Fairspell Meadow A main character arrives when he intends to!

A small herd of elk caught the demon beast tamer's eye. He decided to follow it from a safe distance to observe their behavior and their course, as the large beasts were a rare sight for the young overlord. The herd was headed for a sizable meadow beside a lake in unfamiliar territory. The tall grass ripplied in the breeze like water, its height cloaking him from their sight.

They were all cows, many with youngsters by their sides, he noted. Gundham counted eight cows and four calves. If he wished to unleash his full power, he could easily take down a cow for himself, but the dark lord was content to merely observe the prey and leave them at peace.

Mind if Sví hops in? Noticed this thread was lonely.

Svítaní had been bored, very bored, and the weather was becoming partly cloudy, but it was still hot, and hot weather bothered the wolfdog. Hopefully lots of wolves disliked the weather too, but Svítaní didn't care at the moment. She was hungry, and needed food. One wolf had stolen her food once, and it had made her angry, and the two had gotten into a quarrel. However, as Svítaní headed into the meadow, she had noticed a lone wolf, and a herd of elk.

Just what she needed.

Svítaní headed over, licking her chops. Perhaps she could help this wolf? Teamwork could lead to catching some adults. "Myslete, kdybych vám pomohl?-Mind if I help?" The wolfdog asked, repeating her words in English in case the lone wolf had no idea what she was saying. "Those adults could provide quite a meal. Perhaps if we both take them on, we'd have quite a feast."

TAGS: @Gundham

♥

He was so tuned out from the rest of the world―serene and in his element and alone―that the dark lord did not notice the mortal's approach until it made itself known right beside him. Gundham leapt up from his seat in a catlike fashion, caught off-guard but definitely not frightened. Oliver felt very differently, head pulling back defensively when his master jolted. Foolish mortal, do you not know who― Wait, she didn't speak Japanese. Focus, Gundham. Collect yourself.

Clearing his throat, he started over, more calmly this time: You are lucky I didn't reduce you to ash, mortal. Gundham's hackles lowered as he adopted a more collected, proper demeanor. Oliver uncoiled his body, now flicking his tongue curiously. What had the woman said? Ah yes, she wanted to take down an adult elk.

... What?!

Don't be foolish! Those creatures are far too large for only two beings! After a pause, he added, ... Well, I could take one on myself, but there is no need for me to waste my powers on something so trivial. Gundham couldn't have a mere mortal thinking he was as weak as she. Why would a being so weak try to take on a beast so large without assistance from several more mortals? She clearly didn't know just how evil and powerful he was by how she approached him. Strange.

Svítaní had no idea what Gundham was talking about, but she was patient. Whatever. She thought. Just a typical idiot who believes they're better than everyone else. And with that, Svítaní just went ahead with just ignoring the male, believing she didn't deserve to waste her time around someone so stupid like him. Rolling her eyes, she decided to try and hunt an elk, whatever happened to her. 

As Svítaní looked around, she was eventually able to locate a weaker adult, probably old or ill. Svítaní looked back behind her, wondering if Gundham would help. The wolfdog wanted to hunt a stronger elk but had a feeling she wouldn't be able to succeed without help.

TAGS: @Gundham

The woman rolled her eyes in clear annoyance but said nothing and moved away―the most desirable reaction he could've hoped for. Good! She should know not to trifle with his kind. However, she was heading right for the herd and even stopped to look behind her, silently asking if he were coming. Did she not listen to the priceless words he'd bestowed upon her? How dare she make him waste his breath!

He should've turned her to ash.

Trotting to catch up to her, Gundham hissed, Do you intend to get yourself killed, fool?! He kept his voice low so as not to disturb the elk. It wasn't that he cared if she got herself killed, but he loathed to see one die in such an idiotic way. Besides―he had been peacefully studying the demon beasts this woman was about to disturb. Perhaps spelling out his reasoning would make the lowly creature understand. It takes several wolves to even have a chance at taking one of those demon beasts down. To attempt it with any less is suicide!

If she weren't so irksome, he'd have considered lending his power and expertise to help her take down a calf. Unfortunately for her, this was not the case, so he extended no such offer.

Svítaní decided it would be best to maybe ignore Gundham, who was in the wolfdog's opinion, an extremely odd individual. What the living heck did "mortal" even mean? Svítaní decided to just abandon the elk and maybe trot off, or just try and sneak up and suddenly try and attack the elk calf Gundham would be taking on, but she felt lethargic. If her sister would manage to find her way here somehow, perhaps the partners-in-crime could succeed, and find a way to bring down the elk calf.

