#ghbsumm

Kaedis was the first one to see him and she rushed to his side to help him down from the goat. It blinked at her and she bowed her head to it. Seemingly satisfied, the goat bleated once, turned around, and trotted off back to the valley. She opened her mouth to ask him how it went, but she remembered herself and didn’t ask. He gave her a little smile anyways and glanced back at the forest. He wondered when the next time he would get called back would be.

It was nearly a month before the god finally called him and he had gotten settled back into his daily routine again. A wicker goat bleated outside of his door one morning. He reached down to pet it and started for the herd. The goat got behind his legs and nudged him away from the herd and towards the forest. Evocis tried to move around it to go back the way he came, but the goat got underfoot every single time. He huffed out a breath and gestured at it to take him where he was supposed to go. It trotted off towards the valley and he followed it, a little begrudgingly.

The goat took him directly to the Tree. Right outside the crack in the Tree’s roots, Thavma sat with their back pressed against the trunk. They had their hand near a small cluster of fungi at one of the roots and he watched as they reached out with another hand and brought it close to the ground. As they lifted their hand, a sapling grew at an impossible speed. Evocis watched as they caused the sapling to grow through its intended life in a manner of minutes and the tree eventually fell over, its insides slowly rotting. It was only at this point did Thavma stop. They moved back to the cluster of fungi and carefully pried them off of the Tree. He was amazed to see that the fungi were not ruined and they redistributed them on the newly rotting tree. Thavma smiled gently at the fungi cluster and leaned back onto their feet, noticing for the first time that they had an audience.

Evocis waited as Thavma approached him, that gentle smile still gracing their face as they reached down and wrapped their arms tight around their lover. When they set him back down, they leaned forward and kissed him gently.

“How is my love this blessed morn?” Thavma gestured for him to follow them to the inside of the Tree. He answered their question as they walked, telling the god about a strange dream he had the night before. He dreamed that he had woken up in the middle of the night to this beautiful woman with such pale skin she almost looked gray and he told them how she had horns that curled like a ram’s on the top of her head. Thavma frowned a little at that and they asked if she said anything.

“I don’t really remember. She looked at me with this sad look on her face, though. I do remember that she opened her mouth as if to say something, but when I looked again she was gone. Then I woke up and it was morning.” He shrugged, but the frown stayed on their face. “Hey, is something wrong?”

“No, it is just that… Motherfucker, what are you doing?” Evocis had climbed onto their lap and was rubbing at their muscles.

“You looked tense. I thought that maybe a nice massage would loosen you up a bit.” He continued to rub at their muscles, his voice dropping low. They grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to pause, and they purred low at him.

“Oh, I know the best way to loosen me up, motherfucker.”

Thavma woke a couple hours later. They rolled over to their side and watched Evocis sleep. As a god, they didn’t need to sleep, but it was nice to let themself drop away into unconsciousness. They could feel the earth shifting around beneath them, the creatures that lived underground burrowing deeper every day and the world’s crust moving and crashing into the plates around it. They could feel the saplings and the oldest of the valley’s trees drinking in the water from the ground and stretching their leaves closer and closer to the sun. They could feel the grass trampled by animals and humans alike, the earth dug into as people redistributed flowers and plants and buried bodies deep within the ground, praying that the Muse would accept them into her lifeblood.

The god could feel their lover’s breaths next to them, the gentle vibrations as he moved closer to them in his sleep, and they wrapped their arm around him and kissed him gentle and sweet. It had been centuries since they last had a lover like this and they prayed to the Muse that she would not call for him for a long time. They kissed him one more time before slipping back into that peaceful unconsciousness.

Months passed and the two met together as often as they could. The duties of a god kept them from calling for Evocis constantly and though the religious leaders looked at him suspiciously every time he left, they kept their mouths shut as long as their fields stayed green and lush. The year passed without any troubles and Thavma found that they had fallen even more in love with the mortal.

Evocis leaned back against Thavma, turning his face to the sun. The air smelled of the earth and the rain from the storm last night. The god hummed an old tune he didn’t recognize. Thavma had sent for him with the promise of nothing planned. They simply yearned for their lover’s presence nearby them and he was happy to answer the call. His herd grazed off to the side, out of sight, but he could see the flicker of shapes moving through the trees; the herd was well guarded without his watchful eye on it. He shifted so that he was wedged between their chest and their arm. His gaze settled absentmindedly on the expanse of their arm and his eyes traced the familiar pattern of black and dark skin up and down its length. He reached out a hand and traced the swirling patterns with his fingers.

