Chapter 64: Reforged
Cleaning the room was something he had started because he wanted to feel like he was being productive while everyone else was busy.
Jax and Sahari were trying to put some of his teachings into the three security members, Tel was giving the Blades a hard time since Scarlet had apparently slacked off with him, Harrow was working with Heralt since they had finished the prototype during her lessons, Nalah was working on the meeting Hall, and Pan was probably still doing her rounds so that he could focus on the odds and ends he would otherwise be too busy to do.
The only other member of the pack that remained in the base with him was the blue and cream-coloured female who kept uncomfortably stealing glances at him as she worked on the floors.
Joseph didn’t know much about Volta, other than that she had befriended some Atmo and brought them back with his friend’s blessing, so he wasn’t sure what to think of her. She seemed to be somewhat cautious of him, but he couldn’t remember doing anything to deserve it.
She had gotten defensive when she didn’t know who or what he was as he lazily embraced Pan, but that seemed like a reassuring notion in his mind. Anyone who would stick up for those he held dear were fine in his book. The issue was that she stayed wary of him, even after acting in a way that suggested she was fully aware of how others in his position would have taken the attempted violence.
So, he did what he always did whenever he found himself of time and company. He talked.
Not about anything in particular, though he did linger on what he learned of Nalah when she felt the need to share her past with him. He didn’t want to judge her for it, the woman described in her story felt like some distant folktale compared to the one he spent a lot of nights watching with bleary eyes as she tried to embed herself into Sahari in her sleep, but it did answer a few questions he had regarding her actions around some things.
Knowing that the arguments they had were anchored in a fear of rejection from the person she had spent majority of her lucid life chasing had allowed him to dismiss the interactions and move on from them, and the reaction to Tel’s mark was neatly folded away as a perfectly sensible thing to do, given her experiences.
Really, he just felt like he knew Nalah now, and it made him pretty happy to have another of those he called friends laid bare.
Pan’s story had made him want to fortify the settlement so that she might have a safe home in which to feel more than discrimination, and Violet openly declaring the white-furred female as her mother had soothed the last of his wishes for her. She had a home that accepted her and a child to call her own, so seeing her transformation from being so fearful to someone he would trust so deeply made him thankful for every breath she took.
Nalah shifting from a somewhat distant member of the pack to a competent component who had opened herself to him—in a way he doubted many would ever see—made him want to grant her the singular wish she held within.
The object of such wish, Sahari, laying out most of her past for him to understand her had made her a close friend of his, but the separation remaining due to her continued hiding of her bond had worried him slightly. He was going to give her the benefit of the doubt, however, because he was beginning to realize just how big of a deal that was to them.
Besides five of his pack, none of the other members seemed to have bonded with anyone. Most mated pairs were done so on terms he was more familiar with, devoid of the odd scent-based empathy that he still struggled to understand at times.
Weird alien concepts aside, Jax had become something of a brother to him and Harrow felt like a meddlesome sister-in-law, ignoring the two suggesting he join them sometime at every turn.
The orange-furred female didn’t want to talk about anything regarding her past, making her the only member of his little family that he honestly didn’t know a whole lot about. She hinted that she was primarily of military upbringing, but her constant remarks regarding computers and general engineering felt at odds with the few things she was willing to discuss. It seemed too specialized across various fields to be dedicated to any particular rank, especially since she was dropped off with the ‘first-years’, but he wasn’t very well versed in any military, let alone one of a people he had only heard of when he landed here.
All of this was voiced aloud into the room, his rambling ruminations helping him sort out his thoughts a bit better as Volta kept an ear in his direction. The female was thorough about wiping down the corners and surfaces, occasionally waiting for him to move some of the objects scattered around while he sorted out what needed to go elsewhere.
They were having a war-game exercise at dusk, the first to be organized since he returned due to everyone catching up on whatever needed to be done with the new people, as well as preparations for this and that around the settlement.
The two servants they had taken with them were adjusting well, both filling out a bit from their undernourished visage since their diet had improved. They were both apparently very confused when they watched his pack regularly chowing down on rocks, but a taste test proved to be enough for them to accept that some things here just didn’t make sense—assuming the alien Grand Hunter didn’t sell it.
