To Love a Lamia
Chapter 2
Next chapter. I'm happy that you guys are enjoying the story! :) Please comment your thoughts!
Reynold's mind was blank as he tried to contemplate the words that had come from the lamia's mouth. But when she inched closer to him, his reflexes took over, and his mind became clear of hesitation. In one swift motion, he raised his staff, bearing the blade against the musume.
"No," he growled. "And by that I mean hell no!"
"But-" the musume looked back at him in shock. "You saved me life! My life - my body - is yours!"
"So that must mean that my future belongs to you!?" he shouted. "Don't be so pretentious musume! My future will belong to me, and me alone! I refuse to be enslaved again!"
The last of his words echoed in the forest surrounding them, until they faded. He expected anger or indignity on the musume's face. But to his surprise, her features softened into a look of sadness and regret.
"I'm - I'm so sorry." She looked up at him apologetically. "I didn't realize..."
Reynold glared at the miserable creature, trying to hold onto his outrage. But his anger, once at the boiling point, cooled and turned into remorse over his reaction. But still, around musume one had to keep up their guard. Their ability for deception were well known.
"It's fine." He lowered his weapon. "I understand you all look for mates - expecting you to go against your nature is unreasonable. Still - I'm not your chosen one. I merely freed you as I have many others before you. Are we clear on that?"
The lamia nodded her head.
"Then sit down, you need rest to heal your wounds."
Her eyes grew wide in surprise at the request.
"Even if I didn't desire your presence," he sighed, "I'm still the one who freed you. Like the others, until your health is restored, I will care for you. But once you are well enough to travel - we part ways."
The lamia sat down nervously by the remnants of the fire, unsure of what she was supposed to do with herself. Reynold grabbed a nearby bowl, and filled it with berries from a nearby bag. Cautiously, he handed it to the lamia. She took it in a trembling hand and immediately began devouring every bite. She grabbed fistfuls from the bowl, shoving them unceremoniously into her mouth.
She must have been starving.
Reynold sat opposite from her, waiting for her to finish.
"So musume," he began as she wiped the last of the berry's juice from her lips, "Your name?"
"Hebina," she said softly. "My name is Hebina. May I have yours?"
"Reynold," he said. "Reynold Delion. How did you even end up there?" he asked as he scratched his unshaven face. "Lamia's normally inhabit the deserts beyond the kingdom's borders. Not many humans would dare to make the trip there, let alone try to capture one of its inhabitants."
"It's... a long story..." she muttered awkwardly.
"And one you wish to keep hidden." he finished for her.
"Is that... okay?" she looked at him uncertainly.
"That's your own decision. I free slaves so they may make their own choices. I'm not here to make them for you."
"Why... why do you free slaves Reynold?" she asked curiously.
Reynold glanced up as the wind blew some leaves up into the forest canopy.
"It's a long story," he said with a lopsided grin. Hebina let out a small giggle.
"I'm glad that you're able to joke occasionally Reynold," she said smiling.
"Right - well something that isn't a joke are your injuries," he said as he reached into his satchel. He pulled out a small vile holding a creamy white paste. "Tell me, do you have any sores or wounds? Anything that could become infected?"
Hebina stared at him momentarily before turning her eyes to the ground, her cheerful spirit consumed by misery.
"On my back..." she struggled to say. "When they caught me, one of the men cut me from behind with a sword. It's been hurting ever since..."
"Let me see. And don't worry," he added, noting the lamia's hesitation. "I won't do anything improper. I just need to apply this medicine so that the wound heals."
"O-okay." Slowly, the musume turned around, pulling the ragged garment she wore as she did so to expose her back.
The cut, a large slash wound that extended from her right shoulder down to her left hip, was an angry shade of red. The skin around it was ragged and torn, and he could see that a minor infection was already underway.
"Ready yourself," he said as he collected a dollop of the medicine on his fingers. "I'm going to apply the cream. It's going to hurt - a lot. But you have to bear it. Do you understand?"
