Past, Present, and Future (M.... It's us, guys...)

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Set after Drunk Dial, and What You Asked For

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I buried my blade in the back of a Goblin’s neck, washing as the creature collapsed forward like a puppet with its strings severed. Around me lay the hacked and dismembered bodies of several of the beasts - a small pack that I had run across while roaming through the countryside. While they had not been my prey, these things were quite firmly beasts, terrible ones. I'd long heard of the destruction that Goblins would eagerly wage on whoever they came across. I had no compunction against slaughtering some of these monsters.

And it distracted me, for a bit, from the tumult in my head. I'd slipped away after the ‘confrontation’ with Philomel - the goat woman had been slowly recovering from her emotional breakdown when I saw her last. I myself was - dealing with the realization that the people who had trained me had fully intended that I die, alone and unloved. Neither of us really in a good place to talk with the other. So I'd left, because - she didn't need me. She had others. And I needed to get out, get away, to lose myself in just hunting as I worked through the revelation I'd had.

But something had been bothering me. The stone, embedded in my thigh - it had never buzzed. Never moved, never warmed - it remained still, and silent. The owner of its mate had not yet reached out to me. And I - was beginning to grow concerned. Because the last I had seen her - well. She'd been dead, hanging from that bastard’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Despite myself, I felt my knuckles shift, tightening my grip on the Saw-Spear as I thought of that fucker. I devoted myself to hunting beasts, to preventing them. And that bastard was - he was forcing her further and further down that route.

I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. I'd been passive here long enough. I'd given her time - some of it because she'd told me, shown me, exactly what awaited her at her ‘Master’s’ hands. And some because, well. I'd been trying to figure out myself. That torn up woman didn't need a friend who was still trying to figure out his own head, and his own emotions. But… I… I was a bit more stable now. I'd come to terms with what I knew of my past, with what I had realized. And I?

I spat in their face. In my bag, was something she had asked for. A form-fitting, flared coat, festooned with pockets like my own, with places for knives and spikes. And treated to repel fluid, to shed them with ease. It gave the fabric an odd, almost oily sheen - but it also made it a bit more durable. I'd considered layering the drake scales onto it as well, to provide extra armor for her, but - I hadn't found someone who could do it just yet. I'd decided to confirm the connection, and be her friend, so this… was a gift for her. I exhaled slowly.

It was.. Surprisingly difficult to think that. To think that I - I, actually wanted a friend. And of course, one of the first people I wanted to be friends with needed my help - she teetered on the edge of losing herself, and the person she was beholden to did not seem to care at all. And - she would likely never accept if I told her flat out I wanted to be her friend. She had had the resistance to bonds with people pounded into her just as much as I had, and unlike me, she was still trapped with those responsible. But.
But the cracks had lessened, when she curled into my lap for a night. They had lessened, as we laughed and joked together after - well, fought together and then had a rather unique encounter by a river. My hand curled tighter. I wanted to help her. And by whatever the hell was out there. I would. And I would stop sitting around waiting like a moron. I pressed my knuckles against my thigh.

“Dawn girl, you there?” I cleared my throat. “Dawn girl?” Geh. That was an odd sensation from this end, opening up the communication felt like it was drawing on me.

There was a sound, what felt like static in my head and then the chilling sounds of someone choking. One I knew all too well. She was suffocating on her own blood. My eyes went wide. [I]DAWN GIRL! SUMMON ME![I] Fuck! Fuck!

I felt a weak pull. I gave in to it, gladly.

Drawn and quartered she hung naked against a tree. A wooden sign was nailed above her head and in crude letters ‘SHE IS OURS’ a message to whomever would come. To whoever she would call. Be it Erik, or the Hunter. Or another ‘connection’ another ‘ally’ she had made.

Wolves tore at her, her head hung low. Moments before her death she had heard a voice but it didn't register who. There was a warmth in her chest before it was gnawed open. Skin ripped from her. Her body covered in blood, vitae and sinue.

Black smoke shimmered, crackled to life, filled in and around as an outline slowly came into existence. There was a moment, a heartbeat of time where the figure was insubstantial - then it almost visibly snapped together, forming into a vital, living form. Silver eyes shot around rapidly, dark skin went purple - and there was a near incoherent cry of rage.

In front of her corpse, he fought. There was no artistry to his movements - the coat-clad Hunter leapt forward, disdaining even his blade as his fingers drove into the wolf that was directly in front of her, burying into its neck as it tried to swallow its meaty prize. There was a wet shlick as his muscles drove his hands through the wolf’s hide, tearing through muscle and sinew. Then he snarled, and stood upright, and tore, ripping open its neck and nearly decapitating it. The corpse fell, a shining black gem rolling out from the terrible hole where it's head should have been, and the blood-stained hunter lashed out, grabbing another wolf as it leapt for him.

He spun, and drove it into the ground, crushing its skull into the ground. His gloved hand came up, covered in gore and viscera. The Huntsman flicked his hand - then drew his blade with a heavy click as he snapped it out to full extension. One hand ripped his mask down, and he snarled defiance at the circling wolves. The drow spun his jagged weapon end over end, furious silver eyes flitting between the wolves that remained. He stood between them and their meal - but two corpses lay at his feet. He was no trapped victim, but a killer unleashed and furious at them. The wolves broke - and ran, pelting away from her. The Hunter turned to Scarlet, breathing heavily and waited.

Normally Scarlet would have revived on her own. There would have been a flash of light...screams...anything. Instead her pale bloodied corpse hung lifelessly before him. Sickly pale skin already taking on the tinge of death. Hunter pressed closer and noticed another thing; her eyes had been ripped from their sockets. Two bloodied holes where her eyes used to be.

He snarled, furious. “Yours, yours and you treat her like this? You fucking bastards have no idea of what someone belonging to you should mean.” He slammed his weapon away, then brought her down - somewhat callously, but he didn't have the time to wait around to help her. Swiftly, she was flipped over, baring the sigil upon her back. He bit down on his wrist and tore it open, ignoring the pain as he let his purple blood fall down onto her back, slowly spreading out across the runework.

“Come on Dawn girl, come back to me.” As it slowly began to glisten, he sat down and pulled her into his lap.

There was a low thrum from her body then an explosion of light. He didn't look away as it ripped across his body, scorching him. Her body writhed and she screamed. Shrill cries of gargled pain as her body reconstructed itself. Warbled and choked cries were replaced with curse words and sobbing. Finally the light faded.

Scarlet lay there in his lap. Milky white eyes staring blankly before her. This had happened once before...someone had ripped out her eyes before she revived. It took a while for her sight to come back. Scarlet winced. “M-Master?” She breathed. She could feel leather against her skin.

Her voice croaked, cracked from dehydration. “Master I can’t see.” With a shaking hand she pushed herself up off of the man and slumped forward. “Food...shelter...warmth…” She droned on. “These were the things promised to me. These were the things taken from me.” Her shaking hands curled into the snow.

“I only sought to make the Hand stronger.” She shook her head. “I only wan-” her speech was interrupted with a series of coughs that wracked her body. A warm hand pressed against her back, massaging it gently. The leather clad man remained silent.

Scarlet closed her eyes. Lye did this. He always did this. He was remaining silent because she needed to work things out on her own. “I won’t leave you.” She said before laughing bitterly. Staring at the black emptiness in front of her. “You said you’d take everything from me. You said you’d strip me of humanity.” Scarlet turned her head toward the direction she thought her Master sat.

“I can see it. Even you have grown to detest what I have become. Madison is dead. You’re free from her grip. The hand is slowly growing.” Scarlet reached a trembling frostbitten hand out toward him. “I am strong Master. I may wander, but not far - not from you. How can I when you own everything?”

I stared into those milky white eyes, knowing they couldn't see my silver gaze. This was - this was agonizing. I slowly took in a deep breath, then reached up and gripped her hand. I ignored the pain in my arm as my muscles shifted as I took her hand in mine. I didn't detest her - and I certainly was not her master. But how could I speak? How could I, when knowing me had brought this on her? Fuck. I sighed, shaking my head as I tried to think of what to do here.

She froze when my hand landed in hers and I squeezed it tightly. Ah.

“Who….” Her hand tightened its grip and an angry red light burst forth from it. Fuck..fuck she was trying to burn my hand off. Her lips twisted into a snarl and even though she couldn’t see her milky eyes were filled with hate, the type of hate a cornered animal had.

Ethereal snakes erupted from her back and began to dart around, trying to find their target. I shifted, letting one sail past my head - I had not yet experienced the snakes striking me, and I didn't intend to let it happen here.

“You called me, and I came.” My voice was steady. Hard. She didn't need a reminder of the affection right now. I reached over and picked up the black gemstone that had brought me here, enduring the pain in my hand as her fingers trapped mine, burning through the glove and into my flesh.

Her grip loosened and the snakes faded. Her face fell from a hate-filled snarl to confusion. She let go of my hand and reached for her chest. She felt around for a stone that was no longer there. “How?” I took her hand in mine, and pressed the stone into her searching, fumbling fingers. Moving my burnt hand hurt - my healing hadn't kicked in yet, so moving the flesh stung like hell.

“I stopped waiting.” If I had hesitated even a moment longer, would I have had time to get her to summon me? I doubt it, I truly doubted it.

“I…” She furrowed her eyes as she lifted them to - well.. To my left. Would she stay blind? Her entire nude form shivered. “I need to be stronger.” Her words were a whisper.

“So get stronger. Get strong enough that it doesn't matter, that you can do whatever you want. But for now, stay here. I'll get you food - and here, Dawn girl.” I stood up and opened the bag that held the coat I had made for her. I draped it onto her shoulders, and she clung onto it almost desperately. I turned away and moved to start butchering the wolf carcasses.

“I was warned against you.” She said. “That any further interaction with you would result in further punishment till I understand.” She spat. “Like they know. I am supposed to be their leader. I will do what I feel is right. That includes you.” I paused, a chunk of meat in my hand, and looked over my shoulder at her. I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

“And I will stand by you. My blade is yours, Scarlet. The only, the single only person who can make me leave, is you.” I stood up and brought the meat over to where she sat, holding onto the new coat on her shoulders. I sat it down on her legs, the blood trailing down her skin. “Hold onto that for a moment. I'm going to get some wood to cook it.” And I had a perfect fucking target. I drew out my blade, clicking it open. My arm tensed - and I swung, burying it halfway into the tree that she had been hanging from. I glared, ripped the Saw-Spear free - then hacked in again, and again. There was a cracking sound - and the tree fell, the wooden sign knocked loose. I stepped onto it, shattering it beneath my boot.

I turned to see her already eating, blood dripped down her hands and arms and smeared over her mouth. I blinked, and tilted my head to the side. “Do you need more?” She looked - good, better than she had when I had arrived. Still unseeing, but even the raw meat seemed to be helping.

“If torturing me won’t work. They may hunt you down.”

I growled in response to her words.

“Let them come then. I'm growing. I will not be scared away. If a day comes when I do not answer you - you will know it is because I am dead. And you will know that - they are scared of you.” I folded my arms across my chest.

“I’d rather you not die.” Her words were spoken with that articulate punch that she had when she had a goal in mind. That strength. Even being abandoned in a forest for days without food, water, or shelter, even after having her eyes ripped out and torn by the wolves. She had such resolve. It suited her well. I snorted.

“I would rather that not be the case either. I have a very long life ahead of me, and I need to prove those fuckers who ripped my life from me that they did not succeed.” I wondered - did she feel the same? A drive to prove them wrong?

“A long life… “ She mused. “I won’t age. I won’t die. I’m immortal. Whomever I meet, its only a temporary thing. Maybe that’s why they insist I stay alone. Less heartache.” I blinked, studying her. She was thoughtful. I knelt by her, and gently took her empty hand in mine, and pressed her palm to. My chest.

“I am eighty seven, nearing eighty eight. In human terms, I stopped aging in my twenties. I am an Elf, one who has been genetically experimented upon. The others I know of - in the memories I have - are centuries old, and still going strong. And I am moon-touched, which twists things even further, as I have inherent magic. I have no idea how long I will live. But it will be on your side, as your ally or whatever comes.” I let her go, watching her face as I sat back.

She smiled. That - I had not expected that. My eyebrows rose, though she couldn't see it.

