forum Where is… here? (Closed)

Started December 26, 2022 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

Anna blinked and took another quick step back as De'Tearion jolted up and looked around with a confused look on his face. Had he not been awake when he'd kissed her and called her Mileena? Had he been dreaming it? Had he been aware of his actions at all? Or what he'd said?

But slowly, as he began to come to, he answered her questions one by one. He had no idea what he'd done or said to her, or how she'd reacted in return. And suddenly, as much as what he'd done had hurt her, she didn't want to tell him.

Instead, she took a breath, approached him, and knelt by his side. Putting a hopefully reassuring smile on her face, she rested her hand on his. "Don't worry about what happened. It was nothing. I'm glad that you're alright… I was worried for you."

Anna hesitated a moment before answering his question. Would he be mad at her for asking a human for help? She hadn;t known what else to do. And De'Tearion could have died without the man's blankets that he'd given to aid her. "I met a man driving a carriage along the road," she said honestly. "I asked him for help. He gave me blankets, but I didn't tell him much about you. I only said I needed warm materials for a friend and it was urgent."

De’Tearion watched Anna cautiously, then in bewilderment. She was hiding what he’d done. Why? Why hide his mistakes? He’d hidden his mistakes for centuries, from everyone he’d ever known and loved. He couldn’t stand it. He hated not knowing what he’d done wrong, or being unable to correct his mistakes. He needed to know!

De’Tearion lifted his hand out from under hers, then took her hand firmly in his. It was probably a mistake what he was going to do, but he didn’t like not knowing.

“Anna, what had I done? It was of significance. I see it, I smell it, and I hear it. Lie not to me, I beg. I have heard too many lies before,”he bade her, his voice gentle. There was a slight quiver in his voice as well, from the amount of emotion he was trying to contain.

He grew worried at her hesitation. He then became wary.

“‘Tis a great risk you took. If he finds out what I am, and especially who, I will be captured and you will likely be killed,”De’Tearion forewarned.

He sighed, then shook his head and started to stand. He was very wobbly and fell to his knees the first try, but he stubbornly kept at it until he was standing. Afterward, he grabbed the blankets and wrapped them around himself, as he still felt a bit cold, though not drastically.

“We should get moving,”he said.

He took two steps and stumbled, catching himself on a tree. Holding onto the tree, he took a few deep breaths, straightened himself, then finally continued. Without realizing, he was headed straight for the road.

Anna's expression softened as De'Tearion moved his hand and took hers firmly. She inhaled slowly as he continued to question her about what he'd done when he was awake but not really awake. His words, his plea for honesty… it was all too familiar. She would respect his wishes, but there was still one thing she wanted to know. No. She needed to know.

"Alright. I'm sorry… I will tell you." She paused and took a breath. "But before I do, I need you to tell me something. The truth. Who is Mileena?" Whoever she was, Mileena had been referenced not once, but twice since Anna had met De'Tearion. And now, Anna was honestly too curious to not ask at this point.

Anna's eyes widened a bit at his chiding of her decision. "What else was I to do?" she asked, a bit of her previous worry and desperation edging her words. "You were on the verge of dying. I couldn't let you simply…" The woman stopped speaking as her voice broke and trailed off. She refused to look at him as her eyes pooled with tears.

But she quickly looked back up at De'Tearion as his warning caught her off-guard. "What are you talking about?" she demanded. "Who are you?" It took an abundance of strength for Anna not to break down at the mention of her death if he was found out. She needed to know what was going on.

Anna quickly rose to her feet and moved to stop De'Tearion as he stood and headed toward the road, where the man with the carriage would likely still be waiting to see if Anna was alright. "No," she said shortly. "Not that direction. And before we go anywhere, I need you to tell me everything I should know about why helping you is so dangerous."

De’Tearion watched Anna closely, then waited for her explanation. He paused at her request though, looking at their hands and avoiding her gaze. He squeezed her hand gently, needing the contact to keep himself from freaking out.

