Dreaded Creatures Glide Ficlet
folder
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult
Chapters:
1
Views:
1,285
Reviews:
4
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult
Chapters:
1
Views:
1,285
Reviews:
4
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Dreaded Creatures Glide Ficlet
Terry felt the sun-warmed marble even through his sandals, and tried to take it as a sign from the gods that he was welcomed. He had never been very religious, since Suterno had ignored everything but the most common rites, but the occasional superstition couldn’t hurt, right?
The silence that greeted him at the pool was a more unnerving omen. It meant that no one was around, which was a weight off his shoulders. But it could also mean that Kai was mad at him.
As he had every right to be. Terry kicked himself again for running off as he had. He hadn’t been able to stop the panic, even with Kai’s cries running up his spine as he ran. His fear wasn’t much better now. Kai’s patience and understanding might only go so far. He hadn’t forgotten that merman’s lethal anger at the guards. Kai had not hurt him yet, had even been kind to him for no reason, but doubt still swam under the surface of Terry’s mind.
He stopped a respectful distance from the pool, near where the marble ended and sand led down to the water. “Kai?”
There was a splashing noise from within the cave at the opposite end of the pool. Terry fidgeted a little, squinting to try and make out Kai in the darkness. He took a step back as he saw Kai racing towards him with the same speed he had attacked the guards, but froze as Kai vaulted himself out of the water in the middle of the pool.
He had seen Kai lift himself out of the water before, of course. He had even touched those sunlit scales. But not even that compared to seeing Kai in action, suspended in midair, dripping saltwater, his every scale gleaming as he arched in the sunlight. Kai let out a shriek as he fell back in the water, and in another heartbeat had beached himself on the sand. “Kee Kee!” he cried exuberantly, slapping his tail against the edge of the water in what had to be excitement.
Terry let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Kai had had every right to ignore him, to be angry, even, but here he was, beaming up at him with needle sharp teeth. “Hello, Kai. I’m, uh, sorry I ran off last time.” He ran his hand through his hair, feeling sheepish about how nervous he had been.
He sat down tentatively on the sand, wondering if Kai would pounce on him. But Kai seemed content to lie next to him, propped up on his elbows, his bronzed shoulders still dripping as water leaked from his braids and ran down his back.
“I brought food, in case you want to try some.” He untied the kerchief he had used to carry his lunch, and watched Kai cock his head at the sight of bread and cheese. Terry picked up the bread and tore a bit off, and handed it to Kai, who accepted it like it was as fragile as a butterfly. “Fresh from this morning,” Terry said as he chewed.
“Ess-om-kee-monnin,” Kai repeated reverently, holding up the bread like it was a gift from the gods. Terry laughed so hard he nearly choked on his food.
“No, no,” he said. “Bread.” He pointed to it. “Bread.”
“Bed,” Kai tried, enunciating carefully.
Close enough. Terry nodded and smiled, and then watched as Kai took his first bite. The face he made had Terry laughing again. He swallowed with obvious distaste and then clicked rapidly, his disgust clear even though Terry didn’t understand a word. He put the bread down, held up a hand as though to motion Terry to stay, and rolled back into the water. Terry watched him glide around the water, chewing fresh bread in the sunlight, and was extremely pleased that he had chosen to come back.
After a minute Kai flopped back into the beach, and proudly held out a fat, wriggling fish. He seemed to be waiting for Terry to say something, so Terry ventured, “That’s quite a fish.”
Kai clicked happily and held it out further, and Terry realized he was being invited to taste Kai’s food in kind. Food which was still wriggling. “Er.” How could he explain about cooking? “If I eat that,” he mimed eating food, “It will come right back up again.” He mimed that, too.
Kai seemed confused. He pointed to the fish and made the vomiting gesture, clicking questioningly.
Terry nodded. “Sorry to say.”
