The Spark
They soon left the vast, golden cave system behind, piles of gold stood in niches, golden suits of armor stood in shadows, and random gems sparkled from places high and low.
Ardyn made sure to match the pace of the Serpent Lord, but something in her shifted. She felt safe; she felt like she could move without fear of punishment.
She stole a surreptitious glance at him. The silver scales running down in fluid, shimmering lines caused her eyes to dilate ever so slightly. Her heart raced, and she found herself wanting to touch one of the fine scales jutting out at his shoulder blade.
She averted her attention, but awe and fascination swirled within her like hot cocoa on a cold winter day.
He was such a beautiful creature: sleek, shiny, ebon, dangerous, and calm. There was a purity to him that could not be clearly or easily explained. Her heart fluttered, and she smiled, biting her lip to try and calm herself.
'Calm down, Ardyn. One wrong move and who knows what could happen. You have already experienced things worse than death; still, keep your wits about you.'
With that, she calmed internally and focused so that she could understand what was exactly wanted of her.
The Serpent Lord watched her inner struggle, not truly understanding but growing more and more fascinated.
Her smile struck him like a hard fist to the jaw, but he ignored it, and he found himself wondering why her heart pounded so loudly.
His senses were on high alert as he steadily walked forward and unconsciously became more and more interested in the odd human.
"So you are to be my sacrifice, little one? And what type of sacrifice are you? Shall I eat you, or will you serve me? Perhaps I should turn you into one of the golden statues that line these dark walls."
Ardyn's eyes slid to the walls and all of the beautiful statues.
'They are so lovely. Were they all once living beings? The Serpent Lord truly is both beautiful and powerful.'
"That is all up to you, My Lord Serpent. I am for your purposes, and I am ready to embrace whatever comes." Her eyes still sliding over the wonders of his world as she spoke.
His small smile turned into a frown, and he became confused once more. 'Does nothing move this creature? Is she truly human? Have my once keen senses deceived me?'
It was her small gasp that brought him out of his inner turmoil. They had reached the entrance of the valley, and she was now looking upon it with wide-eyed wonder.
The arrogant, prideful smile froze on his lips as his soul stirred and his heart once again constricted in his chest. His gaze drifted into her eyes and was locked there.
Those amethyst eyes, like vibrant, living jewels, like enchanted rock that could consume and repair a soul in equal measure.
They were exquisite. His perception moved outward, along her face: her soft, pale skin, her pale, almost white hair, and those soft lilac highlights, but his eyes could not leave hers.
She stared back at him, almost unblinkingly, her mind littered with nonsense, her heart thumping, and her lips going dry.
All he saw was strength and fearlessness.
They turned their gazes back to the valley as one. She found the tops of colorful trees in the distance, and he looked out into the vast blue of the sky.
He finally spoke, and relief came to her quickly; she did not have to speak, she was scared that her throat was too dry to bring forth proper sound.
She turned to him with a soft smile and listened.
"This is my great valley." His eyes locked onto hers, onto those amethyst jewels, and she cocked her head to indicate her attentiveness. "Call me Varric. My actual name is Serpiantia, so you will never be able to say it. Varric is fine. Come, Ardyn, let's find you a place to sleep."
They both blinked at the suddenness of the declaration, but neither said anything about it.
He once again moved forward, lost in thought, wondering if she was some sort of captured Fae, lost, or trapped. He was truly beginning to doubt his senses; she could not be human.
Ardyn stood stock still as he moved further and further from her. First, the valley was immense; she could see no ceiling of rock—there was a thick, brilliant blue sky above. The land itself stretched further than the mountain range it lay beneath. She looked behind her, down the dark tunnel, the brilliant gold of the golden cave alight at the end.
She then turned back to the valley before her, once again stunned.
Secondly, what was going on? Were all sacrifices treated like this? Would she meet others before long? Were they all chained somewhere or working for the Serpent Lord in some capacity?
"Ardyn!"
She jumped inwardly and moved forward when he yelled her name. He just saw the forward motion but not the startle. He frowned, his annoyance melting away as he registered her actions as more declarations of fearlessness.
'This girl truly has no fear. Why are all humans not this strong?'
As she moved down to him, her mind raced. 'He is more powerful than I thought. This place is beyond imagining, and he is taking me somewhere, somewhere to stay.' She frowned inwardly. 'Is he wanting to fatten me up before he eats me?'
She almost shrugged as she fell back in line with him and began to match his pace. It did not matter. She had been given a command, and this is where it led. Whatever came of it, she would be better off here than with them.
They walked, once again, wordlessly, both lost in their own thoughts. She looked about in pure fascination, unable, at times, to keep her face schooled.
He walked, completely lost in his own head. Wisps of thought flowed through his mind as if he was trying to put a puzzle together.
'Those jewel-like amethyst eyes… her skin seems so soft; it is almost the color of snow… why is she so fearless… the highlights in her hair remind me of something… why does my chest tighten every time I think of her eyes… has she eaten today? What does she eat? I need to speak to Elsa.'
As he thought, his tail, once rather short and unobtrusive, extended and began to flick to an invisible rhythm, his mind lost deep in thought as he began to plan.
It was instinctual: she was now his, and he was going to make sure she was happy.
Ardyn, walking beside him, did not understand. Such power, capable of cruelty, and then his tail sways with thought, the silver in his scales randomly sent up tiny bursts of sparkling light, and he almost seemed to hum. It all made something inexplicable stir within her.
Even as she felt sparks within, she didn't know this was his emotion manifest.
It seemed like they walked forever, but it didn't bother either of them. She was lost in the scenery—and him—and he was lost in the thought of her eyes and the smell of lilac.
At the thought of lilac, he disappeared and reappeared almost in the same moment, beautiful lilacs in his hands. For a split second, he felt like an idiot for the spontaneity, but her wide eyes and brilliant smile changed that.
She tentatively reached for them, and he pushed them towards her. Their hands touched, the stern black hardness of his scales against the soft pale suppleness of her skin, and their eyes locked at the tactile sensation. She blushed, pulling away, the flowers in her hands. He looked at her as if he were a predator and she was his prize.
Ardyn noticed trees laden with fruit. The fruit were in beautiful jewel tones: one tree with golden fruit, another with sapphire, and still another ruby red. Her eyes flicked to him, and he instantly sensed it. He frowned and looked down at her.
"Are you hungry, Little Ardyn?"
'Why am I calling her that?'
Once again, his thoughts consumed him as he stepped to the closest tree. His tail whipped out, elongating, and hit three trees at once. The fruit fell: one golden, one sapphire, and one ruby. He swung his head toward her slightly, and they all moved to her.
Ardyn plucked them from the air, awe flowing warmly through her body.
"Come, they are all very good. Do you want anything else to eat, maybe a drink?"
He was speaking to her, but she could tell he was not paying much attention as they walked forward, the lush blue grasses brushing against her skin as they made random paths through the valley.
The fruit was delicious, warming and calming all in one. She followed blindly, smiling as she ate fruit and arranged lilacs in her hair and clothes.
His thoughts tangled within a confusion he did not understand. His tail flicking back and forth and his heart pounding in his chest.
His mind could not shake her; his focus refused to remain with him. He walked with purpose, but he did not truly follow his own steps, and the entire time she was beside him.
Her scent, her aura, the warmth of a delicate, twinkling spirit. This petite, delicate woman.
The reason behind his befuddled state and, even though he could not see it yet, the reason for the ice in his veins warming and melting away.