Page 88 of A Soul to Touch

“You are a fierce human.”

Mayumi had noticed that whenever Faunus spoke about her strength, it was always as a human, never as a woman. It was as though he categorised men and women as the same rather than making a comparison based on gender first and humankind after.

“You are very strong, and I imagine that is because of all the training your Demonslayer father put you through – even when you were a child.”

His words made her lips part in realisation.

“How long have you been watching me, Faunus?”

He couldn’t have known her father was a Demonslayer since she’d never told him. He also couldn’t have known her father had been training her from a young age unless... he’d seen it.

“Currently? The moment you saw me kill that Demon in front of your home was when I returned.”

She narrowed her eyes into a glare. “You know that isn’t what I meant.”

His fangs parted as he chuckled deeply, making it sound more echoed and mischievous. Darker, even.

“Mayumi, I have been coming to this cottage since the night I saved you. I have seen you become a child who slept in tall herbs. Then an even bigger child who tripped and fell while her parent whacked her with a strange wooden sword whenevershe made a mistake. Or there were the days where I witnessed you being guided while you hit, kicked, and smacked mounted timber against the stake in the middle of the clearing.” The more he spoke in his nonchalant voice, the more her jaw fell. “I have watched you forge your own weapons and argue with your parents. I have seen much of your life. I have also seen things no one else has, things you would not want anyone else to see.”

She didn’t know if she was outraged, wary, or shocked by this development. It also brought to light that Faunus had probably lived a long time, which only begged the question... how old was he?

“Like what?” she bit, grinding her molars.

“I was following you, making sure you travelled safely by yourself the day your mother died. I watched you and your father bury her nearby.”

Her face paled.He watched me cry.

No one had ever seen Mayumi cry except for her mother. She’d hidden any tears from her father from a young age because he wanted to believe she was strong in will. He thought weakness was the sign of a Demonslayer that would die shortly.

“Why are you telling me this? Faunus, this is called stalking! Do you understand how... creepy that is?”

He had the audacity to scoff at her!

“Perhaps it may becreepyfor a human, but I merely wanted to know if the child I saved was still alive. I have watched many humans and have returned to many homes. I have seen children become adults and then have seen that they never return. You are one of the few who remain in this world.”

All throughout their conversation, Faunus’ body was as rigid as stone, unwilling to move in the water as though it would eat him alive.

“You cannot call me a monster and then place human morality onto me, Mayumi,” he stated, leaning his head to the side asthough to punctuate his words. “Is stalking any worse than the dozens of humans I have eaten and killed? You know what I am. You have made it apparent that I am a Duskwalker and that you know what I have done. I did not get to this level of humanity by sitting still and waiting for my food to crawl into my mouth.”

Her lips tightened.Shit. He’s right.

She couldn’t hold human ideologies and morality to something like him, and she’d already liked that about him anyway. He was outside the realm of normal, which is why she was attracted to him in the first place.

She uncurled her fist and let the tension ease out of her body.

“There was no point in hiding it from you,” he added. “I would have eventually made it known that I have been watching you by speaking so forwardly. I would prefer to come out and tell you now rather than by accident. It also allows you to know that I understand much about you already, how skilled you are, and that I’m aware you followed in your father’s footsteps.”

“My ancestors’ footsteps,” she corrected with her lips pouting and a grumble. “Specifically, the men.”

She let out a deep expire and leaned her head back against the wall of the spring bath. Her lids lowered as she watched him, his body still full of tension and unease. Her lips quirked at how stubbornly brave he was being.

“I’m the first daughter born in five generations on my father’s side in these lands. He expected a son, someone to sire the next of kin and become a Demonslayer like his forefather and his forefather before that. Instead, my mother gave birth to a daughter and was unable to reach full-term with those that followed me. It’s what made her weak when she used to be strong.”

She leaned her arms over the rocky wall face to mimic his position. However, she folded one leg on top of the other since she was naked.

“I think my grandfather would have been disapproving of awomanin the family joining the guild, but my father had already been trying to shake off generations of brainwashing. In the past long ago, women were considered weak and unhelpful. Much had to change with the Demon scourge, but my family decided to hold onto those misogynistic mindsets.” Then her gaze fell to the side at a painful throb in her heart. “But my father was protective of me because I was a girl. He wasn’t pleased that I wanted to join the guild, and I think he was especially hard on me because of it. He wanted me to live, and I’m still alive because of all his teachings – no matter how hard and cruel they may have been.”

“I was angered at first when I saw you receive punishment,” Faunus growled, and she swore she heard the crunch of rock chipping away under his claws. “I needed to leave because of the scent of your blood and my rage. I’m glad I didn’t intervene.”

---