-GUTHOUND-: Il Capitano X Male Reader, SMUT

[5] - Celestial Wardens.

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Later, Outside
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You and Capitano are walking, or rather, you follow Capitano's lead to who knows where. The air is cold but not unpleasant, the sharp breeze carrying the scent of snow as powdery flakes drift lazily from the snow-laden branches. Despite the chill, the sun shines brightly, casting a golden glow over the icy landscape, making the frost shimmer as if the entire world were encased in diamonds.
Yet, the beauty of the scenery is lost in the heavy silence that hangs between you two.

The Captain, imposing as ever, is silent for most of the journey, his heavy steps crunching rhythmically in the snow. It's unnerving, walking beside the enemy, as if this were nothing more than a casual stroll through the park. But his silence is different now, less of a commanding presence and more of an ominous weight, as if the atmosphere between you could crack at any moment.
You find your gaze drifting to his broad back, his heavy coat swaying with each step, and the long, raven-black hair that falls over his shoulders like shadows...

"Guthound," Capitano's deep voice breaks the quiet, though he doesn't turn to face you. "How well acquainted are you with Khaenri'ah... and the Abyss Order?"

"...?" You blink, caught off guard by the sudden question. You look up at the back of his head. "...I don't think I know all that much about it," you admit, your curiosity piqued regardless.

"I need to take care of something related to the Abyss Order," Capitano continues, his voice carrying an edge of something you can't quite place... weariness, perhaps. "You will accompany me."

"Me? Accompany you on a mission?" You raise an eyebrow, a grin spreading across your face as you chuckle under your breath. "Where to?"

"New Khaenri'ahn ruins have been discovered in Snezhnaya. The environment is hostile... extremely hostile. It has already claimed the lives of many soldiers over a short period of time." Capitano's voice is flat, as though the loss of life were nothing more than a statistic. "I need to go there on my own."

He turns his head just enough to side-eye you, his gaze sharp even through his mask. "Do you think you can handle that?"

"Tsk, of course." You tilt your head, intrigued by his cryptic tone. "But what's in it for me?"

Capitano stops in his tracks, his figure a looming silhouette against the snowy horizon. The silence stretches, almost suffocating, before he speaks again, his voice quieter, darker.
"...If the mission succeeds..." He pauses, staring out into the snow-covered path ahead, "...I will die."

"...?" You stop too, staring at Capitano in confusion. His words don't make sense... how could the success of a mission lead to his death? Your mind races, trying to understand.

"Listen closely." Capitano sighs, the sound heavy, filled with something deeper than mere exhaustion. He continues walking, but slower now, as if every step took more effort than the last.
"Khaenriah and celestia have always been on bad terms and one of celestia's way to destroy Khaenriah was to send three celestial creatures of destruction over the land.
There were born simply to squish the people there to death, but ended up befriending Khaenri'ahns and betraying celestia.
With the cataclysm, the creatures were wiped off of the surface, but their souls chose the statues that the civilization made to honor the creatures as vessles, an attempt to escape the cruelty of the gods and continue to exist with free will in the inanimate objects.
After the cataclysm and the fall of the kingdom. These statues became parts of ruins, and at the end only one of them was left, the statue of a female creature with the lower body of a feline called 'Felindra'."

You follow, but your eyes remain fixed on him, the tension between you shifting in an unsettling way as his voice claims a certain seriousness.

"The fragments of the statue are watched by manipulated abyssal beings that protect the statue, violently battling off anyone to stay away from the unbearable power surrounding it, as well as the divine energy in its core."
Capitano lifts his head, looking up to the clear sky.
"...These beings... They were sent by the gods to kill Khaenri'ahns, and now the question is if they can kill those who suffer the curse with their mixed divine powers."

His usual strength and certainty seem dulled, like a blade worn down by too many battles, by the loss and trauma hanging in his past. The man in front of you, the same Captain who once crushed you in battle, seems... burdened. There's a weight on him that goes beyond the mission... a weight that perhaps even he can no longer carry.

"And? You want to die so bad?" You simply add, almost mocking.
"..." Capitano answers with silence only, the weight of the idea of death heavier than you expected on him. Capitano's gaze shifts back onto the ground, ignoring your ruthless question.
"...Felindra might know things about the curse and how to break it. Breaking it results in death, and killing a Khaenri'ahn with whatever divine power she has results in death."

Whatever awaits at these ruins, it isn't just a mission for him... it's an end. And once again you're doubting your intentions with this man.

"Ah, and let me guess. I am the perfect companion because
1. I'm interesting
2. I'm strong
3. You don't care if i die and
4. I want you to die?"
You come to the conclusion, now more invested into the journery than you expected.

"Exactly, and if i die, you can take on the title as 'Il Capitano's murderer', and therefore my position as a Harbinger as long as you can defend it."
Capitano adds, making the offer to accompany him even more attractive.

"Sure. Why not" you grin with malice, continuing to follow Capitano with a new sense of determination.

The Captain nods "We will arrive in the evening and rest until tomorrow at the nearby inn. I will organize your bedroom."