My dark savior [Degu x Tsukuyomi]

[Degusaurusrex]

It was cold. Nessa hadn't anticipated just how cold the territory would be when she'd fled her home. She had dreamed about leaving behind her family for years now, unable to bring herself to keep enduring the mistreatment she suffered behind closed doors. To the rest of her people, her family was perfect. Beautiful, elegant, the picture perfect image of a royal family. All of that ended when the doors closed and they were left to their own devices, and she could no longer continue her life there. Her idea to escape to the enemy land had been a desperate last resort to find somewhere they couldn't retrieve her from, somewhere she wouldn't fail once again at her attempt to escape their clutches.

How could she have forgotten the rumors of his land being an eternal winter? Everything was dead, and if she didn't find some proper shelter soon, she might be added to the list of deceased things. The trees, where she could see them through the swirling snow, were decrepit, tall and bare and gnarled as she trudged through the thick snow. She'd been smart enough to bring a cloak to wear over her pants and top, and had opted for the boots she wore when riding if only to provide comfort for what had been a long journey. None of that kept the cold away, her braid frozen beneath the cloak wrapped around her, her limbs wet and stiff under the thin clothing her people wore in the warmer seasons.

She was going to die in this frozen wasteland that seemed to span indefinitely, and that was still better than returning to her home and begging to be taken back in. Her body and mind were unable to endure the treatment there, and even the sound of distant howling couldn't deter her from continuing in what she hoped was the direction of the enemy's abode. If she froze to death along the way no one would be the wiser, but if she made it... Well, that was to be determined. Her people spoke of him so poorly, how evil and disgusting this being was, but Nessa had never even laid eyes on him, let alone interacted with this supposed monster.

Tired blue eyes surveyed what was in front of her as she shivered, her teeth chattering as she squinted and tried to make out anything more than a few feet in front of her. Even the enhanced sight and hearing of the elves didn't help her now, and the howl that echoed in the wind seemed much closer this time.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Cydros

For centuries, Cydros had reigned over this frozen wasteland that could nurture little life. He lived alone in a great fortress, his only company being the wandering souls of the deceased that had been deemed unworthy of passing on to peaceful planes and yet he had offered them the chance to do so in exchange for their servitude. They manned his fortress and kept its interior clean for their master. Naturally, rumours were spread by travellers who had a less than pleasant experience in these lands, and so people spoke of the monstrous creature that resided in that wasteland, awakening the dead and enslaving them. Frankly, he couldn't care less what others thought of him. He simply continued the duties given to him. The unforgiving land tended to take care of any arrogant travellers hoping to reach his fortress. The bones buried in the snow testified to this.

It was by pure coincidence that he happened to be in the mood for a little trip beyond the walls of his fortress one particular day as a young elf shivered in the snow and the howling winds. He spotted her delicate frame from a distance and directed his fur-covered sled drawn by wolves towards the figure. His sled slid effortlessly across the thick snow even with him comfortably slumped among the furs. Not the tiniest speck of green could be seen in this land. Not the tiniest blade of grass nor the tiniest bud.

Stopping the sled beside the struggling elf, he hopped off and silently drew her trembling frame into the warmth of his coat. With his towering height, she easily vanished into his coat when his strong arms drew her in. He knew what a threat - or rather a nuisance - looked like, and this poor little elf was neither. He frowned behind his mask, wondering what madness drove her all the way out here. Her kind belonged in a warmer region. He could not simply leave her out to die a miserable death like all those pests that ventured out here before her did. Greedy bastards who came out here in search of riches were one thing... an elf who had nearly frozen solid in her mad pursuit of some unknown goal was another.

He lifted the shivering and stiff elf up into his arms with ease and set her down on his sled. He slipped off his coat and silently bundled her up in its warmth so her face was just about visible. She looked... adorable. Enough to bring a little renewed warmth to his cheeks. This was a fragile creature absolutely worth rescuing. He gave a curt nod to himself and sat down beside her, urging the sled back in the direction of his fortress. By the looks of it, the cold bothered her far more than it would ever bother him. He could ask questions later. The poor little elf needed a bed and a warm fire.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

A sled.

