Viktor emerged from the pond, water streaming from his body. His hair was slicked back, droplets running down his muscular frame. He grabbed a fresh towel Mira had brought, drying himself efficiently.
Mira had already left after sucking him dry to prepare food for everyone. She had blown him a kiss from the lips that seemed a moment ago like fish stuffed, to now holding a grin before disappearing inside, her mission apparently complete.
'That woman...' Viktor thought with a mixture of affection and exasperation.
He dressed quickly—black pants, white shirt left partially unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His tail coiled comfortably around his waist beneath the fabric. No shoes—he preferred feeling the ground beneath his feet in his own territory.
Viktor walked across the garden, his bare feet silent on the grass. The artificial sun warmed his shoulders as he approached the completed forge.
And it was complete.
