Harpy: you wanna fuck?

The statement was true, the irony hadn't been lost on him. Especially when the blade of

the excecutioner's ax took her and her lover's head.

"He killed her for that?"

"He found out."

"Well, I would like you to myself, but I imagine that will be too hard of a rule to keep."

Alec looked for meanings in her words. Was she hinting at something? A dragon and a human

in love. He gave a huff of dismissal, but part of him wondered. Licking his lips, he

realized how parched he was.

"Is there anymore water?"

"To wash?"

"And to drink."

"You shouldn't wash of my golden liqueur knight. Smelling like a dragon does keep other

beasts at bay."

"And make bigger ones come out right?"

She laughed.

"You need to get rest. I am sorry about leaving you hanging on release. I will take care

of you as soon as I can when you reach out destination."

Alec smiled with the promise she made.

"So water?"

"There's a small stream at the back of the cavern," she said.

He got up and headed to the back of the cavern. There wasn't a stream but a fountain. A face had been carved into the wall resembling an unknown demon. Out of its mouth water flowed out and into a small basin. Dropping to his knees, he took hand fulls of water and splashed it on his face.

The cold water made him shiver but he was happy for the chance to at least bathe. Somehow

he knew the opportunity to at least rinse his body off of dirt and sweat would be a long

way off. When he had finished and gotten a healthy drink of water, he headed over to the

fire where Sehocha had begun cooking something else over the fire.

"Feel better?" she asked. She looked at him with what he thought was amusement.

"As much as I can. Just after today, I think I need a vacation," he said with a stretch.

"So I am on my own tomorrow?"

"Yes. I will stay with you tonight. This cave marks the halfway point."

Alec was about to comment how much that sounded like an overwhelming prospect when a

scream piercing the night stopped him.

"Don't worry, they can't enter."

"Who?"

"They don't have a name. All that is known of them is that protection magic works. This

place is covered in it to protect travelers."

"Will I see them?"

"Probably not. They only do night. Other things, probably," she said. Her gaze narrowed on

him. "Don't wander off the path. Stick to the stairs and you will be fine. Do not dawdle

either. The longer you take, the more likely something will investigate you."

"Why won't you come with me?"

"I will not travel in such confining spaces. I wish I could fly you."

"Why can't you?"

"My companions would kill you on the spot for being weak enough to take such an easy

route."

Alec didn't think her friends would know how hard it would be for him to accept an offer.

Though, fucking a dragon was apparently a different story.

"I will complete this without fail," he said.

"I hope so. They won't wait and will lock you out over night if you are."

"I there anything else I should know?"

"I don't know," she said. "You'll be fine. You handled my kobolds and the harpies without

much of an issue."

"Fifty of those is one thing, but another dragon?"

"You won't, tight space remember?"

She handed a stick with meat on it.

"I'll cook some for the morning, but I'll be gone by the time you wake. Eat and get some

sleep."

Alec ate the offered meat and gave thanks to her. Before sleeping, he put all of

his armor back on. Better to wake ready than unprepared. Sehocha was distant form that

point on and he knew it had to be worry about him journeying alone again. It touched him

that she cared.

When Alec woke, Sehocha had kept her word. He was alone in the cave and the fire had burnt

itself out. Getting up, he relieved himself before gathering the food that was cooked for

him. Stashing most of it in his pack, he chewed on some meat before continuing on.

By midday, Alec was barely working on a sweat. The air up in the mountain was much cooler

and there was a breeze that whistled through the canyoned path. Twice now ALec had seen

dark holes carved into the canyon but he listened to Sehocha and did not investigate. Time

went by and he was delighted when the stairs ended and the path was just a carved trail.

He was passing another hole when a banshee like scream blasted him. Drawing his sword he

was at the ready when a beast came bounding down the path towards him. He expected the

attack from the hole, but either way, he was ready.

The beast was a bipedal monster with red eyes. It was taller than him and ran up with

slashing claws. Alec answered with his own brazen yell before blocking the blows with his

shield. With a swing, the beast screamed and fell to the ground. Blood and gut spilled out

from it. Without much of a though, Alec swung his sword decapitating the thing. Not even

looking at the corpse he continued on, pulling a rag out and cleaning his blade.

Alec walked on unmolested by anything else in the path. That is until he came across

another set of stairs. Ascending them, the walls of the canyon dropped off sharply and he

could see the peaks of other mountains. A feeling of renewed strength went though him. At

the top of this mountain his journey would be near completion. He was about to step up the

last step and into a flat area when a voice stopped him.

"I wouldn't come closer," it said.

Alec looked around but did not see the owner of the voice. His eyes rested on a crop of

mountain with huge doors set into it.

"Who's there?" he asked.

:I wouldn't worry about that Knight. What you should worry about is the cyclops you will

meet if you walk into that clearing."

Alec was screwed if there was a cyclops. Some might even say a fight with a cyclops would

be more difficult than a dragon. Without a stead, Alec was inclined to agree. Shrugging

with a grunt of conviction, he took another step.

"It's even armored."

Alec ignored the voice and took the final steps he needed to be in the clearing. There was

a noise behind him and he turned to find himself not staring at a cyclops but something

entirely different. With vibrant feathers and golden anklets a gorgeous looking harpy

addressed him.

"So there isn't really a cyclops," she said. Alec didn't car though. His eyes were

transfixed on the gaping sex looking at him. Not to mention the sizable tanks on her

chest. "There is a tax you have to pay to move on though."

"A tax?" Alec asked not believing a harpy was trying to shake him down.

"Yes. I want you armor," she said.

"No deal."

She let out a squawk and suddenly the air behind her filled with over thirty harpies. Alec

realized that in an open space, he would have an advantage.

"Bring it on," he said redrawing his sword.

The harpies descended upon him all at once. All except the leader, but Alec dismissed that

fact realizing that these ones weren't good with tactic. They met him while he swung his

sword. Three of them fell out of the sky and Alec laughed while the others gave futile

attempts to pierce his armor.

Bodies dropped to the ground with each swing of his sword. As numerous as the harpies were

the fight did not seem to be overwhelming him. Sehocha had been right on how easy these

things were to kill. That was until his sword and shield were yanked from his grip. They

fell to the ground a few feet away with a clatter, but Alec ignored that undeterred by

their loss. Instead, he lashed out with gauntleted fists and took birds out of the sky

with powerful blows. The last harpy for him to hit was their regal looking leader and she

crashed to the ground with a scream.

"Please sir, mercy," she cried out right when he was about to stomp on her.

"Why?"

"I don't want to die," she said.

"Why attack if you weren't prepared for this outcome?"

"We didn't expect you to fare so well. You were pretty easy to attack earlier."

Relaxing Alec looked at her.

"I will let you live, but on one condition," he said.

"What is it?" she asked. Alec saw fear in her blue eyes.

"My dragon left me in a state earlier. You fix that, I will let you live."

"What state?"

"Horny."

The harpy stared at him and then her eyes lit up with recognition with what he was asking

for.

"You want to fuck?"

"Yes."