A Ballad of Sacrifice

Caedes stood rooted to the spot, his mind a churning void of chaos and numbness as Sephiran's words echoed endlessly. You did this. You did this. The mantra dug into his psyche, each repetition a further twist of the knife. But something deep within Caedes stirred, a flicker of duty and care, a reminder of who he was and what he needed to do. He pushed. He pushed his vision back. Past the blood, past the loss. His scars ached. Every one of them that littered his frame.

The cries of the surviving pups cut through the haze, their tiny voices like a beacon calling him back to himself. A child’s cry was a haunting thing. He focused on their cries, using them to anchor his fragmented mind. Slowly, the fog of detachment began to lift, replaced by a grim determination. Aurelia's memory deserved more than this horror, and her pups deserved a chance at life. He’d promised her. Fuck. He’d promised her.

Move. Move. MOVE!

Caedes forced his limbs to move, his body feeling heavy and sluggish as he approached Aurelia's mutilated form. Sephiran was still draped over her, lost in his twisted reverie, but Caedes paid him no mind. His focus was solely on the pups.

Fucking- Fucking madman.

Gently, with the care of a healer, he gathered the three squirming bodies from her remains. Their small, fragile forms were covered in blood and remnants of the birth, but they were alive. He placed them carefully in a soft blanket, wrapping them snugly to keep them warm. Their cries softened, the warmth and security of the blanket providing a semblance of comfort their mother could no longer provide.

Hang on. I have you.

Caedes straightened, his gaze lingering on Aurelia's lifeless form for a moment. A silent promise formed in his heart: he would protect her pups, no matter what. He whistled softly, a specific call that summoned his raven. Third Eye. The sleek black bird fluttered into the room, its beady eyes taking in the scene with an eerie intelligence.

“Get Aresenn.” Caedes instructed the raven, his voice low and steady despite the turmoil within him. “Tell him to come. Quickly.” The pups needed a nursemaid. Absinth would do with her recent birth. The raven cawed in acknowledgment, then took off, disappearing into the night.

As the silence settled once more, Caedes picked up the pups, wrapped in a blanket dangling close to his chest. He turned his back on Sephiran, refusing to acknowledge the broken man who had caused so much bloodshed. His focus now was on ensuring these pups had a chance to thrive. He would not fail Aurelia’s last wish.

Keep your head on. He grit his teeth, and kept pushing.

With careful steps, Caedes left the den, stepping out into the cold where he would hand them over to Aresenn. His mind was made up. With Absinth as their nursemaid, they would be safe and given the care they needed to survive and grow. He’d seen it in her eyes, whether she knew it or not upon her diagnosis, that same motherly love Aurelia had held for her babes. How fleeting that had been.

Numbness wrapped around Caedes like a shroud, but he pushed forward. He could fall apart later. Now, he had to fulfill his duty, to honor Aurelia's memory by ensuring her pups lived. That was all that mattered.

[exit caedes]