Caring for a Human [Beauty and Dakol]

[Lord Dakol]

The day was yet calm. Wind blew gently through the wide forests and over the lakes, carrying off the aroma of the flowers, thus creating a sweet smell almost everywhere in the countryside. The sun was beginning to rise, signaling the start of the morning Sorin Dracynos.

He was a large, instinctively-fearsome Dragon. His body is of a dark green flesh, the scales smooth and hard with a glimmer from the light. Sorin's blood-red eyes scanned the horizon for a meal, licking his teeth and maw with a very long forked tongue. Sorin stands at 24 feet in height, the natural weight in his bones and scales make his body extremely heavy. Along the top of his head to the end of his tail is a large fin that acts as his family's crest, though it is severely ruined and burned. Another scar ran from the top of his left eye to the bottom, making him very distinctive from others of his kind.

A succulent smell wafted into his nostrils, bringing back memories of cooked meat and water, a meal he hadn't had in so long. The village to the west a miles from where he was located was having their annual festival, it seemed. He could hear the collective noises and music clearly, and his mouth turned up into a smile. It has been a long time since he was in the presence of humans. Despite the record of blood that his kind had against humans, Sorin was always peaceful, and liked to think of himself as the guardian of said village.

But they were the only company he had. There were no female dragons in the territory, and there was no human women that would take an interest in one of his kind. So he was not alone, but he was always lonely. Without a word, Sorin outstretched his brilliant emerald wings and took off into the sky, quickly heading towards the village. Once he was a few minutes away, Sorin landed in between the trees. From there, he began to steadily walk to the village, wanting to change just before he arrived.

 

[Beauty_Of_The_Darkness]

Petals fell free from there pertch on the stems the beautiful maiden braided skillfully together. She frowned as the rain of colorful flowers fell onto her lap instead of staying where they were. Her small delicate fingers tried to be gentle but it was harder then it looked. She wanted to wear her wild flowers to attend the festival but it was harder to get them together then it was to wear them. Her mother had already left with her sister to the festivities and told her just to pit the flowers in her hair individually. How dull. She was odd compared to a lot of the village women. She wasn't soul bound on marriage and never really found house hold chores appealing. Her own father told her to keep it to herself that she lacked the homely skill of cooking. She just wasn't interested. Her grandfather called her a thinker. She was intelligent and brave compared to other women who would rather let a man take care of it. It didn't make her many friends.

And that didn't help that she was envied by other girls too. She had long waist length raven black hair that had natural light curls and waves. Her face was heart shaped with full pink lips and bright ocean blue eyes that caught more attention then she wanted. She was small, short but had feminine curves that her peers did not have at her age. Men asked for her hand and tried to court her but she had no interest. Not really.

"Marina!"

Her head snapped up to look across the field at her you get sister her got her fathers dark chestnut hair braided and light freckles. "come dance with us!" called as she ran toward the tree Marina leaned against. Marina smiled before making one last adjustment to her crown of wild flowers before placing them on her head. Her sister Hannah took her fans and pulled her towards the middle of the village where people gathered and dances and ate. Her village was small but not tiny though everyone knew everyone. Her white and purple dress fluttered as she ran into the group dancing, falling in as a man offered his hand and the dance began again like clock work. She smiled and laughed as another man took his place and another woman took hers as they rotated to the music.

She liked festivals but she was never allowed to sell her flower crowns or her cloths she made because she was just a girl. She had to wait until she was married and let her husband sell them for her. Thus thought faltered her smile. She was of age now and her mother and father were getting anxious. She looked up as they all clapped together before falling into step.

 

[Lord Dakol]

Sorin was, despite his frame and weight, was very graceful and light in his steps, only making light vibrations in the ground as he watched the village through the trees. His skin color allowed him to blend in with the surroundings quite nicely, able to move past the trees quickly in order to find a nearby house.

