Centaur Boyfriend: Solomandry (complete)

Female Reader x Male Monster (both cis)

It isn’t like I have anywhere to be, so I just keep moving forward. There isn’t much I can do back home - my family needs people who are able to work during the peak hours of the day. Considering I grow weak in the daytime, I am no help on the farm, and barely any help in the house. All I can do is study and read. No one really needs that when food has to be put on the table. My family took me in when no one else would, and while I’m grateful for their love and support I know they can’t possibly understand me. I am not part of their world, no matter how hard they try to pull me into it. It’s best to keep them at a distance, and we can love each other where we stand.

As I travel, I try to find somewhere I can rest during the day, or at least get indoors away from the sun. I travel mostly at twilight and nightfall, and yes, I know how dangerous that is. Actually, I have been told it every fucking time I leave somewhere. It’s exhausting, and I can take care of myself very well. While my sense of direction may not be the best - in fact, it is possibly the worst - I bet I fare better than any adventurer or knight I come across.

I stopped when I came upon a small town with a shop that has a collection of old books. Within them are histories, and a bestiary that reads more like a family tree. I cannot not afford to buy the books at the moment, but the shop owner has allowed me to work there, doing small jobs for him and allowing me to study the books on my own. There’s a map in one, which I copydown, hoping it will help me find even a sliver of what I’m looking for.

After I’m sure I have learned everything I possibly can from those books, I decide to set out and follow the map. The shopkeeper gasps when I tell him my intentions. “Young lady, it isn’t...”

I sigh and grit my teeth. “...safe to travel now? There are beasts in the shadows? Thieves to rob me blind? Gnolls who will rape me?”

“It’s not safe,” he insists. “But none of those things are out in our woods.”

I’ll admit that’s a new one. I furrow my brow at the old man. “What do you mean? If there are no gnolls, beasts, or thieves, what is there?”

“A dark warlock.”

I frown in confusion. “A warlock?”

The old man wags his finger. “I know how it sounds, young lady. But he is no man. He is an entity who has inhabited our woods for centuries.”

“Only dragons can live that long,” I scoff. “And there aren’t many of them anymore.”

He wags his finger again, and I want to chop it off if he doesn’t stop. “There is more to this world than we know. Isn’t that exactly what you are seeking?”

Crap, he’s right. I look away from him. “He is out there, and we know that for a fact. He emerges at night to hunt, and many travelers have gone missing on nights like these.” Hopefully he’s not wagging his finger again as he says this.

“Night the only time I travel, so this warlock will just have to deal with me when he finds me.”

I set out despite the old man’s protests, wandering through town until I reach the path leading into the woods. I can hear whispers coming from the trees through the stillness. It doesn’t bother me anymore. I am used to that somber sound of night. “Warlock,” I laugh to myself. “What a crock.”

I can see in darkness better than I can daylight. I used to enjoy that as a child, when I had no idea what it meant. I thought everyone could see well in the shadows, and I never knew my eyes became frightening when it got dark. I take out my map, which I’ve drawn over with the map from the book. No matter how hard I studied maps, I could never quite figure it out. I can’t trust my sense of direction, which has often led me wandering in circles until I come across other travelers. From what I can tell, I’m at least heading in the right direction. As long as I keep heading north I’ll be okay.

But since the time this map was created, there must have been an earthquake, because the path, and the earth itself, suddenly opens up into a massive chasm. I can see the old path on the other side, as well as remnants of an old bridge. Looking down, I can smell a river far below, but it is very, very far below.

I take a deep breath and stand back. “There must be a way to get across this thing, unless that bridge was my only option...” I growl under my breath and stomp my foot. “Was it the warlock? Maybe?” I say mockingly to no one, then sit on the dirt path and think. “Maybe if I can shoot an arrow into the tree with a rope attached, I can just shimmy my way across.” It’s not the best idea, but it may be all I have. I lay out the map on the ground to double-check that I’m not missing anything.

“If I try to go around in daylight, I’ll be caught, and I may go in the wrong direction,” I grumble to myself. “But how do I get over...” The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and my heart begins to beat faster. I feel as though someone is watching me.

