#fron

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James was so mind numbingly bored. Ever since he'd arrived at the compound, he'd been locked in a cell for Jötunns like him.  

His sisters and their uncle were preparing to bargain with the King and the rest of his advisors for their lives and freedom. James didn't have any say because he was a "mindless beast" according to the supervisor of the compound.

They were being forced to wait on the King as he was dealing with how he was, in the short term, going to deal with the aftermath of a border war with the neighboring country. But, at least he would soon be able to hear out their case.

After over a week of crushing boredom, they assigned four guards to permanently be inside his cell. Sam had discovered the test that they were putting James through was testing him on his nature. If he was violent towards helpless creatures.

The guards were unarmored, and after a few days had passed without him touching them, they lost their weapons as well.

James didn't want to hurt them. He had been raised to be gentle. But, he was going crazy with boredom. So, he interacted.

He'd struck up conversation, learning each of their names. Erik was the blond one with blue eyes and a scarred face. He walked with a limp in his left leg. Fredrick had a deceivingly young face, with brown eyes and hair and a friendly disposition. Rodney had brown hair and green eyes. And from what James gathered, being assigned to this task was supposed to be a death sentence for his crime of courting a nobleman's son. Lucas had black hair and haunted brown eyes. He was the most distrustful of them, smuggling an arrow out of his quiver so he wouldn't be completely defenseless.

James was only allowed to see his family for a few minutes in the mornings, but he spent from that time until he was fed near dusk in a heavy mental fog.

At least the four guards had seemed to realize that he wasn't going to hurt them, but they'd yet to be reassigned from this test, so, for now, they were still in his cell as basically his toys.

James was currently laying on his belly, watching the guards play a dice game. He was so bored in the ebbing heat of fall. The excitement of having people to talk to had left after having a few weeks to be used to them.

"Rodney, may I pick you up?" He asked, moving his head so he had a free arm.

"Uh, sure."

James gently picked Rodney up, bringing him over to where he lay, forcing him to lay on his palm. James carefully placed his thumb against his chest, feeling his breaths.

He'd held each guard before, and they'd gotten semi used to it. But he'd never forced them to sprawl out across his palm like this.  

He carefully brought him close to his face, inhaling deeply. The scent of sweat and that delectable meaty smell clung to him, and it cut straight through his boredom to his predatorial roots.

His stomach pined for whatever prey he'd caught, convinced he'd just been hunting, and James scoffed at himself. He rolled slightly onto his side and glared at his stomach. "Could you please shut up? Thank you." He looked over at Rodney, chuckling. "Sorry. I'm just a little hungry."

Rodney nodded. "I know you're not fed enough. I've heard you complain." James was so pleased that he wasn't scared.

"Good." He gently started to poke at Rodney's right hand, forcing it up so he could look at it. He was fascinated by the little fingers that moved so carefully.

James pressed the tip of his pinkie into Rodney's hand, and noticed no matter how wide Rodney spread his fingers, he wouldn't be able to cover his fingertip.

Fascinating.

James started to trace the outline of Rodney's body sprawled in his palm. His head was against his fingers, and James was as careful as he could be as he traced around his head and neck. His index finger went down his arm, gently pressing his hand against his palm, then he noticed as he brushed against his rib cage and side, Rodney had to restrain a laugh.

He was ticklish on his ribcage. James filed the information away as he traced down his left leg.

He absently traced Rodney's figure on his palm, and once he was at his neck again, he gave up, bored again.

James set Rodney back down at the dice game and crossed his arms, dropping his head down with a huff that ruffled hair and moved the dice.

"You feeling okay, big guy?" Fredrick asked James. "You're way more touchy feely than usual."

"I'm bored." He groaned, hiding his face. "So damn bored."

"Would you like to join our game?" Fredrick patted the dirt next to him.

"No." He rubbed his face. "I can't see the symbols. I'll just be in the way."

"Naw, come on big guy, it'll be fine, we'll call it out for you."

"Okay, if you insist."

---

It was nighttime. Lucas has woken up for some reason. He let his heart stop pounding as he glanced around.

What had woken him up? He couldn't recall any nightmare.

He started to get to his feet and stopped. There were two figures, cloaked in black, standing near James' neck, daggers drawn. One of them raised their knife up, he could see a green tinge in the moonlight.

"Assassins." He jumped to his feet. "James! Wake up!"

The giant stirred, starting to prop himself up. Lucas held the arrow like it was a weapon, attempting to attack the assassins. He jumped on one of them, stabbing the arrow into their arm.

They threw him off, and he felt the cold metal of their blade bite into his arm. He hissed in pain.

"Lucas!" James' hands dropped down, one wrapping around him, the other smacking the one that attacked him, sending them into the wall where they crumpled at the base, unmoving.