“Mileena… She…”

De’Tearion sighed, shaking his head. It was difficult to not burst into tears.

“She be, currently, the Queen of the human kingdom to the west of Rehnethrigard, the one we are in. I had known her when she was still a princess, and I had loved her. I will admit, the feelings linger. Yet… she rejected me,”he said quietly, moisture gathering in his eyes as he spoke.

De’Tearion listened to her and sighed.

“I am angered not. Truly, I am grateful. I simply wish you to be careful.”

He then hesitated at her questions.

“‘Tis a long tale,”he said vaguely, not wanting to talk about his identity.

He stubbornly continued onward, despite Anna’s attempts to stop him. Though, when she spoke, he turned around and eyed her for a moment.

“Be that carriage driver still there, waiting?”he asked, his voice a bit more stern than intended.

He froze at her insistence of knowing about his situation. He didn’t want to talk about it. Why did she have to pry? Why couldn’t she just leave that subject alone?

He couldn’t be mad at her though. She had a right to know, and she would need to know anyway if she continued to stay with him. If. And, that was what scared him. Would she leave if he told her?

After a couple of minutes, De’Tearion took a deep breath to steady himself, but it only made it more difficult to hold in his tears. He leaned back against a tree and slid down, his hands starting to shake.

“I… I know not where to begin,”he finally said, curling up as his composure slowly disintegrated. Black tears oozed from his eyes, even though De’Tearion didn’t want them to.

Anna gauged his reaction to her question. Obviously, whoever Mileena was… whatever she meant to De'Tearion, she was significant. That fact only made Anna more anxious. She swallowed when he squeezed her hand and gently caressed his skin under her thumb.

Though the woman couldn't hide her surprise at finding out Mileena was another human. More specifically, a queen. And he'd been in love with her, though it seemed to be unrequited. It made sense… but that didn't mean that Anna didn't still hurt from what he'd done.

She inhaled slowly and forced herself to keep her own tears at bay. "Alright. When you were… awake but not awake… you must've thought that I was Mileena. You kissed me, and begged for my forgiveness afterward."

Anna took another steadying breath before nodding at his words. "I understand," she murmured. Though a look of embarrassment and uneasiness crossed her expression at his question about the carriage driver.

"Yes," she whispered. "I think so. I didn't tell him to wait or leave, but I don't think he left."

Anna panicked again when De'Tearion leaned back against a nearby tree. "Are you alright?" she asked immediately. "You don't have to tell me if it makes you ill. I understand, truly."

A tiny gasp escaped De’Tearion as Anna caressed his hand. He hadn’t meant to make the sound, but he couldn’t help it. He hadn’t had any sort of affectionate touch in a long while, and… he was practically desperate for it.

At Anna’s surprise to his explanation, De’Tearion could only give a mirthless chuckle. Yes, he had, and still sort of did, love a human. He was a beastly creature, a demon of the forests. And, he’d fallen for the daughter of his enemy. What a fool he was.

He then listened to her, his eyes widening at her words. For a breif moment, he wondered if he was even breathing, as he found himself gasping for breath a moment later. He looked around, anywhere but at Anna, shaking his head and desperately fighting tears.

“I… Forgive me, Anna. I…”he stammered, his shaking voice barely audible.

He didn’t respond to her, but he was glad she understood. Maybe he wouldn’t have to talk about his past. If he was lucky. And, luck hadn’t been kind to him lately.

De’Tearion’s eyes narrowed at her response. She was a fool to be so trusting! To not be more cautious! But… the longer he stared at her, the more he was reminded that she’d been more concerned about his health than her own safety. She’d saved his life. So what if she forgot to tell the driver to leave?

At her questions, De’Tearion laughed a bit.

“‘If it makes me ill’. You know not the half of it,”he croaked.

He sighed and shook his head, turning away as he wept. He avoided looking her way, even though he was inwardly begging for a hug.

