Hallowed Damnation [#Wattys2016]

13

Dominic was bored. Having searched the entire Orion household and finding his friends either gone or in a sulky mood, he was now extremely bored. He was in high spirits just earlier having met Salina who utterly enthralled him, but Aldus had whisked her away before he could properly converse with her. He sighed and ruffled his already dishevelled auburn hair as he strolled out the gates of the compound.

"I guess it's just you and me, Val," he smiled widely up at his gigantic cousin.

Val peered at him through the eye holes of his helm silently. Dominic groaned. Val Regulus was assigned to him as it was customary in their bloodline for a member of House Leonis to have a protector of sorts from the lower houses. Although he was always grateful for the constant company and considered him more of a friend than a shield, the fact that Val rarely talked sometimes annoyed him.

"How about we go to a whorehouse today? It has been over 12 hours since I have had the taste of a woman," he smirked suddenly getting excited at the thought of a woman writhing beneath him.

However, Val stopped walking with him and stared at him intently. Through the years that they have been together, Dominic had learned to decipher his cousin's silent conversations. This time he knew that he was saying no to his plan of burying himself in the deliciousness of a woman. He sighed and threw his hands in the air in resignation.

"Fine. The tavern then! At the very least you could allow me to comfort myself with alcohol."

The short walk to his favourite tavern at the town centre was filled with little flirtations with women batting their eyelashes at him and clinging suggestively to his arm. This was a regular occurrence that he would not tire of; his massive ego would not allow it. However, his mind was clouded with thoughts of a particular maiden.

Salina had intrigued him beyond her apparent power and combat prowess. She was as beautiful as a goddess in his eyes even in the bedraggled state she was in, but it was her wit and ferocity that truly kept his attention hours after he had met her. For a man who only really saw the surface value in women, this was new to him.

He found it strange that he wanted to get to know her beyond exchanging bodily fluids. He smirked as he thought that he would not mind getting to know her in that sense as well. He has never bedded a ruthless mercenary for hire and the notion sent a wave of want through him. However, the fact remains that she did not seem to want to stay in Archan despite her heritage. They could only hope that she would change her mind because he knew that they needed her among their ranks.

The air inside the tavern was hot and immediately stuck to them when they opened the door. It was reasonably crowded with people eating their dinners and some partaking early in inebriation, but this was one of the more civilized bars in the region. Some others situated farther from the centre had more boisterous patrons and guests that openly attracted trouble. Dominic liked to go to these places from time to time just for the opportunity to bash someone's face in.

One of the people who were on the road to an alcohol induced coma was Juliet. Dominic spotted the daringly clad general at the bar downing shot after shot of a golden liquid he assumed was bourbon. He plastered a smile on his face and greeted politely those who waved at him as he approached Juliet. Val had to lower his head and come in sideways through the door just so he could get through. He spent the rest of the walk toward the bar with his head ducked. It would have been funny if he was not so fearsome in his dragon armour.

The two generals plunked themselves down on the empty stools on either side of their comrade. She groaned her displeasure of their company. She came here to drink in peace and to drown her anger in solitude. Evidently, the two had other ideas.