Fantasy i am yours, forever || w/ MoonGem

[hermialuvs]

1762

Tadhana was her name. Her parents had told her that it was a name from their ancestors, one that meant destiny and fate. At first, her younger self had wished that they could have given her something different. Like Camila or Sofia, and she was pretty sure that her parents at some point had wanted to name her after roses as well. That would have been pretty. But eventually, she did eventually come to like her name...the last real link that she had to her ancestors, the ones who were first long before so much had been taken from them. The ones her mother especially tried so desperately to cling on to the memory of.

And right now, Tadhana wondered if they were looking after her in this moment. It was something that tended to happen whenever she got herself into some kind of predicament.

The air was cold around her, the hoots of owls and chirps of crickets filling her ears as she stepped over twisted branches and logs. Leaves and fragile twigs crunched beneath her feet as her dark brown eyes tried to locate any bits of moonlight that she could use to navigate. She lifted her taffeta nightgown, pulling the fabric past her ankles so that she wouldn't trip over it. Damn them, she thought furiously. They had left her behind on purpose, where they knew that she'd get lost. People that she had thought she was starting to become friends with...

...Well, she can rage about them later and scold them for thinking that this was some kind of funny trick. Right now, she just needed to make her way to safety. She let out a shaky breath as she placed her hand against a tree to steady herself, feeling the rough bark scrape against her palms. She could try to call out for someone. It might attract a good Samaritan nearby, or it could just end up attracting a wild animal who, knowing her luck, would just happen to be ravenous when it sees her. Or it might end up attracting the fabled monster in the woods.

Tadhana tried not to pay attention to any of that gossip. Because surely, if there was some great beast in the woods that wasn't a bear or wolf, they'd know about it by now. She usually didn't believe that it was real, and she didn't intend on straying deep enough into the forest to find out either. But now, with tall trees surrounding her, her gown stained with muck and dirt after tripping into mud a few times, it suddenly became too real a possibility. She narrowed her eyes, but none of the shadows seemed to be moving.

If there's the chance that there could be someone around who could help, it wouldn't hurt to just give it a try, right?

She breathed in, then out. "Hello?" she called out weakly.

 

[MoonGem]

Erubus sat in a tree, listening to the sound of the wind hitting the branches, shaking them ever so softly. He had been sitting in this spot for hours now, waiting for a human stupid enough to wonder into this part of the forest, so he could feed on them.

He was after all a growing demon, he needed all the nutrients and protein he could get, which humans carried a lot of. Erubus knew he could've probably gotten away with just taking some homeless human off the streets and eating them, but where was the fun in that? Erubus wanted to surprise whatever human he came into contact with, he wanted to see the look on their face as they realized it was time to serve their purpose... Their purpose being food of course.

The wind continued to shake the branches but it was picking up a bit, annoying Erubus as it was blowing his hair into his eyes. He yawned, getting ready to leave before he heard the splash of mud below him. Erubus looked down to see a human girl.

Licking his lips he watched her continue to trip into the mud, laughing a bit under his breath. Erubus jumped down from the tree quietly and followed her, barely even making a sound.

He listened to her call out, "Hello?" smirking mischievously Erubus walked up behind her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Hello dear."

 

[hermialuvs]

Tadhana shouted and her voice raised into a pitch she hadn't even known it could reach. She jumped and abruptly turned to see who that was, and her foot caught on the end of her nightgown, and she fell hard onto her rear. She scrambled backward until she found her back pressed up against another tree, making tears at the fabric. Her hands clenched and dug into the bark, her eyes narrowing as she tried to comprehend who or what was in front of her in the dark.

She didn't say anything. Her lips pressed tight together as she stared, wondering what she should or could do. She could certainly try running...but considering how well she's been moving through the forest, she was pretty sure that trying to run from something without checking every few seconds where she was stepping wouldn't go that well for her. Could she try to fight? The idea popped into her head for only a moment before she dismissed it. It might be worth a try if it attacked first, but Tadhana knew that it was a fight she'd lose regardless.

