In the dim light of dawn, Caedes ventured into the plains, his senses attuned to the task at hand. With steady steps, he navigated through the undergrowth, keen emerald eyes scanning the forest floor for signs of the elusive herb he sought. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth as he moved deeper into the wilderness. He briefly communicated with his bird and sent the raven ahead to spy anything of interest.

It was while he was rummaging around in the underbrush for a few minutes that he spotted a patch of vibrant green with white flowers amidst the shadows – a cluster of the herb he sought, its leaves glistening with morning dew. Grinning, the brute approached the Yarrow with a calculating eye.

"speaking"

Supposedly, Medulla had forgotten a keepsake of hers in their old den in the plains. And, being the chivalrous man Rhazien was, he’d promised her he’d return it, so long as she payed in back in… well, that didn’t need to be elaborated. And so, he made his way back to the Serpent plains- his serval companion spread across his shoulders, grooming the fur along his nape like the good little servant she was. I love you master, I love you, I love you! She’d purr into his ears as he walked- ahh, she was so fucking obsessed with him, this one. Heading towards their old den, Rhazien came around a bend and was surprised to see a familiar face in the area. Caedes. A cousin to his dear Sephiran, who made a sudden appearance on the battlefield and had been lingering ever since. With a smirk he approached the brute, announcing his arrival with a gruff rumble. “Picking flowers?” He’d ask, eyeing the male closely, who seemed intent on collecting some white and yellow plants.   ”Speech”

Rhazien's words cut through the tranquility of the plains, drawing Caedes's attention away from his task. With a calm yet guarded demeanor, Caedes turned to face his cousin’s uncle, his expression unreadable save for a subtle flicker of curiosity in his gaze. "Picking flowers?" Rhazien's question held a hint of amusement, his eyes narrowing as they surveyed Caedes and the flora around him. Caedes's lips quirked into a faint smile, a rare display of amusement. "Indeed," He replied evenly, the words falling out in a deep rumble. "Though they do serve a purpose beyond mere decoration. Like your pet there." Caedes returned his focus to the task at hand, his movements deliberate as he continued to gather the herbs. Rhazien's presence, though unexpected, did little to disrupt his purposeful work. His fingers worked to pluck at the yarrow, setting each small bundle down onto a hide he had prepared. Yarrow was excellent for stomach pains and cramps for the fairer sex, but also it did lend a hand to fighting infections. Impossibly useful. The brute thought for a moment, pausing to speak before continuing his task. "What part does he need me to play, Rhazien?" It was obvious who he was.

"speaking"

Rhazien couldn’t help but laugh at the younger male’s response, the sound resinating deep from within his chest, bubbling through that sly smirk spread across his lips. It was amusing really, because he saw so much Saxe in the boy- he was the consequence of misery and exploitation, and yet he’d been groomed by a loving paw and had grown into a formidable monstrosity. “Hmmm, you sound like Sephiran.” He mused aloud, recalling the countless times he’d seen the boy collecting herbs, if only to use them to create toxic concoctions he wanted to kill others with. And of course, the conversation would shift to their dearest little tyrant- Caedes wanting to know what part he’d need to play. “That depends,” He’d say, beating around the bush, preforming in his typical, cryptic fashion. “Why did you leave Saffron?” A simple question he’d been dying to know- why did the male leave the sanctuary of Apollyon’s rule? ”Speech”

As the yarrow was carefully bundled up, his paws moved still as he lifted his skull to regard Rhazien with cool composure,  expression betraying little emotion as he absorbed the older man’s laughter and musings. The comparison to Sephiran elicited a subtle raise of his brow, though he made no comment on the matter. He didn’t feel one way or another about it – Sephiran was Sephiran. He was Caedes. Instead, he listened in silence as Rhazien's thoughts drifted to their home, and why he had left.

