Thar Shaddin

Fay was considering his reply when his question made her sputter and Jerial move forward. Quickly she moved and grabbed the back of his tunic.

"No love, don't." Fay grunted, quickly wrapping another arm around him and bracing herself against his struggles. Moving quickly she tripped him and landed on top, pinning him quickly and effectively.

"He has no heartbeat, Jerial. His lungs do not draw breath, he is dead already. You cannot harm him even with your fire." Fay murmured, careful not to lose her grip on him. She looked up at the creature before her and spoke with a calm that was false.

"I apologize... sir. My mate is highly protective of me..." Why did she say mate? "...and would fight a Changer should he offend me." She managed a wry smile before bending once more to his ear.

"I know this angers you, and I know you hate him passionately. But you cannot face a foe such as this, even with my aid, and live." She kissed his neck. "Now, if you promise to not attack our... host... I will release you."

Vanyusha stood his ground as Jerial approached him, but made no move to defend himself. It was clear to him now: Instead of fearing him for his nature as his mate did, this man hated him for it. For a moment he thought that he had wronged this man in the past, perhaps taken one of his friends for an experiment, but it seemed that his indignation came merely from ignorance. How disappointing. It was clear that mortals often feared what they did not understand, so studying these emotions would be rather irrelevant. Nevertheless, these travelers might still have their uses.

"You need not apologize for his actions, child. His disgust with me is understandable. I often encounter men like your companion on my journeys, and most simply attack me on sight. I am grateful that he has shown me the courtesy of attempting to tolerate this curse I've been forced to bear."

He very nearly had shoved Fay aside when she pinned him to the floor. She had calmed him, though, for the present. He would not stop his plea for the death of the demon, even if Elohim would be the only one to listen. And, he reasoned, he would be the first, being the antithesis of the unholy power occupying the cave with him.

Instead, he spit in the demon's direction, and cursed it. "I despise you."

He would not sleep tonight.

Fay winced as he spat at the creature, but accepted it as a promise he would not attempt to slay it. Carefully she stood, pulling him up with her, gently. Smiling slightly at the creature, Fay forced herself to remain as calm as she could be. Taking a deep breath she gently pushed Jerial down to sit on the log by the fire and (though she flinched at it) sat on his lap, her weight meant to keep him down should his temper best him again. Either way, the physical contact served as a rock to Fay's frayed nerves.

"You mentioned the sounds... yes, yes I believe that was us... unless there were other creatures rutting that night." She managed a very weak chuckle, meaning it all in good humor.

"Also... you said you are cursed? May I ask of this curse? In turn I would be willing to answer one more of your questions... perhaps like a game?" Fay tilted her head. She was attempting to break the ice, or so to speak, but the tension was so thick in the air it was hard to breathe. Hoping to calm Jerial, she brought the hand closest to him up to the nape of his neck and expertly massaged it, occasionally playing with the silken strands.

Vanyusha did not react to Jerial spitting toward him; instead, he simply remained still against the wall, his head turned toward Fay. As he had expected, she wished for him to elaborate on the "curse" that plagued him. "Fair enough. I am sure that you would not want me to bore you with such a long story, and I must admit it is painful to tell, so I will be brief. As a young man, my lover and I were captured by a demonic sorcerer, and he sacrificed her life to turn me into the creature that stands before you now. He'd intended to use me as a weapon against his enemies, but I fled into the night before he could take control of me. Now I simply waste away in empty caves, hidden away from the world."

Sob stories did nothing to soften Jerial's iron will against the demon. He sighed, and scratched the back of his head absentmindedly. He had nothing to say, so he waited for Fay to speak. In fact, I have something to do... he reminded himself. He rose, helped Fay rise as well, and kissed her deeply. Then he left the infernal cave.

The rain had died down, but the sky was still overcast, and lightning broke the sky overhead. His namesake knew much; he had told him everything. He knew what it is he would do. His spirits were lifted as he tasted the air, free from the taint of that cave. Jerial stopped, waving his hand over the ground in almost a scooping motion, extending and retracting his fingers in time with the rotation of his wrist. It was something he had done but once, when the mage was teaching him. He had never attempted the magic before, but he was confident he would again be able to accomplish it.

