Chapter Text
"A bath. Is it possible to take one on this ship?" he asked while looking around the chamber, his voice much more pleasant than before, actually completely different, because this time it wasn't the darkin who talked, but Kai, who let the other two argue in the back of their mind.
"A bath?" the boy repeated, surprised by the drastic change in the man's voice. "Of...of course. I will prepare it, f...fast, and take you there when it's done." he ran away immediately, without waiting for any other word from the darkin.
"Oh, come on, Varus. You like to take baths too, right? Now we can finally take a real one, without plants from the forest or stone-cold water. You will enjoy it, you know that.". Val tried to convince him, and luckily for the pair, the darkin didn't bother to argue this time.
He looked around the chamber, a big wooden bed was nicely placed right on the wall opposing the door, different types of pillows arranged temptingly on its surface above what seemed like a blanket, a red material decorated with little golden embroidery. The wall on the right of the door was completely covered by a large collection of books, neatly arranged on beautifully sculpted bookshelves that seemed made specifically for keeping the books on the shelves even with the continuous movement of the ship. The rest of the room was empty, only a surprisingly clean, colourful rug in the middle of the floor. After studying the books displayed on the wall, he decided to take one that picked his interest and threw it on the bed, right when the boy shyly appeared in the door frame. The young human tried to think of a proper way to call the darkin, but fortunately for him, that was not necessary. His presence was felt by Varus, who came in front of him, unintentionally scaring the boy, who rapidly took a few steps behind, and instinctively put his hands on the wall behind him.
"Why are you fooling around like this?". the darkin asked while going out of the room, still having the bow with him.
"I was...I was just... Sorry. The bath is ready. Follow...me, please." he managed to gather the courage to speak, and even to move towards the bathroom, which was not far from the chamber.
A small, yet cozy room, with a large
bathing place made out of polished grey stone, that was now filled with water and a bubbly layer of sparkling white foam. Near the entrance, several small black hooks, engraved with tiny silver details, were supporting different types of greyish towels and a black bathrobe. Some sort of wooden chest, covered by a small piece of dark leather, was placed in the other part of the room, and above it, on the wall, a few lanterns with freshly lightened candles.
The man stepped inside and let his bow lean on one of the walls, while lazily untying his hair with the other hand. A white curtain of rich threads of hair dropped elegantly over his shoulders, flowing delicately over his back, all the way to the dark armor that was covering his lower half. The young boy, who forgot, or perhaps didn't know to go away, was still in the door frame, mesmerized by the scene in front of him. He was aware of the beauty this man possessed, but now, in the dim light of the candles, with the subtle reflections of the water playing on the walls around him, he seemed inhumanely beautiful, his muscled well-contoured, yet harmoniously sculpted on his body, his hair dancing even so slowly with his moves, the strong, yet elegant posture, the breathtaking eyes... Wait, eyes? The boy almost lost his breath for good when he realized that the darkin was now watching him, no particular expression on his face, probably waiting for a reaction, but his "audience" was petrified.
"I am confident in my body and do not hesitate to bathe in front of others." he said proudly and made a few steps closer to the boy, unbothered by the noticeable difference in height. "But the colour of your cheeks is already competing with my scarf. I assume that you can only faint if staying any longer." the mock in his voice was hardly noticeable, but the boy felt it worse than a punch.
"I...I was just. Ahm... call, call for me if you need any... anything, I will be... around." looking ashamed at the ground, he tried to walk out, accidentally hitting the frame of the door on the first try, but immediately after running away from there.
"Impressive, humans became even more ridiculous since I last walked among them. Stubborn, and yet easy to conquer. I wonder how your species managed to survive for so long." he closed the door and took off the long, red scarf, carefully folding it on his arm, while he let the corruption on his body slide on the floor, then crawl on the bow.
"What is truly impressive is how you keep on having 'that' kind of effect on people. The boy saw you slaughter an entire battalion and now he still finds you attractive." Val said in a concerned voice.
"You shouldn't be jealous Valmar, we share the same body, and I must admit, considering that I used your mortal flesh to construct this vessel, the beauty of it is inhumane, astonishing close to perfection." he glanced around and went straight to the wooden chest that he opened carefully and took a small silver mirror out of it.
The trio was surprised. They all saw the face of the body before, well, its reflection in clean waters, but never this clear. All the small details were there, the well-defined jawline, beautifully contoured eyes with long, delicate lashes, and perfectly formed eyebrows to complete the mysterious image he was unintentionally building, not only with the observant look in his eyes, but also with the lack of expression on his lips, those small thin lips, looking fragile and inviting, an ironic contrast with all his appearance. He moved his head slightly to better see it from all the good angles, his hair following each motion and sometimes even sliding around his shoulders ending up resting on his chest.
"This...this is us." Val felt the need to say, not for the others, but for himself, trying to wrap his mind around the idea, suddenly everything felt more like a mad dream than reality.
"It has a little bit from each of us. Isn't it beautiful? To have a body that seals our faiths together even more?" Kai was speaking with love in his tone, as their hands gently brushed over one of his cheeks, right where the black tattoo ends.
