Page 8 of A Soul to Embrace

He had just enough time to leap away to the closest branch with his prize before the Mavka attempted to tackle the space he’d just been occupying. She immediately descended upon the carcass as Jabez climbed to get out of sight and away from the wind brushing his scent towards her.

Despite the mud in her nose, either the copious amount of blood or perhaps the sight was too much for her weak mind. She roared, releasing a puff of white condensation from her incisor-toothed maw before the air filled with disgusting wet snarls as she ate. The Mavka in a full rage worked on consuming the meat below him as he skinned and consumed the leg he’d obtained.

He had no issue eating raw meat, although he was much more civilised and preferred cooked food. But a meal was a meal.

Once he was finished, he dropped the bone down to her so she could consume it. It would strengthen her bones, and whatever meat was left would surely do her some good. It wasn’t like he had a use for it.

Then he leaned back against the tree trunk, partially reclining with his legs crossed. He brought his hands up behind his head and patiently waited for her to come out of it.

He only peeked over intermittently to see how far she was into her meal. When she was merely licking the blood from her hands for the last tasty drops, he knew it wouldn’t be much longer.

Hopefully she runs off into the forest in search of more.

Then he could sprint away and put as much space between them as possible, with minimal repercussions.

For a long while, all Jabez heard was a creature intensely sniffing at the ground. She walked around, searching while scratching at grass, leaves, or whatever.

When whimpering drifted up to him from below the branch he lay upon, he glanced over it to see the Mavka kneeling in the grass.Damnit, she stayed.And now she was regaining lucidity. Her orbs were bright blue with little droplets floating around her empty eye sockets – ethereal tears.

His brows narrowed at how quick she was to cry.

Figuring that meant it was safe, Jabez rotated until his legs dangled over the edge, and then he slid off. He landed gracefully, although not particularly softly due to the length of the fall, bending his knees to take the worst of the impact.

The Mavka squealed as she leapt to the side, her hand raised to threaten with claws at his sudden landing. She quickly lowered it, and her orbs turned bright yellow as she darted towards him.

She chittered as she cupped the side of his face, his neck, obviously checking for some kind of wound. He rolled his eyes ashe pushed her hands away, surprised she had enough humanity to check his wellbeing.

“Yes, yes. I am perfectly fine. You did not eat your new pet,” he stated as he stepped to the side.

The Mavka grabbed his wrist and dragged him in the direction of her burrow. He skilfully twisted his arm out of her hold while evading her claws.

“That way. There is water, and I’m in desperate need of a drink and a bath. We can go to your burrow when day breaks. Until then, we will explore the night as our kinds were intended to.”

He may have been the captured pet, but she was no master of him.

Convincing her would be easy enough, considering she had no capabilities to argue. The more he did things, the more she’d learn that everything he did had a reason – most of which would benefit her.

She would eventually grow angered by his constant refusal to do as she demanded, and she’d no doubt force his hand to obey. Until then, he would do what he wanted.

He made her follow by evading every time she attempted to grab his arm. When she went for an ankle, he rolled forward to break her hold and continued on without missing a step. He ducked from her grasp with practised skill – luckily she attempted to be gentle even as she gave warning snarls.

When they came upon a small lake, Jabez knelt beside it. He kept her in the safety of his periphery as he leaned forward, noting how she stood there awkwardly with her claws clicking together.

He didn’t check if it was safe. It was clear, and his gut biome was used to swallowing strange water. The Demon part of him had rather good health benefits when it came to parasites,diseases, and worms from water or meat; it kept him healthy from such contaminants.

With a scoop of water nestled in both palms, he raised his hands to gesture to it before drinking, so she could see and understand he needed this to survive. Jabez drank until he quenched his thirst, occasionally looking sideways at the Mavka twisting her skull with distinct rattles coming from her.

Yes, Mavka. I need food and water.

Once he was done, he stood and walked around the lake’s edge in search of specific herbs or flowers. Since it was the autumn, he had few options, but he took what he found back towards the lake. Jabez removed his pants and placed the herbs on top of them, stepped over the edge, and plunged into the water.

The shivers that assaulted his skin were abhorrent, but he wiped his body as best as he could so he could be truly clean. He scrubbed harder in areas that had a light dusting of hair such as his legs, chest, and arms, as well as his groin.

He spun when he heard whining at the water’s edge. The Mavka stood dangerously close as she reached out to him with glistening claws. She swiped at the water, breaking the surface and causing ripples, as if she was trying to manipulate it into getting him to float or drift closer.

“Calm down,” Jabez stated with an exasperated sigh. “I can swim. You don’t need to wor–” Before he could finish, a heavy splash sprayed over him as she fell in.

He closed his eyes, and with a dull expression, waited for the spray to end.You’re fucking joking.

---