This Week's Writing Challenge: "Who argues with a storm?"

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Danu(the lizardfolk from https://www.sofurry.com/view/1696762 ) is on a quest to attain a wish from the heavens themselves.
A task not suited for mere mortals but Danu is determined.
Will she make it to the top? Or fall where so many other greedy mortals have before her?


Word Count: ~1200

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The Mountain


Wind screamed around Danu as she climbed the drenched cliffside. The roar of thunder piercing her ears, vibrating the air around the lizardess, threatening to throw her back to the depths below. She feared not death, she was here to face it head on. To challenge it at the peak. An ancient magic that resides here. Her only companion was the broken sword strapped to her back and the two ring necklace around her neck. This was a task she needed to do alone with only the tallest peak as a guide. The dark clouds swirled around this mountain, as if knowing of her quest. Her bloodied hands shook with each pull. Her body was growing weaker with every clap of thunder. She had dropped everything but her lightest clothing and the sword she carried with her. What waited for her atop this mountain didn't need more than the heirloom and her will. Everything else had been discarded during the climb. With just rags to cover her, bare skin steadily met with stone. Even her hardened scales couldn't provide safety from the wind as it slammed her against the rocks.

The darkness that enveloped the area egged her on. Thoughts of letting go were getting stronger. They told her it was impossible, that she would never get what she wanted. It was just a legend and nothing more. She stopped for a moment to snap herself out of the dark thoughts. It was all part of the enchantment this place held. As if in response to her moment of rest, a gust of rain and wind slammed against her. Like a wave, it crashed against her, determined to knock her from the ledge. Once again her body was torn against the cliff. She cried out, holding her ground against the wretched storm.

Lightning illuminated the area around her, the force of the sound rumbling the earth in her grip. She closed her eyes tight, bracing herself against the onslaught. She was showing it her determination, standing firm as if to tell the storm she wouldn't give in. The rain continued it's unrelenting assault as she continued her climb. She was close, she could feel it. She kept her eyes closed as they held no more use to her with the rain and darkness so think. She felt around for the right places to climb. She needed to rely on her faith and will to get through this final trial. Being pushed past the brink was it's design. The world around her was formless in her mind. Just the wall she clung to in endless darkness with only one direction. Up.

Pain seared through her body between her muscles and the endless scrapes and bruises across her scaled form. With every break she took, the wind would roar against her, demanding she continue. In time she found herself with nothing in arms reach to hold on to. The rock became flat. She tried to look up, but the rain obscured her vision. She stretched her arms every bit that should could in every direction with nothing to latch. The dark thoughts returned. This was the end, there was no where to go. No way down but to let go and fall into the endless below.

She pressed her head against the mountain, trying to scare those thoughts away. She didn't come this far to give up. There was only one thing she could do. As best she could, she bent her knees, jumping up with all the strength she could muster, reaching up in hopes that there was something that was just out of reach before. Letting go of the mountain, she was now airborne with nothing to save her but the hope that the ledge was just above her. Lightning struck beside her, lighting her way for a single moment. It was enough to see her target. The ledge was within reach.

As she dangled by a single hand, grasping the ledge of the peak, she took a single look down below to see how far she had come. She pulled herself onto the highest point. It was a flat space. There was a single stone with words carved onto them. She crawled towards it, dragging herself through the mud to get to it. The words were in a language that was unfamiliar to her, but something inside told her what to do. She took the broken sword from her back, digging the blade into the ground as far as she could. She took the necklace from her neck, taking one of the rings off to wear, leaving the other on the chain. She took the chain, placing it around the sword's grip. She read the engraving on the blade, "Gilbert of Nightmoor"

She stood, facing the dark sky, "I wish for the safe return of Gilbert to the living!" She yelled into the night.

Lightning raced across the dark, furious clouds. A cascade of rain was the only thing around her. She stood up straight, trying to keep her shaking legs from buckling.

"Give me what I have requested!" She screamed. But received no reply. A sinking feeling consumed her. What is all for naught? Did she not will for it enough. Every bit of energy she had was focused on him. There was nothing left to offer the gods. She had nothing left to give, she'd laid her life on the line for this. Her knees buckled from the weight of her breaking heart.

"Give him back to me!" She demanded, "Give him back!" She screamed against the wind.

Lightning struck the stone which had been inscribed, the force of which tried to push her down. Before the ringing in her ears even stopped she screamed.

She didn't have words, only a response to the thunder with her own wordless plea. More thunder surrounded her as a voice from the heavens.

Without hesitation she responded in kind, throwing her voice with all the force she could, trying to out roar the boom of the thunder. A scream that broke her voice, but still she pushed it. Her breath gave out but she pushed on, a scream which her heart and soul ached to unleashed, despite her body's limitations. There was no stopping it, even as she gasped for breath, as her throat burned, she would try to scream until she collapsed to her hands and knees. Breathless, she sobbed.

There was a feeling on her shoulder, a warmth. The winds died down, the stream of rain slowed to a light drizzle. Moonlight poked through the parting clouds as the gentle grip she felt stroked her, comforting her.

"Danu?" Gilbert's voice said from above her.

She turned her head to see her mate standing behind her, his hand on her. She tried to speak, but the searing pain in her throat stopped her. Gilbert grabbed her without hesitation, helping her to her feet. She fell into his arms, losing the strength to stand on her own.

"I got you, love." He said as the world started to fade around Danu.

"You're okay." He reassured her as her body lost it's feeling. She didn't know if she could trust her senses. Even now as she could smell him, feel his body around her. She couldn't help but think this was some last desperate stretch of her imagination moments before succumbing to the elements and her exhaustion. She just held onto the hope that the ancient magic worked. The final thought she had was of Gil.