Fantasy Reversed Roles, for Emmadagood

[Eliasdagood]

Karminos licks his lips nervously, and carefully gets his feet into a good spot. He slowly lets go with one hand, reaching down to take the knife. His other arm is straining hard. He doesn’t have much time. He starts making a clicking sound with his mouth, before whistling softly.

The snake hisses, pulling up to prepare to strike. Karminos’s lips pull back in a snarl, and he swings to the side to get his knife hand up, chopping down hard. His strike cuts the snake clean in half. He manages to get up onto the ledge, panting. He hurriedly picks up the head half, throwing it away.

He puts his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. “It’s fine. We’re good. I didn’t get bit.” He laughs a bit, still trying to get the panic out of his system. “Also, we can have snake for dinner.” He says, picking up the half of the snake still on the ground to hold it up for Lumaria.

 

[Renia]

Lumaria is already pulling himself up onto the ledge as Karminos picks up the latter half of the snake. He rolls his eyes just slightly, thinking that he's had enough venom in his life for one day, thanks. But he eyes the still-squirming half of the snake in Karminos' hand for a moment before flipping his leather satchel open for the alpha to drop the snake into. He's just glad that the satchel has a side pocket so that his other items won't get ruined.

"I hear snake is actually pretty good... I will be interested in trying it when we get our camp set up. Nice catch, Kar~" He senses that his mate's heart is still racing a bit from the close encounter, and Lumaria finds himself rubbing against his alpha's side to comfort him. "How much farther now? You said there was a path?" He nuzzles into Karminos' neck affectionately, hoping to distract him from the close call.

 

[Eliasdagood]

Karminos hugs his mate close, closing his eyes. “Yeah, we’re just a ledge from it. Gods, I’m so sorry, I could have gotten both of us killed…” it’s odd to see this insecurity from him. He’s always been brave, but the thought of Lumaria dying for his stupidity is intolerable.

He pulls back slowly, sighing. “Come on, it’s just up here.” He says, stepping up to a more even place on the rock, with grass growing along it.

 

[Renia]

Lumaria quickly takes Karminos' hand in his own and gives it a tight squeeze to let the alpha know that he is with him. "If we cannot take on a snake together, then we would not be up for the challenges ahead, now would we?" he soothes. "I'm only glad that you were not bitten. Nothing else matters."

The path ahead is a much welcomed respite from jumping and climbing ledges. Lumaria inwardly sighs in relief. He feels as though he is running out of energy, and much more dangerous situations would probably drain him to the point that Karminos would notice something was wrong. But according to his mate they are close to their destination. Surely he can last long enough to help make camp and cook their meal. After that he can afford to rest. Karminos need not know how weak his omega is. Just a little further...

 

[Eliasdagood]

Karminos nods, helping his mate up onto a dirt path just above the ledge they’re standing on. He hugs him again, nuzzling him. “I can hear your heart, Lumaria.” He murmurs gently. “There’s a good campsite just around this corner, and then you can rest while I set up camp.” He strokes his omega’s hair, and leads the way to the larger patch of dirt.

He sets down his bag, and starts pulling out the supplies for the tent. He only brought things for one, but he’s sure Lumaria won’t mind sharing. He grins at the thought, excited to cuddle with his mate.

 

[Renia]

Lumaria blinks at the alpha's words. Not sure exactly what 'hearing his heart' entails, he decides to let it be. But he has to admit that the closeness to his mate makes him feel much better. When they reach the area Karminos spoke of, rather than rest, Lumaria moves to help his alpha construct the tent and create their little camp for the night. More hands make lighter work, his mother had always said. And he knew it would be quicker as well.

"Hmm. It looks like a very small tent.." His smile belied the words as he straightened the tarp. "I think we might be cozy enough~" He nearly jokes that perhaps they should stay there for a day or two, but he doesn't want his mate to think he is hinting that he needs that much rest. Tomorrow he should be feeling much better, and he refuses to let even a joke slow them down from accomplishing his mate's dream,

 

[Eliasdagood]

Karminos grins. “Mm, we definitely should be. Very warm and comfy.” He agrees, his eyes glittering with excitement as he goes to get firewood. “Of course, this should help with the warmth.” He adds. He doesn’t want Lumaria to get sick, which he’s heard can be a problem after bonding.

He brings back the wood, and starts setting up a fire pit, humming happily.

 

[Renia]

Lumaria quite happily allows Karminos to take over the task of creating a fire. The labor of hauling dry timber to the camp might usually be nothing to him, but today he can barely summon the energy to keep himself from toppling over every time he makes a sudden turn. So sitting down and watching his alpha at work is a much-needed respite that Lumaria chooses not to complain about.

While Karminos sets about creating the fire pit, though, Lumaria still keeps himself semi-busy preparing the food for their meal. He has to wait for the fire to cook it, of course, but in the meantime he gathers their meager supply of rations and Karminos' knife and begins slicing the viper so that it will cook quickly and evenly. At least preparing the food is something he can do without tiring himself out any further. He feels a little more comfortable knowing that even though he feels a little weak, he's still proving useful to his mate. He can't work any miracles with only a bit of snake, bread, cheese and dried meat, but at least it's something. And once he learns to hunt this will be a fond memory that they will hopefully never have to repeat. Karminos certainly deserves better than this meager meal, and Lumaria intends to see to it that this does not become their usual fare.

