Warning: the following chapter contains sexual assault. Viewer discretion.
The blue cloudy sky slowly began to change to a dark puce colour much like my bruise, the sun lowered itself behind the three mountains, and steam puffed out of my mouth.
It's the end of the day, I sigh and realize just how quickly today went. I'm glad it's over. So much shit happened, and now Elfman is lying down on a couch with half his chest ripped open and immobilized by Gnash's potions. Me and Gnash were leaving to get some things from our accommodations to spend the night in the big house. I hope he gets better soon, just like him to get a wound like that a walk around without a shirt. I have taken his coat off him in the Big House as we left and now I pulled the big thing on me. It was by all means far too large, but it is comfy and warm. He shouldn't mind really, hell he practically wrapped me in the thing back at the cliffs. But he...I remember him looking at me as I staunch his wounds. I felt his eyes on me as I leaned over him and pressed that rag against his broad chest and as I stitched his wounds. When I looked back at them, they weren't hard and cold like dark ice when he is angry, much like they were at the cliff face when he interrogated me about my blackened mouth. They were soft, clear and bright blue full of warmth even after I poured the boiling wine on his chest (albeit a little hazy with pain) Even the way he looked at me left me ponderous and queer feeling. Every man I encounter, (not including the Raijinshuu) always looked at the most prominent parts of me. Particularly my breasts.
And yet he was observing my face with undivided attention and it was so...so satisfying. Satisfying that he watched me intently like he did, and sure I felt his gaze drop below my neckline once...But I wasn't uncomfortable or unhappy with the act, in fact it made me feel attractive and pretty. I wonder how he feels about...us? Is he thinking about that now? I mean I've never felt so happy or so satisfied any man taking my hand like he does. It's not a courtesy or even a rash attempt to flirt with me, he genuinely wanted to comfort me and ask the truth from me. And then when I leaned on his arm, I was half hoping that he would hold me properly and securely. Is it alright for me to feel this? I mean sure he looked at me like he did and he gave me comfort, but would he want me to feel this way for him? I mean come on, I'm the one who dumps all of my emotional crap on him. I mean after hearing all my shit about me and the Raijin as well as my social insecurities, he is sure to not want to deal with me like...like that. He's been so tolerant and I'm so grateful for his ear, but I doubt he wants to hear my problems with the Raijinshuu and my social life anymore. Despite the promises we made in Gnash's hut. But my ears are all his if he ever needs someone to talk to. Disappointment dumped my shoulders and I puff morosely, I really enjoyed having someone to talk too. He might tell me that he wants to hear what I want to say, but...
"I've seen you cry before..."
"Hhhh" I sigh and grind the tips of my into my forehead.
"What are you thinking about?" The raspy voice next to me whispered.
I smirk and look up at the pale face and dark eyes above me. "Too much".
"By too much do you mean Elfman's size?"
"What?!" My face burned. "Look-just, just no!" I yell and turned my burning head back to the snow. "What do you want to talk about anyway?" I rush to change the conversation.
"Your tattoos for one" Gnash muttered and stopped by a butchery with huge red elk carcasses prepped and cleaned on the hooks, ready for tomorrow mornings customers.
"Getting these tattoos will be very painful" she peered closer at the meat and I noticed the butcher and his kin back away from the counter. "I recommend not eating any foods tonight or tomorrow for breakfast".
"Sure..." the hair on the back of my neck prickled like I was being watched. I turned peered into the darkness between the low houses, but there is nothing to see. The darkness is consuming and everywhere, the village is so big that there is more shadows than light under the brows of the house and the brooding masses of three huge mountains. I roll my shoulders and look back at the meat dripping on their hooks.
"Look these tattoos..." I look up at Gnash and she stares at me unblinking.
"How big are they to be? And will they look nice? I want mine to be small and preferably where no one will-".
"I do not chose the pattern nor the size of the marking" Gnash caught a drop of blood on her big claw and held it to her sharp nose.
"You don't! Then what happens?!" my neck prickled again and a shiver went down my spine. Twitching my head, I probe around me with the corner of my eye. A sharp breeze races past me and I bunch Elfman's coat tighter around me. The prickling feeling on my neck made my hair stand on end and the sharp breeze rushed past me again. I look up at the trees above the butchery and the needles are as motionless as my statues.
"What happens is that your magic in you picks the pattern. I just guide the needle" Gnash flicked the speck of blood into her mouth and swallowed it. A gasp echoed in front of us and two little children backed away from the window, their eyes trained on Gnash and me.
"So you're saying that I could get a huge fucking tattoo of a turtle or some shit on my back, and I will have to deal with it?!" I growl and look uneasily over my shoulder. The breeze rushed past us once more and I shifted uncomfortably.
