Yasurin came awake slowly. Blood-red eyes slid open as he took deep breaths to remain present, rather than fall back asleep. Already his mind began to churn out questions and thoughts he’d been having since that night. The image of it followed him into his sleep, sometimes different, and yet the same.
A violet-blue dragon standing over him. At its heart was one man.
One Arcanist.
Andris.
Yasurin’s eyes closed and he dragged a hand down his face with a deep, rumbling, sigh. Primordial magic. A term he’d heard humans call what his people considered to be of the natural elements. He had never seen or heard of a human who could wield such magic and survive it. The Oni propped himself on his elbows, taking in the small space of his hut before fully sitting up.
He leaned forward, contemplating. Since the bandit’s attack, there hadn’t been a good time or chance to speak on it. However, his tribe has since helped restore a sense of normal. Perhaps now would be the time to confront the matter. Yasurin, so tied up in his thoughts, nearly missed movement by the entry of his hut. It was only from the corner of his eye that he caught it and he grunted.
“Were you taught to enter without permission?”
A yelp answered him, followed up with a whine. “You have been in here all day!”
“Are the stars out?”
“…No.”
“Then it has not been all day.”
An indignant huff met his response, getting a chuckle out of Yasurin as he fully faced the child. Emicho’s silver eyes bore into him as she stood by the entrance to his hut, pouting with arms folded tight against her chest.
“I am well. Thank you for checking youngling.” The grateful sentiment placates Emicho enough to stop sulking, puffing her chest out proudly instead. But just as quickly, she deflates and tilts her head, confused. “Why did you not come out today?”
Yasurin let out a long breath through his nose, “I was thinking. I am… worried for a friend.”
Emicho instantly crossed the distance, pressing her hands to his leg as she leaned forward, “Is he sick?” She asked.
Yasurin shook his head, “No.”
“Is he… hurt?”
“No. Not yet at least.”
“Why not yet? What is wrong?” Emicho shook Yasurin’s leg as she leaned in further, trying to get him to meet her eyes. He complied with a half-hearted huff, resting his chin on the top of his hands. “He holds a power that could hurt him and others if he is not careful. I wish to… speak with him about it.”
Emicho’s ears suddenly perked, “Does that mean you will go to the human village?”
Yasurin raised a brow, “It does.” Emicho’s head lowered, her eyes flitting to and fro unfocused, and he waited patiently for her to sort her thoughts. “…I wish to go!” She finally exclaimed, puffing up her chest again. “I will be of age soon and… and I wish for you to be my mentor!”
“Not your amma?”
Emicho shook her head before tilting her chin up, showing off the necklace around her neck. Violet beads and different colored feathers adorned the thread making up the accessory. “They are teaching me to craft. But I wish to know the outside too. They told me, I must choose one of the defenders of our home to learn.”
Yasurin’s expression softened, “Very well. I heed your choice and I am honored.” He bowed his head to her, making Emicho grin ear to ear.
“Let us find your amma then and share this news. Hm?” Yasurin stood, reaching over to ruffle Emicho’s mane.
Emicho beamed under his palm. “Yes!”
It didn’t take long to find Daiaki, Emicho’s parent. They were at the village storage. An area consisting of two buildings inspired by human barns. One was meant to store materials the crafters shared. The other was a multi-purpose of preserving extra food and herbs, while also tending to livestock.
Daiaki was, seemingly, searching for something until Emicho called out to them. Their ears pricked at her voice and they turned to her with a smile. They shared the same black accent as Emicho but instead of silver eyes, their eyes were violet. “Back already?” They chuckle and pick Emicho up, holding her against their chest.
“I found my mentor!” She declares proudly. Daiaki raised a brow, glancing over to Yasurin.
“And with your permission, she wishes to accompany me. I am departing soon for the human village.”
Daiaki’s ears pinned as they let out a breath between their teeth. “That is… quite the journey to start with…”
“Please, amma?” Emicho butted her head against the side of Daiaki’s, “I will be okay!” Daiaki glanced from the corner of their eyes at her before refocusing on Yasurin. After a moment, they heaved a sigh as if expelling whatever anxiety had brewed in their mind.