“For someone so against being emotional and so adamant that you would be naught but my Hunter….” She licked her fingers, tongue lapping up the blood that dripped on them - I fought down a groan. “You’re doing quite the opposite.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “Course, I would be a hypocrite to say otherwise.”

“I.. Realized something.” I sat forward, my eyes trained on those blood-stained lips. Then I shook my head and concentrated. “The stigma, the hate, against me was much deeper rooted in my land than I realized. My memories, the ones you showed me were false? They were constructed to build in me a belief that I should never form a true connection with someone, until I stopped being a Huntsman.” I let out a bitter snort.

“You never stop being a Huntsman, until you are dead. Twenty years of training pounded that into my head. See the problem?” The people who had trained me - hated what I was so much that they sought to make sure I died alone. If I had remained in Alerar? That surely would have happened.

“You won’t stop being a Hunter. You enjoy it too much.” I hummed in agreement at her slow, considering words. I waited for her to go on, to finish the thought. “That doesn’t stop you doing whatever and whoever you want.” She rubbed her temple, smearing more blood over her face. “I’m repeating myself. Obviously you’re a threat. My Master doesn’t like what I’ve become. I’m a danger to him. I’m a threat. People try to snuff out and control threats.”

“Precisely. They sought to control me. To restrict me. To prevent me from having a life. Not because I was a threat though - because I had magic.” I snorted in disgust. “They wanted me alone, ostracized, just an emotionless tool. Right until I died. Then they'd likely have thrown me out with the trash. All because of their hate and fear.”

“Emotionless tool.”

Scarlet repeated. Those words had such familiarity. Damnit. This man. This fucking man was far too alike to her. It was uncanny.

“Emotionless tool...hah…” Scarlet ran a hand through her hair. “Yeh. Accurate description of me. Was. Maybe still is. Fuck. I don’t know. You saw what I had become. Imagine the destruction that followed. The amount of innocent children I ripped into, men, women, family.”

“I remember. And I remember you did not want it. You were broken. Beaten. Abandoned and abused.” She felt his fingers cup her face, his thumb rubbing the blood into her skin. She squinted, all she could see was a blur of colour and a smear of black, one she assumed was his face. He was silent for a moment, then his hand dropped from her face to curl fingers around her wrist.

“Don’t misinterpret me Hunter. I don't regret my actions. Perhaps that's the problem. I don’t care. I don’t regret them.” The fingers around her wrist tightened for a moment. Scarlet was tempted to squeeze back but that would only injure him. “I’m a cold and callous person. This world and the people in it. I hate it. I hate them. I don’t care if anything around me lives or dies.”

“But you don't want me to die.” His voice was soft as he interrupted her. His hand left for a moment, then returned to grip hers directly - and she realized he had pulled his glove off. She could feel his skin crackle against hers, but there was no other response from the man to the pain he must be in.

Fuck… she had said that. “I don’t.” Scarlet confirmed. “As with everything. There are exceptions.” Her fingers curled around his hand. “What are you doing?” She heard him snort.

“I'm holding your hand, Dawn girl.” He sounded - amused. There was a bit of strain in his voice - but he didn't budge his hand.

Scarlet went to pull it away but he held fast to her. “That’s not what I am fuckin’ talking about and you know it!” She snapped. Not being able to see was a bother. She couldn’t read his facial expression. She couldn’t see what his eyes were doing and whilst she could feel him move she couldn’t see where or what. He sighed, softly.

“The fuck do you think I'm doing, Dawn girl? I know you're not stupid.”

“Confusing me.” She hissed. “Youre fucking….confusing me…” She muttered, less bite to her voice. “All this insistence of not seeking anything beyond a fuck and a hunt. And then-this?”

“You - ah. You missed what I was trying to say.” He squeezed her hand, then finally let go, and she snatched her hand away, glaring in his general direction. “Dawn girl. I refuse to let them win. So fuck it. I'll have friends. Fuck it - maybe in time an actual relationship. But I have no idea what to do, not really.” He sighed, and she heard him shift back. “At the Academy, I was forced to be alone. It was subtle, but I was always kept from even having a chance to make a real friend. Only Huntsman in my class. For a reason. So - I'm sorry. But I am terrible at this. I can only do what I know - and that is to offer support when you need it.”

Scarlet still didn’t understand. How was she supposed to? Everyone, they always did something to gain something, and he was offering her friendship. For nothing more than the touch of skin, to hold her hand which no doubt burned him?


Scarlet fumbled, bare feet crunching in the snow as she tried to wander to a tree. Something. Anything to lean on. She may not feel the cold but her body did and it was heavy and numb.

Scarlet found the Hunter instead of a tree. She thumped against his chest, and he was - warm. She felt his hands at the coat on her shoulders, buttoning it before he slowly clasped his arms around her. Another embrace….?

“I’ve been getting a lot of these lately.” She mused. He chuckled softly.

“Perhaps, because you need them. And you're nice to hug?” She felt his arms shift as he shrugged.

“Are you using that as an excuse?” Scarlet stepped back and lifted her chin to peer into his eyes, well - the blur that was his face. Just like before her vision was slowly returning. She saw darkness draw across the silvery marks in the black blur - he had blinked?

“An...excuse? You are nice to hug. And I would think you need them.”

Scarlet furrowed her brow. Why did this….feel awkward? She wasn’t getting her intention across and she wasn’t used to that. She was used to barking orders and snide remarks and people doing as she asked, people running from her. Or inflicting pain. This? This whole mushy-feely hugging and quiet banter? No. No this was strange. It felt almost nostalgic but she couldn’t grasp at why. “I mean. You say I need them - but really, you just have a preference to hugging me. You said so yourself - but doesn’t it burn?”

“I do like hugging you yes. And I like making you squirm and bleed.” Another shrug. “But I told you. When you're close, and warm, the cracks slowly shrink. That - I am trying to help you. Because I do not want you to die either. And as for the burn - I heal. I may not be an outright masochist like you, Dawn girl, but that doesn't mean I despise it.”

“Fuckin’ freak.”

It was the only response she had. She wasn’t good with this sort of thing and she felt it too. What kind of person would want to help her after all she’s done? What kind of idiot would turn a blind eye to her tainted hands and soul only to casually shrug it off and be all ‘oh I like your hugs and want to help you ahahaaha let’s be friends!’ it was weird.

It was fuckin’ weird right?

“Yes. I am well aware that to most people, in whichever nation I am in, I am ‘not right’. Normal people do not get excited on causing pain.”

“That’s not what -” Scarlet shook her head and tried to pull away. It felt like they were continually dancing around some sort of unseen subject that she didn’t understand. Some sort of force pulling her to and fro and laughing at her confusion. Revelling in her frustration.

They were just repeating past conversations. What more was there to say or do? ‘Good job’ ‘Thank you’ ‘see you again’? None of those felt right.

“Forget it…” Scarlet sighed.

She’d go mad dwelling on such thoughts.

I stared down at the tiny girl, tilting my head to one side, then the other. I sighed. Just like me, she had no idea how to handle friendship. I'd been forced to be alone, and she, had had every good connection ripped away from her. I squeezed her, then stepped back and away. What the hell were you supposed to do, when someone you cared about - did I care about her? Fuck, yes I did. I didn't want her to die. And she - didn't have a basis to form how to respond on. What the hell did you do here? What could I do? Kiss her?.

I stilled as that thought ran through my head. What. What in the hell had I just thought? I mean - fuck, yes, her kisses were nice. But while I cared about her - she was a friend. A friend. I ran my hands across my face. “Fuck.” I spun on my heel. “I'm getting us both some more meat. Sit down and wait, would you.” I needed to distract myself. I needed not to have her soft, scarred body pressed against mine. I needed not to think about the way she had flushed as -

Stop. There. I bit my tongue, letting the sharp sting of pain clear my thoughts. I pulled my knife free from my belt and knelt down, focusing on hacking at the wolves.

I turned to her and saw her, her bare skin pressed up against the cold packed snow. She said she didn’t really feel the cold, but her feet had tinges of blue and her body shivered. The jacket fit her nicely but without all the buttons done up, parts of her flesh were exposed. A nipple, her abdomen. The streaks of blood that had poured down her face and down her torso.

I cursed. She was - had she fallen? Damn it, no, she had sat down like I told her to. I dragged the carcass I was working on near her, then sat down, pulling her into my lap, off of the snow as I cradled her body with mine. I was warmer than she by far - I could warm her up then get the fire going. Just - don't let her notice. Please, moon, don't let her notice. I didn't need to deal with the added aspect of our strange sexual tension on top of the rest of our confusion.

“This is the weirdest way someones shown me they’re hard.” She commented. “I mean, I may be partially blind right now, but there are other ways.” I felt her lean her head back against me. “Or are you just trying to keep me warm and that’s a lil’ accident?”

Fuck. “I wouldn't say little. But yes. You're painfully cold, dawn girl. And we’ve already established I have an attraction to you. That is neither here nor there at the moment.”

I felt her shrug, then...then fucking wriggle that ass of hers against me to either tease me or make herself more comfortable. “True. True.” She smirked. “It doesn’t feel small. I appreciate the warmth.” I felt her relax in my lap. “I really do.” Fuck - but that was good, right? She liked the warmth? I curled my arms around her waist - to hold her, but also to hold her still.

“As I said. This wasn't why I was holding you. Please keep still.” If you don't, I'll get the wrong damn idea. And Dawn girl, you don't need to be fucked right now. This is much more like what you need. But I kept silent, except for asking her not to move. Thank fuck she listened. She simply leaned back and shut her eyes. Resting her head on the crook of my neck, her head tilted toward me.

I gently rocked her slowly. She looked like she was drifting off to sleep in my arms. That was - that was good. When she slept was when she had healed the most before - perhaps because her defences were down, and her body could take in the comfort and warmth of contact to heal better?

Her hands curled around my jacket and a soft murmur fell from her lips. She had fallen asleep. I felt a bit of tension ease from my shoulders. She felt safe enough to sleep in my arms. She shifted her face and her lips, still dotted with the blood of the raw meat she had eaten earlier - which was a little odd in and of itself, pressed themselves to the underside of my jaw. My eyes went wide. What in the hell - I turned my head down to see if she hadn't actually fallen asleep, and was instead trying to torment me.

The shift of my head caused her to murmur, she looked like she was asleep. Her lips pressed themselves again to my - Fuck. Fuck. I should not have looked down. Her blood-speckled lips felt, tasted, too damn good against mine. I went very, very still as she kissed me. Damn it. And I had thought about this earlier. Had I - subconsciously desired it? It was pure defiance against the people who wanted both of us to remain emotionless, connectionless. Twenty years of training warred against the newfound resolve to defy the people who had trained me. I opened my lips, slightly, against hers.

This would tell me if she was asleep or not. She didn’t pull away, she didn’t press her lips harder against mine in a feverish kiss like she had done so before. Instead- Fuck this may have been worse. Instead a soft murmur left her lips and she clenched my coat tighter. Her eyes fluttered as she pressed her lips softly against mine before she sighed and her grip loosened.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck me running with a ten foot pole. A drunken, horny kiss was one thing. The feverish ‘make out’ session to hide from the priests, another. I slowly drew my head back from hers, and she nestled against me, her head dropping back to my shoulder.

That. That was a kiss that spoke of affection. Of comfort, and appreciation. That was the kind of kiss that my false memories had tried to assure me was reserved for husband and wife, loving and tender.

What the hell was I supposed to do now? I tightened my hold on her, and she let out a soft sound of contentedness and curled against me tighter, drawing her legs up to her chest, forming a small ball in my lap.

This. This right fucking here. This soft, desperately alone side of her, that craved contact so much that she clung to someone she had only seen three times now. This was what I was trying to protect. Fuck it. Fuck it to hell. Fuck it all the way to the moon and back. I kissed her forehead and sighed.

“Fucking hell, dawn girl. Fine - kiss me when you need to. I'll take that connection.” At least - at least she was asleep, to not hear the softly spoken words that fell into her hair.

“Fil’ayn ….” She murmured and I stilled. Fuck. Did she hear me? Why did she use my name? What the hell - did she think of me when she dreamt whatever the hell it was that made her kiss me? Or - or was she awake?

“Yes, Amari?” I spoke very, very softly. Testing.

She didn’t reply. For a long time she didn’t say a word and looked to be resting contentedly in my lap. Just when I thought it was a slip of the tongue she spoke again.