Hebina nodded, her eyes clenched shut in apprehension. He applied the cream as lightly as he could at the top right of the wound, eliciting a cry from the lamia who immediately pulled away from him.
"It hurts!" she cried.
Damn it - I haven't even started yet. The longer this took, the longer she would be in pain. And if she kept squirming, he might not apply the medicine correctly. He had to figure out a way to distract her.
"Laaaand of bear, laaaand of eagle" he sang softly, "laaaand that gave us life and blessing. Laaand that we march eeeever towards. We will go hoooome across the mountains..."
Hebina looked back it him with tearful eyes.
"Laaannd of... bear..." she began to sing. "L-laaand of eagle... Laaaand th-that gave us l-life and blessing..."
"Laaand that we march eeeever forward," sang Reynold as he joined her, "We will go hoooome across the mountains..."
He finished applying the last of the medicine to the wound.
"And we're done." He replaced the bottle into his pouch. As Hebina began to place the ragged fabric back over her, he held out one of his shirts. "Here, you need actual clothes, not rags. This should be long enough to cover you."
Hebina took the garment in her hand, sniffing it for some unknown reason before breaking into a smile. Unceremoniously, she took off the old clothing, exposing her chest and making Reynold cover his eyes, before pulling her new shirt over her body. While it did cover her body, it left little to the imagination. Reynold had forgotten to account for her large chest and how it would stretch out the shirt. He took one of several blankets he kept with him, giving to to her so she could tie it to create a makeshift skirt.
"I love it! Thank you Reynold!"
"You're welcome. Now rest and recuperate - I'll go and get some food to bring back to camp."
As he hurriedly gathered his hunting tools, he caught Hebina stealing a glance at the scars of his arms. She averted her eyes when she saw him staring.
"Reynold..." she said timidly as she met his eyes with her own. She stared awkwardly at him, before giving him a warm smile. "I'm really happy that I met you."
He felt the blood rush to his face, before he grunted and turned to walk into the forest.
Why does she have to say the oddest things?
Later in the evening
Reynold finished gathering the last of the firewood. It had been a pain to cut the wood and drag it back to the camp, but since he had forbidden Hebina from coiling herself around him, it meant she needed an alternative source of heat.
"Reynold..?"
He turned around to see the lamia looking at him worriedly.
"Are you sure I can't help at all?" she pleaded. "It's not fair if all I do is sit here and watch..."
"Don't worry about it," he grunted. "It's not the first time I've done this."
A few more minutes of silence passed as he sat down and rested. But he could feel the musume's eyes on him.
"Is there something else..?" he sighed.
"I... I wanted to know why you're going out of your way to help me..."
"I literally told you the reason earlier," he snapped.
"But I'm a musume," she insisted. "Human's see us as animals who just happen to look like them. Why don't you?"
"Hmph, I guess that is a good question..." he admitted. "I wouldn't go so far to say I don't consider your kind dangerous - that's one of the reasons why I want you to keep your distance from me. But I figure that if you were going to do something, you would have done it last night."
"Oh - well thank you-"
"I mean," he interrupted. "Either that or you're not that smart. In both cases I come out ahead."
"I - I see... I guess that makes sense..." The lamia forced an awkward smile - clearly less than thrilled at his answer.
"Hey - I can either tell you the truth or lie. Which do you prefer?"
"Hmph!" The lamia turned her back to him, her arms crossed. "That was just too cold though!"
"That reminds me," said Reynold as he stood up. "You'll need some blankets. Here."
He grabbed three blankets, the last ones he had, and handed them over to his guest
"Feel free to take a bath - the medicine will have done most of its work so there's no need to worry about washing it off. There's a stream just past the trees going south of the camp. And don't be afraid," he said before she could object, "I have signets hidden in the area. If any humans get close, I'll know immediately and come find you."
With a small nod, Hebina moved in the direction he had pointed, disappearing into the treeline.
Reynold let out a sigh he hadn't realized he'd been holding onto, before laying down to sleep.
She's just like a child, he thought to himself, But then how did such a child end up here?