"Turtle?" Gnash almost frowned. "None of my tattoos have ever been in the shape of an animal. But I suppose it could happen depending what shape your magic chooses. And yes you will have to deal with whatever you get because these tattoos are permanent" Gnash nodded seriously and pointed to a man across the street. "His tattoos will never fade, never lose their shape or detail. And they will never come off. Even your own healer Porlyusica will not be able to remove them."
"So..." my neck prickled again and I shivered violently, distress built in me like a damn and that fucking breeze washed past me once more. "Gnash, do you feel like we are being watched?!"
Gnash turned and looked around, her eyes narrowed and she sniffed the air experimentally like a dog. "I don't smell any knew scent. I've always been observed when I'm in the village so I would know if anyone is specifically watching me...But you?" she shook her head. "Only you can tell if someone is watching you".
Great, that's just what I needed to hear, I scowl at her and shuffle my feet. "Could it be Draugr?".
"Draugr normally hunt at night. They will now after their mistake of attacking today, they are intelligent creatures and will learn from their mistakes and adapt. I doubt it is them and I doubt they will be this close to the village when defenses are so...Up tight" Gnash rolled her head.
"Who do you think is watching you?".
"I..." my immediate thoughts were Logan, I gesture towards me and Gnash leaned down ominously. "I badly hurt Logan earlier today..."
"Ahh" Gnash whispered, her breath smelt of cold wet air. "You believe he is out waiting for revenge?"
I nod and looked around. The breeze hasn't moved past us since but I felt eyes everywhere.
"I don't feel comfortable around him. He used to openly flirt and romanticize with me, but when I confronted him with his motives against Elfman, he accused me of things-"
"I know" Gnash interrupted.
"And when he hit me, I basically destroyed his face!" I shiver and remember the dark eyes full of burning hatred staring at me.
"Well that would do it" Gnash scratched the top of her bald scalp. "The first impressions people gain from you is from your appearance, it's a lifelong lesson that me and Elfman are thoroughly aware of".
I shift uncomfortably from her words and think of Elfman's bright, blue, beautiful eyes.
"If Logan's face is destroyed it only makes it that more harder for people to grow to like him and be open for business proposals. If you have destroyed it into a bloody mess then it is sure that he will hate you".
"Spectacular!" I snap sarcastically.
"I doubt he will try anything. Do you want me to escort you back to your accommodations for your supplies?"
I pause for a second and weigh up the offer. It would definitely calm my nerves if someone accompanied me through the village. But who's to say Logan will try something? Hell it might not even be him watching me. I sigh and shake my head. My pride raised it's huge head and I remembered something. I'm a member of the Raijinshuu, I can defend myself as Logan should be thoroughly aware of!
I smile a look up at Gnash with my easy arrogant smile.
"Thanks, but I can take care of myself".
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure" I nod.
"Very well then" Gnash began to turn and walk away when she stopped. "I think you are beginning to understand that secret".
"Gnash..." I groan and this timed ignored the breeze that rushed past me. But if I'm being honest, I think I know of what she is talking about...Even if I'm not ready to face it yet or ever.
"You should hurry now. Night is falling and I'm sure Elfman would appreciate your company. Logan's stupid brother could be trying to have a conversation with him" she walked away in quick and graceful strides and soon, I lost her between the great shadows and gloominess of the village.
She is right, I should get moving, as soon as Gnash left it felt like the intensity of the air increased ten fold. And who ever is watching me is drilling a laser into my neck. I tossed my hair in fake casualness and walked off in a north easterly direction to out house. Our house is positioned in the less populated region of the village, where most of the houses are abandoned or dilapidated. Our house is in perfect condition but I would've almost taken this deliberate isolation as an insult if I didn't value my privacy. The house is made out of dark wood and a low ceiling, it is nicely insulated and has a big fire place with thick furs, that honestly are little musty. Overall better accommodations than expected.
I made my way there now and the mildly quite village seemed to suffocate me. I shivered and tugged the collar up and around my neck, the fabric is warm and smells good. Like clean fabric though slightly damp from the snow. I lift up my good arm and tug down the sleeve, clean white pure skin stood out stark against the dark fabric and I take in every detail with my eyes. This may be the last I see my arm like this...tomorrow I could get a tattoo that covers every inch of my body.
