i am the mace, the map, the fall and the high
The price for his act of selflessness had been a steep one. A piece of his soul, ripped away as he had been consumed by monsters, returned only the form of his ever-present companion. Perhaps it had been deserved. Perhaps that had merely been the cost of his hubris. But if asked, he would say without hesitation that it had actually been a small price. After all, what is true morality if one cannot feel it?
For his one act of selflessness, he has been made eternally selfish. Rune might whisper in his ear to guide him in what way he can, but one small angel perching on the shoulder of a much larger devil does not instill confidence.
He has been called kind, and now selfless, but it is little more than a means to an end. Cruelty does not beget friendships or allies. Cowardice does not inspire trust. Though perhaps it does inspire the age-old philosophical conundrum: is good truly good if it is done for the wrong reasons?
If there is an answer to that question, Reave does not have it.
In the end, they are both creatures who cannot be categorized as neatly as the world wants them to be. Perhaps that is what had drawn them together. Or perhaps it had merely been the whims of chance. Whatever the case may be, Reave knows he does not want to release her so easily. It’s undeniably selfish of course. She sees a side of him no one else does, and he finds himself enjoying it far too much.
“It wouldn’t exist,” he replies, the ready grin on his lips belying the gravity of his blue eyes. The world has long been built on the backs of fools and non-believers.
He had brought her to this garden because he wanted to see for himself. It is a place as wild and lawless as the land in which it had been planted. It’s why he enjoys it so much. Why he tends it, offering the plants feasts to keep them fed and healthy. And when he sees her reaction to it, he is not disappointed.
Her laughter is a caress, the delighted notes whispering across his skin with her approval. His eyes gleam as a grin creases his features, a rumble of satisfaction rolling through him. He closes the distance between them, unable to keep himself from the tumbling brightness lingering around her. Lifting his nose to touch her cheek, he murmurs, “It’s a garden worthy of stories.” He pauses, eyes glinting with something wicked. “As are you.”
reave
@Elliana