The next morning
The light from the morning sun forced Reynold to open his eyes. They stung and burned from lack of sleep the night before due to him checking on Hebina's condition repeatedly. Not wanting to wake her up, he had settled for checking her breathing and maintaining the fire of the camp so it lasted the entire night.
The remains of their dinner - a pair of rabbits he had caught the previous day - lay around the fire.
His heart jumped when he heard a soft muttering coming from somewhere. He scrambled to his feet and looked around, before realizing it was Hebina sleep-talking.
His curiosity getting the better of him, he inched closer to hear what she was saying.
"... smells so good..."
Is she thinking about food?
"... your body... so good... Reynold..."
He bolted back in surprise, tripping over himself and landing on the ground thud. The noise caused Hebina to open her eyes, and slowly rise up.
"Huh.. waz happinin?" she asked looking groggily at him.
"Nothing!" said Reynold in a louder voice than he intended. He felt the blood rush to his face, and turned around trying to hide his reaction.
"Hmmm?" Now fully awake, Hebina slithered around him to face him. "But your face looks really red. Are you sick Reynold?"
"I'm fine!" he snapped before bolting up to his feet and walking away, leaving the lamia behind.
"Wait a minute..." Reynold could practically feel the musume's eyes boring into the back of his head. "Did I... did I say something weird in my sleep..?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he denied.
"I'm only asking because I think I had a very vivid dream... like the kind that make you tingle. I'm pretty sure you were there."
"For the last time - nothing happe-" he turned around, ready to lash out at the lamia. But instead, he saw her giving him a mischievous grin. "You're - you're just trying to play a joke on me, aren't you?"
"No..." she said without ever losing her smile. She inched a little closer to him. "I mean... there are things I want to play with you, but pranks are not on my list."
"What did I tell you when I allowed you to stay here?" he growled.
"I can either tell you the truth or lie," said Hebina without losing her spirit. "Which do you want?"
"I... you... that's not..." he stammered. "I'm - I'm going to get us some food."
Reynold grabbed his staff before turning around and marching into the woods, feeling decisively defeated.
One hour later
Reynold pulled angrily at the herbs sprouting from the ground.
Who the hell does she think she is? I should have left her behind the moment I got away from her embrace.
But then, what was stopping him now from doing just that? He had his staff, and anything else could be replaced.
In fact, why the hell am I here in the first place? Grabbing herbs and berries like a doting mother.
He threw the herbs to the ground, and stood up with the intent to walk away from the camp. But something made him pause - guilt. At worst the creature would follow him as she had done before, intent on getting revenge for her abandonment. At best, and most depressing, it would wait for someone who would never return.
It feels like I'm contemplating walking out on a loyal pet, he thought bitterly.
Suddenly, a small tremor ran through his body - one of his signet had been tripped.
The magical energy tugged at him, pulling him in the direction of where the signal had come from. He gripped his staff in both hands, and began running lightly to the area.
Another tremor shook him - another signet had been activated. He had placed them 30 meters apart from one another, which meant that whoever it was was riding on horseback.
It only took him 10 minutes to reach the spot where he estimated the intruders would come through. As he closed in, he heard the faint patter of hoofs on the ground and the voices of men coming through the trees.
He saw a clearing just up ahead and stopped to hide in the brush surrounding it. A few second later 7 horses stormed into sight, carrying men with black cloaks over their bodies and hoods hiding their heads. They stopped in the clearing, dismounting before looking around them.
"Are we close then?" demanded the largest one in the group. He had a shaven head and a scar running across his face. Reynold assumed he was the leader.
"Yes sir," said another. "According to my tracking spell, the lamia should be close by."
A mage? They must really want her back.
"You better be right - or I'll wring your neck for incompetence. But at least you've already found our other quarry." The brute turned to look directly at Reynold. "Am I right, battlemage?"
Reynold heard a savage cry erupt from behind him. He turned around in time to see a black figure flash out from above the canopy, and drive an outstretched leg into his stomach. The force knocked the air out of him, throwing his body into the open. He slammed into the ground, the jeers of the soldier ringing out in his ears.
