Chapter Text
At its core, the idea was selfish. It was disgusting and vile; a complete abomination to nature for one so sentient to consciously make this choice. Jornir would recoil in horror. No matter how frantic, no matter how desperate, no matter how in love -- there was no absolution for this.
Flesh salted by tears. Carcass preserved by ice. The fates of the others mattered little; he remained exposed, scales stained crimson, and fangs packed with fur. Dragonborn claws, once only dirtied by tea leaves, now corrupted by Firbolg remains lodged beneath them.
Yet, there was a sickening sense of relief, a soothing thought that even in death, Jornir remained with him – staining his skin, melding with him through each swallow and gulp.
Perhaps it was the madness creeping in, or the overwhelming self-loathing. Maybe it was the tender ache of his unrequited love, their souls entwining in this final act. Blood flowed sweetly across his tongue. Viscera slid down smoothly.
Taishen felt a pang in his heart as he remembered their last embrace, the warmth of Jornir’s thin fur layer comforting him in bitterest nights. But that was gone now, the only warmth Jornir providing stemming from the pool in Taishen’s gut.
“I love you,” he murmured before the next anticipated bite.
Taishen’s hand shook as he reached out to touch Jornir’s chest. Was it fear or desire that made him tremble? He traced the contours of Jornir’s ribs, the flesh already missing in his initial frantic pursuit. With a deep breath, Taishen grasped the ribs firmly, his knuckles white with determination. He felt a strange sense of calm wash over him as he began to apply pressure, his fingers sinking into the sternum. The ribs creaked and groaned beneath his touch, protesting the violation of their strong union.
“I love you,” with the snap of bones.
The freezing temperatures enveloped Taishen like a shroud, the cold air biting at his exposed skin and biting into his lungs with each ragged breath. The wind howled around him, whipping his hair into icy tendrils that stung his face. Snowflakes danced in the gusts, their delicate touch a mere precursor to the numbing chill that seeped into his bones.
“I love you,” as the fragile top of the frozen snow was crushed by nearing footfall.
“Taishen?” as a gentle, wavering voice called out.
“Hun, what happened to ya?” as she tread closer to the bloodied site.
A blood-curdling scream tore through the air as Queenie saw Jornir’s heart clenched tightly between the Dragonborn’s snarling jaws. A torrential downpour of tears as Taishen’s agonized gaze flickered with feral longing for his love lost. A single shriek pierced the silence as the thought of losing anyone else became too much to bear.
He wouldn’t lose anyone else.