The following story and characters have all rights reserved to me and are fictional writing of my own imagination and/or experiences.
CH 3, THE CREVASSE:
The cold almost instantly bit at her exposed flesh as she rushed to catch up, leaving her to wonder how he was able to tolerate such extremes but unwilling to put a voice to it.
“Can you slow down some?” She asked trying to hold the lantern a little higher for a better view down the corridor of the cave. Thankfully the stone floor was dry but the darkness was unnerving to her and caused her more than a little anxiety with the thought of running into a cave troll or bear.
“Can I, Yes.” He said, “Will I, No. We have a limited amount of time before HE, comes back.”
At just the mention of that monster, she shivered and cast a look over her shoulder, half expecting to see him following behind to devour her. That thought alone quickened her pace till she was almost bumping into Max.
“How will he know where we are?,” She asked while trying to focus only on the pale scars that ran vertically to each side of his spine, breaking up the black tattoo of some obscure shield running the full length and breadth of his back. There seemed to be no beginning or end of the details that chased the pattern within and created the border of the oddly shaped shield.
“There is nowhere I can go that he can not find me.” He stated as he turned into a side cave littered with garments, leather armor, and old weapons. He paused only momentarily before taking up a few daggers in their sheaths and lacing them onto a leather belt that he strapped diagonally across his chest. Casting a few swords to the side, he settled on a short straight blade that he weighted the balance and twirled about in a few quick motions that gave the undertone of familiarity.
“What about me?” She hesitantly questioned.
“You ever kill a man?” He asked.
“Well, not really bu…” she started and was cut off.
“But you’ll do more harm to yourself than you will to anything we’d find.” He finished before scooping up a metal helmet and turning to plop it onto her head, quickly fastening the chin strap and giving it a tap. “There. Feel better? Can we go now or do you need to monolog till we wither into bone?” He said as he pushed past her and headed back to the corridor to travel deeper into the darkness.
She was coming to despise his dismissive attitude but hurried behind him trying to adjust the new headgear that bobbled a little, on her head. The bend noseguard slightly blocked her vision in one eye, now and then, and despite her hands being full she kept trying to move the guard out of her vision. After nearly burning her cheek on the lantern she meeped out “Help… Please?”
Max spun around, visually irritated. “What now?”
She tapped the noseguard that covered her left eye. “I can’t see…” Her voice lowered like a chastised child.
His irritated expression turned to one of mocking as he grabbed hold of the bent metal piece and bent it upwards as though it took no effort, even though the action caused the back of the helmet to bite into her neck and a slight eeping of pain escaped her. “Better?” He asked with a tone thick with mockery. She felt herself shrink back a bit from him but he seemed to take no note of it and once again started down the corridor.
“You’re not used to people, are you?” she asked quietly, instantly regretting every word that just slipped through her lips. A growl came from before them as he once again stopped and slowly, menacingly turned to face her… Her eyes widened. That growl WAS him. Panic, anxiety, and that need to run feeling, raced through her but fear stayed her feet as she cringed before him.
“What.. the fuck… is your issue?!” His words hissed like a viper’s hiss before the strike. “This constant yammering drowns out the noises down the corridor. Are you just looking to die in this cave? Shut the fuck up, unless something is attacking you. Do you understand me?”
[No… ] she thought as she shook her head yes. [None of this makes sense…], he huffed and began once again down the corridor. His footsteps were silent as a mouse while her feet scuffed and kicked random pebbles, all of which made his ears twitch as she watched the back of his bald head. [Your pale as death. Immune to the cold. Silent as a shadow, and your traveling companion is a monster!!!] her mind ran in a near scream. [What about this is normal by any means?! You seem to see in the dark, you walk like you own the world, and your arrogance!!] She could feel her teeth clench as she fought to not speak or question, bumping into his suddenly stopped form. [Oh shit] she thought as she stammered back a little [Is he hearing me?...] She could see he was tense, most likely more irritated at her bumping into him but he simply pressed his left hand back and crouched. He cast a glance her way with a finger to his lips as he seemed to be listening further ahead.
He listened intently, almost positive he heard something mixed with the sound of the running stream ahead, but with this cow clodding behind him and kicking every pebble in the damn cave, he could be mistaken. He could feel the light updraft of air from where the steam fell into a crevasse, but it also blocked most of the smells as it waft the earthy-smelling moist air back up the corridor. Slowly he made his way further, beckoning her to stay low while following. It felt painfully slow to him and he really wanted to pitch that damn lantern up the corridor but doing so would only make matters worse for her, thus more on him. As they approached where the stream came through the cave's rock, he motioned for her to drink but once again put a finger to his lips as he crept a short distance ahead out of the lantern’s light to peer over the edge of the crevasse.
