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Post by Lux Volkov on Nov 20, 2017 5:58:23 GMT
Lux could only hope that with time her memories wouldn't so easily be triggered and trample her. Leaving her scrambling to pull herself together time and time again. But she had taken some huge steps in just the last hour or so, here with Cedric. Time might not heal all wounds but hopefully, it would make them hurt a little less. Lux had caught his apology but he had done nothing to apologize for. The conversation had been of her own creation and it was silly of her to assume it wouldn't turn against her. Once he had finished speaking she bit down on her lip, steadying herself before speaking again. "You did nothing to apologize for." And he hadn't. As if to reassure him she offered a small smile.
After that came her reply to his comments about humans. Her own perhaps being too forward and blunt. She could tell it left Cedric reeling for a reply and she wanted to pull the comment back. But she couldn't. Once things were spoken they were just there. And even if he didn't answer it would make him think about it. She calmly petted Bjorn, blue eyes watching Cedric when his speech started and then abruptly stopped. He spoke briefly again before looking up at the sky. Lux could see that he was thinking of something, someone. Another place and time that was very different than the one they were in now. Eventually, his gaze fell back to her and this time she didn't look away. His words about her made her wonder where he saw these attributes if he garnered them all just from the fact that she didn't solely blame humans for what happened to her. Her voice was quiet when it came, hesitant, almost ashamed. Her mother was a wonderful person. Always so full of light and happiness. What would she think to see her daughter so thoroughly tainted by the dark?
"What would make you think I don't feel 'hate'?" She said softly, choosing that moment to look at the horse who she still gently caressed. The massive beast serving as a font of strength while he simply grazed. "I am not the person you make me out to be." She didn't comment further but fell silent to allow him to finish speaking. She turned to look at him when he posed a question to her, Lux's small hand finally falling away from the horse to rest on the fence. "No, I don't think its bad." She studied him, careful to keep her eyes on his face lest she get hit with another teasing comment. "I think its normal to be cautious when you know there is danger, its the appropriate way to react." Lux rubbed one of her arms and dropped her gaze away from him so that it moved off to the side, focusing on nothing in particular.
"If your bad experiences were mostly due to humans it makes a lot of sense. I'm sorry I asked you that. It..it wasn't really a fair question." A few moments of silence ticked by with Lux making no move to speak but suddenly she turned back to Cedric with a tentative smile. "You should just tell me to stop talking when I get too personal, I wouldn't blame you." Another cold wind made her curl into herself to conserve warmth. "If you are sure it wouldn't be a problem I would like to borrow a coat, I will get it back to you as soon as I can." She looked up at the sky, the day had nearly slipped away from her. It felt like it had been morning only an hour ago. Time had flown, it was an odd feeling when normally her days stretched into weeks. "I guess if I'm going to learn to ride I should do it before it gets too late." Plus she needed to find somewhere to spend the night. She couldn't fly and didn't have the strength to climb or a tall tree would have been an option. The kind family of farmers from earlier would perhaps offer her a corner in their barn. Even that would be worlds better than what she had grown accustomed too.
"I cant take up all your time." A soft attempt at a joke, but it was something better than the depressing tone their conversation had taken.
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Post by Cedric Von Abendroth on Nov 21, 2017 6:41:44 GMT
The fae had listened to him elaborate quite respectfully, and he could feel her eyes on him as he spoke. As he ended with his question, the dragon also wondered if what he was saying was getting through to her. He needed only wait a moment to discover it wasn’t.
"What would make you think I don't feel 'hate'?" A small sigh whispered from his lips, again feeling accused, as if he had misjudged her. “I am not the person you make me out to be.” she had said. Her words lingered through her silence that followed, and though she cast her gaze away from him, they still softly echoed from her eyes.
“I didn’t say you don’t feel hate.” he broke through her silence, though his voice was still relatively quiet. “I said you are kind and good, and I believe that is exactly who you are. I don’t want you to hate, Lux. I would never wish that on you.” Cedric took a breath, biting his tongue to consider how much he really ought to tell her. He was unaccustomed to sharing details about himself with anyone… and yet she was just so different from the rest. The dragon knew very well what hatred was; he had been a being of hate. There was a time when it was all he knew. Hatred, and fear. Maybe he did find it hard to believe that Lux hated anyone, for she had declined his offer to kill those who had captured her. Most, driven by hatred, would have leapt at the opportunity. Cedric certainly would have. If someone had posed him with a proposition, some vengeful miracle promising the death of the council, he would have leapt at it. Or at least, the old Cedric would have. Hatred was a stinking beast. It was very difficult to hide, and even more difficult to tame. He had seen and and smelled it on more creatures than he could count in Cendra; its odor was incredibly distinct. The dragon inhaled deeply of the autumn breeze, exhaling his warm breath back into the atmosphere. Whether she believed she felt hatred or not, he could not smell it on her. Only mineral salts and fresh soap. Hatred had noxious fumes that left clouds in the eyes of its beholders, yet the fae’s eyes were as clear as the sky. Maybe she did feel hatred. Maybe she didn’t. But if she did, then she had buried it so deeply under fear and pain that it was hardly noticeable to him. All of this he thought, though he said nothing. Another day might come when they would continue that conversation, a day when he would know her better.
