Private Tales An Answer After Dark

[Crux]

Perhaps he had let down his defenses, allowed himself to act and speak without the constant antagonism and paranoia that ruled so many of his thoughts and movements. It wasn't a conscious choice he'd made, but being around somebody who, despite his own internal protests, he could no longer deny he felt a kinship with.

Illyria was, in so many ways, like him. She'd had nobody for so long that she didn't know how to allow herself to be cared for. All of Crux's relationships were out of convenience, purely superficial and skin deep. He'd never had a problem tossing away those whom he no longer had use for, nor did he allow the weight of others to drag him down.

Yet here he was, tugging Illyria out of her forest to fight alongside him. Why? He'd claimed it was for her, that she should feel obligated to defend her home.

That was a lie, of course.

Crux had brought her because he didn't want to walk away. Not yet. What little shred of humanity he'd buried deep inside of himself had grown fond of her, and letting her go would mean returning to the lonely, empty life he pretended to revel in. As she flipped onto her back, Crux continued to run his hand along her back, his fingertips drawing lines against her skin as she spoke.

"When living becomes surviving, some things start to matter less..." He would mutter to her, watching her eyes as they scanned her pillow. "There was a time... when all I cared about was surviving. I'd been born to slaves, grew up a slave, escaped an inhospitable land... all that mattered was making it over the next hurdle, seeing the next sunrise."

Crux thought back to their first meeting, the words she'd spoken that had enraged him so.

"It matters not what I want, only that I have lived contently and happily. A luxury many would strive to achieve, no?"

"It frustrated me, when you said it didn't matter what you wanted. Because it does. You didn't live in those woods for all these years for somebody else. You did it for you. People like you and I survive in spite of isolation, not because of it."

Illyria rose and turned away from him, slowly removing the shirt and vest she'd been so uncomfortably confined in. For the first time, Crux didn't see Wolf-Girl. He didn't even see 'Illyria'. Crux looked upon the pale canvas of her back now, and saw a woman, red-blooded with flaws and imperfections, with desires and dreams of her own.

Crux sat up in the bed, and slid closer. His arms wrapped around Illyria from behind, pulling her gently back against his chest. His chin rested in the crook of her neck, and for the first time, he held her close.

"We don't need these people, and it doesn't matter what they think of us. The only time I'll give a damn about anybody is if they make me feel my own heartbeat. The way I feel it right now."

In an almost hesitant, unsure movement, Crux tilted his head and pressed his lips against the side of her neck, muttering against her skin.

"And I told you... anybody wanting to throw you back to the wild has to go through me."

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Illyria had not felt a tenderness such as this, not in the way he cradled her small form to him and blessed her bared skin with the brush of his lips. She thought he would speak sins against the pale skin, but only softness came in the form of his warm breath. Her frame shivered, and Illyria discarded the top pieces to her clothing, turning her head to catch a look at Crux in this tender, gentle state.

"Did your lips find how fast my heart beats?" She whispered. Illyria waited a breath, two, just to be sure. Turning herself so that she faced him directly, the woman searched his eyes for answer. "No. How could you when here is the artery that would tell you so." Her hands, so small and dainty, pulled her dark mane to the side to bare the side of the neck that would give him the opportunity to find the answer himself.

Her pale jade eyes fell, to his bared skin. She had been blind before, indifferent, but since spending time with him, with the kindness he undoubtedly did not plan in showing her, Illyria began to see him differently.

Feel for him differently.

Her hands perched at his shoulders, giving herself steady leverage as she completely twisted her frame to face him. She lowered her own lips to his neck, pressing them just a breath away from tasting the warmth that emanating from his skin. Illyria pressed her lips, like he had done. She could feel the increased heart rate, how wildly it gave life and blood to his being. "And I do this? To your heart?"

He had been tender with her, and Illyria only felt compelled to reciprocate as if it were custom. But she was a wild thing, deep down, and catching his scent only drove her need to explore.

She pulled back, narrowing her eyes at him. It was quizzical, her expression. As if she could not truly understand what it was that she wanted, but the restraint she held in herself was not at all normal.

"Well, Crux? How does my heart feel to you?" Soft words, a soft invitation for him to find out however he deemed.