“If I say yes, I have a job for you Emicho.”
Emicho perked immediately, “What is it?”
Daiaki held up a finger, “You have made Yasurin your mentor, so you are to listen to him.” They put up another finger, “While you are there… I need any metal the humans can spare. We are running short.”
Emicho pouted, “That is two jobs!”
“No, one is a rule. The other is the job.” Daiaki smirked as Emicho let out another puff of air. Then they focused on Yasurin. “Would you know what they may need to trade?”
Yasurin shook his head, “The repairs have finished. But there may be other things that we can assist with.”
Daiaki nodded in satisfaction and then wrapped his arms more tightly around Emicho in an embrace. She squeaked but returned it before wriggling for freedom. As soon as Daiaki set her down, she bounded off without waiting. Yasurin lingered, setting a hand on Daiaki’s shoulder, “I will keep her safe in the travel there.”
“Thank you, brother.” Daiaki breathed, covering Yasurin’s hand with theirs and giving a squeeze.
The disadvantage to getting up late was that it left them with less light in the day to travel. Dusk was upon them when the village came into view. Emicho wobbled in place, stubbornly fighting her exhaustion. “We made it.” Her words tumbled out in a yawn. Yasurin chuckled and bent down to pick her up. While too tired to put up a fight, Emicho still huffed unhappily about it, even while sinking into the crook of his arm. “I have a job.” She whined.
“That you can do tomorrow. There is no rush.” Yasurin reassured as he made for a nearby cave. It was carved out years ago as a resting point for the Onis, allowing them to stay just outside of the village during times of trade. Yasurin took a moment to assess that no wild animal had taken residence.
When no foreign scent hit him and he didn’t hear anything scuffling about inside, he entered, settling down against the wall with Emicho draped over him.
She had already fallen asleep on the way and she nuzzled contently against his chest. Yasurin gently brushed his clawed digits through her mane of fur while overlooking the village below. Somewhere down there, he knew, was the inn where Andris stayed. His thoughts strayed, curious as to what the Arcanist might be up to until, eventually, sleep claimed him as well.
As the sun rose the next day, the snowy valley was slowly enveloped in its light, reflecting it. When it reached the entry of the cave, Yasurin stirred, raising a hand to cover his eyes until they adjusted. Emicho had her back to the sun’s rays so was spared being woken up by it. With a yawn, Yasurin stood, holding Emicho to his chest to allow her to sleep as he continued onward to the village.
Workers were already tending to their jobs as he entered, while the average citizen was emerging from their home to start the day. Many greeted him, but most were curious about the extra bundle he carried, who was only now starting to wake. Emicho rubbed her eyes, “Why is the ground shaking?” She grumbled sleepily. “It is not the ground,” Yasurin answered and slowly set Emicho down, only letting go when he was sure she had her footing.
She blinked blearily at her surroundings until the realization hit her. “Oh! We are here!” Emicho rushed a few steps ahead, almost bowling over some people in her wake. Despite being a child, she stood at nearly the full height of an average adult human.
“Where do we go for metal?” She asked, standing in the middle of the road and looking down both ends. Yasurin calmly joined her side, being more polite in his navigation of the people walking by, and gestured to the left. Emicho spun instantly in that direction and began to march before pausing. “Wait. Where is your friend?”
Yasurin simply turned his head rather than pointing, looking straight ahead in the direction he knew the inn to be. Emicho followed his gaze, puffed her chest, and began heading in that direction instead. Yasurin raised a brow, “What of your task?”
“We will do your task first!” Emicho exclaimed, gesturing for Yasurin to follow. Yasurin’s expression softened, even as he sighed in exasperation, and he fell in line with her lead, purposely keeping to a pace that allowed Emicho to stay ahead. Taking shortcuts between buildings, it wasn’t long before they reached the inn. Instead of going to the front door, which was too small for him anyway, Yasurin headed for the back of the building much to Emicho’s confusion. She followed him, however, and found him staring up at a window on the second floor.
