SUBMIT

the wandering god who wanders no longer

There's a village in the north that is quiet and peaceful.

It is surrounded by trees and greenery with a flowing river system connected to a lake nearby. A narrow strip of a dirt road cuts through the entrance of the village, leaving an opening for those that travel to and fro through the dense forest. But in the midst of the forest lies a wandering god, one who was like the free wind that dances about on a hot summer day.

Although the god was not tied down to the village nearby, its people still honored the god when he descended in their forest one winter day.

So when that god demanded that they bring a woman, they had been quick to do so.

"Bring me someone else!" The dragon god demanded as the young woman stood before him. "I asked for a beautiful girl. A dirty one like you should go home. I didn't call for you."

She was by no means ugly, but not conventionally attractive either. Long hair that dragged on the ground caused fallen branches to be braided within it, snow tightly clutching onto the ends of her hair. He knew that it would be a hassle for her to even try to get it out by herself. Dirt covered her skin with light purple spots speckling her skin as if berries had been smeared on her. There was a dull glow in her silver eyes framed with darkening circles under them, yet there was a sharpness on her face at the sounds of his words.

"I can't go back."

"Go back." The dragon huffed, stubborn and unyielding in his demands. "Bring me a beautiful girl. Surely there are some."

"There are, but . . . instead, they offered me in their place. I will . . . try to become more beautiful for you, if that is what you wish," She quietly spoke as snow delicately fell around them, furthering the growth of its kin on the ground. "When a wandering god landed, the village wanted to give you what you wanted, but everyone was too afraid to give up their daughters. So I offered myself. If I am not up to your standards, then please think of me as a sacrifice instead. So please, have mercy on the village and its people."

Despite the calm voice she spoke with, the dragon's slitted eyes were not unaware of her shaking body. It wasn't because of the cold that she was quivering, and from the way her fists were tightly clenched into fists, she was steeling her nerves around him just for the sake of the village's wellbeing. He took note of her thin clothing, the dark spots on her skin before huffing as he comically waved a paw, "That doesn't make any sense! Just bring me one! Surely you have someone who accompanied the men! Bring me one of them!"

"It is me," She stated softly, and he brought his paw down into the thick snow, noticing her eyes drifting downward. "I am the only one who cannot bear children, so that is my duty. The women in the village are to stay untainted until they are married, in fear of overproduction as we cannot sustain everyone. So I am to help . . . help unmarried men relieve themselves."

The dragon examined her once more, his ice blue eyes sharper than before as he looked her over once more. When he was finished, he drew himself up from the ground he laid upon. His figure was pale white all over with smooth skin that hid his taunt muscles underneath it. He held a swirling design upon his chest that originated from the back of his neck, coming down to form four swirls as if someone had blown smoke on him and it stoned itself against his skin.

His figure was big, but sleek. Two pairs of wings resting on the lower half of his back and a long tail that had gold colored designs delicately swirled alongs its length. There was what seemed like a mane that combed over the right side of the dragon's body that looked like hardened spikes, albeit the cold wind that blew past to further the journey of the snow showed that his hair was quite free. He took a step closer to the young woman, rumbling, "Alright, I will take you, poor one."