Come back, I still need you

It had been like any other day. She had dragged him away from the manse several days prior, demanding a reprieve from the depressing halls and painful memories. Ahkoris obliged, as he always did. It was a gift really, his inclination to bend to her will, to give her whatever she wanted. Or maybe he just recognized his life was far easier that way. Whatever the reason, she loved it all the same, though of course the latter was far more preferable. She had dragged him to the redwoods, the same place they had visited following their elopement. It was freezing here, the snarl of the wind making the winter chill that much more bitter. Still, she wasn’t swayed, choosing instead to fold herself into her husbands side and steal his warmth. With a smile tugging at onyx lips, she buried her nose in the thick of his fur, breathing him in like he supplied her with the oxygen to breathe. Eventually though, it was time to return home, to return to reality. Duty would set them on the course back to Rionna when they stopped to hunt.

She had been stalking their dinner. Sybil was lighter, faster, so she would chase the unsuspecting animal into her her loves waiting trap. Crystalline eyes scanned the snowing banks, her pelt blending in seamlessly when ebony was pressed into the snow. Nostrils quivered gently, her mouth watering with the scent of her next meal. The thrill of hunt had adrenaline bleeding into her system. Her heart rate kicked up and her body vibrated with anticipation. It was time. Startling the young elk into running for its life, Sybil chased, dark jaws snapping, all too eager for a taste. She may have calmed in recent seasons, but her explosive fire was never far beneath the surface, just waiting to be ignited.

What happened next, she never would have imagined.

Their target was young, but it looked large enough to not have a protective mother lurking nearby. After today, she would carry the guilt of not having paid more attention. There was in fact a mother nearby, near enough to hear the distress of her oversized calf. It was like getting hit by a bus. Her yelp echoed through the forest, the air leaving her lungs painfully. Rolling, she scrambled to escape the enraged mother’s strikes. But she wouldn’t do so completely unscathed.

A streak of ember colored fur would come to her aid. There was no hesitation, not that there ever was when it came to Ahkoris rising to her defense. He didn't worry about himself, he simply acted and he did so with a ferocity that some might not expect from the tight lipped Colonel. Dazed, she struggled to orient herself, to get back to her paws. But when she did it was already too late. The forest was quiet, oddly so, with the fading sounds of elk running away. The blood rushed in her ears but the only other sound was her husbands labored breathing. Baby blues searched for him, expecting him to be standing guard, ensuring the creature was gone before rushing towards her. When he wasn’t, when he didn’t, panic sank its sharp fangs in.

The metallic scent of blood hit her nose, finally. It was in vain to hope that it belonged to their prey. The snow was stained crimson, the bright liquid undeniable amongst the pristine white. Her steps were clumsy at first, stumbling over her own paws as she rushed to his side, the world still spinning around her. “Ahkoris!” Wide eyes took in his mangled body, his torn flesh that flayed open and bled far too much. “No, no, no! Her voice was shrill as she struggled to get a grip, to pull herself together. It brought back flashes of Nassar. There was so much blood. Too much blood “You’re fine, you’re going to be fine.” Denial was on her tongue but she knew better. And he knew better when he offered her a weakening, sad smile. He knew. A sob tore free from her throat as she collapsed beside him, her own injuries forgotten. His blood was wet and warm as it soaked into her fur, staining her just as brightly as it had the snow. "I love you." Tears wet her cheeks, her words choked by her cries. I love you too. "I'm not ready." Burying her face in the thick fur of his neck, she breathed him in with the knowledge that she'd never get another chance. "You can't leave me." She pleaded with him, as if he had any power to change his fate. There was no medic skilled enough in Rionnach or Saora.

Death was coming for her first and last love, and she was powerless to stop it. This was not an enemy she could conquer. She was losing him all over again and this time it was forever. There would be no secret hope that he'd come home one day. But at least this way, she had closure. There would be no uncertainty of his death. It wasn't anymore comforting, she was still losing him.

I won't."

The last words Ahkoris would ever utter. When his breathing grew as silent as the forest around her, she would cry in earnest. Hysteria settled upon the religiously stoic womans features. Sobs wracked her body until her throat was sore and no more tears could fall. Any time of concept faded, she had no clue how long she laid there, how long she cried for. But when she could cry no more, she remained there in silence, letting the darkness swallow her whole. A numbness spread across her body, chilling her veins and freezing her thawing heart.

Slowly, reluctantly, she would pull away. Rising to unsteady paws, she was only vaguely aware of the pain that flickered across her skin, her mind unable to focus both on her own injuries and the loss of her husband. Shock was beginning to grip her. Baby blues stared into lifeless pink, his once warm eyes now blank, fixated straight ahead. Ahkoris Tiamat was dead. She stood there a widow. And to make it all the worse, she didn't have Nassar to lean on this time. Sybil, once again, stood alone in the world. Her lip trembled at the thought.

Looking around, she took in just how alone she was in this moment. There was not a soul around and no one would come looking for them yet. Fresh tears would fall, streaking her face. Ahkoris was gone. Nassar was gone. In the blink of an eye, they had both been ripped from this world, from her. The two lives she had come to cherish more than her own and suddenly they were just gone.

With her head hanging low, she'd press a final kiss to Ahkoris's cheek. It was her last goodbye, their last shared moment together alone.

exit"speech"

code // art