When Eben decides to rob the isolated town nestled deep in the woods, he could never have predicted that he would be forced to atone by serving Adder, the powerful and terrifying gorgon charged with protecting the town of Nǣdre Tor.
However, as Eben...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As a child, Adder had read in a book once that "the eyes are windows to the soul." He knew that through the eyes, one can convey a myriad of emotions; joy, mirth, love...but at that age, he'd never seen things like that reflected in the gaze of another. No, he had only ever seen the hateful eyes of his enemies as they slowly petrified.
The gorgon never did it out of malice, it was only evert protect Nǣdre Tor, as the former high priest commanded. Even so, it had made him wonder; was his soul so repugnant that the moment someone met his gaze, their hearts and minds filled with hate?
His mother had tried to convince him otherwise, but her words had been drowned out by Father Sheppard's venomous tones. After all, Sheppard was the voice of the pantheon, the man who had civilized the Adder...If the priest proclaimed Adder was a repugnant beast, how was a gorgon to argue?
The monster sighs, ruminating on this as he looms over the half-elf, eyes wide as hazel meets crimson.
The man is smaller than him. Not that he's petite—he has a muscularly lithe frame, and an average height for a 27-year-old. But Adder is longer, heavier, and much, much, stronger. He's a true monster in every sense of the word, from the top of his head, to the tip of his green-black serpentine tail.
Even so, the hazel eyes crinkle with amusement.
"Cree—py," Eben sing-songs.
"You don't look very afraid to me," the gorgon rumbles.
The man underneath Adder turns his head to the side, exposing his neck as he giggles. "I'm terrified. A giant lizard is trying to have a staring contest with me."
Adder retaliates for the insult by kissing up the column of freckled skin. Eben laughs and squirms, half-heartedly pushing the broad chest away.
Adder caresses his lover's cheek, minding his long dark claws as he gently turns the man's face to his. "Keep your eyes open while I kiss you."
Eben laughs, pointed ears twitching slightly. "You and your eye contact. You can't even see anything that close!"
The gorgon ignores the half-elf's protests, leaning down to brush his lips against his lover's. Eben giggles into Adder's mouth, eyes filled with mirth as his hands trace patterns into the gorgons skin.
When they're like this, Adder forgets everything that evil priest had told him. He feels whole, loved, good—and how could he not? When his lover meets his gaze with such warmth?
The half-elf's eyes narrow salaciously as the grogon pulls away, a smirk spreading across his cheeks. "Are my eyes the only thing you wanna look at?"
Warmth, amongst other things.
Adder takes the invitation, tugging the blanket off his lover's body and revealing the man's nudity.
He sits back, appreciating the constellation of freckles that dot all across the half-elf's skin. They decorate the curves of soft muscle beautifully, only occasionally interrupted by a faint scar or two.