Anna was surprised to hear the gasp. She worried immediately about frightening De'Tearion or doing something he didn't like, but when she studied his face and didn't see any signs of negative emotions, she continued to rub his hand with her thumb as long as he held hers

She worried again when he seemed to stop breathing as she told him what she'd done. He refused to look at her as he apologized again. But this time it wasn't to the Mileena of his imagination. It was to her. Anna.

Her hand reached up to gently cup his face and guide him to look at her. "It's forgiven," she answered softly.

Immediately when she answered about the carriage driver, Anna could feel the judgment in his gaze. She nearly flinched from it before he laughed away her questions about his past.

Anna quickly withdrew from him as he turned from her, feeling the guilt eating away at her from the inside. Why was she so nosy? Why did she feel entitled to know about his past? She pried too much. Her arms wrapped around her body, and she searched for the right words to say. She couldn't find any in her.

De’Tearion appreciated her continued rubs. It was soothing for him, such a simple touch.

He flinched when she touched him, and nearly moved away, but her gentle touch made him pause long enough for her to turn his head and speak. He trembled even more at her forgiveness, too stunned to know how to properly react. How could she forgive him? Why?

He barely noticed her moving away, but he did take note the smell of her guilt. Her silence was telling as well. She hadn’t meant to upset him. She was also just ignorant of how sensitive the subject was for him. Simple ignorance.

After a few minutes to let his crying fit pass on its own, De’Tearion wiped off his face. He hesitated to look at Anna for a bit. Then, when he finally felt up to it, he turned to face her.

“My… my tears are black. The same with my blood and other fluids. My past be… difficult to speak about. Too much has happened in recent years. I… I wish not to speak of it. Yet… you are more accurate about an illness than you likely realize. I am… dying. Starving, though I have tried many times to correct it. It never works. This be the third time I have found Mercy stalking me, waiting for the moment to finally kill me,”De’Tearion said quietly.

He couldn’t truly face her as he spoke, but he just averted his eyes without actually turning away.

Anna nearly drew back when he flinched, but she remained steady, hoping it would be enough to calm him. She wasn't angry, and she wouldn't lash out. Especially not since it hadn't really been De'Tearion who had kissed and spoken to her like she was another person.

Though his trembling worried her. "I'm sorry," she murmured, studying his face intently. "Did I say something wrong?"

The silence was killing her. She didn't know what to say while waiting for him to say something too. Finally, he spoke, and she lifted her gaze back to him. "You don't have to tell me," she said softly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so insistent. I'll stand by you, I swear."

Her eyes widened with worry at his confession. "Dying?" she asked, her voice breaking around the word. "Is there anything I can do? Can't you find food? We could travel somewhere… anywhere…" Anna slowly trailed off. Her suggestions were likely feeble. He'd probably done everything she could think of.

Anna inhaled slowly, still trying to process the fact that De'Tearion was starving to death. "Who is Mercy?" she asked quietly.

De’Tearion slowly shook his head, still stunned.

“No. I… I am unaccustomed to forgiveness. I…”he said quietly. Did he dare question her forgiveness? Did he dare ask her if she was being honest, or just saying false words to ease his pain? She didn’t smell like she was lying, but was his nose even as accurate as it used to be?

“I understand why you asked. I am merely ready not to tell you,”he replied gently.

De’Tearion shook his head, then sighed.

“‘Tis not food that be the problem. ‘Tis my appetite,”he answered with another sigh. He had no motivation to eat. He had nothing to live for. No purpose. No meaning.

He finally met her eyes at her question, chuckling mirthlessly.

“Mercy be better known to humans as ‘Fate’. She has a deceiving name among my kin, because she be the opposite of merciful,”he said.

Anna frowned, though her expression was still soft as she looked at him. "I'm… so sorry," she said quietly. She didn't want, or need, to ask to understand that Mileena was likely part of De'Tearions statement. "You don't deserve that. We all make mistakes, and we all are worthy of forgiveness for them to keep moving forward."

She nodded simply at his gentle words. "That's alright. I don't expect you to tell me before you're ready."