I try to keep my breathing shallow, but as my heart races my breaths come faster as well. I look around, trying to stay calm. I can’t see anything around me. Why am I afraid? Why is my body reacting so strongly to nothing?

Then, across the chasm, I see something. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s as if whatever is there perfectly blends into the night, like a shadow. I can feel it watching me, and it knows I am there and that I can sense it. I stand up, gathering up my map into my fist. Maybe, if I move slowly and pay it no mind, I can walk away. After all, it’s on the other side of the chasm, and there’s no way it can get to me.

I turn slowly, walking back towards the way I came. The feeling of being watched doesn’t fade. In fact, it grows. I have to walk steadily and keep calm. But my feet are  picking up speed, going faster, running. I’m sprinting through the woods. I need to stop! I only go faster. I’ll make a mistake if I keep running like this. I need to stop!

My lack of direction, mixed with the panic, leads me crashing through brambles and bushes, and I go tumbling down a steep hill. I know I am hurt, but that doesn’t stop the fall. I careen down through briars, vines, and stones. I can heal quickly, but this may be the end of me. If I cannot find shelter by dawn, my weakness in the sun could possibly kill me.

When I finally come to a stop, I try to claw my way out. I have one good arm and one good leg, but my body feels like a sack of soggy grapes. I’m losing blood. I can’t lose consciousness, I can’t give in. If I do, I’ll probably die.

I feel as though I am being watched again, and I look up. The shadow stands over me, and there is nothing I can do. “Come now,” says a deep voice. “Seems my night will have to wait.” The shadow descends and lifts me up. The panic turns into anger, and though I try to struggle, the shadow doesn’t let me go. “You’re hurting yourself worse by doing that. Remain still. Go to sleep.”

The shadow’s words take hold of me. I feel still and sleepy, and the panic and anger subside, fading away as I drift into slumber.

I wake to pain as well as numbness in some of my limbs. I’m covered by a heavy blanket that feels as though it has been weighted by rocks. The ceiling is dirt, and I can see vines and roots depending from above. There are wild strawberry vines crawling along the walls, with fat red berries hanging off them. I can’t move, either because I’m too broken or the blanket is anchored down. I’m so tired I don’t even want to move right now. I close my eyes again, focusing on the sounds beyond this room. I can hear water rushing outside, breathing, then the slow even clop of hooves.

“I know that these are not the hours you keep. But the sooner you are better the sooner I can get you out of here.”

I open my eyes and look up to see a centaur come into the room. I furrow my brow, not expecting this at all. “Good morning,” he says. He kneels beside my bed and easily moves aside the blanket. He pours something from a kettle in one hand into the cup in the other, and steam billows in the air.

“What?” I grunt.

The centaur looks at me, arching his dark brows. His eyes are black, but the left one has some white dappling. His long hair is pulled into a braid, entwined with vines and leaves. He tilts his head towards me. “I said good morning.”

“I have no idea what’s going on!” I try to sit up on my own, but the pain in my arm makes me collapse again.

“Easy now, the medicine is still wearing off. This tea will help it flush from your system.” The centaur helps me up, then wedges a pillow behind my back. He offers me the cup, but I refuse to take it. His dark eyes give me the same feeling I had when the shadow was watching me. “If I wanted to do something to harm you, I would have already. I am offering my help.”

I cautiously take the cup, and notice it smells like peppermint. “You could at least tell me who the hell you are.”

“Is that how you talk to people who have helped you?”

I sniff the tea again. “I talk to everyone like this. You aren't special.”

He shakes his head. “Solomandry is my name. You are Firestat.”

I grimace at him. “How did you know that?”

“The contents of your pack. I saw your name written on several items. It wasn’t hard to figure it out,” he says calmly, pouring himself a cup of tea.

“Oh… Well, then.” I sip the tea after he does. It feels cool on my tongue, even though it is steaming hot. “That still doesn’t explain who the hell you are.”

Solomandry gives me a stern look, and every hair on my body bristles. “I am the one who saved your life last night.”