“Fil’ayn don’t...put that in the cupboard.” My eyes went wide. She was dreaming. But - why in the absolute hell was she dreaming about - what the hell dream had another person putting something in a cupboard. Wait - was she - was she dreaming about - a life? Not - not this shit hell of a life, but an actual, in a house, life? Where I was visiting - or - or -?

My mind went blank and my body stilled as I tried desperately to process this.

“I love you.”

OH.

Oh fuck. She was. This was - a dream of a happy home. I felt something inside my chest lurch at those words. Ah. I'd - I'd never actually heard them said to me.

And I still hadn't. She didn't love me. She loved - the dream. Of peace, and warmth. Comfort and love. I tightened my arms around her and shifted so I was sitting against the log I had felled. I - I could not give her the reality. But I could give her this dream. I stroked her hair with one hand, as I had seen people do with their lovers. I ignored the pain in my chest and the stinging in my eyes.

A few hours had passed before Scarlet finally awoke. Groggy. She opened her eyes, they stung..but she could see. She could see the snow packed tightly around the two, she could see the dirt and blood that had splattered the snow. She could feel Hunter underneath her, he had insisted she stay there and after days of torment and pain she had relented and allowed herself the sleep she so desperately needed. “I’m awake..” Scarlet said as she lifted her head up.

“Hunter?”

He shifted, and blinked. Silver eyes glinted softly as he blinked again and looked around, and she could see him mentally processing the situation.

Scarlet shifted and pulled herself up and out of his lap. “It’s dangerous here.” She had slept through most the day and night was coming up along the horizon. “We will die if we stay here, and there will be no healing, no revival, no nothing from either of us if those soul sucking beasts get to us.”

She turned her gaze to Hunter who was rubbing his eyes. Was he tired too? Not surprising. “We’ll get sleep when we get to a town. I’m still...groggy myself but we need to move now.”

“Right.” He shoved himself to his feet. “Right. OK. Have you recovered enough to move on your own - or do you still have trouble seeing?” There was no judgment or recrimination in his words, just curiosity.

“I can see.” Scarlet said as she stared at him. “I can see your silver eyes, I can see how disheveled your hair is. I can see-” She paused as she pointed to the stone creeping up under his sleeve. “I can see that - that we will talk about later, and I can see our time is short.”


His head tilted and he picked up his hat and froze when she pointed at his arm. Then he rolled his sleeve down hurriedly, grimacing, and set his hat on his head, covering up the mess of hair. “Right. Right. Lead the way dawn girl. You know Salvar far better than I.”

Scarlet turned and winced as she trudged, barefoot in the ankle deep snow. It appeared that he resilience to the cold was beginning to fade. Not surprising. She was weak. They quickly made their way to a main path through the forest. “I slept surprisingly well, considering the snow and ice.” Scarlet mused.

“You - were rather comfortable, I hope.” His voice was soft.

“Ah.” Scarlet stopped him as she pointed to a horse and carriage travelling toward them. Ignoring the question.jn “Do me a favour and hail them down. I’m not exactly a looker right now.” Hunter nodded and waved down the cart.

A brown horse slowed to a stop as the man atop the cart peered suspiciously at the two. A drow and a half naked girl. “Can I help you?” The man asked. He was well into his forties and wore a thick rimmed pair of glasses. He was not a fighter and looked to be some sort of shop keeper.

Scarlet stepped in front of Hunter. “P-please sir…” Her voice fell into a timid tone as she feigned fear. “A-a group of bandits they...they…” she hiccuped as she covered her face. “They stole my husband and I’s carriage they..they tried to….” She hiccuped again.

“I stopped them from - that. But they - made off with the rest of our belongings.” Hunter’s voice was tense. Frustrated.

The man relaxed his tense body seeing the crying and unarmed girl. “Get in the back. If you try anything I’ll hand you over to the authorities.” Scarlet nodded and bowed her head, “T-t-thank you..thank you so much…” She turned and climbed onto the back of the cart with Hunter. Breathing a sigh of relief. She didn’t think they would have made it out of the forest. The beasts generally left her well enough alone, her soul was a deterrent for them, but her bleeding and with Hunter in tow? They’d make quick work of the both of them.

Sitting in the back, the Huntsman curled his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side - the picture of a husband comforting his wife. Scarlet played into it, sobbing lightly into the crook of his neck. No tears came, just stiffled noises.

The shopkeeper turned to glance over his shoulder at the two. “Name’s Ainsley, I see you’re from Alerar but the girls got a Slavic accent. How did you two meet?”

“I left Alerar for work, got hired on by a shipping company. Worked with them a few years before they got bought out by a racist bastard, who gave me the boot. Dawn here took pity on me and helped me get back on my feet, and I haven't wanted to leave since.” Hunter’s voice was smooth and calm, tinged with sorrow that became confidence as he spoke of her.

Scarlet shot him a look. It wasn’t a story she would have gone with, but it suited well. She kept mostly quiet as the man...as Ainsley continued to ask them questions about their supposed lie together. Apparently they had been married for two years, coming up to their second anniversary. They had a kid on the way, and wanted to take one last journey before settling down. Scarlet was a seamstress, which she found amusing - Hunter did not know that she was indeed quite the seamstress. And used to make dresses for nobles, another funny thing - he wasn’t aware she was a noble.

As they neared the town and were about to part ways Aislyn gave the two a nod. “Was worried at first. Was going to take the both of you to the authorities, but aye. It’s clear you both have good hearts and care about each other. Miss, if you ever need work and choose to settle down here - my shop is over there.” He pointed to a dark general store. “It’d be nice to sell some dresses, get more of the ladies in.”

Scarlet nodded and pulled on Hunter. They gave the man a final wave before he left and the two were headed toward the nearest inn. “Some story you have going on there.” Scarlet mused. “Did you know I actually can sew?”

He blinked, silver eyes flickering to her. He seemed - thoughtful. “No - but I can see that. It would suit you.” There was an odd note to his voice - not quite contentment, but close.

“Suit me?” Scarlet scoffed, “Sweetheart...the only thing that suits me is blood and death.” She added in a mildly mock tone. “Now, let’s get something to eat. Raw meat isn’t exactly….my preference.”

He laughed, a dark, rolling sound, and shook his head. “I wouldn't say the only things, but yes, those do suit you quite well.

The place was familiar...it had been the same town they had gone to before. The place where Hunter had accepted the bounty on the direwolves and the place where the two had first met and shared a drink. So the inn they entered was a familiar scene. Few people dotted around the place and a familiar youth staring them, especially scarlet down as they entered. The usual booth at the back was full so both Hunter and Scarlet had to find a table that was more central and exposed. Scarlet didn’t like this.

Hunter turned his head, and gave the boy a hard, silver glare. Warning him. Then he turned his gaze to Scarlet as she spoke.

“I feel exposed here, could get attacked from any side.”

“Right. I'm not keen on this either. Let's get a room.” He curled his arm around her, protectively. It seemed he wasn't about to let her stay too far from his side, even if he knew she could fight well herself.

Scarlet nodded. It was a good idea. They’d take their food to the room and eat. She headed to the counter and ordered two plates of venison and a room. When the man expected her to pay she turned to Hunter. “Honey… the bandits took everything I had - do you have anything?”

White eyebrows rose for a moment - as if realizing that. Then he nodded, and stepped forward, reaching into his own coat and pulling a small back of coins out from an inner pocket. He counted out what the innkeeper had asked for as he shook his head. “You'll want to warn people against traveling the main road here - they made off with most of our belongings. Hopefully they take off after one attack, or the night dwellers get them - but better safe than sorry.” He said as he handed the money over. The man shrugged.

“Further North is Crimson Hand territory. You’re either tourists or stupid to not know that. Your meals will be delivered shortly.” He handed Hunter the key and the two headed up to the room.

Finally in the room; which was subpar at best. It had a single bed with a single scratchy blanket which would have barely protected against the could. A window with no curtains rattled from the harsh weather outside. A single oil lamp dimly lit the room from the bedside table. Scarlet didn’t want to venture to the adjacent bathroom. Not wanting to know what unkempt condition that was in. “Well. some honeymoon this is.” she muttered bitterly. Despite her harsh words, it was meant to be a joke.

“Next year I'll take you somewhere nicer. Maybe Tular. I hear the demons are fun to kill.” He drawled back as he locked the door firmly behind him, and thumped the chair against it. It was only when it was secure that he finally relaxed, his shoulders losing a bit of tension.

“Fuck me…” Scarlet muttered as she turned back to the bed and pulled the blanket off to wrap her feet in then sat herself on the bed. “At this rate I feel I should just wander around fuckin completely naked.”

“And I feel like I should just always keep a change or two of clothes with me for you.” He leaned against the wall, silver eyes focused on her.

She snorted and crossed her legs. “Your eyes say otherwise Hunter.” He blinked.

“Well. I suppose we can chalk that up to possessiveness.” He shrugged. “Or, I'm trying to keep you healthy.”

“Oddly sweet of you.” Scarlet mused as she rubbed her feet together to generate warmth. “I suppose that’s what a fisherman husband is supposed to do, no?”

I moved, sitting down beside her. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, and pulled her back onto the bed. Then I took her feet in my hands and slowly massaged them, warming them up as I smirked at her. I was digging in just a little too hard, tormenting her.

She twitched but didn’t complain. “The hell are you doing now?” She spat at me. I smirked wider.

“Why, my poor seamstress wife is obviously in pain and her feet hurt. I should pamper her a little bit, shouldn't I?” I teased her. Fuck. Fuck, this was more difficult than I thought. But she was the one who had started us as husband and wife here. And I was damned if I was just going to roll over and let her win.

“Oh?” I could practically taste the venom on her tone. She shoved her foot hard into my chest. “You’re right. You should.” She growled. I raised my eyebrow - then slowly began massaging her leg, dark fingers against milky skin working out knots, just this side of being truly painful. I worked my way up to her knee, then pulled her other leg to me, and resumed the process, moving down from her knee towards her foot.

She rolled her shoulders and I could hear the bones in her back cracking. “Dammit…” she hissed as she leaned back on the bed. “That actually feels really good.” I ducked my head down to hide my face. Fuck. Fucking fuck this was - this was very dangerous. I finished up with her legs, at least the lower ones. I didn't trust myself to work my way up her thighs.

“If you.. Lay on your stomach, I'll work on your back.”Almost as soon as I started, I shifted from a soft, hesitation, to a growled command.

“Oh?” Scarlet taunted. Fuck she was taunting me now? “That sounds like a command Hunter.” She leaned forward and her hair spilt over her shoulders as she shrugged off the jacket I had made her. “I thought I was your boss, but I guess if you’re the husband now I’ll be a good little wife, no?”

She snorted and rolled onto her stomach, crossing her arms to use as a head rest as she pressed the side of her head to her arms. I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Moon above. Did she even know what she was doing? Of course she did - she had been taunting me.

My fingers started at the base of her spine. At the very bottom of the sigil. The center of the sigil ran along her spine, and here at the base was a circle, stabbing down towards her ample ass. I ignored the soft, full curves, and started to massage along her lower back, working out the kinks in her muscles. Slow, steady kneading, pressing just a bit harder than most people would like. Well, she liked it. She groaned softly and pressed her head further into her arms. “I didn’t expect an actual massage…” she mumbled.

I chuckled, and began to work my hands up her back, working against the bottom of her ribcage. I was being careful not to touch the lines of the sigil - I didn't know how sensitive the swooping lines or the harsh geometry in the center was, so for the moment I was doing my best to leave it alone. I found a particularly tough knot just below her right shoulder blade. “Tough one.” I murmured, all the warning I gave her as I pressed hard, twisting and massaging in a circle, loosening the muscle beneath my digits. It probably hurt a bit - but I could also see the way she relaxed as the tension left her

“Dammit… that feels really good.” She muttered. “Where’d you learn this?”.

“Honestly? I don't remember. Skills like this, and sex. They're all in those years I don't have. My body knows what to do, like I've done it a lot before - but the actual memories? Gone, wisps in the wind.” I shook my head. I had thought, that these were things taught in the Academy. But that made no sense. Just - just who had I been before, in those years I didn't have? Was I really eighty seven? Older? Younger? I had no idea. I moved my hands up her back, starting to massage at her neck and upper shoulders as I hummed in contemplation.

