Private with Serpentess

(Oh, sorry. Chaos has reigned the past few hours, lmao! I’ll get a reply up though)

(I totally get that! I love this!)

Mardicos grunted in acknowledgment, then shrugged. It is what it is. It was as simple as that. Though, he might have to watch his thoughts a bit more… maybe. Or, he could take advantage of it.

“I understand that feeling. But, Farah, don’t be ashamed of your abilities. I’ve met a couple powerful witches before, one was a seductress bitch and the other a psychotic killer. You are neither,”Mardicos said.

He listened to her, sighing softly. It was sad that she had been used for her abilities.

“Solitude has also worked better for me, simply because less people die. They either want to kill me or I lose control. But, besides all that, it seems fortunate that I came this way. I never realized there was a cottage around here, let alone someone living there that would save my life instead of put an end to it,”Mardicos replied softly.

His eyebrows rose slightly and he hummed.

“You have? I didn’t think that anyone outside the lycanthrope world would know. A stupid ass thought, considering that books about legends aren’t uncommon. Though… now I’m curious, and a bit wary. Do you know of the Two Kingdoms legend?”he asked.

(This turned out a bit longer than I expected, to be honest, lol)

Mardicos’ keen eyes caught the sight of her trembling hands before she hid them. He glanced up at her, then reached forward to gently take hold of her hands.

“We all have our haunts, Farah. All we can do is move forward,”he said softly, brushing his thumb across her knuckles.

Mardicos chuckled at her offer. He had Eidna, his horse, but she was days away. Otherwise, it was just the open road for him. Though, it amused him how Farah was trying to be so polite about it. She was far from the aristocrats he had known, but nowhere near as rude as the commoners or merchants.

“I have nowhere to be,”he said simply, a small smile on his face.

He looked down when she requested him to explain the legend, chuckling. It was strange to have to explain a legend that was not only true history, but also one he had seen personally.

“I’ve mentioned some of it already. To be as breif as possible, it was… a few decades after the Fire Rains, the cataclysm that freed me. The two kingdoms that existed before the Fire Rains were revived. The Mother Flame Cult, the one the bitch led, grew powerful enough to resurrect said bitch, and she decided to try conquering the nearby lands. But, the ‘Midnight Wolf of the Fire Queen’ returned before she had fully assembled her army, and murdered her. The cult fell, the Wolf vanished, possibly killed, and both kingdoms disappeared without a trace,”Mardicos said, snorting afterward.

He shook his head, remembering everything that happened. The legend was vague, and a bit inaccurate in places, but otherwise truth.

“I missed a bit of it, honestly. But, I can tell you from personal experience, that I didn’t fucking die, I left. And the kingdoms didn’t vanish, they sank, and are currently buried beneath miles of beautiful plains. The moment I killed Eidna… the witch that betrayed me, both kingdoms were just swallowed by the land. My curse steadied, and dragons decided to return to the world after an Era of being almost nonexistent. All of that, because I fucked a goddess, fell to her lies, then chopped her fucking head off,”he added, sighing.

Mardicos stared into oblivion as he remembered Eidna’s sad eyes, as she sank to the floor, dying in front of him. She had regretted hurting him, had fallen for him as well, but there was nothing either of them could do. The past was simply too much to be ignored, too much for either to forgive. They had both wanted to be free, and he had given Eidna her freedom.

Mardicos watched her reaction, and was honestly a bit dismayed when she seemed to tense up again. It had been ages since he last talked to someone though, so it wasn’t too surprising that he wouldn’t be as successful with comforting another as he’d hoped.

“I know. I really know,”he said softly.

He sighed, shrugging a bit, then glanced down at their entwined hands. Her soft, delicate hands compared to his rough, brawny paws. It was a fascinating and beautiful contrast.

He looked back up at Farah when she spoke. There was something so soothing about her, her eyes, her tender hands. He was sure magic was involved somehow, but he didn’t really care. He then hummed at her comment.

“I’m not sure of that, but I’ve always found that love chooses for you,”he said with a resigned shrug.

