Realm of Monsters

Tauri Katag left her younger sister Elena with her own thoughts at the pool. 

Instead of trying to go to bed and failing to fall asleep once more, Tauri opted to take a stroll through the gardens of her family’s villa.

As she walked in the dark silence of the late evening, she thought of the conversation she had with her sister regarding the Ebon Aspirant. 

The more Tauri walked the more she found herself thinking of Stryg and their last few interactions. Ever since she had tried to teach him how to swim things had changed, her perspective had changed. She was aware of him in a way she hadn’t been before. 

She usually didn’t think about it, but every time his eyes met hers…

What am I even thinking!? Stryg is my student… he’s Loh’s apprentice… he’s my sister’s goddamn fiancé! The last person I should be wasting my time thinking about is that dumbass goblin hybrid.

And yet his annoyingly cocky and confident smile kept appearing in her mind.

“…Stryg… huh?” she sighed.

“Yeah?” a voice came from above.

“What the fuck!?” Tauri jumped back and looked up into the trees. 

A pair of lilac eyes peered down at her from the darkness of the branches.

“Stryg…? Is that you?” Tauri asked incredulously. She tried to make out his silhouette, but try as she might, all she could see were his lilac eyes.

“Why do you look so surprised? You’re the one who called out to me,” Stryg said calmly from the tree branches.

“I didn’t think you were—” She shook her head, “You know what? Nevermind. What are you doing up there? It’s the middle of the night.”

“I was meditating or at least trying to. I was never very good at it.”

“Have you tried meditating in your room? Sitting on a soft bed instead of rough bark helps, you know.”

“I saw no reason to stay in bed. Feli went off to take care of some important things or so she said. I didn’t ask for details.”

“You didn’t want to stay in your room… so you chose a tree instead?” Tauri asked skeptically.

“Mhm. These trees, they’re not the same, but… they remind me of Vulture Woods. They help me relax,” he admitted quietly.

“Oh… I see,” Tauri nodded slowly. “When I’m stressed I usually go for a run.”

“What?”

“I’m just saying… I know what it’s like to be so stressed you can’t even sleep,” Tauri shrugged.

“...Does running help?”

“Usually, I guess— Ugh, can you come down already!? It’s getting really annoying talking to a tree.”

The branches shook and Stryg clambered down the tree bark on all fours, head first, like a squirrel. Tauri watched with a mixture of surprise and bizarre curiosity.

“What the fuck did I just witness?” she mumbled.

“Hm?” Stryg reached the grass and jumped to his feet. He leaned over close enough he could feel her breath on his face. “What do you mean?”

Tauri leaned back until she was afraid she’d fall over. The thought crossed her mind that Stryg didn’t quite understand the concept of social boundaries and personal space. Suddenly, the idea of her being alone with him in the middle of the night seemed very inappropriate.

“Um, nothing, don’t worry about it,” Tauri said and took a step back. “I… I should get back. I’m pretty tired.”

“Mm,” Stryg nodded and turned his attention to the sky.

“Well, um, see you later. Good luck with the meditation,” Tauri turned around and walked away.

“A storm is coming,” he said.

She paused in her steps and looked back, “Huh?”

“There’s a storm coming,” he said as if it was obvious.

Tauri glanced up at the night sky, there was barely a cloud in sight. “And you know this how, exactly?” she asked doubtfully.

“I just sorta do,” he shrugged. 

“...Ugh, dammit,” Tauri sighed in frustration and walked back towards him. She sat down on the soft grass and leaned her back on the tree trunk. “Okay, I’ll bite. The skies are practically completely clear. So why in Bellum’s name do you think a storm is on its way?”

Stryg sat down next to her and inhaled deeply, “It’s in the air, can’t you feel it?”

“Are you sure you’re not just drunk from the festival earlier?”

“I don’t get drunk these days, at best I usually feel a bit of a buzz, not much more.”

“Why is that? Do you have some secret ‘prime mage spell’ to cure drunkenness all of a sudden?” she chuckled. “Or even better, do you have something to cure hangovers?” 

“No, it has something to do with my body. Or at least that’s what Holo said,” Stryg stared at his hands.

“Who’s Holo?”

“A friend, I think? She told me my body’s healing ability has recently begun to grow, significantly. Alcohol doesn’t affect me very much anymore. I think it has something to do with my hybrid nature. Some mutation, probably.” 

“Well, that’s pretty neat, no? Not the drunk part, but I’d love to never have a hangover again.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” he said sullenly.

“You don’t like it?” she frowned in confusion.

“No, it’s not that, it’s just… I don’t know,” he sighed, “Sometimes I just wonder if my parents were the same. Could they heal like I do? Did they feel the things I did? Were they like me, in any regard, if even just a little? Or was I always just different?”

Tauri was at a loss for words. She hadn’t expected Stryg of all people to open up to her about anything resembling private thoughts… or worries. He had always put up a strong front in all the years she had known him. So why now? Why talk about these things all of a sudden? Was it because of his duel with Sylvie tomorrow? Or was it something more…?

Tauri swallowed and whispered, “Do you miss it? Vulture Woods? Your old tribe?”

