Chapter Text
Creed was running through the battlefield at full speed. He was ducking and weaving through fighters, barbarians, and a few magic casters. He was desperately trying to get to the drow that was about to be crushed by falling rock.
He knew that he and the drow weren’t total enemies, but there was an animosity to their acquaintanceship. They always looked at one another disapprovingly as they passed each other in the tavern. Or the street. Or on a mission. Always. Now he was regretting his decision.
The drow, Kar’niss, his team was busy warding off smaller beasts, while he had gone to fight the giant gnoll himself. A sorcerer had cast a spell, weakening the rocks behind him. They were going to crush him if he didn’t move, but he couldn’t run. He was frozen in place.
His trance was broken by the giant beast of an owl bear tackling him, pushing him out of the way of the falling rock. The beast transformed into a light purple tiefling with cropped dark purple hair with white bangs and red demonic eyes. A watercolor streak of stark white skin between those devil's eyes moving down across his nose, resting on his cheek. Creed. They had met again. The drow rolled his eyes. It could have been anyone who saved him, but it just had to be the little druid devil.
Creed was intimidated by the drow. He was handsome. His light purple skin. Piercing red eyes. They were darker red, almost black in the dim light. Sharp facial features of an elf, with high pointed ears. Delicate little spider earrings dangled from his lobes. A Lolth worshiper for sure.
Creed could smell the drow. He smelled of incense, blood, musk and a mix of something he couldn't put his finger on. Lavender? Sweet? Honey? Creed had to pull back. He was afraid he was audibly sniffing the air.
“Are you alright?” Creed asked the drow, extending a hand to help him stand. Kar'niss swatted his hand away. The battle was over. The beasts all slain. All of the crew members were alive and accounted for. The falling rock had crushed the gnoll that Kar’niss had been fighting.
“Are you alright, Kar’niss?” A gnome cleric pushed Creed out of the way to get a better look at the drow. Kar’niss’ eyes narrowed at the tiefling as he walked away. He really wasn’t going to say thank you?! Creed was fuming. He was going to drink double tonight.
Creed stomped past his party. He felt the wild part of him bubbling. He needed to go and blow off some steam. The tiefling wild shaped into an owl. He flew around for a while till it got quite dark.
He landed on the roof of The Emerald Toad. The green paint on the building was starting to show some wear and tear. It had been over a decade since it had been painted. Creed remembered since it was his father that painted it. He flew down to the ground, then went back to his normal form before entering.
The Emerald Toad was popping with customers. It was loud and rowdy. There was quite a ruckus going on in the corner. The ruckus involved Kar’niss’ group, The Syndicate and Creed’s group, The Poison Vines.
Creed sighed heavily as he pushed through the crowd. As he approached, his leader, a man they only knew as Thorn. A giant beast of a barbarian, but also a tall half orc. Thorn was at least a half foot taller than Kar'niss. Kar'niss glowered at Creed.
Creed stepped behind Thorn, between twin gnomes. Alfonso, also a druid, and his sister, who liked to be called Moose, was a fighter. They all exchanged glances.
"I'm telling you one more time. Do not disrespect any of my crew. He was trying to save you." Thorn's voice boomed through the tavern. Creed took in the scene.
The tavern that was once rowdy and full of life, was starting to quiet. Shushes in all corners of the room. The patrons all turned to stare at the show starting to unfold. The barkeep reached under the bar, presumably to grab a weapon, but they didn't show it. Creed looked back to his leader.
Thorn's green cheeks were dark with anger. His nostrils flared. Eyebrows furrowed. He was going to rage at any moment. Kar'niss clicked his tongue disapproving of the whole situation.
"He nearly killed me himself. The giant beast he turned into." Kar'niss rolled his eyes. Meeting Creed's gaze, he showed his disdain for the tiefling. "Maybe you should give your new recruits time to assimilate before shoving them into combat."
Creed felt his cheeks grow hot. He took a few big steps forward. He stared up into that handsome drow's face, jabbed a finger into his chest and spoke with a wavering conviction.
"Maybe next time I'll let you die instead. You… you spider kisser." Childish? Yes, of course. Did it do the job effectively enough that it riled up the drow? Also, very much, a yes.