Mardicos followed Farah up fairly easily, chuckling a bit. He nodded at her words, giving her hands one last caress with his thumbs before letting go.

As a last minute thought, he moved over to his shirt and axe, putting the first on and easily plucking the second from the root. Despite the dirt and debris that clung to his clothes, the complete image was tailored and refined.

“Lead the way.”

Mardicos shrugged,”We all have different experiences.”

He left it at that. It would do no good to linger on foul memories too much longer. That, and he figured neither of them wanted to think on those foul memories anymore.

When Farah blushed, Mardicos couldn’t help a small smile. He then noticed the hint of disappointment in her scent, and his thoughts whirled on that. Why was she disappointed? That he had let go of her hands? Did she like seeing him shirtless?

The questions went on and on, then drifted into questions regarding her. Why was Farah so soothing? Why was her smile so wonderful to look at? What was it about her scent that was just so irresistible?

Mardicos quickly pushed the questions aside as Farah moved through the trees. He easily kept up with her, trying hard not to compare the journey to a hunt. He wasn’t hunting Farah, he was following her, traveling with her.

When she stopped, it confused him. He smelled the hint of magic, but where was the house? He watched her, scrutinizing the barrier before following her inside. It intrigued him, but also concerned him.

Was there a way out without forcing Farah to open it for him? He still had one more night before the moon started to wane, and if he was trapped inside the barrier… Mardicos preferred not to think of what would become of Farah. She seemed to be genuinely kind, and he didn’t want to hurt her.

He didn’t say anything though, continuing to follow Farah. He then started sniffing the area, memorizing the scent. Afterward, he shook his head a bit, much like a wolf would. His eyes were bright and curious, and a thoughtful smile lifted his lips.

“Brilliant,”he mumbled.

Mardicos chuckled at the sight of the daisies, and her resulting reaction. It intrigued him that she could so easily manipulate her own magic.

“It’s alright. Is there significance to the daisies?”he asked softly.

As he followed her toward the cottage, he noticed the vibrant grass. He then noticed the smells, recognizing them from Farah’s own scent. She got more fascinating by the hour.

As they got closer to the cottage, Mardicos started to realize that he was covered head to toe in dirt and grime. It wasn’t that he was an utter mess, he did bathe anytime he visited an inn, and he frequently groomed while in wolf form, but he was still dirty.

When they entered the cottage, Mardicos was in awe. The place was beautiful. The lights were fascinating, the library was delightfully packed, and there was clearly history everywhere, particularly with what appeared to be the dining table. But, for some reason, he felt like an intruder.

He had been born in a palace, had seen the inside of a grand volcanic temple before it sank into the earth, but now he only occasionally visited inns. He was so unused to being inside another’s house, particularly as a human, that he simply didn’t know what to do. He knew he was welcome, Farah was making that quite plain, but some part of him wondered if he was truly welcome.

“Tea sounds nice,”he said quietly, his voice unusually shy.

Mardicos chuckled shyly when she stammered, realizing that he might’ve been a bit impulsive in asking that. He watched her a moment, listening to her as his eyes deliberately avoided any glimpse of the flame.

In his youth, he was taught that each flower had meaning, and he remembered quite a bit of it. Though, her answer did confuse him a bit.

“I don’t know any ‘Celtic’ culture… unless it’s those strange ass Talraeans… but I do recognize the symbolism. Though, if I recall that’s not all they can mean. Besides purity and innocence, there’s the associations with mornings, new beginnings, beauty…”he let his voice grow quieter before trailing off as he stared at Farah. He had somewhat intentionally mentioned ‘beauty’, but as he replayed his words, he noticed that it fit almost exactly with how he and Farah had met. What did that mean?

His eyes hung on hers when she looked at him, their glow somehow convincing him to relax slightly. Mardicos already knew what was going on, why she affected him like she did, but he didn’t want to admit it to himself. Because admitting that he liked her would almost certainly doom them, especially her. Every witch he had cared about, and he remembered at least three, had betrayed him or otherwise provoked him, and then he killed them without truly meaning to. He didn’t want that for Farah.