“Is he there?” She asked, tilting her head curiously.
Yasurin hummed without really responding. The window was closed, which meant either Andris was still asleep or he was out somewhere. He expressed this to Emicho who squinted at the window in turn. Then suddenly she bent down before standing up straight again. By the time Yasurin noticed what she was doing, she had her arm wound back and then she slugged a snowball right at the window.
Thankfully it didn’t break the glass, but it still made a loud sound on impact. The wad of snow now plastered to the window.
Yasurin let out a long, suffering sigh, causing Emicho to blink in confusion at him.
“I was only--”
A sudden rattling of the assaulted window snatched their attention. The Onis watched it open before, slowly, a dark-skinned man poked his head out. He squinted at them until recognition crossed his face, “Yasurin?” The man glanced at the window and then back to Yasurin, “Scared the shit out of me. What’s the emergency?”
“There is none.” Yasurin leveled Emicho with a look that she tried to meet with a small grin. When his gaze didn’t let up, she pouted, “I only wished to see if he was home.” Emicho folded her arms defiantly.
Andris tilted his head at her, seeming to just notice her presence. “And who might this be?” He called. Yasurin grunted, “This is Emicho. She is my sibling’s child.”
“Sibling?” Andris folded his arms on the window seal, leaning forward on them, “I didn’t know you had one.” Dark, curly locks of hair fell forward, the rest of his hair being quite tussled, but the Arcanist blew a sharp puff of air, redirecting the strands away from his eyes.
Yasurin grunted to bury the stint of fluster that almost rose to the surface. Before he could muster a response, however, “Surin wants to talk to you!” Emicho exclaimed and then gestured for the man to come down. Andris smirked, bringing a palm up to lean on and Yasurin recognized he was taking the moment with amusement.
His ear twitched.
“Surin?” Andris repeated, rolling the name off his tongue like a purr.
Yasurin grunted again, this time in a warning as it slid into a growl. To the man’s credit, he took the hint easily enough and held his hands out in an offering of peace. “Give me a moment. I’ll be right down.”
While waiting on Andris, Yasurin’s gaze turned to Emicho. She was wiggling in place with pent-up energy. He let out another sigh, eyes shifting back to the window, “The innkeeper is a friend of Andris.”
Emicho’s restless movements ceased as she instead turned to face Yasurin. Confusion furrowed her brows, “Okay?”
“I wish to speak with Andris alone. In the meanwhile, I would have you offer your help with anything the innkeeper may need.” Yasurin explained. Emicho folded her arms, “What if there is nothing to help with?” She asked warily. Yasurin made a contemplative hum to that before answering, “Then I ask for your patience. It should not take long.”
“You are sure?” Emicho raised a brow suspiciously.
Yasurin paused. “I am not.” He answered honestly. “I can only try and hope.”
Emicho seemed to accept this, giving a small nod as her shoulders relaxed. “Okay.” With another nod, she straightened for a more determined stance and then began to head toward the front of the building. Yasurin watched her until she completely disappeared behind the bend. Almost immediately, Andris came around in her place, throwing a couple of glances over his shoulder as he approached.
“Your sibling’s child. So your niece then?”
Yasurin tilted his head, “If that is the human term for it. She is of my blood, family.” Again he looked to where she went, resisting the urge to follow, before refocusing on the human in front of him. The human who was the whole reason he came here today.
Andris’ brow raised, “You use the term sibling but not niece?”
“Is there a need to?”
The Arcanist took a moment, seeming to think that over before he shrugged. “I suppose not. But it is a faster introduction than ‘my sibling’s child’.”
Yasurin grunted, nearly rolling his eyes.
Andris put up his hands again with a laugh, “Alright, alright. You wanted to talk?”
The Oni nodded, “Yes. Of the power you are hiding.”
Andris’ smile instantly fell away, “That’s quite a claim.”