Scarlet turned her body slightly, shifting so her eyes rose up to mine. Her words took on a dark tone. “You know. I was raised by my own brother to be a sex doll. He’d inject me with serums, things I didn’t remember at the time. Have me do things - he put…” She shifted so she was now resting on her back. She pointed to her inner thigh. “One sigil here - to stop me from ever orgasming until I lost my virginity.” She pointed to the one on her abdomen, “And one here - which made me pretty fuckin...ah….turned on by any male touch regardless of what it was. Those are gone now.” She paused and looked up at me. “He’s dead. Doesn’t matter - point is. Those sort of skills, maybe once your use as a Hunter was finished they didn’t plan for you to die. They planned something far worse.”

I sat back on my knees, and stared at her. Studying her. I looked down my form, frowning. It - well. If it wasn't for the fact that everyone told me hunters only stopped when they were dead… Or crippled. My eyes widened. A cripple, dependent on others, would be an easy target for - for being used as nothing more than a stud. I took a deep breath, then shook my head. Before I could figure out though, Scarlet gave me a hard push, enough to send me to the floor. “Whatever you’re thinking. Stop.”

I looked up at her, my eyebrows lifted as her tits swung above me.

“That ain’t happening now. So don’t dwell on it. It’s just a theory. Right now - now we’re just….” She paused as her eyes shifted away. She looked as though she were about to say something but changed her mind. “That’s not how a husband is supposed to act.” She finally said. “Fuckin’ rude shit. I’ll divorce you.” Her eyes trailed back to me and she smirked.

I slowly sat up, then reached forward and curled my hand into her hair. Fuck. Fuck me. “Fuck. You don't want to let me go, dawn girl.” My voice was soft. What in the hells was I saying?

Her smirk fell into a confused look. “Let you go?” She tilted her head up at me expecting an answer.

I released her hair and turned around, sitting with my back against the bed. “I.. Fuck. Fuck if I know.” I set my hand down and leaned my head back, eyes closed as I ran my fingers along my face, up into my hair. “Hah. Guess you will have to divorce me. I clearly have no idea how a husband should act.” I let out a mirthless chuckle.

“Like fuck if I know. It was a joke.” She said. “I didn’t want you thinking about what ifs.” She shuffled forward and gave me a hard slap across my back. “Hey, if anything at least you’re apparently good at sex - and are very good at massages. So, take it as a win.” I sat forward after her slap, then turned my head to look at her. I gave her a wry smile, lips quirked.

“Maybe at some point I'll show you how good I am at sex, dawn girl. I do know husbands are supposed to satisfy their wives.”

She stilled. Did that get to her? I tilted my head to the side, studying her with narrowed silver eyes.

Husbands pleasing their wives? Ugh… this had gone on too long. At first it was a fun game, a joke. Now? Now Scarlet wasn’t sure what to think of it. This whole situation with the man was painstakingly annoying. Like some poorly written fanfiction. It made her feel shitty, angry - like her life was just some fuckin’ plaything.

She had moved past that and was no ones plaything. Not her brothers, and not Lyes.

“Don’t give me that look.” Scarlet muttered as she regained her composure. She certainly wasn’t thinking about what he would do to her. No. Not at all.

“Look, Dawn girl?” He slowly stood up, looming above her as he rose up. Fuck he was tall, attractively so. Scarlet arched her neck back and had to lean back against the bed to meet his intense gaze.

“What?” He looked like he was going to respond - when there was a knock on the door. He flipped the coat onto her, then moved to the door. He took the plates of food, blocking the interior of the room with his tall, dense form, then closed the door with his foot. When he turned around, the smoldering look on his eyes was banked.

“Well?” Scarlet prodded, she wasn’t going to let him drop it. She shuffled back on the bed so there was enough room for the two to eat. The plates held a thin cut of venison and lumpy mashed potatoes. Scarlet wasn’t sure how good her appetite was for that. Still. It was food.

“Should have just bought some of the wolf meat to cook myself.” He snorted and handed her one plate, then folded himself up onto the bed. He leaned back against the wall, and closed his eyes.

“You, dear Dawn, are…” He paused, humming in thought. “Are maddening. Intoxicating. Many things I desire, wrapped in one appetizing package. You force me to think of things I would never consider. You.. Helped me, in a way I didn't even know I needed. What in the hells am I supposed to think of you?” His voice was thoughtful, calm. He was turning it over in his head as he spoke, clearly.

Scarlet slowly ate, wincing at the lack of taste. She used this time to think of a response. She honestly didn’t think she had such an effect on him. The two were alike, sure - but Scarlet just found him annoying, arousingly so - devious and curious. It was rare for her to find someone who put up with her. Yet, the her he knew wasn’t exactly her. It was subdued. It was tired.

Scarlet swallowed the last of her ‘meal’ and set the empty plate down on the floor and shoved it under the bed. “Cop out answer here, but think what you want. I’m gonna be frank. You don’t really know me. You know a lot about my past, sure. But the me you’ve encountered? That’s subdued. I’m weak. I’m tired. Normally I’d be cold. Callous. I’d have ripped out the throat of that man and taken his cart. But - for whatever reason… I’ve been weak.” Silver eyes focused on her.

“I helped you. Great. Whatever. It wasn’t planned. I don’t go out of my way to do that.”

“And? So what?” His voice was still calm as he tilted his head to the side. “So what if it wasn't planned. You did it. So what if you're normally a bitch. I'd have just tossed the man out of his cart and left him there for whatever the fuck lurks in the night around here.” He shrugged. “I'm not exactly the best of people myself.”

This guy wasn’t making things easy was he? She gave him a nod. Eyes staring at him. His dark skin, his scars. He was right. Hell, when she met him he was ripping wolves apart for the sheer fun of it. Then, he enjoyed ripping her apart. That’s not exactly going to get you on any nice lists.

“True. You’re not.” Scarlet said. “Think of me however you want.” she said again, as though her shitty answer had any sort of impact on what was going on in his head.

“I am.” Again that intent, intense stare, silver and piercing. A shiver ran down her spine. If she was a werewolf, that gaze might be enough to do damage. Then he blinked, and looked away, to the window. A gust of wind had rattled it, breaking his attention as his body tensed, like a giant serpent coiling to strike. But it was just the wind, nothing more.

“Second floor. Nothing can really crawl up through it, and if it did it’d be dead before it hit the floor.” His eyes swung back to her, her voice drawing his attention back to her. Scarlet stilled. “What?” She said. “What’s with that intense gaze?”

He blinked, and a crooked grin came onto his face. “I'm imagining your screams. Ones I would cause.” Then he shook his head. “No matter. Dawn - your stone.” He sat forward, and rested his chin on a propped up hand, his elbow pressed against his knee.

Scarlet looked down to it. “Ah.” She picked it up and turned it in her hands. “It’s got...three charges left before it needs to be recharged. I think I use mine more than you yours. I can’t put it back in….” She paused trying to concentrate. Did he really casually say he was imagining her screams? She should rip his throat out for that. She should ram her hand into his chest and destroy his heart.

She should…

She should…

“I should put this back, but not on the chest. Here…” She handed the stone back to Hunter. “Somewhere it’s less obvious.” Scarlet pointed to her inner thigh. “If I put it here and bury it deep enough, it should blend in with the corruption scars across my body. It’ll be too awkward of an angle for me to do it. If you want to hear me scream so much you do it.” There was a moment of pause. Hunter seemed to be thinking of something. Then he reached to his coat and drew out a sharp knife. He spun it in his fingers.

“You have three charges of summoning, and four to initiate communication. I have five, and four. I cannot really summon you - too much risk for you at the moment.” She blinked as she saw him suddenly grit his teeth - and he plunged the dagger into his right thigh, cutting into the meat and flesh. His body shook once, then he drew the blade out, setting it down on the bed, staining both the bed and his clothes purple. Then his fingers dug into his leg - and she was right, it did look like an extremely awkward angle - then with a wet sucking sound, a purple, glistening black stone was in his hand. He stared at it a moment, his body shifting slightly.

“You'll take this one, I think. More insurance.”

“What?” Did he just fucking…. “Ok. Fine.” Scarlet shook her head, she wasn’t sure who was more insane, he or her. She shuffled forward and opened her leg before lying on her back. To anyone else, it might have looked like she was offering herself to him. Hell, she may as well have been. Blood and pain was sort of his gig wasn’t it?

“Whenever you’re ready.” Scarlet said. “Try to keep it near the corruption lines, I get this is your thing but be a ‘little’ neat at least.” He let out a dark chuckle - and she felt the knife tip dig into her leg. It was - it slid in with ease, gliding through her skin, then muscle. Then he twisted ever so slightly - widening the gap. She gripped the bedsheets, which were quickly becoming stained with her blood. Oops. As he twisted the blade again Scarlet swore. It hurt, not much considering all she had been through but the pain still tickled her and burned her senses. It… fuck so close to more erogenous areas caused other feelings to stir. Things she couldn’t allow to get out of hand. Even so - a soft murmur fell from her lips.

Then she felt his fingers work into her, gently pressing their way through her muscle. But - it was his left hand, not his right. Where was - her eyes shot open. His right palm had cupped her mound, his palm grinding against her. Then the stone was deep inside of her as he ground the heel of his hand against a very sensitive bundle of flesh - hard. “What the fu-a-ahhh..” her words turned into a loud moan. Oops. She stared him down, her face flushed. Had she really just made such a sound? When was the last time her body was given such attention?

He pulled away, and looked between his hands, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I wonder which tastes better.” One was covered in her blood - the other, not. Then his intense silver eyes focused back on hers. There was a definite hunger there now. Fuck. Slowly, he lifted the hand stained red up, and gave it a slow lick. “Still delicious. But I knew how this tasted.” Eyes locked on hers, he lifted the hand that had cupped and pressed against her, and dragged his tongue along it. “Oh. I think I have a winner.” His lips twisted in a slow, dark smirk. “They complement each other, Dawn.” His hand trailed back along her thighs. Then two fingers drove into her, piercing long-untouched folds, and he hooked them inside of her.

She grabbed his wrists, hands immediately singing his flesh. “T-The hell do you think you-ahh doing!?” She hissed as she sat up. This..this shouldn’t happen. This shouldn’t feel that good. This- dammit. Dammit… he curled and ground his fingers inside of her, his silver eyes not wavering from hers. He didn't react to the burning grasp on his wrist.

“I’ll rip your throat out!” Scarlet hissed at him as she lifted one hand to clasp around his throat. “You DARE think you can j-ungh….” Her breathing wavered as his fingers slid in and out of her. This thumb pressed against her clit.

Fuck… this may get too out of hand.

Sweet mercy. She tasted damn good, and that flushed, desperate look in her eyes was driving me wild. I wanted to hurt her and please her. I ground my thumb against her clit, rolling it in a circle. My other hand shot up and intercepted her arm going for my neck, holding her back. Having my neck burned might be enough to stop me - and those delicious sounds from her mouth were too good to pass up.

Strange. Touching her hot sex didn't burn. That just encouraged me more, and I drove my fingers deeper inside of her, spreading and twisting them. It had been too long since I felt a woman’s heat, and it was intoxicating.

She was fighting me, every time I rolled my thumb over her clit she’d hiss another insult, another threat at me. She wrenched her hand down and I pressed it against the bed. She leaned forward and oh - oh my that allowed me to go deeper, so I did, curling my fingers further into her folds, scraping her with my nails. “I’ll make you bleed.” She hissed into my ear before turning her mouth to my neck. She bit down hard - with the intent to cause me pain to make me bleed to make me pull away from her.

But I had her trapped. It didn't work. I lifted, hard, pulling her body up with the fingers buried inside of her. Biting me - hadn't she learned that I relished that?

Scarlet groaned, a low satisfying sound. She rolled her hips into my hand. “I’ll fucking c-cuhhh cut you.” She hissed again. I smirked - then on the next pump of my fingers inwards, rammed a third finger in, twisting and jamming them deep inside of her. My thumb began scraping her clit back and forth, strumming it steadily with the rough pad of my thumb.

“That's it Dawn. Let it out for me.” I smirked, ignoring her threats. I knew she meant them of course. She was torn between outrage and desire here. I pumped my fingers faster and harder, grinding her clit with my thumb.