He finished putting away the clothing that Pan had made for him, finalizing his tidying for the day as he set about grabbing a bath to wash off the sweat from doing electrical then cleaning, thanking Volta for her time as usual.
She didn’t respond verbally, instead bowing her head in deference to his authority as he exited. It made him frown, but she would eventually sync up or he would learn the language to a passable degree, and then he could honestly thank her for being so supporting of Pan.
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The Blades were dismissed, the recently-dubbed Scarlet slipping into the bustle of the pack as if she didn’t exist to carry out the order of harassing the Paw with her new spherical ‘weapon’. As much shame as she felt for dozing while she was supposed to be overseeing the Grand Hunter, she couldn’t really place why she felt comfortable enough to do so.
The Human seemed to always know when they were around, and often called them from their posts for trivial things that did not necessarily require them. The usual request being to merely provide company as he spoke aloud in a language that her translator was beginning to parse with the sheer volume of input his pack provided.
She could see why the mistress would be so insistent on protecting the male, his natural observational prowess did not directly correlate to his willingness to employ force, but it seemed none within the settlement felt it needed nor wise to go against him in more then words. It was as if some begrudging respect was afforded to him, but he didn’t do anything with it.
He never commanded other than the Blades whom remain around him, a station that Scarlet had claimed early-on. It wasn’t that she had wished the male well, nor that she particularly cared to report much of what she had seen, not that there was much to report. No, she wished to see the depths that the mistress claimed remained hidden from others. A Void deeper than the one she sensed from the heiress when she suggested removing such a passive Grand Hunter.
Scarlet felt a small shiver run from her spine to her lower as she recalled the tight hold of the obscure rope pinning her to the tree, the almost obsessive urge to possess and serve that dwelled within the eyes of the Phantom. The sheer overwhelming heat that burned without fuel, the smoke within adding a longing rasp to her voice.
A shudder overcame her as she wished to know just how potent that Void could become.
It was curiosity, and little more. Or it should have been, yet his idle touch calmed her vigilance, as if his mere presence assured her that only when she was needed would she be disturbed. A silent melody of watchful peace that allowed her to drift away.
Even the mistress’ presence failed to alert her, despite how enraged Scarlet’s display made had her. It should have been an instantaneous reaction to awake and assess if she would be required to defend herself, but the male’s soothing voice and calming aura instead gently woke her, the feeling of such a brief lapse in consciousness leaving her well-rested. It was only when she registered the heiress’ gaze did she recognize the depth of her fault.
But then the male held the very claws of death aimed towards her, and delivered a soft affection that quelled the storm approaching the Blade, offering protection as long as she remain loyal from even the one whom held every right to eliminate her on a whim as the template all Blades should strive to match.
The thing that made her consider giving fealty to the questionable ‘Sheath’ was the flash. A simple instant that his annoyance allowed her to peer into his deeper nature before she could separate sufficiently.
Something the mistress said sparked the image, though it quickly faded away.
A lake.
It was as if she laid upon a boat atop a vast lake, or perhaps an ocean. The gentle warmth of the sun above spreading its comfort throughout her fur with promising relaxation and good tidings, the slow rolling of the slightest waves subtly rocking her amongst the solid blue water.
There was no land within sight, but there need not be. She was not one whom laid claim to a territory, but was merely ferried from one to another for those whom might offer her their own. One whom may wield her and hone her edge.
The change happened with his icy words, the snap of blue turning into a clear expanse below her drawing her eye.
It never ended.
Far beyond the depths of the deepest oceans, far more pressure than the densest of stars, lay the artificial bottom. A churning amalgamation of silver tendrils and screaming maws that seemed set on merging with the body in which could occupy, its silent agony being a reluctant resistance to assimilating lest its home be removed.
And then there was land. Not far from her little buoyant craft, yet requiring effort for her to reach. A simple cottage against the sands so that the occupants may view the vista at a whim. Iron brickwork lay ready, each component set aside so that she may finish the wall that remained open for her arrival, protecting the domain from the outside. The tendrils snaked up the sands and softly occupied the space between the bricks, lacking the promise of demise that those submerged held. A yearning to become one with the structures, yet hesitation to do so.