His head shook silently in a manner that said ‘Don’t worry about it.’ as she apologized to again for her questions. “I have nothing but time, take as much as you like.” finally offering her another smile, glad for the turn in conversation again. “I’ll get you a coat.” The stablehand set the saddle down near the fence and jogged the short distance back to his quarters, not wanting to keep her waiting. Inside, everything was neat and orderly, just as he had left it. A small fire burned constantly in his small hearth, and a plate of bread and dried fruits lay at the center of his table. Moving to the other side of the room, he plucked a coat from the rack on the wall. With another thought, he decided to grab a hat and a scarf as well, and headed back out to the paddock where Lux was waiting for him.
“I believe you’ve been kept grounded long enough.” Cedric told her as he passed her the small pile of clothing. He offered a smile accompanied by a wink. “Let’s get you flying.”
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Post by Lux Volkov on Nov 21, 2017 8:41:05 GMT
She didn’t attempt to keep the topic on the seemingly sinking ship she had happened upon. He thought he was good, a gentle soul. Which she was…mostly. It was hard to not retain some darkness in your soul when one had been through the experiences Lux had. She didn’t hate those people that had harmed her…not exactly. But she did hate that she had lost so much time. That she would forever bear these scars, a constant reminder of what she had survived. That if she ever had a child one day that child would be curious, have questions, might see the darkness that lingered in the depths of their mother’s eyes. She hated that they had changed her so. That she had allowed them to.
Indeed Lux felt hate. Just in a different way that Cedric. It was best however for the topic to drop. She could tell her words were plucking at him. The way a soft sigh had slipped from his lips after she had spoken. She didn’t want him upset with her. The thought of him hurting her wasn’t the concern as much as just losing someone that she was already counting as a friend. It was soon and her trust had come rather easily with him. But he was different, and Lux could certainly use someone to anchor her. It was easy to feel like a ghost when she wandered among the ‘normal’ people. Knowing she wasn’t alone in not blending in was oddly reassuring. Her blue eyes had dipped low after he had spoken. A surrendering of the subject before she breached a more light hearted one.
She smiled when he went to get her a coat, thinking to herself that she was incredibly lucky to stumble upon someone like Cedric on this day. She looked around at her surroundings in silence while he was gone. The other stable hands had apparently grown bored of their gossip and returned to work. He returned and Lux took the items from him, laying them all up on the fence as she struggled to work on from another. ”Thank you.” He was a bit larger than herself, hopefully his extra girth would provide the space needed for her folded wings. She first wrapped the scarf around her neck, not bothering to pull her damp blonde hair from its folds. Then she slipped into the coat. Surprisingly it fit and was a bit loose. Her hands all but lost in the long sleeves, only her fingertips hanging free. But it was warm she worked to secure the front of it to keep the chill away and the last step was a hat that she plopped down on her head with a grin.
”How do I look?” She joked. Actually contemplating doing one of those half turns girls would do when checking out their outfit. But she didn’t. She would likely not feel beautiful for a long while yet. But maybe one day she could build back up to it, that confidence. Flying. He kept saying that. Not riding but flying. She was a little confused to if he meant the feel of it because he had compared the two before. Or if perhaps he did mean flying in its actual meaning. But surely someone who wouldn’t even speak of his blood to her wouldn’t show her his true form.
”Do you mean riding?” She ask with a glance at Bjorn. Her blue eyes traveling back to Cedric in an almost timid manner. She didn’t want to bother him with more questions and it was hard to tell which ones he would find annoying. ”Or flying?” Lux wrapped her arms around herself and waited for his answer. Feeling clean, warm, and safe. It was like a dream really.
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Post by Cedric Von Abendroth on Nov 22, 2017 1:15:11 GMT
Cedric watched her struggle humorously as she tried on his woolen gear, trying and failing not to smirk. “You’re welcome.” he told her, his voice betraying the comedy he found in the situation. When she asked how she looked, the man took a step back, as if to see the full picture. “You look…” his eyes glanced over her, up and down, considering. She looked as snug as a bug in a rug… but also like a little mini hunchback of the bell tower, with her wings folded under the coat. The scarf wrapped around her neck, trapping her hair with it against her throat. And then of course the cap, under which he could see her grinning up at him. A soft chuckle rumbled in his throat. “You look… happy.” he said at last.
The twinkle returned to his eye when she asked about riding… or ‘flying’. She was a cheeky little thing, even when she was timid. The dragon tilted his head to the side with a kind smile, the kind of smile that seemd to say ‘nice try’. “I’ll let you be the judge of that.” he told her, again evading her questions. She would have to get used to it.