Kar'niss snatched the tiefling by his collar hoisting him into the air, Creed heard his shirt rip. Kar'niss was pissed, but he was surprised by the little devil's gumption. Thinking he could taunt him. He was going to pommel the little moron. Kar'niss pulled the tiefling closer. Their noses nearly touching.
"Put him down, Kar'niss." Thorn growled. The rumble echoed through the tavern. Creed swallowed hard. His mouth felt dry.
The drow had freshly bathed. He smelled sweet. Honey. Milk. Nettles. Chamomile. A pinch of lemongrass. Kar'niss had prepared to relax with a mix of those herbs together.
"I'm warning you little devil. Stay out of my way." Kar'niss threw him down to the ground. Thorn didn't have a chance to react. Creed rubbed his ass. He fell way harder than he expected to.
Thorn grabbed at Kar'niss. Holding him by the shirt. Giving him the same treatment he had given to Creed. Creed watched as Kar'niss elbowed Thorn in the eye, getting the half orc to drop him. Thorn dropped to his knees grabbing his face. He landed on his feet with ease.
Kar'niss dismissed his staff. He tossed a few coins to the barkeep. Before he left, he turned. He looked to Creed as he spoke.
"Heed my warning, little devil." Creed felt his cheeks grow hotter. He felt a flush down to his chest.
He went to stomp out of the tavern, but Thorn stopped him. Thorn warned him that The Syndicate had friends in high and low places. That he would be smart not to get involved. Or at least not alone.
Creed sulked for the rest of the night. He drained several tankards full of honey mead. The honey reminded him of how that Gods damned drow smelled. His scent would haunt Creed.
Once Creed was good and loaded, he stumbled upstairs to the shared room of his group. He had to sleep on the floor. Which was fine. At least he wasn't hit in the face from Thorn's farts all night like the twins were.
His body hit the thin mattress laid out for him. He wrapped himself in his blankets. Falling into a drunken set of dreams.
Flashes of images. But the thing that stood out the most. He dreamt of that fucking drow. The poor druid was tossing and turning trying to get Kar’niss out of his mind.
His smirk. His scent. The way his hair shined. The bastard. He had no right being that handsome, and an asshole. Even in his sleep, Creed felt himself grimace.
Creed tossed himself off his mattress trying to run from his dreams. The cold wooden floor woke him. It was nearly dawn. He figured he’d go get ready for the day. He knew of a place just outside of town where he could bathe in peace. The baths at the inn were okay, but he hated how many tubs were in one room. Nothing like seeing your party members nude. He shivered at the thought.
There was a not-so-fond memory that hit Creed in the face. The last time they were at The Emerald Frog, only just a few days ago, they all bathed together. As a “bonding” experience. They didn’t want to “split the party”. Never again. It was wild to see that Moose was hairier than her brother. He shuddered as he stepped outside into the cold morning air.
The sun was cresting over the trees. The song of the birds was beginning. There was a nice breeze carrying in the smells of spring. What a time to be awake, even with a wicked hangover. He was thankful to be out of town before everyone began their day. All the smells of the town cooking, pushing carts and animals through the streets, it made Creed sick.
The tiefling had always had a great sense of smell. He could pick out exactly what someone had touched, even if they had touched multiple things. A talent that he perfected. He loved the way everything smelled in nature.
Smell. He smelled something familiar . He stopped in his tracks. Milk. Honey. Sweet. Lavender. The drow . Creed wild shaped quickly. He hid in the brush. A small rabbit. Inconspicuous. As long as Kar’niss couldn’t speak to animals.
In rabbit form, Creed snuck through the brush, making his way to the water. He was following the scent. That gorgeous scent. Gods . If he got close enough he was going to steal that drow’s soap.
Creed stopped dead in his tracks as he got a glimpse of the drow in the water. Kar’niss’ head was back, his arms raised high washing his hair. The long wet locks fell down his back. Creed had never seen him out of a braid before. The sun shining on his muted purple skin. The glistening beads of water running down his flexed muscles. Creed’s heart was beating fast as his eyes looked lower.
Gods. The drow sure was gifted . The appendage between his legs was impressive. Creed saw Kar’niss beginning to move, he ducked back into the brush. This rabbit form was too much. He forgot how fast their little hearts could race.
