Chapter Text
It was a late clear morning, the dew having since been dried away and leaving behind crisp spring leaves and budding flowers. It was a good day for a merchant caravan to set off on their journey, and today, that’s exactly what was happening.
Scarlett Morrell, a young human woman around the age of twenty with long red hair tied back in a ponytail, brilliant green eyes, and a bare-shouldered white and red sort of traveling dress, was gearing up to join them. Technically, she wasn’t a merchant, but there were a few already aboard that weren’t, it was just safer to travel in such a group, especially if you didn’t have the coin to hire protection on a personal level. Plus, as it stood, the caravan had hired the only mercenary there was in this tiny town.
Joining a caravan like this, as long as one had some of their own supplies, a mount and weren’t afraid to help out a bit, was always the cheapest and safest form of travel in Miroslav. In this one, Scarlett didn’t even have to pay the caravan lead, as long as she had her own rations and wasn’t afraid to use her bow.
She wasn’t like the mercenary, she had no proper combat training or experience, but she could hunt, and if bandits did attack, she could provide the caravan with ranged support. The catch was that Scarlett had to resist the merchant stock, not that anyone here knew that.
The young girl had stolen things before, and didn’t have the best impulse control. She planned to resist though, it wasn’t the wisest to steal goods from a merchant caravan out in the middle of the wilderness, where she could be tied up and left behind if caught. That, and there was the matter of the mercenary...
Scarlett didn’t know his name, she supposed she could ask, for he did arguably seem friendly. She watched him as he carried supplies and goods onto wagons and such, smiling, laughing and passing idle chatter among the merchants and other tag-alongs. Scarlett didn’t have much, all she had was her bow, and the saddlebags on Klen, her dark brown horse bearing a strange curved horn on his head, and sharp talons on his feet.
He wasn’t a normal horse, but he wasn’t a unicorn either, they were different and much more majestic. Not even she knew of Klen’s origins, but the steed had proved trustworthy and reliable for Scarlett, so she stood by him and only earned a few wary glances.
The mercenary didn’t seem to mind him, thankfully, but he was strange in his own way, for he was not human... not entirely, not with those inch-long black claws on the tips of each of his fingers. Nor his forked tongue, or retracting fangs, things that he had shown the caravan before joining, to make sure it wouldn’t cause problems later.
Scarlett knew what it meant, the man was half-evuna, something forbidden, frowned upon, unnatural... wrong. Humans weren’t allowed to have children with evuna, as per the latter’s custom and beliefs. Scarlett didn’t know how he came to be, but the fact his evuna side was clearly serpentine in nature made her feel incredibly unlucky.
The girl had encountered a giant snake in the swamps before, the beast had almost killed her, and the experience left her feeling anxious around the animals, and anything that was associated with or reminded her of them. This man seemed to bear it with a sense of pride however, given the forked scimitar blade he carried on his hip, and the snake design coiling around the base of his purple robes.
She watched him with slightly narrowed, distrusting eyes as he worked, and she stroked Klen’s mane. It wasn’t that she expected him to suddenly attack and try to crush the life out of someone, but... The potential of him having subtle yet odd behavior in other ways wasn’t off the table.
Something Scarlett noticed already was that he was very touchy, not in a genuinely creepy or inappropriate way, but he had hugged the caravan leader when he was allowed on despite the nature of his forbidden bloodline, and had also given many back and shoulder pats to people. No one else seemed to mind this, deeming it just friendly and open behavior, and realistically, that’s probably all it was. But she didn’t want that directed to her, and furthermore, she feared what potential snake-related behavior he could have adopted... including the instinct to devour the living whole.
She didn’t dare speak her mind on the subject, but the mercenary was a big man, not the largest she’d ever seen, but big enough. He was also strong, given all the things he carried with such ease, she wouldn’t have been surprised if that had something to do with the evuna blood in his veins. But there was a crippling truth about a snake’s diet, and Scarlett was easily the smallest member of the caravan.