 

[Eliasdagood]

Karminos smiles, pleased once he’s gotten the tent set up, and sits by the fire to watch Lumaria work. He never learned how to cook. He was told if he didn’t have an omega to cook for him, it was best to full shift, and eat his meat raw.

He cuddles against Lumaria after a moment, once he doesn’t need to be working for a moment. “Thank you.” He murmurs, knowing his mate probably hasn’t heard enough of that in his life. Karminos is going to tell him this a lot.

 

[Renia]

Omegas tended to be very touch-oriented creatures. They banded together in a pack when they worked and thought nothing of leaning against one another for comfort. The unmated and young ones tended to sleep cuddled together for the comfort of being near other wolves. They craved that closeness. Alphas were known to be much more independent and even seemed to dislike being touched in most cases. Lumaria understood that alphas were essentially rivals and it made sense that they did not trust one another enough to allow them close. And most of them only allowed their mates to come close to them when they felt like it. So Karminos cuddling close to him was slightly surprising, but Lumaria rather quickly accepted and returned the affection. He already knew how lucky he was to have gained an alpha like Karminos as his mate. One who cared about him and treated him kindly. Little things like this were simply reminders that he had been right about his mate. And he felt relieved, because if he had not had the courage to pursue Karminos as he had, then he would never have become his mate. He would never have known that he could truly love an alpha.

Lumaria chuckles softly in response to that thanks and raises a hand to thread fingers through Karminos' hair. "I should be thanking you. You've done so much for me today. Far more than I have for you." All Lumaria had really done was cook their food, after all. Karminos had accepted Lumaria, a rather pushy omega, as his mate, and then proceeded to show him patience and teach him as they went along. Not to mention treating him like an equal and taking care of him while he felt weak. Lumaria had a lot to be thankful for due to this wolf. And all he could do to thank him was pass him the small amount of food they had for today. He regretted that he had not been allowed to take more. Karminos was probably starving from their journey today. Lumaria would gladly have given Kar his share as well, but he already knew that his mate wouldn't accept that. Still, he could offer...

"I know there isn't much, and I'm used to eating less than this. I'm pretty sure that you will be doing the majority of the hunting until I learn enough to help. So if you need more food, take some of mine, alright? Keep your strength up so you can hunt for us. And fight for us, if we run into trouble..." He hoped that would not happen anytime soon since he had no wish to see Karminos in danger, but with so many rouge wolves about it was not uncommon for them to try and eliminate competition for territory or supplies. Chances were they would run into trouble, and even if Lumaria had been trained to fight, he was still much smaller and physically weaker than even the runts of the alpha class. Karminos would have to protect what was his mainly on his own. And if Kar lost a fight, they were both doomed. Lumaria would feel much safer with the alpha was at his best.

 

[Eliasdagood]

Karminos shakes his head, tearing into his own food. “No, you eat yours. Your entire biology is being changed, right? Isn’t that how this works? Your body will need the energy.” He says, still cuddled against him a bit. He just wants to keep his mate happy and safe. If he can do that, he’ll have proven himself as an alpha, at least in his eyes.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll get a goat for us tomorrow morning, and then both of us will have plenty to eat.” He promises, kissing Lumaria’s cheek gently. Karminos needs to feel secure and loved, like he’s doing his job in keeping his mate safe and happy. That’s all that really matters to him right now.

 

[Renia]

Lumaria nods thoughtfully at Karminos' solution. He has faith that the alpha can deliver on the promise of goat tomorrow, so he decides to eat as his mate suggests. It's still more food than is typically left for him at the end of any day. But that only means he actually has a chance to feel sated. It doesn't look like Karminos is dissatisfied with the meal, though the alpha did make short work of his portion. With the food finished Lumaria finds himself instantly leaning against his mate and nuzzling against him for comfort. His body is absolutely aching now. But he can also feel the connection between them growing stronger. And he has a sense that, with that link between them, he will never have to feel alone again. That's more than enough to make the pain worthwhile.

"I promise I will feel better tomorrow," he finds himself mumbling to his alpha. "I'm not always this weak." He just feels the need to make certain Karminos understands that he isn't at his best today. Worrying that the alpha might see him as a liability has accounted for quite a bit of the strain on the omega's mind today. And perhaps he simply has a slight inner fear that he might have made a mistake... What if he was never meant to be Karminos' mate? What if he simply isn't strong enough for it? It's much too late for him to undo the damage if he proves to be too weak. Has he cheated Karminos out of finding a better omega?

He shivers at the thought, but there isn't much he can do about it now. So Lumaria simply burries his face into Kar's shoulder and breathes in the alpha's scent, and lets it calm him down as only his mate's smell can do now. As long as his alpha is there things will always be alright. Or so that scent seems to convince him.

