Barbarian Quest - Cultistslayer 02

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Palace, City of Yeledor

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Girn listened to the Connor Quickfingers's story in the palace's council chambers. Not a word was spoken by anyone until the young man had finished recounting his two encounters of the night before. The King studied the thief for a moment, looking at him from under carefully combed, bushy eyebrows, he said, "Quite imaginative, utterly astonishing if true. I simply don't wish to believe such a plot can exist."

Lareon had sat with his hands forming a tent before his face, the fingers restlessly flexing. His voice was serious. "I'd not be the first prince targeted for an assassin's blade, father."

"Whatever it is, my son, I'm certain you, who already makes me proud, will handle this unfortunate business. But be careful." With that, the King left the room.

Prince Lareon turned to Aldon, "Double the guard at once, Captain, but quietly, without explanation. We don't want rumours flying about the palace. Within two weeks we'll have every noble in the Kingdom in these halls."

Lord Sand said, "Perhaps you should retract the invitations?" Joshua Sand was a towering man of Southern origin, evident by his dark skin. Although without an official title, Lord Sand was a trusted advisor to the King and the Prince. Girn noted the man's powerful build and martial yet elegant attire. The handle of a two-handed longsword rose behind his head from under a heavy cape on his back. Girn guessed Lord Joshua Sand would be a formidable opponent in battle.

"No," said Lareon flatly. "The nobles will be travelling with a full company of their household guard. If two score well-trained soldiers can't protect them, they can't be protected anywhere. No, our problem lies here in Yeledor." He shook his head and wiped a hand across his face. Girn noted that the Prince looked quite tiresome, but who wouldn't knowing their head was a sought-after price.

"You needed my greataxe," Girn said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the large double-sided blade. "Tell me what for and it gets done."

"It seems to me we have no choice in our options," Magister Rebus said, tapping his index finger on his chin, eyebrows contorted in a thoughtful expression.

"I'm not sure I follow, Magister," said Captain Aldon.

"Neither do I, explain yourself Rebus," Lord Sand joined in.

"I think I do," Connor said hesitantly. When all eyes turned on him he stammered, "Sorry for interrupting."

Lareon's grim smile turned light-hearted at the overwhelmed thief. He cleared his throat and addressed the room. "I think our streetwise companion has a clear understanding of what must be done." Turning to face Connor, he nodded, indicating him to speak up.

Connor shrugged and said, "We must catch a Nightcrawler."

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Swan Tower, Palace, City of Yeledor

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After the elaboration of Connor and the decision to hunt down and capture a Nightcrawler, Girn wandered the halls of the palace. He wasn't familiar with these so-called legendary assassins, but the others were clearly concerned while planning their approach to the task. Nevertheless, Girn was convinced his companions in this were capable men. Prince Lareon seemed a competent commander of the group, with Captain Aldon as his second-in-command. Lord Joshua Sand was an imposing presence who could surely turn the tide in battle. Although he didn't know much about the young thief, he suspected Connor Quickfingers to have a unique set of skills. And then there was also Magister Rebus who could help them with anything related to the arcane. Girn considered himself to be the fighter of the group. Magister Rebus had made it clear he trusted his skill with his greataxe. Not only to find and kill these assassins, but also protect the Prince if need be.

Striding through the halls, he thought about everything he knew already and tried to come up with ways to find out who hired the Nightcrawlers and where they came from. Turning the corner, he nearly barged into someone. But the lady in question balanced herself elegantly and looked sternly at Girn.

"Good man, don't go stomping around like an elephant, you almost knocked me over," Lady Annabel said. She looked as magnificent as Girn remembered her from the last time he had seen her, at the orgy with five other beautiful ladies.

"Apologies," Girn offered, attempting one of those bows he had often seen at court. He half succeeded and made up for the awkwardness with a wide smile.

"I'll accept them if," Annabel said, tapping her pursed lips with her forefinger, "you accompany me. I'm on my way to Lady Sybbil. And who knows if there's still a goblin hidden somewhere." She chuckled at her own joke. Girn joined in, yet found it not a laughing matter. He'd rather not give any more thought to the greenskins.

"Of course, I'll be your protector."

They went down one storey and through two hallways before stopping at a closed door. "Lady Sybbil's chambers," Annabel indicated. She knocked on the door. There was no response. "I'm certain she asked me to come at this time of day," she said thoughtfully.

