Chapter One Hundred and Four: Piper's Punishment
An extremely stiff silence permeated the room.
Gus was glaring profusely, Vrael was visibly displeased, and Amelia was frowning at the wall. Ella and Sinmir, on the other hand, were giving him reassuring gazes. He felt uncomfortable when he cast a quick glance at Vordt to see him fuming.
Anger was radiating off of his body in waves.
"Why must you always disregard us?" Gus muttered, shaking his head. "Does what we think matter that little to you, Phil?"
He frowned at the blonde man intensely. This wasn't easy to talk about, and he wanted to get it over as quickly as possible.
"Quite the contrary," he shot back. "It matters more than you realize. That's why I rarely talk to you guys about these sorts of things."
Gus obviously didn't know how to respond to that.
"Since my part in this discussion is over," Vordt grunted, "I'll be taking my leave."
Xaphile's ears drooped when he rose to his feet. Everyone watched as he stalked towards the door, tail flicking to and fro... but just before he walked outside, he paused and glanced over his shoulder. His gaze was barbed.
"You have three hours to ready yourself for your next lesson. I'll be waiting for you across the lake. Once you're there... we need to have a serious talk."
Then he turned around and vanished, closing the door behind him. Everyone was quiet for a moment.
"Why would you allow him to travel with us?" Vrael asked, looking grim. "Phil, seriously... family or not, he did some really terrible things to you and Ella. Can we really trust him?"
"I'm not asking you to trust him," Xaphile murmured. "I'm asking you to trust me. Please, give him a chance. Nobody's perfect. We all make mistakes."
Vrael looked down at his plate.
"I see," he said, then cleared his throat. "If that's how you really feel, then I'll support your choice."
Amelia looked thoughtful.
"His reaction doesn't give me much to go on," she noted, "but I suppose we'll all keep a careful eye on him, just to be safe. And I want all of us to be honest if he causes any problems."
Xaphile nodded and stood up, grabbing a drying cloth and some bath supplies out of his pack.
"I'm gonna go take a quick dip in the hot springs," he muttered, turning to head for the door; before he could make it there, Ella's hand clamped firm around his own, halting him.
He knew she could sense the turmoil he felt. Her eyes were worried.
"You know where I am if you wish to talk," she said. "Do not hesitate."
Her eyes never left his face, gaze seeming to intensify with every passing moment.
Xaphile nodded wordlessly and gently pulled out of her grasp, heading outside.
His thoughts were circling around and around, and he felt his heart burning as he closed the door behind him. Trotting over to the hot springs, he dropped the towel, then pulled off his pants and folded them up on the ground.
Familiar heat washed across his body when he dove in and submerged himself.
Once he resurfaced, he snatched some soap and started washing his hair, running through the lengthy process with a speed that would have surprised him a few months ago. Then he got out, wrapping the towel around his waist.
Flopping down on the stone outcropping surrounding the eastern edge of the springs, he decided to let himself air dry and stared off into space, planting his chin on his palm.
He was actually really frustrated and disappointed by everyone's reaction to his choice. He'd thought they would have understood how he felt about everything.
Gus, in particular, constantly made him feel like everything he did or said was stupid, and he didn't like it at all.
His tail flicked back and forth across the stones as he pondered his relationship with the hunter.
Ever since Gus had punched him in the face, he couldn't help but feel like things were tense and slightly aggressive between them. It was obvious that the man strongly disliked him, and while he couldn't really blame him for it, he also didn't know how to make things right.
Didn't know if he could make things right.
"Xaphile?"
He jumped, then adjusted the towel, making sure it was covering his lower body properly before turning to look over his shoulder. Ella was standing not too far away. When he met her gaze evenly, the uncertain look on her face turned into a scowl.
The I'm-relieved-but-I'll-never-admit-it one.
"I was just letting myself dry off," he explained. "Needed to think."
"You were taking awhile. I wanted to be sure you were all right."
The poorly hidden concern in her eyes made him feel awkward for some reason. Heat slowly crept up his neck and into his ears without warning so he turned back around.
"I... yeah. I'm not crying or anything," he mumbled, pulling a long strand of hair from behind his back and running his claws through it. "I was just... I dunno. I was hoping they would have been more forgiving of what he did. It was wrong, but... he's trying to make things right."
Ella sat down beside him, planting her hands on the damp stones and looking at the sky.
A gust of wind brushed across his face and ruffled her snowy hair. When a few strands caught the light, he turned slightly, noticing with a blink that it was longer.