After he was done, his heart sunk tremendously; his heart raced; his mind struggled to keep up with his body as he tore from his crouching position. By Elohim, he had left her alone with that monster. How long had he been gone!? She could be dead. No, he would not think in such terms. She could be only speaking with him It. No. He must have some faith in the creature to not harm her. By Elohim!! He tore through the entrance to the cave. He then slowed quickly, not making a sound as he half-shifted and readied himself to combat the evil. Elohim protect him, and guard him against that thing.

Fay.

Oh, Elohim.

Fay.

Fay sensed something off with the creatures words, and tilted her head. She was about to respond when Jerial lifted her and stood. She was about to protest when he kissed her, deeply she might add. A little star-struck Fay dazedly watched Jerial exit the cave, not even stopping to consider he'd left her alone with a potentially dangerous, unkillable enemy.

She did, however, realize it after a small clap of thunder shook her from her love-stupor. Shit... Jerial... I hope this was important... Fay turned uneasily back to the creature, the fire highlighting its shadows. Ah shit the fire... sweat beaded over her palms under her hands. She hated fire... Swallowing dryly she looked back to the creature's skull mask and managed a very timid smile.

"It seems we are alone, for the moment. Is there anything you, yourself are curious about?" Fay asked, voice somehow calm as she forced herself to sit on the log by the fire alone with the demon. Changers protect me... She silently prayed, even as her ears listened pleadingly for Jerial's footsteps to return.

It seemed as though the creature was about to reply when she heard the running steps. Turning quickly, her ears perked, Fay heard his rapid heart-beats before she saw him. Half form and looking as though he was ready to fight to the death. Standing quickly she moved to him before he could attack. Bloody man was going to get them both killed at this rate... what part of "unkillable" did he not understand?

Vanyusha's hidden eyes followed Jerial as he left the cave. What a pitiful man, governed by his hatred of what he did not understand. He would teach him a lesson in tolerance if he still had his men at his disposal, but alas, those days were long gone. Summoning his "children" was always an option, but he was hardly in the mood for a confrontation, especially on a stormy night like this. He would tolerate this man's stupidity, at least for the time being.

He turned back to Fay, pausing to consider her question. "What, may I ask, brings you and your lover to these parts? This cave has been my home for weeks now, and you are the first that I've seen come by here. If you're searching for something, I may be able to assist you."

Before the young woman could reply, her temperamental lover rushed back into the cave, raging worse than the storm. Vanyusha stood his ground yet again as Jerial charged toward him, but fortunately Fay intervened before he attacked. As he stared at Jerial, two golden orbs appeared in the eye sockets of his mask, burning brighter than the nearby fire. His glowing eyes illuminated the surrounding skin, revealing it to be burned and heavily wrinkled. Despite his threatening transformation, Vanyusha made no move to retailate.

"I've graciously allowed you and your lover to spend the night in my cave, sheltered from the storm, and you repay me with acts of violence." His eyes once again vanished into darkness. "I ask you to consider the following: Had I come to this cave seeking shelter, would you have accepted me with open arms, or would you have attempted to strike me down at the spot? I'm sure we both know the answer to that. I may be a monster, but you're the one playing the part tonight."

He paused again. This foolish elf needed to calm himself. Perhaps it would help to take a different approach. "I'm within my right to ask you to leave, but I won't. It would be unkind of me to throw your lover out into the storm, and I must admit that you remind me of my oldest boy. Such resolve and potential, but wasted on the most frivolous matters..."

Jerial actually smiled, thinking it humorous that the demon would attempt to reconcile with him. He took a long, shaking breath and said,

"Do you want to know why I act as I do?" He stopped to lean forward slightly, his burning eyes narrowing. "You may think you have wronged me, or that I am merely afraid of you." He pronounced the word afraid consciously, patronizingly. "You do not understand. I hate you for a far more fundamental reason. You go against the very fabric of my being. You...are an abomination that needs to be put down." As he spoke, his words became increasingly filled with rage, until he was nigh spitting them forth from his mouth. "You may think you are merely misunderstood, but please hark to hear that you are as evil as the 'curse' you claim to have received."

He sat down on the log and crossed his arms, his back straight, glaring and grimacing, eking out every drop of emotion from his dripping heart and projecting it into his eyes.