Paranoid was the word that came to mind, should she voice her concerns to anyone. The man was largely human, save for a few details, he really just looked like a fellow hailing from the desert region of Nevaeh, with his slightly dark, warm-toned skin and style of attire in the form of his purple and burgundy robes. The silver earrings she wasn’t sure about, but he had those too, which made her own thieving instincts spark a bit. She did her best to shove them down though, because that was insanely risky.
However human he was though, Scarlett knew that for as long as he wasn’t entirely so, one could never be sure what to expect. To boot, he claimed to be a seer, should anyone want him to foretell their fate.
She didn’t like fortune-tellers either.
Scarlett should have been helping with some of the packing, but that meant being close to the mercenary, and she wasn’t ready for that. She knew eventually she’d have to, she couldn’t avoid him for the whole journey, but the girl wanted to limit interaction as much as possible.
Sadly, she wasn’t going to get her wish, judging by how he had just spotted her, and began to walk towards her.
Scarlett took a sharp breath, her eyes darting around as she wondered if there was something she could use as an excuse to not have time to talk. But the packing was nearly done, and it was expected that everyone introduced each other before they set out. They had to travel together after all, so names if nothing else should be exchanged.
The mercenary had a warm, almost inviting expression on his face, his smile friendly and his eyes held a soft look to them. In all honesty, he wasn’t really that scary if one could look past the snake thing, and he certainly wasn’t mean.
Between that and the fact that there was no escape, all Scarlett could do was stand there and remain calm as he approached, his hands held behind his back to hide his claws from her, even though everyone already knew about them.
“Greetings to you, young miss.” The man said to her with a polite bow of his head and a slight lean of his upper body, his tone seeming careful and gentle all at once.
Perhaps he noticed she was avoiding him, that or because she was the youngest on the caravan as well as being the smallest. On the other hand, he was likely the biggest, though the oldest went to the caravan leader, a stern dwarf with greying brown beard, most often seen chewing on some kind of herbal stick.
Being the biggest made him a good caravan guard, and she had no doubt a bandit would regret their choices once they found themselves on the other end of a pronged blade...
Scarlett blinked, realizing she had been staring in silence a bit longer than what looked normal, so she cleared her throat and did a little haphazard curtsy. It was a gesture she wasn’t used to performing, but not many people bowed even their heads to a simple stray girl like herself, so she wanted to return the gesture.
“H-hello... You are the caravan guard, right?” She asked him, doing her best to keep her tone even despite the slight stammer. And although she already knew the answer, she couldn’t think of anything else to ask in such a short time.
The mercenary smiled a little wider, a hint of gentle amusement sparking in his eyes. Scarlett wasn’t sure how to feel about that just yet.
“On the papers, you are correct. Although there are no papers, so I do not mean that literally.” He remarked with a light chuckle.
Scarlett quirked a brow to that though. “What do you mean?”
The man’s expression softened then and he lowered his head, as if to seem a little more welcoming and not looming over the young lady.
“I am the caravan guard, but I am not simply someone who knows how to fight. Most caravans go without ever needing that, but you know what every caravan does need?” He asked, although he didn’t give her a chance to answer before he continued. “Food, shelter, and the ability to redirect itself when needed. I have spent many years in the wilderness, young miss. I have learned many useful facts about the natural world, and how to stay safe in it. I am here to provide that knowledge to all of you and make sure we all get to our destination in one piece.” He explained not out of pride, well maybe a tiny bit, but mostly he just seemed earnest and dutiful.
This man held himself with levity and friendliness, but she could tell he took this job seriously in the end. She’d be lying if she didn’t admit it sort of brought her some comfort, the caravan leader, Arvid, seemed to know a fair bit about what he was doing too, but it couldn’t all be on him. Many of the merchants here were new, this was their first journey, so the more people who did know what they were doing, the better. Scarlett herself was no stranger to the wild world, but there was always something new to learn.
“O-oh, I see... Well, I’m glad to hear you’re not just a hired sword.” She sheepishly admitted, hoping he won’t take offense, but it was a concern among many on her mind.
The man hummed knowingly, before he straightened himself and waved a dismissive, clawed hand. “Try not to worry, I admittedly do not expect to ever have to draw my blade. There has been very little bandit activity on the road that we plan to take, although plans change, including ours and theirs.” He said truthfully, his tone almost taking on a slightly ominous tone, but she realized he was just trying to not give her a false sense of security.