Crux

 

[Crux]

Even if his lips had touched upon the side of her neck that pumped the blood through her body, Crux knew he wouldn't feel the steady beat of her heart. How could he, when his own rhythm echoed in his ears like a drum in an empty hallway? The cocktail of emotions, so many he'd never felt before, was a drug to his mind as Illyria turned in his arms to face him, her body bare, but not in the way it had been before. The vengeful slave with a cold heart and callous mind no longer saw the shapeshifter as a creature of the woods, foreign and unlike him. Now, he saw a woman, beautiful and blossoming at his touch.

It wasn't the first time she'd made him feel this throbbing in his ears. He'd felt rage when they'd met, when she'd so carelessly tossed aside her own self-worth after he'd saved her. He'd felt invigorated when she'd come to his rescue, giving him a chance to continue his selfish crusade against the world that had wronged him. Tonight, as Illyria pressed her lips to his neck softly, it was not rage or excitement that drove his heart to thrum in his chest, but nervousness.

Never had he cared for someone the way he was realizing he did for her. Never did he desire another person's touch upon his skin with such need. As her lips slowly left his flesh, only a cooling heat remaining in their place, his head tilted and his breath stalled as his skin grew warm under the air he shared with her. Gods above and demons below, he craved her so. That raw, unfettered need was what frightened him, what made him wish to retreat into the cold, uncaring shell he'd wrapped himself in for so long.

Not tonight.

Tonight he would not retreat.

As Illyria drew back and waited for him to act, Crux moved a hand up to the smooth, pale side of her face. His calloused hand brushed away the ebony locks that hung over her piercing emerald eyes. There was an energy in her gaze, something so powerful and glimmering that he'd never felt before. It drew him in more than any magic he'd ever taken into his person before, but he didn't wish to steal it from her. No, this energy he wished to bathe in with her, together.

"The only one who ever has..." Crux muttered. "It's always you, when I feel this way."

The hand at her cheek slid behind her head; Crux wasted no more time on words that he hardly had an explanation for. To delay another minute would be to torture himself more than any day of slavery or loneliness he'd endured before. Finally, he would grant himself reprieve. In her lips against his own, his hand atop her breast, feeling for her own beating drum, and in the sigh he let escape him into her mouth, ages of need for what he couldn't find leaving him in an instant.

Illyria

 

[Crux]

When the light of day finally found its way through the single window, back into the room that Crux and Illyria now shared, it was a dawn unlike any he'd experienced before. The warmth of the sun against his closed lids did not fill him with loathing and misery as it had for so long, the call of the birds outside did not feel akin to a reverie summoning him to another day of mere survival.

Today, this dawn brought Crux no fear. Today, his sleep was dreamless and peaceful. Today, he woke with a woman in his arms who'd quelled the raging fire burning in his heart, if only for a while.

Those sullen eyes slid open, looking down at the beauty of the forest nestled snugly into his chest, her breathing still slow and deep as she slumbered against his skin. Only a day ago her very existence had puzzled and enraged him, owing in part to his own feelings that he could not decipher. This morning, he could scarcely imagine being without her.

Crux had never been a believer in fate, but it seemed to obvious to ignore that some force had brought him this strange girl, Illyria. That she'd come to his rescue in what should have been his end. That she'd shown him affection in a way he'd never experienced.

Maybe someday, he'd navigate his own pride and thank those fates.

But for now, there was a world beyond their front door that awaited them. Dangers they'd pledged to face, places they'd deigned to travel, and a home they sought to save. Crux knew now, more than ever, that he couldn't do it on his own. It would have only ended in his demise.

In his arms was a living, breathing salvation for his soul. He only hoped he would be able to use the chance he'd been given.

"Illyria..." He whispered into her ear, his palm gently stroking her cheek. "Wake up..."

He'd a feeling there would be no such trepidation leaving this place as there was entering.

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Gentle protest could be heard from the petite woman, her dark brows furrowing, resisting the call to wake. Her arms wrapped around him tighter, a whine coming from her before her head slowly began to lift, only to fall back against his chest. "Sleepy... still..." she managed to mumble.

Along her pale skin were signs of light bruising, and her limbs and muscles ached when she moved. She was waking now, aware of these not so pleasant stretches and a yawn overtook her. Illyria now rolled off from his chest and into his side, protesting again. "I am so... sore." She groaned. Her legs were stiff, feeling resistance at her knees, her hips.

