Chapter 372: River Shower Part 2

Frost-Tongue River was warmer than Stryg remembered. Even in the summertime cold water would always rush through the river, clear and as chill as fresh-cut ice. Now the water only felt lukewarm as if he was in a tub of a small tavern in some remote village.

He crouched into a ball and let his weight pull him to the bottom of the river. When his toes touched the smooth stones on the riverbed he opened his lilac eyes and looked around slowly. It was as if he had been transported to another world.

The riverbed was quiet, the sounds of the river’s calm current a soothing melody in his ears. Afternoon sunlight filtered into the water in a refracting pattern that reflected off the riverbed’s white stones in a glittering display. He felt as if he was looking into a bright starry night.

A pair of green legs swimming towards him grabbed his attention. Stryg kicked off the riverbed and shot up. His head barely broke the water’s surface before his heavy body began to drag him back down. He quickly channeled blue mana into his hands and created a small current around his legs to keep him buoyant.

“You alright there, shaman?” Srixa called out with her usual confident smirk.

“Hm? Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” Stryg nodded with a smile, trying to reciprocate the same amount of confidence.

“For a moment there I thought we might have lost you. You’ve been underwater for a good three minutes. I thought I was going to have to drag you out of the river. Did you get a leg cramp or something?”

“Cramp?”

“Was the water too cold for you?” she teased. “I know it's been a while since you’ve taken a dip in Frost-Tongue. If you ask me, the river is a little colder than usual today.”

He forced himself to smile, “Um…”

For a moment Stryg considered telling her that he wasn’t cold at all, he was just busy trying to swim, failing at it, and forced to keep up a torrent spell to compensate for his terrible swimming skills. But looking into Srixa’s hungry yellow eyes he thought better of it. She was the kind of person who would pounce on any weakness she spotted.

“What’s the matter? Can’t even speak to know? Are you really that cold?” Srixa asked with a playful tone.

“Yeah, something like that,” he said offhandedly.

Srixa drew closer and ran her fingers over his chest, “Then maybe I should help warm you up? It’s the least I can do after you single-handedly caught today’s prey.”

“I didn’t catch it so much as I speared it.”

The snow leopard hadn’t even noticed what was happening until the magical stone spear had rammed through his ribcage.

“Either way, you surprised us all back there,” Srixa whispered into his ear.

Stryg smiled, “Is that so?”

He liked the way her breath tickled his neck.

“Mhm. Even now the other hunters don’t know what to make of you.” Srixa leaned on his shoulder for support and pointed her smooth leg at the other hunters bathing in the distance.

The bulky Kelsa and the lanky Mullein were both watching him, a mix of worry and uncertainty in their expressions. When they spotted Stryg looking back at them they quickly adverted their gazes. Even Freleri, the eldest of the hunters, didn’t dare meet his gaze.

The feeling was odd. Stryg was used to disdain in the yellow eyes of his tribemates. But now…

Srixa nestled her head on his shoulder and whispered into his ear seductively, “They’re finally starting to see the real you. Whatever doubts they had about you after last night disappeared after your little display in the hunt. Freleri and the others are finally beginning to understand.”

“Beginning to understand what?”

“How dangerous you really are. They know their place well enough to not pick a fight with you.”

Stryg furrowed his brow, “Really?”

“Mm.” Srixa chuckled, “The only reason they haven’t come over here to apologize for this morning’s disrespect is that they still don’t know what to make of you. They don’t know if you’ll simply make them submit to your leadership or beat them to a pulp first.”

“And do you? Know what to make of me?”

“I admit I misjudged you. You’re stronger than I thought… and more dangerous than anyone here believes you to be. You’re not cold at all are you?”

“That’s…”

Srixa ran her hand across his arm, “Your skin is warm and you haven’t shivered even once. And your legs, they aren’t moving under the water, but you’re not sinking either.”

“Is it really cold…?” he whispered.

Srixa’s eyes widened, “You can’t tell?”

“…Not really. I guess I truly have changed,” he sighed.

“Or maybe you’ve just reverted to your true nature.”

“What?”

“Sometimes after a long hunt, when we were all exhausted and huddled around a small fire in the middle of the forest, the older hunters would tell stories. Some of those stories were about you. I never believed them, they didn’t make sense.”

Stryg narrowed his eyes, “In what way?”

“They used to talk about a cold-blooded child who not even the beasts of the forest dared harm. A cursed child who the whole tribe feared. The whole thing was quite odd. The Stryg I remember was a child who always spent his days alone, away from everyone. No one was afraid of you. You were just a little runt who couldn’t even finish a race without getting winded. …But now I’m starting to wonder if those stories weren’t just the older hunters trying to play a trick on us for laughs. You say you’ve changed, but perhaps you’re simply returning to what you always were…”

“A monster…?” he whispered hesitantly.