 

[Eliasdagood]

Karminos smiles, holding his mate close with one arm, he knows he’s in pain, but his vulnerability is just too adorable. “I know, Lumaria. Mama warned me that it would hurt you. She said Papa was sick for a couple days. I promise, I’m not going to be harsh with you for what I did to you with my bite.” He assures his mate, kissing the top of his head.

He takes a moment to enjoy this, sitting by the fire with his lovely omega. Lumaria’s so sweet and brave, and Karminos doesn’t think he could have asked for a better mate.

 

[Renia]

Lumaria's thoughts settle down a bit more at Karminos' responses. The alpha truly does seem content. Lumaria's fear of being rejected by hi mate stems from the way he and the other omegas were always treated by the other alphas in their pack before they left it. One in particular had sought him out a few times simply for the fun of upsetting a defenseless omega who was never allowed to fight back. The words that alpha had said to him were always just below the surface of his thoughts whenever Lumaria had thought about Karminos... The wolf had told him that no alpha would want an omega like him. He had said that Lumaria was just the wrong mix of willful and weak that would make whomever was unfortunate enough to mate him want to abandon him shortly after. Lumaria had not let those words provoke a reaction, nor had he let them hold him back from tracking Karminos down when the left the pack. But the had never left him, either.

If was fortunate that Karminos was such a transparent alpha. The wolf did not try to hide his feelings from Lumaria or attempt to seem stronger or more stoic than he was. It was a rare alpha who was comfortable with letting down his guard enough to sympathize with an omega. And it meant that Lumaria could clearly see that his mate truly cared about him. That was all the encouragement he needed.

But his only response was to snuggle even closer to his mate, this time simply because he adored his mate. But he still grumbled, "I can't be sick for 'days'. We still have a long way to travel to get to the mountains. I'll be better by morning." He was determined that he would be. He needed to be back to his old self again... well, as close to it as possible, since the venom was essentially changing him for good. But tomorrow he would be able to keep up better on their journey, he was sure of that.

 

[Eliasdagood]

Karminos chuckles, holding him close. “Alright, my brave omega.” He murmurs, kissing the top of his head. “We’ll keep moving tomorrow, after breakfast.” He promises. “If you need to rest though, please just tell me. I don’t want you to get hurt for me.”

He smiles at Lumaria, hoping his mate will understand.

 

[Renia]

Lumaria hums affectionately. "I will let you know if I cannot keep up. But I won't grow to be a capable partner if I do not push my limits a bit. Getting hurt might just be part of it. You won't be able to coddle me on this trip. And besides, I have my heart set on becoming strong enough to help you fight for your dream. I will risk anything for that chance. It's as important to me as it is to you."

Lumaria had loved Karminos for a long time. Loved the kind of wolf he was, and how dedicated he was to his dream, and how he treated other wolves. But another huge part of what Lumaria had come chasing after was the dream itself. A pack that was strong enough that it did not have to battle often to prove its strength. One where all the wolves, even omegas, were valued and provided for and part of a team. He wanted to see a pack were wolf pups of both types played together and did not have to worry about whether they were alpha or omega, or how strong they would have to be to survive. He wanted a life where he and his alpha would be able to enjoy their lives together without worrying that another alpha would come along and take everything they had. If he had to struggle or even suffer for that dream to come about it, Lumaria would do it. And now that he knew Karminos a little better he was even more determined to do everything in his power to make that dream a reality. If only to protect his mate and make him happy.

 

[Eliasdagood]

Karminos hums, and leans in to kiss his cheek. “Alright. I understand. I just… I really want to make sure you’re safe and happy. I don’t want to keep saying that you’ll be there some day, I want to be worthy of such a wonderful mate from day one.” He tries to put his feelings into words, but he’s never been good at that.

To him, an alpha is only worthy of their mate if their mate is happy and cared for. The true mark of any good leader is the state of those under their care, at least in his eyes. If he’s going to create a strong pack, it’s going to start with him caring for Lumaria the very best he is able.

 

[Renia]

"Well," Lumaria muses softly, continuing to enjoy the closeness he shares with his mate beside the warmth of the fire. "Safe might be a little far off for now. We have to make it to the mountains and build our pack before we can even get started with making it strong. It's going to be a fight, and you have to know that there are going to be things that even you cannot save me from. But happy? I've never been happier than I am right now. I... I honestly thought that you would think I was crazy, following you out of the pack and demanding you take me as your mate like I did. I've wanted to go with you for so long. Yet even as I followed after you, I was still almost convinced that you would not want me. I still wonder if this is a dream, I am too happy for it to be reality... But, if you continue to treat me as you have... as an equal and a partner... I promise, nothing will ever make me happier than you do. That's really all I need."

 

[Eliasdagood]

Karminos hums, kissing his cheek gently. “Good. At least I can do that much.” He murmurs. “I promise, I’ll do everything I can to follow that dream. But that dream includes you now.” He adds. He curls around his omega, breathing in his scent. “We’re going to be the strongest pack, and we’re going to make it happen together. You and me.”