[Nothing…] He mused to himself, knowing Beast was always there if he truly needed him. Max shrugged off his paranoia and began scanning the descent of smoothed stone and stalagmites. It seemed like a warmth mixed into the chill of the water vapors which would be good for Kah if she survived the descent but also indicated that the depth was much deeper than he’d assumed. Maybe they should camp here and wait for the night to come. Beast could fly them down easily but Max was pretty sure Kah would shit herself and try to run… the absolute worst thing she could do was run from Beast.
“Fuck me…” he whispered to himself and walked back into the light, nearly wincing at its single candle illumination. “There is a major descent ahead and far as I know,” He stated as his eyes quickly adapted. “It’s the only possible back door to this cave.” His voice lowered as though somebody may overhear them. “The issue is, you’re gonna have to go blind and trust me. You’ll never make that climb down with that lantern and your arms bound. We’ll have to snuff the light and pack you down on my back.”
“You could just set me free and I’ll climb myself…” She spoke softly, trying not to let her voice be louder than his.
Max caught the chuckle before it escaped him. “You forget… those chains are not your imprisonment, they are your safety.”
“But..” She started
“But nothing, Kah. You’d be better off nose-diving over the edge than for him to find you out of those chains.” He closed the distance between them and gently took the lantern while keeping eye contact. “Now fight against every fuck’n self-preservation instinct that is running through you right now and trust the facts. If I wanted you dead, there were a hundred times I could have done so even before you woke up.” Opening the tiny lantern door he blew the light out, leaving them in pitch darkness. When he took hold of her hand to fish the dagger out, he could feel her trembling, smell her fear, and his hunger made his mouth water. It was good she could not see his fangs slide from their sheath in his gums, as he pulled her arms over his head, stretching her taunt as her four-foot, eight-inch frame pressed against his five, ten. His lust called like the wolves howling after their prey… He could easily take her against the hard cold walls of the cave, thrust into her, and fuck her till she passed out. The sound of her quicking pulse and the scent of her fear, mixed with the smell of her moistness being released that he could tell was most likely slipping down her inner thigh. “Later” He growled, spinning around and lifting her onto his back.
She sucked air and held her breath when the light went out. [Run, run, run] she panicked but stood frozen in place. [OH GODS!] her mind screamed as her body was stretched taunt against his. She could feel his shaft pressing against her pelvis area, and her nipples hardened as she squeezed her eyes shut. [No no no no…] she protests to her body's reaction to his treatment. She gave a quick gasp, slightly pressing into him, ready to accept her fate if he was to do what she could feel he wanted to. She could feel the trickle between her thighs that caused her to blush in the darkness and shakily exhaled while letting her body go slightly limp. She felt the urge to kiss his chest to let him know that he was welcome to her mound when he suddenly spun around, nearly throwing her over his shoulder and onto his back. She blinked twice but before she could even consider what the fuck just happened, he dashed forward and a slight gap formed between them as they plummeted into free fall. All thought left her mind and the scream came from the sheer terror of falling into the unknown, then… nothing.
He tossed her over his shoulder and clamped his hands to her ankles, pulling them around his mid-section before darting forward and leaping into the crevasse. Her scream drilled through his head like a banshee at point-blank range. Instinct more than premeditated thought snapped his head back, connecting his skull to hers, instantly silencing her. He could feel the slight blood trickle from the noseguard that had sliced the back of his skull but before he jarred to a stop by landing on an outcrop, the wound had already begun to heal. Yet another perk he’d been given by Beast. Was it worth his humanity… at the moment it was, as he gauged the next jump, aiming for the blur at the very extent of his night vision. Every leap took a little more from him, she was becoming heavy, and his knees were beginning to feel the pain of the impact until finally, it gave way to the sickening sound of bone leaving its socket, smashing them both against the wall. The excruciating pain shot through him, waking Beast.
[Fool] he snarled, as Max clenched his teeth together. A cold sweat slicked his body and the chains choked him, preventing his hands from grabbing his knee properly.
[FUCKING HELP OR BACK THE FUCK OFF!] he lashed back at Beast. Silence comes back as Beast retreated to the blackness of Max’s mind. [DAMN YOU, BASTARD!] Max shouted at his vampiric passenger.
[You live.] Beast retorted nonchalantly from the dark place they shared as one controlled the body and the other watched or slept.
Max scrambled at the chains, cutting his head on the shackles edge, as he forced her arms back over his head and grabbed his knee properly. He panted in deep ragged breaths, bracing his mind for what was to come… In what felt like everything he had left, he smashed his palm into the protruding bone, snapping it back into the socket and nearly making him puke with the world spinning and blood tears trickling down his cheeks.
[Finish] he heard Beast echo through his flittering consciousness. With his last effort, Max set his thumbs to the top edge of his kneecap barely acknowledging the bulge in its abnormal angle, and shoved it till he felt it slip back into place. That was his last memory as the pain overtook him and he slid into the darkness of oblivion.
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Thank you to my supports and their encouragement and my lovely ^AngelBunny^ for all her advise and editor work.
Ch 4, Trolls Landing, in Editing.
Ch 5 in the works.