"Well, I always told you how beautiful your nose is, you never believed me, but look, even he considered it 'worthy for his vessel' ". Val said with a bit of happiness in his voice, mockingly imitating the darkin's voice for the example, and even managing to make the lips of the being arch into a little smirk.
"But the attention will always be on your delicate lips. every time they arch into a smile, even those subtle ones, the face transforms into a mesmerizing display of natural beauty.". Kai praised his partner's appearance, both of them managing to make the being chuckle softly, harmonizing the two voices into one pleasant sound.
"You two had more than enough time to fool around. The water will get cold, and I do not want to hear you blame me, again." he put the mirror back in its place, then walked to the bath, carefully touching the surfaces of the water with the tips of his fingers, before slowly emerging them under the water. "This should be on your liking." he murmured while going into the bath, making himself comfortable.
"Finally! Warm water! This feel like paradise. And the smells... Is this liath?" Val's excitement made Varus sight shortly.
The darkin didn't reply, he just slowly submerged his head completely under the water, stood there for a few moments, then just as slow as he got in, he came back to the surface and slid his fingers through his long hair, gently stroking it while streams of water began to trickle down the white threads, on his shoulders, then back over the thin layer of white foam formed around him. Involuntary, his muscles started to relax in the warmth of the water, starting from his feet, which were not used to not feel the protective armor around them, then a tingling sensation, provoked by the smooth feel of the water, spread around in branches of comfort that made even his stiff shoulders surrender to the embracing feeling. He couldn't remember the last time when he felt the warm water covering his body, the pleasant smells of wildflowers mixed with strange, yet interesting mixtures of oils, and the comfort... he was not sure if he ever allowed himself to relax like this before. The answer was probably "no", he always had to keep his guard up, he was always aware of the surroundings, even when he was among his kin, he could never enjoy a real moment of peace, there was always something to cause him discomfort, the pathetic attempts of the others to make him engage in their unnecessary displays of aggression, their lack of attention for what was going on around them, even the smallest change in the patterns he managed to figure out after patiently observing those around him. But now? He was alone as always, and yet, his worries were nowhere to be found, almost as if he was under some sort of spell, he simply felt the moment and nothing more. A well-deserved moment of pleasure for his tormented soul.
"Can you take the brown bottle from there? I think it might have cappilucea oil in it. If I am right, we can use it. Works wonders for the hair."
So much for his peace. Varus almost forgot about the other souls, and even when he heard Kai's request, he remained just as comfortable, perhaps because his voice was more composed than Valmar's, or simply because he managed to intrigue the darkin by mentioning something for the hair, which he cared for more than he would admit.
For the first time, the three of them shared a peaceful moment, not ignoring each other, on the contrary, talking and working together to care for their body, spoiling it with all the goods they could find around.
After hours of cleaning and preparing for their guests of honor, the crew was waiting on the deck, oil lanterns carefully secured on thin chains caught from one mast to another, illuminating the yellowish wood among the large table arranged with various foods and candles, then the little group of sailors who were preparing their instruments as the captain stood tall in front of them, looking at the nearest door expectedly.
Shieska was already there, wearing a greenish dress decorated with modest golden patterns, the colour complimenting her complexion as the cuts on the fabric made the curves on her body seem even more alluring. Taking small bites from an apple, she was looking at the young man who was still playing with his fingers nervously.
"Are ya' alright, Rethan? There is no reason to be scared of him, if he wanted you dead you would have been already taking the final nap on the bottom of the sea."
"I... I know that! I am not scared of him. Well, just a bit, but, he is also...interesting, so powerful, but still beautiful. He is not like the other guys, one or another, he is just... the right amount of both." he stopped playing with his hands and turned around to look at her, his gaze wandering somewhere else as he kept on talking.
"Huh, I know mate, he has a way of twisting with people's feelings like that. Hate to disappoint ya', but he is not looking for a relationship." she said simply, still eating that apple.
"Well, with someone like him, I would accept it even just for one night." the boy said awkwardly and jumped a little, surprised when the woman's apple fell to the ground.
"I meant that he is not into any of that stuff, but.... ya' really got yar' mind into it, haven't ya'?" Shieska asked mockingly as the poor boy blushed and tried to look anywhere but at her.
"Is not everyday when someone like him comes around... of...of course I am a little bit intrigued." he tried to defend himself, but the woman kept on teasing him.
As the two of them were talking, or better say, arguing teasingly, the darkin came from his chamber, almost all the heads turning to see his appearance. The white hair braided elegantly, with the length resting on his left shoulder, wearing a lurid red shirt splashed with complex dark models, the collar being down on his shoulders, his long scarf arranged carefully over it, a pair of black trousers and his usual corruption serving as "shoes". He took a moment to look around at the new scenery arranged in front of him, then started to walk towards the two humans who were watching his every move with admiration.
"I see that the captain chose the best clothes for ya'. Don't ya' agree, Rethan?" she smirked playfully and looked at the boy.
The man followed her example and looked up at the boy, his expression unchanged, only the eyes being awfully humanly, with a simple white around a reddish iris, the black pupils reflecting the light of the sparkling flames from the lamps around them.