Though his words again worried her. "Appetite?" she asked hesitantly, thinking back to when De'Tearion could've simply eaten her when she was defenseless. It would have been so easy for him, and yet he didn't. Maybe this explained their first encounter.

"I see," she whispered. Anna couldn't help but agree. The name was downright deceiving and nearly cruel.

De’Tearion shook his head again, sighing resignedly.

“The forests are an unforgiving and uncompromising place. If one cannot conform, they die,”De’Tearion said, sighing again.

He gave her a small, appreciative smile, relieved that she was being so understanding at the moment.

Then, another sigh left him.

“Aye, my appetite. There be plenty for me to eat, yet finding the motivation to eat be difficult. What be the point anyway?”he replied.

“Aye. The cruel bitch loves to make the innocent suffer,”he commented bitterly, looking down at the dirt in front of Anna, cradling his amulet again.

Anna winced at his words. Immediately, she tried to cover up the action by brushing her hair across her face, obscuring her wavering expression from his view. "Oh," she whispered, trying not to think of how low her chances of survival here truly were.

But quickly, she turned her gentle brown gaze back to him. "The point?" she asked softly. "The point is to carry on. Prove to everyone that no… no matter…" Her voice broke around the words like they meant more than what she was letting on. "No matter how shitty the hand you were dealt is, you can move beyond it. That despite being broken and betrayed and hopeless, you can keep going."

She hadn't even realized that tears were beginning to pool in her eyes until she blinked and her vision became hazy. A clear teardrop slipped down her cheek, and Anna turned away as her resolve crumbled.

It took her maybe ten seconds to turn back, and her tear track was gone, having been wiped from her face quickly. Her gaze lowered to his hand, gripping the amulet he'd clutched so desperately before. Anna needed a distraction, so she spoke up quietly, "If you don't mind, could you tell me about your amulet?" She was grateful her voice didn't waver again.

De’Tearion glanced up, noticing her movements. He wasn’t sure what she was hiding until he smelled it from her and heard her heartbeat. Did she realize that most of her reactions would be obvious to him, and thus pointless to hide? His senses were far keener than hers, after all.

He continued to watch her as she spoke, growing concerned as her composure cracked. The moment he saw tears, De’Tearion climbed to his feet and stumbled over to her. Though, by the time he was in front of her, she was already composed again. Just like he would be…

He had done the exact same thing she just did for most of his life. Hiding his emotions. Hiding the cracks and fractures of his mind under the guise of sheer determination and ruthlessness. By Mercy, it broke his heart to see someone else doing it.

He winced at her question, but his thoughts were still hung on her earlier words. Neither conversation was pleasant. One fed the sorrow of the other.

“Agatha, my sister, forged this amulet from our mother’s ashes. She gave it to me as she died in my arms. She was the only family I had left. There was Nwalan, my closest ally, though he be clever enough to survive on his own. And, after Mileena’s rejection, I have seen him not. I am alone, Anna. I have no one to care for, no one to care for me, and no one to prove anything to. Cry not for me, Anna. I am certain Mercy’s cruel game will be over soon, and I will see Agatha again,”De’Tearion explained softly, his voice barely more than a whisper.

His hand gently caressed her cheek, his cool fingers barely touching her, like he was afraid she would shatter like glass if he fully touched her.

However, a short moment later, his hand was gone and De’Tearion was walking toward the road again. He didn’t care anymore about the risks of meeting the carriage driver. He had no qualms of killing the guy, just as long as he didn’t frighten Anna away. If there was one thing he wanted, it was to have some company before he died.

Anna was aware of De'Tearion heading for her as soon as she began to cry. But still, she forced herself to stop, just as she'd forced herself to stop when she filed for a divorce with Harry, when she was betrayed by Nikhail, and when she was made a fool of by Isabella. And the look on De'Tearion's face when she turned back around immediately made her gut wrench. He knew… he knew what it was like. She could tell.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Habit."

