A heavy sigh of relief escaped him, immediately relaxing, letting his arms splash into the water. Now that she was awake, he could see her properly. This little female had long golden locks that covered her back, her face bearing soft features except for her eyebrows, which were a darker shade of blond with a straight shape that contrasted with her gentle appearance. She struggled to open her stinging eyes, wiping away tears. Squinting, she glimpsed her rescuer beneath her. The female coughed up water, barely able to keep her head up. Summoning all her remaining strength, she spoke with a raspy voice.
".. thank you," she whispered. Her exhausted body could barely keep her eyes open; as soon as she thanked the orc, her head fell limp back on his chest, passing out again.
.
.
.
After weeks of begging Levi to let her fly with him riding his back, he finally agreed under the condition that they would be tied together. Liss was thrilled and wouldn't quiet down the whole night. So when the sun started to show itself, Liss was already up, waiting anxiously for the ride while Levi prepared the fabric that would secure them together.
After all the waiting, it was finally time. Levi prepared a long strip that he reinforced to make sure it would be safe.
"Come, bunny." His monotone voice sounded so sweet; Liss, without missing a beat, went and stood in front of him.
With swift movements, Levi passed the cord around her waist, much like a belt, and crossed the ends on the front to make sure it would hold her.
"How is it? Tight?"
"It's alright."
As Levi transformed, Semion appeared out of nowhere with a happy smile. Without saying anything, he held her waist, lifting her and setting her on Levi's back, then proceeding to tie the ends of the cord around Levi's torso.
After Semion gave Levi a nod, Levi spread his wings, slowly taking flight.
"Wow, your feathers are so cold."
She said, passing her hand through them, feeling the coolness and slickness of his feathers against her palm.
"Wait, cold?" Liss questioned, looking down at his feathers, but as soon as she looked down, each feather slimmed down and morphed into scales, ultimately melting into a swirling mass of snakes writhing within a cavity. In a sudden surreal twist, Liss found herself suspended in mid-air, only to plummet swiftly toward the churning pit that was now down on the ground. Free-falling, Liss screamed at the top of her lungs. Right when she was about to fall into the pit, she woke up screaming.
"AAAAAAAAA WHAT THE"
She screamed herself awake, blinking a few times to realize that it was just a dream, letting her body lean back to her previous position without much thought.
After having a breakdown, she almost drowned and? Oh!
She glanced to her side and found her rescuer supporting her as she leaned on him. A ridiculously tall man, sitting next to her with a stunned expression.
"Oh, did my scream frighten you? I'm sorry." Liss chuckled softly, turning to look ahead and bending her knees in front of her, lacing her arms loosely around her knees.
"You had a nightmare?" He questioned with a worried expression, but Liss paid more attention to the fact that his voice didn't match his appearance at all. The orc was probably over two meters high; he was lean, and his skin was so pale that his veins were visible having a tired, frail complexion. But his voice was insanely deep. The moment he spoke, her scalp tingled and went numb.
"Yes, all of a sudden I was falling into a nest of snakes." She said as she crossed her arms over her bent knees to use as a pillow for her head as she glanced up at him.
"Was it me?"
"Why would?"
"I'm cold-blooded." The man said as he hesitantly grazed Liss's arm with the back of his hand, showing his body temperature.
"Oh, well, possible," Liss said, nodding her head. "Thank you again for saving me."
"Why did you do that? You don't wish to continue this life?" The orc spoke with the most endearing expression, his eyes filled with genuine concern, eyebrows furrowed, and a slight pout on his lips. He appeared like a sad puppy, but his voice exuded the utmost masculinity with its strong bravado.
"No, I value my life." Liss held her palm up while shaking her head.
"Why were you alone in the middle of nowhere, playing in that river?"
He asked, tilting his head sideways, and Liss bitterly chuckled, resting her chin on her forearm again, closing her eyes.
"I rebelled,
got lost,
tried to go back,
just to end up even more lost."
The alien spoke nonchalantly even though she felt embarrassed by her actions. That behavior was shameful but refreshing at the same time because, despite seeming like a petty revolt or a tantrum, the message was conveyed: Liss rejected Fenghuang, rejected his ways and his will.
Fed up with the constant anxiety of having to tread cautiously, always testing the waters before opening her mouth to speak, and having to give up what she wanted to avoid angering him.
Fenghuang, being the strongest, gave Liss the impression that life under his wing would be ideal, and in her attempt to build a good relationship with him, Liss foolishly wandered past Fenghuang's walls, getting entangled in his web.
He was supposed to hate females, to be distant and indifferent towards her. He had promised her freedom and fun, so why did he restrict her every move? His change was sudden, too sudden, too forceful, like the beautiful golden cage she was born into.
'Because he possesses the highest strength, he represents the greatest threat.'
"You ran away from home?" Said the orc, snapping Liss out of her thoughts and causing her to straighten her back and sharply turn her head and look at him.
"I don't have a home." The words left her mouth faster than she could register the question, and the faces of the trio flashed on her head, making Liss falter and look down.
Liss's eyes fell on the ground next to the orc, seeing that the ground was rough and pointy, but she felt no discomfort, making her eyes move to where she was sitting, and the alien noticed the makeshift pillow made of something that she deduced was a snakeskin hide. The realization made her eyes dart back to her savior's face, feeling goosebumps.
"You must have a home."
He said with his unnecessarily deep voice that failed to convey what his face tried to. Liss possessed a remarkable capacity for adaptability, often relying on her improvisational skills. However, this occasionally resulted in a feeling of familiarity, causing her to overlook the details of her environment and the individuals within it. To navigate high society, where no one shows their feelings and words are twisted to hide their intentions, Liss had to develop her senses to be able to detect hostility.