Then he bobbed his head toward Björn, a nonverbal que that they should start. Striding up to the left side of this horse, the stablehand began the lesson. “Step one, greet your horse.” he told her, and then demonstrated as he pet the animal’s face and shoulder. Usually this was accompanied by an affectionate insult, but he decided to leave that out. “Step two, mount from the left, with your left foot, and pick up the reins.” he said, bending slightly in both knees and cupping his hands together, offering her a foothold to boost her up. “It’s important not to use your right foot, unless you plan on riding backwards.” he advised with a grin.
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Post by Lux Volkov on Nov 22, 2017 3:34:05 GMT
She grinned at the amused expression he wore, knowing that she was likely a pretty strange sight. His answer was surprising and her grin faded with surprise only to be replaced by a wide smile. "Good. That's fitting." After her little question about just what type of flying they would be doing Cedric gave her a look and her eyebrows rose as if to say 'what?' but again he evaded her. Lux shook her head but her smile didn't fade. They would drive one another up the wall before she learned how to ride, she could see it happening.
At his nod she followed Cedric over to the horse. Blue eyes moving between him and Bjorn as she attempted to follow his instructions. Her fingers slid over the dark cheek of the horse then trailed after Cedric's on the massive shoulder. Then it was time to get on top of Bjorn. Lux glanced down at her bare feet which had been dirtied by walking around even after her bath and then to where Cedric waited. "You want me to step on you?" She fiddled with a button on the coat and tentatively stepped forward. "I don't want to hurt you..." It wasn't that she assumed she was overly heavy but anyone's foot going into someones palm could hurt.
She looked over at Bjorn's side and patted his shoulder gently before deciding to just go for it. Hopefully, he wouldn't comment on her dirty feet, but given that it was Cedric he probably would. Lux stepped closer to him and reached out a palm to rest on his shoulder, pulling back once before reaching him a second time. Using his shoulder to steady herself she used her left foot and placed it in his palm. She found that she had to pivot a little to get her other leg to swing across the horses massive back. And that his hide was rather smooth, almost slick beneath her bum. But she had made it. In her excitement, she almost forgot to gather the reins but did just that once she realized.
It was nice to be further away from the ground, even if it was just this far. Her thin fingers gripped at the lower portion of the horses mane and she turned to look down to Cedric, biting her lip as a tease broke from her lips. "Are you going to make me 'fly' alone?"
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Post by Cedric Von Abendroth on Nov 22, 2017 4:22:22 GMT
Like a teacher watching his pupil, the stablehand watched her as she greeted Björn. In his position, he had taught many a squire how to ride over the years. The step was really superfluous, but he had tried to ingrain it in those he taught for the sake of the horse’s respect. Some got it, some dismissed it. The next step however was actually important. “Oh please,” he rolled his eyes at her comment about her hurting him. “If someone tied a feather to your ankle, you’d sink.” She was so tiny, so cautious, if it wasn’t so sad it would be funny. “Come on, it’s ok.” he prompted, waving his hand for her to come nearer.
His face turned up to her with a sly smile when she did a double-take, trying to convince herself to touch his shoulder. Cedric had discovered humor was clearly the key to breaking down her defensive walls. “If you want to stand there and pet me, that’s ok. But Björn is going to get jealous.” his smile broadened, showing his white teeth as he chuckled.
When she finally did jump, his jokes weren’t over. “Oh, ouch, ow! Gods be damned, why are your feet so boney? And dirty too… ” Of course, he was only teasing her and his poor acting was followed by a laugh at his own joke. He lifted her easily, as if she were made of straw. “Honestly, though, shoes protect you from losing toes if you get stepped on.” He would probably insist that she acquire a pair before their next lesson, if she was up for it.
From the ground, he looked up at her now from a new perspective. Wrapped up in her oversized coat, scarf and hat, bare feet hanging at the sides of the horse, she really was quite the sight to behold. When she asked if he would make her fly alone, the dragon realized he had been staring. But her question made him smile, and he simply put his hands on Björn’s back and lifted himself up to sit behind her with a grin. “No, I want to fly too.” he teased briefly, but continued with his lesson. Aware and careful of how near he was to her, he rested his hands behind him on the horse. “When you’re ready, let go of his mane and shorten your reins just a little. Then you can cluck and squeeze slightly with your legs - that will tell him to walk.” This was going to be fun, Cedric was sure of it. He actually loved to teach new riders, though typically he did so from the ground. “Pull right to turn right, and pull left to turn left.”
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Post by Lux Volkov on Nov 22, 2017 8:25:31 GMT
He was just a cornucopia of humor. Lux could hardly keep up with him. Maybe in a few months when she had a better grasp on things again she could outsmart him. For now, she was left stumbling to keep up with his wit. But this time she found something to say. It wasn't witty or smooth but it was better than nothing. "Depends on the size of the feather." She replied, trying in vain to keep her face blank with emotion. Especially once Cedric started joking her about 'petting' him. She blushed a deep crimson but thankfully she was mostly covered and it wasn't horribly obvious. Just the cold wind kissing her cheeks, that was all it was, or so she would say.
