Your Shadow Is My Light

Chapter 10 - I want to marry Rayne Amaris.

Normal text
Thinking
Onomatopoeia

Ahri's POV
I nuzzled Rae's collarbones, pleased that the girl wasn't spooked from this abrupt revelation.

What are you hiding? What's bothering you?

"Why help me?"

My eyes squinted wistfully. The crackling flames of that fateful night flickered in the depths of my mind. The smell of smoke and rancid blood permeating in the air. The despair. The silvery sheen of a sword descending on my face. But darkness never came... And it's because of this girl. The sharp clangs of blades being parried still remained raw in my memory. Rae had intercepted Durandal from claiming its next victim. She pleaded for me to be spared, staking her life as collateral in exchange for mine. But the clearest memory was when Rae pulled me aside to bandage my wounds. I remembered her whispering sorry despite not harming a single hair of my people. She's the only one who saw my distress. Felt my depression. Understood my pain.

After making sure that all my injuries were well taken care of, she urged me to escape, "You should leave now. Go somewhere far where Will can't find you. That bastard's mad for your tails. He will definitely stalk and kill you. And Arthur won't stop him."

Those kind words... It's my first time being the recipient of someone's concern. From a human, no lest. Usually, those goons would cuss profanities and wish for my death. Funnily enough, this one event that kick-started a chain of nightmares was also the moment that touched my heart. It's the reason why I insisted on following Rae even though I knew I had to swallow my pride and suffer many grievances. Because I didn't want her to be alone amidst a pack of hyenas. How stressful and lonely she must have felt. Might sound a little derange, being so attached to a species that had doomed my clan. But I don't care! I'm just a lovelorn beast. I just like her. After all, with my parents gone, Rae's the only one left who even remotely cared about me. I can't lose my mate too.

I nibbled her neck affectionately, purring. How nice it was to hug after so long...

You protected me from those incorrigible humans, so now it's my turn.

While playing with her beautiful raven locks, I murmured, "You're not the bad guy. I won't let you be one."

Compared to her, those paladins and dragon knights were the real villains that laid waste to peaceful settlements. They're the wilted weeds clinging onto Rae.

My tails wrapped around her arms protectively. That tragedy can never happen again. By hook or by crook, I will make sure there's an 'us'. If I have to pave the way with human corpses, then so be it.

Just in case Rae had the wrong idea, I explained earnestly, "I didn't mean to lie to you. Before yesterday, my powers had regressed a lot so I couldn't talk."

Thankfully, my kind little wife was understanding, "Um. I know."

The atmosphere fell into a comfortable silence, with Rae smoothing out my fur and secretly giving my ear an occasional squeeze. She seems to have a thing for fluffy critters. That's good. Then I can at least make use of this tiny body to seduce her. That's the only thing good about this humiliating state—it made me look harmless and adorable, like a fat meatball. Urgh... I miss my curves though! When can I have them back?! Now I'm—I'm flat as a washboard! Preposterous! Wooo... My poor hourglass figure... It's not fair!

I swallowed my unresolved anguish and poked her, "So... what's your name, Rae?"

"Huh? Don't you know already?"

"No, I mean your full name. Don't you humans have complicated ones? Like last name, middle name and the lot?"

There was an awkward pause before she replied cautiously, "Rayne... Amaris."