[PRP] Wanderlust (Ravnos x Grendel)

[Yayoi]

Since the day of the incident Ravnos had not left the temple. From time to time he would wander out into a courtyard but with the children needing his attention there was no reason to leave. But the time had come. Vadoma and Kieran were grown. Perhaps they had grown a little too fast for his tastes and the Disciple did not feel confident in them wandering far either.

But the nights rolled by.

He still had his fleeting moments with Grendel and the children still lived at the temple so he could visit with them when he wished. But there was a restlessness that began to settle in his bones. He has thought he could hold it off, push it way down. But every time he tried it just got worse. Travel called to him, singing a siren’s song in the distance that he could only barely just hear. There were long pauses at times where green eyes would stare off towards the horizon.

There was something out there. Something waiting to be found. He could feel it, but what it was he had no idea.

A while ago Grendel had told him that if he wished to wander it was ok and the God would accompany him. Ravnos didn’t feel this was the right time to bring it up. The God had been busy with gathering Disciples and there was still much to do. The Kuei-Jin were still a threat. Why couldn’t the world just settle?

This day had started off the same Ravnos milled about the temple but soon found himself in the main sitting room upon a chaise surrounded by colorful pillows. A small stack of books in various sizes and bindings set next to him. In his hand a small, worn leather book almost like a journal. His green eyes scanned the pages back and forth as he read, his mouth moving ever so slightly as he did so. These books had come from a particular library that very few has access to. Luckily he did.

Sil’ilo’s library was vast. The Tremere, for her rank, was more powerful and knowledgeable than most gave her credit for. Though it had been years since Ravnos had seen her or even heard whispers about her. The library would make Marconius blush with jealousy.

Seussi

 

[Seussi]

Between the children and his duties as a God, Grendel's every waking moment had been filled for quite some time. As of late, he had been away from the temple more and more while finalizing his decisions and implementing the new Disciples he had chosen for the lacking clans. With each that accepted, with each new tethered bond, he felt his powers grow, and in return, every Disciples power grew as well, until, finally, the day came when he had fulfilled that particular duty.

There was satisfaction with the completion, similar to the satisfaction of having raised Kieran and Vadoma to near adulthood and seeing them ready to care for themselves and carve their own paths. It was meaningful for the God, who had never done such a thing before, and who now felt a sense of fulfillment.

And now, finished with those tasks, both arduous in their ways, he had more time to focus on other things.

Such as Ravnos. Though time together lately had been very brief, the God still noticed things and could still sense when something was amiss. He knew that it would happen eventually. The Disciple's need to move beyond the confines of temple walls, his restlessness was palpable. But Grendel would never begrudge him the opportunity to travel, to wander. He had told the Disciple he would wander with him and meant it so long as the ancient vampire would have him.

But the topic had not arisen yet, even though Grendel had been waiting for it. Ravnos seemed to be holding off, burying the urge, possibly because Grendel himself had been so busy and very likely because of the children and because of events not long passed with the Scarlet Queen. There was hesitancy, perhaps even fear, or maybe it was guilt. Whatever it was, Ravnos stayed. Beyond reason.

He stayed.

Grendel found him one evening in the sitting room. It was a night unlike others because it was the first night that the God had not needed to rush off to meet with anybody in what felt like ages. He approached the Disciple silently from behind, not wanting to disturb him while he read. But he was aware that Ravnos knew he was there; he always did. Still, the silence, as Grendel came to a stop behind him, a hand reaching out to slide over one of Ravnos's shoulders as he leaned down, the arm moving to cross in front of the vampire's chest in something akin to a half embrace as he placed his face near the Disciples, glancing at the book in his hands, though ignoring it in favour of greeting the man he loved.

"Good evening, Dracian." His voice rumbled quietly in the vampire's ear, and he turned his face to place a tender kiss against the Disciple's temple.

yayoix

 

[Yayoi]

Of course he knew he was there.

How could he not? Grendel gave off a particular energy that proceeded anything visual. It had gotten stronger and stronger as of later, probably from all the connections with the other Disciples he was creating. It was dark but it was familiar and warm.

As the arm slipped across his chest he smiled, closing his eyes as he half closed the book in his hand. Leaning his head into the kiss. Turning his own face to the God and placing the softest of kisses on his cheek bone. Then he leaned his head back onto the God’s shoulder. Green eyes opening half way seemed to glow. They always did when Grendel was around.

“Good, evening, Dragul meu. Are you done for the night then?” Any minute Grendel could be swept away for one reason or another. But the night was still young, so maybe it was just a brief encounter for now.

His free hand came up to grasp the God’s wrist lightly, just holding it there before it slid to his hand and he laced his fingers with the others. Bringing Grendel’s hand up and kissing his knuckle. The warm feeling of metal from the ring he wore touched his lips. It was Ravnos’s ring that he had given him.

