Page 18 of A Soul to Embrace

Jabez was cunning, and the only way he’d survive this was if she made the first move. He would flee, as he’d already proven he was slippery to keep ahold of.

At his wordless threat, she snapped her jaws at him, making a sharp clipping sound, before thumping one of her hind legs. Shewas backing down, so he towered his height above her lowered stance while keeping a safe distance.

He warded her back like he might a bear.

She thumped a back leg while snapping her jaws again, but otherwise continued to retreat.

Apparently she didn’t wish to fight, and she appeared to have better control over her anger than most Mavka. He refused to let his eyes off her reddened orbs and continued to release his own rumbling growl. Even when she faded from sight, he refused to stop his warning, but he did retreat slowly from the area so as to not stir the desire to hunt in her.

Only when everything grew silent did he quieten.

Letting out an annoyed, rolling huff, he looked up at the moonlight glittering through the canopy of leaves. A small chuckle fell from him as his accelerated heart slowed its adrenaline-filled sprint.

Well, that could have ended badly.

After going back to find his belongings he’d placed down, he rubbed at his injured chest. Jabez noticed the bruises already blotting around his right collarbone and side. Hissing in a breath of pain, he wheezed and grunted, as he swiped up his satchel and headed towards the lake.

As annoyed as he was about his plan to manipulate this Mavka failing so soon, and how he’d wasted an entire night essentially assisting her, he let it go. There was little he could do to change it, as she likely hated him now, and he wouldn’t waste energy on being angered over such a loss. He’d merely come up with a new plan.

He also considered it payment for saving his life.

Perhaps I can head to the village of Demons.He cupped his jaw as he thought about what he could do there.I left a mana stone beneath the village. I can probably use it to myadvantage.It was better than wandering the forest with no direction until he figured out what he truly wanted to do.

Without my magic, I can’t face the Demons.Not on Earth and definitely not in Nyl’theria – the Elven realm. If they knew he was weak, they wouldn’t waste any time before tearing him apart to gain from eating his corpse. It was part of the reason he’d stolen the cloak to hide his identity, although warmth was the main purpose.I’ll have to ensure I remain unnoticed until I reach the outskirts of the village.

At the lake, Jabez drank from the water before removing his pants and slipping in to bathe. Then, soaking wet and sitting on the grass, he pulled out all his stolen supplies and assessed what he’d gathered as he let himself air dry.

Once he was no longer dripping water, he donned the large tunic designed for an overweight man, finding it loose around his narrow waist. It fit across his wide, muscled shoulders, and the extra room meant it covered his entire torso past his waistline. It was a little short for his arms, so he rolled up the sleeves to just before where his forearm muscles started to bulge.

Already he felt warmer, and sitting in the heat of the moonlight felt sublime. Unlike most Demons, Jabez could not only withstand the light, but it gave him warmth. Basking in it as it shone upon his back, he pulled his ruined mauve pants closer and used the scissors he’d taken to cut the fabric off both legs just below the knees, so they were even.

He also grabbed the breeches he’d stolen and stood so he could see where he’d need to cut them. The waist of the breeches barely came halfway up his muscular thighs. Jabez cut the sections that he needed, which were just below the knee joints to below his calves, and removed the tops and bottoms from them.

Then, he got to work sewing those leather sections to the bottoms of his loose pants so the calves were snug but wouldkeep him warm during the cold winter months that were approaching.

He took no shoes; no human would have feet his size. Plus, as an Elf, despite lacking the ability to utilise his magic right now, anything that covered the soles of his feet was abhorrent to him. It would only make him clumsy, incapable of climbing trees, and he liked to feel the earth beneath him.

Fully dressed, he tested the cloak he’d stolen. It largely fit, as most cloaks were made to cover the human body like a blanket whilst travelling. The length only came to the top of his calves, whereas it likely would have been close to skimming the ground for a human.

The hood was plain, but it was large enough to cover his head even with his horns being in the way.

He fixed the black material he’d stolen to the bottom of the cloak so it would fall to his ankles and shield his feet from the sun during his travels. Once he was done, he fitted the cloak around his body and glanced at the panel of fur now covering his shoulders, noting that it made him remarkably warmer.

Lastly, he donned a leather holster he’d stolen and shoved the dagger he’d taken from a deceased soldier into it. As much as he preferred to use his hands and claws, a dagger would be useful for activities outside of combat.

Crouching, he selected an apple he’d taken from a produce store and bit into it. He wiggled his nose at the sweet taste, but it was otherwise suitable to curb the worst of his hunger. As he ate, he checked on the remaining items: a water sack he’d already filled, a razor and hairbrush to groom himself, and the three books he’d taken.

He considered tossing the books into the water, as he no longer needed learning material for the Mavka, but decided against it.Should I be bored in my travels, something to read may be entertaining.

Tsking at himself, he shoved everything back into his satchel and strapped it across his torso for safekeeping. Then he manoeuvred to lie in the concave of a tree trunk and wrapped himself in the cloak until not a bit of his skin was revealed.

Intending to sleep before he walked to the Demons’ village, he didn’t wish to awake prematurely due to the sunlight burning him. The cloak and shade of this very tree would protect him.

The moment he closed his eyes against the lightening night sky, a branch snapping in the distance had him flinging them open. He glared at nothingness as he listened.

The female Mavka, now mostly healed, stamped her way into the area on all fours. Jabez pulled back his hood to properly inspect her approach, noting her orbs were a soft red – annoyed, but not enraged. Which meant safe-ish.

She came right to his huddled form, and he cocked a brow.

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