Her words broke him out of his thoughts, reminding him of how strange it was to be in her home. Mardicos stammered a moment, a bit flustered, but he quickly recovered.

“I… honestly don’t know. It’s been so long since I… I’ve been a feral for so long that I… barely remember what it’s like to be welcome inside another’s home. And, I haven’t had a home of my own in… fucking centuries, since my youth, since before this fucking curse,”he said, no longer looking at Farah.

His hand repeatedly squeezed the handle of his axe, needing some distraction from the overwhelming thoughts and feelings. The worn wood helped ground him, reminding him of how long the axe had survived in his care. Though it had been repaired a handful of times, the axe was almost as old as he was, and had served him well the entire time.

Mardicos didn’t think too much on the mention of a culture he didn’t know. He still had many places to visit, and he didn’t know where Farah was from, so it wasn’t a big deal for him.

A soft smile appeared when he saw her flush, and it lingered as he admired her glowing eyes. He had little experience with telepaths, so he was completely unaware of her intrusion. He did notice when she shook her head though, but he figured it was her own thoughts getting to her and didn’t question it. A tiny part of him was curious what she was thinking.

A small smile breifly appeared at her words. As Farah approached, Mardicos set aside his axe, placing it against the wall where it was clear to see. When Mardicos turned back to her, he seemed even more shy than before.

He watched her place the teacup in his hands, then held the cup with care. The sight of it brought back memories of his youth, watching his mother drink from similar cups, and then being taught how to hold them himself. It had been ages since he last held a true teacup.

After a breif moment, he looked up from the cup. He was so used to towering over people that he didn’t even notice the height difference as he met Farah’s eyes. That shy gleam lingered, but there was also something else in his eyes, something younger, like a scared child coming out of hiding for the first time in a very long time.

“Thank you,”he breathed. His tone had multiple meanings. Not only was he grateful for the tea, but also her help, her magic, her company. She was the first person in five hundred years and a continent and a half to be so kind to him, and he would never forget that, no matter what happened between them.

Mardicos watched her, surprisingly holding still as her hand reached up to touch him. In almost any other case, he would’ve already flinched away, and likely snapped or growled at her. But, this time was different. She was so gentle, so timid. There was no threat to be found.

When she spoke, the words just pouring out of her, his eyes widened. At first, he was surprised, caught off guard by her descriptions. But, every description hit a nerve, especially when she mentioned that she liked him as much as he liked her. He froze, too stunned, too flustered, to do anything.

When she moved backward, looking away from him, he barely registered it, but her words were clear. She hadn’t meant to be so forward. But, she had been nonetheless.

He slowly looked up at Farah. Even with his mind out of sorts, he took a moment to gaze at her. When his eyes fell upon her hair, for a reason he couldn’t quite fathom, though it was likely just buried beneath everything else whirling in his head, he couldn’t take anymore.

Mardicos glanced off to the side, to the table, and moved over to gently set down his cup. It was rattling as he put it down, but he didn’t want to openly admit how shaky he had become.

“I… um…”

He wanted to say that he didn’t want to leave, that her words had just startled him, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Her words had hit every sensitive chord. He couldn’t breathe. He needed air… fresh air, a breeze, anything.

“I… suppose I can just walk right out of the magic barrier you have, yes?”

Mardicos waited a moment for her answer, raking his hand through his hair. Then he was gone, walking to and through the front door without another word. The gentle sound of the door closing was all the noise he made.

His prized axe still rested against the wall.

The moment he closed the door, tears started pouring from Mardicos’ eyes. He tried to ignore them, to let the feeling pass as he headed for the barrier, but the closer he got to the barrier, the more tears came.

He knew Farah hadn’t meant it, that she couldn’t easily dissuade her telepathy, but it felt like a betrayal anyway. It was a stupid feeling, one that he wished he could tear apart for even daring to invade his thoughts. But, after revealing so much to her, after just opening himself up to the possibility of something better, she had discovered the core of his very being. The reasons why he was a walking mess of a man that had grown so used to running that he could barely face his own alter ego, let alone another person. It was just too much too soon.