He hadn’t asked because he could not in good conscious tear Grendel away from his duty. It was too important to him. The hesitation came from waiting, not fear. No, Ravnos had survived a lot and while not completely fearless the thought of travel still drew him. Maybe he would ask soon, things surely had to be winding down for the time being.

Seussi

 

[Seussi]

He felt a lingering warmth from where Ravnos kissed him back, something faint and imagined, but he felt it all the same. His lips curved into a small smile as the vampire settled in against him, and his red eyes began to glow softly as if in response to the green.

"I am done for however long I wish to be done." Came his reply, the slight smile growing more prominent. "All of the new Disciples have been chosen and established. No clan is now without a leader. My niece has taken over in her mother's stead to look over the clan vampires, and then, there is Ennoia."

By now, Grendel was practically grinning. When was the last time he felt the heaviness of burden eased off his shoulders? There was none, not in the memory of his entire existence, that he could think of.

yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

“Impressive.” His voice practically purred. He knew Grendel had been working hard at doing all these things. Anyone with a weaker mind or will would have not succeeded. How far his love had come. Everyday Ravnos was amazed by his growth.

But if that was all done….

Ravnos could tell Grendel was in a good mood. The weight of the burden he had carried seemed lifted. He almost looked lighter. He couldn’t a grin of his own in response to the God’s. Settling the book in his hand down next to him on the chase his hand came up to cup the side of his face tenderly. “You’re all mine now then?” He hoped that would be the case.

There was a tingling in the back of his mind. Something that threatened to wash forward and drown him in its depths. The Disciple clicked his tongue against te roof of his mouth. “I need to go.” A slight frown threatened to tug at the corners of his smile. “This wanderlust will surely drive me mad if I do not sate it.” It was obvious to anyone who payed attention that it haunted his steps. Was fingers down his spine. “Will you come with me? I know you just got everything settled and it is sudden so if you would rather not that is fine.”

Seussi

 

[Seussi]

The God leaned into the feel of Ravnos's hand against his cheek. If outwardly he appeared happy, inwardly he felt downright jubilant. He had managed to do so much, and that sense of accomplishment filled him to the brim, but more than that was the relief of it all. To have it finished and for it to have gone far better than he had expected. Though the path forward had seemed long and arduous at times, he had continued to forge ahead, his strength growing as he went.

But his true strength was sitting here in front of him, the grip he held on Grendel not just as physical as the fingers that laced through his fingers or the hand on the side of his face. They were bound together through a love that had transcended realms, and without the Disciple in his corner, he was not sure he could have done any of this.

"All yours." The deep voice that rumbled from his chest was full of promise, and his eyes glowed a little brighter, the grin falling to a smirk that held heaps of insinuation within it.

But perhaps now was not the time for that. He felt it again, that restlessness emanating off of the vampire. The following words out of Ravnos's mouth made something in Grendel's chest tighten. Was this it, then? Dracian could always leave and return to his wandering ways until his urges were sated; Grendel had promised him that. Freedom from the responsibility of being tied down by the God. Freedom to stay, go, or take Grendel with him if he wanted, though he would never assume that is what the Disciple wanted. If he wanted to go alone, Grendel would let him and not resent him for it.

Thankfully, however, Ravnos asked the question that the God had hoped he would, and his eyes closed briefly as he let out a breath he had been holding.

"Of course, I will go with you. I would go with you anywhere, anytime you asked."

yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

Ravnos never wanted to leave Grendel’s side for long. So it was only logical that he ask him to come with. This way they could have more alone time as well and catch up the time they had missed ehile Grendel had been working.

Yes, that would be very nice.

He shifted slightly on the chaise so that he could kiss him lovingly on the lips. “Perfect. We can take my Vardo like last time. The Kumpania should be heading west this time of year and that is the direction I wish to go.” No, it was more of a need. Something familiar called to him. Something from long ago that had been buried deep down inside his memories. But he couldn’t quite figure out exactly what. So he would head west and see where the siren’s song was coming
Ing from. It rigged at his essence and the seams of his form.

Retrieving the small, worn leather book he held it up. “I found this in Sil’ilo’s library. It’s the Karavalashina Vrana or The Wounds of the Night’s Sword it’s a colorful poem of my clan’s origins. Well, it’s not exactly it. This book breaks it down and analyses it. Very thorough.” He chuckled. The Ravnos clan liked to embellish a lot and make things grande than they seemed. “It just flew off the shelf at the library.”

Seussi

 

[Seussi]

The God smiled into the kiss, however brief it seemed, relishing every short second of it before Ravnos pulled away. Grendel gave the vampire a nod then, a slight inclination of his head, and straightened, his arm pulling away from the Disciple as he stood and looked down at him in regard.

