A-Khalil: Reader X Caim One-Shot. Reader follows Caim and realizes how messed up he is, so she tries to silently get away but Caim, after losing Furiae, won't let her go. Angelus doesn't like that, so she burns reader. Caim, furious, attacks Angelus but loses. The dragon scoffs and leaves with defeated Caim, smirks at the dying reader.
You can change it up, but that's how much I thought up in one go.

I didn't include any other partner members (Leonard, Arioche, Seere) but Verdelet does get a little mention in the beginning. I wrote this as a break from essay-writing btw so I'm not really sure about how great this is. Also I have no idea how Caim would actually be like in a situation like this, but I tried to make it work (-: Thanks for being really specific btw, it is a huge help when I'm writing this stuff!

Not very confident in this as well, so I might rewrite this later when I'm actually in the zone. (-":

You had long forgotten the reason you were travelling with Caim. Maybe, at first, you were infatuated with him, but those feelings began to disintegrate the more you followed him around. The more you watched him kill, the more you watched him smile as he bathed in the blood of hundreds, the more you watched his merciless slaughter, the more your feelings began to change. You found that you no longer harboured the same love you felt before, but rather fear. And although you were scared you would be his next victim, you were also scared of becoming a burden.

Once upon a time, you could wield a blade; that was until you were nearly cut down in battle. Luckily Caim was there to kill your attacker, but ever since then Caim had forbidden you from ever taking to the battlefield again. You doubted the reason was for any sort of care or mercy in his heart; after all, the only things he cared for were Furiae and vengeance. There was no way the one-man army that was Caim would even shed a tear for someone like you, so you thought. Yet here he was, keeping you alive, keeping you close to his side as both you, him and the red dragon searched for Furiae. You would have talked to him, asked him why he kept you around, but you knew he couldn't talk back. Maybe he liked that about you; the fact that you didn't try to be friendly, the fact that you didn't try to talk or complain. Caim must have thought your company was good because it was peaceful. You were unlike the soldiers who screamed for help on the battlefield, unlike the ever talkative Verdelet, and unlike the prideful pact-partner he constantly had by his side.

To him, you were peace, and he desperately wanted to have that peace. If it weren't for you, his mind would have been lost a long time ago. He couldn't afford to let you go.

Yet Caim's mind was deteriorating fast, and with every battle he sacrificed a piece of himself to fuel the raging fire within. You thought he couldn't get any more damaged after killing an army of children, but yet he still pushed forward in his quest for revenge and for his sister. By the time you decided it was too risky to be around the landless prince and his pact beast, he had already killed people in the thousands, his already broken mind nearly shattered beyond repair.

It was late in the night, the sky threatening to change to the next day in but a thirty minutes or so. Caim lay next to the fire pit that was the source of the small party's warmth, eyes open and staring blankly into the sky. You didn't let his blue eyes unnerve you, though, as you knew he was perfectly capable of sleeping with both eyes open. The one you had to worry about was the red dragon, whose heightened senses would be able to detect your attempt at fleeing in less than a moment. You gathered what little possessions you had into your small, worn leather satchel and cast a wary eye down Caim's way, taking in his sleeping form. Without his armour and sword, he looked almost vulnerable. If it weren't for his clearly defined muscles and piercing blue eyes, one could mistake him for a normal prince in casual attire.

You began to second guess your decision to leave, thinking back to all those times you spent together in silence. In all your journeying together did you never say his name, did you barely speak a sentence, and now you were going to leave without saying good bye. You rubbed at your throat, E/C eyes clouded with guilt at abandoning the man who had saved your life, but you had no other choice. Caim just wasn't safe to be around anymore. The man you had once loved had fallen into a messy pit of chaos and rage, and there was no climbing out of that pit once he had fallen into it. You soundlessly squatted next to his sleeping form, gazing into his eyes. You remembered the first time you had seen him with his eyes open whilst asleep; it was one of the only times you had let out a noise, and you remembered how startled and alert he was when he woke up. You also remembered how normal he looked in that moment, like he was nothing but a young man awoken by a bump in the night. You would have laughed then if he didn't reach for his sword immediately after.