“No,” Srixa shook her head. She looked him in the eyes and smiled, “Not just a monster. The greatest monster in Vulture Woods.”

Stryg blinked in surprise. The way she said those words… There was no trace of disdain or fear. There was only admiration. He had always thought becoming a monster was a necessary evil, but perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps being a monster was always the right path…?

He cleared his throat and tried his best to keep his thoughts from showing. “Cold-blooded you say? My blood runs as warm as the rest. And you’re right, back then I couldn’t finish a race without being winded. I’m not reverting into anything, I’m just me.”

“Your body’s grown, certainly. But your nature?” Srixa looked him over, “I think your true nature is just beginning to show.”

“Is this how you take showers in the Blood Fang tribe? It doesn’t look very practical,” a familiar voice called out.

Stryg looked up in confusion, “Tauri?”

The beautiful orc was floating right in front of them. Her scarlet skin was as bare as the day she was born, though she kept one arm over her modest breasts. Stryg wasn’t certain but her face seemed a shade redder than usual.

Srixa smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. “Look who decided to finally show up.”

“I thought you didn’t want to take a bath?” Stryg asked.

“I changed my mind,” Tauri said. “I was hoping I didn’t have to do this, but it seems I have to look after my sister’s fiancé and keep him safe from little sirens.”

“Did this orcish oaf just call me little?” Srixa hissed.

“Stryg is already spoken for so back off already,” Tauri said curtly.

Stryg subtly shook his head for her to stop talking, but Tauri ignored him.

“Spoken for? As in there is a woman in his life?”

“Obviously,” Tauri said.

“So what’s the problem then?” Srixa cocked her head to the side.

“Some people in Hollow Shade believe in only one-partner relationships,” Stryg explained.

“Oooh! You come from a monogamous culture, is that it, orc?” Srixa chuckled. “Here we don’t care about such petty limitations. You may not understand this, but power is what matters in these woods.”

“You think that’s a new concept to me?” Tauri scoffed. “You may not understand this since you’ve lived in the middle of the woods your whole life but Hollow Shade is the greatest source of power in these lands. I grew up around some of the most powerful Houses in the realm. I am from such a House, or tribe as you might call them here.”

“So you’re people aren’t limited by archaic constraints of monogamy then?” Srixa suddenly asked.

“W-Well, no. Many lords and ladies have several spouses and even a few concubines too. But that’s not the point—”

“—I don’t see what the problem is,” Srixa smirked. “You say Stryg is spoken for, but you don’t even believe in this ‘one-partner’ relationship. So why do you seem so bothered? Unless…? No. You?”

“What? No—” Tauri frowned.

Srixa laughed disdainfully. “Stryg, you can’t possibly tell me you’d sink so low as to sleep with an orc?”

Stryg suddenly remembered the time he had gotten drunk and slept with two orc prostitutes in Mellow Bloom. “Well, that’s a funny story,” he laughed shakily.

“Oh sweet Mother Moon, you’ve actually slept with this tomato-looking giant?” Srixa’s eyes widened.

Tauri glared at her, “He’s not with me, you arrogant bitch. My sister and Stryg are set to be married, bonded for life.”

“I can only imagine she is as ugly as you, orc,” Srixa sneered. “My condolences, Stryg. Not to worry, you're among your own kind now—”

Bronze vigor magic suddenly swam over Tauri’s arms and she grabbed Srixa by the wrist. Srixa hissed and went to claw her eyes out, but Tauri was faster. She tossed Srixa away with every ounce of her magically enforced strength. The goblin huntress screamed in outrage as she flew in the air and splashed into the river far away.

“…She’s going to come back, you know. Maybe not now, but she’ll definitely want vengeance for that,” Stryg said wryly.

“Let that bitch come. No one talks about my little sister like that,” Tauri growled. She noticed Stryg staring at her and she frowned, “What? You think that’s funny?”

“No, it’s just. I’m sorry. I should have said something. You’re part of my tribe now, I should have stood up for you when she said those things.”

“I don’t need you to stand up for me. I can handle myself.”

“I know that, it’s just… you’re bleeding.”

“Huh? What?” Tauri touched her neck and winced.

“Srixa must have gotten you after all, let me see,” Stryg pulled himself closer with his torrent magic.

Tauri noticed the odd way he moved and smiled half-heartedly, “You still can’t swim, can you?”

“I’m a prime mage, I don’t have to,” he said defensively. “Turn your head.”

Tauri was suddenly very aware of how naked and close the two of them were. She was grateful that the refracting water obscured her lower body.

Tauri turned her neck with a small pang of pain. “You’re not gonna start licking my blood again are you?”