There was a sled approaching, and the source of the animal noises was finally confirmed. The structure was drawn by large, menacing looking wolves that for whatever reason, made no move to attack her as the sled stopped and a large figure dismounted. Had she finally reached her destination, or had she been caught by someone else along the way? Considering how much clothing the figure wore, she could tell little about them other than the stature appeared to hint that they were male, and they were much bigger than her petite self. Their face was hidden behind some sort of mask, although she couldn't observe the exact details of it through the wind still swirling around them. That, and she was very, very tired. She had been walking for so long she wasn't sure what time of day or night it might have been, and the wintery lands offered no hint to answer that unspoken question.

Nessa watched him cautiously as he approached, surprised that the figure wordlessly pulled her into the thick coat that he wore. She thought to fight against the touch at first, stopping only when her limbs refused to cooperate and it became clear he had no immediate intention of harming her. No, instead he lifted her, small pack on her back and all, into his arms and deposited her into the sled drawn by his wolves. Was this the man her people spoke so ill of?

Her lips parted as though she intended to speak, but nothing more than chattered syllables that might have been words in warmer weather escaped her mouth. Now he was giving her his coat! The garment was huge on her, swamping her small frame and leaving her wrapped up tightly like some sort of roll with nothing but her frozen head and pointed ears visible.

When the sled began to move again she jolted, teeth still chattering as she tucked her chin down into the coat he'd wrapped her in. This couldn't possibly be the man they spoke of, could it? He killed elves on sight in all of their stories, so what was going on? Perhaps he had something in mind away from the elements of winter, but it couldn't be worse than returning home... Could it?

 

[Tsukuyomi]

This poor frozen little elf chattering away beside him couldn’t possibly be in her right mind. Having seen her clothing, it was clear she came wholly unprepared for this climate. He couldn’t understand what would drive a young elf from her homeland and into this frozen wasteland. She must have had a death wish. He didn’t really bother to keep up with the rumours about him, but he had an inkling they weren’t favourable, so why would this strange woman seek him out? If it was merely the chilly embrace of death she wished for, she could have stopped and laid down in the snow a long time ago. What could her motivations be? He racked his brain for further explanations as the wolves picked up speed and sped across the snow, a hand briefly releasing the reins so he could wrap his arm around the little elf to ensure she did not tumble off the sled. At the rate the gnarly trees whipped past them, that would be a gruesome end for her indeed.

“What business does one such as yourself have out here?” he inquired, his voice deep and gravelly. He glanced at her, although he did not expect much of an answer with her teeth chattering as they were. “Do you have a death wish by any chance?”

Wrapped up in his coat with just her face and pointed ears sticking out, she looked simply… perfect. He knew elves were famed for their beauty as well as their longevity, but the sight of this poor little elf very nearly submerged in his coat made him feel warm inside. She seemed unusually beautiful even for an elf. She could be on the run from a terrible husband who only wanted her for her looks… or perhaps she had done something so terrible, so outrageous that not even her beauty could get her out of it.

“You cannot simply wander about here as you please,” he went on. “There are wolves and thieves in this forest. You could have been eaten or robbed while freezing to death.” A weary sigh pushed past his lips as he shook his head, continuing to urge the wolves forward. “People like you die out here, you know. You’re most fortunate that I found you. Do you understand?”

 

[Degusaurusrex]

Nessa's ear twitched slightly at the sound of his voice. She wasn't surprised that his first words to her were a question of why she was on what was presumably his land, but she turned her eyes away from him and pressed her lips firmly together. If she said something now, perhaps he would just throw her out of the sled and leave her to freeze to death in the snow, never found as the snow would only build up and would never melt. Did she have a death wish? Perhaps.

"P-people l-like me d-d-die everywhere." Just because she was more susceptible to the elements than some races didn't mean she couldn't have died elsewhere. In fact, she was certain that if she hadn't been killed in her own land, she might have been driven to the brink of insanity and contemplated taking her own life. What was a risk like freezing to death, in comparison to a lifetime of imprisonment?

"I-I un-understand."

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Inspiration music

View: https://youtu.be/RxT8M7jCu00

Cydros let out a low sigh at her response. Anyone could tell she wasn't telling him everything. Just because people like her died everywhere didn't mean she had to leave the warmth and safety of her homeland to die in this frozen wasteland. She had to have some other reason. Her people could have been attacked and she just happened to have the good fortune to escape. Not that he cared about the affairs of elves, nor those of any other race for that matter.