Their night had been a wild instinct Illyria felt right in releasing, and she reveled in the strength Crux gave her when she begged for it.

Finally, Illyria opened those pale jade hues to blink a few times before focusing on the male that held her tight all night.

"Do you think we can break our fast before we get going again?"

Crux

 

[Crux]

Only once Illyria's eyes were opened once more did Crux truly feel a hesitant tug on his heart. Too close, a voice said. He'd allowed her too close to him, and now she wouldn't see him as what he was, as the dangerous freak he knew himself to be. She would put herself in danger for him, would allow her feelings for him to lead her astray...

It was the same spiel he'd given himself a dozen times over. This time was different, though. He wanted to trust Illyria. If there were any eyes that he wished to look through the shell of anger and fury he'd encased himself in to see his true self, it was the jade pair that stared back at him now.

"Perhaps I overdid it..." He murmured back to her, knowing she'd have had it no other way. As he spoke, the hand that ran along her cheek grew warm against her skin, leaving a pleasant tingle against her flesh as he tucked his fingers under her chin and pulled her lips to his. Through his touch, through his kiss, he rejuvenated her with another surge of the energy she'd offered him the night before. It would be akin to a shot of adrenaline.

Breathlessly, he pulled away, his own body aching now as it remembered the exertion he'd placed upon it in the name of satisfying the sleeping beast he'd awoken inside of her. Running his tongue slowly along his bottom lip, he smirked. "But if it's any consolation, that's the most anybody has ever gotten out of me before"

Crux's arms reluctantly began to slide away from Illyria's body, but he took solace in knowing that this wouldn't be the last time she was his. Sitting up on the bed, he gave his arms and neck an experimental roll, ensuring he wasn't too cramped before standing up and moving to retrieve his clothing.

"This place doesn't do room service, so if you want to eat, you'd better get your stunning little ass up and throw something on." He peered down at her, his eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly. "Unless you'd rather I bring you something."

Even he surprised himself with that offer.

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Illyria sat up in bed and let the sheets fall away from her body. "No... I will come down." He had given her boosts to her energy reserves, and Illyria looked down at her body to change the appearance of her porcelain skin. The bruising was now hidden away, as if a small glamour had given her flesh a new glow.

Really, that aura had come from Crux. Their evening together had been something that rejuvenated something in her.

She wandered over to the fireplace, now embers in the hearth, and picked up her clothing she had worn the day before.

"Can't stay in here in comfort. We do have a destination to get to." She pulled her breeches up, beginning to fasten them and tuck in her tunic. "Maybe some food for the road, unless the journey to Alliria isn't that long from the portal?" She kneeled, now slipping her feet into her boots and lacing them.

Crux

 

[Crux]

It was somewhat of a shock to Crux, how nonchalant Illyria acted, especially after the outburst of emotion they'd both experienced only the night prior. As she reluctantly rose from the mattress and began to dress herself, he felt that nagging insecurity, that fear of opening himself return.

Had that... meant anything? In Crux's mind, what they'd done had felt far more significant than a particularly rough toss in the sheets. Perhaps he'd allowed his need for companionship to cloud his judgment, and warp his view of reality.

More concerning was the fact that he suddenly cared so much about what she thought of him. Something had changed last night, and Crux felt his face tighten in frustration as he realized he wasn't entirely sure what that something was.

Illyria was prepared rather quickly, and the sound of her boots on the floor broke him from his thoughts. This wasn't the time to mull over his emotions. The facts of the situation remained the same: They were on a mission, and Illyria was his partner. They had a schedule to keep.

"It's not a particularly long trip, but you're right in that we should be going." He nodded, closing his eyes and running a hand across his jaw, popping the joints as he walked to the door of her room. "Go on and head down to order the food, I need to grab my things from the other room and I'll meet you at the wagon."

In hindsight, paying for two rooms was rather wasteful, but at the time neither of them were particularly enthralled with the other's presence. Exiting out into the hallway, Crux crossed over into the next room and collected his bag, still sitting beside his bed where he'd left it, and scooped up the door key from the nightstand.

Careless... he'd left the door unlocked. Anybody could have come in here and liberated him of his belongings.

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Perhaps skipping a meal yesterday was not a good idea, considering how loud and uncomfortable her stomach had been waiting for the eggs and ham steak. Or was it the unused feeling of being able to have a meal so readily? All thoughts had left her by the time a plate appeared before her, and Illyria had to recall how to use a fork and knife.