The humming continued, but now a hand moved and rested on his stomach, the thumb stroking the fabric there. Evocis continued tracing the patterns, fascinated by how it looked as though their very skin was darker along the patterns. He would have guessed it was paint or a stain, but it didn’t fade and it didn’t smear during their sessions.

“Thavma?” They grunted in response. “How did you get these? What are they made of?” They glanced down at their arm and shrugged.

“Oh, the tattoos. It’s just ink printed into my skin. Like when you and your priests write on parchment.”

“Tattoos?” Thavma hummed in his direction, their thumb continuing to stroke his stomach. “I want one.” The hand stopped and the humming died off.

“What?”

“A tattoo. I want one. Looks pretty badass, don’t you think?”

“Well yes, but motherfucker, it’ll hurt. It ain’t just a walk down the path. Shit could get infected if not taken care of properly.”

“Then teach me.” They groaned in annoyance, holding their face in their hands. Evocis nudged him, poking their side and kissing their shoulder when they didn’t answer. Eventually, their hands fell from their face and they glared at him.

“Fine, but only one. Only a small one.” Thavma stood to their feet and stretched with a groan. Evocis followed them up, pulling them down to his level so he could kiss them. They grinned and pulled him along towards the valley. They led him to another of the entrances to the valley, ducking under low-hanging branches and giving a nod to the cluster of driders watching the two. The driders parted the glamour webs and allowed the two in. Once they were within the valley, they replaced the webs so that they could keep unwanted visitors out.

They walked until they came up to a small shack and Thavma knocked on the door. There was some irritated chatter behind it and the door opened to reveal a small creature. The creature looked almost human, but with long, pointed ears and it looked as though it came up to Evocis’ hip in height. It came up to the god and knocked its hand on their arm.

“Come for another? The ink should not have faded already.” Its voice was rough like two stones rubbing together and Evocis flinched at the sound. The creature turned to him, wrinkled up its nose in disgust, and sniffed. “Human? Too far from the tree, Makara. Perhaps you should take your pet back and fuck it some more. Come back when your skin craves more ink.” Evocis flushed indignantly at the comment, but Thavma rested their hand on the creature’s shoulder.

“Cree, Evocis here would like to get a tattoo. A small one, if possible.”

“I do not work on your pets, Makara!”

“I can pay you.”

“You always say that. Where’s my payment for the last times? Work on human skin? Not a chance! I do not do pets.”

“Uh, I am not a pet.” Cree snapped its head in his direction. For such a small creature, Evocis was actually terrified of the glare it gave him.

“Human calls itself ‘not a pet’, but god takes it home and fucks it until it cannot move. It just lies there. No respect for hard work. Only pleasure for pet.”

“Except I do go back to my village. I come when T— Makara calls for me, but I don’t stay.” The creature was getting on his nerves and his voice lowered to a growl. Cree looked… pleased, actually. He felt a surge of confidence and continued talking. “You said that pets don’t respect hard work. I am a cattle herd and take the herd out every day so that they can graze. I am not a pet.”

“You respect my work?” It gestured to the tattoos on Thavma’s arms. He nodded and it smiled and, oh gods, there were too many teeth in its mouth. It hopped over and pulled down his arm and pushed up the sleeve, turning his arm over and touching the skin while muttering to itself. “Good, good color. Yes. I will work on you. Payment will be more, Makara. Now certain symbol or tribal like Makara?”

“Make it my symbol.” Evocis glanced up at Thavma who smiled down at him. Cree nodded and dragged Evocis over to a chair and propped his arm up on a table. It climbed up and poked him in different places, asking where to put the tattoo. Thavma leaned down and directed the creature, rubbing their hand against his other arm. The three of them eventually settled on the tattoo be placed on his shoulder. Immediately, the creature went to work. As the creature worked, Evocis turned to look at Thavma who had been shooed out of the area so Cree could have enough lighting. The god smiled and went back to tending to the plants around Cree’s shack.

It took far longer than Evocis had anticipated, but he was surprised that he had barely felt any pain. Cree muttered about the different places of flesh the process would hurt more. Its hand hovered near his groin – Thavma growled low in their chest – and it laughed that he would pass out if it put a tattoo there. He started to say that he wouldn’t, but Cree rested its hand on his shoulder with a look that shut him down and made him flush in embarrassment. When they left, Thavma handed Cree a small bag that it snatched out of their hand and grinned widely before it spun back into its home.