De'Tearion's words were about to break her again. He was so lonely… just like she was. Well, she did have Daisy, but her daughter was still in London. Far, far away from this terrible place. Terrible except De'Tearion.

"But you're not," she whispered back, her voice breaking again. "You're not alone anymore. I'm here. And I'm staying."

A soft gasp came from her slightly parted lips as she felt his feather-light touch on her cheek. He seemed worried to touch her, like she would break. She wouldn't. Anna inclined her head, closed her eyes, leaned more into the touch, and smiled to herself. But just as she was calming down, the hand was gone.

Her eyes flew open to see De'Tearion heading through the woods again. Towards the road. And the carriage. And its driver. Panic shot through her, and before she could think, her bare feet took off toward him again. "De'Tearion!" she called out. "Wait!"

(Poor Anna. Right words, wrong time)

---

De’Tearion nodded at her apology, not quite meeting her eyes.

“I know that habit well,”he replied quietly.

Her words stunned De’Tearion, freezing him in place for a long moment. His mind spun with so many conflicting thoughts over those words. He wasn’t alone. She was here. She cared! But, did she care? Or was she just acting, like so many others? Wasn’t he doomed to die in utter loneliness? Surely that was Mercy’s will. And, if so, then this was just one of her tricks. One to raise his hopes once more, until she died, or rejected him, and left him shattered and alone all over again. No. He couldn’t do it. Not again. Not again!

De’Tearion’s hands started to shake and tears welled in his eyes. He shook his head, and when he turned to walk away, he was desperately fighting tears. He wasn’t even aware of the effect his hand on Anna’s cheek had. Nor did he stop at her call when he headed for the road.

Within a few minutes, De’Tearion emerged from the forest to see the carriage and its driver. The man, who was sitting in his seat and watching his surroundings, immediately turned and froze.

De’Tearion glared, all thoughts of crying flying out of his mind as he watched the man. He heard the recognition in the man’s heartbeat. He knew who De’Tearion was, or, at least what he was. The man glanced around quickly, as if searching for other Forestfolk, or maybe Anna. De’Tearion took that opportunity to move a few steps closer. The man immediately reached into the chest beside him.

“One more move…”De’Tearion growled.

The man froze again, swallowing warily.

Anna's gaze was trained on a nearby tree. The pair stood, barely looking at each other, while she murmured, "So do I."

She felt the effect her words had on him and looked back into his eyes – just as the tears came. Worry crashed over her like a wave, and it flooded her expression immediately. Had she said something wrong? Didn't he believe her? Was he reminded too much of others who had failed their own promise of those exact words? A combination of all three?

Anna tried hard to keep up with him, but she didn't realize how far it was to the road. Her adrenaline had surged through her before, carrying her in haste to keep De'Tearion alive. But now, she was exhausted and worn out. Not just the physical toll, but the emotion of the day was starting to impact her mind. Her eyes blurred with tears as her bare feet ached and her steps began to stumble.

She finally slowed down, and De'Tearion was completely out of her line of sight when she tripped over a protruding root and collapsed to the ground. The impact was enough to completely ground her and smother her urge to get up and chase him. Her eyes became heavy, and her body begged her for rest. Slowly, she obliged. But that was when she heard something behind her. A twig snapping.

Her heart reacted and began to race, but her body lay still. Even if she had opened her eyes and seen the creature approaching her, Anna wouldn't have had the energy to scream.

(…I did an angsty thing)

De’Tearion winced at her words, looking away further. It pained him greatly to know that they shared such a habit.

He was aware of her worry as he fled from her, but he didn’t want to admit it. He didn’t want to face that she might actually be concerned, that she might actually care. Those that cared for him died or betrayed him. He couldn’t handle that again. Never again. He had yet to heal from the wounds he’d already sustained. It wouldn’t take much to rip those wounds open until he ripped in half. And, he wanted to avoid that as long as possible.

De’Tearion didn’t notice Anna’s absence as he faced the carriage driver. He was solely focused on the man, his senses tuned to his heart, his blood, his actions. Finally, worthy prey.

