enchanted | Druig x Makkari

ajak

7,000 YEARS AGO

The village had been modest, quaint in the way that most villages were. The rest of them had been spread out across the town, helping in whatever ways they could. Sprite had taken to corralling the smallest of the children down near the sea, keeping them happy and distracted with her detailed stories and glittering displays.

Phastos had been sequestered by the village elders, holed up in a hut on the outskirts of town. Ikaris and Sersi had disappeared into the grasslands nearby, no doubt investigating the farming and agricultural lifestyle of the people. Kingo wandered wherever he wished, but usually wound up listening in on Sprite's tales.

Gilgamesh and Thena took to patrolling the perimeters, keeping their eyes peeled for the Deviants that would no doubt show up eventually. As for Ajak, she wandered wherever her feet took her. Usually it was to the market, where she would walk up and down the row of huts and stands, sampling the food and feeling the cloth the townspeople held out to her.

It was there that she saw them, Makkari and Druig, leaning over a craftsman's stand.

Well, to be frank, Makkari peered over the stand while Druig brooded next to her, resting precariously against the side of the stall, eyes scanning the street. Something in his face screamed that he was disinterested, not paying attention at all to what Makkari was doing, but his body language spoke otherwise.

He was titled towards her, Ajak remembered, body naturally gravitating to hers like a moth to a flame. Though his arms were crossed over his chest, his ear was angled towards the hut owner, listening. And when Makkari lifted a necklace—made with stones and shells from the beach—his eyes snapped to her instantly.

"It's lovely," he had said. "Very pretty." Makkari had held it out to him, beaming that beautiful, happy smile of hers. Druig had glanced around before gesturing to himself, surprised. "You want me to take it?"

Makkari only nodded and stepped closer. Druig had mumbled something under his breath, something Ajak was too far away to hear, and obligingly bent his neck downwards. Makkari lifted the necklace and clasped it around his throat, running her fingers over the shells as it settled against the chest plate of his armor.

He touched it too, Ajak remembered, looking almost pleased at his new gift. Druig had turned back to Makkari with a smirk, asking, "Well, what do you think?"

You were right, Makkari had signed back. Very pretty.

There was something wonderful about the warm blush that erupted across Druig's cheeks, the way his eyes danced with mirth as he grinned down at Makkari. If you asked Ajak, she would say that was the moment she noticed their relationship, the way that smiles came so much easier to Druig whenever Makkari was involved.

Druig had turned back to the stall owner with an amused, "Thank you." The stall owner only bowed his head back to him. Makkari and Druig began to walk away, pace slow and unbothered as they ventured up and down the street. Druig had shoved Makkari lightly, laughing as he said, "Go on ahead. I'll catch you up."

She had only spared him a wink of her eye before she disappeared in a trail of gold, Druig's cape ruffling with the breeze she left behind. Alone, Druig's hand had wandered back up to his throat, where he touched the necklace again. He had smiled to himself, unaware of Ajak's eyes on him, and let the necklace fall to rest against his breast once more.

Ajak had watched him meander in the direction Makkari had headed, chin lifted high and steps light and carefree. It would not be long before he was burdened with the pain of knowing war and death and murder, but for now, in the tiny sea-side village, wearing a simple shell necklace given to him by Makkari, Druig was at peace.