A small smile began to slowly spread across your delicate features, but you quickly shook it off. Caim was crazy. You weren't safe. You had to leave him for your own good.

You decided it was best to leave without waking Caim or the red dragon. Caim would most certainly stop you, and you were just worried the dragon would be grumpy enough to kill you if you woke her. You stood up, dusting off your knees, before waving good bye to the sleeping prince. You then turned to face the mighty dragon sleeping only a few metres away from you and Caim, and waved farewell to her as well. You knew they couldn't see it, but so long as you knew you had said your goodbyes, you could leave with a clear conscious. Tucking a single H/C strand of hair behind your ear, you turned away from the warmth of the fire. You, Caim and the red dragon were camped in a dense forest, but you knew that what lay beyond was a grassy field where you would be safe from any surprise attacks. Gripping onto your satchel, you began to walk off as silently as possible, being careful to step over any sticks and potential tripping hazards.

Soon, you realised the difficulties that came with straying further and further away from the light of the fire. The small pebbles you could see in the warm glow of the flames were suddenly invisible, and you found yourself stumbling through the woods. Just as the sky started to lighten up, you found yourself breathing a sigh of relief. You could see a little better, but the campsite was still visible from where you were. You knew Caim would awaken as soon as the sun rose, so you quickly hurried through the shrubs, trying your hardest to be out of sight before your saviour-gone-mad awoke. Alas, your plan had backfired.

You craned your neck to look behind you, and you turned just in time to see Caim begin to sit up. Even from here, you could tell he was trying to find you. Normally you would be across the fire from him, but you were nowhere to be seen. You froze in place, watching him get up and frantically search the site and the bushes closest to him. Your heart began to beat fast; you had to leave, now, otherwise it would be too late. If he saw you now, running away from him in the forest, he would never let you leave his sight again. He lost his parents, his little sister. He couldn't afford to lose you, too.

The next thing he did was wake the sleeping dragon, and she did not look happy.

"Caim?" She spoke, her shrill voice reverberating through your core, "You best have a good reason for waking me at this ungodly hour. You need not forget that we must save our strength." Caim began opening and closing his mouth in response, making quick and desperate arm motions. You swore you could see the panic in his eyes from where you were hidden, and you were a little glad to see something other than bloodlust in them. Still, he was in a panic, and it was all your fault. With guilt weighing in your stomach like lead, you turned your back from the painful scene and walked on ahead.

You tried your most careful to not stumble over anything, and you succeeded. But whilst you did not stumble and fall on your face, you did the next worse thing.

You stepped on a very, very dry stick.

A sickening crack echoed throughout the near-silent forest, and you swore the whole world had its eyes on you.

Caim certainly did, anyway.

You looked behind you, posture rigid and eyes wide with fear. You were scared about what he would do to you for trying to leave. Would he be angry at you? Hit you? Torture you, kill you, even? You so desperately wanted to escape the madman, yet you were frozen to the ground. He ran towards you, pushing thorny shrubs and bushes away with his bare hands, and you could see his haunting blue eyes from a mile away. They stabbed through your heart, your soul, and they made you want to cry and run away. But before you knew it, he was right in front of you. You could see his lips parted as he took in deep breaths, but you couldn't hear them. You stared at him for a long while, and he soon began waving his arms about to try and communicate with you. But he needn't do that—Caim needn't words nor actions to tell you how he was feeling. One look into his eyes was all you needed.

'Why would you leave me?'

'I can't lose you like I lost Furiae.'

'If you leave, who would protect you?'

'Stay with me. Please.'

'You need me.'

And as you looked into his pleading eyes, you could have sworn it was he who needed you instead. Yet still you could not understand why he would need you. You were no healer, you were no fighter, you were no mage and you had no pact to strengthen what little power you had in you. Surely there was no other reason besides your silent company and conversations?