Just as his had grown out more, so had hers. It framed her face better than the boyish pixie cut she'd had when they'd first met.
"Your hair's gotten longer."
She jumped when he said it, then flushed scarlet and awkwardly fiddled with her hair.
"I... decided to grow it out," she sniffed, haughty tone mismatching her red face. "I am a woman, after all, and I am growing ever closer and closer to adulthood. I'm afraid that I might need something to make up for my lack of a comely figure in the years to come. Long, beautiful hair will suffice."
That strange ember inside him flared for a moment, although he didn't know why.
He looked away, but a few moments later, her head came to rest on his shoulder. He paused in the middle of running his claws through his hair, then continued without a word.
The two of them sat there in comfortable silence for while.
"What are you thinking about?"
The question caught him off guard.
He turned, glancing at her in surprise, then returned his attention to his tresses.
"I'm thinking about my uncle," he admitted, then reluctantly added, "and Gus."
She caught his wrist mid-stroke and he turned to look at her. Those pale pink eyes snared his own and he suddenly found himself unable to look away.
"Why not find an opportunity to talk to him?" she asked. "I can feel the discomfort merely mentioning him causes you, and quite frankly, his withdrawn and short-tempered mood has been bothering me deeply, too. I think you should sit down and really talk with him."
He tried to pull away from her, but she wouldn't let go.
So, he gave up.
"If that's what you think I should do, then I will," he said. "I'll talk to Gus, but not right now. Later on this evening, after I've finished my training for the day, I'll chat with him."
He wasn't expecting her face to soften, but soften it did.
She went from giving him a mild glare to a look so gentle that it made his gut tighten. He swallowed, once again feeling so awkward that he had to look away.
"Thank you."
Not long after, her head once again came to rest on his shoulder, but before the two of them could really fall back into a comfortable silence, the sound of multiple wing beats filled the air.
Xaphile looked up and turned slightly, brows furrowing when he saw two angelic figures flying towards the island from the mainland.
One was significantly larger than the other, too.
He frowned deeply and rose to his feet.
"Ella, turn around for a second," he muttered, grabbing his pants and waiting until she complied. "Someone's coming."
She said nothing while he shrugged his pantaloons back on, taking a few moments to thread his tail through the hole before tying the draw string tightly. He took the opportunity to flex his back muscles and spread his wings, flapping them to shake out as much water as possible.
Once his feathers were damp rather than soaked, he folded them again and waited, eyeing the visitors with a confused expression. Ella stood when they landed, pulling the hood of her cloak up and keeping a watchful eye on them.
To Xaphile's surprise, it was Bonks and the same elder faery who'd tended to him before the ceremony. The one with the wavy strawberry blonde hair.
Kahn.
"Bonks?" he called, raising an eyebrow when the kid flinched and hunched his shoulders. "What are you doing here?"
"He is here to bend his knee to you and beg for your mercy and forgiveness," Kahn said in a deep, very icy tone as the two of them approached. "He has committed a crime against you."
Ella stiffened, but Xaphile merely stared in absolute confusion.
"What do you mean? What did he do?"
Kahn turned his eyes on Piper, who flinched and walked forward without prompting.
Shoulders shivering slightly, he sank down to one knee right in front of Xaphile and lowered his head, long blond hair sliding across his slim shoulders and brushing against the wet stone.
"There is nothing that I can say to defend what I have done," he said in a small voice. "During the night of the celebration... I lost my senses. And I... I-I tried to dominate your female servant."
"Huh?" Ella scoffed, blinking rapidly when Xaphile's head flew to look at her in alarm. "What are you saying? I don't even remember seeing your face after I followed Xaphile, so w..."
She stopped talking mid sentence and her face went even whiter than her hair.
Horror crept across her features.
When it dawned on him who Bonks was actually talking about, Xaphile felt a surge of fury run throughout his whole body. His hands slowly balled into fists.
"What did you do to her?"
Bonks didn't raise his head.
"I found her in the woods," he mumbled. "I wanted her... so badly. Her fragrance was so sweet that I could taste it on the air. I did not care that I had not gained your permission to do with her as I pleased."
"That's not what I asked. Tell me, now! What did you do to her?!"
"N-nothing!" Bonks squeaked. "I did not get very far. Another one of your servants attacked me before I could take her... but I did... s-strike her, and I... I-I damaged her seeing crystals."
Xaphile's muscles tensed.