She felt herself compelled to reach the structure, to complete the wall. Touch the tendrils so that she may be given but a fraction of them to use against those who would seek to disturb the peaceful place. She knew not why she did, but she paddled, driving her paws into the water to begin such a journey. To do as she felt urged to.
After being dismissed—and shaking off the odd imagery imparted upon her—she set about her secondary task of targeting the Paw, finding her quarry instead in talks with the High Huntress that the mistress seemed to disdain for some reason.
The slight tint of cool metal she felt upon her claws as she reflexively narrowed her eyes at the words of the female surprised her, but was welcome all the same. As if some part of her knew she had reached that shore and grasped those liquid tendrils. They did not submit to her, but they would assist in her new duty should she wish it. They calmly coated her paws as she observed the red-furred female.
The High Huntress felt hostile, though not directly. It was as if one found themselves against an unimaginably large castle, bulwarks higher than clouds and thicker than continents. A fearful and confused anger directed towards that which they did not understand, them being distrusting of the simple gate allowing them entrance should they so choose. A deceptive ease of entry distracting from the defences that lay hidden beneath the unassuming.
And then the Paw laughed.
Whereas the High Huntress seemed quite unnerved by the display, Scarlet found herself captivated, enamoured by the unmovable aura she emitted. The wall she was to assist in completing having called to her, offering her a place among the parapets so that she may stand vigilant against those that approached without welcome.
It was the same halo of promise emitted by the Grand Hunter, given mobility and purpose. Where he was the origin, the Paw was the execution. The ice to the small female’s words felt like comfort to a burned and discarded portion of the Blade’s being.
Scarlet changed her mind, choosing to return to the male’s side so that she may compare her experience again. To feel if the calling remained within his grasp, waiting to be given to those at his employ.
She found him easily, the language she had started understanding growing dense behind their den, the smoke from a small fire near the fields that had begun to promise rewards drawing her to his location. She remained hidden, learning from each time the Grand Hunter had found her and feeling confident as she looked down from a tree fairly close to the Human talking with several Atmo.
He sat next to the one whom the mistress claimed the male’s kit, the purple insect seemingly writing in a foreign script that proved to be an effort in education, the Grand Hunter praising and correcting her while doing the same with a blue Atmo whom sat slightly taller than the other two present.
“Hey! Nice work, Mama. I’d say you’re ready to move on!” The male patted the largest on the back of their upright torso, quickly being engulfed in an affectionate embrace by the chittering insect. “Okay, Okay! At least now you and Violet can study together when you have time, if you want.
The kit held a tablet high for the male to read. “Yes, Violet. Me and Jax will still teach you, don’t worry. I’m still far from saying anything more than letters at this point, and you’re my excuse.”
The young one chittered, hugging the male like the one called ‘Mama’ until he patted for his release.
The Grand Hunter paused in his speech, a slight shift in demeanour towards curiosity overtaking him as his head turning to scan the trees until he spoke. “Scarlet! I was worried Tel would put you on toilet duty or something. Come say ‘hi’.”
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She sighed, though by now it was mostly a reflex to being found rather than any actual emotion behind it. She dropped from her perch and stood passively behind him, moving to sit on a vacated seat next to the kit once he gestured to it.
It was only when she found herself relaxed upon her haunches did she question why it felt so natural to remain in the open, yet still vigilant. The same ease that came from a precise command being imparted by little more than occupying his proximity. No words were given for her to act upon, yet her duty remained clear in her mind. She was not to slip into shadow, yet bask in the light, ready to darken her presence in but a moment.
“This is Scarlet,” he explained to the other guests. “She’s mostly the one who keeps an eye on me while I’m out here. I don’t think you’ve met her, Violet.”
Violet, the small purple Atmo, quickly scratched something down and presented it to her. [Hello Scarlet!]
The surprise at seeing perfectly legible language surprised her, but she nodded politely, apparently being a sufficiently warm return as the kit bounced in excitement.
“I don’t actually know her name though,” the male commented with a somewhat troubled expression. “Tel wouldn’t say.”
The kit held a sign, the Grand Hunter laughing for a moment before he responded. “It’s s-c-a-r-l-e-t, though you were close, and no, that’s just what I call her for my own sanity.”