Caim's firm grip on your elbows brought you out of your racing thoughts, and you instantly felt your heart rate increase out of fear. Before his touch would have brought you happiness—a single pat on the shoulder would have given you the most intense butterflies—but the murderer before you was not the man you loved. You tried to break your arms free from his grasp, but his rough hands slipped down to tighten around your wrist. You were being dragged to the campsite in the heart of the forest, where the red dragon awaited Caim's return. You knew she let you leave because she wanted you out of the picture; the almighty dragon, with her monstrously sensitive senses, surely heard you in her sleep. You dug your heels into the ground, trying to force Caim to stop, but he was too strong. He looked back to your face, his deep brown locks waving in the breeze along with your H/C hair. His blue eyes told you one thing;

'I won't let you go.'

Yet still you squirmed, yet still he pulled you back from where you had tried to run from. Once you reached the outskirts of your campground, you had had enough. You couldn't stay silent anymore.

"Caim!" You spoke, voice hoarse from lack of use. Caim visibly flinched when he heard his name, and turned to look at you once more. You grabbed at your throat, massaging it in hopes of calming your nervousness. The landless prince had nearly forgotten you weren't mute until you called out his name. "Caim… Caim, I'm leaving. I can't stay with you anymore." Your grating voice gradually returned to normal, and you released your hand from your throat. You shook your wrist free from Caim's grasp, and he looked at you with the most shock you had ever seen.

"The silent one speaks only when in desperation." The red dragon sniggered, raising her head from its resting position only to let out a smug draconic smile. You shook your head, averting your gaze to your dirtied boots. Was what she said really true?

Caim took a step forward, and you took a step backwards. He furrowed his brows, frustration evident on his face. He wanted to get closer to you, not repel you. Caim looked to the ground for a few seconds, trying his hardest to come up with a way to convey his feelings without words or actions that could hurt you. He suddenly looked up once more, staring straight into your eyes. He was pleading. You were his lifeline, and he knew he would completely break without you to support him.

"I cannot stay, Caim," Your voice slightly trembled, rising your hand to rest on your chest in hopes of slowing your beating heart, "You have changed. You are no longer the man who let me fight by his side. You are no longer the man who saved my life. You are deranged, Caim. Please, please realise why I cannot stay." You were close to breaking into tears now, the thoughts you never wanted to voice were spilling forth from your throat.

Suddenly, Caim's hands slammed down onto your shoulders. Although you were expecting the impact to be harsh with the sudden speed of the action, his touch was soft and delicate. Who knew such a ruthless man could control his brute strength? Whilst you were processing the wonders of the man in front of you, he did something completely unexpected.

His rugged hands fell down to your shoulder blades, and he pulled you into his chest. It took you a while to realise what Caim was doing. He was hugging you.

At first your hands were by your sides, but they unconsciously brought themselves up to wrap around his back. You could feel his body tense at your touch, and you ended up gripping his shirt tightly. You could feel his warmth, uninterrupted with no cold armour to seal it away. In his arms—in this monster's arms—you felt truly at peace. You wished it would always be like this, but you knew that as soon as it hit midday, Caim would be off fighting imperials with that psychotic grin of his. You let your arms drop, and his bare hands came back to your shoulders soon after. As you both parted from the embrace, his gaze told you but one word;

'Please.'

You opened your mouth to say something, but your syllables were drowned out by the voice of the red dragon instead.

"Foolish humans. Caim, Y/N is not necessary. She has realised this, and wishes to unburden you." The dragon spoke, trying to persuade Caim to let you go. The warrior looked up to the beast and then to you, speaking telepathically to his partner. "Do not argue with me. Do not let your pitiful love cloud your judgement. If you really think her so useful, so worthy to be in our presence," she hissed, rising from her resting place on the ground, "then I shall make it otherwise."