The Vardo. It seemed like so long ago now that they had embarked on their first adventure together. It had been nearly disastrous back then until they had both admitted their feelings for one another. Returning to where it all began filled him with nostalgia and the knowledge that it would begin much better this time. There was a warmth in the God's gaze, a merriment that reflected the excitement he was starting to feel at the prospect.

Words did not need to be spoken.

However, when Ravnos held up the book, a sudden frown creased Grendel's brow. "You went back to the library?" He asked, remembering how it had been the first time, how a more ancient deity had guided their search, and what the result of all of that had been.

yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

There were a lot of memories in that old Vardo of him. Some bad. Some good. But mostly good. Returning to it and traveling with Grendel sounded so ideal. They could get away from responsibilities and all the politicking. Just a place to spend time together without interruptions. It was all he dreamed about lately.

“Was I not supposed to?” Ravnos tilted his head slightly with a warm smile. The beads in his hair clicking together with the movement. The Disciple brushed his long dark hair back before he turned to move to sit on the edge of the chaise. Settling the book down upon the small stack he had. Ravnos waved a hand in front of his face. “No matter it’s not important.”

“If you don’t plan on packing anything we can probably leave now if you wish.” He glanced at Grendel. The mood had shifted and Ravnos was trying to steer it back the other way. If he wasn’t supposed to go he didn’t know. The Disciple had decided that he wasn’t going to let fear of something greater than himself keep him from going where he wanted. Besides, he had a new protection placed upon him recently and he had all the confidence in the world that it would keep him safe.

Seussi

 

[Seussi]

Memories of what had happened in the library, the only time Grendel had been there, continued to invade his mind until Ravnos spoke up. It was not that Grendel did not feel like Ravnos could take care of himself or that he felt the Disciple did not know what he was doing. On the contrary, he had every confidence in the ancient vampire before him. It had just reminded him of things he wished he could forget, except that forgetting the past risked the chance of repeating it, and that was something he never wanted to repeat.

The God blinked, and the frown cleared.

"It is not that." He said and shook his head as he moved around from behind the chaise to the front of it, "It is fine. But, I recall that the last time a book flew off a shelf was because a certain Goddess orchestrated it. Are you sure it is safe?" He asked, giving the book a sidelong glance.

As for the packing, Grendel shrugged and held out his arms. "What could I possibly need to pack?" He smiled with teasing humour returning to his eyes.

yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

Ravnos chuckled. He, too, remembered the first time they went to the library. Looking for information on the Crusnik that was killing vampires at a steady pace. His gaze slipped slowly to the book where it rested. “It’s a book that is only important, well I wouldn’t say too important, to me. It’s all a farce anyway. Tall tales for little minds.”

He watched as Grendel moved around the chaise to stand in front of him. His eyes never leaving his figure.

Standing. He stretched his arms over his head. The Disciple had been sitting there a rather long time and he felt a bit stiff. But in the next moment his arms were slipping around Grendel’s neck as the God had opened his arms and given him an opportunity, if unaware of it, to do so. Claws running along the base of his skull. “I suppose you are correct. Then shall we go? The Kumpania will be settling in for the night so it should be hard for us to get there unbothered.”

Seussi

 

[Seussi]

The God considered Ravnos's words for a moment, mulling them over, wondering why such a book could be of any importance or if it might be of some danger to his very existence as the last book from that particular library had been. Of course, he was taking it much more seriously than was likely necessary, but that was his nature. He was prone to jumping to the worst possible outcome before easing back and looking at things from a more realistic perspective.

And that is where Ravnos often helped him. He often looked at things in a much calmer and more logical manner.

"Hmmm, well. I will trust your judgement on it then."

He could not help but rake his gaze over Ravnos's form as he stretched, for a moment frozen in place, admiring what he could see. In the next moment, he found arms around his neck, claws sending shivers from the base of his skull down his entire spine. Open arms encircled the Disciple, pulling him in closer with a low sound, like a deep growl that was faintly possessive.

He tilted his head slightly and stared into the Disciple's eyes, then moved to press his forehead against the others, his eyes closing, The Vardo. The location was easy to find, the information right there on the surface, though if he had to, he could have extended his powers to find it on his own. Still, he preferred this method, the intimacy of it, the way Ravnos's thoughts flowed freely in his mind.

In a blink, they had left the temple and found themselves in dark woods on the outskirts of the Kumpania. In the distance, the howl of wolves rang through the night. Grendel's eyes glowed softly in that space as he pulled his forehead away from the Disciples.

"We are here, Dragul meu." He smiled and gave Ravnos a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth.

yayoi

 

[Yayoi]

With the whole book thing aside they could now concentrate on their trip. There was no place in particular he could see them ending up. That was the magic of a good wandering. But it wasn’t about the destination, it was about the journey and he wanted to go on that journey with Grendel alone.