“Yet true. Is it not?”
The man pinched the bridge of his nose as a long sigh emitted. “What was I supposed to say about it? It’s not as though I whip it out on the random.” Andris’ face scrunched, “At least not frequently. I try not to use it most days.”
“That is the problem.” Yasurin grunts, making Andris blink in confusion at him. The Oni emitted a slow breath. In the cold air, it shaped into a misty cloud before quickly dispersing. “You cannot restrain this kind of power. It cannot be controlled as the spells you weave. One day, the chain will break, and you will be consumed.”
He watched the Arcanist take in his words, his ruby eyes following Andris’ movements as he began to pace. After a moment of this, Andris stopped in his tracks and slapped a hand over his eyes as he laughed bitterly. “I wasn’t supposed to even have this power…”
The claim came out in a mutter. One that Yasurin believed was not meant for his ears. Perhaps Andris was unaware of an Oni’s hearing?
Whatever the case, Andris dragged his hand down his face with an irritated sound before facing Yasurin. “So. What should I do then? Leave?”
Yasurin tilted his head, “Or you can train. Learn to harmonize with it. Not treat it as an enemy.”
“And… Are you offering to train me?”
“If you wish.”
Andris began to pace again, but this time he held his gaze on Yasurin, thoughtful. The Oni didn’t look away, merely waiting on an answer to be reached. Which didn’t take long, “Well, considering my options are blow up or don’t blow up, I’ll take the latter.”
Yasurin raised a brow, prompting Andris to quickly clarify, “I… Yes. I wish for you to train me.” He then held out his hand. Yasurin’s gaze slid down to the outstretched hand. How sharply he was reminded of their size difference. He lifted his hand slowly, wrapping his fingers loosely around Andris’ hand.
“Then it shall be done.”
Hi, hello, I am so exhausted. It's been a time trying to get some stuff settled and put together. But got this finished and I already have another piece in mind. Fireblood will also be continuing, no worries.
So while most of these shorts are stand alones, they will sometimes directly connect. This one is a follow up to Stance, which can be read --> Here
A violet-blue dragon standing over him. At its heart was one man.
One Arcanist.
Andris.
Yasurin’s eyes closed and he dragged a hand down his face with a deep, rumbling, sigh. Primordial magic. A term he’d heard humans call what his people considered to be of the natural elements. He had never seen or heard of a human who could wield such magic and survive it. The Oni propped himself on his elbows, taking in the small space of his hut before fully sitting up.
He leaned forward, contemplating. Since the bandit’s attack, there hadn’t been a good time or chance to speak on it. However, his tribe has since helped restore a sense of normal. Perhaps now would be the time to confront the matter. Yasurin, so tied up in his thoughts, nearly missed movement by the entry of his hut. It was only from the corner of his eye that he caught it and he grunted.
“Were you taught to enter without permission?”
A yelp answered him, followed up with a whine. “You have been in here all day!”
“Are the stars out?”
“…No.”
“Then it has not been all day.”
An indignant huff met his response, getting a chuckle out of Yasurin as he fully faced the child. Emicho’s silver eyes bore into him as she stood by the entrance to his hut, pouting with arms folded tight against her chest.
“I am well. Thank you for checking youngling.” The grateful sentiment placates Emicho enough to stop sulking, puffing her chest out proudly instead. But just as quickly, she deflates and tilts her head, confused. “Why did you not come out today?”
Yasurin let out a long breath through his nose, “I was thinking. I am… worried for a friend.”
Emicho instantly crossed the distance, pressing her hands to his leg as she leaned forward, “Is he sick?” She asked.
Yasurin shook his head, “No.”
“Is he… hurt?”
“No. Not yet at least.”
“Why not yet? What is wrong?” Emicho shook Yasurin’s leg as she leaned in further, trying to get him to meet her eyes. He complied with a half-hearted huff, resting his chin on the top of his hands. “He holds a power that could hurt him and others if he is not careful. I wish to… speak with him about it.”
