Lion Head Mesa Blue Light

For @Safiya
Attn. @Meseba
Set for about a week ago but can be redated if it causes any timeline issues <3

The Mesa rose in the distance, its towering silhouette etched against the molten hues of a dying sun. When at last he was close enough to notice the borders—the scent of which had strengthened undeniably since he had last set paw here—the half-breed had gathered up the last of his energy reserves and ran.

Crossing the stone archway into the palace’s cool depths, Machi felt a wave of relief wash over him, yet he did not take time to dwell upon it. To stop now would be to risk the frail momentum that kept him upright. He had a job to do—he still needed to send word to Eset, to let her know he had arrived, but first, there was something more important: Safiya.

The dog moved swiftly, opal eyes scanning every corridor, every hidden chamber where she might be. The sesh's den held only silence, and likewise, the guard's chambers too were devoid of her presence. With each empty room, the knot in his chest tightened, a spark of panic that threatened to take root. Had she been moved back to Muat-Riya? Or worse, had some other attack taken place after Meseba departed?

Finally, his search led him to the training grounds, the rhythmic thud of clashing paws echoing faintly in the chilly air. Machi's steps softened, gaze sweeping the grounds until it landed on her—the smallest figure among the Mazoi, standing strong despite her size. Relief surged through him, an ache in its own right, as the weight he had carried since the attack lifted, carried away in the wind alongside his misting breath.

For a moment, he lingered in the shadows, watching her. There she was, alive and whole, or so it seemed from behind. How he wanted to stay hidden a little longer, to take a moment to absorb the reality of her survival, of her presence. Yet, he trembled with fatigue, his whole body and mind buzzing from exhaustion. If he paused even a second longer, he might crumple where he stood.

Machi stepped forward, his breath unsteady as he pushed the single word past his lips, the name carried on a voice roughened by months of hardship,

Safiya.