Misha was biting down hard on Firion's arm. The wolf was not going to forgive this man that easily. Firion tried to pry his hand from Misha's mouth, which he might have been able to do if he were not heavily injured. "Misha, please, let him go." Her voice was noticeably hoarse from having her throat seized. "I'm okay… Misha… You can let him go."
Misha then let go of her fangs from him. Another wound was added to the man's body. The wolf was still wary and positioned herself right beside Kaida and ready to pounce on the man if he made a sudden move. Misha rubbed her snout. "I'm okay…" Her voice was noticeably hoarse from having her throat seized. The bite wasn't as bad as it could have been; given Misha's large size, she very well could have ripped his entire arm off, but the kind Kaida rushed towards Firion, he slumped in disbelief, to heal his new injuries.
"I am sorry, but please know she was only defending me." She stated with a warm demeanor. Silence came over the large elf, dumbfounded at what he was witnessing: a girl who appeared to be a demon from an opposing tribe insisted on trying to help him.
"Why?" He asked with a mix of confusion and anger, but he received silence from the girl as he finished washing his hand and wrapping it with a bandage. She then looked at Firion for a moment before finally speaking: "I don't think you were trying to kill me. I don't know what a demon is, but it sounds like they caused you a lot of pain and turmoil."
She held his hand, giving assurance to Firion, "I am only a girl who was trying to save someone who was dying."
Then came guilt, washing over Firion. He staggered, then walked towards the bed and sat down, glancing at his arm and towards Kaida, who was watching him. He appeared indifferent and in disbelief as he didn't say anything. Kaida fixed up the medical equipment lying around on the floor.
Clinks and clanks filled the air before Firion spoke in a low voice without looking at her.
"I am sorry."
Kaida continued fixing up the cabinets before turning towards him and smiling gently. Misha noticed and lay down whilst still looking at Firion. The air feels safe for everyone now.
If it weren't for these horns, I wouldn't have known how honest he gets.
Firion had a similar disposition. If it weren't for these ears…
Both beings knew that both of them were being truthful to one another thanks to their capabilities. Firion has lived for an extraordinarily long time, so he can tell when someone is being dishonest. And he definitely did not sense any deception of any kind from Kaida; however, he could not shake off a feeling of uneasiness he got from being around her.
"Alright!" Kaida clapped. "I think it's about time for you to get some rest." She picked up the pillows that fell off the bed from the incursion and signaled Firion to lie down. "Don't worry about my bed, Firion! I just hope you have a good night." She smiled warmly. Firion didn't say anything and covered himself up with a blanket. Kaida walked towards the corner where Misha resides, with an extra blanket and pillow, and lay down beside the autumn-furred wolf, all cuddled up.
"Goodnight, Firion!"
As she was about to fall asleep. She heard him mumble back, which made her smile with happiness.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaida's face felt warmer as the morning light from the window fell on her; her eyes twitching, she slowly opened them and looked at her own dress, where she wore a pink bikini. She turned towards Misha, who was in a deep sleep, and hugged her more, snuggling her face into Misha's soft fur. She then stretched and yawned and looked at Firion on the other side of the room. She got up and went close to him as she observed that his complexion had improved overnight. Kaida sighed in relief.
"Oh, I'll get you a hearty meal and some fresh bandages once you wake up." She said while hovering over him. Now that I think about it. This is my first time encountering a man so close! She put her hand on her chin. I've only been this close since my deceased mother…
She kept observing him more and more. The way his beard covers his chin, his rough skin, how large his body is, how long his ears are, and his hair reaching towards his shoulders. His chest, slightly hairy, is also well-defined. Firion's chest was much different than Kaida's, which made her curious as she hesitantly placed her hand on the right side of his breast.
I'm just checking his heartbeat!
But upon touching his bosom, she was surprised by how firm it was compared to her own. Without thinking about where to place her finger next, she traced his chest until it reached his nipple, which she started rubbing; this made Firion's face twitch and blush. She snapped and removed her hand.
How cute, I better not wake him though.
However, before she turned away to go start breakfast, she saw something strange under Firion's blanket; there was a very large lump protruding from the covers between his legs.