Fay took a moment to rub her temples as she fought back the sudden urge to laugh hysterically. All she'd wanted was to come here and kill a couple of bastards. Now she was stuck keeping her mate from killing them both simply because something went against his being. She took a deep, deep breath, praying to Diosus or anyone else who was listening, for patience. Turning back she moved silently to Jerial, once more folding herself to fit under his chin in his lap, purring quietly.

She'd ignored most of the conversation, as she'd been busy keeping Jerial from attacking the creature behind her and ignoring his seething hate. She had, however, caught the tail end of the creature's comment and that had almost made her giggle. Now, as she was seated in the lap of her still outraged mate, she was very glad indeed she hadn't. Looking up, she almost cringed at the look Jerial was giving the creature. She turned to it and smiled apologetically even as she answered its previous (and unanswered) question.

"We are here simply to avenge my Mother. She was killed by bandits many years ago, I now seek them in order to destroy them just as they destroyed my family." She was tired, but she couldn't sleep. If she did, Jerial was likely to attack the creature, who was likely to kill him, and then Fay would be heartbroken... again. This would be a very, very long night. Either way Fay was determined it would not come to blows by the end of it. She did not wish her mate, or herself, to die... no matter what this creature said. Fay tilted her head very slightly. If she asked it questions, she would irritate Jerial as he did not trust the creature. If she offered to answer questions, this would also irritate her lover as then he'd likely believe the creature sought something. Was there no winning with this man?

Closing her eyes and pretending to fall asleep or doze off, Fay clicked into assassin mode and began to think and think fast. She had two obvious options at this point in time. She could either convince Jerial that they should leave to avoid blows and make further progress towards her mothers killers... or they could stay and attempt to remain sane despite the rising tension.

If they left now, however, they'd lack shelter in the next wave of the storm Fay could sense. If they stayed, and Fay fell asleep, Jerial would (likely without a doubt) attack the creature for simple disgust out of him. And here she thought he was concerned for her well-being...

Her ears began to tremble slightly as she concentrated hard, thinking hard. She needed a solution. One came to her swiftly, so much so she just almost slapped her forehead with her palm. Of course the most obvious of solutions would be to send Jerial out to scout for another form of shelter. Another cave would not be very hard to find, perhaps, and it would keep Jerial and the creature apart; hell even a thick patch of trees would work. Her eyes snapped open, her mind still in assassin mode, as she looked to the creature.

"Sir, as much as I appreciate and thank you for your gracious hospitality, I feel that perhaps it is best my mate seek out another form of shelter." Fay allowed a wry grin even as she felt Jerial stiffen. "It is obvious there is a high amount of animosity between you two, and if I am frank I am quite uncomfortable with it. While I trust you, good sir, to keep to your word, my mate does not and I do not wish him to act because of it." At this Fay tilted her head up to look at Jerial, her hand stroking his cheek as her mind clicked free of her assassin's mind.

"And this way you are more comfortable, love." Fay murmured to him. "Worry not for my safety, I am more than capable of defending myself." She kissed the crook of his neck and nuzzled him, wanting to assure him that she would be all right, and to convince him to go. The sooner she was free of this tension, the happier she would be.

Vanyusha listened patiently as she explained her situation, ignoring her furious lover all the while. So, it seemed the child desired to avenge her slain mother. Some would surely call such a quest "noble", but to him it was a worthless endeavor. The entire concept of avenging someone never made much sense to him; after all, killing these men would not bring her mother back, and she would merely put her own life at risk by attempting it. In a world with so much to offer, so many wonders and possibilities to explore, mortals seemed to focus on the most frivolous of things.

And, unsurprisingly, she thought it would be best to separate him from her lover. A wise decision. He was curious to see if this fool's flames of hatred could compare to the heat of molten lead melting the flesh from his bones. It was so very interesting, listening to mortals threaten his life one moment and beg for their own the next. Watching the reactions of their loved ones was even more fascinating. How a face could be capable of such horrifying expressions was a mystery for the ages. He imagined with delight how warped with terror this girl's face would be if she had to watch her foolish lover die an agonizing death, unable to lift a finger to help him...

Unfortunately, such an experiment would be beyond his power... for the time being, at any rate. Perhaps he would have these two brought to him in the future, so he could satisfy his curiosity. Normally he wouldn't go to such extremes, but if mortals like this girl were so obsessed with punishing past offenses, then perhaps there was something to it, after all. As an open-minded person, he'd be more than willing to give it a chance.