She had taken small portions, eating so delicately, so afraid of appearing wild and feral before this small village.

"Here." The cook placed a cup before Illyria and filled it with freshly squeezed citrus juice. "Your lips are very dry."

Heat coloured her cheeks, and Illyria gave the woman a kind smile. "Thank you."

Dry lips, because of how many breaths had passed her lips last night, pinned to the wall...

Her sudden wanting of Crux had been hard to pinpoint when she came to terms of being comfortable enough to kiss him. The memory brought back the tingle at her lips, which she had promptly ran her tongue over to wet them. She brought a hand to rest her chin on, a finger lightly touching her bottom lip. Illyria had liked having Crux there while she slept, liked that underneath her changed skin, she could feel the bruises and stiffness to her muscles because he had shown her the affection she had yearned for.

Crux

 

[Crux]

While Illyria reveled in the memories of last night as she enjoyed her breakfast, Crux struggled with his own memory of their joining. He still sat in the room that had ended up being unused, perched on the foot of the bed with his belongings at his side. Try as he might, he could not muster up a hunger for food. No aches came to his stomach, and his lips would not parch.

He craved something else now. Someone else.

It hadn't been the first time he'd had a tumble with somebody in an Inn room. Crux had told Illyria as much the day before. Those were all disposable instances, however, a means to an end. He'd never slept with another for any reason other than to sate his needs and clear his mind. So why, even as he was satisfied and clear-headed, did he want more of her?

The heat of her skin as she'd laid atop him, the trembling of her body as she'd come undone under his touch again and again, the quiver of her voice as she'd called his name. They were all baked into his body, replaying in his mind again and again.

And it wasn't just the intimacy; it was her smile... that damned coy smile of hers. The way she so effortlessly fired back whenever he tried to push her, able to match him word for word. Her spirit, her unwillingness to bend or change herself for another's desires.

These were new feelings, and they were mortifying.

Yet his only option was to continue, to rejoin her and press on. To leave her now would not only be breaking his word, but would mean tearing himself away from whatever these bizarre sensations that had ensnared him so desperately were.

Splashing some water on his face at the basin, Crux headed downstairs with his belongings, quickly spotting Illyria as she finished her meal.

"Taking your time?" He grumbled, sliding into the seat beside her and gesturing to the juice with a look to the cook. He should at least keep hydrated. "I'm ready to go as soon as you're finished."

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Illyria slid her plate a little closer towards Crux in invitation for him to help himself. It was instinctual of her, a wolf sharing a hunt with another.

"I've never eaten eggs before." She revealed, poking at the fried eggs with her fork, breaking the yolk. "They never really were part of my diet, but I remembered when I was a girl, someone had eggs every day to break their fast. It smelled so good when I came down, and I decided to order it." But she had yet to touch it. The ham steak was only eaten a third as she was mindful to cut herself small morsels and eat slowly, carefully.

The cook placed the juice before Crux, leaving them be in the quiet area of the room. Illyria turned her head, pale jade eyes taking him in. She smiled, but turned away to try and stifle it before speaking. "I have never felt this hungry in a human form. Didn't think I had the energy... or still have the energy after last night." Of course, she remembered that Crux bestowed her with a boost of it, to keep her pleasure and high going. "I was thinking of ordering some bread to take with us, in case I hungered again during our travel."

Crux

 

[Crux]

Crux lifted the juice to his lips the moment it arrived, if not because he was parched then because it gave him an excuse not to talk. Illyria wasn't skilled with idle chatter, but she was still leagues ahead of him. Though he wasn't hungry, he still found himself poking at the bit of breakfast she offered him, eating small bites as he listened to her speak.

It wasn't until he caught the brief smile that escaped her that Crux's resolve waned. She pushed the smile aside, but still it had irked him. Illyria had lived in the woods almost her entire life, without human contact, and was now on a trip far from her homelands. Despite all that, all of the confusing feelings they'd dredged up together, she was making an effort.

What was his excuse?

"That's a good idea." He spoke through a bite of ham, forcing himself to participate. "There's no telling what will happen between now and our destination. I'd rather be prepared." He had more energy to give, should she need it, but actual food was better for the body. Raw energy lacked nutrition, a lesson he'd learned the hard way early on. "I... do hope that I didn't hurt you too badly."