Could this be another injury of some kind? Kaida mumbled to herself. Curious, she began to touch the tip, and to her surprise it was very solid. She held it with both of her hands and lightly gripped around it to see if it felt like some sort of swelling. Instead of blood, there was something that formed around the tip of the lump.
She looked at Firion, who was already blushing and twitching from her touching the lump. Kaida was not done as she squeezed the injury, which made Firion wake up and yelp.
"Gah! What the hell are you doing?!" He shouted. Kaida backed up a bit, afraid that she might get strangled again, but sensed that Firion was just embarrassed.
"I… was worried about this lump. I wanted to make sure it was not some sort of injury I overlooked." She said out of guilt. Firion's ears twitched, sensing that she was being honest but appalled at what just happened.
"Do you… have any idea what you just did? It's very inappropriate to fondle a man in such a way?" He said whilst putting his posture on guard towards the young maiden who sat beside the bed with her hands folded in her lap whilst she looked down nervously in guilt.
"I'm serious! I didn't know what that is. I didn't know I was not allowed to touch it."
"Wh–what do you mean you don't know what a penis is?"
"I swear! I have never been around a man; the only person I interacted with was my mother before she passed away. My father died before I was born, she said."
Firion's opinion of Kaida's innocence began to soften. Kaida was still embarrassed by the inappropriate fondling of the elf without his knowledge, but he understood that it was just an honest mistake; sensing her guilt made him calm down. Firion washed his dumbfounded reaction into something more docile and said, "It's alright," to Kaida.
Kaida looked up, meeting his eyes. Firion added. "I know you don't understand, but men and women have different body parts, and we avoid looking at or touching them."
She nodded her head. "I see… I will try not to touch your privates."
Try?
His thought was interrupted by a growling sound from his stomach. Kaida smiled at him and stood up, went to the kitchen, and started prepping. "I'll make something extra yummy, okay?"
She took out potatoes, carrots, green beans, various mushrooms, and a clay gourd that appeared to be filled with some kind of liquid. Firion could hear her finely chopping the vegetables in the background. He wondered if the young maiden knew how to cook and wouldn't end up killing him with some demon cuisine. He erased that thought. He had a lot on his mind from all that had happened in such a short amount of time, and he was thinking about it while Kaida was getting their dinner ready. Fortunately, Firion's vitals were unharmed when he was stabbed in the back and tossed over a bridge while he was inspecting the boundary between Junai and Aldenburg by his own fellow guards.
He bit his lip while remembering the pain he experienced. How could you betray me, Isa… and Adan nearly had me killed!
Despite Aldenburg being a prestigious country of noble-born elves, its population has been in sharp decline in past decades due to declining birth rates… yet there's something odd about her…
She is a blue-horned demon, yet her species lives on the opposite side of the continent in a shrouded peninsula called Mycean. How did she end up here between bordering nations?
Firion pondered more and more about the situation he's in, as well as the politics surrounding the nations of Eurelca, an elven country, and Junai, whose inhabitants are the white fang demons, also known as the lion tribe.
So many things bombarded the elf's mind as he tried to recollect everything that had happened, to the point of nearly losing his life but a pleasant aroma came from the direction of Kaida's kitchen that made him abandon his train of thought.
She took a small bite from her spoon. "Ah! This came out so nice." She swirled the creamy-looking broth loaded with hearty vegetables. "Lucky for you, I also baked potato bread buns just yesterday. They're still soft and fresh, it will go wonderfully with this stew." Kaida said with glee.
She prepped the cups, bowls, and utensils in a wooden tray, poured the food in the bowl, and walked over to Firion's bed. "Will you be able to eat on your own? If you want, I can…?"
Firion still had injuries in his eyes, so he couldn't see very well at all. His eyes stayed closed, and extended his hand. To her surprise, he had no trouble finding the bowl and lifting the spoon to his mouth, but as he took a bite, his eye opened in shock.
"This stew… is delicious." He said in a firm tone. He slurped some more. Until the last drop. The broth was rich and creamy, the vegetables were tender, and the taste of hearty truffles gave the soup an earthy aroma in combination with garlic and various spices.
He also sampled the bread; it was flaky and buttery, and it still tasted fresh.
The elf's ears twitched and assumed the girl must be happy from his reaction but little does he know, the young maiden's face was a bright shade of red as she quietly poured herself a bowl.