Stryg looked up at the tree above them and stared at its branches and dark green leaves, “Most of Glimmer Grove’s trees have some sort of fluorescence within them, their leaves glow with an inner light. This one doesn’t. In that sense, it reminds me of Vulture Woods. It’s nice…”

“Is that so? I’ve never been to Vulture Woods. I don’t think I know anyone that has, besides you, of course. What’s it like?”

“Hm?” Stryg furrowed his brow.

“Vulture Woods. Describe it to me.”

“It’s cold,” he said gruffly.

“Our whole realm is cold,” she said wryly. “I’ve heard the others are warmer, especially the Aurous Realm.”

“Is it?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, now that I’ve taught you something, it’s your turn to tell me something I don’t know about your precious Vulture Woods,” she grinned.

Stryg blew out a long breath of air, “...The trees are twice the size of the ones here. Their bark ranges from a pale white to a dark grey. The leaves are blood-red, not just in autumn, but throughout the year. In the dawnlight and sunset, the world is dyed a scarlet red from the light refracting off the leaves.”

“It sounds beautiful,” she whispered.

“It is. I’ve never seen anything else like it since I left.”

“I’d like to see a scarlet world, at least once,” she said wistfully.

“You’d probably die, outsiders don’t survive in Vulture Woods.”

“So I’ve heard,” Tauri said dryly.

“It’s true. There are many dangers in the forest; various poisonous plants and hungry beasts, like dire bears, or wolves that hunt in packs, killing off the lone goblin that strays too far from his tribe. Not to mention the dire vultures flying about searching for the mangled corpses left by predators, of which there are many.”

“Predators or corpses?”

“Both.”

“Sounds like a lovely place,” she said sarcastically.

“Maybe not, but it was home,” he smiled softly.

“You miss it, don’t you?”

“Yeah…” he nodded subtly.

A clap of thunder resounded in the distance. Droplets of rain began to fall from the sky. 

“I’ll be damned,” Tauri remarked in wonder.

“I told you,” he said matter-of-factly.

Suddenly the rain quickened and turned into a downpour.

“Ah, shit!” Tauri covered her arms above her head to little effect.

The water easily flowed past the tree’s leaves and poured over both of them, soaking their clothes. Tauri cursed. Stryg simply laughed in delight.

“What’s so funny!?” she said angrily.

“It’s nice to feel the rain on my skin,” he closed his eyes and took a relaxing breath. “It’s been too long.”

“Well some of us don’t like freezing,” Tauri shivered and rubbed her arms.

Stryg placed his hand on the bark and channeled green mana into the tree. A series of thick branches grew out from the trunk and formed an umbrella of sorts above them.

“...Alright, I admit it, being a prime mage has its perks,” Tauri smiled lopsidedly.

Stryg smiled.

“Now we just need a fire to warm up,” she said and began channeling orange mana into her hands.

“And burn what? The garden? Everything is wet,” he noted.

“Hmm, well, I could just keep a flame alight above my palms.”

“For how long? Flame spells consume orange mana very quickly and you would need more than just a little flame in your palm to keep yourself warm. Your mana wouldn’t last long.”

“So what do you suggest, Mr. Magical Genius?” she raised her eyebrow.

“How about this?” Stryg reached his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close.

Tauri felt her face grow warm. She frowned, “Are you serious?”

“You’re warmer, aren’t you?” he said innocently.

Tauri narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She couldn’t tell if he was doing this on purpose or if he was just not thinking about the ramifications of his actions. Knowing Stryg, it could have been either.

Tauri sighed. His skin was cool to the touch, but it was at least warmer than the freezing rain. It was difficult to think of her cold drenched clothes when all she could hear was her heartbeat thrumming in her ears.

The scent of his hair wafted into her nostrils. He smelled like crushed leaves and a hint of sweat. It wasn’t terrible…

“...I’m a little warmer,” she muttered, peeved.

“See? It works.”

“Don’t push it,” she glared at him. “The ground is still cold and wet, and so are my clothes. A fire would have been better.”

“True,” Stryg said slowly. “How about this?”

He lowered his arms and grabbed her by the waist. Tauri shouted in surprise as he lifted her with ease and placed her on his lap.

“Okay, now I know you’re doing this on purpose!” Tauri said angrily.

Stryg could feel her tight round bottom pressing on his thighs. He had always wondered what it would feel like to be pressed against her beautiful body. He reached his arms around her soft waist and hugged her. “You don’t have to sit on the cold ground though, right?”

“That’s not the point,” she huffed. 

Stryg rested his head in the crook of her shoulder. Her black wet hair pressed against his cheek. She somehow always managed to smell like sweet vanilla.

“Can we just stay like this, for a while?” he whispered into her ear.

An excited shiver ran down Tauri’s spine as she felt his breath on her neck. It was difficult to think clearly.

“You think you’re smart, don’t you?” she said, annoyed.

“Not really.”

She sighed reluctantly, “…Just until the rain lets up…”

Tauri swallowed and tried to relax her tense muscles. She leaned back on his chest and rested her neck on his shoulder, her cheek touching his. Slowly, she closed her eyes.

The rain fell over Undergrowth in a downpour…