aeistrios saxe

the darkness holds monsters

---

He hadn't been back here since the death of his mate, his Reah.

He had been so busy - busy keeping their son alive, who death had wanted to claim so badly. Busy forging a home, conquering a land and at last finding some stability. He was still healing - and perhaps his emotional wounds were taking longer than his physical ones.

Large paws trail him to where her body had been - buried under whatever flowers and debris he could find at the time before whisking Valtyr away from the scene. She is no longer there, though, and Aeistrios stares at the blank ground with a mixed expression. He could only assume a hungry hyena had taken her away... which pissed him off pretty bad.

"You picked a really bad time to leave, you know." Aeistrios complains, speaking outwardly as if Reah would hear him from her... life beyond? "He couldn't even eat meat! I had to go find milk -- do you know how hard that is?" He grumbles, feeling angry."It made me feel weak, Reah! You died and left your son and I weak." A statement that held more depth to it than he would ever admit again - and his head hung heavy between his shoulders as their memories flashed across his face.

@Reah

reah farron

i've come for blood

---

Reah considered herself extremely lucky. She had essentially fought against all odds.

She survived birth, the short coma, starvation, and dehydration. Her dear friend Zaynab had arrived just in time, and now the obsidian woman recovered quietly within the gardens.

She spent most of her time resting within her den, not moving much, and either spending time with Zaynab or waiting for the pink lioness to return with some food. Every now and then, she would carefully and slowly leave the den to take some sips of water from the nearby pools. But, that was about all that she could do.

She was about to take a nap when she heard a rather low masculine voice outside. It was not Zaynab, no, it was someone else. The tip of her tail twitched and she peered out the entrance of the den. She then slowly got up to her feet and took a closer look.

“... left your son and I weak.” Was all that she picked up on, her ears twitching slightly. She slipped out of the den, her obsidian gaze landing on him. She nearly collapsed to her knees just at the sight.

“Aeistrios!” she cried out his name. Despite her state of health, she hurled her body at him. Shoving her face in his mane, immediately tears began to run down her cheeks. “Is he okay? Our baby! Is he okay!?” she wept into his fur. Her body violently shook as she cried. "Please! Did you save him!? Oh please, Aeistrios, my Aeistrios," she exclaimed.

Reah was hysterical, but oh, how happy she was to be with her @Aeistrios once more.

---

"Speech."

code by scorpixia♡︎ | art by NAVARRE

aeistrios saxe

the darkness holds monsters

---

He'd seen some crazy things in his life - things he couldn't, or wouldn't, ever really make sense of. However, what happened today had definitely taken top place- because Aeistrios never expected his mate to rise from the dead.

Purple eyes widen, and Aeistrios takes a shocked step back- looking like he saw a ghost. When her frame collided into his, he flinched, as if he expected her to go right through him. Instead, her warm figure pressed into his, alive. "W-Rea-?" Nope, words weren't making sense to him right now. He shook his head, as if jumbling his brain would sort his thoughts out. With a hard blink, he stared at her, a paw reaching up to press at her shoulder. "How the fuck are you alive?" He disregarded all her curious questions, and rather let the demand of his curiosity, his need, overpower hers. He deserved answers first.

@Reah

reah farron

i've come for blood

---

It seemed that her love was confused. Despite that, his large paw touched her shoulder. He then asked how she was alive. She moved her head from his mane, her tears dampening some strands of his fur. She looked up at him, obsidian eyes meeting familiar amethyst orbs. “I…” she stopped for a moment. He thought she had died?

In a way, it made sense. She had probably looked pretty lifeless in her unconscious state. “I was weak,” she tried to explain to him. Anxiety settled deeply in her chest when he mentioned nothing of their son. "I birthed him, our baby, but I couldn’t do much else. I lost too much blood and it was so, so painful @Aeistrios. I fell unconscious," she explained. “I guess I picked this place because it seemed safe and peaceful,” she told him.

"But, I’m okay now. I’m still recovering, but I’m alive. I’m no ghost." she told him. Tears still sat at the edges of her dark eyes. “But please, tell me, is he okay?? Our baby,” she said, her tone hushed. “Please, Aeistrios, tell me he’s okay.” she pleaded.