The druid watched as Kar’niss dipped himself down into the water covering his head. Suds skimming the surface as it rippled. Creed snuck over to the edge of the water. He could smell the drow’s soap. He carefully sunk his rabbit teeth into the bar. It actually wasn't that unpleasant of a taste to have in his mouth, but he needed to get out of there quickly.
As his little rabbit form turned, it caught another glimpse of the drow. He was coming out of the water at him. Yelling to drop his belongings at once.
“Stop. Shoo. Drop it.” The drow chased the rabbit quite a distance, almost successfully grasping it in his hands a few times. The druid got the best of Kar’niss.
Kar’niss was flushed. He was pissed. He had just spent all that time taking a proper bath. Uninterrupted. Relaxing. Then a fucking rabbit had to come and ruin everything. The thought crossed his mind, ‘ What if it's the druid?’. He quickly dismissed the idea. He knew the boy was stupid, but he couldn’t be that dumb.
Kar’niss walked back to his belongings. He had to wash dirt from his feet. The drow cursed the rabbit out loud. Begging the gods to let it be eaten by something big and powerful. Hoping that it would be ripped to shreds as a bear’s snack.
Creed was proud of himself. He waited until Kar’niss had dressed, gathered his things and was quite a distance away before emerging from his hiding place. The tiefling was terrified that Kar'niss would turn and find him.
He shifted out of his wild shape. He stripped down careful not to bathe with Kar'niss' soap. He would keep it, but not use it until he was fully away from the drow.
Which would hopefully be soon. Creed was sure that his party would be more than willing to go on an adventure. Getting the sour taste of the night before out of their mouths.
Creed had been thankful that The Syndicate came around when they did. The Poison Vines were strong, but there were so many beasts that there was only so much their small party could do.
The druid quickly washed himself, paranoid that the drow would come back to catch him. He hurriedly washed, dressed and wild shaped back into something that could carry a bar of soap back to the tavern, a crow.
An owl was preferred, but if someone saw an owl flying around like that in the daylight, it would be bound to be noticed. A crow was typical for the area. Creed hoped to get back without too much issue.
As he flew back to The Emerald Toad. He flew up on the roof. He sat in the sun with a couple other crows. They knew he wasn't part of them, but they accepted him into their little murder .
Creed watched as the drow came from the tavern with his crew. He was their commander. Powerful. Stern. Exhibiting a certain something that was tiling up the druid.
Thorn came out hollering and wailing for Creed to come. Creed the crow made his way into the building before turning back into his tiefling form. He avoided being seen even by the staff. Last thing he needed was someone ratting him out.
He snuck into the shared room. Moose and Alfonso were fighting over whether or not Creed had been kidnapped by the drow. They were excited to see him. They were hoping he hadn't died.
"Thanks guys." Creed rolled his eyes as he wrapped his hidden bar of soap in a couple items of clothing before shoving them onto his pack. He wiped his hands on the bed linens. He smelled them. Oops. They still smelled like Kar'niss.
Creed took a moment to find a fresh orange. He peeled it. Eating the fruit and rubbing the peels on his hands. He smelled them again. The citrus smell was strong. He was successful in hiding it.
Thorn came stomping up the stairs. Seeing his tiny crew packed and ready to go, confused the poor half orc. His head flitted to each member.
"Where were you?" He narrowed his eyes at Creed. Creed was nervous. It was like being in trouble with his father when Thorn was going to scold him. To Creed, his favorite motto was when in doubt, play the devil.
"Whatever do you mean Thorn? I was here the whole time." Thorn rolled his eyes, pointing at the tiefling.
"Listen. That's what I told the drow. Keep your story straight. I told him you were hibernating as an owl in the wardrobe." Thorn rubbed at his temples as he sighed. "Just, don't provoke him alright."
"Why in hells did you take the job, Thorn?" Moose asked. Her voice was gruff, raspy. She never drank enough water.
"What job?" Creed was confused. He thought they were going quite a ways across the continent. Some escort job. Moving some stuff from one place to another, while getting paid quite a pretty penny.
"We're escorting The Syndicate to FireShear." Thorn sighed. He slunk down onto the side of a bed. Holding his head in his hands. "Trying to rebuild this group is going to be the death of me."
The Poison Vines had been much larger once. Creed's mother and father both were in it, but they were human. They didn't want to do any more adventuring. Once they left a few more crew members went off to do their own thing. Creed had joined only a year prior. He was certainly a newbie. Kar'niss' team made it clear every time they saw the tiefling.