Once he did, the large dragon closed his eyes. The flesh bubbled and morphed, concentrating on his goal of being a human. A light growl of pain was released when his skeleton began to shrink, and his skin changed its pigment and shape. The wings and fin receded into his body as he grew smaller and smaller, leaving behind his emerald flesh in favor of semi-long golden hair that fell around his firm, calm face, change to tanned skin. His eyes stayed virtually the same as his dragon form, although the color was lighter, and the scar is ran larger and longer, which now went from the top of his eye to the bottom of his chest.

Now he stood a five feet and eleven inches, and weighed much less than his dragon counterpart. However, he was currently stark-naked. Sighing softly, Sorin ran past the trees and quickly went towards the nearest cabin, finding an open window and climbing inside. He needed clothes. The young man hurried throughout, attempting to find a pair of pants and shirt before anyone came in. Luckily, he found a pair of pants and a soft linen, long-sleeved shirt that opened at the collar a bit, only showing a bit of the scar that went down his chest.

Going out the window once more, Sorin walked towards the main square, where he saw plenty of villagers dancing and having a fantastic time. A smile came upon his face as he was offered an apple. He took it without hesitation, biting into the crunch of the fruit. His eyes looked over the festival, watching the human girls with interest before he was suddenly pulled into the dance. "Woah!" he exclaimed, accidentally dropping the apple before he danced in time, laughing in enjoyment as he took Marina's hand and began to dance with her.

 

[Beauty_Of_The_Darkness]

Marina ignored the looks from other males both young and old. She focused her mind on the dance, on feeling the spring around her, on the way the music filled her, anything but the inevitable. She smiled again as one of the village girls pulled another man into the dance as she jumped in as well. Marina took the next hand given to her as she spun and her eyes met his. Instantly something shot down her spine as her ocean eyes met his exotic ones. She tripped a bit in the next step but corrected herself. Once more she was a bit faster then the others when she realized and felt odd that this man was not from their village. He was handsome even with the permanent flaw that trailed from his eye down into his shirt. His blonde hair was such a difference from her own looks it had her starring without thinking, pedals from her flower crown fell into her hair and around her face. When their hands met above them as the they turned in two circles just before the end of the second turn, her free hand was taken by another man and his taken by another woman with in the group.

She looked at the young man who she danced with as he smiled and moved closer to her then was nesessary. She look over to the other man again but he was lost
in the sea of villagers who clapped above their heads and fell into step. She looked around once more, her lips pursed in frustration. She sighed and gave her partner a smile before the dance ended with all of them clapping above there heads. The town broke out in applause as the music started again but she excused herself and walked over to the side to watch. She looked at the merchants set up their goods around the village and began to browse.

She came to a stand with cloths of all colors and sizes hung up for sale. She touched the fabric and frowned. She could do better then this. Her eyes caught a golden colored cloth and the man she saw flashed into her mind. Who was he and why was he here? The women couldn't keep their eyes off them but the men seemed both unaware or had enough pride in themselves to ignore him all together. She pursed her lips again. That scar and those eyes....

 

[Lord Dakol]

The time he had with her was very brief, but Sorin smiled happily as they began together. However, he noticed that her eyes were staring at him; was it because of the scar? Instinctively, he slightly turned his face to the side so that she couldn't see the scarring. It didn't last long, though. He was pulled away to another woman's grasp, lost Marina in the shuffle before he lost himself in the beat.

It was very easy for him to catch onto the movements, and followed the dance almost perfectly. This allowed him to release all the tension that came with being a Dragon. Right now, he was just a human that was finding joy in a simple but extravagant event.

His eyes glanced off to the side and saw Marina leaving the square to rest. Sorin sank away out of the dance, hoping to get some rest and find her again. Sweat rolled down his forehead before wiping it away and leaving through the market and looking around. Unfortunately, he had no gold with him - it was hidden away in a small stash of his home - and so he just elected to look around. Despite his senses, he didn't see Marina behind him before taking a step back, gently knocking into before he spun around. "Oh, I apologize!" he exclaimed, not realizing who it was at first. When he did, Sorin smiled softly; it was her.