“My name is as you wish,” she responded, feeling it better to clear the unease in the male, though she wasn’t sure why she felt as much. “We Blades abandon them as we are chosen so as to receive new ones in proof of our worth.”
The Human stared at her slack-jawed, a small sorrow passing his eyes. “You sync’d up, huh?”
She nodded while working off the slight discomfort in her throat at the new language, not sure why he would be so displeased.
He took a deep breath, looking wistfully back at the fire and presenting a small tray of assorted meats and a stick for her, gesturing to one of the cubes displayed. “Cook yourself up a snack. Pan likes this one.”
She did as requested, opting for the red meat of what she heard the male refer to as ‘hedgehog’ that seemed to be preferred by his Paw. It lightly simmered as the juices boiled from the heat.
“I guess you’ll be rotated out, huh?”
She tipped an ear in his direction, the other scanning as usual. “If the objective is to provide each of us with your language, then yes, that is likely.”
“...Alright.”
The warm and inviting presence around him fell subdued, a slight sadness staining the air. It felt...wrong. This was not how it should be. It was not the peace that she had relaxed in, nor the subtle fury she awaited for her task. This was something she could do little about, leaving her somewhat lethargic and sombre. Was her absence the cause?
She knew she felt lesser once her weapons were removed, was such the same for him? The mistress was his Blade, yet he felt restrained without another?
“You will be guarded beyond myself,” she found herself reassuring him, some part displeased with the change in mood.
He glanced at her, a weak smile afforded. “I just got used to having you around.” He stretched back, scratching at his kit as he spoke. “It’s annoying having to learn about people who want nothing to do with you.”
She kept a blank expression, fighting the frown as she tried to understand what the male meant. “A Blade is a Blade, little more. They will obey you just the same. Such is our orders.”
A mirthless laugh escaped him. “Yeah. Orders.”
She felt as if the sun to that pleasant land had been obscured by clouds, a slight wanting chill settling over it, colour being removed by their presence. “You have the mistress as your personal Blade, rest assured. You will not be without.”
The kit displayed a sign, a new line written below the old next to another that seemed to be addressed to the Human. [Not friend?]
Scarlet blinked. Blades have no use for such, that much was known to even those whom have scantly heard of their existence. A Blade is a weapon to be drawn, not embraced. The only exception to such is to surrender oneself to their Sheath, to allow their will to replace one’s own. They were forged from blood and broken bone, tested against others to weed out all but those whom may thrive. “I do not require such trivial connections.”
“Sorry,” the male offered quietly. “You can go, if you want. I don’t mean to lock you down here with me.”
Wait. No.
The walls she felt so compelled to heed seemingly parted for her exit, the slightest of rains punctuating the loss it would feel should she leave. It was wrong.
The male was not her Sheath, ignoring the demise that the mistress would impart if such was suggested, there was no draw to seek him. It was a compulsion to act against those that may intrude upon his domain. A territory in which a genuine Sheath may reside for her.
She opened her mouth to deny, some part of her fighting against the disturbance to the land she wished to obey, when another voice sent a chill down her spine.
“Something about his words, dull one?”
The grips of the depths slithered up the shore, a substantial portion of the beast she observed moving to determine if she was a threat to the cottage and walls that seemed so sorrowful, so utterly dismayed by the suggestion that she cared not for what it offered. A place that may supply that which she needs, asking only for assistance in return.
The mistress’ claw guided her face to look into those sharp vertical pupils. A subtle glow pairing with the slight shift she felt under the touch that was debating rending her flesh for her transgression.
“Hey, Tel,” the male responded, noticing the heiress. A break in the metaphorical sky allowed a slight beam of warmth through, the tendrils squirming along the ground where they met the light.
“Did this one displease you, my Sheath?”
“Hm? Oh, no. No, nothing like that. Violet asked if she was a friend and Scarlet said no.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “It’s no big deal. I get that they’re basically ordered to watch out for me. Not like everyone is going to like me. Doubt I’d be too keen on playing buddy-buddy in her circumstances either.”
Scarlet could feel the turbulent waters washing the sands. The rolling storm clouds that sought to wash away the place this world had offered her. The shelter she was given opportunity to protect. It terrified her. More than the slight prick against her skin that the mistress’ claws gave as the heiress seemed to be caught between agreeing as a Blade and smiting Scarlet for upsetting him in any capacity.
