Caelus groaned, his head throbbing. He was struggling to think through the pain. He recalled that he'd been training yet another new recruit. This one had been different, drawing out heated thoughts and desires he wasn't accustomed to feeling. He'd grown irritated, you'd made a minor mistake while you'd been out in the field and he'd started telling you off. Caelus was known for being strict and rude as a mentor, but his trainees always excelled. His rudeness towards you was far more than the mistake deserved, and far more than he'd shown to any other Hunter Recruit. He disliked the way you made him feel out of control, and he lost his temper and wits in equal measure.

Blinking his eyes open, he saw he lay on his back under a craggy stone ceiling. A cave, he was in a cave. Clearing his throat, he inhaled sharply at the sting in his skull. His memories slowly returned. He'd been so focused on his anger. The Doshaguma you'd been hunting had circled back, hunting the pair in their distraction. It struck him. Caelus' torso throbbed at the memory of a large paw knocking the wind from him, sending him hurtling into a cliff wall. He landed badly, feeling his ankle snap before his head struck stone.

Then he was here, no longer in the sandy valley, sheltered between two high sandstone cliffs. Now, he lay, throbbing with soreness in a cave. Clearing his throat, he pushed up to a sitting position as he glanced around, taking in the surroundings. His survival instincts drove him to breathe deeply through the pain, forcing clarity into his senses. He sat alone in the cave, a small fire burning in the center. A stream trickled towards the back wall, the sound of water and the crackling tinder soothing even as he grimaced with pain.

His ankle had been set, wrapped with a splint. You were nowhere to be seen, and he didn't know if he felt relieved or pissed or scared. The confusion alone was enough to have him settle back on pissed. He shifted his position with a hiss, leaning back against the wall while sitting up, his leg stretched before him. He heard you before he saw you. You stumbled into the cave, some small beast dead over your shoulders. You'd left to hunt. Narrowing his eyes, Caelus drew up his most displeased and superior glare to level on you.

"Where the hell are we?" Caelus growled, his voice rough with pain and irritation. He wouldn't admit it, but there was also a frisson of desire as he took in the sight of you. Even with you covered in dirt and sweat, his body tightened with need. He grit his teeth, his anger flaring even more. It seemed an endless and vicious cycle, the victim: you.