Scarlett swallowed nervously despite it and diverted her gaze from his face. She wasn’t sure if it was because of what he said, or the fact that she was struggling not to stare at his fangs. Apparently he had them always out, unless he was eating maybe...
“Oh, forgive me young miss, I have not introduced myself! My name is Sokhayan Mar. May I know yours?” The man asked in a more welcoming manner again.
The girl blinked from the name, she wasn’t sure what she expected, but it very much was one she wasn’t used to hearing.
“Right-uhm, I’m Scarlett Morrell. It’s... nice to meet you, Sokhayan.” The young lady said, although she very much lied about it being nice to meet him. He still unsettled her and was just hoping he’d wander off soon and talk to someone who was more inviting to him.
Luckily, Sokhayan didn’t seem to notice as he offered a benevolent, toothy grin, showing off those fangs that weren’t even in the expected place. They protruded from his gums above his human teeth, and for a moment, she wondered if the man was actually venomous.
“How polite! I am delighted to meet you as well Scarlett, you have a lovely name.” He complimented and lifted one hand, though he paused, looking at his own claws, before tucking it behind his back again and speaking once more.
“I would offer to shake your hand, but I can tell that you would appreciate it more if I did not.” He remarked more softly, not seeming hurt by it and if anything, his tone felt assuring, as if he understood and didn’t take it personally.
It was a relief, and she found herself giving the man a timid half-smile with a nod. She wanted to say something back to him, even if she wasn’t quite sure what yet, it didn’t matter. The caravan leader approached then, arms crossed and a scowl adorned on his face, directed to Scarlett.
“We’re all packed up and ready t’go, but I couldn’t help noticin’ that you, little missy, didn’t lift a finger to help. I expect t’see ya helpin’ out more when we set up camp, or you’ll be his first ration.” The moody dwarf said, nodding towards Sokhayan at the end, much to Scarlett’s dismay.
A small, strained noise escaped her throat and a tight feeling formed in her chest. Did he know of her fears and suspicions of Sokhayan somehow? Surely he couldn’t have, she never told a soul!
It was likely just a very unfortunate coincidence, the mercenary was the most ‘monstrous’ among the group of humans, the dwarf and a few elves, so he was going to stand out for such things.
Sokhayan laughed warmly with amusement from the remark as the dwarf waddled away, before turning his focus back to her.
“Do not worry Miss Scarlett, I would not hurt you. I am here to provide guidance and protection to everyone here, nothing more.” The mercenary assured with benign warmth.
She didn’t like his wording of ‘would not’ rather than ‘will not’, but perhaps that was more paranoia. She didn’t get a chance to ask, because they were setting off now, judging by the bell ring.
Sokhayan bowed his head to her again before he walked away and mounted up onto his camel, thus she turned and climbed up onto Klen’s saddle too.
“Here we go folks! Stick together! And keep an eye out for danger!” One of the caravan members called out, he wasn’t Arvid, but clearly someone else respected in the group, perhaps the cook.
With that, the caravan started moving, heading south, deeper into the region of Vipin towards bigger towns, and thus more customers for the merchants. And for Scarlett, more people meant more opportunities, both legally and otherwise.
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The first day was largely uneventful, and Scarlett got to learn a little more about the other caravan members, including Sokhayan.
Most of them were quite mundane admittedly, and during the journey, the friendly mercenary was actually quiet unless addressed. In fact, for most of the journey he seemed to fall into some sort of aware trance, still alert of potential danger around him, but otherwise reserving energy as much as possible. As a result, the man barely ate anything, just silently riding on his strange camel that stood out greatly from the horses, mules, donkeys and oxen that everyone else had.
She tried to subtly ask everyone else why or even how he was doing that, but no one really knew. They didn’t seem concerned about it, and the cook, who was in charge of rations, was just grateful that the man didn’t eat much. Otherwise, Scarlett supposed that if she really wanted to know about it, she’d have to ask him personally.
