Ch 104. Bird of Prey

Despite the constant warning signals I was receiving from my new skill, as far as I could tell there was nothing out there. However, rather than put me at ease, this observation just made me more nervous. 

Long after the others had gone to sleep, tucked away safe in their tents, I stayed up, watching out in the darkness surrounding us. The torchlights illuminating our camp as a few other guards who had drawn the short shift played cards to pass the time. Despite the light-hearted atmosphere, I could tell that nearly everyone in the camp was in danger, those still awake most of all. Over time I had realized that [protective instincts] could be applied to anyone I was interested in monitoring, but dealing with too many became an overwhelming task. The feelings of heightened danger and anxiety appearing all around me did nothing to help, and only put me in a bad mood. 

After a while of testing out my new skill, investing additional points into it as needed, I came to the realization that whatever it was that was threatening us was in some way fixated on me. Whoever drew near me was marked with an increasingly dangerous aura, something that forced me to an isolated area of the camp away from as many people I could, while still able to monitor the situation. 

That was my plan at least, but a certain girl seemed intent on foiling my plan by unwittingly putting herself in harms way. At some point in the night, after shivering on the ground, Marcella had drawn up the courage to look for me herself. Knowing that I had been willing to barter with her rights earlier today, she seemed intent on pushing her luck for more. 

"Keaton, could I have a blanket?"

Both the danger that she was in and the banality of her concerns were something that annoyed me to no end, watching her half-heartedly as I paid far more attention towards catching whatever was out there than dealing with a stuck-up prisoner who had already forgotten that this treatment was part of her punishment. 

Her puppy-dog eyes watching me like I would have to be the cruelest of persons to refuse her such a simple request. 

"Just a few days ago you cut me in half," I spoke sharply, snapping her out of whatever delusions she was holding onto. Seeing her stumble over her words as she tried to justify herself, as much to me as to herself. 

"I only want a blanket." She finally collected herself, putting on a stern expression as she turned the accusation back on me, some of her adventurous spirit already beginning to as revive as she gathered her courage, apparently already having forgotten what her current situation was. 

I could tell the danger she was in was increasing by the second, whatever it was that was out there was oddly fixated on me, and here Marcella was, making herself into the biggest target possible while demanding things of me, her master. My eyes sharpening to a point as I decided on giving her a bit of scare, both for her own good, and as a way of reminding her of her position. 

"I told you before, I'm not giving you anything for free. If you want something, you'll have to earn it. Coming here so late at night and asking for favor, it couldn't be that you intend to seduce me for it?" I asked mean-spiritedly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her next to me. Intentionally misreading her intentions as an excuse to tease her, somewhat enjoying the panic my actions had caused. 

Marcella's face was now rigid with fear, the blood draining visibly as she watched me take her actions in a direction she clearly didn't intend, frightening her even more when she realized that if I truly wanted her she had no way to refuse me. 

"Keaton..! T-that's not what I meant, I'm sorry. I won't ask for a blanket. I-I'll leave now." Struggling in vain to pry my iron like fingers from her wrist. 

"What else could you possibly have had in mind?" I said while closing around her in an embrace, whispering into her ear like the devil she thought I was. 

"I-I only meant to do some work for you."

"So late at night?" My breath running down her neck.

"No! N-Not like that, I only meant the kind of work you had me do this evening. I wanted to see if you could let me do something else... anything else. Please... anything else but this. " Marcella was now almost at the verge of a breakdown, stifling her tears as she spoke. The reality that she was a slave was beginning to set in, forcing her to realize just how vulnerable she truly was. 

Seeing her get to this point, I felt satisfied enough. Even if I wanted to teach her a lesson, I didn't want her spirit totally collapsing on me. I liked that part of her after all. 

"Willing to do anything?" I asked her, letting out something of a chuckle, loosening my grip on her arm. 

She nodded gratefully, taking my cue to escape the current situation. 

"If you have anything that is... otherwise I don't mind sleeping on the ground, i-it's really no problem."

Bidding her to wait, I retrieved a small vial of my blood that I had stored within my inventory, a dilute solution that I had Cal help with, mixing it with herbs to preserve the vitality. Of course I already knew what the 'side-effects' were, but it would be endlessly entertaining to watch Marcella struggle with it. 

"I may have something for you... there's a new potion Cal and I have developed. Drink this nightly, describe the effects to me... and something can be done about your sleeping arrangements."

"What kind of potion?" She eyed it wearily, hesitating somewhat about drinking something she didn't know.  

"If we told you what it was then that would defeat the point, the effects need to be clear and obvious, otherwise who would buy it just off the words of a slave? If you're worried about the effects, I'm told it's quite beneficial to the body." Urging her to drink as I passed along the vial. 

Her cheeks flushing shortly after. 

"Anything yet?"

She shook her head, flustered. But her pride preventing her from admitting the state her body was in after having just imbibed a rather potent aphrodisiac. 

Summoning out a blanket, I threw it over to her. "You've earned it, so go find somewhere to sleep and leave me be." 

Wanting to be alone for the moment, at least until I could discover what was causing my skill to scream danger at me. Still on the look out in case anything popped up at the last second, I watched as Marcella disappeared back into the camp, heading in the direction of Tammy and Belle's tent. The danger she was in waning with every step she took away from me. All of the collective danger I was feeling in the camp disappearing the moment I was alone as the faint touch of wind and feathers soundlessly caressed my back. 

I couldn't help but feeling that I was no longer alone, and my suspicions confirmed not a second later as a long tongue flickered over my shoulder before coming to rest there, the slimy cold touch feeling somewhat disgusting against my neck. A rancid smell like a corpse emanating from the appendage, like whatever's creature this was had just feasted on rotting flesh. 

My response slowed by the unexpected sequence of events, I couldn't help but turning my head reluctantly, afraid of what I would see. 

My eyes greeted by an unbelievable sight; beady eyes peering out from a crow-headed mask made of stitched leather, a long tongue like an ant-eaters retracting back through an opening in the beak. 

"I was wondering when she'd leave... too bad I didn'tssssss have to eat her." The crow-like abomination said with lisp. It's body covered by black feathers. 

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