Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2005 20:29:56 -0500
From: The Gryphon <gryphonhome@hotmail.com>
Subject: Hot Winter Knights: Winds of Change part 1

Standard disclaimer: These stories have detailed depictions of sexual acts
between males... which is probably why you are here reading it.  But if you
are offended by reading such things or it is illegal for you to read such
things, than have some common sense and don't.  Also this is a fantasy
world, so while the characters in it may have unsafe sex I am not saying
any of my readers should.  Again use common sense and make that judgment
for yourself after considering all the risks.  Also while there will be
moments of steamy, wild sex in the story there is a plot too... if your not
into the "plot thing" then feel free to skip ahead; though your going to
miss a good story if you do.

This story is protected by copyright. It may not be downloaded or copied
other than for your private enjoyment and may not be changed in any way
without the expressed written consent of the author. This story may not be
put on any pay to view site.

Feel free to send me a comment to gryphonhome@hotmail.com Praise and
Construct Criticism is always welcome, but outright flame attacks will be
ignored (or more likely... giggled over by me and my friends).

~~~~~~

Hot Winter Knights - Winds of Change part 1
by: the Gryphon


I was trying to remember if Oberon had ever told me that there would be
days like this, because I sure as hell know that my mother never did.

My current situation had me stripped naked, uncomfortably bent over the top
of a table, and tied there.  On the far side of the room I could see the
five Winter Knights speaking softly with each other and gesturing in my
direction.  They were also nude and all of them were quite obviously
aroused.  While I couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, I knew
what they were discussing: which one of them would take me first.  I had
some serious pain headed my way.

It would probably help you understand my situation better if I started at
the beginning.  It all began a year ago on the summer solstice in Chicago.
At the time I was working down in Miami for a company that built homes...

... "Damian!  Damian have you heard the news?"

I looked up from the various sub-contractor bills I was working on to see
my co-worker, Krissy, standing over my desk.  Normally she would bring me
amusing tidbits of gossip and the occasional joke, but there was something
about her tone and the set of her face that told me this was something more
serious.  "What's up?"

"Chicago's gone black!"  She looked tense and even a bit worried.

Unfortunately I didn't understand what she was trying to tell me, as my
very articulate response showed.  "Huh?"

"It's all over the news.  All communication with Chicago stopped 20 minutes
ago... no phones, no TV signals, no radio.  They are saying it might be a
terrorist attack or something."  There was a slight waiver in her voice
that I recognized as borderline hysteria.  For a moment I couldn't figure
out why she was in a near panic, and then it hit me.

Krissy's last job had been near the World Trade Center.  In fact she walked
through the Center's plaza everyday to use the Subway station there.  On
that fateful day she was actually walking through the plaza on her way to
work when the first plane struck the tower.
  Talk of another possible terrorist attack of course had her scared, and I
couldn't blame her.

I quickly got up and hugged her, and I could feel her relax a bit knowing
that I understood.  "Is the TV on in the break room?" I asked her.

She nodded, "Yeah, there's a group already gathered in there."

"Shall we go join them?"  I glanced down at my desk, "I think Jake's
plumbing can wait a bit longer to have his bill paid."

She chuckled at that.  "I'm surprised you don't hold his checks up on a
regular basis, just so Jake has to come in more often."

"I will remind you that you are the one that pointed him out to me.  Is it
my fault that you have really good taste in men?"  I smiled, and felt my
loins tighten a bit at the thought of the hunky Jake.

She chuckled again.  "You could occasionally leave one for me to boff."

"Boff?  Is that the technical term we are using now?"

"It's the approved technical term for the workplace."

"I see."  I grinned at Krissy again.  "And as for boffing the hot ones, I
seem to remember you telling me about fun you had with that FedEx delivery
guy."

She blushed and then hugged me tightly.  "Thanks for the cheering up. Shall
we actually head to the break room now to see what's going on?"

"After you", I said and then motioned for her to lead the way.  We made our
way through the short hall way to the break room, which was packed by this
time with our fellow employees.  The TV in the room was tuned to CNN and
you could see an anchorman talking with an image of the City of Chicago
behind him.  As the two of us entered the room we could hear the anchorman
speak.

"... It has now been 30 minutes since all contact with the City of Chicago
suddenly stopped.  No one has been able to reach anyone in the city through
any means.  Phone lines, Cell phones, Satellites...  nothing has been able
to get through and no word has come out.  As far as we can tell a complete
communications black out with the windy city has occurred.  Moments ago the
White House and the Department of Homeland Security raised the threat level