Soon, Arvid called for everyone to stop and begin setting up camp. There was only a few hours of daylight left, and no one wanted to be working in the dark, especially for the first time setup.
Scarlett found herself at a little bit of a loss as to what to do, but the dwarf rode over and gave her a pointed glare, very much remembering this morning it seemed.
The young woman sighed and walked Klen over to a random tree, not tying him to it but just moving him out of the way. After that, she sort of aimlessly wandered around and offered to help anyone she could, which mostly ended up being the inexperienced merchants and the like.
She crossed paths with Sokhayan a few times, who had set up his burgundy, purple and silver tent in record time, its design much more fanciful than the simple brown and green ones most of the caravan had. As a trade-off, it was a small thing, big enough for just himself and maybe one other person, not that he had anyone else with him. Despite that, it reminded the woman that she didn’t have a tent at all, just a thin bedroll.
Regardless, once he was set up, he came to help the others, which is when they crossed paths, and Scarlett decided that here, surrounded by other people, was the safest time to talk to him. Especially when they ended up working on a particularly large tent together.
Scarlett just had to figure out how to start... Or maybe she didn’t, for it did not take long for the social side of Sokhayan to come out again, and he broke the silence.
“How are you fairing on this venture so far?” The man gently asked her as he worked to tie a rope.
“Uhm-well, it’s been okay, you know. I-I don’t think the dwarf, Arvid, likes me very much though...” Scarlett admitted with only light stammering as she hammered in a stake, or attempted to. She kept hitting the dirt, and her swings were light in the first place.
Sokhayan let out a sad hum to hear that, and she could feel his gaze on her haphazard work. She should let him do it and she could do the ties, but anxiety nipped at her heels.
“I do not think he dislikes you personally, he just wants us all to work together and help each other. But I know it is difficult, young Scarlett... Because I know that my presence makes you feel uneasy, and for that I am sorry.” Sokhayan said with earnest, not showing signs of being hurt by this fact, but just sounding sympathetic towards her.
Somehow that just made her feel more guilty, because he really hadn’t done anything wrong. She attempted a few more times to hammer in the stake, with even less success than before, but she spoke anyway and kept trying.
“It’s-it’s not personal either. I just... I... Snakes, snakes really freak me out. I had an awful encounter with this giant one in the swamps and I-I-” Scarlett stammered out, but her voice began to crack the more she went on, and the memory of that black serpent made her chest tight with fear.
She had to stop speaking, her emotions became overwhelming, and her vision became blurry from a sudden assault of tears. She didn’t mean for this to happen, showing such weakness so soon, in front of everyone to boot, including Sokhayan.
She was vaguely aware of footsteps approaching her, she knew what was coming, and she actually didn’t unwelcome it. Instead, Scarlett just dropped the hammer, letting it thud on the ground, just as large, strong arms began to coil around her and draw her close against purple robes.
“Awww... Come here young Scarlett, you are alright.” The man cooed soothingly to her, with one of his hands resting softly on the back of her head, while the other was just around her back.
She knew he had those sharp claws, but she didn’t feel them, she just felt warmth and stability from his hug. She wasn’t sure how she expected herself to react at first, but soon she realized... Sokhayan was far more human than he was snake, not just in appearance, but in his heart too.
There was obvious hidden strength behind his burgundy sleeves, but he seemed to know just how much pressure to apply to such a small young woman like Scarlett, to allow her to feel safe. Thus she found herself burying her face into his chest, sniffling softly.
Sokhayan didn’t rush her, he just held her with tender, platonic care, allowing her to let some tears flow free. Something she was apparently in need of, and did not realize it. Only after a few long moments did he finally speak again.
“I know you are scared, but I promise to you that I will never bring you or anyone else here any harm. The serpent within me only provides more methods and tools to offer protection, warmth and aid to everyone in this caravan, including you. That is why I am here.” The man told her in a low, but comforting voice with sincerity.
She knew he was telling the truth, she could feel his words rumbling in his chest as he spoke, and she knew them to be honest. It brought her comfort, while also raising her curiosity.
“H-how... How does the serpent help?” Scarlett asked softly, and while she didn’t mean for it to, she very much sounded skeptical.