 

[Beauty_Of_The_Darkness]

Marina, lost in her own thoughts, never saw the man beside her until he ran into her. Despite his taller and more muscular size compared to her small soft one, he barely ran into her before apologizing. She smiled instinctively and looked up at him, "I'm alright you don't have to-" her eyes met his again and her ocean colored orbs widened. It was him again. She looked around but everyone was too lost in the festivities to see what she saw and found rather odd.

He did not have the mentality- rough, prideful, self righteousness of a knight or warrior yet the pinkish scar that marred his body. Yet he was handsome even with his flaw. It was an combination that did not usually exist within the attractive young men of the village: polite and handsome. It was one or the other for them. Yet it was hid eyes that made her fingers tingle. Those eyes that made her want to take a step back. But she kept her place and just cleared her throat and tore her eyes from him, finding if shoes far more interesting.

"I mean it's fine."

She loomed back up and raised a brow at him. "your not from around here are you?" she knew it was her her place to question a man instead of batting her eyelashes and asking to get his ale for him but she would be damned if her curiosity didn't get the better of her. She took that moment to take a small step away and act as if she was looking at the cloths again. She have him a side glance before looking forward again. "you are not inclined to answer me if you do not wish." yet she hoped he would because she had more questions...

 

[Lord Dakol]

His crimson orbs gazed into her aqua-blue eyes. They were absolutely gorgeous and memorizing... but he stayed focused. For a moment. They stayed silent for a bit; not because it was awkward or such. No, they were too busy looking at each other.

"Are you sure? I should be far more careful in a crowded area like this..." he said with an apologetic frown. Despite his violent and ruthless upbringing that his parents gave him, Sorin was more inclined to be kind and gentle towards others. He might not have been able to thank his parents for his behavior, but he was still thankful for not being killed.

When she asked - and concluded - that Sorin was not from there, the young man hesitated. Was it such a good idea to tell her that he wasn't a villager? He opened his mouth to try and skirt the issue, but when she added that it was all right if he didn't answer, there was a sudden urge to reply. A chuckle left his throat and a sheepish smile appeared on his lips, "No no, it's all right. I'm afraid I'm not. I travel frequently, so I rarely get to visit this village, much less arrive at the festival, hehe..." he chuckled. When he discovered that she was staring once more at him, he shifted his face to subtly hide the scar.

"So, if I may ask, what is your name?" Sorin inquired, placing a hand on the counter of one of the stalls.

 

[Beauty_Of_The_Darkness]

He kept the same tone, that deep yet caring tone that made her wonder if he was real. she wasn't sure how to react to it. Usually if a man approached her he was either arrogant and handsome or unattractive and sweet. The man before her answered her question and only have her twenty more in return. But he was not afraid to admit that he was not a villager but instead a traveler. Which subsequently meant that he meant no harm to her or her people. Her nerves relaxed but her posture did not.

Though her logic was true her instincts kept her s bit more alert. She smiled at him in reply, a pleasentray rather then an honest happiness. Her grandfather always told her to ignore what everyone else thought and follow what she knew, what she felt. She was trying her best yet the flirty glances and giggles towards him tried her patience though she knew to ask for more information to be safe...

She almost didn't hear him in the ramblings of her own thoughts, "Marina" she answered. She looked at him again, "if I may with a question of my own, what if your craft sir?" she said wondering how an injured man with worn clothes could
afford to travel yet her carried no supplies to sell for well anything. She walked past the cart of cloth to a stand of fruits and fresh bread.

 

[Lord Dakol]

It was fairly easy to ignore the glances and giggles that came from the other women of the village. Sorin was fortunate; as a Dragon-shifter, he wasn't allowed to pick how he looked. The "handsomeness" that he apparently had was natural. However, he couldn't hide the scar on his face, or the other one on his back...