“You’re him, aren’t you? The one Queen Mileena is after?”the man said, completely disrupting De’Tearion’s concentration.

However, at the sound of Mileena’s name on his lips, a growl rumbled to life. How dare he utter her name?

“You are. I can tell,”he continued.

“Bounty hunter,”De’Tearion hissed.

The man lifted his chin, acting confident despite the rising terror in his heartbeat. De’Tearion didn’t care. He shrieked at the man, then disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, teleporting onto the driver’s seat. The man whipped around with a yelp. That yelp was cut off by one of De’Tearion’s hands as he grabbed the driver and teleported again.

He reappeared standing on the road, the driver dangling two feet off the ground. His proboscis shot out of his mouth and dug into the man’s chest, swerving around bone as easily as a snake moving around a tree limb. It then dug into his heart, sucking the blood straight from the source. The man could only watch in horror as De’Tearion started to feed on him, then he died.

De’Tearion drank greedily, desperately. He drank until no blood remained in the corpse. Then, he tore into it, feasting on the flesh and bones and discarding the skin.

He didn’t notice the panic that his shriek had caused in the carriage horses. Nor did he realize that the horses had bolted as he’d snatched the driver. By the time De’Tearion was ripping open the corpse, the carriage was fading out of sight.

---

Meanwhile, back in the forest, two creatures approached Anna. They were large creatures, with hunched, rotund bodies and burning charcoal-colored flesh. Their faces were indistinct except for red eyes, a flattened nose, and ugly black lips. They didn’t have visible ears, nor did they have hair. Both carried a crude axe on their back as they closed on Anna.

The creatures chuckled evilly at the sight of her, pointing and snickering more. They talked in a strange language, and motioned at Anna, as if debating what to do with her. Then, one pointed toward where De’Tearion had gone, seeming a bit wary. The other swatted the first one’s shoulder, speaking in a sarcastic tone and waving dismissively in De’Tearion’s direction. The first one shrugged.

Then, the dismissive one grabbed Anna by the ankle and lifted her off the ground. It inspected her, poking her body as if testing how fat she was. It seemed a bit disappointed, but shrugged and slung her over its shoulder, turning to walk away.

Anna was torn between her desperate need for sleep and her panic over what exactly had found her. She lay still, heart racing and eyes closed, as she listened to low, wicked laughter coming from above her. The language she heard was nothing she was familiar with, and before she knew what was happening, she was being lifted off the ground by her ankle.

She bit her tongue to keep in a yelp of pain and surprise. The creature poked her body, and Anna held her breath to keep from whimpering. Pure fear had overtaken her body now, paralyzing her and leaving her in the hands of these two horrid creatures.

The world spun as she was flung over the shoulder of the beast who had picked her up. The wind was almost knocked out of her as she was situated, then the monsters began to walk away.

No. No, she couldn’t let this happen. She couldn’t just be taken. Summoning all her strength, Anna shoved herself off of the creature’s shoulder and tumbled to the ground below. She picked herself up and ran about three or four strides before her body seized up and she collapsed again. But this time, as she hit the ground, a scream burst from her lips.

(I got a little carried away with this one, lmao)

---

The creatures were quite pleased at having found easy food. Most times, humans were so difficult to catch. They fought and screamed and wiggled too much. But, this one seemed to be too lethargic to do any of that, which was grand. Their camp would have a feast, and this strange human would be the main course. One of the main courses at least, since she wasn’t very big.

However, only a few moments after they started walking, the human shoved the one carrying her and fell off his back. He immediately turned around, growling and chasing her, ignoring her noises. But, the other shoved him aside, complaining that he’d injure their food too soon. An argument started between them, one that grew louder and louder.

---

De’Tearion was nearly finished with his rushed meal when he heard a familiar scream. He quickly finished off what remained of the corpse, tossing the discarded pieces of skin into the woods. Then, he teleported to where he believed the scream to have come from.

