Of Divines and Monsters

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She bilnked, surprised. Then her face broke out in a warm smile. The priestess held out her hand again, taking his gently, and caressing his palm with her thumb. She would have to have her attendant teach him to read, so that she could communicate with him properly.​
 
He clenched his jaw at her hand, looking at it fearfully lest he hurt her again. Slowly, but eventually he relaxed, going closer to her
 
Asuka waited patiently, the same way she did when there was an injured animal near the temple. Her gaze stayed soft, her touch light and soothing. She knew he hadn't meant to hurt her, and she could tell that he frightened himself as much as he had frightened her.

Once he was in front of her, she leaned in to touch her lips to his forehead, reassuring and light as a butterfly's wing.
 
He felt rather ridiculous.

He promised himself to protect her. To keep her safe and make her happy.

He never intended her to do it as well.

He leaned into her, embracing her awkwardly, unused to such actions and his clumsy way of doing it made it clear
 
Asuka didn't mind. She pat his head gently, and drew him to his feet. Her soft gaze shimmered like sapphires as she led him into the temple to wash again.

Frightening but innocent. Powerful and fragile. Her heart was opening to him like a flower, and she wanted to show him a way to live without pain and blood, if she possibly could.
 
He washed himself without drama. For once silent in a way more than verbal. This priestess was something he couldn't even fathom, yet there she was still. He washed up and found his clothes too bloody to dress in again.

He walked back to the pilgrim rooms, walking around naked as a babe once more until he found a another set that almost fit him. He was rather tall, however, and it showed in his pants and his slightly to high hanging shirt.

After that was concluded, he immediately went in search for her
 
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Asuka was praying in the sanctuary. For the dead soldiers, for her new guest. For herself. A faint shimmering aura seemed to hang about her, hair drifting slightly about her in a nonexistent breeze.

She loved the Balance. She loved this country, and this world. So she was praying for the strength to watch over it without wavering, and to guide those who came to her in need.
 
He found her rather quickly. He found himself struck with her serenity, her stability. He decided just to find a little corner and let her finish her prayers. That, however, was thwarted with how struck he was with her.

Unable to keep his eyes from her, he didn't know he walked straight into a grand looking statue at a shrine.

As the thing tipped, his eyes shot wide? Scrambling and making a racket as metal objects fly off the spring as he grabbed the statue, making a vase fall instead.

He looked rather frustrated I'm a bitter way. In his effort to not make a scene, he made a great one
 
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The golden-skinned priestess was startled from her prayers, and blinked at him before lifting a hand to her mouth and giving a slight giggle. The things in the shrine were there mostly for decoration, gifts from pilgrims or nobles who visited. The only truly important things were the fountain and the candles, so he had done no harm.

She stood, brushing her skirt clean, and moved to start picking up the shattered pieces of the vase carefully.
 
Even in his bitter state of mind, he couldn't help but smile when she giggled. At least he didn't break something important to make her frown.

He quickly helped her with the vase. Cutting his fingers a few times but he didn't care for such small cuts. He made sure to pick it up as fast as possible to spare her a cut however.
 
Once the mess was picked up, Asuka took him by the hand and led him over to the fountain, dipping the cut fingers in with a gentle smile to wash them. It was important to keep wounds clean so they wouldn't get infected. Her movements were graceful and her expression always kind.
 
He raised an eyebrow at her actions, but didn't dare go against them. When she finished, he still felt the lightning in his hands even after she stopped touching his hands. He shook his head rather carefully, motioning cutting off his finger and miming how it grows back. It's going to take a lot more than cuts to bother him
 
Asuka seemed rather puzzled by his miming, apparently not understanding what he was trying to say. Regardless, she stood and shifted a loose strand of hair from her face, a hand touching her lips as she yawned softly. Today had been- trying, to say the least. She was more than ready to sleep now that her prayers were finished.
 
He noticed her yawning and nodded instantly in understanding. He gave a bit of a bow as to say he was leaving before quickly leaving her to sleep.

He wasn't going to sleep. He wasn't going to bother her with his nightmares, not that he had to courage to face them again anyways. He quickly started roaming outside the temple as night fell, deciding to roam around and see what he could find
 
Asuka smiled and headed in to sleep. Tomorrow she would have to see if she could start teaching him how to read.

The temple was a graceful building, many sections of it draped in trailing vines. Towards the back was a courtyard, with columns surrounding it. Each one had a relief etched upon it in the form of a young woman, dressed as Asuka had been. The last one was blank, and would be carved when she passed on.
 
He gave a long, hard look at the the column yet to bear the priestess' image. He could guess it was a memorial thing. He just didn't like it. He didn't like the idea of her being stuck here until she only became an anonymous relief on a column nobody really looks at after a year. She deserved better than that. Better than some obscure force that keeps her here.

But then again, who was he to tell a girl to function properly?

He wandered around a bit more until it got boring. He decided to do some woodcarving, tearing off a thick but dead branch off a tree. Making sure to place it on the ground as carefully as possible, lest magically breaking something like at the temple, he tore off the base.

It left him with a piece of wood as thick as his fist and as wide as his outstretched hand. He simply took his claws and started to carve, all through the night
 
It was early i the morning when the nightmare found her. The sun had just begun to creep over the distant mountains as the quiet sounds of her distress came from the high window of her room. With all she had seen in the past twenty four hours, it wasn't surprising to have a bad vision or two; the bodies, the proclamation of burning death for her and her people. The red of fire and blood was consuming her dreams.
 
Somewhere along the night, he decided to sit against the door of her room. He looked with borderline obsession as he carved out a likeness of the Priestess.

The moment he heard her whimpers, he almost broke down the door in panic. His fist was about to crush the lock when he stopped. He would have heard someone come in.

She was having a bad dream.

He stealthily snuck inside, stalking like a panther to her whimpering form.

Unsure as to how to do it properly, he awkwardly snuck his hand under her and gave her an embrace. First too tight, but he quickly gave the right amount of pressure. He didn't dare try anything else, just hoping she didn't wake and he did the right thing
 
She squeaked a little at first when he squeezed her, but then clung on half-asleep, sniffling a little bit. With his arm around her he could feel that she was slim, not unhealthily so, but her form was very delicate. It felt like if he held her too roughly, she might simply break in two.

After a few minutes Asuka settled again, her breathing falling back into a steady rhythm as sleep claimed her again. Silvery lashes brushed her fair cheeks as they fluttered.
 
Her thin body scared him even more. He was legitimately afraid he would break her in two, if he used too much strength to embrace her.

When she finally settled down, he found an unforeseen consequence if his actions: He couldn't move away now. The way he embraced her meant he'd have to move her, and he didn't want to even consider doing that. He glanced at the wood carving lying on floor, letting out a quiet sigh.

At least he finished with the carving.

He spent the next long while stewing about how she would react, with him embracing her like he did. He didn't dare fall asleep, as tempting as it was with how comfortable he felt.

Maybe he'd sleep soundly, just like she was now.

Maybe he wouldn't. Maybe he'd crush her in his arms.

Maybe he'd rather not take the risk
 
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