Slowing down the sled somewhat, he quietly withdrew his arm from around the snug bundle of elf and lifted his hands to slip off his helmet, revealing the handsomely built face of a young man. His skin, about as pale as the snow itself, almost seemed to glow in the cold light. A jagged tattoo sloped down from his temple. His irises were a deep purple, the color swirling within like a tempest. Besides that, he seemed like any human. But appearances deceived. He was an ancient entity in the body of a man who had inhabited these lands long ago. Lacking a corporeal form, he had been offered this body by a man who was frankly losing his marbles. It had made for an excellent vessel since then. His presence had made the vessel take on a beauty so divine that it surpassed even that of the elves. He looked as though he had been carefully carved from quartz.

"Do people like you have names?" A bit of wry humor from him. He mimicked her peculiar choice of words from earlier. She still hadn't told him how come she had ventured out into his lands when she could have gone anywhere else or even just stayed in her homeland. There was nothing out here that could interest an elf except perhaps the lure of adventure and riches, but she hardly looked equipped for such a purpose. He would have left her to die if she had clearly come here to intrude for her own selfish interests.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

Oh no, was he going to throw her off because she hadn't answered satisfactorily? When he withdrew his arm abruptly and raised his arms she flinched slightly, then realized he was going to remove the helmet that covered his entire face. Now she would finally see who it was that had literally swept her off her feet and taken her into the warmth of his coat and sled as shelter against the weather.

"O-Oh." This couldn't be right. By all accounts, he looked mostly human, and even though the elves held a similarity to the human race as well, this just didn't seem right. The paleness of his skin could have easily been explained by the lack of a sunnier, warmer environment, but it held an ethereal quality to it that spoke of something outside of simple isolation. Whatever he was, it wasn't human, especially not with those beautiful amethyst eyes.

"N-Nessa, sir." If her family could hear her calling him sir, they would have tossed her straight into another punishment. No matter, her family wasn't here, just him, just her and the storm outside.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

The trembling roll beside him looked positively frightened by him but also enamored by his face. She seemed most hesitant to speak, although perhaps it was simply because of how stiff and frozen her delicate frame was. His soft gaze rested on her face, and he could not help but notice her beauty. He felt a small pang in his chest when he looked at her and sat beside her... He couldn't be sure what it was, he had never felt this way before in countless centuries of living in relative solitude. The dead didn't make for good company. They were usually quite eager to get on their way, and he knew better than to get attached to them.

While his natural charm would have been a magnet to ladies... he did not frequent any locations that other people frequented. Frankly, he didn't know much about people. He wasn't needlessly cruel either, he could be merciful if he felt a person deserved it. Nevertheless, he found it difficult to see how he could comfort this poor elf beside him. Even when he lifted his arm to remove his helmet, she flinched as though he would strike her. Did he really look that terrifying?

He quietly lifted his hand and stroked her head. "Nessa," he echoed, his lips curving ever so slightly into a smile. "A beautiful name. It suits you."

 

[Degusaurusrex]

Beautiful? Surely she was dead. She had closed her eyes for only a moment and in that moment she must have finally frozen to death. There was no other explanation for why the man beside her was being so kind despite her trespassing on his land, despite all the rumors her kind had spread about him and how openly they spoke of him with disgust. Either she was dead, or this wasn't the enemy she had sought out and she still had a ways to go before she was truly safe from her own people. Whatever the case was, she certainly wasn't expecting the compliment, much less the hand she could barely feel over her frozen hair. The blonde braid had become so stiff from the wet snow and cold air that it offered no resistance against the hand that stroked it, but after a moment the elf shifted her small frame slightly back. This was insane.

"A-are you th-the demon that r-rules the d-dead?"

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Somehow... Cydros had a feeling his compliment only deepened the elf's unease. Quite the opposite effect he hoped it would have. Perhaps, he had been too forward. Or perhaps, she doubted his sincerity. It was difficult to tell when he had wrapped her up so snugly in his large coat. He could only determine how she felt by her fearful eyes and her trembling voice. The wet snow had soaked her hair and clothes. She would need a change of clothes back at his fortress - warmer and more appropriate clothes for the climate.