"That's nearly a month's worth of travel! If not more?!" Creed was standing, screaming at the tops of his lungs and completely flushed. His cheeks burned dark violet. Thorn stood looking down at him, cutting him off.
"The pay was too good to pass up. Besides…" Thorn's voice changed. "Our meals and accommodations will be provided. I took it through the postings, not directly. Kar'niss gave word this morning."
Creed's heart sank. The Poison Vines were just now getting more jobs. They couldn 't turn this down. The tiefling was seething as he grabbed his pack off the floor.
They all made their way out of the tavern to the two caravans out front. Creed walked behind Thorn, but he caught a glimpse of the drow. He was a sight to behold.
Kar'niss' armor was beautifully made. Drow armor looked different than normal armor. Intricate. Almost a delicate quality to it. The smell of the leather mixed with the smell of his soap. Creed rubbed at his nose. It was strong. Delicious. Intoxicating.
Kar'niss glared at the tiefling. His eyes narrowed as Creed came into his view. Creed felt a bolt of cold run down his spine. He couldn't tell if the drow had cast a spell on him or not. The icy stare of Kar'niss' eyes made him feel uncomfortable.
"Finally, you all show up. I won't dock your pay today, but from now on, every tardy you receive, it will be at least a five gold penance." Kar'niss hissed at them.
The Poison Vines exchanged looks with one another. Moose growled. Alfonso sighed. Thorn stayed silent. Creed gave Kar'niss his most cruel look, but Kar'niss just smirked at him.
"Creed. Come with me. We need to speak privately." Creed flushed deep. There was a sudden knot in his throat. His tongue, dry and thick. Butterflies in his stomach, but it felt more like spiders crawling around in there. His heart began to race. What if he knew about him stealing the drow's soap? Creed hurried after Kar'niss.
Kar'niss led him to behind a couple shops. The smell of leather, fresh bread, incense, and sweets in the air distracted Creed as they walked. As soon as they were out of the group’s sight, Kar’niss slammed Creed into the side of the building. The drow's arm pressed against his shoulders, holding him in place. Creed's chest pushing into the brick. The druid grunted as the air was knocked from his lungs. He knew it. Kar’niss knew it was him and was going to end his life over a bar of soap.
"Where were you this morning?" Kar'niss' question rang in his ears. There was a high probability that he didn’t know it was Creed. He needed to think of something quick, but before he could think, the words spilled from his mouth.
"I bathed. I had to wash your stink off of me." By Talona’s poison. The close proximity to the drow was too much for Creed’s senses. The scent coming from Kar’niss filling his nostrils, Creed could feel his erection growing. An unwanted surprise. Creed was thankful that it was colder, that he was bundled up and turned away, so no matter what, the drow couldn’t see his weird excitement.
Kar’niss released his grip, pulling Creed away from the wall and spinning him around. The drow shoved Creed. Kar’niss was strong. Creed hit the wall. He hoped everything in his pack was okay. Especially his art supplies. He made a mental note to check on them when he got a chance.
“I’m telling you right now, I am keeping an eye on you. Fuck up and I will end you. You’re a pathetic little hell spawn. Once this job is done I hope I never set eyes on you again.” Kar’niss shoved a finger into his chest, jabbing him hard every few words. The poor druid was on the verge of tears.
The drow’s jabs hurt less than being called a hell spawn. Being born to human parents, he unfortunately had heard it all, but it stung just the same. Kar’niss’ words echoed in his brain. ‘Hell spawn.’
Kar’niss gripped his chin roughly. The drow’s fingers were digging hard into his jaw. Enough to leave bruises. The druid was struggling to push Kar’niss away, to rip his head from the grasp. Creed was whimpering as Kar’niss gripped his chin harder, his nails digging into the tielfing’s flesh.
“Do I make myself clear?” The tiefling’s eyes watered as he tried to nod. He was desperate for the drow to let go. His touch was brutal.
Kar’niss shoved his chin as he walked away. Leaving Creed with his emotions. He cried for only a moment. He wiped his tears on his sleeves. He straightened himself out, took a deep breath, and made his way back to the caravans.
This job was going to be the death of him, or the drow was.
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