He reappeared along the trail he’d taken to reach the road. Inhaling deeply, De’Tearion knew he was near Anna. He also smelled the foul, burning scent of the Forestfolk colloquially called Barbarians. They were dumb and brutish, and loved to eat or enslave anyone they captured. A growl escaped De’Tearion’s throat. He remembered them well.

As the arguing started, De’Tearion turned and stalked toward the source. Not too far from the trail, De’Tearion found Anna on the ground, exhausted, and being argued over by the idiotic Forestfolk.

He came into sight of the pair, and shrieked at them. His proboscis, bloody and bloated, swayed in front of his mouth. The sight scared off the milder of the two Barbarians, but the second one, the one that had carried Anna, brandished his axe.

“What you here for, Goliathan?”the Barbarian demanded as De’Tearion’s screech ended. He still spoke in the strange, gibberish language, the common tongue among the Forestfolk.

“Taking back what be mine,”De’Tearion hissed back, speaking in the same language.

“Yours? We found first!”the Barbarian snapped.

“You found her because I was finishing another meal!”De’Tearion snarled.

The Barbarian paused, eyeing De’Tearion’s bloody mouth and hands. His eyes then narrowed, the brute thinking.

“Who you? Goliathans not talk much,”he asked.

De’Tearion grinned evilly,”My name be De’Tearion.”

The Barbarian stiffened.

“No! You not him! He dead!”

“No. I am dead not. I am a rogue, wandering the island. Killing fools like you for inconveniencing me,”De’Tearion hissed.

The Barbarian’s hands started to shake. De’Tearion took that as his cue and teleported. He snatched the axe from the Barbarian’s hands, horrifying the brute. A Barbarian’s axe was typically seven feet long from end to end, and too heavy for even a built human man to lift. But, De’Tearion held it like it weighed little more than a twig, and he used it to chop its owner’s head off with one easy strike.

The Barbarian’s body fell, the head flying off into the woods. De’Tearion then tossed the axe aside, moving toward the corpse. He drank the blood gushing out the corpse’s exposed neck, using both his proboscis and his mouth to do so. The blood tasted sour, burned, but he didn’t care. He’d earned this meal properly, and he wouldn’t waste it.

As soon as she finished screaming, Anna began to sob quietly. She was going to die here on this wicked island and in this wicked forest at the hands of these wicked creatures. Her breath was gone, and she choked on the air she tried to breathe. All she could hear was a series of unintelligible statements from above her, presumably the creatures debating which one would get to kill her.

Every thought was shattered in her mind as a shriek erupted from a third creature that had entered the area. Anna flinched and felt her bladder release uncontrollably. But she was too afraid to be embarrassed that she'd wet herself. It wouldn't really matter since she'd be dead before anyone could know about it.

The woman covered her ears while curling into a trembling ball. She didn't even want to witness the third beast who would likely be the one to truly finish her off. Her eyes, wet with fearful tears, squeezed closed and refused to open.

However, that didn't stop her from listening to the creatures speaking back and forth. What could they possibly have to talk about? Which one of them would hold her still while the other… She didn't even want to finish that thought. But to her immense surprise, she heard the sounds of a fight. And within seconds, the sounds of a creature feasting on what was likely the body of the other. She didn't want to know which had one.

Anna only waited on her death, trying to keep still but shaking like a leaf. Once the victorious creature had finished feasting on the loser, they would come for her. And she'd be gone before she even got to say goodbye to anyone.

De’Tearion was completely unaware of Anna’s reactions as he spoke to and fought the Barbarians. He also ignored the one that had fled, even though it would be better if he killed it as well. But, he didn’t much care for pragmatism anymore.

He tore into the dead Barbarian with the same ravenous hunger as he had with the driver. Minutes later, De’Tearion had already eaten most of the creature’s body. But, for the first time in a long while, he was full. He’d almost certainly be regretting it later, since he’d eaten so quickly, but it was better than not eating at all.

De’Tearion simply tossed aside what was left of the corpse and went to cleaning himself. A few minutes of grooming, enough to clean himself as much as he could, and he turned back to Anna.

