Then she was asleep, and Orpheus felt as though the world was right once more.
Reia swung her sword through the air, feeling unbalanced.
She darted to the side where there was a stump with a book on it, a rock holding the pages open so the light wind didn’t change the page.
She pressed her fingers on the book, keeping the page from blowing so she could read it properly. Oh, okay. So, I’m swinging too high.
Moving away from the sword training guide to make room for herself, she adjusted her grip slightly. Then she swung, bringing the sword up, twisting it over her head, before she sliced downwards in a diagonal swing from the outside of her shoulder rather than directly above it.
The motion felt smooth, didn’t cause any twinges in her back or arms, and didn’t unbalance her. Because of these changes, it was also faster.
“Yes!” She released one hand from the grip of the hilt and threw her fist in the air. “That was perfect!”
She looked around with a grin, wishing Orpheus was here to see her do that. He was currently travelling to the stream to fetch her water since she was starting to run low.
Ever since she’d gotten the book, her skills with the sword had significantly improved, even in the five days she’d started using it. Every day, she practised for hours. When she was tired, she would do other things while she rested before practising again.
She would sew her own clothes, like the one she currently wore. She wore a pale, baby pink dress from the fabric he’d gotten for her.
Now that the weather was getting warmer, she didn’t need long sleeves. It came to the middle of her bicep and was loose enough that when she lifted her arms, it folded to her shoulders. It was low cut and showed the top of her cleavage. She used the brown fabric he’d gotten to sew on a fake corset section that cupped underneath her breasts and highlighted them before coming down at a V just over her navel, wrapping around her waist but leaving her hips free.
The skirt of her dress was flowy and came to just below her thighs, and if she was to twirl, it billowed out around her freely.
It was more colourful than anything she’d ever worn, but this was how she’d used to dress when she’d been back in her village.
She loved it and couldn’t wait to make others that were similar in style but different colours.
Reia would also make ornaments in her spare time, slowly getting rid of the ones the other woman had wanted or made herself. Some of them were new, from Orpheus decorating his home to make it more welcoming for the offerings that had followed her. She kept those.
She just wanted to get rid of some of the evidence of the mystery woman. After hearing of the story of her, she now understood Orpheus better.
Looking towards the house, with all the effort he’d gone to, she knew he had always been kind. It didn’t matter what else he had done. She could see he’d tried to be accommodating, had wanted to bring comfort and happiness but had been coldly rejected in return.
Don’t worry, I’ll accept it on her behalf. And she’d return it, add to it, make this a memory holder of her. Someone that cared for him, wanted him, someone who was going to stay with him because she wanted to.
But we will leave it sometimes. She was adamant about it.
She redirected her attention back to her sword, holding it up like she was poised to strike an invisible enemy. I will get good with my sword and prove he can take me anywhere.
Her lips curled into a smile of humour.
Maybe I can scare the crap out of him again.
Orpheus usually helped her train, letting her attack a sword he was holding so she actually had something to hit.
He didn’t do much, just stood there pointing the sword downwards since he didn’t know how to hold it in his large hands and deflected her blows like an enemy that was defending.
The previous day, she had been using what she’d put into practise and had almost hit him! Not the sword, but him, and he’d stumbled back, barely ducking his body back in time before she sliced into him.
“I think it’s time I make you that wooden sword, my brave human,” he’d chuckled to her.
She’d expected him to be upset, but his eyes had changed to yellow, like he was proud of her. She couldn’t help beaming.
I’m feeling a lot better after getting a good sleep, she thought, practising the same move she’d done before until it was written perfectly in her memories.
Between doing all the many things that took up most of her time, she would find herself pressed up against something and everything. The table, the wall, the kitchen counter, being taken by him as she lost herself around his cock.
She knew a part of it was about release and pleasure, but she understood Orpheus well enough now to know it was also about being close to her. He liked to be near her, affectionate with her, even if it wasn’t sexual.
I still can’t believe he came into my room last night just because he wanted a damn cuddle. She laughed out loud, swiping the droplets of sweat from her brow.
Reia didn’t think sleeping in her bed, that bed – Is it even my bed anymore? I sleep in his room now – would upset him so much.
“Whatever. Now I know.”
Turning to collect her book so she could go inside since she was tired, she froze. Who the fuck is that?!
She lifted her sword to point the tip of it across the yard at the person who had been watching her from the other side of the salt circle.
He’d been behind her, so she hadn’t been able to see him, but he looked like a human and also very much didn’t. She knew it was a he by the fact he was shirtless and wearing nothing but a pair of genie-like maroon pants that were tucked around his knees for clothing.
“Who are you?” she asked, while she looked him over to figure out what he was.
Even with the distance between them, she could tell he was tall, too tall to be human. The streaking black over his sides, outer flesh of his arms that ran up over his shoulders, sides of his neck, and over his face through his hairline, told her he was probably a Demon. But the rest of him, which was most of him, was covered in darkly-tanned skin.
His eyes weren’t red, but he had pointed ears like the pictures of the Elves she’d seen in her book from the Witch Owl. There were also two horns that were dark and curling back over his long blueish-white hair.
His bulky arms were folded over a muscular chest, puffing them, while eight rock-hard abs were shadowed by them from the sun.