Her question surprised him. A demon? A low chuckle escaped him. He was certainly not a demon, but he supposed a more mortal race like hers couldn't necessarily see the difference. "I prefer the term 'deity'," he softly corrected her. "My powers surpass those of any demon. And I do not rule anyone." He let out a low sigh. "I give the dead a chance to work for me before they pass on," he explained. "So they can go somewhere better."

He quietly reached out a hand in front of him... and took a steaming mug out of the air. He offered it to her. She looked like she could use something to warm her up from inside.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

The response that came in the form of a laugh surprised her, and Nessa looked at him with wide eyes as she waited for a spoken answer. A deity? Her people had been insulting a god all these years? That just made the situation even more complicated, what would happen if that knowledge made its way to her family? Would they fear him more and leave her alone should she stay on his land, or would they gather more armies and seek to destroy a god to show they were above even a deity? There were so many things to consider, to wonder about, but her mind was sluggish from the exhaustion and cold that had seeped down into her very bones.

"B-Better?" Where was better after death? She jumped when he raised his hand and then a mug appeared out of nowhere! Between the raised arm and the clearly hot beverage inside the mug, she wasn't sure what to think of the action. A deity, indeed. Nessa hesitated for a brief moment before she managed to free her arms from the large coat, her hands shaking as she wrapped them clumsily around the mug and brought it to her lips to take a sip.

"Th-thank you."

 

[Tsukuyomi]

A soft smile returned to his lips as he watched her take a sip from the mug and thank him. This girl... she would make an excellent companion. Part of him hoped she would want to stay with him, although he could not be entirely sure why he wished to take this poor elf under his wing. It seemed like the right thing to scoop her up from the snow and to look after her until she could turn around and leave his lands... but at the same time, he could not help but wonder what had driven her to such madness. Would she really want to return to her homeland even after she had regained her strength?

Once again, he lifted his hand to gently stroke her hair. This time, a rush of warmth passed over her head as the frosty cover melted and the water evaporated from her frozen hair, softening it in the blink of an eye. Much better. He glanced around at her face again, silently hoping she would appreciate the gesture rather than being frightened of him for it.

He might be a god, but his heart ached with loneliness. There was a gaping hole in his heart, and he was starting to feel that this elf might just be the perfect fit.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

Why was her head so warm all of a sudden? Nessa's eyes went wide as she gripped the mug tightly in her hands, trying to sort out the strange feeling of warmth on her head that was a drastic change from how cold the rest of her body was. One hand left the mug to reach up and pat at her head, stilling as she realized that her hair was no longer a stiff, matted braid, but had returned to its soft texture once more. It wasn't even wet, aside from the random spots that the snow was hitting it again! Was he truly a god, pulling things out of thin air and drying her hair with a simple wave of his hand?

Nessa simply looked at him for a long moment with those wide eyes before she dropped her head, clutching at the warm drink again and sipping at it. Habit dictated that she be meek, that she bow her head and allow him to do or say as he pleased. The other part of her brain, however, argued that she hadn't come so far and nearly died in a snowstorm just to be a silent decoration in a stranger's sled.

"Thank you." She wasn't even close to completely thawed out from her time out in the snow, but it was a good start and her teeth weren't chattering as much as they had been just five minutes ago. "Wh-What do I call you?"

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Cydros watched the elf's bewilderment with a soft chuckle. He had a feeling she expected very little from him. She might not even have been all that surprised if he had tried to eat her. Certainly less surprised than she was at his behaviour towards her.

She was... sweet. Something about this delicate creature gave him a strange urge to pick her up and swing her about but also to squeeze her tightly against his chest. Could he really bring himself to just let her go when she felt better? He could trap her within his fortress... although that would surely sadden one like her. She reminded him of a beautiful flower... and like a flower, she would shed her petals and shrivel into nothing if kept indoors for too long. He would have to gift her a marvelous garden at the very least... But what could he plant in it?

His lips curved into a warm smile at her 'thank you'. A garden sounded like a good compromise. He couldn't know what life she had lived before coming here, but he figured it would be safest to treat her like a princess. Just in case. But what if she had been a queen back in her homeland... He wasn't sure if he could quite make up for that. He gave the wolves ahead of them a hard stare as he pondered over this, his brow knitting together into a thoughtful frown.

