|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 11:05 pm
He had told Vadoma to stay close, so when she immediately slid off his back, there was a flicker of concern in his eyes, though only a flicker before he caught himself. She was still within reach of his shadows; he could protect her, Kieran, and Ravnos if needed. He did not doubt that for a moment. He heard Ravnos cough when the stake was removed. While Grendel had known that the sharpened piece of wood could not possibly kill one of his Disciples, it was still a relief to hear. Though the fact that his love had to go through that type of pain, or even potential fear, made the Gods blood boil. The shadows thrashed around him, growing immensity as his anger at the Scarlett Queen's audacity grew. Kieran was never happier to see his sister up close than he was at that moment. "I promise I'll never push you into the fountain again." He said, with sincerity in his green gaze, relief flooding through him when his Father began to move and speak again, the thing that had immobilized him having been torn free from his chest. "Papa!" He hugged Ravnos then and buried his face into his chest before he stood and clung to his leg after he did. Surely, now they could go home. Only Ravnos's voice in his mind stopped him from advancing on the Kuei-Jin Goddess. Lifting up one hand, he snapped his fingers, and a portal would appear directly behind them. A quick and easy way home. "Go." He growled, "I will be right behind you." To the Goddess, he regarded her for a few short moments longer. "Whatever it is you think you have seen, whatever information that you think you have gathered, you still have no <********> idea, coward." He smirked then and glanced behind her towards the hulking dark shape that stayed just behind her, under her protection. "You best keep your mate close. I believe I owe you." Backing up a step, he turned to leave, the portal closing behind him as he stepped through and breathed a sigh of relief. They were back at their temple, back on safe ground.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 11:51 pm
He hesitated only for a second as the portal opened up behind them. Concern and worry in his eyes but he did not need to be told twice. Ravnos gathered up the two children clinging to him and stepped through before something might have happened. The sight of their living area was a welcome one and he let go of a sigh that he had not even noticed he was holding in. Ravnos knelt once more, pulling both Vadoma and Kieran off of his legs and standing them in front of him. “You were both very brave and I am sorry you had to go through that.” Gathering them in his arms he hugged them before pulling back. “Now, go eat lunch. Nanny is surely waiting for you.” He ran his fingers through their hair affectionately before standing once more to await Grendel’s return through the portal. Vadoma was just happy to be home again. That place where Papa and Kieran had been was scary. She was only a little reluctant to leave his side though she could feel the emptiness in her belly and it rumbled softly. “Papa can we sleep with you and Papa tonight? Pleeeeaaaaasssssseeeeee!” She tugged at his pants, red eyes large and round. She hopped from foot to foot in place eagerly awaiting his answer. She knew it would be a bit of time before it was bedtime but wanted to get the request in before she forgot. Part of her still a little fearful that he would disappear again if he left her sight. Ravnos patted her cheek. “We shall see. Now go both of you.” She made a slightly disappointed noise but turned to take Kieran by the hand. Heading to the Nanny’s room. The woman had been silently waiting for them there His eyes lifted to his love as he came through the portal and it closed behind him. A tightness in his chest eased. Good. He had been afraid that the God would of been drawn into an altercation with the Kuei-jin Goddess. The wounds he had received while there had already begun to heal and he idly rubbed at his chest where the stake had been. It felt like it was still there even though he knew and could see it was not. “I am sorry. We knew this was going to happen and yet I could do nothing to stop it. But I couldn’t just let her take Kieran….” Who knew what she would have done to the boy. It would have wracked him with so much guilt if this all had turned out another way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2023 6:54 pm
Kieran said nothing, though he hesitated longer than his father when Ravnos turned to leave, his hand curled into his father's pant leg, tugging on it, not wanting to abandon his other father in this place. What if they went through the portal, and then it suddenly closed, leaving the God behind? As far as he knew, his other father could not open portals the same way or teleport to Grendel. The lady who had brought Kieran here was scary and powerful, and she did not seem afraid, as Keiran felt she should have. It threw him off to see someone who would so casually stand up to the God, and be able to hurt Ravnos easily. Despite these feelings, he ultimately let himself be pulled through the portal, though his gaze stayed on Grendel the whole time, not on where they were going. Even once through, he continued to look back in worry and only stopped when his dark-haired father leaned down to pull him free and stand him up in front of him. "Brave or stupid." The child muttered and lowered his gaze. The last thing he wanted to do was go and eat, no matter how hungry he felt. Lifting his eyes slowly and ignoring what Vadoma was pleading for, he tried to sneak around Ravnos to see what was happening. But a jerk on his hand stopped him. Vadoma could be a force when she wanted to, and her tight grip as she dragged him off could not be withstood. He