"Your eyes... are beautiful." was all the youngster could say.
"Is that so?" his voice was also different, without the specific hinch of an echo.
"Now that I look at them... Yar' eyes look normal. Not like when Kai and Val talk, but not like yar's either." she came closer to look into his eyes, making him raise an eyebrow.
"I find it amusing, how you can see something 'normal' in me. I am anything but what the majority will consider 'normal'."
"Me neither." she said and chuckled. "Ya' are from Ionia, right? Aren't ya going to show us some moves? I heard that ya'r people are great dancers."
"Perhaps on a different rhythm. These chaotic moves and drunken songs are not what I consider entertaining." he pointed vaguely to the few crewmates who started to dance lively in front of the little band their colleagues formed.
"I don't know what surprises me more, that ya' actually agreed, or that ya' can find music and dance entertaining." Shieska said mockingly.
"As I said before, I am not a savage, I do enjoy music and dancing, but not ...this unfortunate storm of sounds and moves."
"Ya' just need to get used to it. This is the popular music nowadays, if ya' do not like it, just wait for the next century. Who knows? Ya' might be lucky enough and people will start to listen only to classical music 24/7."
"Don't make me dream about realities that do not exist." what Shieska was surprised to consider a joke from the darkin, made both her and Rethan chuckle.
After tasting some of the foods arranged on the nearby tables, Varus was pleasantly surprised when the music finally changed into something more delightful. The harmonious melody awaken an unsuspected urge to the darkin.
"I shall show those humans the adequate approach for this dance." he said somehow proud and looked at Shieska as if waiting for something.
"Oh, my..." she chuckled and put her hands on her hips while measuring Varus up and down. "I am no match for ya', but I think there is someone who might be more willing to give it a try." she titled her head suggestively towards Rethan, who was sitting on a chair, watching the pairs of dancers while playing unconsciously with his fingers on the back of the chair.
He watched the boy and sighted shortly.
"The boy can barely walk straight. Dancing with him will be a hassle." he complained to the pair.
"Come on, Varus! Just try it out, he might surprise you." Kai encouraged him.
"There is no point, he will only disappoint me." the darkin stated without giving it a thought.
"So stubborn! Listen here, demon, you can either go to the boy and invite him to dance, or I am going to use all the strength I can gather to walk there myself and dance with your fucking bow! All I want is a dance, one to remind us of the time everything was normal. Are we asking for much, considering that you also wanted to dance tonight?" Valmar pressured the darkin, giving him a headache, quite literally.
"You, humans, are painfully tiring, especially when it comes to requests." he murmured while massaging his forehead with a hand.
There was no need for further interventions from the pair, as he started to walk towards the boy, stopping next to him and elegantly extending an arm towards him.
"Your people are ruining the melody with their pathetic moves. I want to show them a real dance. Care to join me?" even with no particular inflections in his speech and tone, he managed to make the boy choke with air.
"Are you... asking me to a dance?" he asked in disbelief.
"Are you going to make me wait any longer, human?"
The boy accepted the darkin's hand and let Varus lead him among the other dancers. He wasn't expecting to feel the flesh on the man's hand, or perhaps, not such a firm, humane type of flesh. For sure, the gentle, but controlled manner in which he was held by the man, was also a surprise. The way Varus led the dance was nothing like he would have expected, there was no force or pressure, not even the slightest attempt of aggression, it was as if the darkin was trying to protect him, every swift move, perfectly flowing with the rhythm, bringing them close together, enough for Rethan to feel the warmth of the man's body, and even the regular beats of his heart. Varus was different from his usual self, he watched the boy with tenderness in his eyes, pressing his hands gently over his body to guide him, and even smiling lovingly every time their bodies pressed against each other. Spinning the youngster elegantly, only to bring him back in his arms, looking up in his eyes with what seemed like a spark of joy... everything felt amazing. So amazing that Rethan couldn't believe any of it. But the touches, warm and firm, the smell, strong, but fresh, with only a hint of a flourish essence, the tingling sensation in his stomach ... everything felt real and yet unbelievable, like some sort of fever dream.
For how long did they share this moment? Rethan was enjoying the moment way too much to even think about time. And the musicians... they were also mesmerized by the swift moves of the darkin, so much that they forgot to end the melody and just played it more, as if making a new one to fit the man's story.
As the peace of the melody decreased, the two were again close, looking into each other's eyes. Varus grabbed the boy's waist to keep him closer as the boy tilted his head just enough to come near his lips. When only a pearl could have been placed between the two, a roar of applauses echoed around them when the melody was over.
Looking as if woken from a dream, Varus looked up at the boy, somehow surprised by the closure he directed. In the split of a second, the tender look on his eyes disappeared, his cold expression painted again on his face.
"Not bad... for a human." he said, his voice again followed by a fainted echo, then walked away from the boy.
The darkin ignored Shieska completely when she came to talk with him, and just got back to his chamber. He closed the door behind him and immediately leaned on it, grabbing the red stone of his necklace.
"Varus... was she...?" Kai started with a worried voice.
"A memory. Nothing but a memory." his voice was almost a whisper as his eyes closed and he clenched his fists.