In the Fog, Instincts Rage [Veldrys + Lucette]

[Lucette]

11th Day of Summer, 512 AV Lucette craned her neck and a play of shadow dappled lightly across her skin. The leaves rustled all around in the soft breeze. This was the longest she had ever been allowed outside… in wilderness! The desire to run and explore was ever in her heart. The first days on the path were magical. Colors, movements and such smells! With difficulty she held herself back, staying close to Veldrys along the path. Luckily, it was an easy and natural thing to be near him. No matter that her inner nature whispered constantly, urging her to roam, she would not. Instead, Lucette’s fingers entwined through the Symenestra’s, “I will be more human,” she promised, giving the man a sidelong glance. Auburn curls tossed against her shoulder as she added, with confidence, “I will be Cheetah no longer.” Lucette thought it would be a matter of choice, that she had the power to choose. She thought it would keep Veldrys near if she were not a Kelvic. Lucette knew, Justus had turned her out because of the incident on the ship – because of her Cheetah… just as Roland had released her before him. Lucette would give Veldrys no reason to dismiss her! And so, Lucette had not transformed into her more powerful self since beginning this journey over land. Guilt kept her on two feet, instead of four. She would stay human and Veldrys would allow her to stay! Attentive, yet unnaturally contained, Lucette stayed close to the man’s side. She touched him at times, a stroke along an elongated arm, or a curvy hip brushed against him. If Veldrys would but glance her way, a sweet smile that belied her much deeper seductive quality immediately appeared. But when the Symenetra’s attention was upon the trail or within his own thoughts, the Kelvic nervously watched the dark spaces between the trees, or startled, with hungry eyes at the strange sounding bird calls. The ongoing battle between her Cheetah nature and her upbringing as a slave caused her emotions to war within. It was not something to be admitted, that she desired to run wild, for Lucette did not wish to disappoint him again. She had already lost his child, and forced them off the ship by her aggressiveness. How Lucette wished she could take it all back! Now, she wished only to please Veldrys – even if it meant denying her core self. Terribly and quietly, she worked to damper instinct, to force it away and down. The normally soft spoken Kelvic talked to forget the pull of the forest… to forget its smells… and the scent of its meat. At her side, Lucette’s fingers twitched, “It is loud here…” It was as if the birds and rodents never rested, as if they taunted her, and tempted her to become the Cheetah. Past the undergrowth, Lucette peered, “I do not like it… I wish we could have continued to Zeltiva…to that city, even though…” It was her fault of course, and now her regimented world was behind her. Where was her place now… in this forest? By Veldrys side? Again her head lifted at a sudden noise, then turned quickly to Veldrys. “Do you… do you like this? Better than the ship?” It was nervous conversation, and she stepped lightly, flowing along the path, flowing around him and stepping in his way as she touched his shirt. “…Better than… Denval?” Voice low, her face pressed close to his, “Once you did not wish to own a slave… It is not such a badly thing.” Lucette purred. “Veldrys, you are a Master now, I belong only to you... This is good yes?” And Lucette leaned against him, then she sprinted ahead on the path, pulling his hand, almost teasing. “You will see, I will be good and I will make coin for you as I did for Roland. And no longer will you be alone.” It was a warming thought to the Kelvic, but Lucette needed the Symenestra as well, perhaps much more than Veldrys was aware of.

[Veldrys]

Just like Lucette Veldrys had never spent such a long time on the surface and looked at his surroundings in wonder. A hundred different smells and sounds assaulted his senses. The very forest around them seemed to be alive. Part of him wanted to go out there, to leave the path and explore the vast wilderness, to move from tree to tree, higher and higher, until he reached the sky. Was this what life had been like for his ancestors in the jungles of Falyndar? Why had his people never thought about returning to the surface? Maybe everything would be different if they lived in such a place!

As the woman by his side promised him that she would be cheetah no longer, he smiled, although it was a somewhat uncertain smile and took her hand. After what had nearly happened on the ship he wasn’t sure if she really had the necessary self control, but he hoped that she did. It would make everything easier if she stayed human, although he knew deep down that she wasn’t human and would never be. She had not changed since they had left the boat.

He would occasionally touch her as well and be close to her. Even if she had lost their child, he was glad that she was still alive. Losing her would probably have been worse, although part of him longed to be a father, to leave something behind after he died, somebody that would remember him.