Girn raised his hand and placed a finger across his lips, silently asking her to be silent. He then pointed at his ear and the door. Placing the side of his head against the wood, Annabel copied him. Through the thick door, they could hear a mix of low and high-pitched noises. They shrugged at each other, both not knowing what could make those sounds.

Before he could stop her, Lady Annabel turned the handle and slightly pushed the door open. They peeped through the crack and found two bodies intertwined on the bed. The sounds were now clear, the two figures moaning. The one on top straightened and revealed herself as Lady Sybbil, and also the face of Magister Rebus became visible underneath.

Girn couldn't help but smile at the sight of Sybbil riding Rebus, both audibly enjoying it. He watched the swaying auburn hair, and the jaw-dropping, voluptuous body slowly rising and falling. Lady Sybbil grabbed her round breasts and squeezed, holding them firmly while she bounced on top of the magister.

The door closed and Lady Annabel turned towards Girn. "I think she wanted me to join," she whispered. "Why else would she have asked me at this time?"

"What's stopping you from doing so?" Girn asked.

"I don't know, they just seemed so enraptured by each other. Wouldn't want to kill that vibe by throwing my body between them."

"That's noble," Girn agreed. It was difficult to keep his mind from imagining Lady Annabel joining Sybbil and Rebus in a threesome. How exciting that would be to watch. Even more so to join in himself. It would be a glorious foursome, Girn was certain.

"And I'm more of a mind to have some fun with you," Annabel said and grabbed Girn's hard cock through his loincloth. Apparently he had unknowingly got erect while watching Sybbil and Rebus for that short time. Or it was his thoughts about the four of them that had done it. "Will you entertain me, Girn?"

Girn decided a verbal answer unnecessary and simply scooped Lady Annabel up in his broad arms. Tracing their steps back, he carried her to her chambers and ever so gently placed her on the bed.

"Carrying me like a real gentleman has me soaking wet already," Annabel said with a sultry voice. "No one has ever done that." She didn't waste time unclothing herself and urged Girn to do the same. In a couple of moments, she lay naked on the bed and Girn stood at the foot end of the bed with his large cock spearing proudly into the air, cockhead gleaming in the sunlight that came in through the window.

Lady Annabel beckoned Girn on top of her with her finger, placing a hand on his cheek and engaging in a passionate kiss. Her other hand reached between them and easily found his large tool, guiding its tip to her wet entrance. She moaned into Girn's mouth as his thick cock parted her folds, penetrating and stretching her tight pussy.

"Fuck, you're so big," she cooed. "Yes, push it deeper, stretch my little pussy, hhhmmm, that feels so good!"

Girn grinned, pleased at how Annabel was reacting. He straightened and lifted her legs, positioning them on his shoulders. This way, he could get a good hold on her hips. He pulled back and with a long deep stroke pushed back inside. Lady Annabel's eyes rolled back and her breasts shook as her body was rocked by a wave of pleasure. With just a couple of deep strokes like this, Annabel was shaking, the waves of pleasure piling on top of each other. Until it was too much to bear. She cried out in ecstasy. Girn held her quivering legs firmly in place. Her pussy squeezed down hard on his cock. Fully embedded inside the orgasming Lady Annabel, Girn only slightly withdrew before hammering forward again, fucking her with small but powerful thrusts deep inside her wet pussy.

"Oh-oh-oh-oh," she moaned each time Girn pounded her contracting pussy. Then she brought her knees to her chest and pushed her feet against Girn's six-pack. "Fuck, that was amazing. Now my other hole please."

He knew Annabel was very good at taking a cock in her ass since their encounter in the orgy orchestrated by Lady Sybbil. Thus, Girn flipped her around on hands and knees and pressed his shaft between her cheeks. Even though she wanted his cock in her butt, her asshole was still tight. Just how Girn liked it!

There was the initial resistance but it slowly relaxed and then his tip popped inside. Unlike the previous time they had anal sex, Girn took his time and went very slowly. He paused frequently, letting her butt adjust to his size entering. It felt lovely how the tightness slowly gave way. As his cock slid in deeper he could hear Annabel taking deep breaths to help her backdoor relax and take in more cock.

Finally, although his hips weren't able to touch her cheeks, Girn was able to push far into her asshole. He relished the way that her ass hugged his cock. He had fucked other girls in the ass, but somehow with Lady Annabel it felt a little different, maybe even better. Her ass seemed to respond in it's own special way to Girn's massive penetration.