Wolf-Girl was strong. Stronger than anybody else he'd met on his travels. Still, there was a strange concern in the back of his head. A desire for her safety. There was a long pause, a piece of egg held partway to his mouth as the awkward silence continued. Crux couldn't hold back the snicker of laughter, placing his fork back down and shaking his head.

"You scared me for a second. With the talons..."

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Illyria tried with all her might to stifle the smile, but the pink blossomed brighter at her cheeks. "It felt... freeing last night. I liked it, that I could be like that with you." She had to divert her eyes, staring at the plate between them as she reached for a piece of ham and tore it from the steak. Illyria cleaned her fingers slowly with her lips, drying them on the waist of her trousers.

"You did not hurt me. Not in the moment, but I mend quickly at least. A skinchanger perk, I suppose." She shrugged, now drinking her own juice. It was sweet, freshly squeezed and the citrus delighted her tongue. Illyria downed it, some of it spilling at the corner of her mouth. The cook came by to top it up, as if they only needed to tend to their table when the rest of the other filled tables had patrons, but not interested in dining.

Grateful, she smiled.

"I like this... what is it called?" She whispered to Crux, hoping he at least knew so that she knew what to ask for once they reached Alliria.

Crux

 

[Crux]

When the two of them were sitting and talking like this, not about their goals or their destination, but about themselves... it was easy to forget where Illyria came from, that this wasn't something she'd experienced a hundred times before. Then she started downing orange juice like it was the elixir of life itself, and even Crux felt his lips begin to curl in amusement.

No, this was all still foreign to her. She was only here because it meant defending the place she called home. And now... because of him.

At least, he liked to think he played some part in it.

"It's orange juice." He muttered through his smirk, bringing a wrist up to shield it. "Suppose I know what to buy you next time we stop for drinks." It still felt unusual, almost uncomfortable to smile so brazenly. Crux had spent so long disallowing himself to express such emotions that doing so, even to her, felt like a vulnerability he shouldn't be exposing.

"But... yeah." He cleared his throat as he finished his drink, drumming his fingers on the table as he waited for her to be ready. "I liked it too. It was... It was good."

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

"Orange juice," She repeated, taking slower sips of her cup to let it last longer and savour it. "I should grow an orange tree one day. Learn to make this myself." Of course, this was not something she could achieve as a wolf, or a bird. It would mean she would make an effort to be human. There was reason to spend time in such a form these days, if last night was no one time thing.

"How many oranges to make us both juices, I wonder?" Or should it be a delicacy enjoyed on the occasion? Her fingers drummed against the wooden tabletop, humming to herself before inevitably taking another sip, a little of the juice falling past her bottom lip.

Her tongue caught the droplet, now going to eat some more of the ham on the plate. "Right, I should finish eating so we can get going."

Crux

 

[Crux]

It seemed a silly and pointless sentiment, pondering over the possibility of growing oranges and making juice out of them. Were it any other person speaking the words Crux would have thought them a simpleton. It wasn't lost on him, though, the weight behind Illyria's thoughts.

It was a commitment, however small, to being human. A task that she could not accomplish through the power of nature that coursed through her veins. As paltry as it sounded, that she clutched to such a wish was a step towards humanity that Crux may have found terrifying in her shoes.

He said nothing, looking down at his hands as they clutched his empty cup.

"Take your time." He spoke softly, eyes closing behind unruly black locks. "I'd rather you enjoy this moment while it lasts. Once we're back outside, we must face our task again." A task he now had a far more personal stake in, far beyond the vengeance that originally had fueled him.

Crux stood from his seat, placing his hand on the top of Illyria's head as he slipped away, walking towards the exit. "I'll have the horses ready and unhitched when you come outside. Don't get into too much trouble, yeah?"

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

She felt the softness in his touch, such a brief gesture at her head, but it was one she liked the feel of coming from him. After their night, a touch of sweetness...

Illyria watched him go for the exit, leaving her to finish the rest of her meal and drink before counting her coins to pay, and minutes later she was looking around the small settlement before spying Crux with their transport. Bags already loaded, horses well rested and awaiting to continue their journey.