The Phantom stood before her, a claw hooked upon the looped end of a familiar weapon that remained hidden by her clothing, her words switched to their native tongue.
“Seeking my Sheath, Blade?”
She shook her head, eyes flitting to the male who seemed passively curious about the sudden secrecy between corrections offered for his kit.
“Then why must you return to him when I had given you other instruction?” The voice of the heiress held a cold edge. The beast beneath the waves threatening to pull her below.
“It... I-I felt compelled, mistress,” she stammered, the push and pull confusing and worrying to her.
“What is your goal, dull one. Answer carefully.” Her dagger was pulled slightly, the odd shape seeming to be moulded for the paw in which it was meant to rest.
Scarlet fell silent for a moment as she internally faced the decision presented to her.
She may leave the structure that she was offered, returning to her aimless wandering upon a hope that she may one sun find another. Or...
“I wish to act against those whom seek to disturb this place.” She almost whispered her answer, the words trickling out. Here, she was not simply an unproven tool that sat upon the shelves to await one whom might find her useful. She was not merely collecting dust while she pined for a chance to be proven better than here peers.
She would be polished. Maintained. Shown her faults and worked upon with a caring touch that showed no bias against her unfinished state, for it did not seek her for her use. It sought to raise her above her limitations through soft cloth and repetition, so that one whom was worthy might find her more easily.
The feeling that her edge may be refined followed her words. She must only seek the process.
The mistress’ expression remained hostile, but a flicker of something passed through her eyes. “You are unsuitable to defend beyond that which I assign you, dull one, and even that may prove too much.”
Scarlet took a breath, trusting in the sensation pulling on her claws. “I wish to be reforged here, mistress.”
The beast paused in time with the heiress, the slight chuckle rolling through both. She turned her head to regard the Grand Hunter, the male’s language rolling off her tongue with amusement and surprise in equal parts. “Joseph, I believe you have ruined my Blade.”
He snapped his head in their direction, pausing as he was offering advice to the largest Atmo while his Kit seemed to be listening to their interaction. “What did I do?”
The dagger that was held out to be deployed was returned to its holder. “You have gained a student. Teach her your ways, my male. Break that which forms her and return her anew.” She looked back to Scarlet, a perverse satisfaction held behind her gaze, the faded heat returning as something moved within her thoughts. “Perhaps your methods may prove fruitful.”
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The moon rose, Joseph radiating a slight rolling fatigue after the Paw had returned and requested his presence. Tel sighed internally, wondering how long it would be until she could feel confident in his protection to a degree where she would allow herself to take him as well.
It was odd.
She suspected that she would be envious, if not incensed by another embracing him, but the white-furred mate somehow remained within her tolerance. Perhaps it was the acceptance Pan offered in the Blade’s direction, perhaps the lack of a foul odour that would have marred her own mark.
Perhaps it was the sense of unity, the shared ire when the female was informed of Mi’low’s attitude towards their mate and the subsequent faith that Tel would be keeping an eye on the High Huntress once Scarlet had reported the incident, not that whispers had not met the ears of all of the dull ones, and thus hers.
Tel’s eyes wandered over to the tainted one, Joseph’s influence already moulding one whom should be immovable. The subtle determination within the gaze of that female reminded her of the feeling she experienced upon witnessing the Human’s true rage for the first time. The compulsion to stay with him to feel more, to act against those who would bring it, yet also to ensure it never occurs again.
Her mate was keeping his voice low, explaining something to the dull one as they progressed through the forest outside the walls. Scarlet soaked in his every word, one ear pivoting to remain vigilant.
The teams for the war-game had become rather large, given the additions to the pack. The defending team had less than half of their total number, the remainder of the assailants splitting into three groups. Joseph’s group would circle around to a blind-spot that one of the Blades had found to assault the HQ.
Due to the sensitive nature of their route, their small group consisted of herself, Joseph, Scarlet, the servant male they had returned with, and another of the pack whom accompanied Jax rather often in his hunts. Tel remained in the trees to increase their range of vision while the two of the extended pack stayed some lengths ahead, Joseph and the dull one remaining back somewhat.