Thankfully, Sokhayan didn’t seem to take offense, and instead she was just treated to a faint chuckle while his arms still held her close.
“Let me think... I can taste the air to find the closest fresh water source, and you know what I was doing during our ride? I saw you watching, wondering and questioning... I was meditating, slowing the rate in which my body consumed energy, so that I only need to eat once every few days, leaving more food for the rest of you.” He explained with benevolence. “I can even sense the heat of those traveling with me, and determine if any of you are coming down with a fever. But do not worry, everyone is healthy.” He assured, ending with a lace of levity.
Scarlett listened to each word, all of it sounding so strange to imagine, yet she could see the benefits. She didn’t even know snakes could taste the air, but that explained why they flickered their tongue so much. She wasn’t sure if she ever saw Sokhayan do that, but she imagined that he might if he had a reason to.
After that, she had the strength to lift her head and look up at his face, only to be greeted with warm eyes and a benign smile. At this point, it was difficult not to smile back, even timidly.
She wasn’t ‘cured’ of her fear, but she better understood now that Sokhayan was a good person, she didn’t have to fear him. He was, once again, more man than snake, and even the snake side wasn’t bad... It was helpful, and so was he. Although despite that, Scarlett had one lingering question that she wasn’t sure if she should ask, it sounded crazy and she was going to feel incredibly embarrassed if the answer was no... but the possibility of it being yes was too strong.
“T-thank you for telling me all of that, Sokhayan... It helps.” She told him and was soon treated to a comforting, soothing cuddle from the mercenary. It was endearing, but made the reality of her question a bit scarier, even if it wasn’t his fault.
“I am grateful to hear it, young Scarlett. But your tone... is there something else you wish to know?” The man inquired in a way that Scarlett could only describe as innocent.
Which made her feel even a little guilty about what she wanted to ask, but she knew for as long as she didn’t, it was going to haunt her. Thus, she thickly swallowed, resting her chin on his chest while her eyes wandered over his face, taking in the details of his trimmed beard, thick eyebrows and his strong, blunt nose while she built herself up to answer.
“I do, but uhm... It’s weird and probably stupid but I have to know... Since you are part snake-evuna, then... Are you able to swallow a person whole? Is that something you do?” She asked him in a low voice, and almost immediately she felt his arms loosen from around her, giving her freedom, but also making her feel guilty as she saw his expression drop to a sheepish, sad smile.
Scarlett took a step back from him while shaking her head, wrapping her own arms around herself now as she spoke. “I’m sorry, like I said it’s probably stupid-it’s just, what Arvid said about me being your first ration-I-”
She was stammering and fumbling over her words, but it was Sokhayan that actually made her stop by answering.
“I can, yes. And it is something I do on occasion. Howev-” His tone was soft and apologetic as he spoke, but a new voice drifting from the east side of the camp made them both pause.
“Sokhayan! Get over here, I need you to look at this!” Arvid called in a commanding voice, a voice that very much could not wait.
Scarlett’s heart leapt in her throat though, for she had confirmation that he can and potentially would devour her. But she didn’t understand, he seemed like such a gentle soul, like the worst he’d do is cuddle someone enough to make them late to their duties.
“I will be right there!” The mercenary called in a surprisingly powerful voice back, before he turned his focus to Scarlett. “I am sorry, we can speak of this more later, just remember what I said, please.” He then told her with warmth and softness in his tone again, before he turned and jogged away to answer his summons.
The girl shuddered then, the given information threatening to overwhelm her with confusion... But he had asked her to remember what he said. What part? He said a lot of things... With a sigh, she ran a hand through her ponytail, partly wishing she didn’t ask and just left it alone. She didn’t want to know this, she hated that she did. But for now, she had to get back to work, for her own sake if no one else’s.
Thus Scarlett went back to the tent they were tending to, picking up her hammer and attempting to get this stake in once more. With determination and focus, she managed a little better, though this left her no room to truly consider what Sokhayan had said. She was just confused and scared again, plus she hated the unpredictability.