from Yellow to Red.  Military and National Guard Units across the country
have been put on high alert, and all local authorities have also readied
themselves.  In a few moments we will be going live to the White House
for... hold on."

The anchorman paused and held one hand up to the earpiece he wore.  "I've
just been told that we have just gotten a signal from one of our affiliates
in the Chicago area.  We take you live to Chicago and correspondent Troy
Robins."

The image on the TV changed to one of a man standing outside.  Behind him
you could see several buildings, including the famous John Hancock
Building.  Behind the buildings several smoke clouds drifted up from
various points in the city.  "This is Troy Robins reporting live from Oak
Street Beach, on the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago.  It started out as
any other day here in Chicago...  people headed to and from work, shopped,
and carried out their usual routines.  Then shortly after 10:00 this
morning all power was lost through out the entire metropolitan area.  Cell
phones died, radios stopped broadcasting, and cars stopped running.  There
have even been reports of plane crashes in some areas of the city."

"Moments after all devices that use electricity stopped working the ground
shook.  Many people feared that a bomb had gone off.  But the ground
continued to shake.  Trying to discover what was going on, my crew and I
tried to track the direction that the ground shakes came from.
  Then just mere moments before we got here, the shaking stopped.  When we
arrived this was the sight that greeted us..."

The view from the camera swung about to point in the direction of Lake
Michigan.  Rising out of the water was a... well structure was really the
only way to describe it.  Sort of a sweeping spire of some material that
was blacker than anything I had ever seen.  The curves and shapes of the
spire were bizarre and almost alien in appearance.  "I don't think its
terrorist," I said into the stunned silence of the room.

The reporter continued after a pause to let his audience take in the sight.
"The structure is very alien in appearance a many have begun to speculate
if this is first contact with beings from another world.  However, several
people we have spoken too that were in this area when it appeared said it
came up out of the ground.  The structure appears to be made of some
shimmering black material, and the water for several feet out from it
appears to be frozen over despite the hot June weather."  The camera zoomed
in on the base of the spire and the surrounding water did appear to be
frozen.  "Hey, Bill... to your left," the reporter could be heard to say.
The view on the TV zoomed back out and swung around.

Several Tanks could be seen rolling up to the area, their turret guns
swiveling to be trained on the black spire rising from the waters of Lake
Michigan.  They were followed by several jeeps and other military vehicles.
"It looks like the military and other authorities are beginning to arrive
in response to this situation now that power has returned to the area."

The TV then returned to the anchorman in the CNN news room.  "We will be
keeping you up to date on the unfolding events in Chicago, but now we take
you live to the White House where there will be a joint briefing from White
House staff and Pentagon officials."

Again the images changed and the TV now showed all us the familiar press
room from the White House.  The Press Secretary and two Generals walked
into the room as cameras began to flash.  The Press Secretary went up to
the podium and looked around the room before speaking.  "This is what we
know at this time," he said.  "At approximately 10:13 am Central Standard
Time all communications from the entire metropolitan area of Chicago were
cut off, we then..."

Suddenly power went out in the office; the lights and TV going dead. There
were a couple startled cries from my co-workers when it happened.  I
noticed that the emergency back-up lights didn't kick in as usual.  Then
the ground shook with enough force that we were all almost knocked off our
feet.  That was followed by a sound that even to this day I can't quite
describe, and it was coming from closed outside.

Grabbing Krissy by the arm I pulled her with me as I made my way through
the maze of cubicles that filled the office.  I was thankful for all the
windows that let light in, and allowed us to see in the powerless building.
We made our way over the windows and looked out across Biscayne Boulevard
and Bay Front Park to the waters of Biscayne Bay itself.

Out in the bay we could an area where something seemed to be churning the
water.  The ground shook again, and then Kelly gasped as it broke the
water.  We watched as is climbed higher and higher.  It was a spire, like
the one in Chicago we saw on TV.  But the fact that it was a spire was the
only similarity.  This spire was of a white luminescent material, and was
sweeping and majestic.  However, it was also just as alien in appearance as
the Chicago spire.

As it kept climbing out of the water the ground continued to shake.  "What
the hell is going on?" I asked no one in particular.  The ground gave one
particularly strong lurch and I heard the sound of ripping metal above me.
I looked up in time to see one of the florescent light fixtures break free
of it's mounting and come crashing down towards me.  Then only blackness.

The end of Winds of Change part 1