„It‘s supposed to be loud, Lucette“, he replied. „It’s a forest.“ He looked at her questioningly as she informed him that she didn’t like it. „Why do you not like it? Do you not find it beautiful? It is definitely better than the ship, but Denval … nothing will ever compare to Denval.“ He let out a sigh. Denval had become his home. He had been comfortable there, had felt accepted. He wouldn’t have minded spending the rest of his life there.

He didn’t react to her comment about how she wished they could have continued to Zeltiva. He wished they could have done that as well – there were so many opportunities in Zeltiva - but she knew as well as he that it wasn’t possible anymore. She had almost lost control on the boat.

As she leaned against him, her face close to his, he abruptly stopped talking. Even after all those months she still had that effect on him. „No, it isn’t such a bad thing“, he eventually agreed. He still didn’t entirely approve of slavery, but it seemed to be what she needed, what she wanted. „This is very good, Lucette.“ He reached out to her, to touch her, but she was already gone, and he could do nothing but run after her to try and catch her.

As she mentioned making coin for him, he froze for a moment, and his eyes darkened, and then he was next to her, his hand on her arm, angry. „You will not make coin for me, Lucette. You will not work anymore. You belong to me now and to nobody else. Do you understand?“

[Lucette]

The question hung in her mind… why do you not like it? Heavy and pressing as the shadows that played through the trees, the question clung to her. “It is too much. It is too loud,” she said again, wrinkling her nose. “Do you hear? Even the smells are loud here.” And alive, she thought. Each sound held its own attraction - small rodents skittered, while the birds scolded her. Even the leaves bobbed with the movement of insects. Lucette did not like it. The forest called to her Cheetah side… and she had promised Veldrys not to transform! But to run, to lose herself in the trees, to cast off this human exterior! Her eyes fixated upon the road and she fell silent. “It’s my fault we are not in Zeltiva,” the Kelvic admitted after a time, her gaze shifting to follow a fluttering bird. But Veldrys appeared happy enough, and she smiled to see him come out from under the gloom that he had seemed to wear when she had first met him. They were together after all… and now he would not be alone or melancholy any longer. He chased her and Lucette laughed, a low sound, the purring rumble loud and mysteriously playful. She leaped from him, thin shift bouncing around her bare knees as she twirled playfully. When she turned around, Veldrys’ mood had shifted, and his amethyst eyes were dark and angry. His hand had fallen upon her arm and the Kelvic looked upon his hand in horror. Stopping suddenly, Lucette clasped her hands to her breast. Would he beat her? Silently she listened, as he told her she would work no longer. Her head shrunk low upon her shoulders. What had she done wrong? Nervously, she looked at him, head bowed, but eyes goldenly intent. Understanding did not come. Never had Roland or Justus told her such a thing. “Not work?” Her head cocked, as she struggled to understand. “But I.. I would not belong to them, only to you… I would only lie with them…” she dared respond in a low tone. What had upset him? A shadow crossed her face then, Lucette thought she understood, “I am not good enough! You are unhappy with me… now that there was a baby in my belly! You think no one will desire me!” Trying to hide her tears, the slave turned from him. Her whole being cried out, Change! Change and run… Almost she did, but for the birds that shrieked around her, as she cried, “I understand!” But the Kelvic wished not to leave Veldrys’ side, no matter how displeased he was with her – she wanted to stay.

[Veldrys]

„I like those sounds“, Veldrys replied. „I find them comforting after what I heard of Denval, the sound of buildings collapsing, of people screaming, the thunder.“ He shuddered briefly as he remembered the catastrophe. He couldn’t understand why the sounds of the forest bothered Lucette. Were her ears really so much more sensitive than his?

„How do the smells sound?“ he wanted to know. To him the forest smelled fascinating, exotic, but he couldn’t tell the individual smells apart. Besides that he found the way she said it a little strange. How could you hear smells? Could you – could she – smell sounds as well?

