12 Chapter 12: First Kiss

Each night Rain would spend time to leave the undercroft and explore the small clearing around the ruins. Even on gloomy nights when rain and wind would overshadow them she preferred to spend some time above ground.

Each night the shadows would appear, sometimes they would be there as soon as she emerged. Maxine would accompany her at times, Zane rarely spent any time above ground. Of the others she barely met, they kept there distance from her almost like they didn't approve of her. Fiala almost always spent her time training, or reading and only spoke to her in passing since their first duel.

The shadows never broke the treeline. But with each night more of them appeared. Every now and then she could see eyes in the woods glaring at her, it was on those days she immediately returned to the ruins. Other nights the shadows simply crept close to the trees. They unnerved her all the same, and it was common to find removed eyes laid out for her. It almost seemed like they were offering them to her? A gift? Whenever they strayed too long she left, which is why after a few days they tried to hide themselves as she entered the clearing. They wanted to watch her, they wanted to see her? The thoughts did nothing to make her feel at ease.

Finally one night as she went outside to see the sky she realized no one was there. She scanned the woods with both her eyes and ears, and nothing was there to spy on her. At first she felt relieved, but then she couldn't help but wonder why?

She didn't want to spend too much time above ground this time, the clouds had covered up the view anyway. As she departed the sanctuary clearing she noticed just how silent it actually was. Normally even insects or night owls could be heard, the sounds of nature had given her comfort even with the shadows. Without it, her apprehension grew.

She decided she would mention it to Zane when she found him, Maxine had been harder to pin down recently. Each time she met her she would find something pressing to occupy herself. It was almost like Maxine was avoiding her? It could have just been Rains imagination. Rain shoved the thought in the back of her mind.

As she explored the commons area none of the marked denizens were around, several of the other homeless commoners were however. They had come from all over, their town and villages sacked by the cult. In desperation they fled to find safety, Fiala did her best to find those few refugees and bring them here. The wards of this ancient place kept the cult at bay even if it only extended to the trees, and the lords of the realm had no idea of its existence. It suited there purposes for now.

Rain knew the cultists, creatures like the one her cursed her, made up the shadows above. She didn't need anyone to confirm it, and she found it alarming that she wasn't afraid each time she ventured to go out there.

Some of the commoners spoke basic, however a few spoke in dialects that had grown apart from the cities, some were almost entirely alien. The handsome blonde haired musician was one of them. He noticed her return from outside. He approached her eagerly and offered her a rose, it's petals glistened in the torch light. Rain paused looking up at him with fascination.

"For me?" She asked the man.

He smiled and nodded to her as she received it, it smelled fresh. However he got it she hadn't a clue. But she was pleased by it. The musician then begged her to join him next to the fire. At least she interpreted his stuttering words as begging.

Rain had never actually been courted before, she realized for the first time that she liked the attention. In fact she really liked it, the look he gave her, the way he so eagerly noticed her as she entered the room. How he always adjusted the music to something slow when he saw her while playing the violin.

She sat next to him, they weren't alone; everyone else huddled around the opposite side of the fire. Most of them were weary, it made sense it was she that became nocturnal of late.

"How you say..." he fumbled the words, "pritty?"

Rain felt her heart waver, her breathing increase. She smiled and he placed his hand on hers.

For a while he didn't say anything, but he didn't have too. Rain thanked him and complimented his own handsomeness, he seemed to understand enough. He placed an arm around her, his touch was electric to her.

His strong arm held her close and she let his eyes look down her tunic, mounds of flesh fixated his attention. He fought to look at her face, Rain felt warm as she gripped his forearm. Her breathe hastened as his face got closer to hers.

Rain let their lips meet. Her first kiss wasn't what she expected, his breath smelled of wine. When their lips parted she was panting. His right hand felt her waist, it slowly moved under her shirt to explore her toned stomach. Her voice betrayed her as she moaned, his fingers cupping her breast. A mixture of desire and fear consumed her, something that made her tense up. She didn't want to be in control anymore, as long as he kept treating her like something to be treasured she found the pleasure of such a concept too desirable to disown.

But there was something about giving up all control that is inherently frightening. And that kept her aware of the sad fact, they were not alone. A chuckle, and a few whispers was all that was needed to remind her of that.

Rain suddenly felt awkward as the people on the other side of the fire had been watching them. Another pair of lovers had been focusing on them while gossiping to the rest. Rain suddenly felt horrified for the exposed privacy and pushed his arm away. She pushed him so hard that the hand under her shirt almost caused it to tear. She got up and without running, moved quickly to get out of the room.

It was silly to feel so naked and shameful, but so many people gawking at her made her skin crawl. She didn't know it but her suitor didn't stay behind, he followed trying to keep up. Had she known that she would have tried to avoid him.

She left the commons area, and traveled down the darkened corridor until finding the staircase that brought her to the small room where her own bed and belongings were kept. At the corner of the room, she reached her bed and caught her breath. It was then that she knew his eyes were on her.

She would be lying if the attention didn't continue to excite her. She looked behind her to see him outside of arms reach, it occurred to her that he was probably intoxicated. His steps were uneven, his speech slurred.

She wondered?

Rain removed her vest, letting it fall to the floor. She then removed her shirt, her back still facing him. The torch light casting her shadow, and highlighting the muscle in her shoulders. She had never been with a man before, the idea fueled the blood in her veins. She heard him undoing his belt and then discard his trousers. When he finally approached she was eager to feel his skin against hers. Her back met his chest, his arms encapsulated her as he whispered something that sounded pleasant in her ear. His hands brushed her cheek, then felt her neck to glide over her shoulders. He didn't stop as he continued to feel her further down her back and thighs.

Her head rested against his chest, she looked up at him. His eyes were focused solely on her, his hands reaching for her pants. She wanted him, she didn't understand what that meant exactly. She felt beads of sweat roll down her bare skin, in between her breasts and down the muscles of her stomach.

She felt something hard press up against her lower back, her breathe heightened as she felt a knot in her stomach. She was panting as she felt his hands against her waist. Rain closed her eyes in yearning as she felt his hands explore her, his lips kissing her neck.

She wanted him to kiss her lips again and knew he would do more than just that. His stare kept refocusing to her face and chest as he took her in, and for a brief moment she knew this strange handsome human holding her was all that she wanted.

Then like that it was over, a shower of blood and bone rained on her as a blade plunged through him. It barely missed her head, breaking through his collarbone. Her suitor gurgled and chocked on his own screams as the blade was yanked back. His horrified expression burning into Rains memory as his body collapsed like a sack of meat.

The body dragged Rain down with it, nearly twisting her leg as it collapsed. Panic seized hold as she struggled against the pool of blood and spilling organs to twist free and face the unseen killer. Half naked, drenched in her lovers death throws, she met the cold eyes of an armored knight.

Sir Olsen looked down on her, any respect replaced by disgust. He immediately recovered his blade and moved to strike.

His blade met a wall of fire.