It took him a long moment to fully register what he saw and sensed. It was like a shock to his senses. He couldn’t believe how terrified she was, until he realized that his senses weren’t lying. The fit of tears he’d been fighting earlier hit him like a boulder, and he barely suppressed a whimper.

De’Tearion slowly approached Anna, kneeling next to her. He reached out to touch her, but quickly realized what effect that would have on her. She was terrified. She didn’t know what had happened. Delicacy was paramount. So, he retracted his hand and decided for a different route.

“Anna? Anna,”he called softly, gently.

He hoped, prayed, she would answer. He wasn’t sure if he could handle having her terror pointed at him.

Finally, the sounds of feasting stopped. For a long long while, Anna heard nothing but the occasional bird chirping or animal rustling through the leaves. Still, she was tense and afraid. Still, she forced herself to remain as still as she could, hoping to God that whatever creature still remained would leave her alone.

She didn't hear footsteps as time passed, but she didn't move. What if the creature was playing a sick game, waiting for her to move or look around before descending on her? And she was still literally frozen from fear.

After a minute more, Anna wasn't sure if she'd passed out or not. Knowing at one point she'd been lightheaded enough to will herself the rest of the way didn't help. But she'd fought it, also knowing that if she fell unconscious in these forests, she'd be as good as dead.

Tightly curled up, Anna finally heard a sound – slow footsteps that stopped right beside her. The woman's entire body was wired enough that she considered getting up and sprinting until she physically couldn't. She shifted slightly, about to shove herself up when she heard a barely audible voice. De'Tearion's.

Very slowly, Anna tilted her head to the side. Her brown eyes were brimming with clear tears, and her face was still red beneath the layer of dirt she'd gathered from the ground. Tear tracks, however, made clean lines down her face. As her gaze locked on De'Tearion, she uncurled and sat up. Her expression went from afraid to relieved, to concerned to confused in seconds.

"D-D-De'Teari-Tearion?" she stammered hesitantly, looking him over for any sign of a well-placed fake. Maybe this wasn't even him. Anna was so tired and had been so petrified that maybe she was now hallucinating. "Is-Is-Is that y-y-you?"

De’Tearion noticed her shift, recognizing her readiness to flee. It was a good thing he didn’t touch her. She might have bolted anyway. And, just the thought of that frightened him.

After he spoke, De’Tearion watched her slowly look up. The expression on her face made a tear slide down his cheek. A tear that he quickly wiped away. He didn’t want to admit how ready he was to burst into another crying fit.

He didn’t move as she sat up. He simply waited. Her changing expressions concerned him, but not as much as her trembling words. He wanted to hug her so badly, to reassure her that everything was alright, but he was afraid to.

“Aye,”he answered quietly.

He looked away, afraid again that she’d run off. If she did, maybe the impact of her absence wouldn’t be as harsh if he didn’t see it. Though, part of him knew that was a false hope. It would tear him apart whether he saw her leave or not.

“I realized not that you were exhausted. I would have slowed down. I…”he trailed off with a sigh, his voice still barely audible.

Anna noticed the tear just before he wiped it away. He was crying? Why? Was it because of how pitiful she looked? Probably. She could feel the layer of grime on her face and several leaves and twigs poking her from their positions in her hair.

Her clothes were dusty from the ground and matted with dirt. Her bare feet were dirty too, and so sore she wasn’t sure she’d be able to walk on her own much longer.

De’Tearion was speaking again. Anna took deep breaths, as deep as she could take with her tired lungs, and calmed down as she listened to him. She wasn’t in danger. Whatever the danger had been, De’Tearion had saved her from it. And now here he was, going back and emphasizing how he could’ve slowed down to accommodate her.

But Anna didn’t care. He’d saved her life from whatever creatures had planned on abducting her and likely eating her. She threw her arms around him and cried into his chest. “Thank you,” she managed to get out around the sobs. “For saving me.”