Pulling herself up to seat herself where she had claimed the day before, the shifter tucked away the small paper wrapped bread and cheese she had purchased after her breakfast. They could eat it later on, or whenever Crux would like.

Smiling, she looked to him.

"How many times have you been to Alliria?" She only ever heard the city mentioned, not at all expecting the sheer grand size of it or how populated. In her mind, it was a quaint affair.

Crux

 

[Crux]

It was an unexpectedly uneasy sensation, being out in the open again after spending the night in the far more preferable setting of Illyria's bed. Only after opening himself emotionally to another did he realize how much effort he'd been putting into cutting off the world around him. When they'd arrived, Illyria had felt invaded by the stares of strangers.

Now it was Crux that felt himself stewing under their gazes.

The tension was lessened slightly by Illyria's weight settling into the wagon beside him, her presence becoming far more familiar to him over the last few days. She no longer felt foreign to his senses, no longer set off his mental defenses. In the short term, that made him happy... He worried about the long term.

"Often enough." Crux got the wagon moving, pulling away from the Tavern and into the small line of travelers waiting to travel through the Portal Stone. "Its location between the two continents means it's usually the best place to find what you need. Just about everything and everyone passes through it. For better, or worse." Obviously, the fact he'd been brazenly attacked by some sort of cult spoke to the fact that just because a city was large and diverse didn't mean it was safe.

"We won't stay long. If this little town was hard for you to acclimate to, Alliria will be overwhelming." He worried about her, about how she'd react to people with little to no regard for personal space or privacy. There was, after all, an wolf living in the spirit of this woman. Wolves didn't take kindly to being crowded. As they came to a stop behind a caravan of dwarves chattering away in front of them, Crux turned his head to her, trying his best not to sound like he'd gone completely soft in a single night.

"I won't let anything happen to you."

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

She looked to him and saw the sincerity she felt coming off from him. An appreciative smile curved at her lips, and Illyria moved to reach a hand to rest on his lap and squeezed. "If we are able to find somewhere to stay that allows me to... make it comfortable for myself, then I will have somewhere to return to that is familiar." Her moving the bed and creating her own den beneath it had been her makeshift attempt, but there was something new that made Illyria feel at ease.

"Your scent... actually, your scent calms me." And does another thing altogether now she could remember the thoughts she had smelling herself this morning. His scent coated her, had smothered her into a new blanket of comfort. "I like it. I still cannot pinpoint what it is... but it is you." It was not something she was embarrassed to divulge, not when it was a natural thing for her to notice.

"Tell me more about Alliria..." Foreign to her ears, she was still curious of this place he was to take them.

Crux

 

[Crux]

If he didn't know that Illyria had lived like a wolf for so long he might have taken her nod to his scent to be an insult. It still wasn't exactly what he'd call a compliment, but rather an admission of vulnerability, of feeling at ease in his presence. Only a few days ago, both of them had been so on guard they'd never consider revealing any such comforts.

In that, he allowed himself to be flattered. They moved forward achingly slow in the portal queue, the line ahead of them stretching on for some time, and yet it seemed to move quickly under the calm that she created in him, in the gentle touch of her hand on his leg, the slight pressure as she gripped him.

Crux closed his eyes and focused on that. He let Illyria temper his impatience, his worry. She was the only one who could.

"I won't lie..." He murmured. "It's a crowded city, despite its size. It houses a congregation of nearly every known civil species and creed. Considering that it sits upon the only land connection between the two major Continents of Arethil, you can imagine..." The Portal Stones and burgeoning sea transport industry helped ease congestion, but many still preferred to travel through Alliria to go between Epressa and Liadain just for the novelty and experience.

"You'll be going from a sparsely populated forest to one of the biggest cities in the world." Crux smirks, looking down at her hand in his lap. "But I'm sure we can find a room to share without anybody to bother us, at the end of the night."

That was enough for him.

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

"If only I can shift into something that can withstand such crowds..."

Perhaps it was the comforts of the night that made her more comfortable in his presence. Illyria edged closer to him, her hand shifting to cover more of his lap as her knee now rested against him. "So then, I should bear it as best I can. You won't leave me behind, will you Crux?" It was her nature to make shelter and weather out the bad weather in the forest, but the shifter now wanted to learn to trust in him, to have him be that shelter should she need it.

She had not lied about what his scent did for her, to calm her.

Illyria was a shifter. Why not shift with the changes? Adapt to new surroundings...