Saffron. Caedes's demeanor shifted imperceptibly, a flicker of intensity in his gaze betraying the gravity of the question. His response was measured, his voice a low rumble tinged with restraint. Rhazien knew better than to hint that Caedes was a traitor. But more likely, he was being toyed with. Ah, this uncle. Of course the man wanted to play his wordy games. "Why?" Caedes echoed the inquiry, his tone betraying neither reluctance nor hesitation.  "Grandmother. She wanted me to." He paused, a hint of contemplation in his gaze before continuing. He was speaking of Rhazien’s mother, afterall. The woman had raised Caedes more than his own mother had, though. He had a right to call her as he did. She asked him to leave, to help himself, and help her true blood grandson, so he had obeyed. "Because ‘I was going to rot trying to fix my father', Or so she believes." It was common knowledge how special Caedes’ father had been, was still to Astrid, but he digressed. That man was far away, locked up, sedated or raving. Caedes’ nearly crushed his precious yarrow between his fingers, the defined musculature beneath his ruined hide flexing at the thought of his poor, broken sire. How many remedies had they tried? How many concoctions, poisons, sedatives, to make him lucid? Nothing worked.

With a slight tilt of his head, Caedes reiterated his statement to Rhazien, his gaze steady and unwavering. "I am here to play my part. For the Saxe Empire. Sephiran is an extension of that, he will be Sultan here and I will give him my strength when he requires it." Caedes’s lips pulled back into a wicked grin, emeralds alight with anger - not for Rhazien, just rage. Plain and simple, always there under his usually well-put-together facade.

"speaking"

Ears flicking atop his skull, Rhazien kept that sly, somewhat haughty expression on his face as he watched the male collect the herb- waiting with anticipation, nearly leaning forward to the edge of his seat, as he truly wanted to know why Caedes left Saffron. And then, the answer came. Astrid wanted him to. Rhazien had vivid memories of the boy's time with his mother- how she strove to shield him from the dark corners of the world, after Caedes father had mutilated him beyond repair. How his mother had kept the man locked away, drugged out of his mind, if only to satiate her need to mother him- to fix him. Ah, the memories must have been flooding Caede’s mind too- the way his musculature flexed beneath his pelt, how his paws tightened their grip around the delicate Yarrow, almost breaking it in two. Despite that, the male was quick to reenter reality- reiterating his statement to Rhazien, pledging his allegiance to Sephiran and his dream. “Then you’ve asked a rhetorical question.” His lips curled tighter into his face, a brow raising inquisitively as he met those acidic, emerald eyes. “We’ve all become a part of Sephiran’s game- pieces he considers disposable, unless we prove him wrong.” Each member of their brood had a purpose, but Sephiran hardly noticed any of them, unless they were benefiting him directly. “You’ve got irreplaceable knowledge- my mother made sure of that.” Tail flicking behind him, he knew of the intricacies of Caedes mind- Astrid was a mastermind in the art of healing, and this boy was a worthy apprentice, no doubt. “Undoubtedly, he will also call upon your strength.” How many packs did Sephiran intend to pillage, he wondered? Only time would tell.   ”Speech”

Caedes remained stoic as Rhazien observed him, his ears flicking atop his skull in response to the man’s anticipation. The weight of the question hung in the air between them, and when Caedes finally spoke, his words echoed with the weight of memory. Though Caedes was far more.. marked by pain and resilience than most.

He nodded in acknowledgment of Rhazien's observation, his gaze unwavering as it met the older man’s piercing gaze. A subtle smirk tugged at the corners of Caedes's lips as he absorbed Rhazien's words, acknowledging the truth in the assessment of his knowledge and strength. The mention of Sephiran's intentions only fueled Caedes's resolve, impulse burning within him as he contemplated the role he would play in the unfolding game.  "I imagine that in Sephiran's game," A pause as Caedes agreed, his voice steady despite the underlying currents of detachment and determination in the same rough rumble.   "Even the most disposable pieces have their uses. Though, I do not plan on being anything less than irreplaceable." Caedes remarked with a gruff laugh, his eyes glinting with a hint of mockery towards the twisted power dynamics they were ensnared in. Unspoken but understood. It didn’t need to be said, but if Rhazien liked to talk, Caedes would oblige.

"Of course," Caedes replied, his tone laced with a hint of irony.  "And when the time comes, I will be ready to answer the call. Your worries would be more aptly directed towards our kin who believe that indiscriminate bloodshed alone equates to power." Surely, there were those who were slacking. At the very least, Caedes had come after completing his training, and he had started off behind them all. The dire brute rolled up his hide of yarrow, standing to his full height and coming to meet Rhazien’s gaze head on.  “Astrid sends her affections. It's good to see you, Rhazien, genuinely.” Caedes grinned, roughly bumping his skull into the other man’s shoulder in some form of brutish warmth before he proceeded on his way.

"speaking"