He had a sudden desire to punch Bonks in the face, but he calmed that part of himself down. This had happened while he'd been under the influence of the Aldrakian Blood Rage, so it wasn't his fault completely.
Plus, if Xaphile actually hit him over what he'd almost done, it would have been like repeating the incident with Gus in the Syl Mountains. He couldn't and wouldn't do something like that.
"Who was it that saved her?" Ella asked. "Do you know?"
"The elvish boy," Bonks timidly explained. "He stopped me."
Xaphile sighed, then glanced at Kahn, who was waiting with a grim countenance.
"What sort of punishment is this crime you mentioned worthy of?"
The elder didn't meet his eye.
"That is for you to decide," he said in a rather stoic tone, "but in the distant past, there have been more than a few cases when a young male of our clan did what this fool tried to. Each of the penalties varied greatly depending on the level of attachment the master had for his or her servant."
"What was the most extreme and what was the most lenient?"
"The most lenient... if I recall correctly, banishment. The most extreme... a duel to the death."
Xaphile felt shocked.
"Are you serious?"
Kahn's eyes were unwavering.
"We are a very, very territorial clan, young one," he said. "To dominate another's personal servant, or mate, without permission is a very extreme crime within our community. His brothers and his sire are all very well aware of his actions and they also know that his judgement is being passed by you on this day."
Xaphile's blood went cold for a moment when he realized that he was literally holding another boy's life in his hands.
The seriousness of the situation made him feel morbidly upset.
Then he collected his wits and let out a sigh through his nose.
"Bonks," he muttered, wincing when the kid flinched. "Raise your head and stand up."
Knees knocking, the blonde did as he was told, trying to keep his face blank.
"W-what is your judgement?" he squeaked. "I will accept it, no matter what it is."
Xaphile regarded him with furrowed brows.
"Fine," he said. "First, you're going to apologize to Amelia on your hands and knees for everything that you tried to do to her. After she forgives you for it, you can go back home, but only on the conditions she lays out for you. That seems like a sound, reasonable punishment."
Bonks looked stunned, but behind him, Kahn seemed beyond it: he was looking like he'd gone into actual shock.
"W-wait," Bonks stammered, eyes widening. "So, you're not going to banish or... k-kill me?"
"No. I'm not."
"W-why?!"
"Two reasons. The first being that you didn't actually manage to pull off what you attempted, horrible as it was, and the second that I'm not even the one who should be deciding your punishment. Amelia was the one you assaulted, so we'll let her do the deciding."
"Sounds fair," Ella grimly noted. "I'll go get her."
Bonks watched as she turned on her heel and swept away from them, vanishing into the lodge.
A few minutes passed, but when she came out again, it was with Amelia and Vrael in tow. The brunette paled when she saw Bonks and her footsteps faltered a little.
"What is the meaning of this?" she asked. "What's going on?"
"Well, basically, we just found out that Bonks tried to do something... bad to you," Xaphile said in a slow, irritated tone. "He has something he wants to say."
When he folded his arms, the blonde boy turned and got down on his hands and knees.
"I beg your forgiveness!" he cried. "Truly. Nothing I say can make right what I tried to do to you, and for that, I am sorry! Please forgive me!"
Amelia visibly became flustered.
"I... I don't know how to react," she stammered. "You... you attempted to rape me."
"I did. And I am sorry."
"You broke my glasses."
"I... I did. And I am sorry."
"You're the one who gets to decide his punishment," Xaphile said quietly. "Anything you say goes, Amelia. What he did was wrong, and I fully believe that because it was you who fell victim to his actions, you're the only one who has a right to decide."
"How can I decide a punishment right on the spot?!"
She bit her lip, then stepped back... but she bumped against Vrael's chest. When she glanced over her shoulder, she was met with a stony brown-eyed glare.
"How about castration?" he grumpily suggested. "That seems like a fitting punishment."
When Amelia glanced at Xaphile in horror, he looked away, feeling a little sick. It was here that she regained her wits.
"No, that's much too harsh," she sighed, shaking her head. "No. I think... if I'm really going to decide his punishment... it should fit what he tried to do."
"Castration fits."
"Vrael, Silence. He was under the influence of magic, and he obviously couldn't handle it. I think he should wait five more years before he is allowed by your community to sleep with anyone. That is what I want. He lacks necessary restraint."
"Then that is what his punishment shall be," Kahn said simply. "So, he has your forgiveness?"