Regardless, Scarlett kept working, and so did Sokhayan, though she made a point to avoid him, even when she was pretty sure he was trying to approach again. She knew it was counterproductive, she would only get more answers by talking to him. But she wasn’t ready, or there weren’t enough other people close by for her liking.
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Soon, nearly all the work was done, and Sokhayan was in the middle of the camp, tending to a small fire he had started. Night was nearly upon them, and a cold bite lingered in the air. She would have to go over to him to keep warm, but thankfully so were a good number of other people, including the cook who was working on supper thanks to said fire.
With a thick swallow, the young woman approached, deciding to sit next to where he was crouched, despite there being a free spot directly across from him. She didn’t look at him though, not while her nerves spiked in her chest, so she was left staring into the flickering flames.
A long moment of silence passed between them, even as merchants around them chattered about this and that, neither of them were directly spoken to. That is, until the half-evuna finally broke that.
“Hello again.” He said in a quiet and careful voice, almost as if he feared his very words would drive her away.
Thankfully they didn’t, in fact it gave her the strength to finally look over at him, offering a weak smile.
“Hi.” She said, though inwardly scolded herself at how meek she sounded when doing so.
Sokhayan didn’t seem to mind, as he merely smiled back at her with benign warmth.
“Do you have your sleeping arrangements settled for the night?” The man inquired innocently enough, though it couldn’t have been at a worse time, given the sudden shiver that came upon her right afterwards.
Regardless, she stubbornly nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” She told him with a bit more firmness.
She would have felt a little guilty about that, if it wasn’t for the fact that Sokhayan just smiled wider in a knowing way. It wasn’t a bad expression though, it was almost inviting actually and she’d even be tempted to hear him out if it was from someone besides him. Despite that, she let him speak.
“If you are certain... Although I could not help but notice that you do not have a tent. I am sure some of the merchants have free space for you. Otherwise...” He trailed off, and she watched as he swallowed thickly, as if his own nervousness was getting to him now. “... Mine can technically sleep two, if you are in need.” He added in such a quiet voice, she almost missed it if she wasn’t already expecting it.
Scarlett knew deep down that Sokhayan was trying to be nice, and that, despite what he had told her, somehow he was harmless. She was just struggling to fully accept that right now. It didn’t help that she still got the feeling that taking refuge with the mercenary was likely the quickest way to end up in his stomach.
“Like I said, I’ll be fine.” She told him back stubbornly, the fire was helping, and she was used to sleeping outside in nothing but her bedroll.
The man let out a soft, almost sad-sounding murmur, but he did leave her be and turned his focus back to the fire. Silence almost filled the air between them again, and the girl was just starting to welcome it until Sokhayan spoke up once more.
“What brings you onto this caravan, young Scarlett?” He asked, and in truth it was a seemingly simple and friendly question.
However, a harsh, snappy side of the woman wondered why he was trying to befriend her, but once again, she circled back to knowing that somehow, he was a good person with innocent intentions. Perhaps he only devoured bad people... or thieves. The realization suddenly made her feel sick, and also understand that she better be careful about what she said to him. He was a fortune-teller too, which was probably just an entertainment thing and not something he could actually do, but she wasn’t going to risk it.
“Oh, well you know... opportunities.” Scarlett murmured nervously, then winced at her wording. Yeah, that was totally convincing as ‘not a thief’.
She stole a look at his face, and saw him curiously quirk an eyebrow at her. He didn’t seem suspicious though, and she realized that currently, he had no reason to be as long as she didn’t freak out too much.
“What sort are you searching for?” Sokhayan gently asked, his tone coaxing and friendly, seeming to be genuinely trying to ease her nerves and just simply talk.
She supposed that it wouldn’t hurt to exchange some basic words, a part of her attempted to remind that he hadn’t technically done anything wrong either, and that she didn’t know his full story. Clearly, an important detail was missing, because from the clues she did have, they didn’t add up.
“Job opportunities I hope. I would like to have a home one day.” She told him with earnest, deciding that he deserved some warmth back. Plus it would hopefully make her seem less shady, while still being the truth.
