34 Vol 1. pt. 34 Patch 6.0: The Voyage South (2/2)

Serra looks at each one of them, trying to figure out just how much they know. She didn't want to tell Fenrir about meeting Cassiel, and she didn't want to tell Cassiel about Fenrir. Yet, it seems like they both already know about meeting the other last night. ”He likes getting in trouble,” Serra says.

Fenrir looks at the girls. ”Hey, it sounds like you're teaming up on me. You're supposed to be on my side, Serra! Our friendship goes back like… a whole extra day longer than yours and hers!”

”Bad dog, getting in trouble,” Serra says.

Fenrir's ears and tail actually droop from hearing that.

”You're on my side, right, Rock?” he asks.

Rock barks at him and licks Serra's face.

This is his sixth defeat.

”What have you been doing?” Serra asks, her voice hushed. Fenrir has noticed that she usually speaks in a softer and quieter tone when she hasn't talked in a while. He figures that she has to warm up and get used to it each time.

”Training and getting my ass beat,” he answers her, hand on the back of his head to rub it.

”I… can see that.” When Serra looks at Fenrir, she sees roughed up hair, some bloodied spots in his hair and on his tail, and plenty of bruises.

Cassiel looks untouched. If anything, Cassiel just looks like she has a massive sense of smug satisfaction.

”I'm telling you, she's hacking.”

”Want to lose again?” Cassiel asks.

Serra sits down on a crate with Rock in her lap to watch the show.

Fenrir gets his attack deflected, head grabbed onto and smashed into the mast of the ship, has his legs swept out from underneath him, and then sees Cassiel's blade pointed down to his face with the tip of it touching his nose.

Serra claps, clearly impressed by the other girl's skill.

However, Fenrir felt something while fighting that time. He has been attacking with a sword this entire time, but last time, that feral urge within him could be felt. It felt as if that urge was telling him that he's fighting wrong.

”One more time,” Fenrir requests.

”Fine. I probably only have enough mana to heal you one more time after this,” Cassiel says, finishing up healing him.

He sheaths his sword and sets it down by Serra.

”You already lost with a weapon. Do you really think you can beat me without one? You're probably already more proficient at fighting with a sword than your fists anyways,” Cassiel says.

Fenrir charges at her.

He has to focus more on avoiding her attacks now that he doesn't have a weapon to deflect them with. The feral urge within him is growing stronger by the second as he gives in to it.

”Stay still, you bastard!” Cassiel shouts, frustrated by his increased focus on speed and evasion.

There is no thought in Fenrir's actions. He is just going with whatever feels like the right thing to do. His head stays low as does his tail, his attacks are not strong but they are too fast for her to dodge, and he is constantly scanning her for opportunities.

He is fighting more like a wolf than a man.

With how armored she is and the height difference between them, she is only vulnerable from the neck and up.

The perfect opportunity presents itself. She thrusts her sword forward to try and stab him! He dodges to the side, grabs her wrist holding the sword, and holds her wrist above her head while his other hand wraps around her throat. He tries to lift her up off of her feet but isn't strong enough to do that yet. Instead, he pins her back against the ship's only mast.

Cassiel winces and glares at him. ”Bastard!”

She looks into his eyes and sees the feral spirit of a beast within him. She can't tell if she's looking at the eyes of a man or a wolf.

That dominant look in his eyes, his bared fangs, pinning her against the mast like this and taking control from her… she's liking this too much.

Serra blushes and holds her hands over Rock's eyes.

Fenrir pants, trying to figure out what to do next.

Cassiel tries kneeing him, but he places a leg between her own to keep them separated and unable to get a good hit on him.

She tries pulling his hair, but he takes his hand off of her throat to grab her other wrist.

With each of her wrists restrained and her neck exposed, that feral instinct leads his mouth right down to her neck.

Cassiel's face grows redder by the second. She feels as if her heart is going to jump out through her chest at any moment!

She feels his hot, heavy breath against her exposed neck. The warmth of his breath rolling against her skin makes her want to push herself even closer to his lips.

Fenrir hesitates when he realizes what he's doing. Regaining control of his senses, he sees her tilting her head to the side as if she's willingly giving him easier access to her neck.

When she sees his hesitation, she realizes just what exactly she is doing, puts all of her strength into her right arm, and thrusts her sword through his abdomen.

Fenrir lets go of her wrists and falls to his knees. He is defeated once again.

”You bastard,” Cassiel says, not able to look in his direction.

”Hey, I'm pretty sure I'm about to die here,” he says with a pained voice. ”Can you heal me already?”

She kicks him for how nonchalant he sounds after all of that.

”You bastard!”

She eventually heals him, but not before her heart calms down.