His gaze slid back to her as she asked about his name. "Cydros," he curtly replied. "That's my name." He gazed at her face thoughtfully. She looked like she could be a princess, but it would be quite rude to just ask her, wouldn't it?

All of a sudden, he placed his hands over hers, noticing how hers were smaller than his. So delicate and pretty. She had to be a princess. Or a noble at least. It would be terrible to just assume her intentions, so perhaps he should get some things clarified as quickly as possible...

"Will you be my wife?" he blurted out without a second thought. His face was most sincere as he gazed straight into her eyes.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

Whatever Nessa had been expecting, it wasn't that. An answer to her inquiry of his name, yes, and the touch didn't entirely surprise her as the God had seemed entirely at ease with touching a strange woman he'd found wasting away on his land. The silence from him had been unnerving at first as she observed his expression, trying to sort out what emotions might have been at play behind those strange colored eyes.

"Cydros." She repeated the name back to him quietly, looking down at where he'd placed his hands over hers and held them so gently. Or what felt like gentle, but her hands weren't entirely thawed out and her mind was spinning after this strange series of events. Rescued from the snow, check. Given a hot drink that had quite literally appeared out of nowhere, check. Being asked for her hand in marriage, check.

Wait, what?

If it were possible for her face to pale more or her eyes to get any bigger, Nessa somehow managed to accomplish both as her lips parted in a silent "oh" of surprise. Had a god just requested she be his wife? Since when did gods ask rather than demand, and with such a sincere look on their face? She was dreaming, wasn't she? A perfect opportunity had landed itself in her lap, seemingly, and while she would be a fool to turn it down, the uncertainty of marital expectations were frightening.

"You would ask a stranger you know nothing of to be your life companion?" She spoke hesitantly, carefully managing her words as not to incur the wrath her people had rumored him to have.

"You have no certainty I could meet the expectations you would have for a wife, sir."

 

[Tsukuyomi]

He blinked at her response, silent for a long moment as he gazed into her eyes and processed her words. She hadn't said no... So it was a yes? She wasn't completely repulsed by the thought of being with him for the rest of her life, at least. His heart beat a little faster. There was a chance she would agree to stay with him entirely of her own free will. What a strange feeling that thought gave him...

"Well... I lack a life companion at the moment," he murmured. "You look like you'll make a fine addition to my home. You see, the dead are somewhat preoccupied with being... well, dead." A sheepish chuckle pushed past his lips. "They're not much for conversation," he explained. "I need someone livelier." One of his hands left hers and instead rested on her cheek. "I need someone small and pretty. Someone like you."

"I will give you a garden," he declared. "Flowers, animals, clothes... Everything you could ever want. If you just say the word, I will venture to the ends of the world to satisfy your needs. I will learn to be the husband you want." He paused as if he just remembered something. "How do you feel about sharing a bed?" he nonchalantly asked. "I only have one bedroom that's habitable at the moment, I'm afraid."

 

[Degusaurusrex]

Her being alive was what drew him to ask the question? This was too good to be true. Nessa listened in silence as he listed what he would offer her in return for her hand in marriage, and when his hand rested gently on her cheek she stuttered and almost drew back. A life free of the restraint and mistreatment of her home land, in return that she become a wife to a God she knew so very little about? Could it be any worse than being forced to marry and breed for whatever noble elf her parents selected for her, to be duty bound to become a broodmare and possible suffer at the hands of an arranged suitor?

"You would provide for me in return for my simply remaining at your side and looking desirable?" His last question caused her to jolt back with a gasp, breaking the physical contact between them before she immediately lowered her head with a murmured apology. Small hands clutched at the large coat he had wrapped her in, and it was after a long moment of silence following her apology that she dared to look up at him again.

"I would be.. expected to perform marital duties immediately?"

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Marital duties? Immediately? A low gasp flew from his lips. The mere notion of it and her horror regarding the matter almost made him dizzy with worry. By the sound of it, their negotiations were going to fall apart if he didn't patch it up immediately. If she thought him a sex-deprived monster whose only desire was to breed with her, she would absolutely run from him. Frankly, he would run for the hills too if he were the bride in such a situation. He knew little of the world, but he knew enough to be mortified by the notion.