Annabel whispered, "Yes... Fuck, I love it in my ass."

Girn looked down to admire the exceptional body of Lady Annabel. Toned legs, a well-rounded butt, and a nice shape to her figure. Watching his cock disappear between her cheeks made him only think about filling her ass with hot cum. But that was for later, first he wanted to enjoy her tight hole a while longer.

Girn started to move his hips, moving in and out of her ass. He grabbed her love handles and used them as leverage to give more weight to his fucking. A moment later, he was shoving his thick cock inside Annabel's stretched asshole.

Lady Annabel threw her hair aside and glanced over her shoulder. She said, "I want to cum again. Please pump my ass and make me cum?" Girn increased the speed of his thrusting and she groaned, "Yeah, that's it. Slam it all the way in!"

Girn grabbed her by the hair. As soon as he did, Annabel shuddered and let out this guttural moan that drove him wild in return. He started spanking her ass with the same result.

"Yes! Fuck!" she started yelling. "My tight asshole loves your cock!"

They started to get their rhythm down, both bodies moving in unison to achieve the deepest and hardest pounding. As Girn would pump in and out, Annabel would move forward and back. Each time he would almost pull out and then penetrate her completely. His thighs would smack against her cheeks as he drove his cock deep inside her backdoor. They kept up the pace until Lady Annabel started to come to a full orgasm. As her peak consumed her, she stopped moving all together and gripped the bedsheets tightly. The sounds escaping from her lips resembled a scream from someone who'd lost their voice, like a silent cry. As the orgasm went over the crest, her body started to twitch uncontrollably.

It was a beautiful sight for Girn to watch, knowing his large cock had caused her to cum this hard. He continued to slide his cock in and out of her butthole in a slow fashion while maintaining his grip on her hips. Then he could feel the pressure building in his balls. He said, "I'm cumming too, Annabel. Where do you want it?"

Clumsily, with her body still trembling, she crawled off the bed and took Girn's cock between her lips. She kept her eyes wide and locked on Girn's face. He could read yearning in them and wouldn't want anything else than grant her the sticky treat she wanted. While she kept bobbing her head on his tip, Girn stroked his shaft. He grunted as he reached the edge.

When Lady Annabel felt the hot cum enter her mouth, she removed Girn's hand from his shaft and grabbed his hips. She pulled herself onto his cock, feeling his throbbing tip pushing against her throat. She gagged but firmed herself, keeping her lips tightly wrapped around his shaft and throat muscles massaging his tip. Stream after stream of sticky cum was shot down her throat.

"That feels heavenly," Girn grunted. "But allow me to paint your beautiful face a little." With those words, he took control of his cock again, pulling out of her mouth and stroking vigorously. The sudden increase in sensation made him shoot another half a dozen ropes across Lady Annabel's face. She had her lips wide and tongue stuck out, still hungry for more cum.

Lady Annabel licked her lips and gulped down the cum in her mouth. She raised a hand and bit the first digit of her forefinger, looking seductively at Girn, seemingly unaware - or unbothered - of the remaining cum coating her gorgeous features. "It was amazing," she said with a voice hoarse from his cock down her throat. "You should bump into me more often."

"An idea not entirely unpleasant," Girn joked.

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Palace, City of Yeledor

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Girn stuffed a chicken breast down his throat and licked his greasy fingers clean. From the hall outside, Connor was carried inside by Captain Aldon, followed by Prince Lareon and Lord Sand. The young thief was put on the bench next to Girn. His face was drained of colour and he was sweating.

"What's up with him?" Girn asked and burped loudly.

Captain Aldon half smiled, half looked disapproving. "This young bravo has been running around with a nasty cut in his side. He bandaged it himself and botched the job."

"It had begun to fester," added Prince Lareon, "the boy was turning feverish so I forced the Royal Chirurgeon to clean and dress it." He looked down at Connor. "He's a little pale from the procedure, but he'll be fine in a few hours -- as long as he doesn't reopen the wound," he added pointedly.

Connor looked abashed. "Sorry, but under other circumstances, I would have had the wound tended. The news--"

Lareon looked at the young thief and patted his shoulder. "I know, thank you for informing us fastlike."

"What have you discovered?" Girn asked.