A glimpse of sympathy entered the man’s eyes then, before he slowly reached over to rest one clawed hand on her small shoulder. It was a bit of a surreal sight that made Scarlett tense up, seeing how his palm dwarfed her. She felt this when he hugged her earlier, it’s true, but that was before she knew that he did indeed eat people, and it wasn’t just her paranoia getting the better of her.
Despite that truth though, his touch was so gentle and she knew there was genuine compassion behind it, so it was hard not to feel just a little comforted by the gesture.
“I hope you will, a young lady like yourself should not be without a home.” Sokhayan said with a lace of concern.
It wasn’t unexpected, people have said similar things to her before, but he wasn’t being naggy about it and she appreciated the care otherwise.
“Thanks.” Was all she said to him, but she meant it, and gave the half-evuna a timid smile, which was returned with a friendly, benign smile of his own.
In that moment, another shiver jolted itself through her body, and before she had fully realized she did it, Scarlett found herself scooting closer to Sokhayan’s side. She felt a pang of sheepishness then, especially when she heard the soft noise of surprise from the man. But soon, he responded by shifting his arm to wrap around her shoulders, delicately drawing her close to his side for warmth.
A bit of fear fluttered in her chest, but there were other people all around the campfire, it wasn’t like he could just easily devour her and not get in trouble. So she tried to allow herself to relax and just enjoy the provided warmth and comfort.
“It is alright young Scarlett, I do not bite.” Sokhayan assured in an earnest tone, even with a benevolent chuckle.
Scarlett laughed sheepishly back, but rested her head against him anyway. His robes were soft and pleasant to the touch, she wasn’t sure what material they were made out of, but it made her feel at ease. That is, for the most part, though it didn’t stop her from speaking her mind.
“I am glad for that, but I’m more worried about you... uhm... well, that you might...” She began and trailed off, trying to find the right word that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows.
“Swallow you?” Sokhayan soon filled in without concern, and although he spoke in a whisper, hearing it said at all made her curl in on herself a bit as the man’s voice reached her yet again. “Please do not worry about that, I would not hurt you, I have never harmed anyone in such a way.” He clarified to her in a soothing manner now.
The young lady blinked to this information with a soft gasp, realizing that the thought never fully occurred to her, despite the fact that she herself had actually been safely swallowed by other beings before. It wasn’t common by any means, and it was still frightening in its own ways. However, this new information made Sokhayan’s gentle, benevolent nature while still being willing and able to devour people whole make some actual sense for the first time.
“O-oh... that-that’s actually... Well, I’m relieved to hear that. I had thought that... well-” She awkwardly stammered, and was grateful when he spoke up again before she embarrassed herself further.
“I understand, I did not get the chance to properly explain myself. I apologize for the fright it caused you.” Sokhayan told her with genuine care, and it brought a bit of a smile to the young woman’s face.
Of course, she noticed that he once again said ‘would not’ earlier, and she got the feeling that he very much had the intention of swallowing her up at some point during the journey. Why, she couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t feel malicious... She supposed it likely had something to do with her, once again, being the smallest member of the caravan, save perhaps the dwarf. That, and she had no tent or home, and he clearly cared about that.
However, now knowing that her life wasn’t actually in danger with him finally allowed her to relax, feeling genuinely soothed by his presence. Even as claws rested on her bare shoulder, and feeling the sharp tips harmlessly against her skin, she trusted that they wouldn’t suddenly tear into her.
“It’s okay...” Scarlett murmured, and soon realized her voice sounded pretty tired.
The warmth of the fire, and Sokhayan himself threatened to lull her to sleep. In truth, it had been a long time since someone was willing to simply hold her like this, and she got the feeling that Sokhayan had a knack for it as long as others allowed it. But she also had a good feeling that falling asleep in the man’s arms meant waking up within his belly, and she wasn’t quite ready to deal with that yet.
“Soup’s up!” The cook suddenly called out, piercing the peaceful tranquility like a hot knife through butter, causing numerous people to start in alarm, including Scarlett herself.
Although knowing that he was going to eat something besides her did bring her some comfort after the startle.