What would it look like? Will it be gaudy and huge, and something meaningless? I think of all the villagers tattoos that I have seen, every tattoo looks bold and fierce much like how I want to appear to others. I have an appreciation of the finer things however, like perfection within statues and every aspect in life. Tattoos that are bold and fierce I like seeing on other people, and I like representing the idea of bold and fierceness, but having one on me for the rest of my life? The guild mark means little to me as it is small, I can cover it if I wish, and most importantly it will come off. This tattoo is for life and very painful to put on. It may suit Elfman, in fact I can see the Celtic style of body art suiting him very much. But... Sudden apprehension clouded me as I became unaware of the sudden lack of people as I entered the Southern end of the huge village. I'm much smaller than Elfman, and the chance that it looks bad on me is much greater. The air began to smell damp and big snow flakes float from the sky and the last of the murky light is extinguished into darkness. I blink in the gloom and look around. Wait a minute, where am I?
The village is so dark as there is no stars or moon to light my way anymore. I shiver at the claustrophobia and go to use my fairy light but the green light only lit up the first few feet in front of me. I cursed and looked around, I have to walk back through this...It is a troubling thought and I have a sudden urge to abandon my trip back to our house and just make my way back to the big house. I look around and try to squint for the beginnings of the houses that mark the start of our particular section, but the darkness in engulfing. It is too pitch and my light will only glow a few feet in front of me. I straighten my back and scowl into the darkness, I am Evergreen of the Raijinshuu, the darkness doesn't scare me! I take a couple more steps and that ungodly breeze blasts past me and tugs at my hair almost cruelly. I freeze for a moment and stand with a shaking hand in the darkness, my neck burned and felt as if one hundred eyes are upon me. The silence endured and split my nerves on end, but I couldn't move, not an inch!
"Who's there!" I call out, my voice quaking. The wind whispered again and rustled, flapping noises filled the silence and my hair prickled at it. I shakily raised my good arm and try to make my light brighter, but my perfect fairy magic isn't made for lighting up dark places. It's made for stinging, and burning, and obliterating, so sadly my attempt didn't amount to much. I glare into the darkness and the flapping noise grew louder and louder, and it felt as if there is someone standing right behind me.
"Fuck this! I'm going back!" the darkness can have this victory, I shudder and think of the large and warm open fire in the big house, and more importantly, a certain someone's large reassuring presence.
As soon as I turned and began to jog back, that terrible wind picked up again and almost seemed to push me back and away from the central area of the village, I hurried forward and that's when I heard it.
"QWORK" a dark and rusty sounding thing screamed.
"SHIT" my heart burned away all other noise and I was running back towards the lights of the distant buildings. The wind is persistent and tried its best to push me back, but my fear and adrenaline pushed me forward. I don't remember moving my feet or the time it took for me to get to the first low house, but when I did I shuddered and slumped against the hard wall with my breath clouding the air.
"Oh thank gods" I whisper and press my hand against my thudding heart. The dark is scary especially when you are by yourself.
"QWORK!"
"AHHH!" I scream and slam myself against the wall when something large and dark flew right past me and landed in the snow a few feet from myself. My hand was up and in seconds and a bright flash of my magic filled the air. Black splotches filled my vision and after a few moments of blinking and randomly firing in the general direction of the object, my vision finally cleared. In front of me was a very familiar and large crow with huge scars across his beak and long tousled feathers that are currently fluffed around him like a hedgehog. Large burned holes surrounded him but to his luck, none touched him.
"Ugly?!" I gasp and look closer.
"Qwork?" Ugly coughed and shook a foot.
"OH my god, UGLY" I rush forward, grabbing the bird and coddling him to my chest.
"QWORK!" Ugly screamed in outrage.
"Oh thank gods its just you!" I babble and the huge bird squirmed his way out of my arms and flapped his bloody great wings in my face, much like a bitch slap. He screamed once and flopped to the snow again to clean himself of this indignity.
"I thought that there was someone..." dark eyes full of anger and loathing flashed in my mind but I shake it off. There is no one here, and no one there. I sigh to relax myself and Ugly regarded me coolly.
"It's just us".
The wind hissed and whispered around me, and I look up again. The wind's fingers plucked at my hair and pulled it around my face and tousled Elfman's coat until it snapped around me so violently it was about to fall off.
"Jus' you?" a thick and sloppy voice grumbled all around me. My heart leaped and my head snapped up and all around to find the source of the voice.
"Where are you?!" I stand up and look around. I recognize that voice!
"Around" the voice said thickly. Wind rushed around me and shimmered in the light in an unusual way. It twirled and tumbled and glimmered sharply and a figure began to take form from the wind. A flash of spinning tumbling rune tattoos flicked out of the wind, and then a man clad in thick and furs and a bandaged face appeared in the mild darkness.
"Go away" I hiss at Logan and place my hand on my cracked glasses.