"Y-You...aren't going to hurt me, are you?" Tadhana asked hesitantly. She was pretty sure that it was a dumb question to ask in the first place, because it certainly looked like it was certainly going to hurt her. "I-If you're looking for something to eat, I'm sure there are better meals around."

 

[MoonGem]

Erubus stood and watched as she scrambled, a chuckle escaping his lips, "Yes, I'm going to hurt you, but only for a second." Erubus replied as he walked closer. He stared at her, his eyebrow raised as he crouched down to her level and leaned in, sniffing her.

"You smell very delicious human, I don't think there's anything that smells better than you just lurking around here."

Erubus placed his hand on her chin, lifting it up slightly. She was a very pretty young lady he noticed, it was a shame he was so hungry, cause if he wasn't he may have let her go.

 

[hermialuvs]

Tadhana shuddered at its--his touch. He seemed capable of human thought. Enough that he could comprehend what she had said and make an appropriate response. Maybe she could try to reason...?

Steeling her nerves, Tadhana decided that she could go for it. If it could buy her some time, at least. "That would be very rude manners, you know," Tadhana said indignantly. She tried to keep her voice from stammering at all. "I'm assuming that this is your territory? And therefore I am a guest in your place? I hope you know that it's beyond impolite to try to harm a guest. If you were in my home, I wouldn't be threatening you."

 

[MoonGem]

Two can play at that game Erubus thought as he heard the woman speak, "This is my territory and I'd say it's ill mannered of you to just barge in. I never invited you so therefore you are trespassing and not a guest”

He gave a smirk, this human was a bit feisty, Erubus liked that in his prey. He had always liked the feisty one's, as they tended to fight back every time.

He lifted up her chin a bit higher and examined her face some more.

 

[hermialuvs]

Tadhana huffed, her brows furrowing. "It's still rude to attempt to physically assault someone," she said. "Usually, the first thing you would do would be to ask the person to leave. And if they refuse to, you report them to the proper authority." Tadhana hoped that her voice didn't sound as nervous as she felt, though she thought that at least a little bit of her anxiety slipped into her tone. Still, she forced herself to look up and meet his eyes.

It was silly to think that she was indeed feeling as if it was impolite as if this monster actually was an ill-mannered host and not someone who wanted to kill her. But it was basically habit for her at this point, and so as long as she could keep her wits enough to realize that she needed to get out of this situation now then her thinking that way was trivial. She observed him, trying to remember his face enough to describe him if (when, she told herself) she escaped.

Would the others even believe her? Probably not. But Tadhana needed to see this clearly, so she could convince herself later that she hadn't been making this all up and that she wasn't suffering some kind of hallucination right now.

 

[MoonGem]

Erubus smirked and rubbed his finger across her jawline, maybe he'd give this human a chance to live, she was a bit amusing. "You're right, that is very rude of me, and it would be incredibly rude of me to not hear you out... So give me one good reason not to kill your pretty little self.”

Erubus placed his free hand on the tree, right above her shoulder, tapping on it with his finger lightly, waiting for her response. He thought she’d have the normal response of foolish human’s such as “I’m too young to die.” and, “I have so much to live for.”

 

[hermialuvs]

Right, now Tadhana needed to think fast. Right, what reason should she give that he'd probably accept? Hermind scrambled for anything before she latched onto one. "Because don't you think you have better prey to go after?" she asked through gritted teeth. "Going after a simple, defenseless human girl is pathetic. Don't tell me that you're not strong enough to even try to take down bigger, stronger prey, hm? You could kill me or any other human like me and what would that prove exactly?"

 

[MoonGem]

Erubus leaned towards hers, the tip of his nose touching the tip of hers. He looked into her eyes, a look of annoyance. "Do not call me pathetic.” he snarled at her.

"You're right, I shouldn't waste my time on such a scrawny human like you." He said, removing his hand from the humans chin and standing up. He backed away from her, still looking down though.