Wasting no time, he scrambled to his feet as the other men dismounted, drawing their swords. He glanced to his side, and saw the one who had ambushed him. He was small, light, and wearing dark fitted clothing, along with a blank mask to hide his face. On his belt were two curved daggers.
"So, you must be that battlemage who likes to play hero and frees slaves." The mercenary casually rested his sword on his shoulders, looking at him with a lopsided smile. Behind him, three soldiers drew out bows, knocking arrows and aiming it him. "Do you know how many nobles you've pissed off? I bet we can sell you to the highest bidder at this point. After all, those nobles would pay an outrageous amount to get their hands on you and put you to the rack."
"Just try it," snarled Reynold. "Better men than you have failed."
"Big words, coming from a homeless mutt like you!"
Reynold tried to cast a spell using his staff, but a volley of arrows were launched at him. He dodged, one barely missing his head, but another found its mark and hit his staff, ripping it from his hands and onto the ground. The third buried itself in his shoulder, the pain erupting from the wound.
"Oh-ho!" whooped one of the soldiers. "Looks like we have a live one Captain Beckett!"
"I'd say so," Their leader, Beckett, whipped out a bow from behind him and in one swift motion fired another arrow, hitting Reynold in the leg.
"Arrgghh - you bastards!" snarled Reynold through gritted teeth and pain. He struggled to stand, the pain from his wounds weighing him down in agony. "I'll never bow to people like you - NEVER AGAIN!"
Another arrow hit him on his side, bringing him back down to the ground.
"You think we want you to bow?" Beckett walked up and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him up to his eyes. "I want you to suffer - and I want to be rich for it."
A strangled cry caught them all of guard. Beckett looked up, Reynold seeing his eyes grow wide in shock at something he couldn't see. His grip loosed, dropping him to the ground.
"Wh- what the hell is this!?" he roared in outrage.
Reynold struggled to turn his head around, and what he saw made blood freeze in its veins. The black figure who had ambushed him was hanging off the ground, a thick serpent's tail coiling around his neck. He clawed at the scales, but they kept getting tighter and tighter around his neck.
"Help... hel... me..." There a loud and wet crack, before the soldier's body went limp, his arms dropping to his sides.
Out of the bushes behind him Hebina slithered out into view, her normally light eyes filled with venomous hatred. She approached the body in her embrace, helping herself to the two daggers on the dead man's belt. She drew them out, taking a quick look at them before throwing the body to the side like excess garbage, out of sight and into the bushes. She held them in front of her, in a manner suggesting she was adept at wielding such weapons.
Reynold's mind couldn't grasp the sight in front of him. Just who in the world was this musume?
"How the hell did she sneak up on us?" Beckett turned around to face the mage in the group in a fit of rage.
"I - I stopped sensing the signets after we found him! I didn't think she would come to us!"
"You fool!" The mercenary leader slammed his fist into the mage's face, throwing him to the ground and knocking him out.
"He-Hebina... why... did you come... here...?" wheezed Reynold. The pain was almost unbearable, threatening to make him pass out.
The lamia looked at him with her cold eyes, a small ember of warmth hidden behind them.
"We'll then my little musume," Reynold approached her cautiously with his blade out. "Now you've gone and made a mess. Why don't you be a good girl and come with us? Do so, and we won't hurt you too m-."
The ground beneath Beckett erupted as Hebina's tail shot out from the ground. The tip buried itself into Beckett's chestplate, breaking the armor like it was paper and impaling him. The horror was written all over his face as he reached up, trying to grab desperately at his chest. Blood flowed from his gaping mouth, running down his front.
No words emerged from the doomed man, as Hebina ripped her tail out from the ground, bringing Bekcett's still living body to rest above her. Blood rained onto her in droplets splattering on the shirt Reynold had given her - turning white to crimson. Her eyes grew ever colder if possible - a predator in the presence of unwitting prey.
"I hope you all realize," she said breaking her silence with a menacing tone, "That this fool brought you all here to die..."
-To be continue