"Away?" Logan shook his head and I eyed the blood seeping through the rags covering his face. "Not really par' of the plan. Going away dat is".
"How loud did you scream huh?" I spit and flick my glasses.
"Not as loud as you will be" Logan's eyes glinted and he pulled out a metal band glowing in runes.
I immediately rip off my glasses but he isn't looking at my eyes and started pacing back and forth in the snow like a cat.
"Why did you pu' lion marrow into Elfman's drink?" Logan eyed me with sick maliciousness in his eye.
"What are you talking about?" I growl.
"Well da thing is, he can't move until da effects of da marrow wear off".
"What have you done to him?!" I shout. Has he hurt him?! Killed him?!
"If you've touched him-"
"Aww you don't want me touching your precious Elfy" Logan shook his head in pity.
"Would you miss dat ugly face of his?"
"Shut the fuck up! Don't you ever talk about him like that!" I shout. "He is a far better man than you!"
"Dat's true, but dis far greater man can't move. Dat stops him from saving you" Logan began to unwind the rags upon his face.
"What?!" I hiss and flick up my fairy wings.
"Well don't get too worked up" the bloody rags dropped to the snow and a sick gory mess of a face stared at mine. As expected half his nose has been demolished into a bloody mess, his top lip is split into a horrid cleft lip that disturbingly showed the majority of his teeth. But his two front teeth are shattered into stubs with blood oozing from sockets.
"Best get used to lookin' at dis face" Logan almost grinned. "Because I'm gonna fuck you into the ground!"
I don't remember jumping, I just remember soaring into the the sky and scanning the ground for my target.
"I'm gonna fuck you into the ground!"
This isn't worth the fight! I turn towards the big house in the distance and flick my wings back to fly as fast as I can there. My heart is thumping as I grew closer, but then the first grip of the wind wrapped around my ankle. I hip cracked painfully and I was slammed into a wall, the tight pressure of air secured firmly against my foot. Twisting and Kicking, I try to pull myself free and panic begins to build up and up in my chest as I was only dragged back and deeper into the ally.
"FUCK OFF!" I scream and lash out with my magic. I only succeed in demolishing the side of a house and the wind howled around me almost laughingly. The harsh wind gushed past my head and I could see the outline of rune tattoos swirling in the wind. Body parts begin to take shape from the wind, a large hand formed and gripped my hair in a twist and yanked it back sharply. Cold snow bit into my neck and a heavy pressure stretched itself over my hips. Logan in straddling my hips and his ghastly face peered at mine.
"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" I scream in panic and despite his merciless grip, I toss my glasses off my head with a desperate shake.
"Ah ah" Logan avoided my gaze and his free hand lifted up the glowing metal strap. My eyes widened for a second and then a icy cold darkness bit against by cheeks and my eyes were covered completely by the horrid thing. Tears built up in my eyes but they could fall past the metal band binding my eyes.
"GET THIS OFF ME!" I try to rip off the iron band and also push off Logan, but neither will budge. I flash my hands up and try to blast Logan with enough magic to completely burn off his face, but an iron fist slammed into my stomach and the breath left with the blood that dribbled down my chin. I try again but another fist slams into my face and my teeth bit down against my tongue, a bright flash of pain washed through my face and my body ached in pain. It is useless. My magic is made for long distance not this up close.
"PLEASE STOP THIS! PLEASE" I scream in desperateness as another iron band was set around my wrists.
"Did you stop wid my face?" Logan hissed and his hands began working on my pants. "I'm going to fuck you bloody!"
"No, no, no, no" I whimper and struggle as he succeeds in unbuttoning my pants.
"HELP SOMEONE HELP!" I scream and try desperately to kick him or use my fairy magic. But the iron bands around my hands stopped any flow of magic reaching my hands. Logan began his work.
Hate, hate, hate,hate, hate myself. If you do too I don't blame you. I also don't want to make Evergreen a victim but I need to get Logan out of the picture. Trust me, I'm not making Evergreen weak, she ain't. If she didn't have those iron bands around her or if Logan doesn't have powers over the winds then she would kick his ass. I'm sorry if this chapter offended anyone or if I have made you think I intend Ever to be weak. She has a major part to play in this story for strength and courage and I wont let her become a weak character. Hiro doesn't give her enough time to shine, and she is often over looked by the fandom. Again sorry if this has offended anyone, I'm not going to let Ever suffer.
Thank you for reading.
Lot's of love.
San-of-the-forest.
P.S. Because Logan's mouth had practically been destroyed, he can't pronounce words with "th" in them. For example, 'thorough' is a word he couldn't say. These letters have been replaced by d's.