Chapter 5

She refuses to leave, Nathair grumbled, as he crept his head high enough from the water's surface so his orbs could see the female. The rest of him, from just below his hollow eye sockets to his tail tip, was submerged.

All day, she remained.

He, at first, thought she'd leave after he warned her away with a hiss. Most humans tended to reek of delicious fear when he showed them his fangs, which is why he'd leapt into the water before that tangy scent could cascade off her supple flesh.

Retreating to his underwater cave and lake, he'd gone to do what he always did. Which was nothing but huddle around himself, trying to deal with the irritating human voices that didn't belong to him. They were quieter since his wounds took his focus, but he didn't know which was worse – his injuries or the memory fragments.

He'd prefer not to be subjected to either.

Since he always left his tail tip in the water so he could perceive movement in it, he hadn't expected to feel her drink from it again. Even with the grand distance of water stretching between them, he'd been able to feel the sensation. He'd dived under to come closer, curious about why she'd remained.

I saw her fill a drink sack yesterday. He wondered if she'd only chosen to drink from his pond to annoy him, or to preserve her stored supply in case she needed to make a quick escape.

For a long while, she sat near the edge of his pond, waiting for him with her arse and the bottoms of her feet against the ground. She hugged her knees with a remarkably disgruntled expression – which somehow made her look both saddened and annoyed.

During that time, he refused to come up, but did watch her from within the darkness. Her body wavered through the ripples.

He thought she'd given up when she disappeared, finally giving back his small territory she so rudely trespassed upon. He rose to watch her leave, discovering he was wrong.

Instead, she crouched over one of the bags he'd dropped when he ripped the limbs off his meals. She rifled through it, shoving some kind of fluffy food into her mouth – if the fragments of his memory weren't wrong, he thought it may be a bread roll.

Stuffing her face, she appeared to be starving. He could hear her omnomnoming from all the way over here.

After rifling through the bag, she went to the two others. With the way he ate, which was limb by limb, by the time there was nothing but a torso, anything carried tended to fall right off.

If he wanted to, he could swallow even the largest prey whole. Nathair didn't like doing that, as it often left him immobile for long periods of time. He'd need to lie there and let his internal throat muscles push the body down as he swallowed bit by bit.

It was just easier to do it in smaller bites.

Nathair ducked beneath the surface when she turned towards the pond with her arms filled with her stolen haul. She walked to her personal bag and started shoving supplies into it. Then she ran over to grab a sword that had been dropped and brought that over too.

"It's creepy to just watch someone," she shouted, without ever looking his way.

Nathair wiggled his head under water, opening and closing his jaw mockingly. I will observe you, since you refuse to leave my territory.

Be thankful I have no desire to harm you.

He also had no desire to help her.

Nathair had his own problems. A warped mind, for starters. He also had to defend his home against sea Demons occasionally, who liked to enter from below this mountain's cliff.

She likely does not understand that I would do more harm than help.

If he were to chase away the bandits from her village, the scent of blood from the wounds he delivered, the pain of the injuries he gained, or the tantalising scent of people's fear, would send him violently into a rage. He would kill the bandits and then turn on her people.

He was of no help to anyone.

Now that he'd eaten the dozens of human souls within Tenebris, his humanity was higher, his intelligence well rounded, and his body had thickened a large amount. He'd also grown, as if his physical state could be altered this way in the afterlife.

It'd also grown stronger and longer since coming back to life.

He now knew that eating more humans would do nothing to aid his hunger, and would only gift him humanity. After merely those three bandits he'd eaten, he could already tell the unravelled strings of his thoughts were better connected. His mind was able to decipher itself and the world around him, and process information in a much more efficient way.

But he had no longing to better himself. He was fine with his intelligence, thought it sufficient, and he'd rather not deal with hacking up souls because his sanity was broken. He'd rather not be reminded that he was a useless servant for his father creator, especially with how much that cloudy god had helped him in Tenebris.

Without Weldir, he would have been undeniably lost. His creator had welcomed him into his realm with open arms and fed him information about the outside world. Nathair knew what the other Mavka were up to, who had brides, and that two of them had younglings.

When Weldir wasn't slumbering to recuperate his magical energy, or spending time with his mate, he could often be found by Nathair's side. That was, until Aleron, the bat-skulled Mavka, had joined them.

Weldir had switched his focus to the child who needed him most, especially since, after many years of not being able to speak, Nathair had... cast his creator away. Nathair had given up trying, and just all around became rather unhappy.

Although he'd lost the yearning for life, Nathair had been hoping his return would mean he could have a purpose again. One which he had been tasked with at birth, and now understood.

He wanted to assist Weldir, wanted to be a useful servant and soul carrier. To be a good... son.

The hue of his orange orbs often darkened in guilt; he felt like he was failing.