Sorin smiled at her name, "Really? That's a beautiful name, Marina. I am Sorin..." he said, placing his right arm across his stomach to bow a little. When she asked him of his craft, his left eye quirked in confusion before he understood. "Oh! I am a hunter for when I need it. I catch meat and get fur to sell whenever I arrive at a village. But I was not as lucky this time around..." he explained with a slight turn of the right corner of his lips to give her a nervous smirk.

"And what is it that you do?" he replied with a light smile.

 

[Beauty_Of_The_Darkness]

A hunter. It made sense. But she wondered what exactly he hunted that gave him that scar. Surely it was no dear, not even a bear could do that clean of damage. It was eerie yet exciting. Like a puzzle she could figure out, something more interesting then any of these other men or women to be exact. She looked away from him thinking of the way he said her name... She felt disgusted with herself. She sounded like those giggling girls her father wanted her to be. God, she needed to just... What? Walk away? Tell him it was nice meeting you and flee from what was probably the one man she e er shown interest in though it wasn't that kind of interest only a curiousity.

She blinked her blue eyes at him in confusion before her full lips pursed at his question in annoyance, glancing at the merchant with his cloths. She looked away. "nothing, sir." she said with a bitterness, "for I am unmarried and it is my life goal to we'd and have children so no, I do not do anything." she scoffed. It was the first to see past that dainty facade she put on for her village not to bring shame on her mother and father for her opinions. She turned her back to leave when her eyes met a broad chest. She looked up to see her father glaring down at her. She took a hard swallow, "father I-"

"apologize for being rude and disrespectful"

"father-"

"now"

She turned her blue eyes dark and storm like with anger. Not towards him but towards the father she wished would just let her be her. "I apologize for speaking my mind, good sir." she said. Her father grunted in dis approval. She turned to him and brown met blue before she walked past him in a huff toward the forest and away from the village.

 

[Lord Dakol]

Sorin quirked an eyebrow in confusion as she adopted a face that told him that she was irritated at the inquiry. Clearly, she didn't and that angered her. It was different for his kind; there was equal footing in both male and female lives. And the way that Marina sarcastically told him of her "duty" made it even more obvious. But when she suddenly turned away and tried to leave, he held out a hand to stop her. "Wait-" he froze, seeing the larger man towering over her, and him by several inches.

He frowned as the man he assumed that was her father demanded that she apologize. There was no need; he liked that Marina had her own opinions. It made Sorin even more interested in her. However, when she did, he said nothing in response for now. As she stormed away, he said goodbye to her father, and went after her.

Sorin was quickly in the woods. He knew the trees like the back of his hand, but he had no idea where to find Marina. Looking he around, he sighed. "Marina?" he called out with a soft frown.

 

[Beauty_Of_The_Darkness]

Marina stomped past the villagers, past the village in a huff. She hates when her father did that and it wasn't the first time. He acted as though she wasn't a woman yet he was the first to start talking to men on her behalf, those who came up at par to court her. All of the sudden she was full grown then. She stomped past the tree line, the leaves and clean spring grass crunching under her small foot falls. She hated this. She was an invalid in her own home just because she didn't want the same fate as her mother; stuck cooking and cleaning until her father came home only to continue cooking and cleaning. She had nothing to look at and say she was proud of besides her children.

That's all she wanted. To be proud of herself the same way her parents were supposed to be proud of her. She stopped walking as she came to her tree. It was one of the few trees that she could climb in the forest. She walked up to it abd placed a foot on a knot in the tree and lifted herself up to grab on a low branch. She was in a dress but she couldn't care who saw her. Besides no one was around. Not out here unless they were hunting. She climbed onto a large branch that could hold her weight and sat down with a sigh. She leaned against the body of the tree and took the flowered crown from her head. She hummed a soft tune as she plucked petals off letting them flutter to the ground.

She barely heard her name and blinked, her brow furrowed. That voice. She rolled her eyes and continued pulling petals. "what do you want, sorin?" she said softly but with a bit of irritation. "if my father sent you to court me you can just go back to the festival now."