Your E/C eyes grew wide and darted between Caim and his pact beast, and the prince was filled with a sudden sense of realisation and dread. Caim opened his mouth in a silent roar as he rushed towards the red dragon, face contorted with anger. How dare she threaten to hurt you? To render you 'unworthy'? The very notion was preposterous. His sword ever by his waist, he unsheathed it, prepared to use force to persuade his partner to leave you be.

Yet he was too late.

The red dragon let out a searing cone of red-hot fire, and it was shooting its way towards you. Caim, realising his mistake in leaving you alone, took a sharp turn to look behind him.

He saw you, frozen in fear, lips trembling and eyes like a deer struck by headlights. The whole world was in slow-motion, and no matter how hard Caim tried, he wouldn't be able to reach his most precious person in time.

The fire hit you with a heat so blistering it felt like you would be incinerated right then and there. Yet by some miracle, you found it in you to dash to the side, leaving only your right arm and leg badly burned. You let out a painful shout, tears brimming and quickly falling down your fragile face. You gripped your sizzling arm with your free one, which only seemed to make the pain worse.

This was the first time Caim had seen you in so much pain. If this were anyone else, he wouldn't have even batted an eye, but he found himself even more enraged than usual. He clenched his teeth together, body slowly turning to face his pact partner. All he could think about was killing the dragon. How dare she hurt you? How dare she disfigure you?

"Ah, it appears I have missed." She sighed, both voice and face aloof, "You humans are full of surprises. All unpleasant, but surprises nonetheless." She spoke, before turning her snout up at Caim. "Do not be foolish, Caim. You cannot kill me. If you do, you only bring about your own demise, and then who would protect your most precious human? I would remind you that the imperials can be quite evil with their prisoners. If Y/N were to fall into their hands, mayhap she would rather she was cut down here instead." The carnelian dragon sniggered, only edging on Caim's anger further.

Caim instantly readied his sword, running full throttle towards his partner. He didn't care if he would die because of her death. No one hurts you and gets away with it. You tried to scream for him to stop, but amongst all your hiccups and sobs, no words would be able to meet his ears. You collapsed to the ground, pain nearly blinding you as you watched Caim get knocked down with a single strike. Normally his rage served to help him in battle, but too much of one thing only lead to one's downfall—Caim having too much rage leading to him being sloppy in his attacks. Each time he got up and swung his sword, the red dragon would simply swat him to the side until he could no longer stand up.

"Caim!" Amongst all your choked sobs, you managed to call out his name. His burning eyes managed to meet yours, and as the sun finally began to peek through the treetops, he could have sworn you smiled. "I'm ok. You'll be ok. It's fine. Just, please, stop—"

Another burst of flame. It hit you front on, and a proud red dragon stood tall to bask in her magnificently gruesome feat.

"I could barely tell the difference between her and a cockroach." She scoffed, before turning to Caim. "Caim, do not waste your feelings on someone so inferior. Y/N was nothing, the lowest of all humans. She could not even lift a sword without getting herself into danger. Do not weep for her, for they would be wasted tears."

But Caim didn't weep. He was far too broken for that.

First, his parents were killed by dragons. Then, Furiae was kidnapped by that same dragon. Now, his most precious person had been burned alive by yet another dragon.

He couldn't stand it anymore. And when he saw your hands grab at the ground, watching you desperately try to lift yourself up, he had felt utterly defeated.

What was the point in going on if you weren't there with him?

He was so distraught he didn't even register the fact that his pact beast had scooped him up in her claws and begun flying away. His vibrant blue eyes were dulling. After all the people, monsters, children he'd killed, your death had impacted him the most. He knew he would never be the same again. And in that moment, as he watched your writhing body disappear behind the heads of hundreds of trees, he realised he was in love. He realised it too late. Why, oh god, did he not realise his feelings sooner? Maybe he could have acted on them. No matter; now you were left for dead, crawling on the ground as your flesh bubbled and pooled on the lush grass beneath your body.

The red dragon couldn't help but smirk, and beat her heavy, leathery wings towards their next battle.