I scowl as I sip. Solomadry doesn’t look exactly like other centaurs I have seen, sharp and beautiful, but mostly dark and foreboding. Also, I’ve never seen a centaur with antlers like his. They looked like twisted wood, growing moss and vines. Was he the shadow I saw last night?

“Luckily, you are in one piece. I suspect you won’t be able to walk very well for a few days, either because of...”

“I heal quickly,” I snap. “I bet I could stand right now and walk through that door.”

He waves his hand towards the entrance. “If you feel up to it.”

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and rising, only to fall back down upon the bed with a ghastly wail of pain.

“If you would listen,” Solomandry states simply, “then you would know you probably broke some bones in your foot.”

I whimper, covering it up as a cough. I press the heels of my palms against my eyes to try and stop the tears.

“I don’t want you here any more than you want to be here,” he scolds. “So we’re stuck together for the time being.” Solomandry stands up, and I realize how high the ceiling is. He must be at least eight feet in height, not including the antlers.

I sniffle and gulp down the lump in my throat. “What about the evil warlock?” I taunt.

His brows arch. “That’s me, so I don’t have to worry about a thing.”

I furrow my brow at him. “You’re joking.”

“I haven’t a funny bone in my body, so no, I am not joking.” He gathers up the kettle and cups.

“Then why help me if you are so evil?”

“So I can be left alone. All you have to do is leave and never come back.”

He walks out of the room and I pick myself up, sitting so I can see my foot. It’s black, but the bones should mend in a few days if I am lucky. I once had a broken arm heal in a little over a week.

Solomandry is the quiet type, and doesn’t speak much unless he has to. I’ve never met someone so stony before. I know I put up walls, but his are far thicker than my own. In the first few days he barely speaks to me, except to scold me when I try to walk again.

“You need to rest. Are you that foolish?”

“Much more than you could imagine!” I toss back at him while I continue to hop on one leg. Solomandry yanks me up, grabbing me by the back of my shirt and tucking me under his arm. “Not fair!” I snap at him as he puts me back down in the bed.

“If you keep pulling this sort of behavior, you will never get out of here.”

“Then just let me go.”

Solomandry glares at me and his ears flick forward. “You will die out there in this state. Your weakness to the sun will worsen your injuries, and you are too far out to find shelter.”

I flinch and stare up at him with a slight twinge of fear. “How do you know that?”

“Your shift in behaviour after you fell, the color and consistency of your blood, the shade of your eyes in the shadows. It was a surprise to me, I won’t lie. I thought your kind had been wiped out ages ago.”

“You...” I take a sharp breath. “You know what I am?”

Solomandry’s gaze grows sympathetic, and even his tone shifts. “Shadows know shadows, Firestat. But that was ages ago, long before I assume you were even born. I have not met another until you.”

“Where?” My voice begins to crack. “Where did you last see them? What can you tell me?” My voice is wavering as I try to sort through all the questions in my brain. “The map I have! You saw it, where does it lead? Will there be anything there for me to find?”

His gaze softens further. “Is there something you are looking for?”

“I want to know who I am and how I can control it!” I snap at him. “I don’t want these urges in me to get out! I don’t want to hurt my family. I just want to live!”

Solomandry sighs, letting his shoulders slouch. “If you want to live, then the location on the map is the last place you should go. Hybrids like you are not welcomed on either side. Lycans and vampires both hate you, even if you come from both.”

My chin trembles, then my lip. I fall back onto the bed, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes, but it does nothing to stop the tears.

Solomandry kneels, placing his huge hand upon my head. “I am sorry to give you such foul news.”

“So I’m just doing this for nothing?” I whimper. “I’ve been spending all this time just looking for an answer my parents already gave me?”

“They didn’t tell you about this?” he asks.

I look at him with red and puffy eyes. “I wasn’t raised by my parents!” I sniffle and wipe my nose on my sleeve. “I mean, I was, but they just found me.”

“I see,” Solomandry murmurs.

“I was abandoned,” I grumble. “And I suppose I always will be. It’s obvious now more than ever that no one wants me.”

Solomandry pets down my hair and wipes away the tears clinging to my cheek. “The family who raised you - is that what they said?”

“No,” I pout.