Sokhayan let out a warm chuckle and patted her shoulder comfortingly, before he removed his arm from around her and stood up. Soon, she joined him, and they found themselves standing in line for soup. Turns out a lot of the others got here first, but the line moved quickly. Thus once it was their turn, she watched as Sokhayan thanked the cook with a polite bow of his head, despite the harsh, moody demeanor of the other man.
“Yeah yeah, you’re welcome. I didn’t know snakes eat soup, but whatever.” The cook grumbled, though Scarlett could tell his voice was a tiny bit softer than it was with others before. Perhaps the bow also threw him off guard.
Sokhayan didn’t seem bothered, and just made his way off over to his tent, not heading inside, but taking a seat outside of it, sitting on the ground with his legs crossed. For some reason, he didn’t seem to want to eat with most of the common folk now huddled by the fire. Then again, their previous spots were quickly overtaken, so maybe that was why.
“Hey, you’re holding up the line.” The cook snapped at her then, drawing her out of her thoughts.
She made a noise of surprise, then shook her head and stepped forward. “R-right, sorry about that.”
Scarlett then grabbed a bowl and dished out her serving, before turning to the cook.
“Thank you.” She said, and while it wasn’t with as much grace as Sokhayan, the grumpy man still softened a tiny bit again.
“You’re welcome... Now scram.” He grumbled to her as well, not actually that harshly, he just clearly wasn’t much of a people-person.
Scarlett made her way over to Klen then, and carefully began to eat her soup while standing. Across the way, she watched Sokhayan with intrigue, including how he... licked his own soup bowl once it was mostly empty. She could see his forked tongue, abnormally long for a human as it was. Her eyebrows raised slightly to this, and realized perhaps that’s why he chose not to eat right in view of everyone.
Unlike him, Scarlett ate much slower, and it allowed her to observe the caravan further. Most of the folk were boring and mundane for the most part, though she overheard some whispers about Sokhayan. It seemed she wasn’t the only one a little uneasy about his presence after all, even though she herself now knew that he was harmless, just a little weird.
Speaking of weird, after he was done eating, she watched him do something else rather strange... He held a small glass jar in his hand, brought it up to his mouth, and this time, she saw his fangs slide out of his gums. Scarlett tilted her head as he put the jar in his mouth, and specifically, his fangs into the opening. He pushed up on his own jaw then, and it took a few seconds for her to realize... venom was dripping into the jar. He actually had venom! And was for some reason collecting it.
Scarlett stared with wider eyes now, soon finding herself wondering what his venom did, for starters. Something told her she probably didn’t want to know though, whatever it was couldn’t be good.
As it turned out, Sokhayan filled the entire jar with strange amber fluid before he retracted his fangs, then flexed his jaw, working out the mild discomfort the process seemed to cause. However, she couldn’t help but notice how he opened up a bit too wide to be natural, and she very well knew he could do so even further if he truly wanted to.
Scarlett lifted her bowl to drink the soup’s broth, but her eyes still peeked over the rim, watching as he put a lid on the jar and set it aside... then spotted her. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but she felt a spike of fear, though it was quickly diminished when he just smiled and bowed his head politely, then turned and entered his tent for the night.
Seeing him leave was... almost sad, perhaps due to the cold that crept back into her bones now that she was away from the fire. Despite how he made her nervous in some ways, he also made her feel safe in others. It was strange and confusing, but she could tell the half-evuna had a good heart and that in the end, she would be safe with him.
Many of the merchants and other folks began turning in too, and suddenly, the camp was very quiet, save for the gentle crackles of the fire. This meant peace and quiet, thus Scarlett found herself walking back over, bedroll in hand now. She set the soup bowl on the cook’s wagon, with the others, before unrolling her bed near the fire for warmth.
She didn’t understand why tonight seemed so cold, it was like some kind of freak weather shift that was trying to urge her to accept Sokhayan’s offer of taking shelter in his tent. However, despite her fears being largely mended with him, she still wasn’t ready to risk waking up in the man’s stomach.
So she just hunkered down on her bedroll and did her best to keep warm. Before long, Scarlett slipped into a light sleep, but not before a subtle sense of dread washed over her. She wasn’t quite sure why, however...