She wrenched her hand away from mine and pushed me, trying to force me back and away, fingernails dragging down into my flesh. My blood pooled down her fingers, she finally pried me out of her. Breathing heavily. Her body twitched from my touch. I slowly sat back, silver eyes watching her as she pressed forward. Pushing me down onto the bed as her nails drew sharp thick lines of vitae down my chest. I let out a low hiss at the sting of pain as my shirt shredded under her touch.

“What now?” I murmured, watching her. Shaking. Shivering. Maellable. Tempting.

“Y-you tell me.” She hissed, lifting her head so her eyes bore into mine. Rings of gold shone brilliantly against the black. “Or did you forget what I said?”

We talked, rather a lot. But - I smirked. Then I grabbed her ass with one hand, long fingers burying themselves hard into her flesh. With my other hand, I ripped open my trousers, letting my shaft spring free. Silver met gold as I pressed the flared head of my cock against her heat. “One chance to back out, dawn girl.” I murmured. A warning. A promise. I - fuck it. I wanted this. It had been too damn long. And she wanted, craved the pain.

I pressed her down over my thick shaft and eyed the contrast of our skin - god she fucking suited this. Her body felt good, it felt as though she was perfectly filled by me and the low satisfied growl that came from her - fuck. Why hadn’t she said anything?

Her body lowered as she arched her back. She pressed her head into the crook of my neck and her hips began to buck. I let her control the pace for a moment before I growled and wrapped my hands around her hips, my fingers digging into her ass. Fuck, even this felt goddamn wonderful. But now - I started to slam her down, lifting and slamming her down. This - this was painful. It was a sweet fucking pain though. I drove into her each time I brought her down, smashing our hips together.

I felt the tip of my cock press hard against her cervix, and fuck - if she wasn’t already carrying a child I felt the urge to just fill her up completely. With each hard hit she had tried to reign in her screams, i wanted it. I wanted that scream. But - she was a masochist. And I a sadist. I smirked - and I let one hand go, her body shaking as she got more control over the force of our thrusts. Her eyes flicked open, wide and focused on mine, as she felt the sharp tip of a blade press into the outside of her left thigh. Her hips rose up - then as they fell, the knife edge sliced through her, biting into her flesh. Her blood coursed down over my hips and legs as she ground against me, pain and pleasure shooting through her.

“F-Fuck…” She hissed, her eyes half lidded. “M-more…” Her hands dug back into my flesh, “Make me bleed.” She hissed. I smirked as I drove my cock hard into her, crashing against her cervix - and the knife glided up her back, cutting through the skin and the flesh there. If she wanted to bleed - she would bleed. Finally, she yeilded. She arched her back into the blade of the knife and gave a scream. One fueled by an intoxicating mix of pain and pleasure. She really was a masochist.

I let the knife fall away - as she moved, and I moved. Apparently fully in agreement, a tormented, unspoken agreement. She rolled off of me - and oh, that ached. Being denied this deep in, when she felt so fucking perfect around me. But - her scream had been what I sought. And she - well. I didn't know her damn reasoning. Most women would have gone mad trying to get off. I didn't know if she had, or hadn't, reached a climax there. So we laid there, side by side, bodies trembling and aroused. Fuck. Fuck, I wanted to flip over and choke her as I pounded her more.

“Fuck….” She swore, echoing my thoughts. “Fuck, fuck...fuck…” she pushed herself off the bed. “Fuck. I want to fucking….fuck…” She shook her head, “I want to get off, I want to fuckin-” She shook her head again, her hair swirling about.

I slowly sat up. I watched her, eyes dark with lust and hunger. If she wanted to keep going I would, I would drink in those screams as I fucked her into senselessness. But - I heard a ‘but’ coming.

She wanted to, fuck - she hadn’t experienced something like that in a long, long time. And he was still clearly hard and ready to go. Her eyes fell to his dick. It fit so well. It was so hot compared to her body. The way it ground against her insides and how willing he was to let her bleed to have her groan with pain. The only other who would have indulged in such things was Lye - but he was so distant lately…. And he was the reason she stopped.


She glanced up at him and he stared at her with hungry eyes. “I want to continue - but… I” She swalloed as she tried to clear her head. “I’m not free. I’m still a tool.” She finally said.

“Your master.” There was no anger in the words. Calm, hard. Accepting. But when she looked at his eyes, that's when she saw the anger. The frustration. Until he closed them, cutting off access to those windows to his emotions. He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

“You really do have a way with your body.” Scarlet mused, her own was still twitching from pain and erotic desire still rolled through her in waves. He snorted, and his body twitched, his dick bobbed.

“You… Fit wonderfully, Dawn girl.” He finally said, still not opening his eyes.

“I think we’re both sadists now.” Scarlet said with a mirthless laugh. One silver eye cracked open and locked onto her, a white eyebrow arching. Scarlet continued. “Denying myself that, denying yourself that? That’s fuckin’ torture. Don’t you think?”

“It is, pardon the pun, one of the hardest things I have ever done. I want to throw you back down, curl my hand around your throat, and fuck you until one of us is literally bleeding from the sex.” He growled.

His words. “Shut the fuck up. Fuck.” This was hard enough as is. He didn’t need to tempt Scarlet with such things. Couldn’t he go find a hooker? He had that option. “Go pay for a fuck and stop teasing me.”

She saw his lips curl in a smirk. “Fuck that, Dawn. I'm all yours for the night.” Fuck. They were supposed to be married. And he had just made her scream loud enough to be heard. If he went looking for a hooker now - it would be suspicious. And they didn't need people checking on them.

“Are you always so…. Rough?” Scarlet asked as her skin erupted in golden light. Her body reacting to the bleeding and adrenaline coursing through her - healing the wounds he inflicted. His eyes opened up, the silver orbs taking in the golden glow.

“No. Not always. Not..always. Sometimes being tender is just as torturous as a brutal fuck.” He seemed to be thinking about it as he spoke, his intense eyes gazing at her body.

“Oh? You speak from experience?” Scarlet shifted and sat cross legged in front of him. “You know you don’t have to be gentle with me.” He tensed, and growled.

“Stop fucking tempting me, Dawn.” Good. She got to him too. “Yes, I know that. And I also know, that sometimes it is the right thing for the situation.” He shook his head and closed his eyes to slits, only the thinnest of silver showing.

“Ahh. That’s right.” scarlet mused. “The whole tenderness thing, thats what you’d save for a romantic lover, interest, or whatever.” There was a pause in his breathing. A hesitation, there and gone. “Don’t worry.” Scarlet reassured him. “I’m not expecting that. Besides, I think I’d prefer it rough.”

He let out a slow, steady breath. His dark lips opened - then shut. His tongue darted out and swiped across his lips as he contemplated.

Scarlet arched her back as she lifted her hands high over her head. She knew she was getting to him, but frankly she felt he deserved it. Damn bastard starting shit he knew neither of them could finish.

But why?

Scarlet told herself it was because of Lye that she had stopped mid-fuck. But her Master was the one who told her to use her body, to garner the trust of men to fell them. Granted- that wasn’t exactly what she had planned with Hunter, just enjoyment. Utter enjoyment.

Then, why did he stop? It seemed to be a mutual thing. As though the both of them had come to some sort of internal realisation.

“Why did you stop?” Scarlet asked. He paused, and she saw his eyelids slide open. Locking eyes with her.

“Because. If I did not stop there, with your scream? I doubt I would want to stop for a long time. You are - addictive. Fucking fantastic.” His voice was low and rough.

That was all? “That seems like a stupid reason to stop.” Scarlet said with a scoff. He growled. She hadn’t planned on commenting on it, the words just came out.

“I don't mean for a few hours. I mean for days. Weeks. I want you all to myself, to keep you bleeding and cumming for me. And that is not -”

She interrupted with a scoff. “What, all tied up and wanton like a cute lil blood package for you?”

He snorted. Laughed. “Sure. Or maybe like - fuck. Things you can't have. And I don't know how to have.” And for a moment he sounded tired, then it was gone. He stood up, swinging his legs off the side of the bed. He sat there, staring into space, his cock jutting up from his lap, the coal-black and purple shaft still glistening with her juices.

What got him all contemplative? Scarlet expected the laugh. What she didn’t expect was the following sentence. She expected for him to pin her down, to injure her. Hell she kinda wanted it. Scarlet continued, trying to get him back to his old self. That was less confusing.

“When things aren’t so delicate maybe we could do that. Course - I’d expect you to at least feed me.” She joked. Scarlet shifted to join him at the edge of the bed.

She - she had no idea. No idea that what I had wanted to say there, was that I wanted to try being - with her. Like this, but not just - coming when she called. But already being there. Because - we were - I ran one hand - the one still wet with her blood - through my hair.

“Maybe, yes.” I finally said. Then I looked at her from the corner of one eye. “And who knows. Maybe I will. At least, with something other than this.” I smirked, pushing the tumult of emotions away. I would deal with them later. Later, later, always later. Never - never now. So I smirked, and tapped one finger against my cock

“Oh?” Scarlet turned her eyes away from mine down to my girth. “That could be fun. But - you don’t sound like you really want that.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m fine if you don’t. You do you - or anyone, really.”


“Don't wan-” I clicked my teeth shut and turned to look at her fully. My hand came up and buried itself in her hair, tightening painfully. “Right now I am doing my damn best not to throw you back down to this bed and make you scream over and over again, until you finally cum while wrapped around my cock, with my fingers choking the air from from your lungs. Forgive me if I seem off because I am restraining myself from seeing how you'd look bathed in sweat and our blood.”

“F-fuck me…” she hissed, her eyes averting from mine. Her cheeks were flushed. “Must you - act like that?”

“That is precisely what I want to do. Until that hot little cunt of yours is shaped to match my cock perfectly. And we just fucking blue-balled ourselves, dawn girl. I bet you've got some filthy things you want running around behind those eyes of yours, too.” I snorted, staring at those eyes. Was it just me, or were the gold rings thicker?

They had a faint glow to them. No, it wasn’t just me.

“So what if I did?” She said as she wrenched herself away from me. “Neither of us seek that sort of thing out. Remember?”

“No. We don't. And yet - we seem to come back to it. No one has ever gotten to me like you do. Fuck.” I laid back. “Fuck. Fuck me.” Apparently, a short, hot, stacked switch was what really got me going. Her fucking strength enticed me, and then her masochistic, submissive side drove me wild. Neither of us sought sex - but we both seemed to crave contact with each other.

“Sleep with me tonight.”

I sat up, and stared at her.

“I mean - sleep. Not fuck. Don’t bother with the floor, If I had that good of a sleep against you in the snow I’m hoping I’ll have a better one in an actual bed.” She… Had no idea that that was extremely dangerous. And what I wanted, badly.

“Alright.” I looked at the sheets, stained with our blood - purple and red mixing. It was - nice. But not nice to sleep in. For most people. I wouldn't mind but - “We should get rid of these sheets first.” I stood up, and pulled her up and to me. Fuck. Didn't think about the fact that that would pull her flush against my cock again. Mercy, she felt so soft. I cleared my throat.

“I think… There is a change in the cabinet here in the bathroom.” I did not move her away.

“I wasn’t exactly tired but - ok…” She turned in my grip. Fuck. Her ass ground against me. Smooth, with a few dimples. Fuck. I wanted to bend her over and sink my teeth into that, to explore that ass with my fingers and mouth. She stepped out of my grip and headed into the bathroom. I heard a bit of banging before she returned wth a handful of fresh sheets which she, without being asked to, expertly begain to make the bed with practised motions.

“We can lay here and talk, even if we aren't actually tired.” I said it calmly. Watching her. Fuck. Watching her bend over was enticement all of its own.

She turned to look at me. “Hmm? Talk? If you want.”

“The - yes. Unless you wanted to do something else?”

She gave me a small grin. “Oh, I do want to - but I….can’t. We’d ruin the sheets.” I didn't care about the sheets - I wanted to ruin her. But I drew in a deep breath, then breathed out.

“Fuck.” Just the one word escaped me. Gods fucking damn it. She had to be doing this on purpose. I watched as she finished then climbed under the sheets, the blood that remained on her body already soaked into the off white linen. I’d be sleeping with the scent of her blood all night.

She shifted over to give me enough room to lay when I wanted to. “Talk….” The word fell from her lips with a pensive curiosity. “About what?” I slowly slipped in beside her, and my brow furrowed in thought.

“Fuck if I know. I kill shit for a living.” I grinned, trying to joke with her.

“How about what you were gonna tell me before we were interrupted by dinner?”