Connor sighed. "This business of catching assassins may be even more difficult than we thought. There is a way to make contact, but it is varied and roundabout." Lareon nodded for him to continue. "Here is what I have gleaned from asking dozens of beggars. Should you wish to employ the services of the Guild of Assassins, you must go to the Temple of Zoaris." Captain Aldon made a sign of protection at mention of the Goddess of Death. "A prayer is said and a votive offering placed in the urn marked for such, but with the gold sewn into a parchment, giving your name. You will be contacted at their convenience within a day's time. You name the victim, they name the price. You pay or you don't. If you do, they tell you when and where to drop the gold. If you don't agree, they vanish and you can't reach them again."

"Sounds simple," said Lord Sand.

"But it isn't," Girn countered. "They dictate the time and place for the meeting so laying a trap will not be easy."

"Impossible, I should think," said Captain Aldon.

"Nothing is impossible," said Lareon, his expression showing he was deep in thought. "Among the five of us, we should find a way."

After a long moment Lord Sand said, "I have it!" The others looked at him. "Connor, you said they will contact whoever leaves the gold within the day." The thief nodded. "Then what we need to do is have whoever leaves the gold and gives his name stay in only one place. A place we control. And they'll have no choice but to come to us."

The Prince nodded, patting the large man's shoulder, "A good enough idea, Joshua. But where would that place be? There are few places we might take over for a time without suspicion, but those who own them are unreliable."

"I know a place," offered Girn, "and I think young Connor Quickfingers should deal with the Temple of Zoaris, so the Nightcrawlers will be less likely to think it a trap. We're all too conspicuous except him."

"I don't know," said Connor. He reminded them of Crooked Duncan's attack, and of the traitor's unknown companion with the crossbow. "It may have been a grudge thing, I've known men to get crazy over something even more trivial than a broken nose, but if it wasn't... I should report this to the Swipemaster. But if Duncan was somehow involved with that assassin..."

"Then," said Aldon, "the Nightcrawlers have corrupted an officer of the Swipers to their cause."

Connor looked upset, as he suddenly dropped his mask of bravado. "That thought has troubled me as much as the thought of someone attempting to assassinate his Highness."

Lord Sand quickly stepped over to where the boy sat. Lowering his large frame, he kneeled down so his face was level with Connor's. "You have your concerns, lad, I understand, but things seem to be moving rapidly. If the Swipers have been infiltrated, then speaking too soon could make those who have been placed there cover tracks. If we can get one of these Nightcrawlers..." He left the thought unfinished.

Connor nodded his understanding. "Very well, I'll take a note to the Goddess of Death's temple."

"And," said Girn, "I must be off to see a friend about the loan of his tavern."

"Good," said Lareon, hiding his smile at the thought of this random group of people planning to catch a legendary Nightcrawler. "Make haste. We will spring the snare tomorrow."

While Lord Sand and Captain Aldon watched, Connor and Girn departed, deep in conversation as they went over their tasks. Prince Lareon followed their departure as well, his dark eyes masking the quietly burning rage he felt. After the strife during the goblin invasion he had hoped for a long, peaceful time, especially with his bride-to-be coming to Yeledor. Now someone dared to threaten that peaceful life. And that someone would pay dearly.

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City of Yeledor

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The Full Tankard tavern was quiet. The storm windows had been closed against a sudden squall, blanketing the common room in a haze of smoke from the fireplace and a dozen patrons' pipes. To any casual observer, the tavern looked much as it would on other rainy nights. The owner, Hans, stood behind the long bar while barmaids occasionally moved through the door to the kitchen to fetch meals and carry them to the tables. In the corner near the fireplace, opposite the stairs to the second floor, a dark-skinned minstrel with heavy boots sat in Girn's former regular spot, singing softly about a brave warrior fighting off greenskins. The barbarian himself stood in the kitchen, out of sight from anyone in the common room, but close enough to act quickly if needed. He held his greataxe firmly in both hands.

Upon close inspection, one would notice that the men at the tables barely touched their ale. Though rough in appearance, they didn't have the demeanour of warehouse workers, sailors fresh from sea voyages, or mercenaries hired by trade caravans. They all had a certain hard-eyed look, and their scars were from past battles rather than tavern brawls. These men were members of Captain Aldon's company of the Royal Guard, some of the most seasoned veterans in the Kingdom of Yeledor.