He looked over the tattoo as best as he could. It swirled in the looping shape of Makara’s symbol and he felt properly marked with it. Thavma brought him to a small stream, scooped up some water in a bowl they carried in the bag at their side, and pressed their lips to it, blessing it. They dipped two fingers into it and drew a circle around the tattoo, muttering quietly as they blessed him.

“There is nothing that should have my mark on it and not be motherfucking blessed immediately. Try not to touch the flesh there for a while. It will be sensitive yet. Though,” Their voice dropped into a low croon and their fingers skirted around his shoulder. “Seeing you marked with my symbol, lover mine, makes me want to bring you to the edge of ecstasy a hundred times over.” At their words, a thrill shivered down his back and left him breathless. As they leaned down to kiss him, the wind shifted and they froze. Their body tensed and they lifted their gaze slowly and towards the sea. All sense of lust and desire fell away as their grip tightened on his arm.

“Thavma?” He asked, concerned. They turned away from him, their grip on his arm disappearing as they began walking to the sea. “Thavma!” He reached out and grabbed their arm and they stopped. “Thavma, what is it? What’s—“

“Go home.” They growled without glancing back at him. Evocis started to speak again and they shrugged off his hand. “Go home, Evocis. There is a storm in the west and you must find shelter. Find your safety not in me.” Without another word, the god left the mortal behind, their attention turned to the sea. Evocis ran back to his herd as fast as he could and found the wicker goats that were protecting the herd shifting and shuddering, their forms growing and changing into things longer and much larger. He guided the herd back home, glancing back every so often as fear sunk deeper into his heart.

Once the herd was locked up in their corral, he ran to the temple. The wind picked up and he heard a howl of some unnatural creature and he was wrapped in a cold fear that threatened to paralyze him. He threw open the doors to the temple to find Kaedis praying. She turned at his arrival, took one look at his face, and ran to close the doors.

“Evocis, what is it?”

“Makara, they…” His voice choked off as he tried to catch his breath. She rubbed his shoulder and he flinched from her touch.

“Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?”

“No, it’s not that, I just…” He rolled up his sleeve to show her the tattoo on his shoulder. Her eyes widened and she muttered a quick prayer at the sight of Makara’s sign. “Something’s wrong. They… You know I’ve been meeting them, Kaedis.” His voice dropped to a whisper and she nodded, telling him that the priests and the religious leaders were out tending to one of the villager’s sickened relatives. He told her about Makara’s sudden change.

“They said there was a storm in the west. Something’s going on in the sea. Something’s wrong and they wouldn’t tell me.”

“Evocis, what the gods do and how they act is their business. I know that you and Makara – may their name bless our land – have gotten close, but we do not have the privilege to know what may or may not be wrong. They have no need to tell us.” She sat down next to him and rubbed his back. He sighed, but leaned into her touch anyways, grateful for it. They remained quiet for a while, just staring at the paintings of the gods on the temple walls. Makara rose above the altar, their hands raised high and green tendrils chased up after them. To their right stood the Recorder, Captor, with one hand holding a book open while the other spread out wide over an object. Eir mismatched eyes seemed to glow as ey studied the object. To Makara’s left stood Peixes, the sea goddess. Black hair cascaded down her shoulders and she grinned wide at the people below her, her teeth shark-like and she looked as though she stared at them like her next meal.

Along the side walls were paintings of saints for the gods, two of which stood out the most to Kaedis. Makara’s first tribute, Kekara stood with his hands folded together as if he were praying and the artist decided to add in the shackles at his wrists, along with the puncture wound from the arrow that killed him. Close to Kekara was Rilega who was said to be Kekara’s lover. She was painted as if she was one with the forest, only showing herself by holding out her hand. The two saints and the painting of Captor made Kaedis feel safe and at home. She didn’t quite understand Evocis’ worry for Makara, but she supported him and kept his secret safe. She rubbed his back soothingly again.

“They will come back, Evocis. Do not worry; they will be back.”

And they did come back.

They returned in the dead of winter during the worst storm Evocis had seen in his lifetime. The snow came down like ice and the wind whipped it nearly horizontal. His herd was hidden in the back where they would be dry and warm and he was outside trying to seal any cracks he could find when something howled. He turned and looked out into the storm, peering through it and trying to pick anything out. When he turned his gaze west, he saw them.

