind her breasts nearly so much now and she quickly undid the binding, while keeping her tunic on.

The hair on the back of her neck prickled. He was watching her. No doubt those dark eyes were following her every move, camouflaged as they were deep in that heap of red-gold and green feathers. Well, he was a curious boy, after all. No doubt he had never seen a naked human woman before.

Levinja decided then to give him a thrill. Her heart was suddenly wanton and the thought of teasing the villainous little monster boy sent a shudder of pleasure through her. She slipped her breast-binding from under the hem of her tunic. Then, moving so that her back was to the nest and its hidden eyes, she leaned forward as though to fluff up her bed roll. Her back arched and Levinja felt a sudden coolness as the hem of her tunic road up, displaying the expanse of her cotton-clad bottom. No doubt the boy was getting a most educational eyeful!

She dared a little wiggle. Ah, but even after so many weeks of poor rations and exertion, she was still carrying some overgenerous weight. Even all those sexy games with the other boys had not burned it off.

She leaned forward, then back, as she patted the bedroll. She felt a surge of some lewd liquid between her legs and wondered if the boy could see how wet her underwear was. Did he know he had produced that effect on her? Oh, but Levinja wished he would fight off his arrogant pride and climb out from the nest, hop over to her and without any words pull aside the sopping material of her underwear and plunge his gorgeous member deep into her. Levinja grimaced and forced herself to slip into the bedroll. No chance of all that happening! Why was she teasing herself so much? She squirmed and tried to get comfortable.