“Then you’ll do well to remind your man of that,” Daniel nods to the man moving closer to me, “because if he takes another step, I’ll send the rock of the earth through his horse’s belly, then his own.”
The man in the middle openly scowls at the threat. His gaze darts to his companion before he looks back at Daniel, lips feigning a friendly smile.
“We only wish to greet the human woman,Discerni.”
His gaze meets mine again, the look he gives excited when none of us deny the nature of my race. I watch him closely and grip the handle of my blade, frowning when the braids against his back start to sway towards his shoulders in an unnatural way. There’s no breeze in the air but somehow they’re moving to the front of his chest, the colored beads at the ends tightening like they’re some sort of collar around the dark hair. It truly is unnatural, and I don’t know if it’s the darkness playing tricks on my eyes or something else, but I swear I see the braids start to transform into the likeness of snakes.
What in the Old World?
Stormfall shifts under my neck, his full body going tense as his talons grip me hard. The sharp pierce into my shoulder pulls my gaze away,and when I look back at the man his braids are unmoving, once again falling behind his back.
I steel myself and send the Leviathan a feigned smile, giving him the greeting he wants.
“Hello.”
“Hello,” he smiles smugly, “human reborn.”
I narrow my gaze and feel Stormfall take an attacking stance under my hood.
“Tell me, Lady,” his brown eyes hold mine, “did you find what you were looking for on your travels?”
“You’ve had your greeting, sir,” I remind him curtly.
The man grins in amusement, as if there’s something funny with what I said. He lets his eyes drift to my lips and down my neck, his smile growing even broader when his gaze settles on chest.
“This is no sir,human,” the rider on the man’s right says with a scowl, “this is Prince Yiannis Antanavicius of Livyatan. You’d do well to bow.”
Prince Yiannis leans forward in his seat with a look of expectance. He lifts his brows, waiting for a proper greeting, but I stay atop Millie in unmoving defiance, watching as the ends of his braids start to move towards his chest again.
Ancients,are those really snakes?
What in the ever-loving Old World…
The Prince chuckles when I don’t make a move, his smirk laced with a silent approval that his companions don’t seem to agree with. They all lean forward in their saddles as if they’d like nothing better than to pull me to my knees and make me bow before him.
“Earth through belly,” Lord Daniel reminds the men as the ground starts to vibrate.
Prince Yiannis turns to Lord Daniel in consideration before relaxing back in his saddle, signaling for his companions to do the same.
“My apologies, Lord, Lady,” the Prince nods, “do not fault my men for their traditionalism. They’d love nothing more than to see a pretty lady down on her knees.”
“That’s enough!” Lord Daniel commands as the Prince’s men all start to laugh. Cal shifts in his saddle like he’s about to charge at them, and I think the Prince sees it too because he’s quick to diffuse the insult with a smile.
“I, however, enjoy a strong and defiant woman,” the Prince tips his head at me in some sort of salute, “remain on your horse, Lady. You remind me of our desert women sitting there.”
“We will be on our way now,” Daniel glares.
“No,” Yiannis replies causally, moving his horse forward, “not yet.”
The ground around us starts to rumble again, the yellow grass swaying underneath us all. The Prince of Livyatan arches another brow, this time directed at Lord Daniel.
“You’ll attack a Prince of the Kingdoms, Lord?”
Daniel’s eyes narrow at the implication while I grip my blade even tighter.
“What is it that you want,Prince?” he spits.
“Something simple,” Yiannis shrugs his shoulder, “very simple. All we want is to see the fruits of the Lady’s travel. Then we’ll be on our way.”