The arms wrapped around him pulling the Disciple in close made his whole body feel as though it might melt. But in the blink of an eye they had left the temple and now stood in the woods just beyond the outer Vardo ring of the Kumpania. “Your accent is getting better.” Ravnos grinned wide. It was true though. Grendel had been using more and more of his people’s language lately so it was only a matter of time before he stopped sounding a bit off.

Releasing his hold around the God’s neck he took his hand and began to make his way into the camp. It was rather quiet this evening which was fine. Memories of the last time they had visited a Kumpania to see Lillian and introduce her to the children when they were babies came flooding back. How they had danced around the bonfire. How carefree and unburdened Grendel had been. Maybe it would happen again.

As they weaves through the camp Ravnos was greeted from time to time. Asked how long he might be staying and invited over for dinners sometime. He would decline those lest they find out what he really ate was not the same food as them. Eyes flashed in the darkness and Ravnos’s head swiveled for only a moment as he stared at the one they belong to. Another Ravnos. This one unfamiliar to him was here. They sure were popping up all over the place now. Ace must have been doing he job and might get his Patshiv yer.

Finally they broke out into the clearing in the center of the Vardo and Ravnos made a beeline for one in particular. It was rather lavish looking with intricate carvings upon its wooden surface. It sat in n silence. No sounds of life coming from him. Ravnos released the God’s hand and moved to the door. Tapping on the door handle three times before the door swung open. “Come on in.” He shot Grendel a smile before he stepped inside.

The interior of the Vardo had not changed much. There might have been a few new baubles abs trinkets here and there but that was an affliction of his vice. The walls were covered with bright tapestries and there were cushions here and there. Much like how the temple looked. A table and chairs. Book shelves brimming with leather bound books, scrolls, papers. Things he had picked up or relinquished from their previous overs over the years. And of course the bedroom, hidden behind a beaded curtain.

Memories of their time spent here came to him and Ravnos’s eyes glowed warmly in remembrance. Moving to a table he opened a box and pulled out a cigar, running it beneath his nose he gave it an appreciative sniff. “Ahh perfect.”

Seussi-

 

[Seussi]

The God chuckled, a deep sound from low in his chest and gave the Disciple a quick squeeze before they parted, and Ravnos took up his hand. "Flatterer," he smirked and allowed himself to be led off toward the camp. The energy surrounding it and within was quite different from the last time or two that Ravnos had brought him, much quieter and still, which was not unpleasant. They weaved their way through, Grendel only giving a cursory nod here and there when appropriate, though nobody spoke to him directly, only to Ravnos.

As he always did when walking among mortals, he kept his Godly guise tucked neatly away, his shadow tendrils gone, the glow of his eyes dulled, and his overall appearance much more natural. At some point, he had even summoned a shirt to wear so as not to look strange in the biting chill of the evening air.

Eventually, they made their way to a familiar sight, and the God smiled, following Ravnos inside his Vardo, a place of good memories, one where their love for each other had taken hold. He stopped just inside the doorway and took it in, allowing nostalgia to roll over him like a wave, and he let out a quiet breath, eyes roaming around.

It was mostly just how he remembered it, though perhaps slightly more cluttered than it had been. Not surprising. He was aware of Ravnos's vice, even if it was never mentioned between them.

The God moved further inside, footfalls creaking on the wooden floor, the door closing behind him as if of its own accord. Coming up behind Ravnos, he slid his arms around him and buried his face against his neck to give a quick n** of teeth followed by a gentle kiss, his own eyes glowing softly now that they were safely indoors and away from mortal eyes.

"Yes, perfect." He said, breathing the words against Ravnos's skin before resting his chin on the vampire's shoulder.

"So, what is on the agenda...besides you smoking that."  

[Yayoi]

The arms that wrapped around him were a welcome sensation. His skin tingled from the closeness they shared and Ravnos leaned back into the God. A free hand resting again the back of one of his hands. “What is?” His eyes lidded half way, staring lazily at one of the tapestries hang on the wall. Picking out the colorful threads that made up it’s design. He knew what the God meant but sometimes it was fun to play just a little dumb.

Holding up the cigar he inspected it briefly. “We’ll that and I want to go speak to the Baro. See where alexactly the Kumpania is going. I know they are heading west but I do not know to where or if they have a goal in mind for this trip.” He flicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “After that we can do whatever we want. There doesn’t seem to be much going on tonight which is fine. Not every night is a party.”



Ravnos turned in Grendel’s arms. His own snaking around the God’s waist to pull him close. “We can stay in or we can go out. Maybe find something to eat.” It had been a while since Ravnos had hunted for a meal. He had been living off the God’s blood for quite sometime now so in all honesty he probably didn’t need to hunt at all anyway. Still the thrill of the chase was sometimes missed.

Tilting his head he leaned up to kiss the other male. Biting at his bottom lip before pulling away. “Either way I will leave the choice up to you.”

Seussi