Illuminating the Dark Prince

Kindling the Flames

Silvery leaves and little red fruits rustled serenely over my head, contrasting the glowering tempest skies that mercilessly suffocated any possible glimmer of light bestowed by the heavens, with their stygian wrath. I sat against the smooth ebon bark of a caedis tree, with long silver spears of grass playfully tickling my feet and legs as they wavered in the warm breeze. 

My long golden hair was pulled back in a messy low ponytail, using a black strip of fabric that I'd tied into a rather cute bow. My flower crown added the final touch to my whimsical look. I knew that it was rather silly, but wearing it seemed to give me an invaluable sense of comfort. It was like a little rainbow piece of earth on top of my head. A small reminder of home.

The six eyed zombie horse, who I now knew to be named Sagacor, grazed peacefully beside me. My hand gently glided over the soft black fur of his muzzle, while I listened to the soothing song of the river, and instructed Valarendrik where to stack stones upon it's pebbly shore to build a firepit.

"Yep, right there... Perfect!" I exclaimed as he placed one of the final stones down with a clank. Then I frowned, realizing that Sagacor was trying to nibble on my peachy pink dress like the puckish little rascal that he was. "Hey! Stop that right now, you naughty horse!" The reins jingled as he goofily whinnied and playfully shook his head, while I shooed his mouth away with an irritated scowl. 

Valarendrik joyfully chuckled as he watched us with a twinkle of admiration in his eyes. His usually chaotic hair was also pulled back in a low ponytail, deceptively making it appear slightly less unruly. He wore only his black leather pants and spiked boots, giving me a full view of his sculpted upper body for the very first time. And good gracious golly, he may have been an abyss creature, but my god was he built like a man.

"You need to watch out for him. He's a mischievous one." He laughed, while inspecting the sturdiness of the stones. "I believe it is ready for the final piece." The breeze blew a few loose strands of hair across his face, causing them to eerily dance among the twitching bones.

"Wonderful! I'll come help." I began to push myself up, only to have him immediately rush to my side.

He gently grabbed ahold of my hands and helped me stand. I wasn't putting any pressure on my injured foot, causing me to wobble a bit. "No, you should continue to rest. It would be a shame if your wound reopened and prolonged your recovery." His voice was very deep, but also soft and caring.

I sighed in disappointment. "Alright, I suppose you're right... But I would like to at least try to walk over." I firmly added. 

I had only been here for five days so far, and the man had been nothing short of overbearingly protective. Every time I'd try to get something, he'd swiftly get it for me, telling me that he didn't want me to further injure myself. He carried me just about everywhere, watched my every move like a damn hawk, and rushed over anytime I made even the slightest sound of discomfort. It was like he thought I was made of thin shatterable glass or something.

Yet despite that, I was still extremely grateful for him and his hospitality and protection. I'd already lost track of the amount of times he'd saved my life since stumbling into this world. And I hadn't even been here one measly week!

He let go of my right hand, but continued to hold my left. A silent gesture to dissuade me from walking completely on my own. "Alright, just don't put too much weight on it. The sooner you heal, the sooner you can train." 

He was referring to his grandiose plans to teach a "frail little human" like me to both swordfight and regular fight like an expert. I had felt highly insulted when he'd first told me that. But in all honesty, after considering my natural lack of strength and endurance, I realized that his hopes were far too high.