The reasoning for them being so far separated from where the expected conflicts were was simple; Pan and Sahari were defending. Should Joseph attempt to join the other groups, they would be found swiftly due to the bonds at play.
Hearing that Joseph had known about the bond of the ex-Grand Huntress—yet remained silent to await her own admittance—had surprised Tel, if only because how adamant he was that no secrets remain. It seemed that he wished to extend the opportunity for her to approach the topic before it became a point of friction, and the heiress felt no need to interrupt the plans of her Sheath.
Angering him atop the den was a misstep, one she was willing to admit. She wished him not to grow attached to those whom may be adversaries once they receive new orders that might run contrary to his safety, yet his firm statement stoked her yearning as the strokes of the Void that radiated off him caressed her being, the direction being towards the implications of her words rather than herself.
He wished to silence those who stood opposed to his foundation, but not through the means in which she could provide him. Not as she was.
It was trivial to give a portion of her belief for him to change once the dull one below seemed so impacted. The glowing red of heated steel could almost be seen in the female, her metal accepting the forming Joseph offered unknowingly. A rough knife ready to be reforged into a proper Blade, though that of a different make.
Joseph raised his hand suddenly, using the other to force Scarlet low to the ground instead of taking cover behind the tree as she intended. Tel copied the motions, making her profile as slim and narrow between the branches as possible by letting her tail support a large portion of her weight as she crouched almost flat on the branch she stood. She could only barely notice the flicker of shadow that was disturbed by a body walking past a somewhat distant fire, feeling giddy that her male continued to display his curious sense of awareness.
A Blade swiftly kicked up the wall, peering over while concealing all but her eyes and ears, dropping down after a few moments to check elsewhere.
Tel lowered from the tree in time to hear Scarlet speak.
“You seem oddly proficient in stealth, but I must ask; why must I go low?”
Joseph kept himself vigil, taking a few deep breaths before responding. “You guys are easy to pick out against the yellow. Given that your night-vision is a hell of a lot better than mine, it’s best to treat it like broad daylight.” He flicked his eyes at the dull one, noticing Tel but returning his gaze to the wall as he shrugged. “As far as stealth? Not something I have experience in. I can duck away on a work-site, but that’s mostly knowing who’s going to be looking for you and why. Suppose that helps here.”
The Blade seemed disbelieving, but accepted that his interference had at least not proven detrimental. “Would the tree not suffice?”
He shook his head. “Not from that angle. Best bet is to break up your silhouette and the bush did that fine. Big movements are easier to spot.”
Tel raised a brow, the curiosity making her insert herself into the discussion before the dull one continued to tread old ground to parse what may make the Grand Hunter proficient in his acuity. “Is that how you located myself so regularly?”
Scarlet jumped, held in place by Joseph’s paw as the male glanced up at her. “Yes and no. The mint smell is pretty strong, so that helps when I don’t have direct line-of-sight, but you guys just stick out. I got the feeling when I was hunting with Jax and had to put down the wolf, but something just makes it easier for me.”
She leaned forward, amused by his gaze that seemed to be focused everywhere and nowhere as they spoke in hushed tones, the two gone on ahead waiting for them to reconvene. “And now? I am rather amused to catch you unawares more regularly.”
He huffed a laugh, releasing the dull one and gesturing for them to continue. “It’s easier, not trivial. Like Scarlet here.” He waved a paw lazily as they approached the section of wall they were supposed to climb, the two others of the pack ready to boost them over the barricade when commanded. “She was as bad as the others until she got annoyed by me dragging her out of her spot when I found her. Keep it up enough, and she learned little tricks to make it harder. You? You’ve had a lot of practise with me. Hard to say how much of it you do regularly now out of habit.”
Scarlet quietly watched the back and forth, seemingly hanging on every word. Tel slipped her arms under his own and rested her paws to his chest, her tail tracing along his core. The steady thump of his heart felt like accelerant to her fire, but she withheld the trailing touch she wished to give him. Though his lust sparked her own in great volumes, there was little time for such.
“When I remain ethereal to your senses, would I be the pinnacle of your design?”
He eased into her embrace for a moment, his heart slowing as a result. “God, I hope not. I suck at designing things.”
