Stalking Shadows

With a jar of venom in his care, Rhazien was simply following Sephiran’s orders- store this down in the catacombs with the others, and organize it appropriately. The weaponizable substance was collected earlier that day by the Sultan’s viper, and he wanted to ensure it didn’t go to waste. And what better place to store it, than an underground labyrinth his enemies couldn’t reach? Simply genius. And so, while Sepiran departed from the Moor in search of his cousin Caedes, Rhazien moved on to complete his only task of the hour.

But Rhazien wasn’t just a task doer- he was curious of the labyrinth Sephiran had spent so much time in, fantasizing about the treasures within. This was his chance to explore it freely- he’d even instructed his serval to stand guard at the entrance, and warn him if Sephiran returned. With the cat on duty, he descended into the darkness- using a torchlight to guide his way until he found the existing collection of venom vials.

Adding his vial to the collection, he inspected it for several moments- organizing like Sephiran instructed, before sauntering down one of the corridors. The scent of wet earth and decomposing matter was strong- but beyond that, was something far more interesting. Aurelia. Her perfume was faint at first- but as he traversed deeper into the subterranean, it became stronger, more pungent- a clear indication that she was down here too. He couldn’t deny the electrifying wave of thrill that rolled down his spine. He always loved his encounters with the azure beauty. And what better time, than away from the peering eyes of their tyrannical leader.

Following her scent, Rhazien rounded corners, ducked beneath doorways, squeezed in tight places- until finally, he could see the glow of her torchlight up ahead. Setting his down, and wanting to use the darkness as his tactic of surprise. The older Saxe moved forward in the shadows, predatory and libidinous, like the depraved beast he really was. They’d meet at the dead end of the labyrinth, Rhazien materializing from the shadows like a phantom in the moor. “Lost?” He said, stopping to lean up against the stone that encompassed the walls around them. Down here, there was only pitch-black silence- which made the thumping of their hearts sound even louder in their ears.  

"Speech"