Lux couldn't think of a reply to that. She did like touching him, it was strange to feel such an aversion to something but crave it at the same time. She was a contradiction, and not for the first time. Lux visibly jumped at his sudden cry of pain, turning with wide eyes to see that he was actually perfectly fine and just joking. Again. He laughed and made a little comment about her dirty feet that caused Lux to frown and curl her toes to hide what she could of them. "I don't like shoes..." She admitted while staring down at him, a bit sheepishly because it was obviously not a great thing to not like shoes. Nearly everyone wore shoes of some sort. Even before she had been captured Lux had disliked them. She liked to feel the ground beneath her feet, the soft vibrations from a nearby stream, a large animal. Wearing shoes was like trying to see through a sheet.
A couple moments passed and Lux's gaze met his own. His retort from earlier coming to mind. "Trying to paint a mental picture?" She inquired. "Should I smile or look serious?"
Cedric lifted himself up onto the large horse with ease and Lux scooted up a bit just in case she was taking up too much room. Her wings created quite the buffer between them. Folded as they were the long tips still hung from beneath the borrowed coat but not enough to be an issue. She felt a quick flutter in his chest at his proximity but forced herself to keep her eyes forward and concentrate. Reminding herself mentally that it was just Cedric, not those people. Just Cedric. She blinked and suddenly heard him talking while before she had heard nothing at all. Hurrying to follow suit she pulled the loose reigns in closer, gathering them in her hand. Hopefully, that was what shortening them meant. Her other hand released his mane that had served to anchor her to him and her thighs clutched tighter around the horse to make up for it.
Wait...did he say to cluck? Lux twisted to see him then, obviously suspicious. "Like a chicken?" Her lips twisted to the side in thought. That made no sense. Why would chicken sounds encourage a horse? Ooooh! Maybe he meant that tongue thing she had heard the men do around the horses at the camp? That little clicking thing...it could be a cluck? "Do you mean the tongue thing?" She tried to imitate it and with her knees still clamped on each side of Bjorn it was very possibly the signal to move.
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Post by Cedric Von Abendroth on Nov 23, 2017 3:35:41 GMT
Her reactions - the blushing, the jumping, the sheepish replies only added to his fun. The shoe issue though was a problem that was going to need to get fixed eventually, but the rest was fine. Cedric’s face turned to her slowly with a grin when she used his own words against him. You can’t steal my lines. He thought, but he decided to play into it instead. “Maybe I am. It’s an interesting picture.” he defended. “So you should smile.”
On the horse, his gaze peered over her winged shoulders to look at how she was holding the reins and making adjustments to what he had said. “Hmm. Mm. N-. Just.. here.” There were a number of things he needed to tell her, but it would just be easier to set her up correctly. Reaching around her, he took the reins gently from her fist and separated them, found the length they needed and handed them back to her, one for each hand. “Here you go. Like this.” he said, content that the situation looked much better than whatever was going on before.
But when she turned around to give him a look of suspicion he raised his eyebrows, but when she spoke he had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. “Like a chicken?” Cedric pointed a finger towards his own chest. “Why are you looking at me like it’s my fault?” he asked, trying with minimal success to contain his smile. She had asked so sincerely, and he didn’t want her to give up. He also wanted to see if she would actually do it. “I don’t make up the rules.” he added cheekily. He literally made up the rules. But when she asked him directly, he sighed and gave in, masking his chuckle under his breath. He clucked twice to demonstrate, and squeezed the horse’s sides with his legs. Björns ears flicked around, listening to them speak. Finally catching a breath of instruction, he walked forward obediently. “Now you steer him and tell him where to go.”
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Post by Lux Volkov on Nov 23, 2017 8:13:03 GMT
She ignored his retort to her spin on his own words. Finding that nothing she could say would contribute much of anything to it. He would just make another joke. She was sorely outmatched in this game of wit. She had apparently held the reins wrong and Cedric moved to show her the correct way. Lux froze, holding her breath as he leaned around her to shift the reins. Her fingers opening to take the leather when handed back to her. When he leaned back again she took several deep breaths until she felt calm again.
Lux had been suspicious of the 'clucking' sound he had spoken of and continued to stare at him until he eventually made the sound himself. Nearly the same as her own had been. Good. The horse began to move at his urging and immediately the woman tensed. Her eyes moving forward quickly to see that they were indeed moving forward. With each step, she watched the bob of Bjorn's skull, felt his shoulders rolling beneath his skin. At Cedric's command, Lux looked around nervously, unsure which way she should direct the horse. She eventually decided to just keep him moving the way he was headed, testing the waters she pulled gently on one of the reins until she saw the response in the horse.