They were a dark shadow trekking through the snow. Their back was hunched over and they limped with every step they took. Their horns were lowered as if they were challenging the snow to overwhelm them and their goats were nowhere in sight. He started towards them when they stopped and swung their head in their direction. The wind died for a moment and what he saw made cold fear spike through him.

Blood dripped down over one eye and the corner of their mouth had been ripped open in a gruesome half-smile. One arm hung uselessly at their side and there was a huge gash down the side of their leg. Their eyes locked with his and he took a step back from them; their eyes glowed red like hot coals in Zahhak’s forge. Their head swung forward and they left him, limping back to the valley. The wind howled and the gust nearly threw him off his feet. Evocis looked back at his house, bit his lip, and made up his mind. He started forward, pushing against the wind. He barely made it a couple feet from his house when a warm hand pressed against his chest. He stopped and looked up, his heart stopping when he saw the woman from his dream.

Her hair trailed down in two long strips and they swayed as if she was standing in a summer breeze and not a blizzard. Her eyes flashed in multiple colors before settling on a golden color like Makara’s eyes. Her hand dropped from his chest as she shook her head. She opened her mouth and he leaned forward because there was no way he was going to hear her in this storm, but she spoke as clear as day as if the wind was not howling around them like a maddened beast.

“No, herder. Do not go to see them. It would not be wise.”

“Not wise?” He shouted, his voice nearly lost in the wind. “Are you out of your mind? Didn’t you see them? They’re injured! They need to be—“

“Left alone.” She replied calmly, almost sadly. He looked at her face again. She looked younger than when he last saw her. “There is nothing you could offer that would help them. They would mostly likely kill you on sight than allow you to come near.”

“But I’m…”

“I know.” Evocis stopped, staring at her as she gazed at him. He wondered how she could know or was she just saying that to get him to be quiet? While they never said that they were ashamed of their human lover, Thavma seemed set on making the other gods and spirits not see him as their favorite. When he asked about it, they curled in on themselves and refused to speak about it. He suddenly wondered who she was, this woman who seemed to be outside of the flow of time.

“I know you want to see them, but it would not be wise. You may know their name, but that does not make you above your own kind. You are no god and you need not be knowledgeable of the affairs of others not your kind. Do not find your safety in them. They cannot keep you safe.” Evocis lurched forward to grab her, but a red light blinded him and when he opened his eyes, she was gone. The wind howled around him and he turned around and ran back into his home. He sent a quick prayer to the Muse for safety. From what he prayed safety from, he didn’t know.

The storm finally calmed the night of the Midwinter Festival. Villagers from the surrounding area swarmed over Evocis’ village and set everything up as quickly as they could. Fires of all size burned brightly and one of the apprentices from the Zahhak’s forge threw in different metals that caused the fires to burn different colors. The air was filled with beautiful music while stories were told, children enraptured by both tale and food. Evocis’ mouth watered at the scent of cooking meat, but he hung back from the festivities. He had never stopped thinking about the night Thavma returned and the woman showed up to keep him from going after them. He wondered if she was a goddess, but when he described her to Kaedis she told him that there was no record of a goddess like her. Kaedis had mentioned that she might be some kind of creature like the driders or kelpies near the sea. Kaedis passed him, offering him some bread that he waved away.

“You do need to eat, Nitram. You are starting to look rather thin.”

“I’m fine, Kaedis.” He replied, glancing back at the valley. She sighed and shoved a roll at his face until he took it and had a bite of it. “Happy?” He asked as she walked away. She only waved back at him and he ate the roll, happy to have some food even if he didn’t want Kaedis to know that. Evocis eventually wandered around the festival, smiling at children who bumped past his legs to get at something. As he wandered, the music changed. Instead of the peaceful, calming tunes that had been playing before, Evocis heard drums pounding away rhythmically and the singers chanting something. He walked towards the stage in case there was something going on. When he came to a hill that looked down on the stage, he stopped.

There were a few actors on stage, playing out some battle the gods had fought against an evil spirit a long time ago. He barely remembered the tale, but Makara had played a large part in it. He braced himself against a tree and leaned down, attempting for a better view of the stage. He could see the actor playing Makara as they faced off against a monster and... Evocis’ breath caught in his throat.

The actor jumped back, horns lowered at their enemy, breath panting through sharp fangs. Their face was painted a terrifying mask and when Evocis saw the flash of their eyes, he swore he saw yellow. Before he knew it, he was running down the hill, avoiding rocks and winding in between the crowd. He apologized to those he bumped into in his rush to the stage, pausing only once he was the closest he could get to the stage. Above him, they clashed with the man-made monster, muscles rippling under ink-painted skin and they glanced down at the crowd. With a familiar smirk, Thavma shoved the monster away, roaring at it. They lifted their arm, a heavy, painted club held tight in their grip, and they called out at the beast.

