Chapter 7: New Beginnings
Time: 7:13, Day: Valthundr, Week: 2, Month: K?rgoyde, Year: 36651
The morning was alive with the sounds of the Elix Forest.
The distant howls of dire wolves harmonizing with the joyful chirps of birds.
Owlbear mothers screeching, calling their young back to the den.
Ayanna stretched languidly, her body sore from the previous day’s events but her mind more lucid than it had been in weeks, though her broken wing still ached like hell. She had woken before Grim, something she quickly decided was a rare opportunity.
“Now’s my chance!” The excited thought of taking a closer look at the Beast God she had revered since she was small child, put a wide giddy smile on her face. She forgot her pain and circumstance as she crawled quietly over to him.
She glanced down at him. Grim was sprawled out on the forest floor; his face softened in sleep, the usual tension in his features momentarily gone. His blue-silver hair shimmered in the sunlight filtering through the canopy. For a man of his power and reputation, he seemed... peaceful.
Ayanna couldn't resist. With the voice’s encouragement, she leaned in closer. Her eyes studied Grim's features: his strong jawline, the faint scars that crossed his face, and those lips. Not too full, but inviting, as if they held secrets she wanted to uncover.
Without realizing it, she leaned closer, her eyes fixed on his lips. She wanted to know what they felt like, if they could be as warm as his fleeting moments of vulnerability.
Grim’s piercing blue eyes snapped open, locking onto hers with an intensity that froze her in place. Her heart raced, and for a moment, neither of them moved. His gaze flicked to her lips, and her blush deepened. His entire being was focused on her, so much so that he could hear her heart beating faster and faster with each passing second.
The moment stretched, fragile yet electric.
Grim's hand moved, catching her off guard as he reached behind her and gently cradled the break in her wing. Ayanna gasped, the touch sending a jolt through her—pain mingled with an inexplicable warmth. Her face flushed brighter as his fingers brushed the sensitive area. A green glow emanated from his hand, the energy soothing and mending the damage.
With a few snaps and a shudder, her wings audibly brushed against the wind, stretching out before pulling close to her back.
Her eyes still hadn’t left his.
Her wing felt whole again as the glow faded, like it had never been broken. His hand softly slid to her back, then her ribs, then lingered briefly on her hip, and for a split second, Ayanna thought he might kiss her.
Then, as quickly as the moment came, it was gone.
“Get off me,” Grim grumbled, pushing her back and standing. His expression was a mix of irritation and something she couldn’t quite place. His tail, however, betrayed him, wagging furiously behind him.
Ayanna stood, brushing dirt from her dress and slapping her cheeks to clear her thoughts. “Thank you fo—,” she managed, though her voice wavered slightly.
Grim cut her off before she could say more. “There’s an abandoned temple that no one bothers with. You can stay there for now. It’s safer than wandering around like a lost child.” He turned away, letting out a deep, ominous howl reverberating through the forest.
The sound sent shivers down Ayanna’s spine, and she watched in awe as Grim’s form shifted. His body grew, muscles expanding, his blue-silver fur covering his entire form. Within moments, the Lupin man was replaced by a towering 30-foot wolf. His now golden eyes, bright and commanding, locked onto hers.
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Ayanna’s awe turned to breathless admiration.
“Beautiful,” she whispered.
“Get on,” his voice echoed in her mind, commanding yet gentle. “And don’t get used to this. It’s a one-time deal.”
Ayanna stood frozen, staring at him until a deafening bark jolted her into action.
“Alright!” she exclaimed, flapping her wings hard to send herself up and onto his massive back. His fur was warm and soft, and she nestled into it as he took off through the forest.
The wind rushed past her, and she felt a sense of freedom she hadn’t known she needed. Sprites appeared, darting through the air around them, their laughter adding a magical harmony to the journey.
The scents of life, magic, and the forest seemed to overwhelm her senses as she found a secret happiness in his fur.
After awhile he slowed down to a trot. Stopping at a worn down temple.
The temple was a relic of a bygone era. Though weathered and overgrown, it had a quiet beauty. Ivy crawled up its obsidian stone walls, and a river peacefully flowed a few dozen yards behind it, its banks lined with Red Berry bushes. The sunlight poured into the clearing, unobstructed by the forest canopy.
“You can stay here,” Grim’s voice echoed in her mind as his form shifted back into his humanoid form, as she dismounted. His eyes, now their piercing blue again, watched her reaction.
Ayanna grinned, spinning around to take in the surroundings.
“It’s perfect!” she said, throwing her arms around him.
Grim stiffened for a moment, unused to the contact, but then his arms slowly wrapped around her. He held her close, feeling her breasts press firmly against him, her warmth, her heartbeat, and the way she fit so perfectly in his arms despite being half a foot shorter than him.
It was foreign but not unwelcome.
The moment lingered, and Ayanna pulled back slightly to look up at him. “Grim, I—”
Then, just as suddenly as it began, he pushed her away.
“Live here,” he said gruffly, though his voice was softer than usual, “Find your freedom, maybe I’ll return to teach you to not be so weak.”
And with that, he was gone.
He had taken a single step towards her yet it was like he’d fallen into the shadow of a tree, disappearing before she could respond.
Ayanna stood there, her fingers brushing her lips, her mind spinning.
“I should’ve kissed him…” She thought to herself, wondering what it would feel like and missing the feeling of his arms being wrapped around her.
She hugged herself, her wings and tail wrapping around her.
“It’s just not the same.” She thought.
After a long while, she shook her head and turned around, focusing on the temple.
It was old and needed work, but it had potential.
The garden by the river could flourish, and the sunlight streaming through the clearing felt like an invitation to start anew.
“Leaves me here with nothing and runs off. Typical man,” Ayanna muttered, though there was no real anger in her voice, “What am I supposed to do?” She frowned, her cheeks burning, her fingertips inadvertently touching her lips, “I wonder if I’ll ever get that close again?”
She places her hands on her hips and flares out her wings, a regal power pose, “I am a Succubus Princess!” Her hands find her lips again, “But...” She shakes her head.
“Silly, Nephal.” The voice rang through Ayanna’s mind, soft yet filled with a happiness that matched Ayanna’s own conflictions, “You seem more like a young girl in love than a Succubus Princess.”
“Oh, shut up!” Ayanna snapped, forcing her thoughts of Grim from her mind before heading in to see what the inside of the temple looked like.
She spent the day exploring the temple inside and out, her mind drifting back to him more times than she cared to admit, and the voice made sly comments.
Finally she bathed in the river as the moons began to rise over the opening in the canopy. Water Sprites dancing along the surface of the water, their playful energy further lifting her spirits.
“Voice, do you think this could be our new home?” Ayanna asked, standing naked in the river, looking up at the full moons. The golden tips of her grey wings shimmering in the light of the moons and the glow of the Sprites.
For the first time since she was a child, Ayanna truly smiled. She had found a place where she could breathe and be herself. And maybe, just maybe, she had found someone who understood her in ways she was only beginning to comprehend.
— The Curator’s Notes —
that chapter.
you catch the way the forest held its breath when she leaned in?
