Reconnaissance

Caedes' heart clenched at the sound of his name spoken so tenderly. Her piercing gaze, unrelenting and full of concern, cut through the thick haze of his despair. The sight of her, so small yet so resolute against the entrance of his ruined den, stirred something deep within him. He saw the silent plea in her eyes, the depth of her concern, and the determination that drove her to stand before him despite the dangers. Fuck.

His emerald eyes, a mix of anguish and desperation, locked onto hers. “Mariah, you must leave.” He pleaded, his voice barely more than a rough and hoarse whisper he fought to control. He could feel the futility of his words even as he spoke them. Mariah had always been stubborn, her loyalty and defiance unwavering. The very fact that she had ventured into these lands spoke volumes of her resolve. He saw it in her eyes, the same determination that had driven him into countless battles, the same fire that refused to be extinguished.

He took a shaky step toward her, his legs unsteady, each movement a struggle against the weight of his exhaustion. His body swayed slightly, muscles tensed with the effort of staying upright. “Please.” He implored, his voice breaking but rising in volume and desperation. “I cannot lose you. I will not see you harmed.” This he spoke in a growl, unlike anything he had aimed towards her before. His jaw clenched, and in a swift movement, his raven, perched above the den's entrance, took flight. Third Eye's goal was simple: ensure the silence of the flock managed by the Katil through sedation, which Caedes always had prepared on its talons.

But her words hung in the air, each one a lifeline thrown to him in the stormy sea of his anguish that drew his attention back to her haunting orbs. ‘I am here because you need me,’ She said, her voice barely above a whisper yet resonating with profound sincerity. ‘And I... I need you.’ The catch in her voice, the raw emotion behind her confession, struck him to his very core. For a moment, he stood frozen, torn between the urge to push her away to protect her and the desperate need for her presence.

“Mariah. Damn it all! Leave!” The obsidian brute began, his voice booming with emotion. He swallowed down the lump in his throat, taking a step forward, closing the distance between them. His eyes, dull and haunted, sharpened as he looked into hers, seeing the sincerity and the plea for him to let her in. He stood tall, his powerful frame looming over her, his musculature flexing beneath his matted pelt.