Emicho’s ears suddenly perked, “Does that mean you will go to the human village?”
Yasurin raised a brow, “It does.” Emicho’s head lowered, her eyes flitting to and fro unfocused, and he waited patiently for her to sort her thoughts. “…I wish to go!” She finally exclaimed, puffing up her chest again. “I will be of age soon and… and I wish for you to be my mentor!”
“Not your amma?”
Emicho shook her head before tilting her chin up, showing off the necklace around her neck. Violet beads and different colored feathers adorned the thread making up the accessory. “They are teaching me to craft. But I wish to know the outside too. They told me, I must choose one of the defenders of our home to learn.”
Yasurin’s expression softened, “Very well. I heed your choice and I am honored.” He bowed his head to her, making Emicho grin ear to ear.
“Let us find your amma then and share this news. Hm?” Yasurin stood, reaching over to ruffle Emicho’s mane.
Emicho beamed under his palm. “Yes!”
It didn’t take long to find Daiaki, Emicho’s parent. They were at the village storage. An area consisting of two buildings inspired by human barns. One was meant to store materials the crafters shared. The other was a multi-purpose of preserving extra food and herbs, while also tending to livestock.
Daiaki was, seemingly, searching for something until Emicho called out to them. Their ears pricked at her voice and they turned to her with a smile. They shared the same black accent as Emicho but instead of silver eyes, their eyes were violet. “Back already?” They chuckle and pick Emicho up, holding her against their chest.
“I found my mentor!” She declares proudly. Daiaki raised a brow, glancing over to Yasurin.
“And with your permission, she wishes to accompany me. I am departing soon for the human village.”
Daiaki’s ears pinned as they let out a breath between their teeth. “That is… quite the journey to start with…”
“Please, amma?” Emicho butted her head against the side of Daiaki’s, “I will be okay!” Daiaki glanced from the corner of their eyes at her before refocusing on Yasurin. After a moment, they heaved a sigh as if expelling whatever anxiety had brewed in their mind.
“If I say yes, I have a job for you Emicho.”
Emicho perked immediately, “What is it?”
Daiaki held up a finger, “You have made Yasurin your mentor, so you are to listen to him.” They put up another finger, “While you are there… I need any metal the humans can spare. We are running short.”
Emicho pouted, “That is two jobs!”
“No, one is a rule. The other is the job.” Daiaki smirked as Emicho let out another puff of air. Then they focused on Yasurin. “Would you know what they may need to trade?”
Yasurin shook his head, “The repairs have finished. But there may be other things that we can assist with.”
Daiaki nodded in satisfaction and then wrapped his arms more tightly around Emicho in an embrace. She squeaked but returned it before wriggling for freedom. As soon as Daiaki set her down, she bounded off without waiting. Yasurin lingered, setting a hand on Daiaki’s shoulder, “I will keep her safe in the travel there.”
“Thank you, brother.” Daiaki breathed, covering Yasurin’s hand with theirs and giving a squeeze.
* * *
The disadvantage to getting up late was that it left them with less light in the day to travel. Dusk was upon them when the village came into view. Emicho wobbled in place, stubbornly fighting her exhaustion. “We made it.” Her words tumbled out in a yawn. Yasurin chuckled and bent down to pick her up. While too tired to put up a fight, Emicho still huffed unhappily about it, even while sinking into the crook of his arm. “I have a job.” She whined.
“That you can do tomorrow. There is no rush.” Yasurin reassured as he made for a nearby cave. It was carved out years ago as a resting point for the Onis, allowing them to stay just outside of the village during times of trade. Yasurin took a moment to assess that no wild animal had taken residence.
When no foreign scent hit him and he didn’t hear anything scuffling about inside, he entered, settling down against the wall with Emicho draped over him.
She had already fallen asleep on the way and she nuzzled contently against his chest. Yasurin gently brushed his clawed digits through her mane of fur while overlooking the village below. Somewhere down there, he knew, was the inn where Andris stayed. His thoughts strayed, curious as to what the Arcanist might be up to until, eventually, sleep claimed him as well.
