No Shame in This Walk

The gentle smile on Artorias’ lips grew while Lia’s paws worked over him with practiced precision on an expert. She targeted every taut muscle and tight bundle of nerves, unknotting every spot of tension and stress she came across. Those low purrs of satisfaction continued to pour from him, breaking into quiet groans only whenever she’d hit a particularly sensitive area with her soft paw pads. His tail gave weak, relaxed wags as she went on, working down his body at a steady pace. His toes splayed, paws flexing on reflex.

"The wolf that gave me those scars is named Oxx. He’s my brother on the side of my adoptive mother, her blood child." He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake by telling her this. He didn’t want to scare her, but it didn’t feel right ignoring her concern for his well-being. "When I returned home, I discovered that he had attacked my little sister and robbed my mother’s grave. I started hunting him down to avenge my family. When I found him, I challenged him to a deathmatch." Artorias hesitated in his story, his eyes peeking open to stare dejectedly at his forepaws. "…I lost. I lost badly. Fortunately for me, he has a sick sense of humor, so he let me live by throwing me in the Rio Grande and letting fate try to kill me. Turns out I’m too stubborn to die."

Artorias gave a weak chuckle under his breath, shifting his head to rest it on his paws better. How would Lia take learning that her invincible master was bested? She’d said it best herself, he was not a god, and this life was far from a fairy tale.

"Artorias Carpathius"