Solomandry moves his hand away and tilts his head so his long, dark hair falls from his shoulder. “Then why do you feel this way?”

“You just told me,” I scoff. “I’m not supposed to exist. I’m marked for death!” I choke as more tears flow to the surface. “You shouldn’t have made me cry!”

Solomandry sighs heavily again. “You exist,” he states somberly. “That should be proof enough you are supposed to be here. You are alive, you are vicious, and you have fire inside you, no matter what anyone else says to dampen you. I have spent barely a week with you and I can see you exist for a reason.”

I glare at him. “You don’t know.”

“I have been alive a very long time. So yes, I do know.” He smiles, and it is the first smile I have ever seen from him. It’s breathtaking, actually. “That night you were injured, you became primal in my arms. That means you desperately want to live, Firestat.”

“So?” I sniffle.

“You live, and that in itself is special.”

I look away from him, rubbing my eyes to try and dry up the tears. “Geez, okay. I get it. Stop reciting poetry.”

Later that evening, Solomandry comes into the room with a cane. “You should be able to walk a bit now. Come, I want to show you something.”

Using the cane, I follow him outside. Solomandry’s home is a massive cave at the bottom of the chasm. The river rushes wildly before us, and as the sun sets Solomandry begins to blend into the shadows, almost becoming one himself.

“So you are the shadow,” I murmur.

Solomandry looks up into the sky, where the moon has become fat and full since last I saw it. “I am like you, Firestat. I come from two worlds, and yet I belong to neither.”

“So?”

He places his large hand on his chest. “So that is how I know. It took me a long time to accept that I existed for a reason.”

“To pretend to be a creepy wizard in a ditch?”

Solomandy pinches the tip of my ear. “I am trying to speak seriously to you, Firestat. I am trying to help you.”

“Sorry,” I grumble. “I’ll… listen.”

“Creepy wizard in a ditch or not, I forced myself to be alone. I don’t want to see you do the same thing.” He puts his hand on my cheek. “You have a family who raised you. You don’t have to force yourself to hide away from them.”

“I don’t want to hurt them,” I mumble. “That’s why I need to know.”

“Then I’ll help you,” Solomandry says. “But, you must help me in return.”

I furrow my brow at him. “How?”

Solomandy’s hand on my cheek twitches. “I don’t want to be the creepy wizard in the ditch anymore. I don’t want to be alone.”

My cheeks warm, and I find myself leaning into his touch. “I may be the exact wrong person to help with that. But...” I take a deep breath and exhale loudly. “Fine. I’ll be your friend or whatever.”

“And I will help you understand your powers and control what you fear.” He moves his hand and offers it. “Agreed?”

I shake his hand. “Weird, but fine.”

Solomandry’s cave is much bigger than I expected. It goes deep underground and contains books upon books, some of which look ancient and are filled with script I have no knowledge of. He shows me spells and charms, simple magic which will help me understand the basics of what he plans to teach me. “We should go and get supplies,” he says one day. “If you are to stay here with me for a while, you will need certain things.”

“How long has it been since you’ve set foot in a village?” I look up from a book to see him grimace.

“I can’t recall, but...” His voice drifts off.

I stand up and set the book aside. “Well, how do we get out of here?”

To my horror, Solomadry scales the walls of the chasm like a mountain goat. He hops across ledges, leaping and clinging to the rock. Meanwhile, I cling to his back, burying my face in his hair so I don’t have to see anything. “Not afraid, are you?” Solomandry asks.

“Stop talking to me! Just focus on what you’re doing so we don’t die!” I have forgotten how tightly my hands are wrapped around his thick waist.

Solomandry chuckles. “Are you afraid of heights, Firestat?”

“None of your business!” I whine.

In the village, we receive some shocked looks, but Solomandry is a shocking figure. I suppose no one there really knew what the ‘evil warlock’ looked like. Too many rumors and too many stories had created too many ideas. I do notice that he tends to grab my shoulder when he begins to feel anxious. I just let him, because I don’t want to be out and about during the day either. But each trip to the village gets easier. I grow less afraid of his chasm-climbing, and while he still holds my shoulder, he begins to let those high walls of his down.

