The Scared God [ManXManXMan]

Chapter Thirteen: Заводила - Zavodila

~Chapter Thirteen: Заводила – Zavodila~

Two days later, Perun and Hors are still not talking at the dining table. There is no way this is some sort of fight, as they talk literally everywhere else, but the only other conclusion I can draw is that they do not want to talk about something in front of me. However, since they are still openly talking about things away from the table, whether I am with them or not, I am not sure what to think. If this was a spy movie, I might consider that the table was bugged, but there are no visible spells on it, and most gods, who existed long before the era of technology, would not think to use electronic devices that might otherwise fool my senses. It is actually part of the reason I prefer to use guns; normal armor, forged by blacksmithing gods or not, cannot defend against the speed and the spin of bullets.

It is possible they are angry with me about something – I know not what – as they only actively include me when I talk to them first or hurt myself. For example, I had been cutting an apple last night and, distracted by Hors' sudden appearance in the room, I had cut my finger. It was hardly more than a paper cut, but both Perun and Hors converged on me like moths to a flame to make sure I had not cut my finger off when they saw me hiss and drop the knife.

It is disturbing that their concern is starting to feel more genuine by each passing day.

I am not all that surprised that Hors and Perun always seem to know what I am doing, as Hors was the only one in the room at the time yet Perun magically showed up without being called. Improving the wards was not the only security measure they took after my escape attempt, after all; they also have been keeping me under very close watch. I suspect there might even be a monitoring spell on me, though I have yet to see it.

Metal utensils click against the porcelain plates, setting my teeth on edge. I try to ignore it for a few more minutes, just long enough to finish my shchi, but the silence feels like it is pounding in my ears, and each clink is like a thunderclap across an empty desert. My spoon slips from my fingers, clattering against the bowl louder than I would have liked when it falls into the soup with a slight splash. I cringe, but quickly erase my expression and stand up, too frustrated to force myself to remain at this painfully quiet table a moment longer.

"Excuse me," I snap, stumbling over my chair in my haste to leave.

"Veles?" One of them calls after me, but I do not pay attention to whom. Thankfully, neither of them follows me in my flight upstairs.

- - - - - - -

A few hours later, when Hors knocks on my door, I remain silent. The handle starts to turn, as if my invitation for him to join me is a given, which is understandable since I have yet to turn his game offer away. However, it stops turning right before the door opens when Hors seems to realize that I have not yet called for him to come in.

"Veles?" Hors asks through the door after a second. When I hesitate for a moment too long, he asks, "Are you okay?"

No doubt he will come in if I do not answer, as he will need to make sure I have not found a way to leave the house without alerting the wards – which is entirely possible, if I am given enough time and have enough magic; no wards are without weaknesses – so I quickly say, "I don't want to play games today."

And I don't just mean the board games.

There is a pause before Hors responds. "If you are sure," he accepts. There is another short pause, likely in which he is waiting for a reply. When he does not receive one, I hear his footsteps as he retreats back downstairs.

I bury my head under a pillow, mentally cursing both myself and Hors. I really did want to play those games, as there is little else to do around here and the board games are the highlight of my day, but after lunch, I am not sure I want to be around Hors at the moment. Their silence is starting to feel like a personal slight.