As she said that it was her fault that they weren’t in Zeltiva, he lowered his gaze and didn’t say anything for a moment. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to tell her. He could say that it wasn’t her fault, that it was his fault – or nobody’s – but then he would be lying.

~~~

As he had chased her, he had laughed with joy – as if he had forgotten all the bad things that had happened to them – but that one statement reminded him of everything again, of her past.

Prostitution was almost non existant in Kalinor. Symenestra were faithful to each other – the surrogates didn’t count. That a woman would lie with men for money was something that he found repulsive.

He knew that she didn’t see it the same way, but still, he found it hard to understand. She didn’t need to work anymore – he would provide for both of them – so why had she suggested it?

„You are more than good enough!“ he told her and touched her, tried to make her look at him. She looked so desperate now that his anger disappeared for a moment. He couldn’t bear to see her in tears, no matter how much he disagreed with what she had said.

„And I am not unhappy with you. I could never be unhappy with you. You are still the most desirable woman I know. It just isn’t necessary for you to sleep with other men anymore. As a doctor I make more than enough money for both of us. You can hunt all day long instead.“

„Unless you want to work?“

He frowned as he said that.

[Lucette]

Moist eyes conveyed the fact that Lucette did not understand. It was not that the Kelvic was slow, but that her thought processes moved in such a different manner. Lucette wanted to please the man, but what she thought would please him, seemed to have the opposite effect. The Symenetra was now unhappy, and that was her fault. But he appeared concerned for her, and she slid closer to nuzzle her cheek against his, “Why would you wish this? You would like me to become lazy and fat?” she asked, leaning back to blink gold flecked eyes with a seductive innocence. Her voice turned sly, “Roland said there was no such thing as too much coin in the pocket…” She watched intently for his reaction. A lovely idea came to mind, and she smiled to share it, “If I worked for you, then you might be idle. You would have more time to ponder all your ideas.” But her face fell to see the expression that formed on his; he did not approve. “Hunt…all day?” The Kelvic’s head cocked. This was unexpected... “You wish me to… hunt? As Cheetah? After… the ship?” She asked, almond shaped eyes narrowing. Did he tease her? Was this a taunting? “You would let me go… hunt in the forest? Alone? Even after I promised to not change?” She did not blink, but held his gaze. Why did her heart beat so rapidly? Lucette was afraid to imagine running free, but her gaze slid hungrily to the dark brush. “Unless you want to…?” He said, and the Kelvic saw his frown. Veldrys confused her, with these choices. He said he wanted her to hunt, to not couple with others. But he gave her the option, as if it didn’t matter or he didn’t care, leaving the choice to her. Reacting poorly to his trust that she would make the right decision, Lucette hissed, a small sound of air passing white teeth. Nervously, the slave remembered other choices she had been forced to make. The baby had been one... “Why do you treat me so badly! Why must I decide!” The words burst out, immediately she regretted the emotional outburst, and tried to appease him. But the words tumbled again, too many to keep track of, “Why won’t you let me take care of you? And serve you? I want to see you happy… not angry with me! I could not take it if you were… I…I love you Veldyrs…” She whispered at the end, lifting a shoulder to rub her chin across it. “You are owner, I welcome you without regret. I will do as you wish… and not disappoint you again.” Justus had made him master; but her own feelings tied her to the Symenetra just as strongly, if not more. Ultimately there was no choice for Lucettte and she bowed to his will, “I will hunt.” Lucette’s nostrils lifted, as the air seemed to swirl within her. Tendrils of color, wisps of feeling began to grow. Her head rose, sight clouded, and breath slowed, as she inhaled an unknown sweetness. Her words had unleashed a dormant need programmed into the Kelvic. She saw Veldrys, yet she saw through him. He was neither Symenestra or man, or even owner. He was more, and Lucette floated around him on soft feet, mesmerized, enthralled. A deep need, the deepest need of a Kelvic flared. There was no halting it, or slowing it. “I will hunt,” she whispered again. But she meant, I will honor you… I will follow you. She circled him, touched him, her fingers light and feather soft, to touch his hand, his hip. She slid past, touched his chest, his lips. Purred into his ear and neck, “I will hunt… for you.” But she meant, I will do anything you ask. She had forgotten words, forgotten meanings as the Kelvic bond reached out, to tempt the man, to caress him deeper than physical touch ever could. It swirled to include him, to bind him to Lucette, if he would but let it. Lucette was caught in the depths of feeling, swimming in a long forgotten sea of perfect balance. She was beautiful and innocently pure. She would be his, yet she was his, for as long as he wished her to be – forever, if he would let her.