Page 90 of A Soul to Embrace

Night fell by the time a dull thud radiated from the ground when he knocked. Jabez then tore at the dirt with his claws until he revealed some kind of wooden hatch, grasped a ring handle, and yanked on it. It refused to budge at first, and he put in a large amount of force until it cracked and bowed.

A few planks of wood detached where the roots of the tree had grown over them, and only half the door came up. The gap didn’t look big enough to fit him through, so he jimmied the stuck pieces sideways until they were freed. He dropped those pieces on the ground nearby and stepped back to reveal a narrow dirt passageway.

He sighed as he brushed his cloak hood back just enough to reveal his face while still shielding his hair. “I know this is less than ideal, but it’s better than going into the village from the main entrance.” He faced her and then lifted his gaze to her antlers. “I haven’t used this route for a few centuries. It’s a tight fit, so perhaps it’s best if you wait here.”

“No,” Zylah rejected, shaking her head. “I want to come with you.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that.” He shrugged as he walked backwards to the opening. “Suit yourself.”

Jabez climbed down some kind of ladder made of rocks and roots. The gap was so narrow that his shoulders almost brushed the edges, which, thankfully, meant Zylah was thin enough to squeeze in behind him with ease.

Once they got to the bottom, she realised how little room she had to manoeuvre and struggled with her antlers at first. Something caught around them, and she gave a quiet squeal when she got stuck. Jabez grabbed one, untangled it, and helped her turn without them gouging into rocky dirt and twisted roots.

Facing each other while crouching, her orbs brightened to yellow as she whispered, “Thank you.”

He nodded before backing up and turning to walk primarily on his hands and feet, which surprised her, as she didn’t think he had the ability to do so. She had to stay a few steps back to avoid his cloak, and it grew so dark that even she had to partially feel where they were going. She often pushed small hanging roots out of the way, and Jabez was kind enough to stop and untangle them from her antlers each time she was caught.

It went on for ages, spanning minutes as distant, muted chatter resonated from above, but all she could smell was dirt and Jabez before her. His breaths were sharp, as if he refused to breathe through his nose in an attempt to escape the smell of wet earth surrounding them.

It took her a moment to notice past his hunched, swaying form that a green glow illuminated the area up ahead. Over the crunch of their footsteps, trickling in the distance tingled her ears. Eventually the smell of water and greenery pervaded the air, and only thickened as the tunnel opened up into a large, spacious cavern.

The first thing Zylah noticed was the deep pool of water, its green glow dimly lighting up the entire area. It was situated in the very middle of an empty pocket of earth, while roots came from the ceiling, the walls, and even the ground to dangle around the edges.

Once they were free, they both stood on a mostly flat piece of land that appeared to be as hard as rock. Even the walls and ceiling looked hard, rather than like loose dirt.

There was nothing else here... yet she couldsensesome kind of power thrumming. It puffed her fur in alertness, pulsating until her nipples hardened in an odd way, but it didn’t feel ominous or unnerving. It was coming from the small pool of water that gave constant glittering ripples.

“What is this place?” Zylah asked with awe, looking up at the ceiling. She could barely make out anything other than the vast number of thick roots clinging to every surface available.

“The heart of the village,” Jabez answered, unclipping his cloak to let it fall before removing his satchel.

Zylah removed her bag, since he did, and placed it with his.

“Villages have a heart?” Is that why she could feel thrumming?

She turned her head down to him when he gave a small yet warm chuckle.

“No. Most don’t.” He waved towards the glowing green water. Its light highlighted his brown skin, white hair, and black horns, and even made his red eyes seem to glint, all of it giving him a rich aura. “I grew the trees surrounding this village by the mana stone sitting at the bottom of that pool.”

“Yougrew the trees?!” she exclaimed, gasping in surprise.

Once more, he chuckled, but he looked at her from the corner of his eye this time. Humour brightened his features.

“I told you, Zylah. My power was formidable.” Then he drifted his gaze around the large pocket of earth. “It was actually rather weak when I first grew them. Back then, the most I could wieldwas earth magic – it’s what I was best at. I planted the seeds, then spent weeks in the middle of the village trying to grow them. I chose this location because there had been a large lake for them to take nourishment from, and all that remains now is this pool. The roots you see dangling inside it are from each tree reaching for it.”

He bent forward so he could grab at the back of his shirt and yank it off. Reddish pink instantly lifted into her sight at his bare torso. His chest was broad and flexed with strength. When he gave her his side, the deep, muscular curve of his spine leading to his round backside was highlighted by the glow of the water.

Mesmerised by the sight of him, Zylah bashfully fidgeted as she looked away. His body was too nice to look upon for her mind right then.

Her heart was still all over the place, and her arousal from the previous night hadn’t been forgotten. Now that she understood more about intimacy, the longing to brush her hands over his muscled back and chest tingled her fingers. His body was chiselled yet bulging with muscle, and she wondered if his skin would be as soft as it appeared.

She wished she could remember what he felt like when she’d been hugging him during her heat.

“W-what will happen to the village if you take the stone?” Zylah asked to distract herself from the way her heart picked up at seeing him half clothed.

She hoped what he planned to do wouldn’t bring the village harm.

“Nothing,” he answered plainly. “The trees are fully mature. All this stone does now is ensure they remain overly lush to give a thick canopy of protection. Removing it should do little more than make a few leaves wilt, but the rest will be sufficient protection.” Then he walked towards the water, his mauve pants shifting around his legs. “All stones have a limit unless they arefed additional mana, but even then, they don’t last forever. I’ve poured my own into it for years. All I am doing is taking back what I have given.”

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