“Why are you afraid?” I ask him one evening as we sit by the river at dusk, watching the fireflies.

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you afraid of people?” I sit down beside him, leaning my back against his flank.

“It was a long time ago,” he murmurs. “I used to teach magic, much like I am doing for you know. I trusted the wrong people, Firestat.”

I frown slightly. “I see.”

He tilts his head back up. “I was hurt. And I still am, I suppose.”

I move closer to him, put my arm around his waist and lean into his side. “I’m sorry.”

Solomandry places his palm on my head. “Don’t be. I let myself fall away. I lost trust, even a little hope. But, I’m learning to try again.”

I smile up at him. “You’re not so bad for a creepy ditch wizard.”

He chuckles. “That means a lot, coming from you.”

There is a moment of quiet between us, and my heart begins to pick up speed. It’s different from our first meeting. It feels lighter, easier. I look up at him, and he meets my gaze. I stand up slowly and he places his hands around my waist, moving them up my back. “I never thanked you for saving my life,” I murmur. “So I should do that. Right?”

“You don’t have to.” He smiles again.

I place my hand around his face and lean in, placing a soft kiss on his lips. “Thank you,” I whisper before diving in for another kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck, nearly lifting myself off the ground. He returns my kiss, grabbing me with those big hands of his. I pull back breathlessly and look into his eyes. “Solomandry.”

“Yes?”

I hug him in silence, burying my face in his hair. He holds me close, stroking his hand down my back. “I'm happy you are here, Firestat. Thank you.”

I kiss his cheek softly. “You may change your mind about that,” I laugh nervously. I smooth my fingertips under his eyes. “But I want to stay here. I’ve never felt that before.”

He kisses me, and I could forget how to breathe just to accept that kiss forever. “Then stay. I will not make you go anywhere.”

“Could I make you go inside?” I whisper. “To bed, even?”

Solomandry kisses my cheek and ear, breathing against my skin. “It’s rather early for us to go to bed, isn’t it?”

“Yes. But we aren’t going to sleep yet.” I stand and go to the entrance of the cave. “Just come on.” I lead him inside to his chambers, where I stand before his bed. He towers over me, but I know exactly how to bring him to his knees.

“You’re usually so honest with what you’re thinking. Why not just out with it?” Solomandry chuckles.

I open up my robe, exposing my  body to him with a smirk on my lips. “I don’t need to spell this out, do I?”

“No, not at all.” Solomandry places his hands on my bare body. I shiver in excitement, having been dreaming about those hands for a long time now. His nostrils flare, his breath almost rumbling in his chest. I let out a seductive moan and bite my lip as I wait for his reaction.

“Get on the bed, now,” Solomandry whispers into my ear.

“What are you going to do to me?” I moan again.

“Exactly what you want.”

I lie on his bed, which is more like a nest of pillows and blankets. He climbs in beside me, laying on his side so I can snuggle up against his chest. He kisses me, moving his hands down my body until they come to the apex of my thighs and curl inside. I rise up on my knees so he has better access, and he holds me against him with his other hand.

“How long have you been thinking about this?” he whispers.

“Too long,” I moan.

He bites the tip of my ear. “I have been aware of your arousal once or twice, but I thought I was simply being hopeful.”

I turn around and kiss him while his fingers sink inside me. They’re so big, and he moves them so expertly. “What about you?” I pant.

“Shh.” He presses his lips to my cheek. “Let me touch you.” He stirs me up, touching me inside and out as he kisses my neck and chest, teasing my breasts with his free hand. I am aflame with his affections, but my mind keeps wandering to him and what he must want. “Solo-” I lose my breath, and he has to hold me up as my legs go weak. He moves his fingers faster, deeper. I hear my wetness from his efforts, and then I let go. I thrust back against him, curling my toes and bending my neck back.

“There,” he breathes. “So sweet.” he kisses my neck and slowly pulls his fingers from me.

“Wait...” I gasp for breath. “We’re not done. You...”

“We are done, for now.” He eases me down into bed and he curls up beside me. “I am not something you can take all at once.”

“I bet I can!” I pout.

He laughs and kisses my sweaty forehead. “Eventually, you can.”