As the sun rose the next day, the snowy valley was slowly enveloped in its light, reflecting it. When it reached the entry of the cave, Yasurin stirred, raising a hand to cover his eyes until they adjusted. Emicho had her back to the sun’s rays so was spared being woken up by it. With a yawn, Yasurin stood, holding Emicho to his chest to allow her to sleep as he continued onward to the village.
Workers were already tending to their jobs as he entered, while the average citizen was emerging from their home to start the day. Many greeted him, but most were curious about the extra bundle he carried, who was only now starting to wake. Emicho rubbed her eyes, “Why is the ground shaking?” She grumbled sleepily. “It is not the ground,” Yasurin answered and slowly set Emicho down, only letting go when he was sure she had her footing.
She blinked blearily at her surroundings until the realization hit her. “Oh! We are here!” Emicho rushed a few steps ahead, almost bowling over some people in her wake. Despite being a child, she stood at nearly the full height of an average adult human.
“Where do we go for metal?” She asked, standing in the middle of the road and looking down both ends. Yasurin calmly joined her side, being more polite in his navigation of the people walking by, and gestured to the left. Emicho spun instantly in that direction and began to march before pausing. “Wait. Where is your friend?”
Yasurin simply turned his head rather than pointing, looking straight ahead in the direction he knew the inn to be. Emicho followed his gaze, puffed her chest, and began heading in that direction instead. Yasurin raised a brow, “What of your task?”
“We will do your task first!” Emicho exclaimed, gesturing for Yasurin to follow. Yasurin’s expression softened, even as he sighed in exasperation, and he fell in line with her lead, purposely keeping to a pace that allowed Emicho to stay ahead. Taking shortcuts between buildings, it wasn’t long before they reached the inn. Instead of going to the front door, which was too small for him anyway, Yasurin headed for the back of the building much to Emicho’s confusion. She followed him, however, and found him staring up at a window on the second floor.
“Is he there?” She asked, tilting her head curiously.
Yasurin hummed without really responding. The window was closed, which meant either Andris was still asleep or he was out somewhere. He expressed this to Emicho who squinted at the window in turn. Then suddenly she bent down before standing up straight again. By the time Yasurin noticed what she was doing, she had her arm wound back and then she slugged a snowball right at the window.
Thankfully it didn’t break the glass, but it still made a loud sound on impact. The wad of snow now plastered to the window.
Yasurin let out a long, suffering sigh, causing Emicho to blink in confusion at him.
“I was only--”
A sudden rattling of the assaulted window snatched their attention. The Onis watched it open before, slowly, a dark-skinned man poked his head out. He squinted at them until recognition crossed his face, “Yasurin?” The man glanced at the window and then back to Yasurin, “Scared the shit out of me. What’s the emergency?”
“There is none.” Yasurin leveled Emicho with a look that she tried to meet with a small grin. When his gaze didn’t let up, she pouted, “I only wished to see if he was home.” Emicho folded her arms defiantly.
Andris tilted his head at her, seeming to just notice her presence. “And who might this be?” He called. Yasurin grunted, “This is Emicho. She is my sibling’s child.”
“Sibling?” Andris folded his arms on the window seal, leaning forward on them, “I didn’t know you had one.” Dark, curly locks of hair fell forward, the rest of his hair being quite tussled, but the Arcanist blew a sharp puff of air, redirecting the strands away from his eyes.
Yasurin grunted to bury the stint of fluster that almost rose to the surface. Before he could muster a response, however, “Surin wants to talk to you!” Emicho exclaimed and then gestured for the man to come down. Andris smirked, bringing a palm up to lean on and Yasurin recognized he was taking the moment with amusement.
His ear twitched.
“Surin?” Andris repeated, rolling the name off his tongue like a purr.
Yasurin grunted again, this time in a warning as it slid into a growl. To the man’s credit, he took the hint easily enough and held his hands out in an offering of peace. “Give me a moment. I’ll be right down.”