Shit, she had planned that. Wily bitch. I closed my eyes. “That was - about the look I was giving you, right?” I tried to buy myself time. And make sure I didn't slip and tell her more than she wanted to know.

“Mmhmm.” Her head fell against my shoulder as she leaned against me. “That look why?” I took a deep breath. I had been staring at her. Watching her so focused. Because - because I had been enjoying that. Enjoying the game of being married to her. Fuck.

“At the time. I was still trying to decide whether or not to actually start fucking you tonight. Whether - fuck. Whether you even were interested, whether everything, absolutely everything and I don't just mean that stupid, silly game we played, had an effect on you. Because you froze when I said that I was planning on showing you - how husband pleased his wife remember?”

I felt her nod, her hair shifting against my skin. “Yeh. I was actually wondering if you would try anything. It wasn’t that, it was the wording. A husband treats his wife - it threw me. You want to know the effects on me?” She lifted her head to stare inquisitively at me. I gave her a slow nod.

“I had ...enjoyed myself. It was an interesting concept. I found it amusing how much you got right in your make believe story. I think - seeing you enjoy yourself made me feel satisfied. I rarely feel that. Fuck, I rarely feel any emotion at all these days. I’m not meant to feel things. So yeh, I froze. How the fuck am I supposed to react to that wording?” I hummed in thought.

She shook her head, dismissing it. “A stupid silly game.” she repeated. I drew her down to my chest, hugging her against me. She didn't fight the comfort. I had… Gotten into the fiction of having her as my wife rather smoothly. Part of that was - because she'd had that dream. And maybe, giving her this day, would - help that dream feel more real. But also - because it had felt right. Like, being called ‘honey’ and husband was right.

“I enjoy this time with you.” She said, out of the blue, her voice soft. I let out a soft breath. It felt - right to have her laying against me. I curled my arm tighter. I - I closed my eyes. To hide the tears. I didn't know why I was crying.

“I - thank you. It's… rather nice. And warm.” Hopefully, my voice came out steady. I felt her shift beneath my grip and I reluctantly loosened it so she could pull away. Instead, she curled her body against mine. Causing the both of us to lay against the bed. It was small, a single bed and she was virtually on top of me so the two of us could fit. She gave a murmur of contentment. I couldn't resist. I learned down to kiss the top of her head.

And of course. Of fucking course. She turned to say something to me. And our lips met. And my head exploded in pain. She quickly drew away and lifted her body away from mine. Fuck! Fuck! It - my head was pounding, waves of pain and - sorrow - rushing through me. It burned. I gripped my head with both hands.

She pulled right away, sliding off the bed, taking the warmth of her body with her. “d-do-” fuck. I couldn't even speak as my head throbbed in agony. What the hell was this? Why the hell did kissing her HURT? She had kissed me before - repeatedly!

“Hunter?”

It was accidental, she had not meant to press her lips to his. She knew how much of a issue he had with it, but this? This seemed like he was in pain. It looked as though he were about to lash out at her in any moment. So Scarlet shifted away from him. She slipped her coat on.

“I can go.” she said. “I’ll find an empty room and break in.” Scarlet offered.

“n-n-n-no” His body shook, his hands buried in his hair, and he managed to force the word out through clenched teeth. “n-n-not y-y-your fault.”

Scarlet narrowed her gaze. “Oh? It fuckin’ looks like it. Be honest with me. Fuck. The hell is wrong with you?” She stepped closer and pried his hands away from his hair. “What is wrong with you?” She repeated. Silver eyes spun wildly, the black pupils settling on her.

“head. Like when - tried to remember past. Worse. Lot worse.” Fucking hell - were his eyes bleeding? What the fuck happened to him? She had seen similar...but she didn’t think.

“Someone doesn’t want you knowing something.” Scarlet said calmly, sitting back on the bed. “Something has triggered a connection to that. Your brain is struggling to comprehend with that.”

“n-n-not f-fucking kidding.” He gasped out.

“I can make it stop.” Scarlet suggested. She wasn’t sure how true her words were. “I can dig back further, but you won’t like it.” wild silver latched onto gold-rimmed black.

“I - d-d-don’t want to forget you. A-anything but that.” He forced the words out from between clenched lips.

“Fine.” Scarlet pressed her fingers against his temples, her own head began to thrum with the pain that he was feeling. She caught wisps of things. A tiny drow child - a woman with long red hair, braids wrapped around braids, with wisps of her fringe framing her face. Brilliant green and gold eyes stared out from dark skin. She was short, ample, graceful. The three of them. A family?

Scarlet hesitated.

He actually did have a family? Or was this another fake memory?

Then - blood. She felt a boot pressed against her face, holding her head to the ground. In front of her, tiny, lifeless eyes, staring blankly, a short, stubby arm fallen to the floor, reaching in her direction. Blood pooling around a gaping wound in the chest.

“You fucking magic freaks. Seducing good men like this!” The woman from before, struggling, forced to her knees - and disemboweled. Her stomach ripped open in front wide eyes, and an undeveloped form fell out in a shower of blood. Then - blinding silverlight.

Scarlet drew away. Pensive. She didn’t think those were fake. Fake memories fell apart, they had slivers of lines, threads that could pull everything apart. These were heavily cemented. Real.

“Ky’lin!” A raw, jagged, pained scream tore from the huntsman's mouth. He sagged, a puppet with its strings cut. His body shook.

“Should I leave you be?” Scarlet asked. Something like that, generally warranted time alone. The man shook his head, the only motion other than the shakes. Which were slowly slowly fading. Scarlet was useless at this. At comforting people. Her profession was inflicting pain. Not fixing it.

“Well. I guess that’s another fuckin’ rabbit hole for you to figure out eh?” Scarlet said. A rough laugh tore from his lips - and he slowly sat back. When he wiped his eyes and opened them - the silver was brighter. Shining now. “That’s new.” Scarlet said as she gestured toward his eyes.

“wh-What is.” Despite asking, he lifted one hand up - and caught the soft silver shine on his dark skin. “Ah.” His hand dropped, and he took in a deep, deep breath. Then let it out slowly.

“It's - I'm OK now.”

“Really?” Scarlet asked with skepticism. “Moments before you were writhing around in pain. I only caught snippits of what you remembered, but that’s not exactly ‘fine’ now is it?”

“Well. Not OK. Not fine. I hurt. Moon, do I hurt. But - I know why now. And my head isn't what hurts anymore.” He tapped his chest. “This is. There will be no more frantic motions. So - please.” He patted the bed near him.

“I am not sure I am what you need right now Hunter.” Scarlet said. He snorted. She sighed and shrugged off the jacket and climbed back into the bed.

“For what I ‘need’ she's - dead. Has been for decades. Right now - I need the same thing as you. The warmth of another person nearby.”

Scarlet scoffed. “Right. All I need is to not loose sight of my goals.” She turned to glance at the man who was practially glowing with a silver light. Ironic. If she were healthier she’d be glowing with a golden light. He was that distraction.

“You’re a distraction.” Scarlet said as she nestled back next to him, curling her body around his. He let out a deep breath, and she felt his body relax as he wrapped his arms around her.

“And so are you. But you're warm.”

“What do you need right now?” Scarlet asked. “Just for tonight, give me one thing you need and I’ll give it to you. We can finish our fuck. I can lie with you. I can leave. One thing.” The man had gone through a lot, and she owed him at least that much. He sighed and she felt him bury his face in her hair.

“For tonight? Just - let me hold you. We were already going to do that.” His voice was strained. “As much as I would love to continue our fuck - I don't think right now I could muster the viciousness to give you what you need.”

Scarlet nodded and curled her body around his, again she was pressed half on top of him. Not just out of necessity but from his request. She pressed her hand up to his thumping heart and the other rose up to cup his cheek. She felt wetness. He had been crying.

She couldn’t fault him for that.

“Anything else?” She asked. This time, he didn't use words. He took her chin in one hand, and tilted her lips back. The kiss was warm, and a bit salty from the tears - and tangy, the tang of his skin. He pulled back slightly.

“You - I wanted to do that before.”

Scarlets eyes were wide. He had made it adamantly clear. Painfully so that a kiss was not something he’d ever give. Ever. Not unless he felt affection. Feelings. Scarlet dare not think further on what he may have felt, that was dangerous territory. She took a small breath and pinned it down to the fact that he was grieving and that Scarlet was a replacement or his wife right now.

“And now I have to sort all that back out again. Fuck. Just when I had it down that - well it doesn't matter now. Anything I say right now is going to be - suspect.”

Scarlet pressed her lips against his again to silence him. He didn’t need to worry about sorting things out, he didn’t need to lament over what ifs or what could be. He needed and wanted warmth and comfort. Scarlet was a lot of things, a murderer, a monster, a heartless bitch, but she was also a woman of her word.

He groaned against her lips. “If you keep kissing me I am going to want a lot more, dawn girl.” The Hunter was still in there it seemed. She pressed forward. Scarlet knew he didn’t need sex. Frankly, she didn’t need it either. Despite her earlier feelings she could go back to not worrying about it. Albeit a little harder than before now she knew what she was missing. Still, it was not what her world revolved around.

Her lips pried his open and she kissed him, slowly, softly and with a gentle murmur before pulling away. His hands had come up and cupped her ass, squeezing as she kissed him - and his silver eyes were locked on hers. He took in a slow, trembling breath. She felt the fingers gripping her dig in tighter, bruising her flesh.

“That’s not what you need.” Scarlet said. “Grip any part of me as tight as you want, but we won’t go any further.” There was a wry quirk on his lips.

“And if what I said I needed was you?” His voice was soft. Taunting. He was trying to push it down, and cope with it. Normally, she wouldn’t give a fuck. If that was what he originally asked for Scarlet would have obliged. She would have wrapped her legs around his waist and bounced hard on him.

“I said you got one. You already had that. You’re getting greedy. So no.” He let out a laugh and shook his head once, and closed his eyes. The silver glow cut off as he did so. His arms shifted upwards, pulling her back down, holding her again.

“Very well. Then I guess I'd better get my worth out of what I did ask for.”

“Not my damn fault you asked for the boring thing.” Scarlet muttered as she shut her eyes. Listening to the heavy and fast thump of his heart. She could feel his erection against her leg as it shifted to wrap around him. Well, he wasn’t lying about wanting her at least.

Scarlet was….admittedly confused. The man, it almost seemed like he had some sort of feelings for her but that wouldn’t be it. That was idealistic thinking. She was just growing attached cause he picked her up and out of a bad situation today. Something that Scarlet knew happened. They nearly fucked - well. They did. But not for long. That was hard.

Then she goes and fucks with his brain and he wanted to kiss her? That was confusing. No - no he only kissed those he was close to and Scarlet wasn’t close to him. Sure they had a lot in common but that was that. The two of them were adamant about not forming relationships and not bothering with feelings or emotions.

So why did this feel so strange?

Sweet moon above. This woman. This damn woman. She rips up the painful, painful memories of my past. Memories I had had locked away to protect myself. I held her tighter, taking comfort from her, now knowing exactly why it felt so right to have her laying against me. Because - I'd had someone sleeping with me for centuries. That was why I had never slept well alone. But even hookers didn't work to make me sleep better.

I felt her shift, her body gliding along mine as she pressed her head into the crook of my neck. I took a deep breath, breathing in her scent. Fuck. She smelled - warm. Alive. Good. Slowly, I began to speak. To reassure her.

“You know. This little session of pain and mindfuckery? It started because I just could not help it.” I waited.

“Help it?” I felt her shift her head up and her breath tickled the skin on my neck. Her hand slowly began stroking my chest, light fingers grazing the scars that marred my body. Every time she’d hit my hips she’d shift a little lower before shifting them back up again. She was trying to comfort me. I shifted, moving my hips to get to a more comfortable position..

“Yes. I couldn't help it help myself, I suppose. I wanted to kiss you. I tried to just kiss your hair. I figured that would be safe. Would be OK.” I chuckled. “Because the memory-lock and mnemonic command tried to keep me from kissing someone on the lips. That was the first one, the first kiss, I started. Which is what made that connection you noticed.” I slowly started rubbing her back as she trailed her nails along my chest.

“So without that lock you’re free to do anything with anyone.” Her words were spoken with a nonchalont air. As though she didn’t care, but she had said them - she was curious on where I was on the matter.