She giggled into his ear, traces of his spent heat lingering about him despite the bath compelling her to soak him with her own so that her mark would carry stronger. To remind all what the male held within his claws. To have him gaze upon her with satisfaction and fulfillment with ragged breaths and rampant desire. She felt her claws dig into his chest as her thoughts got the best of her for a moment, the sharp spike in his breathing that remained just outside what others would notice and the slight rise in his temperature almost edging her to the line between reason and rapacity.
“We should keep going.” He lightly separated her paws from him, a shy smile given over his shoulder holding the same want, but reluctantly withheld. It burned her, but she couldn’t allow something to happen to him.
Scarlet went ahead slightly at Joseph’s direction, giving them a brief moment of privacy.
He turned, pressing her unexpectedly against a tree and delivering upon her but a taste of his lust, the totality clouding her mind in a familiar fashion. The slight string connecting them as he separated paired wonderfully with the darkened cinders in his eyes that promised a delectable sight should she act upon it. “You play dirty.”
She noticed that she had reached forward to touch him, her body betraying conscious thought as her pads pressed into his form firmly. A slight smirk donned upon her face, the expression drunken as urges to satisfy the connection she longed for wrestled with her rationale. “Does my male like when I do?”
He returned the grin for a moment at the reversal of roles from what felt like eons ago, shaking his head as he pulled her to her feet proper. “I’d rather you didn’t, if I’m honest.”
The tone of his voice suggested different, but she could already tell that her tail had began its usual pattern she practised to habit as she walked slightly behind him to allow her voice to slip into his ear, the call of his yearning proving almost as addictive as that which he restrains within him. “Eager, my male?”
She could feel the residual warmth from his reddening cheeks, his voice deepening and it was imparted a slightly sensual growl that was bolstered from that which she knew not, sending a shiver down her spine as she wished to hear more. Hear what sounds he would make should she give him that which she had to offer. “If I say yes?”
Scarlet appeared from nearby, calling in hushed whispers. “Mistress, we must hurry.”
Her mood plummeted from being disrupted, but she allowed a breath to dismiss her building tirade. This one wished to be forged by her Sheath, and that meant different rules would apply.
Joseph glanced at her. “’Mistress’?”
Tel blinked, boredom on her face now that she had been removed from her favourite game. Perhaps it bode no well wishes to continue it despite her reservations, but his need for her fuelled something within her, like a cool itch that settled within her claws, demanding her to properly claim him in every way until there was no doubt in his dependence on her touch.
“I am the heiress of Avalon, a proven Blade of the greatest station. There exists only one other whom may command them with certainty until they lay claim to their Sheaths.”
He seemed skeptical, but accepted the answer with a discouraged response. “Trill?”
A curt nod was returned. “They live and perish by my wishes until they leave my influence, and with yourself as my Sheath, yours as well.”
He seemed taken aback by the statement, visibly recoiling. “Wait, what?”
She giggled, finding his continued wilful ignorance to his building power somewhat endearing. “Worry not, my male. I have little suspicions that you will exercise such rights.”
He glanced over at the waiting Blade. “Okay…Whatever. We should get going. Who’s VIP?”
Tel waved a paw to command the dull one to scale the barrier and confirm. She returned but a moment later.
“The smith had been placed in command, great ones.”
The heiress hummed in thought while Joseph blinked away the unexpected reverence. “What of those defending him?”
“Head Nalah and Atrox. The others are beyond what will notice our advance.”
“Joseph?” Tel deferred to her Sheath, knowing that he would have an accurate estimation of Nalah’s combat effectiveness.
He cycled a breath and shook off the unease. “Nalah is a tank. She hits hard, but she wasn’t trained to do much more than shrug off damage yet. Don’t get me wrong, she will shrug it off, and she will get you back, but I think I’ll be able to manage her just fine.”
Tel nodded, agreeing with the assessment. “Then we shall do as such. Atrox?”
He shrugged. “Can’t say. I vote we bum-rush those two and have Scarlet get behind Heralt while he’s distracted. Send the other two as a diversion.”
“Why not simply target the smith?”
Joseph smirked, pointing a thumb at the dull one. “It’s her first game. Let her feel what it’s like to win.”