But, this wolf, an odd creature, was too independent and weird in Svítaní's opinion. "Well then." Svítaní said, snorting. "I might as well go then, 'immortal', creature, whatever the hell you are." With those words, the wolfdog began trotting off. "You're a normal wolf, an animal, a canine, like me. Not some sort of odd...thing."

TAGS: @Gundham

With a snort, the woman finally listened to his words of wisdom and said she would leave. Thank the gods, he thought. But of course, as she trotted off, she had to toss in her two cents about what she, a clueless mortal, thought he was. From the way she worded it, his verbiage appeared to have been lost on her. Gundham laughed at both her ignorance and her audacity. Don't flatter yourself; I am nothing like you, and you should pray you never have to learn the gravity of those words! He warned, though he doubted a thick-skulled creature such as she would be able to understand. Ignorance must surely be bliss.

Well! With that done and over with, Gundham peered down at his serpentine companion to find him still quite stressed. Do not worry, Oliver; the offender is gone. Now, we may return to tranquility, He comforted before taking a seat in the tall grass once more, resuming what he'd been doing before being so rudely interrupted.

Svítaní had completely thought Gundham was completely odd. She had never seen a wolf, a dog, a wolfdog, any animal that had acted like the lone wolf. She decided to keep a distance away from him, but decided not to completely leave. Perhaps now Svítaní could ask him why he was the way he was? His stupidity was odd, maybe there was something wrong with him? "Tell me, creature. Why do you act the way you do?" Svítaní asked, tilting her head. Yes, in her opinion, Gundham was a creature.

A creature, a wolf creature, who clearly made no sense.

Svítaní waited for a response, but before he would, she would speak again. "You look like a wolf, speak like one, hunt elk like one, basically you're a wolf. Heh, you seem a bit crazy in my opinion, perhaps even dilusional. Never saw a wolf act like you before." She said, chuckling a bit.

He visibly deflated with a sigh when he heard the woman speak again. Ah, so she wasn't leaving. Gundham tired of her calling him a creature out of ignorance, so he explained, I am no mere creature, you fiend. You are a mortal: a being that is destined to die. I, on the other hand, am immortal: a being that is not destined for death―at least not eternally.

The woman was convinced he was a mere wolf. Ha! He laughed wholeheartedly at that. Of course a being unable to detect others' power levels would assume an immortal was one of their own. Not everything is as it appears, mortal―you would do well to remember this. While you're at it, ensure that you burn the name Gundham Tanaka: Overlord of Ice in your brain, for it is the name of one who shall one day rule this world! Gundham actually calmed down a bit after all that. He enjoyed answering questions about himself, even if they were worded in a piercing way. It was easy to shrug off jabs from a clueless lesser species.

A piece of him wanted to answer her truly from his heart. Deep down, he knew it was all a facade. However, that part of his personality was held under lock and key, and a wolf with her attitude would certainly not entice him to show his true self―especially one he just met. So, the woman would not be getting the answer she desired. Right now, Gundham was the Overlord of Ice, and no one could convince him otherwise.

Svítaní wished the wolf would tell her why he was acting so strange. It was kind of scary in her opinion, what was going on in his head? Why would he be "immortal", and why would Svítaní be considered a mortal? "If you call yourself immortal, Gundham, you're the only one." Svítaní boredly explained once he had been done speaking, claiming he was the "overlord of ice", which didn't make much sense. "I haven't seen anyone who has never died in their life after sustaining a killing injury." To be honest, she was even scared, and this kind of behavior reminded Svítaní of something.

No, she wouldn't tell why though.

Svítaní did remember her father. He had nearly the same "beliefs" as Gundham, thought of himself as an overlord, a god. Of course, he was the leader of the Temny family, the cult that had corrupted the mind and personality of the wolfdog and her younger sister Jasny. Will he ever be a normal wolf? Svítaní wondered, and her yellow eyes just stared down at her paws. She'd remain quiet, until Gundham would challenge her to speak, or maybe fight.

TAGS: @Gundham

How did she still think she could assert absurd things like him, the dark lord, being a mortal? That is fine, for I don't expect mortals to understand, He explained, voice low now. She seemed to have misunderstood what he meant by not dying "eternally", so he clarified, Hence "eternally". The body may be destroyed, but the soul lives on. Unlike mortals, I may continue to live worldly life, if I so choose.

Gundham tilted his head at the woman's shift in demeanor. She now stared down at her feet, and he wondered why this was. He saw distance in her eyes, as if she were far away now. Something else is on your mind. Speak, mottled one, He urged, though his voice remained at an oddly soft tone.