Of course, if she took this foolish man away from him as soon as possible, he'd consider giving the "forgive and forget" philosophy a try instead. Hunting them down would be so tiresome, but then again, he had all the time in the world. He could wait.

"I wish you the best of luck on your quest, child. As a parent myself, I would be proud to have such a strong young woman as my daughter. I would offer you my assistance, but I have a sneaking suspicion that your lover would not approve." He looked to Jerial. "As much as it would pain me to see you leave, perhaps it would be for the best. But if you change your mind and decide to tolerate my abhorrent nature, there will always be a place for you in my cave."

Jerial was fed up. He nodded his approval stoutly, but continued to stare at the floor, sweeping it absently with a stick. He would leave this to Fay; he trusted her to handle the situation. For now, he retreated. Then his heart burned as it sunk all the way through his abdomen.

You thought you were rid of us.

Fay watched Jerial continue to study the floor before them, her eyes confused.

"Love?" She murmured, before noticing his face turn stoney and withdrawn, his gaze pensive and almost instantly Fay realized what he was doing. He was forcing himself to tolerate the creature by turning his attention inwards. Her eyes saddened, she hated it when he turned himself into this... She turned to the creature.

"I doubt if any of us will sleep, but it appears as though my mate's decided to er... stay." She turned and looked up to Jerial, seeking confirmation even as his eyes glazed over, just like they did when the voices spoke to him. Fay frowned.

"In all honesty I do not believe he can hear me." She turned to the creature. "I apologize but it would appear as though we'll be continuing to trespass on your home. Though with him in this state, I doubt if he will attempt to attack you." She hesitated before smiling. "He gets like this when he's sulky." That wasn't exactly the truth, but it was better than attempting to explain the multiple beings that resided within Jerial's mind.

Silently she buried her face in the crook of his neck and brought her hand up to his chest, rubbing it in small, soothing circles.

Vanyusha watched the troublesome mortal expectantly, waiting for him to storm outside in a fury, but... nothing. Curious, he tilted his head to the side and examined him closely. He knew that look all too well. Many of his specimens would fall into such a state after weeks of experimentation, their faces turning to stone and the light leaving their eyes. It was the face of complete resignation, the face of one prepared to sink into the liberating waters of death, freed at last from their torment. Yet he could tell that was not the case for this one. Something was different, yet he could not fathom what it was.

The child was speaking to him. Despite her explanation, it was obvious that she was withholding information from him. He couldn't hold that against her; after all, it was none of his business, and he hadn't exactly been entirely honest with her. Sealed lips were often the difference between life and death, and he suspected she knew that as well as he did.

"You need not be so apologetic; as I said, you are more than welcome here. If you cannot sleep, please warm yourself by the fire. I will wait in the shadows until morning. Should you choose to leave without alerting me, I wish you a safe journey."

Jerial picked at the venison, freshly cooked over the flame. Fay had killed it that morning after they had awoken and left from the cave. It was delicious. The sun was high, and its rays leaked through the treetops beautifully. It was amazing how greatly he appreciated life since leaving the cave of the demon. Even more so did he appreciate Fay.

He stared at her back as she crouched, preparing the back straps for drying. His contemplative smile grew even larger when she turned to face him, her gorgeous face surrounding her deep eyes, her small, soft nose, her lips curled in a smile to match his own. He rose to embrace her, kissing her on the forehead and embracing her when she placed her head on his chest, her hands feeling his lean muscle.

He considered himself very lucky to be in her presence, let alone her trust, let alone her heart. Luck had nothing to do with it. You are learning quickly, said one of the voices, surprisingly warm in its approach. Just make sure to be careful. It may be necessary for her to become expendable. Jerial let out an inward sound of disgust at the voice, and cheerfully locked it away, his thoughts returning to the much more real Fay.

He brought her face once more to his, kissing her deeply and fearlessly. He softly released his embrace on her, and left to finish his meat. When he had swallowed the last bite, Jerial stood again, picking up his staff and other belongings. He gestured to Fay, who was similarly ready to break camp, with his head, and they set off together, knowing that soon would come a time that was not for joy, but sorrow and anger.