Crux

 

[Crux]

Proximity had never been something that Crux regarded with anything but annoyance. People being too close to him, touching him, forcing him to acknowledge their presence... It was all bothersome, until Illyria slid herself close, ran her hand over his lap and pressed her leg to lean against his own. It would have been missed by him at best, and irksome to him at worst only a day ago.

Now he found himself focusing on that small, hand-shaped patch of warmth on his thigh a reminder of the heat she'd created in his arms, the fire against his chest as she'd dozed in his embrace. Crux looked down at her hand for a moment, following her arm with his eyes until he reached her own, gazing up at him.

"I promise."

And even in his worst moments, in those hours he barely clung to the edge of humanity and morality, Crux kept his promises. This would be no different, and this pledge would be unbroken, so long as the blood remained in his veins. Good luck to any unworthy bastard trying to change that.

It wasn't too long before they were up next at the Portal Stone. Crux carefully rolled their wagon forward until the horses were just shy of touching the stone with their noses, as a pair of attendants wearing gaudy robes that seemed only to make them seem far more important than they were strode up to either side of the wagon.

"Destination, Sir? Madam?'

Crux didn't bother making eye contact with them, gruffly barking down to the speaking attendant.

"Anir Stone. No stupid shit."

As he spoke, he pulled out his coin pouch and flicked a single gold piece towards the attendant, who caught it in his palm and beamed shamelessly, pocketing the coin and nodding his head in approval. "Thank you, Sir. Prepare yourselves, now."

Both of the robed men returned to the stone and began to speak incantations, bringing the stone to life as its inscriptions hummed with glowing light. Then, they began to count down from ten. Crux reached down and held Illyria's hand, squeezing gently to reassure her.

"Just close your eyes, or look down. This can be a little... trippy."

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Nerves were nothing to her, but anticipation, vigilance. Things she would be known to experience as a wolf kept her on edge as their wagon wheeled closer, and now they were next. No longer was she pressed against Crux, not needing his presence to ground her when she rather facing forward to see what lay ahead of them. Her hand still on his lap, took momentary comfort in that connection as he conversed, in his own unique way, to the robed men attending the portal.

She had no idea what to expect, and did not look to the man beside her. She didn't want him to see her face bewildered at the thought of what was to come, but she braved it by lowering her head and staring at her boots, careful to put all other thought free from her mind.

Illyria gripped his thigh, and as soon as surreal sensations began to engulf them, her hands turned talons again and bore into his flesh.

Crux

 

[Crux]

The feeling of sharp talons digging against his skin through his clothing was a far more startling sensation to Crux than the portal opening and wrapping itself around them. Reality seemed to peel away around them, layer by layer like tearing parchment. Gusts of cold wind beat against the sides of the wagon, whipping against their faces as the world surrounding them blurred and streaked like watercolor paints.

Ordinarily, he found the spectacle rather entertaining. Today his eyes were focused on Illyria's hand, shifted into the shape he'd seen only a night prior. Small red patches marked his trousers as her talons gripped him, but the pain itself was trivial. Without paying much thought, he placed his own hand over her shifted one, gripping her talons gently in a comforting gesture until they reached the other side.

The end of the trip was as sudden as the beginning; One moment they were whirring through a tunnel of colors and sound, overstimulating to the senses and incomprehensible by the mind, and in the blink of an eye they sat at their destination; a platform in front of a similar stone to that they'd just used, in another small tourist village.

Only this town sat at the edge of a vast ocean, the salty air immediately penetrating the senses and drawing you to look out at the water glimmering in the morning sun. And there, across the waves, resting on a landmass on the horizon, was a city of massive proportions, with buildings that nearly seemed to touch the clouds.

Alliria.

Illyria

 

[Illyria]

Illyria gaped at the sheer size of the city beyond, the beauty of it's location with glistening light catching atop the gentle waves that seemed to course through the city. She sunk in her seat, mixed with anticipation and unease, wracked with nerves and excitement. Not only was this the farthest East she has travelled, but never had she seen anything beyond the Falwood and Aniria.

Alliria, it sounded familiar to her tongue, and perhaps due to it's closeness to her own name.

"It looks... overwhelming." Her head tilted unbeknownst to her. "But this is perhaps the most picturesque places I have seen..."

Crux