“There are none but you and you shall be finished. You will harm my creation no longer.” Their voice held so much emotion that the crowd below them roared their cheers. Someone nudged him, saying how good the actor was. Evocis could only nod, his face brightening as he watched Thavma pretend in front of them. When the scene was over, Evocis waited for Thavma to appear again, but it seemed as though the actors were doing a new scene that didn’t include Makara. Evocis sighed, saddened that he wouldn’t be able to see the god again and he turned to continue wandering when someone grabbed ahold of his arm and pulled him through the crowd. Once they were out of the crowd and he could get a better look at the person, Thavma smiled lovingly at him. They wrapped their arms around him and pulled him to their chest.

“Hello, love.” They whispered and kissed his head. He kissed them in return, his hands on either side of their face. When he rubbed his thumbs along their cheek, the paint smeared and the pad of his thumb ran over a scar that stretched from the corner of their mouth. His face fell as he rubbed his thumb along the raised flesh. Thavma kissed his forehead and rubbed circles against his back. They took one look at his face before dragging him even further from the crowd. They stopped against a line of trees where a fire burned purple.

Evocis could barely see their face, but they kissed both his hands and pressed them against their cheeks. He stared at them a little longer before moving back. They let him go and he ran his fingers over both their arms, feeling the new scratches and scars there. He dropped to his knees and ran his hand over the gash in their leg and he felt something bubble up inside of his chest. He tried to suppress it as he stood to his feet. He pressed his hands against their cheek again and opened his mouth to speak.

“You…” was all he could get out before the tears came. He hid his face in their chest, his hands curling into claws against their face. They pressed a kiss to the top of his head and rested their chin in his hair, just holding him until he could speak.

“You left. You left without any… warning and I was so worried, but you wouldn’t tell me where you went and I…”

“I know. Love, shhh, I know.”

“You were gone for more than a year and I had no way of knowing… of knowing if you…” He trailed off as the tears flowed quicker. His shoulders shook with the force of his sobs and Thavma held him. They held him as his hands fell from their face to pound his fists against their chest. “And when you came back, you…!” He couldn’t get the words out and Thavma sighed, pulling him to their chest tighter. They kissed his head and let him cry. When his sobs had subsided, they spoke.

“There was danger in the west. The seas were churning and the people were praying for answers, but when I arrived, Skiela was nowhere to be found. Dydelt had gone to look for her and when we found her, she was up against a great beast turned mad. It had angered the leviathan and it was making the waters churn from its anger. Skiela worried that the leviathan would open its maw and let forth its cry.” Evocis’ had to remember how to breathe. There were stories started by the gods themselves that when the leviathan roared, both time and the world would cease. To think that something like that could happen at any time made his chest tighten up in fear. Thavma nodded at the look on his face.

“Now you see why I had to leave, love. I know, I should have explained, but even I didn’t know what was wrong. I apologize, my love.”

“But… your injuries?”

“The battle was intense, but I was able to make it back. My mind was not in its proper state otherwise I would have come to see that you were safe. I am healing still, but how could I stay away from this? My love, how I have missed you.” They tilted his head up and after asking for permission, they kissed him. He fell apart again during the kiss, but they didn’t let him go. They kissed his tears away and they breathed in his small sobs and sniffles and they pressed their foreheads together.

“This motherfucker must leave now, love. I will see you in the spring, when the flowers have up and opened their petals to the sun. I love you, Evocis. I will never stop loving you. Muse be with you.” They held him close one more time before letting him go and kissing his hand. He watched them disappear into the valley, soft music filling the air behind him.

~o~

Thavma kept their word. The first day the flowers around Evocis’ house bloomed, there was a goat outside his door. He reached down to pat its head and it huffed, but it let him go to the herd to check on them. He led them out to the cliff, the goat following his side quietly. Once they reached the cliff, Thavma was already there. They sat with their back against a tree growing at the edge of the cliff, their eyes closed as if they were sleeping. The herd spread out over the clearing and Evocis sat down next to the god, content to sit there with them. They sat in silence until the god spoke up, their voice soft.