"Is this alright?" She asked Cedric, afraid she would lose her balance if she turned to speak to him so her words mostly fell to Bjorn's ears. She couldn't imagine what it would feel like if the horse were to actually be running. Flying seemed like such a long shot though. Lux was smiling slightly but mostly concentrating on what she was doing and not falling off Bjorn when a familiar voice reached her ears. "Aye...she just got away yesterday, I'm sure she couldn't have gone too far." A second voice questioned what the person he was searching for might look like. "She's a tall gangly thing, thin as a broomstick, and she has these weird feathered wings." That was a description that would ring a bell with many people in the courtyard given the little show that had drawn so many curious eyes earlier. Lux had practically released the reins, they hung loosely from her thin fingers, completely forgotten. She had noticeably moved back against Cedric until her wings were brushing against his chest. Her blue eyes wide with a mixture of fear and shock.
She had never thought they would look for her. A silly notion apparently. "Cedric-" She whispered softly. Inevitably one of the younger grooms would attempt to be helpful and point the duo sitting on the horse out to him. "I need to-" His voice was like a whip, snapping through the calm of the courtyard and rendering the blonde woman silent instantly. Her head bowed and she turned away from him, leaning even closer to the dragon at her back. If only her wings worked, then she could just fly away and avoid all of this.
”There you are, I’ve been looking for you all morning.” An exasperated sigh sounded, he calmly scratched his beard and eyed the two of them. Seeing immediately that he would need to be careful how he went about this. The little thing sure did make friends fast didn’t she? ”You have my apologies if she troubled you, sir. If you could hand her down I’ll take her home.” Lux was tense, her muscles tight as a piano wire. She couldn’t even look at him, she had been foolish to assume it was all over. That no one would come after her. But coming face to face with someone who had been particularly cruel after allowing herself to feel the beginnings of hope was….earthshaking. The human was apparently annoyed with how long it was taking his property to get off the horse but wasn’t dumb enough to reach up to try to take her. So instead he waited impatiently, tapping his foot as if he had somewhere to be. He reached up a hand in offering to Lux but didn’t touch her. ”Come along girl, we have work to do back home.” Lux was obstinately refusing to even look in his direction. Her thin shoulders shaking beneath the heavy borrowed coat as she tried to control her breathing. She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t say ‘no’ to him, a lesson that was well ingrained. But everything in her was screaming to escape.
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Post by Cedric Von Abendroth on Nov 23, 2017 15:41:43 GMT
When finally the fae seemed content that she was not to use chicken sounds to communicate, she turned forward again and tensed at the horse’s slow, walking movements. Most new riders did that, but at least she didn’t panic or freeze, that was good. Cedric waited until she turned Björn slowly to the right, which was actually a nice turn. “Good job, Lux.” he told her positively. “That was very good. Now, just keep your elbows in when you turn. And you can relax, trust Björn; he won’t take off on you. Horses can tell if you trust them or not, and they reflect your emotions. And as I promised, I won’t let you fall.” They did have a few paces to go before they were cantering and galloping, but the stablehand hoped they would progress quickly with the two of them riding together. However, this was an excellent start. “When you balance yourself, your hips and your legs can rock, but your spine stays straight with the horse’s spine. The more you ride, you won’t even have to think about it anymore.” he told her. “Just focus on the space between the tips of his ears. That will keep you balanced, and that’s also where you’re steering him.” But as he looked up to Björn’s ears, he found them swiveling strangely, listening to something that hadn’t yet reached the riders. The dragon’s eyebrows furrowed.
As Lux leaned closer to him, Cedric took in the words that drifted through the air across the lawn. Listening intently, he reached around her and slowly gathered up the reins from her numb fingers, shifting them to one hand. “I know. Stay calm.” he spoke lowly in her ear before she even spoke his name. He had heard what she heard. “Just trust me.” The loud clatter of the gate slamming made him tense, anger slowly bubbling from his belly into his heart. As the intruder strode confidently closer, the horse’s ears pinned flat against his head angrily, his soft brown eyes were hard and cold. The dragon’s eyes also changed, narrowing dominantly, his blue irises wild in an almost animalistic nature. His broad arm nonchalantly crossed over the torso of the fae, gripping a fistfull of excess fabric on the other side and guarding her tightly against his own body.
”You have my apologies if she troubled you, sir. If you could hand her down I’ll take her home.” Cedric’s tongue flicked over his lips, once again emitting the sign of aggression of his species. “Gods piss on your apologies, you can keep them.” snapped the dragon. His voice had dropped deeper into his throat, and rang with a clarity that was not to be questioned. Lux was rigid in his arms, as silent as the dead. “Clearly, she doesn’t want to go with you.” A dangerous tone ebbed over his vocal cords as his heart stirred with rage, pounding violently against his chest. It had been so long, over fifty years since he had entered the human kingdom, and even longer since he had killed his last human. Cedric was intensely aware of the bootknife that pressed against his ankle, but he wished to the gods they had been somewhere more… secluded. Metal tools after all were not his weapon of choice. Humans. This was why he hated them. Greedy, filthy, heartless creatures. This one had made the mistake of becoming a threat. If he was going to pursue the fae… the temptation and justification was too great for Cedric. The man was sealing his own fate.
