Bird of a Wing (Bow 1)

Chapter 19

There was a dark chuckle in the shaft. Similar to Tai'ray's but deeper, the sound of a predator who had found his prey. "Sayskel is the least of your worries Kelenn," Dyn'ad commented, coming out of the darkness, his wings folded behind him.

"What did your partner do to my brother?" Kelenn snarled, teeth bared, dropping the gun and drawing a dagger from his side. Eyeri and Aw'endo shifting behind him, Aw'endo hiding Eyeri in his wings. Eyeri didn't fight the treatment, holding on to the back of Aw'endo's jacket.

"Aw'en," Dyn'ad scolded, looking unhappy at his behaviour. "No need to look so scared. I'm just here to take you home. No need for fights," he added looking at Kelenn. "You can take the person Aw'endo is hiding and find your brother. He should be fine, Nel'os just knocked him out." he took a step forward but Kelenn just growled, refusing to move.

"Eyeri," Kelenn murmured. "Take Aw'en, find Sayskel and get out will you?"

"Kelenn," Aw'endo whispered.

"Do you want to go with him?" Kelenn asked seriously, understanding that tone. "If you do, say so now," he ordered sharply. Kelenn wasn't going to risk fighting with the k'nairi royal if Aw'endo wanted to go with him.

Aw'endo found himself torn. Dyn'ad was home, but he had hurt him. The weight of Eyeri holding on to his back didn't make things any easier. Painfully aware of his promise. He couldn't abandon Eyeri in the middle of a battle. Aw'endo clenched his fists, letting out an almost scared sound.

"You don't really get a say in that Kel," Dyn'ad said disapprovingly. "Aw'en is our hatchling. We made mistakes but he is still ours and it is time he came home," he said firmly. Aw'endo knew that tone, it was a threat, a parental threat but a threat. If Aw'endo didn't behave, there would be consequences.

"I want to stay here," Aw'endo said firmly, tears audible in his voice. "I don't want to go back."

"Aw'en," Dyn'ad said softly, no shortage of pain in his voice at those words, his hand reaching towards him. "Come here, please. Tai'ray is in a dangerous mood as it is. Please don't risk him turning it on you too."

"Go," Kelenn shouted.

"Bye Dyn'ad," Aw'endo whispered before two sets of footsteps ran away from them. Dyn'ad tried to follow but Kelenn got in the way, his eyes turning darker.

"Kelenn, step out the way. This is none of your business," Dyn'ad tried to reason, not wanting to fight the twin, not having enough room to be able to judge who would be the victor of such a fight. "I know we hurt him by leaving him on his own for so long, but we can't leave him here. I'm not asking you to help me, just don't block the way," he asked softly, refusing to let his voice go into pleading. He was not stupid, Kelenn likely knew about the circumstances which had led to Aw'endo running away to Ryraso. It was the twins after all, it didn't seem to matter which side the information belonged to, they knew it.

"I can't let you take one of Ryraso's sons," Kelenn growled. "I don't know what your connection is to Ry, I realise it is considerably deeper than any of us suspected but as long as Ryraso has ordered me to protect his sons, I will."

Dyn'ad nodded slowly, understanding that tone of voice clearly. Kelenn would never budge from his given objective, something Dyn'ad could respect him for even if it caused him issues now. "I understand. I just hope you understand," he warned before attacking Kelenn. Not missing what the twin had said nor the meanings. Both young men who had fled from him were Ryraso's, not just Aw'endo.

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Like walking through ice naked, or being forced into freezing cold water. The sensation of being ripped apart and put back together again. His vision blurred and the next time he blinked, he was no longer in the maintenance shafts but rather in a room where there were lots of people fighting.