Page 66
Story: A Soul to Revive
He reached out to grab her and halted when she flinched at his sudden movement. She paled with wariness, but eventually placed her tiny arm in his palm for him. She remained still as she allowed him to inspect it in close detail.
He tried to gently scratch one off with the side of his claw.It stays!
“Why do you have dots such as these?”he asked in wonder.
He didn’t realise humans were so strange. Being around her was making him realise he knew little about them. He was growing infatuated with the idea of learning more.
Ingram was also beginning to experience a deep desire to learn abouther. He knew her name, knew she was a Demonslayer, but other than that, everything else was unknown.
He didn’t know what questions he should ask her to unravel her mysteries. Not because he was nervous or there were too many, but because... he’d never gotten to know a human before.
They were different. He doubted what he’d ask a Mavka would be the right things to ask her.
“Freckles form on some humans who are more susceptible to the sun. My body has a few of them, but not many because I’m usually in my uniform. What I have is mainly from my childhood.” She took her arm away, even though he wasn’t done looking at it yet. “I’ve been sunburnt on my face many times though, which is why they’re really noticeable there.”
“I see,”he said, cupping his beak as he pondered on this.“I did not know humans could be spotty like animals.”
Her smile was odd, especially since she’d bit her lips shut and her gaze was alight with... humour, perhaps?
“Okay. So now that you know I’m not dirty, and we can agree I do, in fact, know how to wash properly, it’s time for you to go.” She flicked both hands forward in his direction while giving him a ‘shoo.’
He didn’t rise from his seated position.
“Why must I leave? It is safer if I am with you.”
Ingram had decided Emerie was the most delicate thing in the entire world. Therefore, he must protect her always. From creatures, humans, and even the water that could suffocate her.
He would dive into the river and ferociously maim it if it tried to swallow her alive.
Her neck kinked as her head fell back, and she released a sound of frustration. “Because I need to get naked to have a bath and I’m not doing that in front of you!”
“I do not understand the problem.”He really didn’t. He even leaned closer and tried to pull her shirt up so he could remove it himself.“I do not wear clothing.”
He was, and always had been, utterly naked.
She fought him when he wrapped his other hand around her to keep her steady, wriggling and squirming to get free. When he got her shirt halfway up on one side, she shoved the other side down, and he noted her face turned pink, whereas some of the webbed scarring flared red.
He tried to yank her pants down instead.
“No!” she screamed in a high-pitched and frantic tone.
Ingram recoiled.
His orbs switched to white, and he backed up when he realised he’d been doing something wrong. Emerie stumbled and almost tripped over, her features twisted into an expression he’d never seen before.
There was even a tiny amount of fear coming from her – just enough to stir hunger and alarm him.
“I am sorry,”he uttered quietly, lowering his head and body in submissiveness.“I did not mean to upset you.”
Why do I always upset her?He didn’t mean to keep doing the wrong thing, and it often made his insides radiate with an ugly sensation.
Staring at him as she continued to shove her shirt down, her blue eyes flickered side to side, seeming to take in his skull and white orbs. After a few seconds, she eventually sighed, her shoulders loosening until they slumped.
She rubbed at her neck while looking off to the side. “Hey, it’s okay.”
When he didn’t ease, his spikes still raised and his tail curled in apprehension, she ran her hand over her hair. Her eyes crinkled as one side of her face twisted into a cringe.
“Look, I don’t like people seeing my skin. It’s a thing I have.” Then she lowered her hand, staring down at her palm as she opened and closed it, until a snort of laughter came from her. She flashed a small smile in his direction. “Plus, it’s pretty normal for a person to want some privacy while they bathe, especially women.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66 (Reading here)
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213
- Page 214
- Page 215
- Page 216
- Page 217
- Page 218
- Page 219
- Page 220
- Page 221
- Page 222
- Page 223
- Page 224
- Page 225
- Page 226
- Page 227
- Page 228
- Page 229
- Page 230
- Page 231
- Page 232
- Page 233
- Page 234
- Page 235