cast one last furtive glance behind him, just long enough to see his red-haired father come back through the portal, and huffed out a relieved sigh. Now he did not feel so wrong for leaving. ------- As soon as Grendel came through the portal, he moved straight to Ravnos, already reaching for him before he came to a stop, one hand on his shoulder while the other brushed fingers along his chest where the stake had struck him. Of course, it was already healing, but he pressed his hand gently against it to ease any lingering pain and draw it away. He was silent, his face unreadable for a moment until he lifted his gaze from the Disciples chest to his face. He slid the hand against the other man's chest down and around to the small of his back and pulled him close before leaning forward to place his forehead against the vampires. "You have nothing to be sorry for." He said, his voice a quiet rumble. "She should not have come here. And to steal our child when I was not even here to protect him? It only tells me that she is a coward and one who is beyond reasoning with." Until now, he still held onto a hope that the Keui-Jin Goddess might consider talking things through instead of resorting to more violence, but her continued efforts at trying to get to Grendel proved that he needed to let that hope go. He drew himself away a little, though still held the Disciple close. "How are the children?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2023 10:36 pm
The tension in his chest eased at the God’s touch. Thankful for the rest of that little reminder to be gone. It had been an uncomfortable feeling and one the Disciple would much rather forgrt. His arms snaked around Grendel’s waist as he was pulled close and he closed his eyes as they leaned their foreheads together. A small frown tugging at the corners of his lips. “I think she is afraid for her people and needs hope for herself and them. I cannot forgive her for what she had put the children through but I am hopeful that an avenue towards peace is still possible.” If there wasn’t peace then that could only mean war and Ravnos did not wish for that at all. “Perhaps she is just waiting for you to extend that olive branch.” When the God pulled back green eyes swept past his shoulder and down the hall to the nanny’s room. “They are shaken, but its understandable. It was a scary situation and I think they are old enough now to understand the kind of caution they need to take when dealing with new people. I don’t want them to be afraid of new interactions but they need to understand that not everyone has the best intentions.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 12:54 am
"Do you think she knew a stake to your chest would not kill you?" His voice was a dangerous growl, though not directed at Ravnos. Despite whatever else she had done so far, torturing Thorne and kidnapping one of his young, not yet fully grown children, the thought that she would attempt to murder the man he loved made him the angriest. So far, he had done nothing to harm her, yet she provoked him again and again. It made it difficult to see a peaceful way forward, no matter what Ravnos said. "I do not believe she would accept one. She wants to dominate this world and can not do that until I am out of the way." His voice had quieted again, the growl subsiding as he lifted one hand to brush Ravnos's hair from his eyes. "But if you think it is the appropriate next step, I may offer a truce. You may be right, and if it will allow us some peace..." He let his voice trail off, an almost indecipherable conflict in his gaze. His eyes turned to follow where Ravnos's looked next, and he gave a nod of his head "So they are otherwise, physically, unharmed? That is good, at least." He looked back at Ravnos then and offered him a small, soft smile. "There was a moment tonight where I thought I had lost you again. Pain and dread overwhelmed me before I even knew why. But here you are, Dracian, still here. I can not tell you the relief I felt when I discovered you were okay." His arm squeezed him again, and his fingers trailed delicately along the side of his face and back down to his chest again, his hand stopping to rest around where his heart would be, had he still had one that beat. It was, again, where the stake had struck him. "She could not destroy this. This belongs to me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 9:20 am
He supposed he couldn’t say. It wasn’t probably common knowledge but when one dealt with someone as an enemy you wanted as much knowledge as you could get. “I cannot say what she knows unfortunately.” Which was true. He had only really been there a moment and there was barely any conversation between them that spoke to her knowledge or motivations. So he could only guess. “I think you should at least try for all our sakes. Vampires have enough enemies as it is.” Werewolves, Zamphir, s**t sometimes even other Vampires. Some days it got so tiresome to think about that Ravnos just tended to ignore it unless it directly affected him. In this case it did. He nodded. “Vadoma seems her usual self once more but I fear Kieran blames himself for what happened.” Another frown tugged at his lips. It wasn’t Kieran’s fault at all. The boy just didn’t know better. “But I think we should look into sureing up the defenses at the temple in the process. Just to be safe.” They we’re already pretty protected, but maybe there were other things that needed to be done as well. Ravnis tilted his head into that hand with a reassuring smile. “I am sorry you had to go through that, dragul meu. I never want you to feel like that ever.”A hand came up to cover Grendel’s that was on his chest. Green eyes staring up into the God’s red. “It always will.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