“Well. With who I want. I still consider kisses meant for someone special.” I rolled my shoulder. Not quite meeting her gaze. Because as far as the memory-Locked version of myself was concerned, there were two women who were important to him - and only one I had wanted to kiss. And she was laying on top of me now.

Her hand paused as it reached my girth and sat idly on it, warmth radiated from her hand. “Are you ok?” I drew in a breath to hide the groan.

“T-that depends on what you mean by OK, dawn girl..they - died. Nearly a hundred years ago. It's - number now that it would have been.” what I was not OK with, and eminently OK with at the same time, was where her hand was. But I was not going to bring it up and make her stop.

“Good.” she said and she squeezed tightly before lifting her hand up to my waist and wrapping it around me. “Good” She repeated, her other hand moving back up to cup my cheek, her thumb grazing the puffy skin under my eye.

“Just tonight. This is all yours. Just for tonight.” I - what? I turned my head down to look at her, silver eyes blinking. Was this confusion her way of getting back at me for all the confusion I had heaped on her before?

She caught my confusion. “This. Me. No questions. I won’t ask questions, I won’t think about tonight in any way other than face value. You don’t have to worry about anything. Except for what you need right now.”

It was….her way of comforting me, of letting me know that she wouldn’t use it against me. Her way of letting me know she wouldn’t think anything of the kiss or how I wanted to hold her - that…. That was meant to comfort me. Damn it. I wanted her to think of the kiss. That was what I had tried to tell her. I pulled her in closer, back up, and I pressed my forehead against hers. I let some of the frustration I felt into my voice as I growled.

“I thought I'd already gotten my one for tonight?” I wanted to kiss her again. To claim those lips, to - to “.. Flip you over and forget about the past…” fuck. I hadn't meant to say that out loud.

She shifted and I thought she was going to move away, instead she rolled over, just as I had asked. I paused for only a moment - then I moved above her, staring into her eyes. She didn't seem to notice but the silver glow from my eyes was being matched with a golden one from hers. I studied her for a moment - and I couldn't tell how she felt about this. But - I knew what she had considered tempting before. I braced myself up with my left arm - and my right curled around her throat, fingernails digging into her skin as I slowly cut off her air supply. As her eyes rolled into the back of her head and the traces of a moan left her lips, I slowly pressed my cock into her. Testing at first, to make sure she was wet for me. If I had to make her bleed to lubricate this fuck, I would. There was a little resistance but she opened her legs wider, oh so willingly, and I sank in.

Fuck. Again she felt - perfectly fitted. Like this was welcoming me back. I tightened my nails and crimson crescents wells up under my fingers, and leaked down onto the bed. I finally bottomed out inside of her, the head of my cock grinding against the entrance to her cervix. I could feel her throat constrict and her tiny gasps of air. Music. I drew my hips back - then slammed forward, shaking the bed with the thrust. My grip on her throat tightened as she shook.

Her legs lifted to wrap around my waist and her hands feebly reached out to grip my forearms. Drool pooled at the corner of her lips and fell down her chin as she gasped for air.. I let go for a few moments, to let her breath - then leaned back down cutting off her air supply again as I drew my hips back and drove back down and in, bruising the flesh of both of our crotches as I fucked her with more force than people would enjoy. Normal people. She would probably love it if I fucked her hard enough, deep enough, to tear her cunt. Her groans echoed my thoughts. Even with the force she enjoyed it. She made pained whimpers but her body shook, rolling with waves of delight.

I gave her more. I shifted my weight, now pressing harder on her throat, blood welling and running down her skin as my nails dug in further. Holding my torso up with the hand crushing her airway, I used my other hand to grip her breast in one hand, twisting and hauling on it painfully, stretching it and digging my fingers into her skin, nails scratching deep. And another bruising, body shaking thrust of my cock inside of her, the head smashing against the deepest reaches of her body.

Shit…. Shit… ah fuck… she was planning on avoiding this. She almost had avoided this. Her vision dotted, clouded by her suffocation. Her body was practically being crushed by the thrusting man above her. She hadn’t felt contact, she hadn’t felt pleasure or sexual joy for a long time. She didn’t care about how rough he was being, she practically reveled in it. He lifted himself again, to give her a chance to breath. His lips moved down to her other breast and he bit down, hard. Scarlet screamed and her body tried to jerk away but his weight kept her beneath him. He continued to thrust. Hard and now she was free to breath with each thrust came small yelps as he pressed himself hard into her.

Hunter drew his lips away from her breast and she could see blood. Her blood. He licked his dark lips and shifted to breath into her ear. “You said anything right?” Scarlet nodded. He laughed, a dark and almost maniacal laugh as he lifted himself up. He reached over to his jacket and fished out his knife then dragged it vertically down her torso.

“You’re going to scream for me, Dawn. Looks like I can find the viciousness to give you what you need to get off.” She felt him sink in, his cock filling and invading her, stretching her just right - and at the same time, the knife drove down, stabbing deep into her hip and scraping against the bone there.

She rolled her head back and screamed, a scream that echoed around the room. Causing their neighbours to bang on the wall. The guttoral scream was rife with pain and tears stung her eyes. Scarlet was hurt, bad. The way he dragged the knife against her bone made her want to brutally murder him but she was paralysed with that agonising pain, all she could do was roll with it. Just as the demon had taught her, she rolled her hips. Grinding into his thrusts Her pained cries warbled into satisfied moans as Hunter drew the knife away. He knew when to give her body a break, to avoid her going into shock.

“Thats a good girl, Dawn. But it seems you're a bit too loud. Whatever will I do about that? Oh- I know.” And when she could stand to be touched there, she felt his fingers slip into the wound, almost tenderly - and his mouth covered hers in a hungry, consuming kiss.

She screamed into the kiss, her cries muffled by his mouth. She bit down hard but he only pressed further. His tongue dancing over hers forcing her to taste the odd metal note of his blood. Her cries stifled and she lifted her head, groaning into his kiss. Her arms lifted to tangle in his hair. When she was groaning, he began to thrust again, long, hard strokes that made her body shake, and the fingers gently exploring the bone of her hip moved in odd ways as he fucked her roughly.

She shifted her mouth away, “I-I ca’ahh…” She could feel it building, the sensation of a rising orgasm. She pushed his hand away from her wound and tried to take control. She groaned and bucked her hips hard up against him. He seemed to know what she wanted, needed. His fingers stopped violating her in unnatural ways, and instead curled around her hip more properly, tenderly. This only served to give him a handhold as he began using more of his strength to roughly, quickly pound her, long hard strokes that shook her body as his tongue began thrusting into her mouth. That had done it, the angle of this thrust, his skin ground against her clit with heavy and fast force. She shivered as she came, her body contorted in his grip and she groaned loudly into his kiss.

He must have known, because he laughed callously, still refusing to stop or to let her go. One hand grabbed the round of her ass he forced himself into her again and again. Forcing her to ride him through her orgasm.

Fuck… this was so painful, but scarlet so sorely needed it. And he seemed to know all the right spots to keep it building, keep it going, as his fingers began dancing along her body, pressing into little, delicate bundles of nerves, some even she hadn't realized could affect her this way. Where the hell had this all come from?

Then without warning he drew back and away - and Scarlet found herself flipped over, and drawn up onto her hands and knees. Blood poured down her leg from the gash as he curled his hand into her hair, drawing her head back with a painful grasp. Then he slammed in, using the new angle to fuck her even harder. His other hand drew back and delivered a brutal slap to the meat of her ass, leaving a painful welt in the shape of his hand behind. He repeated this to the other cheek, giving her an almost matching pair of marks.

Scarlet’s knees buckled, she yelped with each slap. The sting felt good. Welcomed. “Dammit…” She hissed, she collapsed, her head falling into the bed, pressing her ass further into his thrusts as he continued to hit her cervix hard. “F-Fuck Fil'ayn ….” If he kept this up she knew he;d force her to cum again, violently so.

My eyes went wide. Then shot opened wider. Fuck! My body moved on instinct. When my cock moved out of her cunt, pulling back, I soaked a thumb in her juices - then drove it in, twisting and hooking the digit into her ass. I used that to hold her up as my cock slammed back into her, scraping along her inner walls and hitting her cervix again. This time, I stayed there, grinding hard against that inner wall, as I began finger-fucking her ass hard and fast.

The nails of my other hand scraped down the pale skin of her spine, from her neck all the way down to where her gorgeous ass started. Red lines were dug into the flesh, clear finger marks of a brutal fuck.

I felt her insides constricting around me again. The woman underneath me gave a long guttoral groan and tried to pull away. I didn't let her. Instead I pulled back and laid her down. This was a dance I had done countless times, moving towards -my- culmination now. I rolled her onto her back, and wide, black eyes, ringed with gold, stared up at me. So hauntingly familiar, but I didn't, couldn't place it. It nagged at the back of my mind. And I shoved it away. Here and now, was with dawn girl, not echoes of a past.

She tried to resist as I slowly shifted her legs open, then bent down. A silvery glare made her freeze, and I nodded once then slowly began to kiss my way up her body. I froze when I reached her stomach. Staring at - a mark that was impossibly familiar, but wasn't there . I swallowed, closed my eyes, then moved upwards. When I was lined up, I slowly, gently sank in. It felt - like coming home. Her legs wrapped around him again as he began a tender roll of his hips. I leaned down, arcing over her body, and closed my eyes.

“Moon, I missed you, Amari.” I stilled. Had I just called her my wife’s name? But why - why wasn't she reacting? I pulled back and stared down at her shaking form, my eyes locked onto hers. They were half lidded, filled with pain, lust and content subserviance. Nothing of confusion, or anger. “Amari?” I tilted my head to the side as I gently rolled my hips back and forth, letting myself work to a slow orgasm. But that was almost secondary to what had to be a painful coincidence.

“You shouldn’t- ah….call me by that-ah…” she groaned between thrusts, catching her breath as I had slowed down. “I-It’s Scarlet now.” I sank down, in, filling her, stretching her - and staring, silver eyes wide, at her. That's -

That's right. I knew her name. I had seen it, in her memories. This was Amari. I drew myself up and stared down at her. Without a word I rolled her over, pulling out without finishing, and stared at the sigil that I finally painfully recognized. “Amari…..” I breathed, and slowly sank back down. I laid on my back, and pulled her on top of me, holding her, my cock throbbing against her as I stared up at the ceiling.

“You’re not going to finish?” I blinked, and looked at her - then slowly, gently moved her down, guiding her onto me. She began rocking her hips, slowly grinding against me.

“Ride me.” I - didn't use her name. I couldn't call her that. Not ‘Scarlet’. ‘Ri had hated that nickname, despised it. Hated when other drow had focused on her hair and nothing else.

She slowed her pace, catching onto my own slow thrusts. Her body jolted and I could see the bruising and bleeding. Her own blood was acting as lubrication between our skin. She made a satisfied moan as she increased her pace. I closed my eyes, focusing for a moment on the feelings, and on her voice. The feeling of her nails gently running up my skin. Sliding effortlessly over the scarred surface. I felt the slow build up, the oncoming tightening in my balls. This - this was how it had always been. Hard, frantic, brutal fucking, taking the edge off of our desires for pain and pleasure and then rocking together to a shared release. I didn't know if she could achieve that now though - but would try.

As she rolled her hips on me, lifting and lowering them in a smooth rhythm, I reached up and pressed my fingers and thumb against the muscles in her thighs, running them up towards her pelvis. When she next came down, burying my cock deep inside of her, my hand rolled to her stomach, and my thumb dropped down to gently rub against her clit. My other hand was on her lower back, massaging in small circles, easing away the tension building up there as her body, long unused to contact, was struggling to cope with two back to back, drawn out orgasm.

I felt it. I heard it. Her fingers curled into my skin and she swore, repeatedly under her breath before she stopped bouncing, her body twitching as she leaned over me. I could feel herself clench around me, that perfect fit of hers as she came a third time. I dragged her down and kissed her, closing my eyes as I came, shooting inside of her.

“Fucking Moon. I missed you, Amari.” I repeated. This was - how the hell. How the hell had my spitfire become - first off, alive again, and secondly, a human. I knew, had seen, how my fiery girl had been broken.

She lifted herself off me and positioned herself next to me. “Scarlet.” She corrected. “I told you, you could have me however you needed me tonight Hunter, but that is not …. That is not my name anymore. It’s Scarlet.”