He also lacked the will to do anything selflessly, especially not for a human such as the loitering female. His return to the living world thus far had been unpleasant.

Nights were particularly hard. Due to the snowy season, he'd been rather lethargic. It cost him energy to maintain and regulate his low body temperature. And, if the surface thickened with ice, he also couldn't stay within the water, as he faced the same problem.

Before he'd died, he'd always struggled in winter.

Summer, though? He'd almost itch to move. The heat was like a form of nutrition, and he found himself going further and further from his territory to chase after scents, sounds, or even a sparkle in the distance. It made him wish to explore and frolic almost playfully.

Currently, he just sulked in his cave, grumpy about the temperature and waiting for balmier winds.

A high-pitched squeal snagged his attention and dragged him away from his musings.

Nathair unlatched his tail tip from the jutting ledge coming from the vertical channel wall of his pond, the only thing keeping him afloat. Battling how he immediately began to sink, he flapped his tail back and forth to rise through the water. He peeked above the surface.

She fell. He rolled his head in disbelief. She is so noisy. She'll bring Demons upon her with little more than sound.

It appeared she'd been carrying sticks she collected around the clearing, and dropped one, which caused it to either go under her foot or twist between her ankles. Regardless, she'd hurled a bunch more to the ground as she fell on her face.

Nathair chuckled, causing bubbles to come from his mouth. She's kind of funny. In a silly sort of way.

"Did you really just laugh at me?" She shot her head in his direction, and he ducked beneath the surface to hide. "What if I'd hurt myself?"

He would have laughed harder.

Still, he was rather perplexed about her.

She doesn't appear to be afraid of me. Wary, maybe; she did eye him cautiously whenever their gazes briefly met.

Since he was using his gills to breathe, he couldn't scent the air around him. It was partly the reason he refused to leave the pond – if she smelt of fear, he'd give her a real reason to fucking scream.

When the subtle vibrations of thumping movement brushed against his sensitive scales, he knew she was on the move again.

His tail swivelled beneath him as he rose to watch her, using it to keep himself afloat. She dumped her sticks near the boulders on one side, without glancing at him, as if she knew he would retreat if she did. Then she started searching for more.

Nathair followed her with his gaze, observing her everywhere she went.

He tilted his head as he took in her features. She is very striking. From what the memory fragments told him, this female would be considered quite beautiful to humans.

Her fawny-brown skin didn't appear to have a single flaw upon it. Her hair was such a dark colour of brown that in the shade it appeared black, yet in the sun, it shone with a deep chestnut hue. Her brown eyes followed the same pattern, darker in dimness but sparkling with molten hazel in the light.

Her gentle, heart-shaped face featured prominent cheekbones and a pointed chin. With a subtle plumpness of her cheeks, her countenance radiated a benevolence she couldn't lose, even when she glared sharp eyes at him. Then there was her expressive mouth. Full and pale pink, her lips pulled to the side, twisted, or curled back as she did whatever task she had decided to take on.

The arch of her nose, her brows, and her small ears made her appear even lovelier. Little red gems dangled from her lobes, and often glittered when she turned her head.

He didn't know if she was short, as his perception of everything could often change depending on where he rested his weight on the long length of his tail.

Her body had curves. Her purple dress garment was tight enough to highlight that her breasts were rather substantial for her thin frame, and her backside rounded, making the back of her garment dangle off it. With each kick of her legs, the side vees in the lavender garment revealed grey pants and black shoes that had straps crossing over the tops of them.

If it wasn't for his fragments, he wondered if he would have noted her attractiveness at all. It did little to change how he felt about her invading his space, but it did mean she was pretty to look upon from afar.

It left him wondering why she was... alone. Humans tend to guard pretty females like this.

He tipped his gaze into the forest. Is that why those bandits attacked her? He shuddered at the thought of what may have happened to her had he not intervened.

His attention was stolen when she started building some kind of fire. He internally groaned. She plans to stay throughout the night?

Then he would have to decide on whether he would assist her should a Demon come. If so, then she was just purposefully being bothersome. A fire may attract Demons, which would then be her own fault that she was eaten. She'd have no one to blame but herself.

If the Demon then went to the Veil and into Weldir's black mist, then her soul could feed him. He considered letting her die for such a noble reason. Sure, Weldir would have to waste energy first in cleaning it of the green Demon sickness that cracked their souls, then heal it, but he'd still gain a tiny amount of energy and strength.

Nathair pensively looked her over.

I have decided.

He would let her be eaten.

Linh let out a scream when a Demon slid into the open clearing. Shuffling back near the icy water's edge, she held up the short sword she'd found throughout the day. The fire reflected in the length of the blade, and she trembled as she pointed the tip towards it.