Farah’s call froze him mid-step. A small whine escaped him and he closed his eyes, breathing deeply for a minute. He then turned somewhat to look back at Farah, wishing he could go to her.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Farah. But, I don’t have any control. I never have,”he called back to her.

It tore him to bits hearing those words come from his mouth, but it was true. He was simply too feral, the wolf in him too powerful to contain. But, he wouldn’t allow the beast to destroy the beautiful creature that was Farah, not if he could help it.

Mardicos reluctantly turned around, continuing toward the barrier. He would go back to wandering, back to the utter loneliness, where only his weapons kept him company. It was for the best.

He turned around again at her call, and listened. He then started shaking his head.

“It is not my emotions that I can’t control, it’s the wolf! You may have read about Midnight Wolves, but I doubt you’ve ever met one in person, but I’ve lived with this fucking beast almost all of my life. The sheer power of it can shred a full grown bear! I don’t want that happening to you,”Mardicos replied.

As Farah drew nearer, he started backing away. He felt the beast rising, drawn to the surface by his stress, and by the possibility of a threat. Part of Mardicos told him to run, the other part told him to give in and charge at this woman that dared to approach him while he was so out of sorts. A whine burst from him, one of his eyes turning icy blue, and his fingertips aching as claws threatened to break through to the surface.

“How are you so sure that you’ll be safe anywhere near me?”he asked, desperate.

“I don’t…”he paused, thinking more deeply on her question. Anger and stress could definitely cause a morph, but that was all he knew. Did that qualify as his emotions sometimes controlling the wolf? He wasn’t sure, and he was still too out of sorts to properly think.

When the wind picked up, Mardicos closed his eyes to savor it. Wind reminded him of running along flat plains or hills, and that was something he always found soothing.

When he opened his eyes, the wind had settled and Farah was no closer than when he’d closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, listening to her again.

“I was wounded, dying. I… How do you not fear me?”

Now, Mardicos was becoming confused. Everyone he ever encountered, particularly as a wolf, was afraid of him. And Mardicos couldn’t tell if Farah was being honest, or lying to comfort him. She was much harder to read than most.

As she continued, he grew even more confused, but he did start to calm down. Her voice was soothing to him, her words a relief, even if he was skeptical.

“It is never easy to change. Never. And it’s morning, which means it’s harder,”he said.

Mardicos took several deep breaths, the ache in his fingers dying down. He then looked at her warily. His eyes were still moist, but he was no longer crying and his one eye had returned to its normal blue grey.

“I… don’t trust myself,”he said, his voice quieter.

“How? I don’t remember. It… it’s like a dream, a nightmare even. It’s never clear,”he asked shakily.

Mardicos did think about it, as much as he could in his current state of mind. Her words made sense, but she was missing details. She wasn’t including the moon’s influence, and she also misunderstood the amount of influence it had. And that wasn’t even including the influence of Eidna, of her memory, and of what she had done to him while she had lived.

“I can change voluntarily when I’m calm. When I’m pissed or stressed or provoked, it’s never voluntary. Then, there’s battles. I can never resist the call near a battle. And then, the moon. Full moons are obvious, the easiest, and… then the new moon. You have no fucking idea how painful it is to morph during the new moon… but sometimes I do anyway,”he said with a sigh.

He watched her warily, taking a single step back. After a few more deep breaths, Mardicos didn’t move anymore, just watching her approach. Her words stunned him. How could she trust him? Him? It made no sense.

Mardicos stared at her hand for a long moment, then looked at her. He didn’t know what to do. Part of him still wanted to run, but now the other part was telling him to go with her. Why did that darker side want to go with her? Or was it just a trick, an innocent stay that would turn into another bloody mess?

“I don’t want to hurt you. And, if for any reason, that wolf gets out, I will kill you. I don’t want that,”he said, his voice quiet and pleading. He wasn’t sure what he was begging for, what he planned to do. He was lost, too flustered and torn to really think.

(Little bump, just in case)