---

"Speech."

code by scorpixia♡︎ | art by NAVARRE

aeistrios saxe

the darkness holds monsters

---

She seemed taken aback in her expression when he spoke, but Aeistrios was far too compelled with other emotions to focus in on her enough to see it. Instead, he listened to her, hearing her voice alone was an odd comfort Aeistrios had missed way to much. "I buried you." Really, it had just been some flowers and dirt - she wasn't even under the ground. Just hidden with debris around her to try and keep her from the sights of scavengers. "Safe..." His head shakes then, limbs pacing him forward in a wide, stressful stride.

"No, nowhere is safe. You are not safe anywhere unless you are with me." He says this in a low growl, a certain anger ticking over him at the thought of her in trouble. She had to understand. "Of course he's okay." He finally assures her, finally speaks the words that would drain the concern out from her chest. Take a weight off her heart. "He could be better, but he's good. He likes our land." His last statement was debatable, but he wanted to slip in his accomplishment somehow. He watches her, prying for her reactions.

reah farron

i've come for blood

---

I buried you. He told her, and her tail twitched anxiously. He strode forward then, and he let out a growl. He told her that nowhere was safe unless she was by his side. She let out a soft, tired sigh and turned to look at him once more. “I understand,” she murmured. She would no longer stray away, or… If she did, she would not go too far. She had learned her lesson now, that life was too precious and too quick. One little slip-up and things could be turned upside down.

He then finally answered her panicked questions, saying that their son was okay. He could’ve been doing better, but he was completely fine. Relief washed over her form, thankful that @Aeistrios had been able to find him and take care of him. She then fully realized what he had meant, and she looked him in the eyes. “Our land?” she questioned him. She moved once more so she was closer to him, facing him straight on. “I…” she wasn’t sure what to say. “You have land for us? Where?” she asked him.

Just now she realized, there were poorly healed wounds on his form. “You’re a King now, aren’t you?” she asked, feeling warmth rise upon her cheeks. She was blushing underneath her dark, inky fur. If the answer was yes… That meant she was a Queen.

---

"Speech."

code by scorpixia♡︎ | art by NAVARRE

aeistrios saxe

the darkness holds monsters

---

He could see the relief that overtook her, the relief that she had craved so desperatley. He wondered how long she had been worried - how long had she been.. healthy? He knew so little of what had happened to her, but he was sure she would fill him in on all that information soon, probably at a better time too.

"It took some time. But yes, a Plain not to far from here. Close actually." He added, a glance of his purple eyes in the area of 'home'. He had to go to some lengths to get it, namely the fights, and his body showed with new scars that he was certain she wouldn't recognize. "King, Ruler, Leader... yeah. It's all the same." He didn't care much for the title, so long as he had the power behind it. That's what mattered to him. "Valtyr is Royalty, and he needs his Mother - Queen ?"" A tilt of his head, cocking it to the side to see if she, too, was a fan of power. She could have the highest of ranks among his ladies - among everyone but him. She knew this too.

@Reah

reah farron

i've come for blood

---

@Aeistrios explained to her that it had taken some time, but he had successfully taken over a Plain that wasn’t too far from the Gardens. She nodded to him, a sign of understanding. She knew that she had taken in a good mate, but this proved him even better. He had taken great lengths to provide a home for not just herself, but also their son. He added that now their son was considered royalty and that she indeed was a Queen.

Everything was set in stone now. She couldn’t help but purr and press her chest against his. “Yes, Queen. I like that,” she told him, her eyes glimmering with affection. She was infatuated with the plum brute once more.

“I want to see our new home,” she murmured to him. She was curious and excited. “Oh and… We’ll need to come back here. I didn’t get better by myself…” she began to tell him. “I made a friend, she helped me a lot. She’s the reason I’m able to even stand and walk right now, her name is Zaynab. I want you to meet her as soon as possible,” she explained to him. She nodded, and took a step back, allowing him to lead the way to their new land.

/exit Reah

---

"Speech."

code by scorpixia♡︎ | art by NAVARRE