 

[hermialuvs]

Tadhana let out a breath. As he backed away, she slowly rose back up onto her feet, using the tree behind her to steady herself. She kept her gaze on him and tried to still the trembling in her hands. Well, she certainly didn't appreciate being called scrawny, but she'd take that over dying tonight. But now something else was starting to itch at her mind. Curiosity, something that her father had always told her was going to get her killed one day. And it might get her killed tonight, if she stayed any longer than she was welcomed.

But still, the question remained in her head. Of what he was, who he was, and why of all places he was here. Did he have a choice to be here? Maybe if Tadhana could just learn more about him in this moment while he still seemingly felt merciful, she could use that information at some point. She remained silent for just a few moments before she asked, "...Who are you?"

 

[MoonGem]

Erubus watched her get up, he took a step backwards, about to leave. Then he heard her ask, "...Who are you?"

He gave her a confused look, wondering why this human was still talking to him, he thought she would run, not stay and ask questions. "My name is Erubus." he replied.

Erubus was still very confused about her question, why would she ask the seven foot tall person with horns who he was after he was about to eat her?

"And who are you, human?"

 

[hermialuvs]

Erubus. The name repeated in her head over and over again until it stuck. It was an unusual name. Or maybe that was just because Tadhana lived in a town full of Johns and Janes and Marys. Tadhana quickly dismissed that thought, though. No, it was certainly an unusual name. One that no one nearby would have...not too unlike her name, she supposed. It was not as if her name was any more common especially in a place like this, even if it was for a different reason.

Speaking of her name...

"Um. My name is Tadhana," she said. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the fact that she couldn't really attach anything notable to it. She was no princess or lady or even a well-respected member of her local community. Nothing that would really impress anyone at all. Though, at the very least, she could tell him what she did for a living anyway. "I sell flowers."

 

[MoonGem]

Tadhana? He thought to himself. What an unusual name for a human. Usually humans had basic names like Jack and Jill, but hers was different. It was a nice name.

He looked her up and down, why was she in a nightgown? Why was she running through the forest... In a nightgown?

His eyebrow raised before asking a question, "Well Tadhana, why are you running around in this forest?"

 

[hermialuvs]

"Well now this is embarrassing," Tadhana huffed. She tried to recall every step she took that led her into this situation. "There was supposed to be a gathering going on here for the youth. I got invited...I would have gone anyway, but Samuel decided to just drag me out my house himself before I could change into something more proper." And usually, Tadhana was never invited to anything like that. And the men who had invited her, Nicholas and Samuel...they had been friendly to her in the few days prior where they hardly ever had before. She had thought, hoped that maybe she was finally going to be accepted among her peers.

But apparently not. The gathering had started well, with them sharing stories and lighting their bonfire and showing off. In that moment, Tadhana couldn't even care about whether or not she was wearing something appropriate for the event. It seemed so trivial, because Tadhana felt as if she could be friends with these people. Tadhana had even laughed with them up until...
Well. She passed out. And Tadhana strongly suspected some kind of herbal sedative in whatever she had consumed. And by the time she woke up, she was in the bushes, and everyone else had already left and she was left behind in the dark.
"Either I'm starting a bad habit of falling asleep randomly or I got sedated," Tadhana said indignantly. "Regardless, apparently they left me behind when they decided the gathering was over. They probably thought it was some kind of funny trick." Or, considering the fact that she had been in a far different place than where she was before she passed out, she also thought that Nicholas could have moved her and told the others she went back home.

When she got back, she was going to have a very strict word with them.

 

[MoonGem]

Erubus felt a bit bad for her, why would anyone do that to a young lady, if Erubus was any less merciful those humans could have been the cause of her death. "Your kind is truly vile."

How was she supposed to get to safety? She probably had no idea where to go to get back to wherever she lived. Erubus sighed, since he had decided against eating her, he wasn't going to let her die now... "Do you need help getting back to wherever you live?" he asked with another sigh.