His tapping foot, his outstretched hand provoked a fierce snarl to twist over the dragon’s face. He was losing his patience, and very soon he would lose his temper. “Come along girl, we have work to do back home.” “I’ve got a better idea,” his blue eyes bore into the stinking creature, looking down at him from his height on the horse. “Why don’t you fuck off before things get very ugly for you.” Cedric’s chest expanded, every ounce of posture making him look bigger than he already was. He could feel Lux’s shoulders begin to shake in front of him, and he held onto her tighter. “And you will get your hand away from her, unless you would like to lose a limb.” His tongue flashed over his lips again, his voice was eerily low and controlled, almost dark. “I will not warn you again.”
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Post by Lux Volkov on Nov 23, 2017 17:53:55 GMT
The riding lesson had been going so well too, Lux smiling at the praise he offered like an eager pupil. But the appearance of the human had put an end to all of her fun. Stay calm Cedric said. Trust him. Lux hadn't replied. Just like that she was pushed back into the quiet woman she had been when first arriving. Cedric had taken the reins and that left Lux's arms free. She wrapped one of them around his arm that crossed over her like a shield against the human. His reassurance welcome, a physical barrier between herself and the familiar man. His voice was grating on her nerves, taking her back there with each syllable that rolled off his tongue. At Cedric's words the man looked at him in obvious surprise, his cold eyes traveling over to Lux to glare. What stories had the little trouble maker told this man? "Look, you seem like an agreeable enough gentleman. That girl is a hybrid and my property. If I must go to the guards I will." As twisted as it was the law would be on his side in this case.
He grinned at Cedric, showing teeth. "What she wants is of no concern to me." All these wannabe heroes could certainly be a thorn in his side. First, the one who had forced them to release her in the first place. Now this one who seemed ready to defend the little wisp of a woman. He never used Lux's name. It didn't matter to him. In his mind, she was little more than a tool to be implemented. A horrible mash of genes that should have never been conceived.
The threat was unexpected and he took a half step back from the rather intimidating man. His hand dropping as he had been told. Another tactic perhaps. He didn't really feel up to getting the shit kicked out of him over the damn hybrid. If she wasn't so valuable he wouldn't be here at all. He dusted his hand on his hip as if sullied just by reaching toward them. "Lux." He called to her and the tense woman jumped even within the confines of Cedric's arm. He never used her name, ever. Slowly she turned to see him. Fear bright in her blue eyes. "Come with me now and I won't have you punished for running away like you did." He spoke slowly, gently, like one might to a child. "We don't want to cause any 'trouble' for your friend here, do we?" Lux crumbled under the weight of his threat. He would get the guards to help him, if Cedric was hurt somehow she could never forgive herself.
He had been so kind to her. He was even sticking his neck out for her now, protecting a hybrid. Again. "Cedric..." She said softly, her voice shaking. "It is ok, I should-" Her voice cut out suddenly, a shiver running down her body when the man crossed his arms and revealed the small blade strapped to his side. A calculated move from him. He knew precisely how to get under her skin. She would rather die than go back there. But she didn't want to create any more issues for her friend either. "We need to get back." He chimed in from his standpoint on the ground, looking over to Cedric with a triumphant look on his face. "She wants to come, and she is MY property. This is the last time I will ask that you release her." He reached into one of his pockets and pulled free a short length of rope to wait for his favorite prisoner.
"You can leave your friends coat behind. You know I always keep you warm." A bright smile, he didn't try to hide the darker meaning of his words in the least. Taking a twisted satisfaction in being able to rub it in the stable worker's face. Lux didn't move. She had stated that she should go with him but she hadn't brought her body to move yet. The arm wrapped around Cedric's clenching tighter, if anything. "I will be alright." She turned to speak to him. Trying to keep her voice level and smooth, to hide the emotions that were rising in her chest like a tide. "....can you help me down?"
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Post by Cedric Von Abendroth on Nov 24, 2017 8:01:20 GMT
This hunter, this… butcher did not understand who he was talking to. Cedric’s neck stood straight in defiance, clearly not soothed by the man’s attempt at flattery. “Oh, agreeable am I?” retorted the dragon. “Do I seem agreeable to you, torturer? Let me let you in on a little secret: you can’t prove that she’s yours. And even if you could, I don’t give a damn. You’d have to fetch those guards, and that would be a very stupid thing for you to do.” Being on horseback, Cedric would run him down before he could move ten yards.
