Percival thinks he sees a flicker of desire and affection, but Essek is far too good at this game to let it last more than a second.
Even if he is prepared for the sharpness foreshadowed by that sneer, it still lands hard. Not so hard that he is interested in tapping out, but he should know that Essek would be incisive once he got his claws out. Percival's fear over being able to control the beast he becomes every month has been present ever since he understood the curse that had taken him. He worries, too, that somehow his curse might have some effect on the child they've finally conceived, despite the number of times clerics, including Pike, have reassured him that's not how it works.
But what if it is?
The doubt trickling up his back is based in something real, even if Essek's attacks aren't. For the first time since they started, Percival actually seems like he's on the back foot. His mind races, trying to find a way to answer that challenge. He wets his lips and resists the urge to fidget.
"I may be a feral dog," he says at last, finding what he thinks might be a way forward. "But you are the only one who could possibly hold the leash. My loyalty is unshakable, and all that I have - all that I am - is at your disposal."
His strength, his stamina, and yes, his cleverness and his sharpness.
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Even if he is prepared for the sharpness foreshadowed by that sneer, it still lands hard. Not so hard that he is interested in tapping out, but he should know that Essek would be incisive once he got his claws out. Percival's fear over being able to control the beast he becomes every month has been present ever since he understood the curse that had taken him. He worries, too, that somehow his curse might have some effect on the child they've finally conceived, despite the number of times clerics, including Pike, have reassured him that's not how it works.
But what if it is?
The doubt trickling up his back is based in something real, even if Essek's attacks aren't. For the first time since they started, Percival actually seems like he's on the back foot. His mind races, trying to find a way to answer that challenge. He wets his lips and resists the urge to fidget.
"I may be a feral dog," he says at last, finding what he thinks might be a way forward. "But you are the only one who could possibly hold the leash. My loyalty is unshakable, and all that I have - all that I am - is at your disposal."
His strength, his stamina, and yes, his cleverness and his sharpness.