“Oh,” he gasped in return. He craned his head to the side to see her better around him as he stepped that way. “You have a human?”

“Stay back!” he snarled, crimson red rising swiftly into his vision, a deadly warning.

The other Mavka cracked its neck when he twisted his head sideways. His bony skull was that of a fox and he had two large antlers forking with multiple branches on top of his head rather than the horns that Orpheus had.

He wore only tattered shorts and was a similar shape to Orpheus in body, except he had more long fur and more bones protruding from his skin, like around his hips and knees.

He was a less human-developed Mavka and most likely hadn’t eaten as many as Orpheus had. He had a similar diet considering his deer and wolf fur, but he must eat more birds since he had feathers poking out around his neck, shoulders, chest, and back.

Whatever they ate gave them their characteristics.

However, this Mavka visited him often compared to the others he’d briefly met. This was Orpheus’ territory, he was very possessive of it, but he allowed him to come here as long as he didn’t linger.

“Why do you have a human that you have not eaten?”

“She is not for eating.”

His green glowing eyes, the colour they usually were, flashed to a bright yellow.

“She is a companion? We can make companions with humans?”

Orpheus’ stance grew more rigid when he dared to step closer in curiosity. He’d never felt the urge or want to kill a fellow Mavka, but he felt it now since he was a threat to his Reia.

He sniffed the air while lowering himself to crouch onto a single hand.

“She does not smell of fear!” His yellow orbs flashed even brighter. “I want a human that will not make me eat them.”

“She is mine,” he bit with a growl.

He huffed in answer, rubbing the hole in his snout where his nose was.

“I do not want your one. She smells of sticks and thorns. I want a better smelling one.” No longer being so interested in his human, he looked up to Orpheus while remaining crouched some fair distance away still. “Does she allow you to touch her?”

Orpheus’ sight faded into a reddish-pink when embarrassment soared through him swiftly. Reia was right behind him, and he dreaded how she’d take his question.

He knew the Mavka meant touch as in hold, since he doubted he even knew what sex was, but he worried how Reia might take his meaning instead.

A shrilling laugh burst from behind him. The kind that was so uncontrolled that it was loud and high-pitched.

The fox-headed Mavka backed up with his orbs turning white. “What is that sound she made?”

It made sense that he’d never heard a human laugh before since he’d probably only ever heard their screams and cries.

“What do you want, Mavka?”

This one didn’t have a name like Orpheus did.

Orpheus wanted this to end, needed him to leave.

“I have come for more salt,” he answered, once more twisting his head in Reia’s direction. “The serpent Demon is still near my home and the rain washed away the circle you told me to place.”

Orpheus, while still holding Reia against him with one arm, raised the other to point the tip of a claw at him “You still have not grown the ingredients for the charm trinkets. I told you they would protect your home.”

This time, a pinkish-red entered his orbs instead of Orpheus’. “I tried, but they would not grow.”

“Fine, I will give you more salt and then you will leave.”

“Wait,” he demanded, reaching his hand forward when Orpheus brought Reia in front of him, so she was protected when he turned towards the house. “I wish to know more about this. If there are humans that are willing to be our companions, ones that do not make us hungry, then I would like one.”

His initial response was the want to tell him no and to be gone as soon as possible. However, he understood what the Mavka was feeling. The more humanity they possessed, the more they ached with loneliness, darkness swallowing them up with desolation and anguish.

He may be a less developed Mavka, but Orpheus was similar to his state when he started trying to ease his own loneliness – only to discover the pain of being abandoned.

Of feeling more and more like a monster when he was rejected, when he ate those he wanted to befriend because the scent of their fear drove him insane.

With a sigh filled with understanding, he nodded.

“Remain there, I will bring what you need and explain everything.”

If this Mavka was interested in his relationship with Reia, wanting what he did, what he still didn’t truly have, then he had a long and hard road ahead of him.

I will aid him as best as I can. He would share of everything he knew, what he would have to do, to even be able to start this path.

For two days Reia was stuck inside.

She wasn’t allowed to go past the porch. She wasn’t allowed to sit in the sun in the garden.

She’d been worried about what it would be like to be inside in close proximity to him constantly, but that didn’t happen. Orpheus had spent most of his time outside making sure the house was safe since the circle couldn’t be placed down because of the wet ground.

He came inside often to check on her, finding her using the lemons to dye a dress yellow, or cooking, or even reading one of the two books he owned – not that she was much of a reader, and they were dull and boring. Since it was no longer windy and rainy, he was able to watch her while she cooked. It always seemed like he wanted to linger, wanted her to stay within his sight, but then would feel compelled to walk around the yard to make sure there were no Demons.

It appeared he’d frightened most of them away or had killed them after the incident with the spider one.

The main thing that brought her entertainment was being able to practise with her sword. He’d given it to her, said she could keep it, and he helped her every day as much as he could.

They trained on the porch since the area was just long enough and wide enough to allow her to. Thankfully the house had been built to fit his height with ease because it meant she could swing the sword as high as she wanted and didn’t hit the porch roof.

She was getting better, more confident, every time they did.

It allowed him to be outside and to listen out for movement, while allowing them to be together.

And... and Reia found she liked being near him. Perhaps that was because he was her biggest source of entertainment, maybe it was even because she liked him, but she often found herself thinking about the big Duskwalker whenever he was outside and she was inside by herself.

It was ridiculous. She should want to be as far from him as possible, to avoid him. She shouldn’t be upset being by herself, but that was how she felt. He was growing on her steadily.

Bath time was also becoming something she was growing fond of. He knew it, too.