Art: tumblr: curiouspicturesstudio
"Another victory, the Count's beast stays unbeatable!" Shouts can be heard as the guards start escorting the Scourge of the South, as they called him, down into the chambers under the Coliseum. I was called in by the Countess to take care of the fighters, since the count didn't really seem to care much about their wellbeing, but on the other hand he cared a lot about their performances during the battles. So to make him not take out his anger on the helpless and faultless people I was asked to heal and take care of the survivors and soon to be dead. I hate calling them the last part, but it was true. Anyone that got sent to the Coliseum to fight against the Scourge was a dead-man. I sigh as I finish fixing up a patient. He was lucky enough to have been spared from yesterday's fight. After all the Count had to spare some lives occasionally as to not make the public go against his tyranny. I shake my head, thinking about how unfair the world is. The gate suddenly opens and the guards lead a big figure inside. They practically push him and then leave immediately. I look up at him, seeing all the different cuts and bruises on his exposed flesh. I hurry over, trying to check up on him but he immediately flinches away, backing into the corner of his cell. I give him a concerned and confused look. He seemed like a warrior, at least on the outside. But his first instinct was to back away? I approach him slowly and kneel down about a meter away from him. "Hey..Uhm my name's Y/N and I'm the doctor here." I say, but he doesn't even look my way. I sigh and get up and leave his cell. I hear a small gasp from behind me, but I don't turn around. I grab a bucket of water, a sponge, some herbs for his wounds and bandages. I walk back into the small room and he looks up at me in surprise. I guess he didn't think I'd come back. I lay down the things I gathered in front of him and turn again to leave. But I'm stopped by a small voice behind me. "..Thanks" I turn my head as I stand at the exit and give him a smile. "I hope I'll see you again." I say and as I exit the building.
-weeks and weeks later-
I walk down the stairs to the chamber in a somewhat happy mood. I looked forward to see my friend. At least I hope he is still alive. I take care of a few people, tending to their wounds and making sure they are fine. I then walk over to the cell in the corner as usual, but what I see horrifies me. The man is hunched over in the corner of the small room, a pool of blood forming on the ground underneath him. I run over and kneel on the ground before him. "What happened?!" I ask him scared that he might not respond. But his body moves a tiny bit and I gasp. "You need immediate medical help!" I fiddle around with my herbs and bandages, but it does little to nothing. I sigh and think about what to do..I quickly get up and close the door to his cell. I rush back to him and lean him up against the wall. His eyes are almost closed and he's taking ragged breaths. I press my palms against his wounds and a white lights emits from under them. I'm healing his wounds with my magic, which is against the only thing the Countess told me not to do. The light fades and the wounds are healed completely. I smile and look up at him, but he grabs my hands and looks into my eyes with so much sorrow, I can't bare it. "Y..You shouldn't risk anything because of me." He says and I shake my head. "I do. I don't want you to die!" I tell him and he grunts, still feeling some pain, which I unfortunately couldn't take away. He takes a deep breath before he talks again. "Listen..Y/N.." He says my name and he catches my full attention. He never said my name before.. "I'm not what you think. I don't deserve to be saved.." "You do! Just as anyone else would!" I exclaim and he tightens his grip around my hands. "You don't get it, do you? I killed so many.." He says in a dark tone, but I shake my head yet again. "I treat everyone here. Every one of these guys has killed, I still don't think less of them. Neither them nor you do it because you want to. You're being forced by the Count!" I say, determined to not let him chase me away. Even if he doesn't admit it, I know he needs the company. "No..I" He let's go of my hands and turns away. I'm about to reach out to him again, but he suddenly gets up and pins me to the wall. His expression is horrifying and I start to get nervous. "I'm the Scourge of the South! And I am here because this is where I belong. I killed people, and I will. That's all I'll ever be! You can't change that!" He yells in my face and soon two guards rush into the cell. I'm suddenly grabbed by the arms and flung to the side as the guards keep him at bay with their weaponry. I rush to the door, but look back one last time. The Scourge's face is unreadable, but I can sense sadness in his downcast eyes. He looks up briefly and I mouth something to him before leaving. "I already knew.." On my way out I notice something weird. I look past some guards curiously and stop in my tracks. A medium sized cage stands next to the Coliseum's wall and my curiosity makes me walk over. I make my way towards the cage and take a look inside. A black wolf is resting in the middle but as soon as it hears me approach it jolts up and starts baring its sharp teeth at me. I backup a little and call one of the guards over. "What's a wolf doing here?" I ask him and he shrugs. "The Count caught it on one of his hunts. He wants to freshen up the fights, so he's gonna make it fight the Scourge." I nod and just say "Ah..Thanks." and he hurries back to his post. I look back at the animal and feel bad. I don't want the wolf or my friend to die. I know he only attacked me to keep me away from him. But it only made my determination grow. I crouch down in front of the cage and notice her wounds. She got deep cuts beneath her fur. I lean against the bars, looking straight into her eyes. Energetic green eyes stare back at me. They remind me so much of him..I smile and the wolf slowly relaxes her muscles. She tilts her head and sniffs the air. She gets a bit closer and I carefully pet her snout. I start the healing process and the wounds slowly fade. I look into her eyes as I get an idea. If she's supposed to fight the Scourge tomorrow, she'll never make it..and in his state of mind he'll most likely break down afterwards. He won't take any more bloodsheds. I sigh and pet the wolf's head lovingly. "I have a favor to ask of you, my friend."