Its breaths came out as white condensation, but it didn't charge straight away. Instead, it stepped to the side, its red eyes zeroed in on Linh cowering upon the ground.

It seemed wary of coming closer to her, and she braved peeking behind her at the pond. The Duskwalker wasn't there; he'd disappeared long before night fell.

She was frightfully alone, and didn't actually know how to use the weapon in her shaking hands.

I thought Demons were uglier. This one looked remarkably human, even with its shark-like fangs, horns, claws, and tail. Its skin was a mixture of patchy pale flesh and the common void-like appearance of all Demons.

Crouching on its hands and feet, it snarled at her, baring its fangs as it inched closer.

"S-stay back!" she exclaimed, jabbing her sword forward.

Blonde brows narrowed in displeasure at Linh's threat.

"Don't fight, human. It will only make the end more frightening," it stated, its voice feminine and soft. Then the she-Demon reached out, beckoning Linh closer. "Come, and I will make it quick."

She didn't know they could talk, but she found that worse. Would it start threatening her, telling her she was tasty and about all the horrible ways it would start eating her? She'd rather not have something talk perversely to her like she was a succulent meal, sucking on its fingers or smacking its lips for more.

"I'm warning you," Linh pleaded, because she was too scared to actually have any bite to her tone.

She eyed the water once more, wishing she'd see a glow of colour or the peek of a skull. She saw neither, and knew without a doubt she'd been abandoned.

Tears welled in her eyes. I'd rather drown than be eaten. Both sounded horrible, but those were her choices.

M-maybe he wasn't helping me. Maybe he was just hungry and ate the bandits because they were there. So why did he leave her alive then?

She'd put her faith in a monster because she had no other choice. Linh had weighed her options, and death awaited her no matter which path she took. She'd run from Bragg with a fantasy that she could go around the mountain if need be, but that was just as suicidal as trusting the Duskwalker who had inexplicably saved her. Linh was truly desperate.

She wanted to live.

"Please," she begged when the Demon stepped a hand closer. Every second longer that she remained alone, the more frightened she became.

"Come away from the water, and I can give you the mercy of a quick death," the Demon said, her voice still quiet and unthreatening despite her words. "If you hurt me, I will make it long. Nothing will change your fate, human."

Oh shit, she thought, just as it bolted towards her. Linh closed her eyes, screamed, and waited for the worst.

That was, until a large splash of water sounded right behind her. Her skin crawled with dread, and she shivered from it. When cold droplets fell on top of her, she opened her eyes and looked up to find the Duskwalker had rested his hands upon the ground on both sides of her.

She flinched inwards, shrinking, when the coldness of his body touched between her shoulder blades. He bent over her, shielding her on three sides while her front was open.

In a spray of bits of grass and dirt, the Demon skidded to a halt. Her red eyes grew stark as she gawked up at his skull and then shuffled back when he released a horrible, venomous hiss.

"Don't leave your meal out if you don't want others to try and eat it, Mavka!" the Demon shouted, before she returned his hiss with her own. She scampered away, darting into the forest to flee.

Stunned, Linh panted as the tip of her sword thunked against the ground. Her heart raced, refusing to settle when she'd been so close to facing death – and may still.

She also didn't move since her back continued to press against the Duskwalker. I have a bad feeling. There was a light rumbling resonating through her, vibrating into her torso, and she couldn't tell if that was his stomach or a growl.

What do I do? Should she move, stay where she was... play dead? She doubted playing dead would work in her favour.

Craning her head back slowly, she braved looking up once more. His skull was already directed downwards, bright-red orbs greeting her, and she shrunk further under the threat of them. The moment her gaze fell on them, a menacing, loud growl bubbled from him.

She finally turned, retreating, and he lowered himself. On his hands, he balanced his weight to follow her, crawling from the water and never allowing more than a foot's worth of distance between their faces. The fire forced her to stop, or she'd end up crawling through it, and he halted as well.

Why isn't he attacking? He just continued to growl at her.

Her eyes slipped to his unmoving chest before darting to his bony nose hole. No breaths fogged from him, nor could she hear him huffing. He's... choosing not to breathe?

She wanted to believe he was doing that for her sake.

Then, as if he couldn't hold it anymore, or didn't want to, he finally released a harsh and sharp breath. A large spray of water puffed out as two clouds. He slinked back, slithering into the water to disappear.

Linh remained where she was, her eyes never leaving where she last saw him. A bubble floated on the surface.

He saved me again. Her plan had worked.

What took him so damn long?! She hoped it wasn't to punish her by letting her think she was truly going to be eaten, just to save her at the last second. That would be rather cruel, otherwise.

Regardless, she had her answer. A small smile began to curl the corners of her lips.

The Duskwalker was protecting her. If I stay, maybe he'll warm up to me and help us.