Youth

#77 - A Safe Place

    [Y/n], now comfortable with riding on the back of the great wolf Czaer, raced through the woods, the wind whipping past them as they advanced through the heavily forested area. [Y/n] had a few scratches on her face and arms as branches lashed at her like little blades, but the pain was exonerating - it was a pain that reminded her that she was free, and that - soon - she would be facing her enemies.

    The great wolf's paws thudded so heavily that [Y/n] could almost feel the earth beneath them shake with each collision. She braced herself each time he leapt over a branch or crack in the ground - it was odd terrain. Occasionally there would be no trees, only stone beneath Czaer's paws, and sometimes it would seem as though they were in the middle of a meadow, with only the sheer drops in the distance to remind them that they were actually close to the clouds.

    Back in forested ground, Czaer's pace slowed to a trot, and then to a careful walk. [Y/n] leaned forwards, closer to his great tufted ears, which were now pointed back.

    "Is everything alright?" she whispered, keeping a shake from her voice. Now Czaer stopped moving, his head facing the tree canopy above them.

    In a sudden movement, [Y/n] was snatched from his back, something tightly wrapped around her waist, constricting her breathing. She placed her hands against it, trying to pry it from her, but her hands made no difference to the sheer strength of the thing. She looked down at whatever it was that constricted her.

    A... snake? A bloody large snake. The rest of the snake wasn't in sight, however, only its scaled black tail. She looked down to see whether Czaer was still there, however now she noticed he looked... calm.

    Had she been set up?

    "Czaer! Help me!" [Y/n] snapped down at the oddly chilled beast, who only let out a chuckle in response. "Czaer!"

    "Calm down, [Y/n]," Czaer dipped his head, "this is Linn. One of the eleven captains." [Y/n]'s eyes widened. One of the captains was... a snake?

    Or perhaps not, for a human figure - attached to the snake tail from the waist - dropped before her, upside down. His slitted eyes watched her curiously and his medium length black hair tumbled down like a waterfall.

    "Hello there," Linn smiled, flashing a toothy grin that exacerbated his enlarged canines, somehow sharper looking than those of the vampires she'd just escaped from.

    "H-hello..." [Y/n] stuttered, confused at the snake-man that dangled before her. Linn loosened his grip on her slightly, however didn't let the female go. He looked down at Czaer instead, tilting his head.

    "I was also on my way to the meeting. I assume you were our queen's escort?" he questioned. Czaer nodded his head. "Well! What a privilege," he grinned once more. "Would you mind if I steal her from you for now? We're almost there, after all," Linn mused. Czaer grumbled.

    "I'm not sure Feron would appreciate that," he huffed.

    "I'll explain everything~ don't worry your pretty little head," he smirked, before looking back at [Y/n] and swaying her gently. "Quite the catch, if I do say so myself."

    "Can... can you put me down?" [Y/n] asked quietly. Linn shrugged, watching Czaer slowly pad away.

    "Let me carry you there," he hummed, ignoring [Y/n]'s request. The girl huffed but allowed the strange man to continue to carry her. He was eerie looking, but also appeared rather charming, in an odd way. Maybe it was something to do with his voice? She felt a similar allure to when she'd heard the siren sing, but it wasn't overpoweringly strong... just enticing. Yet even the reminder of the sensation she'd felt when drawn in by the siren Orennis, which had of course reminded her of Mitzu, made her break away from the strange hallucination the creature was casting on her.