Subtle satisfaction flitted over the stablehand’s face as the torturer took a step back in intimidation. Good. Remind him of his place. Whatever petty ritual motions he had to do to stand himself, wiping his hand on his clothes, he had certainly been taken down a notch. But Lux’s jolt came as a surprise to Cedric, as the man seemed to coo her name out to her. The rest of his speech was just… demeaning. It was a psychological game. Cedric’s eyebrows furrowed, curious but also looking at the man as if he were a lunatic. Whatever he was doing, it seemed to have an effect on Lux, who was then trying to get Cedric’s attention before she shivered and abruptly fell silent. A growl rumbled deep in his core, low and unnaturally loud.
Yes, the dragon also noted that the man was armed. But frankly, he didn’t care. In another circumstance, he might have used that small stick to pick his teeth after he was done with his meal. It would not save him from the wrath that was pumping through his veins like a venom. With the expression of premature triumph on the torturer's face, his blue eyes flashed with rage. His patience was gone. The torturer’s comments about property and further threats went unheard as the dragon’s pupils watched the rope writhe free and bounce in the air. Cedric saw red.
"You can leave your friends coat behind. You know I always keep you warm." Oh, how this man had a death wish. The only thing that kept him from lunging at the parasite was the poor beaten fae, who even still clung to his arm while also asking to be helped back to torturehood. Cedric would have none of it. Never before had he felt so compelled to risk everything just to destroy one soul, but he was very close. His eyes shot to Lux briefly, filled with an ire so severe they nearly burned. “I will NOT hand you over to him. If anything happens, stay with Björn.” The animal was an excellent judge of character, and he trusted him to either take her out of danger or to stomp out whatever approached her. Afterall, he had trained the beast himself. “I’ll tear him apart.” he told her somewhat quietly, but his rage prevented him from doing anything civil.
His eyes fixated on the rope for a moment as he almost threw himself from the horse, landing on his feet. Cedric inhaled deeply as he strode the short distance to the other man. Beside him now, the dragon towered over him, looked down at him as if he might swallow him whole. In the tense moment between the two, one cold sentence fell from the dragon’s lips, “She’s not your property.” His right fist landed hard against the man’s jaw, before he tackled him to the ground and wrestled for the rope.
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Hetero.
Single.
Hybrid
Authored by Rook.
Offline.
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Post by Lux Volkov on Nov 24, 2017 18:53:06 GMT
He was quickly growing tired of this little show that a stable boy was putting on, taking up his valuable time. His head cocked to the side and his eyes narrowed in on Cedric. ”Actually I can, boy. Are you threatening me?” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small vial. Inside were several small smooth transparent stones that emanated a soft blue like akin to the color of Lux’s eyes. ”Healing stones, quite valuable. I’m not above greasing a few palms to get my property back.” Unfortunately it sounded like his little ‘angel’ had been running her mouth. Why she would want a stranger to know such things about her was lost on him. Torturer, he was called and flashed a smirk back at Cedric. ”I prefer ‘motivator’.
Luc could fear the growl building in Cedric’s chest. Her wings, even beneath the coat as they were, could pick up on the vibrations that rolled up his chest like the muscles of a snake as it coiled to strike. She was afraid for a brief moment that he might lose control. She assumed he was a dragon now from the hints here and there that he dropped. Something that he wanted to keep secret apparently. Shifting into a dragon in the courtyard of the castle would pretty much make that impossible. Shaking fingers played gently over the skin of his arm in an attempt to calm him, to pull him back in. He was being goaded into this anger. The human had always been a troublemaker, his father had been part of the motley crew of entrepreneurs before him. He felt a little entitled maybe, as if Lux and her gift was his inheritance. But if he came…would the others? Would she ever be able to walk without looking over her shoulder for one of them?
“I will NOT hand you over to him. If anything happens, stay with Björn.” A mixture of fear and relief surged through her body when he spoke. She didn’t want to go back by any means. But she also didn’t want Cedric hurt or revealed because of her. “I’ll tear him apart.” Lux reluctantly released her hold on his arm. Her fingers curling in Bjorn’s mane as Cedric dismounted. ”Don’t do this.” She murmured, more to herself than Cedric. Words that likely only went heard by Bjorn.
The human looked up to see the tall man stalking closer. His hand falling to his dagger as he returned the cold look. He smirked at Mr. Hero’s remark and was about to reply when a fist caught him in the cheek and sent him to the ground. Landing on his side he immediately rolled onto his back so that he could face the onslaught. He wanted the rope, the human could see as much in the way his hands grappled for it. So after resisting for a moment he let Cedric have it. In that same movement and hopefully while the larger man was preoccupied his hand felt to his dagger that he would jerk free of its sheath and suddenly stab upward. Aiming for Cedric’s stomach, his chest, any part of him that he could reach with the sharp blade.