Lucas' heart pounded in his ears, he felt like his arm was burning. He was cupped against James' chest, unable to see anything else in the little dark space.

Soon, movement stilled, and he was pulled away from his chest. He saw James' red eyes full of concern.

A swear rumbled above him.

The other assassin was being detained by Rodney, Erik was inspecting the blades, and Fredrick had run off to go get help.

"The blades are cursed. If he can't get help from a healer with magic in their blood, he'll die." Erik announced.

James pounded on the wall that connected to the rest of the compound, shaking everything. "Help! We need a healer!"

Guards burst into the room, and while the situation was being explained to them by Rodney, Sam, Diane, and Bobby, their uncle, came rushing through the doors as well.

"You're not supposed to be out of your rooms." One of the armed guards stopped them.

"I'm a healer." Sam stood by James' lowered hand. "I can help him, but only if you let me. The healer here has never dealt with cursed weapons. I have."

They fumbled for a second. "Fine. But only under strict supervision."

"Thank you. Erik, come with me, bring the blades." She picked the smaller man up in her arms like he was weightless. "Let's go."

Bobby was checking on James. "You're not injured, are you? Even a nick from a cursed weapon -"

"I'm fine, Bobby." James assured him. "I'm fine. I'm worried about Lucas."

Diane was watching them try to interrogate the surviving assassin and fail. They just weren't talking.

An idea in her head, she whispered her plan to Bobby. Bobby glanced up at James. "If he's up for interrogation."

James nodded.

Diane whispered something in one of the guards ear. They considered it for a long moment. It took a little more whispered encouragement, but they were willing to let them try to interrogate the assassin.

Bobby patted them down for anything on their person, then removed their shoes. "They're ready."

Diane crouched down to look them in the eye. "What's your name?"

Nothing.

"Are you with any organization?"

Silence.

"Can you speak civilized?"

Not a word.

"They're too stubborn to talk." Diane shrugged. "Maybe we should give up."

Bobby asked them a few questions and got the same silent treatment. He tried to coax an answer out of them, got nothing.

"They won't talk." Diane decided. "James?"

James grabbed their clothes and lifted them up off the ground. "That means they're mine, right?" He had a wicked grin on his face.

"All yours big guy." Diane motioned for him to continue.

The assassin reeked of fear, and he heard a strangled yelp from them as James lifted them up over his head, mouth open. He dropped the struggling captive in, shutting his mouth, centering them on his tongue.

The dry cloth made him want to gag, but he kept it together, licking at them to slicken up the cloth so it was a little more bearable to have them in his mouth.

Their taste was similar to the other times he had interrogated a human back home. Meaty, salty from sweat, and afraid. His stomach pleaded for him to swallow, and his mind screamed at him to spit.

"Wait!" He felt them struggling for the opening between his teeth. "Wait! I'll talk! Please don't let it eat me!"

Diane made a triumphant noise and gestured for James to lift her up so she could talk to them. "James, stop!"

He paused, mouth slightly open so she could see them struggling against his tongue. He kept them firmly secure with one of their legs clamped in his teeth.

"You ready to talk?" Diane crossed her arms, ducking down to see them better. "'Cause if you ain't, he'll swallow. They don't feed him enough, so I don't want to keep him from a well deserved meal."

"I'll talk." They panted, and James felt an arm stretch over his teeth. "Please, don't let it eat me."

She thought long and hard about it, allowing James to twitch impatiently and amass a fair amount of saliva in his mouth. "Fine. I guess if you're willing to talk. James, let them go."

He gently set Diane down as he flicked their leg away from his teeth. He reached into his mouth and pulled the now soaked assassin out of his mouth.

They were dripping saliva, thick and glossy in the torch light. He dropped them in the dirt, rubbing the extra spit off his mouth so he wasn't drooling.

"Now talk."

The assassin started to babble information, and they were dragged away. A couple guards took the other assassin's body from where it lay.

One of the armed guards gave Rodney his spear and Fredrick his sword. "Keep an eye on those three. Don't let them escape. Enough has already gone wrong today."

"Yes sir."

They left them alone.

James gagged, shaking his head and making a face. "Their cloak was disgusting!" He rubbed his jaw. "Gross."

Diane threw herself across his nearby hand. "Sorry, but I felt like we had to."

"It's fine, I'm fine." James had heard the unusual amount of emotion in her voice. James carefully gathered up his family and pressed them to his chest.

Diane spread her arms to hug him back. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"I hope Sam's okay." James whispered, glancing at the shut door. "She's really sticking her neck out for Lucas."

Bobby patted his shirt. "She's tough. She'll be okay. I'm more worried about the guard who was hurt."

"Lucas." James informed him. "And the one with the limp is Erik."

Fredrick gently touched James' knee. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." James admitted, laying a hand out, palm up, for him and Rodney to climb on. "Would you like to meet my family?"

"I would love to."