Erubus wasn't a very generous person, but he pitied this human for some odd reason, which was very unlike him. Usually Erubus would've killed this girl without a second thought, but something was holding him back, he didn't know what, but whatever it was, he truly despised.

 

[hermialuvs]

Tadhana blinked in surprise. She had to run that over again in her head to really comprehend it. Was he...really offering his help to her? Well, she guessed that he did just decide to show her mercy beforehand, but she hadn't expected Erubus to actually go further than that. She had thought that she would be forced to just make it back home by herself, however well that might have turned out...

But Tadhana wasn't about to turn the offer down now that he's made it. "If you're being honest," she said (because of course, she just met him and still wanted to be careful), "then having your help would be very nice, thank you."

 

[MoonGem]

Erubus nodded, "What village are you from?" He asked whilst tapping his shoe softly against the ground. He hoped it wasn't one too far out, he wanted to be rid of this human already.

He then heard the leaves from a tree behind him rustle, turning around quickly he saw another demon. This demon was pale and looked to be starving from how skinny he was. The look in this demon's eye's was one of immense hunger, it looked to be almost drooling as it spotted Tadhana.

 

[hermialuvs]

"Canterway," Tadhana answered. She wasn't sure which direction to point to, or how far it was. It was easy to get lost and disoriented in such a large, wooded area as this. However, her breath sharpened as she saw some other monster come out from the shadows. She stiffened, her shoulders raising in alarm as she stared at it. Oh, no. Now this one looked hungry. Her heart beating rapidly, she cast her gaze toward Erebus, wondering what he was going to do, what she should do.

 

[MoonGem]

It lunged at Tadhana but got stopped halfway from Erubus grabbing it's neck midair. Erubus threw it down on it's back, making a cracking sound as it hit the ground.

"How many times do I have to tell you imps that you aren't allowed to hunt in my presence." He snarled as he stepped on it's face, crushing it's skull on impact. The imp faded into dust as Erubus did this.

Erubus brought his attention back to Tadhana,"So, Canterway you said?"

 

[hermialuvs]

Tadhana yelped as she saw it lunge at her. She turned her head away, raising her arms in front of herself in a defensive position and waiting for the blow to come but...it never did. After a few moments and after hearing Erubus speak, Tadhana lowered her arms and stared at what was going on. He had dispatched that creature so easily...not that she minded. When Erubus turned back toward her and spoke again, Tadhana nodded, snapping her arms back into place at her sides. "Y-Yes," she stammered. "Canterway. Now..." She cleared her throat. "Shall we go?"

 

[MoonGem]

He nodded, walking over to her and picking her up, holding her bridal style. Erubus wasn't just going to let her walk around tripping again, that would slow them down.

Erubus began walking north, towards Canterway. He knew it would take them at least thirty or so minute's before they got there at the pace he was walking. He was making sure he was holding her comfortably, trying not to harm the delicate human.

 

[hermialuvs]

Tadhana's face flushed as he picked her up. She opened her mouth to say something before she closed it, deciding not to make any comments. Instead, she decided to nestle in closer to him, finding that it was surprisingly more comfortable than she'd thought it would be. She remained there in silence for the most part. It's been a long night for her after all, and the exhaustion was starting to settle into her bones. And eventually, she decided to speak again. "You know, right now you don't seem so scary."

 

[MoonGem]

He looked down at her, peering into her eyes, "Well thank you." His eyes grew softer at this, no human had ever said anything like that, usually they screamed or yelled or silently accepted their fate, but her she was different, she was special.

Erubus soon made it to her village, "Do you want me to take you home?" he asked softly and quietly, not wanting any other humans to see or hear him.

 

[hermialuvs]

Tadhana looked back up at him. She was definitely relieved to be back here...at least she was out of the dangers of the forest now. But now she wondered why he was asking. Didn't he think he'd already done enough for her? But still, Tadhana found that she was still curious about him. "If you want to, then you can," she said. It wasn't often that anyone offered to walk her back home.