While waiting on Andris, Yasurin’s gaze turned to Emicho. She was wiggling in place with pent-up energy. He let out another sigh, eyes shifting back to the window, “The innkeeper is a friend of Andris.”
Emicho’s restless movements ceased as she instead turned to face Yasurin. Confusion furrowed her brows, “Okay?”
“I wish to speak with Andris alone. In the meanwhile, I would have you offer your help with anything the innkeeper may need.” Yasurin explained. Emicho folded her arms, “What if there is nothing to help with?” She asked warily. Yasurin made a contemplative hum to that before answering, “Then I ask for your patience. It should not take long.”
“You are sure?” Emicho raised a brow suspiciously.
Yasurin paused. “I am not.” He answered honestly. “I can only try and hope.”
Emicho seemed to accept this, giving a small nod as her shoulders relaxed. “Okay.” With another nod, she straightened for a more determined stance and then began to head toward the front of the building. Yasurin watched her until she completely disappeared behind the bend. Almost immediately, Andris came around in her place, throwing a couple of glances over his shoulder as he approached.
“Your sibling’s child. So your niece then?”
Yasurin tilted his head, “If that is the human term for it. She is of my blood, family.” Again he looked to where she went, resisting the urge to follow, before refocusing on the human in front of him. The human who was the whole reason he came here today.
Andris’ brow raised, “You use the term sibling but not niece?”
“Is there a need to?”
The Arcanist took a moment, seeming to think that over before he shrugged. “I suppose not. But it is a faster introduction than ‘my sibling’s child’.”
Yasurin grunted, nearly rolling his eyes.
Andris put up his hands again with a laugh, “Alright, alright. You wanted to talk?”
The Oni nodded, “Yes. Of the power you are hiding.”
Andris’ smile instantly fell away, “That’s quite a claim.”
“Yet true. Is it not?”
The man pinched the bridge of his nose as a long sigh emitted. “What was I supposed to say about it? It’s not as though I whip it out on the random.” Andris’ face scrunched, “At least not frequently. I try not to use it most days.”
“That is the problem.” Yasurin grunts, making Andris blink in confusion at him. The Oni emitted a slow breath. In the cold air, it shaped into a misty cloud before quickly dispersing. “You cannot restrain this kind of power. It cannot be controlled as the spells you weave. One day, the chain will break, and you will be consumed.”
He watched the Arcanist take in his words, his ruby eyes following Andris’ movements as he began to pace. After a moment of this, Andris stopped in his tracks and slapped a hand over his eyes as he laughed bitterly. “I wasn’t supposed to even have this power…”
The claim came out in a mutter. One that Yasurin believed was not meant for his ears. Perhaps Andris was unaware of an Oni’s hearing?
Whatever the case, Andris dragged his hand down his face with an irritated sound before facing Yasurin. “So. What should I do then? Leave?”
Yasurin tilted his head, “Or you can train. Learn to harmonize with it. Not treat it as an enemy.”
“And… Are you offering to train me?”
“If you wish.”
Andris began to pace again, but this time he held his gaze on Yasurin, thoughtful. The Oni didn’t look away, merely waiting on an answer to be reached. Which didn’t take long, “Well, considering my options are blow up or don’t blow up, I’ll take the latter.”
Yasurin raised a brow, prompting Andris to quickly clarify, “I… Yes. I wish for you to train me.” He then held out his hand. Yasurin’s gaze slid down to the outstretched hand. How sharply he was reminded of their size difference. He lifted his hand slowly, wrapping his fingers loosely around Andris’ hand.
“Then it shall be done.”
Hi, hello, I am so exhausted. It's been a time trying to get some stuff settled and put together. But got this finished and I already have another piece in mind. Fireblood will also be continuing, no worries.
So while most of these shorts are stand alones, they will sometimes directly connect. This one is a follow up to Stance, which can be read --> Here
Category Story / Fantasy
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 364 x 334px
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