The Wildness Within

A Discovery in the Woods 2

He lazily shot waterweed out of his wrists again, binding the man's legs, watching his struggles dispassionately. If he let himself get too involved, too upset, he'd not be able to think. And if he was going to get involved, he needed to able to think. If he took the man with him – he'd need a name too, if he truly couldn't talk – he'd need to make sure he didn't leave a scent trail. Using the spring to teleport directly into his lake would solve that problem.

He had the equipment needed to secure the creature for as long as possible. After all, he specialised in bondage, against some very strong fae indeed. That wouldn't be a problem.

He could tend to his ankle and...and then what?

Augus stared at him.

Why was he even considering this?

You can always turn him loose if you get bored with this project.

He nodded once, in response to that thought. It was true. If it all became too tedious, he could simply turn the wild man loose into the forest once more. If he hadn't come across him in all this time living here, he likely wasn't going to come across him again.

The man struggled, screeched, cried out, as Augus dragged him by several ropes of waterweed. It couldn't have been comfortable. They were sliding over tree roots, small rocks, larger rocks, and not always on the path itself – which wasn't wide enough for the man's shoulders anyway. Thankfully the spring wasn't too far away.

Getting the man into his arms and into the water at the same time to teleport them both was a far more complicated matter. One that wasn't assisted by the narrowness of the spring itself, and the fact that the man was struggling for all he was worth. At one point, when half his torso was in the water – Augus was certain now that he'd experienced drowning before – the man turned and bit him so hard that his blunt teeth broke through the fabric of Augus' shirt and sunk into his flesh. Augus hissed and his grip tightened angrily.

'Don't bite me,' Augus growled.

His teeth lengthened in defence, retaliation, and he turned, sinking his teeth just as hard into the man's shoulder, drawing blood, a despairing moan. He closed his eyes and sank his own poison into the wound for good measure, and the man's breath hitched, he shuddered in pain and sedation both. He blinked slowly at Augus, pupils dilated so wide to speak of nothing other than terror and mindlessness. Augus was caught up by the paleness in the ring of blue around the black. Was it an aristocratic shade? Did it belong to a particular bloodline?

Augus sighed, used his waterhorse weight and gravity to drag them both underwater, before turning them both into fluid and teleporting into the black.

*

He thankfully had a lot of experience teleporting struggling victims, so he didn't lose the man during the shift from the spring to the depths of his lake; but it was a close thing. The sedation from his poison had lasted hardly at all. Then again, Augus hadn't exactly given him a large dose.

He dumped him into the foyer, and then shook water off his clothing. Squeezed it out of his hair. It was simple enough then to drag the man inside, ignoring his struggles, calling on his waterhorse weight to make sure he stayed the stronger of the two. Even easier to drag the man down the corridor of his underwater home – protected by its green, insulating dome – and choose not the first room on the right, nor the second, but the third. The one he reserved for harder play, with clients who...could take a great deal more than average. And there, conveniently low to the floor, metal rings in the wall that were spelled to be able to hold even Inner Court fae, if necessary.

Not that he'd ever been patronised by Inner Court fae – but always best to be prepared.

He worked quickly, using up spare minutes while the creature seemed too tired to move. That or he was shocked by his new surroundings. Augus' eyes flickered to him constantly. The way his mouth was open and panting for breath. How his eyes roved the room constantly, in confusion. As though he'd never been inside before – or at least not for a good long while, Augus thought.