“This motherfucker’s been thinking. I’ve gotta get up and go and get one of my tattoos re-inked. Fix up what was ruined. Maybe when Cree isn’t up and poking at me, you could get some more work done. I know you’ve been making plans to ask me, you’ve been eyeing the ones I got and I get ya. Funny little addiction when your flesh craves ink.” They glanced over to Evocis who looked up at them with wide, bright eyes. Thavma laughed, roughed up his hair, and whistled. Dark shapes flickered in between the trees; Thavma’s messengers would guard the herd while they were gone.

The god led him to one of the gates to the valley and he looked up at the driders sitting on their webs. A few of them hissed at the sight of him, but most eyed him hungrily and it made him shudder. One of the driders dropped down from the tree and barred their way to the gate. She bowed low and Thavma straightened, their calm demeanor completely changed to a hard, distant appearance.

“Good day, Makara. The gates have been cleared of all,” she looked pointedly at Evocis. “Unwanted visitors… as we waited for your return.” The drider spoke with an air of superiority and the other driders watched her as if with respect. She glanced at him again and he felt a sudden attraction to her. He felt his body move forward and when Thavma stepped in front of him, he tried to push them aside.

“You will stop at once.” The command pulled him up short and froze him in place. The drider seemed frozen too and Thavma stepped towards her. “You will leave what is mine alone or do you need a reminder of what happened last time?” Their voice dropped to a hiss and the drider visibly wilted. Evocis wondered what they meant by ‘last time’, but he didn’t get the chance to ask as the god pushed through the gates, their grip on his arm tight and commanding. He risked a glance backward and the drider frowned, but climbed back into the canopy.

When they came up to Cree’s shack, the goblin was outside painting something on a large plank of wood. The goblin glanced up as they approached and began to go back to work, but its gaze suddenly snapped up and it looked from Evocis to the plank and back again. It returned to its work as they approached, its movements stiff as if it was anxious. Evocis thought it strange, but he made no mention of it since the goblin’s ways were not his own. Thavma strode forward and talked quickly to Cree, never acknowledging the plank and they gestured at the fading ink on their arm. Cree jumped to its feet, grabbed its tools, and immediately began working on them once they sat down.

Evocis wandered around the shack while he waited. He knew it wouldn’t take too long, but he didn’t want to hover over the goblin while it worked. He thought that it made Cree nervous to have him stand there and watch. It definitely seemed anxious now. It made a point to not look at him, even as he walked over to the plank of wood it had been working on previously. He watched the goblin from a distance, noting how its shoulders were hunched and its face was screwed up, until his gaze was drawn to the painting in front of him.

The design was painted in thick, black lines that outlined the shape of a pair of fairy wings. At the image’s center, a circle was painted with much thinner lines. There were swirls within the wings that were much lighter than the main lines, but two lines sprouted from the top of the circle and spread up towards the outline. He whistled appreciatively and leaned down to inspect it closer. The design was large and it looked as though it could fit neatly on his back. When Cree clicked its tongue, he jerked back from the design, not realizing how close he had gotten.

“Apologies, but the design… it, er, it drew me in.” Evocis shuffled awkwardly as Cree eyed him. Its gaze flicked down to the wood for a few seconds and it squinted its eyes as if it was considering something.

“You like it?” Cree ventured, its focus back on Thavma’s arm as it continued working.

“Yeah, it’s really cool. I would love, er, be honored to wear it.”

“Does the human want it?” The goblin finished re-inking Thavma’s tattoo and turned to Evocis, waiting for an answer. He nodded and the goblin beckoned him over, telling him to bring the plank of wood. Thavma moved from the bench and watched with a worried frown, but they didn’t protest his decision. The goblin had him take off his shirt and lay down on his stomach. It touched his back a few times as if measuring it before crouching over him and beginning to work. As it worked, it told him that the inking would take a few days to finish since it was such a large tattoo. After a few hours, Thavma brought Evocis home, careful of his back. They stopped at his door and pressed their lips to his.

“I am sorry love, but I must leave for a few days. Skiela called for me the other night and said that she needed me. I don’t know what kind of things are going down in her territory, but you can be sure it’s going to be a clusterfuck. Thought she said something about a motherfucking clock…” They trailed off with a frown. They wrapped their arms around him in a tight hug. “Be careful, my beloved. I’ll send a goat with you to get that ink finished up, but be wary of your steps. I can’t always control the creatures who live in the forest.” They kissed him long and deep before they left, turning towards the sea.