”I thought she had tricked you!” He grunted as he struggled, trying to shove at Cedric so that he could push him off and get on his feet again. ”You just want the coin for yourself don’t you? You know what that ‘thing’ can do!” It made sense. That little fool had poured out her story to him and now this fucking stone wall of a man was wanting in on the cut. Surely he wasn’t this much of a goody two shoes. ”Just come be one of us and I’ll give you a cut!” When Cedric’s hand seemed close to his face the human would suddenly lash out, trying to clamp his teeth down. He was getting desperate at this point. Sorely outmatched by the other man he grappled with. Lux was silent, her head was bowed and trembling hands clung to the massive horse’s mane for dear life.
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Post by Cedric Von Abendroth on Nov 25, 2017 7:16:07 GMT
The glowing stones caught Cedric by surprise, but only intensified his fury. He wasn’t thinking anymore, and his blind hatred was controlling all of his actions. He would enact such a vengeance on this man, he would make him wish he had never wandered into his pasture. Honestly, had hadn’t really done anything to Cedric, other than the blatant disrespect. But everything he was, everything he had done to Lux had become a focus point for his wrath. And he would destroy him for it.
The scuffle for the rope did not last as long as Cedric had expected, and the torturer seemed to give it up easily. His mistake. The dragon’s hand followed the human’s as he went for the knife, but not fast enough. As he attempted to block by gripping the man’s wrist, he only succeeded in lessening the force of the attack. Shallow cuts oozed red blood into his previously clean white tunic, but it only made him angrier, the sight of his own blood invigorating him with more adrenaline. He twisted the man’s arm to the outside of his body, forcing him to roll and bending it so far around himself he heard the elbow pop. His knees pinned against the man’s kidneys as he pried the blade from his grasp and tossed it aside. He knew the man wanted to stand, but Cedric fought better from the ground, and would do all he could to keep him there. From behind, his legs wrapped around the man’s torso and squeezed like a snake, his knees pressing against the sides of his ribs and diaphragm. His arms went to work with the rope, trying as hard as he could to wrap it around his neck. The dragon had already decided how he wanted this man to die: at the end of a rope, the same way he had tortured the fae.
“You just want the coin for yourself don’t you? You know what that ‘thing’ can do!” A humorless laugh coughed from his throat as they struggled against each other’s strength. “I don’t share your human greed. And you should be more concerned with what I can do!” He managed to wrangle the rope around one side of the man’s head, and tried to feed it to his other hand to get it around his neck. That was when he felt the vermin’s teeth sinking into his hand. Enraged, a growl emitted from his throat and he squeezed him tighter with his legs, bending his neck to bite the man’s ear. Jerking furiously, he tasted blood as it spurted into his mouth. When his hand was again free, he grabbed the rope and leaned back, pulling it tighter and tighter against his throat.
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Hetero.
Single.
Hybrid
Authored by Rook.
Offline.
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Post by Lux Volkov on Nov 25, 2017 8:36:45 GMT
The two tumbled and fought while Lux hunkered closer to the horse. Fear rolling off her in waves. The human was no match against Cedric. Lux flinched at the sound of a joint pushed too far, the screams that followed after. She could hear someone yelling about a fight and looked up to see a young boy running away to presumably get help. She looked at the two men to see that Cedric had the human on the ropes, literally. He was gasping and clawing at his throat with his remaining usable hand as his face turned blue. Cedric’s lips were red with blood from his attack on the fellow’s ear, it made Lux’s stomach turn. She could see then the cuts from the small dagger that littered his torso, marks that looked all too familiar.
He couldn’t kill a human…it was draw far too much suspicion. Lux hesitated to dismount because she had been told to stay. Her obedience was hard learned and going against it wasn’t easy. She clung to Bjorn’s mane and worked her leg over the horses back until she could slide off in a rather ungraceful way. Barely catching herself she was forced to bend forward and catch her balance with her fingertips before hurrying over to the two men. One of which was now practically blue. Lux knelt at his side and reached out to touch one of his hands, the movement hesitant at first but then her fingers gripped his hand with all the strength she could conjure. She needed him to pay attention to her, to hear her words. Not go in for the kill as he was. ”Cedric.” She spoke, and tried to pull his hand to lessen the tug on that end of the rope. ”You can’t do this here.”
She released his hand and reached up to touch his face, shaking at the contact but determined to not let this happen. At least not here where Cedric could be outed for what he truly was. The death of a human would be questioned. Cedric looked into. This wasn’t their word. Trembling fingers cupped his face and tried to turn his head to look at her. ”I’m alright, now. He will pay, but it can’t be today.” Her thumb brushed over his lips to wipe away the blood that lingered there before Lux released him all together. Backing away a bit to give him space to decide, she could not force his hand either way.
There was a call from a guard that had been alerted, the loud clanking of his armor as he hurried toward them. Lux immediately bowed her head and backed away until she bumped into Bjorn. One frail hand moving to rest against his neck as she waited to see how it would all unfold.
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