“As tempting as that sounds I won’t.” Stryg looked over her neck. White mana flowed into his fingertips and he poured a healing spell over her flesh. “The wound’s shallow, this should only take a few moments.”

“What do you know? Maybe you’re not a bad healer after all,” Tauri said.

“I was never a bad healer, I just really like the taste of your blood.”

Tauri wasn’t certain how to respond to his words, so she instead focused on the river around them. Other goblins were swimming in the distance. Most seemed to be hunters taking baths, a few others were washing clothes. At the edge of the riverbank, she recognized two particular women. They went by the names of Fifth and Fourth Mother, she was fairly certain. The two Mothers were busy bathing a couple of toddlers who cried and struggled against them every time one of the Mothers dunked them in the river.

“It seems I’m not the only one who doesn’t enjoy cold water,” Tauri muttered.

“The kids will grow to appreciate the river, most of them do at least. I never quite did. But being back here… I don’t know, it’s nice.”

Tauri imagined a toddler Stryg crying and flailing his limbs around trying to escape the water. The thought put a smile on her lips. “Do the Mothers always give the kids baths?”

“One or two of them do. The role always falls on the youngest of the Mothers.”

“And what about the older ones?”

“The older Mothers bathe by themselves upstream.”

“Wait, that was an option!?”

“They’re the only ones permitted to bathe over there. First Mother insisted.”

“Figures there’d be some stupid rule,” she grumbled.

The white glow around Stryg’s fingers faded away. He brushed his hand across her unblemished neck and smiled at his own work, “There, good as new—” He suddenly stopped and frowned. How hadn’t he noticed it before? It was faint, but she was constantly trembling.

“You’re cold?” he muttered.

“Obviously, it’s freezing,” she laughed.

Stryg clenched his teeth, “I should have… I’m sorry. Wait here for a moment.”

Before she could ask what he was doing, he released his torrent spell and let the weight of his body drag him under. His body sank like a stone and he reached the riverbed with no trouble.

Green mana flowed into his feet and he channeled the stone spell into the ground. The bedrock underneath him trembled and abruptly burst. The rock arose like a small mountain, carrying Stryg up to the surface. Tauri shouted in surprise as the rocks curled around her and Stryg and formed a small pool of sorts, a body of water separated from the rest of the river by a narrow stone wall that barely stood over the river’s surface.

“What is all of this?” Tauri asked.

“Callum once told me about these places in Frost Rim he used to visit.”

A large flame bloomed to life over Stryg’s palm. He pushed the flame into the water, keeping a constant stream of orange mana flowing into the fire. The water quickly began to bubble and steam began to rise from its surface. After a few moments, he stopped and released the flame spell.

“There, that’s better,” Stryg nodded to himself.

“Is this… a hot spring?”

“Yeah, I think that’s what he called them.”

Tauri shook her head in amazement, “You never cease to surprise me.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“Sometimes.” She leaned back and closed her eyes, “This is nice. Thank you.”

Stryg pulled himself next to her and smiled, “You’re welcome… You’re not ugly by the way?”

Tauri cracked an eye open suspiciously, “What?”

“Srixa. She called you ugly. You’re not.”

“Oh. Yeah. I know,” she shrugged.

“Your sister isn’t ugly either. She’s quite pretty.”

“You can stop now.”

“But I think you’re prettier.”

“Just be quiet and let me relax already,” Tauri closed her eyes, but there was a little smirk across her lips.

“I mean, your sister's breasts are slightly bigger than yours, but compared to your bottom she’s leagues behind. Your round cheeks are perfect for biting into and your thighs are just right for—”

Tauri groaned in mortification and anger, and let herself sink into the water.

~~~

Upstream, the river’s current was calmer. Second and Third Mother took baths in peace, without the blood-curdling screams of children refusing to bathe to bother them.

A young woman with vibrant forest-green skin floated face up in the middle of the river with her limbs spread wide. Her eyes were closed and her face was relaxed, the sting of the cold seemingly non-existent. Long snow-white hair floated around her in a white halo. She seemed like a fae, a creature of ethereal nature, untouched by the world around her.

Second Mother swam up to the fae beauty and offered her a small clay jar. “First Mother, the sun is beginning to set. Your son will probably be returning from his hunt soon.”

The beauty didn’t move, but her snow-white eyelashes opened slowly and her yellow eyes glanced at her friend with a tired gaze, “…Back then, what would you have done in my position?”

Second smiled weakly, “I would have run away and never looked back, but then again, I was never as strong as you.”

First considered her words carefully and inclined her head with a subtle nod. She kicked her legs against the water and turned her body upright. “Hand me the dye, I’ll need to be quick if we’re to make it back on time.”

Second opened the jar and dipped her fingers in the black cream, “I’ll help you.”