A week later and Evocis was walking back to Cree’s shack, his tattoo almost completely finished by now. It was extremely hot that day and so he had his shirt tied around his waist, hoping that it would be much cooler in the forest. The goat led him to the gate at the side of the valley and began to go past it when one of the driders dropped from the canopy of webs. The goat bleated at her, but Makari shoved it out of the way as she approached Evocis. He froze, his heart pumping quickly and fearfully.

“Well, well, wellllllll,” she stretched out the last ‘well’ as she leaned close to him. “What do we have here?” Her fingers climbed up his chest, the sharp points of her claws pricking him with each word she spoke. When her fingers reached his chin, she lifted it up and grinned, her teeth tiny and sharp and her face was very close to his. “A human without anyone to hide behind but a goat. I’m very curious, Nitram, to know what your flesh tastes like when it’s stuck between my teeth.” Fear shuddered through him, but the fear seemed to freeze up when her hands ran down his sides.

“They aren’t here to protect you, Nitram, and,” she paused to laugh at the soft moan that slipped from between his lips as she grabbed his ass. “Seems as though they haven’t had time to play with you properly in a while…” She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. Gradually, she slipped into his mind and felt around, looking around for weak spots to hook into so she could pull him away for good, when the goat jaws snapped hard around one of her legs. She jerked away from him and the goat let go so she could climb back up into the trees and amongst her cluster.

Once she was out of his mind, he stumbled with a gasp. The goat nudged him past the gate and away from the driders. He did not stop shivering until they were nearly to Cree’s shack, but he could not rid himself of the feeling of her inside his head while her fingers traced the outline of his flesh. While it felt disgusting and he felt violated, he also felt a little aroused. What she had said was true. It had been a while since Thavma had fucked him good and proper and, for all he knew, they were still with Skiela. His feet began to turn back towards the gate, curious, when Cree’s clicking startled him out of his trance.

The goblin squinted its eyes and breathed in deeply. It lifted its lip, disgust clear on its face, and beckoned Evocis towards its shack. He followed the goblin and laid down on the bench so that it could get to work. After an hour, Cree spoke up.

“Does human ever dream of… woman?” Evocis blinked and tried to turn over to get a good look at the goblin, but it smacked his head and pushed him back against the bench.

“Okay, okay, yeah. I get it: don’t move. But of course I dream of women! They’re really pretty and soft, but I don’t always – hey! What the hell?” Cree smacked him across the head again.

“Not women! Not plural! Gods on land and sea and sky, not women. Woman.” Cree clarified, but Evocis was still confused. “Gah, humans and their ways. Not knowing the things past their own lives.” The goblin growled, more focused on finishing the tattoo now. A couple minutes of silence passed before Evocis broke the silence.

“What woman?” Cree hesitated at the question, its hand resting over the completed parts of the tattoo.

“Woman of red clocks and woman out of time. Have you seen her, human? Gray skin like stone. Face rounded and horns of red and orange and gold curling up like ram’s.” Cree brushed at his skin and Evocis frowned. Horns like a ram… He had seen that before, he was sure of it. Was she the same woman he had seen in his dream? Was she the same woman who had prevented him from going to Thavma the night of that blizzard? Cree was speaking again and its words brought him out of his thoughts. “Saw her in dream. Strange that. Cree does not dream. But woman was beautiful and not at all soft and she… She showed me things. She showed me…” The goblin trailed off, its hands twitching around its tools and on his back.

“What? She showed you what?” He prompted, trying to turn over when a low voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Yes, Cree. What did she show you?” Thavma stood tall with their back straightened and their horns tilted forward in just enough of a threat. Cree’s mouth opened and closed and for the first time, Evocis saw fear in its eyes. Fear of the god of life and death who was obviously not happy. He didn’t understand it. Cree bent over and gently pushed him back down to the bench. It worked quickly to finish the tattoo and Evocis noticed the worried touches over the center of the design. The goblin once ran its finger around the circle in middle. Immediately, the hand jerked away and Cree whispered an apology. For whom the apology was for, Evocis didn’t know.

As soon as the goblin finished the tattoo and wiped him off, Thavma grabbed his arm and pulled him up, throwing a glare at Cree, and dragged him away. Evocis swung his head around to thank it, but the goblin was looking at the plank of wood the design had been painted on with a look of regret.

Thavma pulled him along through the forest without a word until he finally dug his feet into the ground and pulled back with all his strength. They tried to yank him forward, but he went limp and became dead weight. They growled at their lover and he shouted back.

“What in the Muse’s name was that about?”

“You will not go there, Evocis."