-the next day-
I fidget with the hem of my shirt out of nervousness. As much as I want to, I can't go see him. I'm not supposed to enter the chambers before a deathmatch and I certainly can't slip past the guards. All I can do is watch and hope. I sit down in the second row, trying not to look suspicious. Suddenly, a voice announces the upcoming match. As I hear the Scourge being mentioned, I sit up straight, leaning forward to get a better view. After they announce the wild wolf, the crowd gets louder and applause erupts all around me. The gates open, and the black beast runs out into the open. The Scourge of the South makes his way out, looking up at his opponent. His eyes go wide and he looks shocked. So no one told him he'd be fighting a wolf? I gather all of my energy and stare at her intensely. She looks around, baring her teeth at everything around her. But as her eyes meet mine, her posture relaxes a bit. I start pouring my energy into her, giving her a heap of power. I close my eyes, as this takes a lot of concentration out of me. The sound of a bell is heard, indicating that the fight has begun. I watch as the wolf suddenly rushes towards the man, seemingly attacking him. But before they collide she jumps over his figure and rushed at the locked steel gate with a mighty speed. He just watches as she bursts the gate, stopping to look back at him. He looks confused, his feet glued to the ground. "Get that fucking animal! Someone do something, God!" The Count's voice echoes over the crowd's noise. I get up and use the confusion to slip away. I stand pressed against the wall and close my eyes. I imagine the scourge, standing in the middle of the grounds. My voice tries to reach out for him, successfully. "Go! Run! She'll lead the way!" That's all it takes for his legs to start working again. Suddenly he takes a mad dash for the exit, drooping all weapons and together with the wolf they manage to escape the guards. Most of them are too scared of him to even try to apprehend him. I smile as I watch them go, and even more so as I see the Count's furious face. I quickly exit and rush back to the shop. I gather a few things before heading out towards the forest. I know where to go and I don't waste a single second. I walk along the path leading to the woods and enter cautiously. Along the way I leave some protection spells to keep the guards away and lead them astray. I smile to myself as I get closer to my destination. But as I do, I'm greeted by a scene I didn't expect. The man and the wolf are sitting on the grass in front of the Hut, her laying in his lap and him petting her calmly. But as they hear my footsteps they both jump up, alarmed. I wave at them awkwardly and set the basket down near the entrance. "So.. I see you've made friends relatively quickly." I say, trying to break the ice. But the man's facial expression makes me believe it was a failed attempt. ".. It was all you. Wasn't it?" He suddenly asks me and I look at the ground between us as I nod. "But.. I don't get you. After what I've done-" "You didn't do anything. I knew you were the Scourge all along. And it didn't keep me from helping you and wanting to get to know you." I say bluntly, which makes his face go red and look away. "..thanks." He mumbles and I chuckle. "is that all you can say?" I ask him jokingly and he grunts. I pick up the basket and open the door. "Have you checked it out yet?" He slowly shakes his head and I beckon him to follow. I walk into the cozy place, putting the basket down onto a table. I light the fireplace and put some extra furs onto the bed and one on the ground for the wolf. I start cozying up the place as the man watches my every move. I catch his glance and give him a smile. "So do you like it?" I ask as I fill the cupboard with fresh ingredients. He shuffles around nervously before nodding. "I'm glad you do. This'll be your home from today forward." I say and his eyes go wide. "What? No, you can't just-" "Shush, you deserve to be given gifts." "No, I-" "You also deserve kindness, so sit your butt down and let me give it to you!" I exclaim and he shuts his mouth, doing as he's told. The wolf makes her way over to the fur and cuddles right into it, closing her eyes in comfort. And that's the first time I've seen him smile. It's brief, but I catch it before it vanishes. "Now let's give you a proper bath and look." I say and he turns red. "I-I can do that myself!" He stammer and I chuchle. "Fine, but let me at least cut your hair. It gets in the way of your face." He looks away, a few strands falling before his eyes. "No need. People don't see it this way." I shake my head and point my finger straight at him. "I like your face, and whether you like it or not, it's a pretty handsome one! So just let me cut it please." I say and after what seems like forever he obliges. The bath seemed to go well and after he returned I make him sit down at the table, back turned towards me as I begin to cut his long strands. He wears a content smile on his face, letting the nice feeling of someone taking care of him wash over him. He leans back slightly, and speaks up for the first time, which catches me off guard. "Muriel" "W-what?" I ask, confused of what he meant. "My name. It's Muriel." I smile and answer him happily. " Well Muriel, I hope you're ready for what's to come next, because from now on you'll have to get used to living in your own hut, having at least two friends by your side and of course" I finish his hair and walk around him, kissing his cheek out of the blue. "Getting tons of affection." I end my sentence with a blush and the same goes for him. But he starts smiling after a while and looks over at the wolf with content. "Thank you, Y/N... Thank you. "