His dark voice trails down her spine, lighting a path of desire that renders her breathless. "If only I were in a position of no consequence."
Alia's breath wavers when the pad of his thumb slowly glides across her bottom lip.
"Then I could give in...
Sephtis continues, voice thick. "I know you care for them, I do, but I don't think I can bear another two hundred years like this."
The man's brows raise, surprise lacing his features. He looks down at his hands, fingers tensing. Has it truly been that long?
A distant drum sounds in the distance, each beat growing louder and louder as the ground begins to shake. Sephtis' head whirls in the direction of the sound, hesitant to get to his feet. A scowl covers his face, irritated by the oncoming interruption.
The man's attention doesn't stray from the God. "I will return," he tells him. "You know I will."
Sephtis stands, wings bursting out from between his shoulder blades. The drum gets louder, and he mutters a curse under his breath.
The God's expression makes the man smile. But it drops when Sephtis turns to him with a quiet voice. "When?"
The male clenches his jaw, eyes glancing in the direction of the growing sound. Trees begin to smash to the floor, shaking the ground alongside each beat. "When they are in no need of me." He looks at Sephtis. "When they can live without me."
"But—" Sephtis stops himself, voice weak. He balls his hands into fists and takes a deep breath, throat constricting as he fights back his dejection.
It does nothing in hiding his thoughts, as when the man looks at Sephtis, he can see it loud and clear: I can't live without you.
Standing, the male approaches Sephtis and places a hand on the back of the God's head, black strands against his fingers. He looks down at him, at his black bandages, and then he pulls him into his embrace. Sephtis' forehead drops onto the male's shoulder, hands remaining at his sides.
"Be strong," the male whispers, tempted to leave with the God. "I need you to be strong whilst I'm gone."
Sephtis' eyes sting, unshed tears threatening to seep past his bandages.
More trees splinter and crash to the ground. The male releases Sephtis and looks in the direction of audible destruction. "You know he only wishes to play with you."
Sephtis sniffles, wiping underneath his bandages as he clears his throat. He spreads his wings and looks away. "I would rather spend my days in the underworld."
Then, with a powerful flap of his wings, the God disappears into the sky.
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Dytikos; Present time
The forest is quiet.
Darkness surrounds the unconscious pair: Valen's non-primal form slumped against the ground as his bare skin presses against wet soil, whilst Sephtis remains on his back with his eyes closed as black blood slowly seeps from his many wounds. Their soft breaths fill the night air, the weather calm and void of rain.