“’I will not go there?’ You will explain what that was all about! Who the hell is this woman and why does she—“

“I do not answer to YOU!” Thavma snarled. Evocis flinched back, his eyes wide. They blinked, the red in their eyes fading. When they stepped forward, Evocis crawled back. They took another step towards him and he backed away until he was pressed against a tree.

“Evocis, love. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare a—“

“You’re going to explain what the hell this is about or I’m leaving,” Evocis’s voice shook as he spoke. “And I will not be coming back.” Thavma stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed at their lover. Their lover who told them that he would never leave them without a way to return. They closed their eyes and reluctantly pulled away from them.

“Her name is Kriari and she is a curse to this land. She is a blasphemer and a traitor to the Muse and all she created. Kriari brings death to whoever she speaks to. You dreamt about her once and I, motherfucker I got so scared for you. Love, I was terrified she was going to take you from me and I couldn’t stand to lose you. I’d rather suffer death than see you die.” Thavma’s shoulders fell with the confession of their fear. Evocis looked at them, eyes wide and stood. He took a step towards the god, then another and another until he was a foot from them.

“I,” he began, but he trailed off, his gaze directed to the ground. Their explanation did not ease their terror of the angry god and it honestly left him more confused. This woman had shown up the night of the blizzard when Thavma came back from the sea and she had not done or said anything that implied she meant him harm. After a while, Thavma’s arms came up and they wrapped around their lover.

“I am sorry, love, Evocis. I did not mean to scare you as I did. Motherfucker, it terrifies me to think I’ll lose you one day. I…” They sighed; it was a heavy sound and it sat on Evocis’ shoulders like a weight meant to break even the strongest of creatures.

“I don’t want to go through that kind of pain any time soon. Not after Kekara. Not like him.” Evocis nodded and kissed them. The two stood there for a long time, no other words passing between them. They walked back to the Tree of Life and they spent the night together.

~o~

The sun rose over the valley, warming Thavma’s back as they left the Tree. It had been several years since they and Evocis had become lovers – they smiled at the memory of their first week together. Much had happened between them and within the world in those several years. The leviathan seemed to calm down and Skiela no longer bothered them. The last time they passed by there, she had not only commented on their stretched stomach, but on Kriari. Skiela had seen her passing by the edge of Dydelt’s territory a while back, the woman’s gaze trained on the high mountains. There was no telling what the woman was thinking about, but Skiela hissed and spat out her distrust.

A few before that meeting, Evocis had asked them about having children. He didn’t feel much of anything for the people in the village, but he wasn’t sure if gods could even bear children. Muse, even they hadn’t known. Dydelt had been called in and after some snark and frustration, they did learn that it was possible for them to bear a child, as long as they had all the proper parts. Thavma worked it out and within a few days, their stomach had begun to swell as a child grew within them. Months after their meeting with Skiela, the child had come forth, surprisingly not fully formed. Evocis tried to care for the child, but when Kaedis saw how he was caring for it, she had swooped in and carried it off, telling him not to worry. She’d make a fine Nitram out of it.

Now, it was nearing Thavma and Evocis’ anniversary and Thavma wanted to make it special for him. They had the entire day planned out and sent out one of their messengers over an hour ago to bring him to the Muse’s shrine in the middle of the valley. They sat next to the shrine, daisies and tulips and other flowers blooming at their feet. They kept glancing behind them at the entrance of the clearing, wondering what was taking their lover so long. Another hour passed and they grew worried, but they refused to leave. What if he came while they left looking for him and they weren’t there? No, they didn’t need to start a clusterfuck like that again.

And so they waited. And waited. And waited some more. The sun passed overhead and it was nearly noon when they finally heard their lover’s voice.

“Thavma?”

“Happy Anniversary, lo—“ They froze mid-turn, their arms swept wide in welcome when they were greeted by the sight of Evocis. He stood at the edge of the clearing, his gaze trying to focus on Thavma, but his eyes kept sliding to the Muse’s shrine. Thavma closed their eyes and reopened them, but there was Evocis, still as he was and Thavma was terrified.

They rushed over, their hands outstretched and their heart tight in their chest. Their hands reached for Evocis’ translucent ones, but they paused, shaking.

“No…” They whispered, their eyes meeting his and they could see right through him. “No, Evocis…” They whined, tears forming in their eyes. Evocis looked down at his hands and the god saw the exact moment he realized what had happened. He lifted his head up, his mouth opening and his eyes wide with confusion.