I gave a short laugh. “Sorry lover, I knew you as Amari for centuries. That will always be your name to me.” Shit. Shit I had not meant to let that slip out. I turned my head away from her.

“I’m not your lover. We’ve known each other what, a month at best? Don’t make me regret tonight Hunter.” I chuckled softly and shook my head.

“She was short. She was fiery. A redhead, rare in a drow. She was abrasive but I loved her anyway. I would look into those green, green eyes and lose myself for hours. And she'd wink at me, turning to let the light catch those gold rings around her irises. She had a birthmark, right along her navel - I could draw it from memory, I traced it with my fingers often enough. Her name - a name I spent over eight hundred years saying - was Amari.” I let her go, and stood up, moving to stare out the window.

“She looked exactly like you. The only differences, were her skin tone - she was closer to a milk chocolate, than your milk white. And - her Ar’Tuel heritage wasn't corrupted.” My voice was soft as I watched her on the reflection of the window.

Ar’Tuel? She had never shown nor mentioned anything about that to him. Scarlet rolled out of the bed and backed away from him.

“Who the FUCK are you?” She spat, her dark eyes were wild. Angry. Confused. Was this whole thing a set up? Something made to fuck her over? Why else would he come up with such a stupid and congrulated story? Something so convenient to him?

Scarlet growled as ethereal snakes emerged from her back. “Who the fuck are you?” She repeated. She was sore… she was tired and her body still twitched from their sex.

“My name was Fil’ayn Kiljarden. I was married to Amari Kiljarden for eight hundred and thirty seven years, and knew her for two hundred or so before that. Ky’lin was our daughter, a light in our lives. Until those fucking bastards one day figured out that Amari and Ky’lin had magic. They killed my wife and child in front of me - and by the time what was inside of me woke up, it was too fucking late and they were dead and I could not save them.” He didn't turn, didn't look at her - but she could hear self-hatred in his voice.

This sounded… strange. Very strange. “Drow don’t live that long.” I growled.

“She was Ar’Tuel. I was, am, moon-touched. We don't have these silver eyes naturally.” He tapped his temple.

Scarlet wasn’t sure what to think. The snakes faded. “You think...you expect me to believe some fuckin’ random lover from a past life just so happens to rock up and find me in this one?” Scarlet held her hand to her head. This was… a lot to take in.

“Even if that were the case. I’m not her. I’m a different person.”

“No, you aren't her.” He agreed calmly. Still not turning away from the window. “And I would not want you to be her.”

Scarlet sighed and slid down till she hit the floor, still bleeding. He finally turned - and she saw the reason he hadn't been turning around. The fucking sap had been crying again, but he had at least stopped. He took a deep breath.

“I should go. You - you don't need me here right now.” Mechanical motions had him close his trousers, and he swung his coat back up onto his shoulders. He swallowed, and she could see the apple in his throat bob.

“I said this was your night.” She said. “Sit your fuckin’ ass down.” He paused. Lowly, carefully, he folded himself, sitting on the floor across from her.

“You said it was my night before you knew I was - a past life’s husband. I won't hold you to that.”

“I’m a lot of horrid things, but I also am a creature of her word. I may not like it but I will keep it.” Scarlet tilted her head to the side.

“Some of it makes sense, when you look at it logically…” She mused. He remained silent, watching her. Scarlet lowered her gaze to her lap. “I thought it odd we were strikingly similar. I still think so. There is something that doesn’t quite add up in that regard - but the…” She paused and tried to put her thoughts into words.

“The comfort.” She said finally. “I thought it odd. I don’t feel that with anyone, with anything. If I did the onset of that wouldn’t happen after a few brief encounters.”

He gave a slow, steady nod. He was not pushing her, letting her work through this without interfering.

“Sex was...remarkably good, I shouldn’t have gone that far with you - but it was …” Scarlet sighed as she ran her fingers along the bruising of her body. “Something I’d want again.”

She wasn’t sure where she should go with this, or what she should do with that information. “How much do you know, of the Ar’Tuel?” She asked looking back up at him.

“They are tied to nature. Almost intrinsically. Their emotions effect the environment - a happy, healthy should Ar’Tuel will heal and promote growth. Their souls are - infinite batteries, almost. Living energy sources. I - met my wife,” he avoided saying her name. “When we were examining.. Fuck. What was it. ‘Potential alternative energy sources and their allocation.’ some stupid long named class at a university.”

“Well Ar’Tuel were nearly wiped out by those who sought to use them as batteries.” Scarlet mused. “Not that I care of course. They were destined to fail. Pacifist, loving creatures who saw naught but the good in everything? In a world like this - such a species deserves to be plundered for resources.”

Hunter flinched at her words. There was an anger in those silver eyes - then he drove his fingers into his leg, shutting himself up. Scarlet shrugged. “Right. So you know enough. You know what happens when this -” She pointed to herself. “Gets fully corrupted?”

“A dark, corruptive poison that would devastate the land, leaving nothing alive in its wake.” A muscle in his jaw worked.

She nodded. “That’s what I will become.” There was no hesitation in her voice. It was an acceptance. One beaten into her, forced onto her. “Ar’Tuel cannot die by normal means. They’d just revive. Do you remember your wife...this past me was killed?”

He stilled. Closed his eyes. “They flooded her and Ky’lin with magic suppressing drugs. Things that shut down all but the barest level of their functions. It was - they spent thousands of gold to make enough to overcome the near limitless font of energy that is the Ar’Tuel soul.”

Scarlet shifted closer to Hunter, crawling toward him. “I know a better way.” She mused. “One that would stop the rebirth cycle. I’ve experienced it. It almost felled me. Want to hear it?” She was pushing him. She knew that. She knew he wasn’t emotionally stable and yet she couldn’t help herself.

Silver eyes slowly opened and locked onto her. He looked - torn.

Scarlet continued, shifting closer still. “Magicyte. It almost killed me. It literally just saps me up. Just like your drow friends at the university sucked up the energy of my race. Poof. I’d cease to exist. Cease to rebirth. Master has it. He knows - and I suspect he’s been poisoning me with it.”

He steeled, giving a low hiss.

“I’m not telling you this to upset you Hunter. You said you’d kill me if I turned into a beast. Now you know how.” Those silver eyes widened - then closed.

“Right…” He drew himself upright, straightening his back. When they opened again, his eyes had lost some of their glow. Scarlet didn’t like that. But they still lit up internally, softer, subdued. “Right. But I still - I still intend to hold. To the other promise I made. I will be here for you, as whatever you need. I do not want you to become a beast - far less so than before, even.”

“Sit with me.” He blinked. Looked to his lap, then the bed, then the wall.

“Just tell me where. Or whatever you need.” He did shrug his coat off, letting it fall to the floor in a crumpled heap. She crawled to him and nestled herself into his lap.

“We cannot keep doing this.” His arms went around her, a comforting grasp.

“I will do it as long as you need me to, dawn girl. “

“I’m not your dead wife.” Scarlet insisted. She said it more for herself than for him. She wasn’t allowed the luxury of connections, of enjoyment. She couldn’t fall for another who would only fail her at a later date.

“No. You're Dawn girl. My - boss. My ally. And I am whatever you need me to be.”

Scarlet lowered her head. It was better that way. No connections no feelings no sentimentality. And yet he held her in his arms, comforting her. This wasn’t fair. This was already hurting. Scarlet should have known something was up when she first ran into him and felt that initial spark. That initial something. She should have turned away and left him be, but no - she had to push things. She had to instigate and get involved. Her chest already hurt.

“Eight hundred years I was with her. I will stay with you as long as you need, as long as you want me to. I owe you that much.”

“I’m not her…” Scarlet repeated through clenched teeth,

“No, you aren't. I am not saying you are. What I am saying is the promise I made is not going to waver, not going to falter.”

Scarlet wasn’t his wife. She never would be. She forced her eyes shut. She….a part of her wanted to be that person.

“Hunter. This night is still yours.” He chuckled, a soft, strained noise - then drew her into a tender, lingering kiss. She went to pull away. She had to. If she didn’t she’d….

She’d fall into the kiss with a murmur, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. There was a content, happy groan deep in his throat and he curled his arms around her waist.

Moon above. Sweet fucking moon above. She is not - she is not my wife. She might be a happy, perfect fit in my lap, but she is not my wife. I'm not her partner, to have been with her through the trials of life. But as she curled up and buried her face in my chest, and held onto me - it was hard to remember that. And now she was kissing me, a soft, desperate kiss that I had started, but she had pressed herself up against me and continued.

She pulled away confusion evident in her black and gold eyes. “Earlier I said that tonight. I won’t think about tonight in any way other than face value. I won’t ask questions. I won’t refer to it. Is that what you still need? We can wake up tomorrow and I will act as though none of this happened.”

I blinked down at her. And slowly shook my head. No. That was not what I needed. I needed - I needed her to know that even if she wasn't my wife, she was special to me. She drove me wild, confused me at times - and relied on me.

“No. Sweet moon, no. I don't want you to forget this dawn girl. I want this night to mean something beyond this. I - you aren't my wife. I won't tie you down. But you are special to me, important to me.”

She stared at me, silent, for a long and agonizing time. “I shouldn’t be.” She finally said as she lowered her head to rest on my chest. She was growing tired. I could hear it in her voice. “It’ll only end in heartache. I destroy everything I touch.”

“And I'll heal. I lost - Amari once. I healed in time from that.” I reached up and stroked her hair as she gave a soft huff, and rubbed her face against my torso.

She was asleep. Tiny murmurs fell from her lips. Damn...the girl fell asleep so easily, I wondered just how much she went through. The dark circles under her eyes suggested she rarely slept, and if she did , she didn’t sleep well. I shifted her to a better position in my lap, and shifted back to lean against the wall, reclining a bit so she was more comfortable.

Close to an hour had passed, I couldn’t sleep. Not with everything that happened but at least she was asleep. She was resting. She was….talking in her sleep.

She sounded almost exasperated. “Fil’ayn ….I …I told you not so much sugar...I don’t like sweet things.” My breath caught in my chest. No, no she hadn't. She never had. ‘Ri though - she detested sweet things. Loved her tea hot and bitter, and preferred spice to sweet when we cooked.

I waited. Just what…. What was she dreaming?

“You bruised my backside last night...so I think it fair you make dinner tonight.” My heart lurched. That - that conversation had come up more than once. “Seriously, Fil’ayn…. I was asked to lecture and I couldn't sit down once.” My eyes went very, very wide. ‘Ri hadn't been asked to lecture very often. And I usually tried not to be too rough. But - there had been one night when I'd gotten too randy it - it had been -

“I’m...pregnant.” She whispered softly.

I stopped breathing. No. That was not - there was no, no possible way that dawn girl could know that. Not unless - not unless she - I drew in a deep, shuddering breath. Not unless dawn girl could see bits from her past lives. That - that conversation had been one of the happiest of my life before - ‘Ri and I hadn't known if we could even have kids, we'd been trying for so long. We’d given up actually, figuring that whatever magic was keeping me alive was also making me impotent.

But Ky’lin, sweet, precious Ky’lin. Our daughter. She was a spitting image of me, but with her mother’s brilliant green eyes. There was a raw, clawing pain in my chest, that screamed at me, demanded I sob for what had been lost. What had been taken from me. I ignored it. I couldn't cry, not now. I tightened my hold and slowly began massaging dawn girl’s back, slow, gentle motions.

She exhaled and fell silent. I let my eyes close. She was done. The memories had let her go.

Then she said those four damnable words again, her words thick with an accent that was painful too painful to hear. Words that shouldn’t fall from her lips. “I love you, Fil'ayn.”

That broke my hold on the painful beast clawing in my chest. Hot, bitter tears rolled down my face. I tilted my head back and looked up at the ceiling. Damn it. Damn it all. Damn everything about this. Damn the university for killing ‘Ri. Damn me for not being able to stop them in time. Damn the bastards who tore this poor woman’s soul into the darkest pits of hell. And damn me for not being strong enough to leave her to her fate - I would defy that fate with every breath I drew. For the woman I loved - the woman I failed, I would not fail this one.

Past, Present and Future.
No Judgement

Rewards:

The Huntsman receives:
730 EXP
100 Gold

Amari receives:
1060 EXP
105 Gold

Inclusive of Amari's Noble Commerce ability.

All rewards have been added.