In her opinion, Gundham's explanation slightly made more sense and even sounded possible. Normally the wolfdog would not believe such silly things, but this really made sense. When he had asked Svítaní if there was anything else on her mind, Svítaní could feel scared. He reminds me of my father. She kept telling herself in her mind, and Svítaní didn't know if she wanted to tell Gundham what she had been thinking of.

Should she really tell him?

Taking a slow and steady breath, Svítaní decided to speak her mind. "My...father, he kind of had the same personality as you." She sadly explained. "He thought of himself as being an overlord, a god, well, because he led my 'cult' family called the Temny family alongside my mother. My sister Jasny and I, we kind of refuse to think of that." Svítaní couldn't help but feel scared about Gundham's reaction, she hoped she didn't offend him at all. "It worries me." She then concluded. The wolfdog looked behind her, wondering if anyone else would be here. Would Jasny join her? She had noticed her younger sister had not been around lately, but Svítaní knew the 2 sisters were embarking on their own paths, but she had expected Jasny to maybe follow her.

Ah, it all made sense now: he reminded her of her father, who was a cult leader. Gundham did take offense at being compared to a lowly cult leader, but he could see where she was drawing a comparison.

The woman was... worried about him? This made him pause for a moment, but he quickly recovered. You worry about the well-being of an evil dark lord such as myself? Ha! I don't rely on the validation of those below me. There is no reason for you to worry, mortal, he explained, thinking that should quell her concern.

Evil dark lord? Svítaní wasn't really understanding anything. Perhaps she could ask Gundham to prove he was really a so-called dark lord or had powers? Maybe that would make him realize his mistake, but Svítaní slightly had a hunch about what would happen, with Gundham saying he already knew he had powers and didn't need to prove it. Svítaní, however, just felt...sad, to realize there was someone who reminded her of her father, who slightly acted like him.

Why did that have to happen? Svítaní didn't know why, so she just kept quiet, refusing to speak. Instead, she just stared at the grass, and she so badly wished she didn't have to see someone who acted like her father, but this wolf, Gundham, his beliefs went to the max. Calling Svítaní a mortal, and other things, calling himself an evil dark lord. Svítaní was actually relieved her father hadn't acted like that, and so she let out a sigh. Simple, she could've just never come across Gundham, but only if the wolfdog could turn back time, which she knew would never happen. 

"If you really have powers, or can be all 'dark' and everything, can you prove it?" Svítaní then asked, already feeling regret asking that question.

The woman sighed, and Gundham wasn't completely sure why. Then, another question: "If you really have powers, or can be all 'dark' and everything, can you prove it?

Can I prove it? Kehehe, I've been 'proving it' this entire time! You simply lack the ability to sense a higher being's more subtle powers. I don't need to prove anything to you, fiend; to do so would be a waste of my energy, was his excuse answer.

Gundham had his fun with being interviewed, but now all this talking was starting to wear him out. It'd been days since his last interaction with a creature capable of speech, and he wished that streak had lasted longer. Hoping to encourage the tiresome woman to leave, he said, Now, if you're quite finished, I'd like to get back to my work. He focused his attention back to the herd, which was slowly moving northwards.

Svítaní still felt sorry for the male either way, because she understood slightly why he was acting like this. Maybe something sad had happened to him? Maybe Gundham had been hopeless to try and find a way to get or do something? The wolfdog had no idea, but whatever. When Gundham had "sent her off", by saying he had work to do, Svítaní had noticed the elk herd and finally remembered them. Not even saying a word, the wolfdog got up and left. Maybe I'll find food somewhere else. Svítaní sadly thought, and she noticed a spot in the distance and went over to it.

She cast a glance slightly over at Gundham before sighing and letting hunger take over her as she wanted to eat. Svítaní knew that attempting to try and make the "overlord" show his true self had failed. She had met someone like her father, and sure enough, this male had acted like a god, overlord, whatever.

Close here? o: I'm so sad now. Maybe they'll meet again one day.

The woman headed off in silence, her demeanor still sullen and sad. Why was she so upset about his nature? Perhaps her father was some sort of deplorable creature not unlike his own. Nonetheless, he was different! If she couldn't understand that, then oh well. Gundham spared the woman one last glance to find her peering back at him as if wanting to say more, wanting to... change him. The part of him that wanted to reach out looked back, but it was ultimately drowned out.

Gundham forced himself to break their eye contact, focusing his eyes ahead of him. Although he was finally alone again, he felt strangely... empty.