"I meant just sleeping in the same bed," he hastily added. "You're a beautiful woman, but I don't have any immediate desire to impregnate you." The thought of having a child hadn't even crossed his mind until she mentioned marital duties. "I can't really do that anyway... Well, I can. And yet at the same time... not really."

He put on a sheepish grin, although it turned into more of a grimace.

"It's complicated, but the short answer is 'no, I cannot have children'. Even if I could, I see no reason to rush things. I'm immortal, more or less, and you're still plenty young." He paused, giving her a curious look. "Of course, if you do wish to be pleasured... I believe my skills are still quite adequate. I can provide suitable entertainment."

 

[Degusaurusrex]

Why did he seem so horrified by what she had asked? Had she offended him? Had she come across as a stupid young woman who should have known better? Nessa watched him curiously after the sudden gasp, tilting her head slightly and relaxing a little as he quickly corrected himself. Sleeping in the same bed, of course. If she were to agree to be his wife, that would be expected of her regardless, even if she wasn't being forced to immediately start trying for an heir. That, and his manner of speaking on that front was rather confusing. He couldn't do that, but he could?

Her confusion only increased at his grin turned into grimace, but she kept silent and allowed him to continue speaking without interruption. He couldn't have children, and yet he still yearned for a pretty wife to keep at his side? It took far longer than she would have liked for his last words to click, and she stared at him with a confused expression before she felt the heat begin to creep up her face and flood her cheeks a brilliant red against otherwise pale skin.

"When do you require my answer by, my lord?" What was she supposed to call him? Calling a god by their name alone seemed crass, and there was a plethora of different titles among nobility that differed by species and so on. "We have not even arrived to your home yet, and have only known one another for a short time." Not even an hour, truly.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

He pursed his lips when she asked him when he required his answer by. Until he had her answer, he couldn't be sure if she would stay with him. Perhaps, he just had to show her how much he could give her before she would agree to being his wife. They hadn't known each other for long, but he felt certain she would be the one for him. It wasn't every day he encountered a woman who seemed to tolerate his presence. In fact, it wasn't every day he encountered a woman at all.

"By midnight." He wanted an answer soon. By then, she ought to know whether she could tolerate a lifetime with him or not. He supposed he wasn't exactly the more desirable of men, with his abilities being what they were. It wasn't just that he could communicate with the spirits of the dead... his other powers were rather violent. He lived in solitude for good reason. People wouldn't want him around when they realized the brutality he was capable of. He had a darkness within him that was far more powerful than what mortals had within them. He kept to his own self-imposed rules for that reason. But he had a feeling things were going to change soon...

"Look, you don't have to agree if you've already got someone waiting for you at home." He sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm sure someone like you has an endless line of suitors, men who are much more capable of giving you children than I am. I'll give you some fresh clothes and escort you to the border tomorrow."

 

[Degusaurusrex]

"Midnight?" She didn't even know what time it was now, considering the state of the land around her! That could have been an hour from now, it could have been several hours away! Her hands were gripping the mug tightly, the drink all but forgotten and now something concrete to hold onto as she thought over what her answer would be.

"What?" Her head whipped up and her eyes went wide again, the drink nearly splashing out of its container as she shook her head fervently. She would not go back to her homeland, would not be sent off to be a broodmare to a man she didn't know, didn't love. One that would use her for her "duty" and nothing more. She'd gone too far, trekked through the frozen wasteland and endured the cold and pain that came with her journey to escape her people.

"I accept your offer on the condition that you do not ever take me there again." Her heart felt as though it would burst from her chest as a ball of anxiety formed, the thought of returning to her people was too horrific for her to spend more time deliberating on whether or not to accept the god's offer. "I will be your wife."

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Her reaction did not come as a great surprise to him. He had suspected something quite severe had driven her to the mad act of entering his lands. The mere thought of returning to her homeland terrified her. For some reason, he felt... relieved. She seemed quite determined to stay in his lands, and if she would do so, she needed proper clothes and a warm home. He could provide her with what she needed to live here. Frankly, he didn't have much understanding of what it meant to be married. He knew there was a ceremony involved and that a couple would be expected to stay together until one of them died. That sounded good enough to him. He could consult his servants about the details of this ceremony, assuming Nessa wanted one.

