It was the first time I'd seen the beast, yet it knew me by name. Raiya stood next to me, speechless. I noticed that she could barely stand. I was no better. I was long past the point of passing out. I only managed to remain standing thanks to sheer willpower.
"Do I know you?" I finally asked.
"No, but I know you," the beast replied. It spoke like us. No voice penetrated my soul or spoke inside my head. It spoke clearly, articulated every word as though it had learned our tongue from birth.
The beast turned to Raiya and observed her with its feline eyes. It was difficult to discern what Abrath thought at that moment. Reading through a beast's facial expressions wasn't among my specialties. Their eyes met, and they stared at each other in silence. After a while, Abrath spoke again.
"Raiya O'Cheran, the witch that beat all the odds." the beast said. "What does your heart yearn for?"
"I want to see her smile one more time," Raiya immediately replied.