Kai looked at his fish as though trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with it. Eventually shrugged and took a bite, his sharp teeth and powerful jaw tearing through its flesh easily. Terry flashed back unwillingly to that horrible night, when Kai had killed the guard, but the moment passed. He lay back, eating cheese and bread on the sand, with Kai a reassuring presence next to him, and thought that he could really, really get used to life at the palace.
The silence that greeted him at the pool was a more unnerving omen. It meant that no one was around, which was a weight off his shoulders. But it could also mean that Kai was mad at him.
As he had every right to be. Terry kicked himself again for running off as he had. He hadn’t been able to stop the panic, even with Kai’s cries running up his spine as he ran. His fear wasn’t much better now. Kai’s patience and understanding might only go so far. He hadn’t forgotten that merman’s lethal anger at the guards. Kai had not hurt him yet, had even been kind to him for no reason, but doubt still swam under the surface of Terry’s mind.
He stopped a respectful distance from the pool, near where the marble ended and sand led down to the water. “Kai?”
There was a splashing noise from within the cave at the opposite end of the pool. Terry fidgeted a little, squinting to try and make out Kai in the darkness. He took a step back as he saw Kai racing towards him with the same speed he had attacked the guards, but froze as Kai vaulted himself out of the water in the middle of the pool.
He had seen Kai lift himself out of the water before, of course. He had even touched those sunlit scales. But not even that compared to seeing Kai in action, suspended in midair, dripping saltwater, his every scale gleaming as he arched in the sunlight. Kai let out a shriek as he fell back in the water, and in another heartbeat had beached himself on the sand. “Kee Kee!” he cried exuberantly, slapping his tail against the edge of the water in what had to be excitement.
Terry let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Kai had had every right to ignore him, to be angry, even, but here he was, beaming up at him with needle sharp teeth. “Hello, Kai. I’m, uh, sorry I ran off last time.” He ran his hand through his hair, feeling sheepish about how nervous he had been.
He sat down tentatively on the sand, wondering if Kai would pounce on him. But Kai seemed content to lie next to him, propped up on his elbows, his bronzed shoulders still dripping as water leaked from his braids and ran down his back.
“I brought food, in case you want to try some.” He untied the kerchief he had used to carry his lunch, and watched Kai cock his head at the sight of bread and cheese. Terry picked up the bread and tore a bit off, and handed it to Kai, who accepted it like it was as fragile as a butterfly. “Fresh from this morning,” Terry said as he chewed.
“Ess-om-kee-monnin,” Kai repeated reverently, holding up the bread like it was a gift from the gods. Terry laughed so hard he nearly choked on his food.
“No, no,” he said. “Bread.” He pointed to it. “Bread.”
“Bed,” Kai tried, enunciating carefully.
Close enough. Terry nodded and smiled, and then watched as Kai took his first bite. The face he made had Terry laughing again. He swallowed with obvious distaste and then clicked rapidly, his disgust clear even though Terry didn’t understand a word. He put the bread down, held up a hand as though to motion Terry to stay, and rolled back into the water. Terry watched him glide around the water, chewing fresh bread in the sunlight, and was extremely pleased that he had chosen to come back.
After a minute Kai flopped back into the beach, and proudly held out a fat, wriggling fish. He seemed to be waiting for Terry to say something, so Terry ventured, “That’s quite a fish.”
Kai clicked happily and held it out further, and Terry realized he was being invited to taste Kai’s food in kind. Food which was still wriggling. “Er.” How could he explain about cooking? “If I eat that,” he mimed eating food, “It will come right back up again.” He mimed that, too.
Kai seemed confused. He pointed to the fish and made the vomiting gesture, clicking questioningly.
Terry nodded. “Sorry to say.”
Kai looked at his fish as though trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with it. Eventually shrugged and took a bite, his sharp teeth and powerful jaw tearing through its flesh easily. Terry flashed back unwillingly to that horrible night, when Kai had killed the guard, but the moment passed. He lay back, eating cheese and bread on the sand, with Kai a reassuring presence next to him, and thought that he could really, really get used to life at the palace.