"Then I will look after you… as your husband." He smiled and put his arm around her again, drawing her close. Great stone walls appeared through the white haze along with a gate, hinges creaking as the gate went up to let them in. They had arrived at his home. It didn't look like much more than an old military base from a time before the lands became trapped in an eternal winter, but his chambers would be warm. He had a feeling she would be hungry soon if she wasn't already. He would have something brought to her from the kitchen. While it didn't look like it, there was food to be found in this land if one knew where to look.

Once they were in the snow-covered courtyard, he stopped the sled and hopped off, stepping around to the other side to lift Nessa up into his arms once again. He took care not to spill the drink over her as he strode towards the main door with her bundled up in his coat. His bride. He beamed as he cradled her in his arms, elated at the thought of having some company at last, hopefully for a lifetime. Elves lived a long time, so she would make eternity a little more bearable for him.

Frankly, he was ashamed to say that only a truly desperate woman would want to stay with him, and he couldn't blame them either. Regardless, he was glad to have her company. He still hadn't the foggiest clue what her social standing had been in her homeland... but as far as he was concerned, she was a princess. He didn't care even if she had been a slave in her homeland; she was his darling wife now. Or, she would be once they had a proper ceremony.

It didn't cross his mind for even a second that her presence would bring an army with it.

 

[Degusaurusrex]

What had she gotten herself into? The elf had sealed her fate with the agreement, with the man that had wrapped his arm around her firmly and pulled her against his side. Despite the size and strength of the god, the hold was gentle and held a warmth to it that she was entirely unaccustomed to. Her family did not hold her like this. Her "friends" that were only there for the sake of appearances and pretending she was a normal young woman had never held her like this.

"Husband." Her tone was neutral as she echoed the word, finally spotting a hint of what was to be her home from now on. It was large and stood strong, and the sight of it was both the cause of anxiety and relief. Even if her people found her, they couldn't just barge through the front door with no trouble. They would need an entire army to get through the gate and over the walls, and would they truly bother to go to so much effort when they had other children?

Annnnnnddd he was carrying her again. Was this something she would need to adjust to, or was it a courtesy because of her half frozen limbs? Perhaps being carried was a better option rather than faceplanting into the snow again, and the look on his face said he enjoyed it for some reason. Truly, what had she gotten herself into now, as they entered his--Their home?

"We are... The only living beings, here?"

 

[Tsukuyomi]

At her question, he paused and glanced about the courtyard as if he were looking for something in particular. Then, he saw it. A brown striped cat delicately trotting across the snow, breaking into a full-on sprint when it noticed him standing by the door. It opened its little mouth and let out a shrill meow as it rubbed its furry little body up against his legs, its tail straight up in the air. Another meow followed. Cydros peered down at it, quite at a loss for how to respond when he already clutched his his bride in his arms.

"Well... there's that creature," he murmured. "Quite possibly the greatest evil I have ever encountered. I caught it spawning little minions on my bed not so long ago. No clue how it got in, but it did and now it won't leave and neither will its minions. It did cross my mind that I could forcefully dispose of them... but it seemed a little cruel to break such tiny necks, so I gathered the little freeloaders into a basket." He sighed, shaking his head softly. "It used to be that gods were the ones being served. Now, it seems that they expect me to serve them... and they'll cry at me until I do."

"Forget demons. This creature beneath you is the purest form of evil in this world," he warned. "It looks friendly now, but its true nature brims with malice. Once it starts making that rumbling noise, it's too late for you. Your every waking moment will be spent in servitude of this furry being that surpasses even the gods."

 

[Degusaurusrex]

Was he going to carry her the entire way, pack and all? Granted, it wasn't as though she weighed much to begin with, the elf was a rather small thing and even her pack wasn't heavy, but she hadn't expected to be carried like a small child! Her eyes followed his attention to where something in the distance was approaching them, something small, something furry. It was with delight that she realized from the meow that it was a cat, and for the first time since being rescued from the snow, she managed a smile.

"Evil?" Her eyebrows shot up in surprise as he explained the animal birthing kittens in a way that made it sound as though it were unleashing demons on the world. The thought of such innocent little creatures being killed was saddening to her, and she was pleased that the god had decided against it and instead allowed them to not only live, but to come around when they needed fed.

"That rumbling noise is called a purr, my lord. It means the animal is happy."