Amelia looked down at Bonks, blue eyes flitting from his small, barely visible horns to his glossy blonde hair, then to his white wings and long tail.
"Yes," she murmured. "I forgive him. But I also want him to know that I would not have been able to had he actually done what he was attempting to do that night."
"Then it's settled," Xaphile muttered. "Bonks, feel free to leave. And Kahn? Thank you for letting us know about this, because it was actually the first we've heard of it."
When the elder nodded, Bonks stood up and gave him a watery-eyed expression of relief, then lunged forward and threw his arms around Xaphile's waist.
"You really deserve your title as the Compassionate One," he whimpered against his chest. "I-I truly owe you my life, and my gratitude. I'll never forget this moment, I swear it."
"You had better not. Because quite frankly, even though she forgave you, I'm still a little angry. What you did was very, very wrong. Learn from this and see that this kind of situation never happens again."
"You have my word that I shall," Bonks sniffed, pulling away. "My brothers and I will all come visit you when we are able to. Again, thank you... I owe you."
Xaphile folded his arms and watched as Bonks and Kahn both took to the air, damp hair being blasted back by the gusts coming off their wings.
They departed not long after, soaring away like birds of flight and disappearing from view, but after they were gone a grim silence hovered over everyone's heads.
Xaphile turned to look at Vrael and Amelia, who refused to meet his gaze.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
The two of them winced simultaneously at his tone.
"I did not wish to worry anyone," Amelia explained. "I am sure you can understand that. I also coerced Vrael into remaining silent about it, so do not fault him for this situation. If anything, I am only chaste because he came to my aid."
"Are you... doing all right?" Ella tentatively asked. "What he tried to do didn't bring back... bad memories... did it?"
Amelia's blue eyes lost their reflective sheen for a second, but she quickly blinked and fixed all of them with a calm smile. The odd momentary shift in her expression was gone so fast that Xaphile wasn't even sure he'd seen it.
"No, Ella. It was frightening, but I didn't recall any... bad memories."
He glanced back and forth between the girls in confusion, then looked at Vrael to see him shrug with an equally baffled expression.
"Let's head back inside and relax," Ella muttered. "It's already been a long morning."
"I agree. Let's go in."
"Phil and I will join you girls later," Vrael immediately told them. "I need to have a conversation with him about his uncle, among other things."
"Have fun," Ella called, already walking towards the lodge.
Amelia cast a glance back at them, but she offered no protest to heading indoors after her. Xaphile turned to look at the elf when he sighed, sinking down into a squat and covering his face with a single hand.
"This is stressful," he mumbled into his palm. "How do you manage to handle this kind of pressure so well, Phil?"
"I don't actually handle it. I just hide the fact that it bothers me."
"Ah. Well, damn. That blows. Bah, forget it. I'm just glad that it's finally out in the open," he sighed. "I hate keeping secrets like that from people. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth."
"Same. Now, you said you wanted to talk to me about my uncle."
"I do. Tell me, why'd you make the choice to let him come with us?"
Xaphile frowned, but he didn't break eye contact with his friend.
"I decided to let him come because he seems kinda like he's changing a bit."
"Changing?"
"Yeah."
"How so?"
"For the better. The way his behavior shifted after he went through my memories is pretty similar to how Ella's did, only some things are coming faster and others are pretty much absent altogether. He also apologized and said he wanted to start over... so, we are."
Vrael tilted his head, then stood up and turned, walking right up to him.
"You know?" he murmured, smiling a little. "I've had an intense amount of dislike for him after finding out about what he did to you, but truthfully, I don't like Ella or Gus all that much either. He's your uncle, though... and were I in your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing."
"Really?" Xaphile asked, feeling dubiously surprised. "Why?"
"Because like you, I can forgive and trust a family member much easier than I would a stranger, even if that person has wronged me an endless amount of times. It's just how families work."
They stared at each other for a long time, then Xaphile sighed and stepped forward, pulling him into a tight hug.
"Whoa! What brought this on?"
"Dude," he muttered, "shut up. Just accept the hug and move on."
"Er... okay."
Vrael chuckled awkwardly for a moment, then relaxed and returned the embrace just as tightly. When they stepped away, he was smirking.
"Thanks," Xaphile muttered, giving him a grateful expression. "I really needed that."
"You're welcome!" Vrael cheerfully exclaimed, then his ears wiggled. "If you ever need another one in the future, don't hesitate to ask. I've got an endless amount right here!"
He made a show of spreading his arms and puffing his chest out.
"I'll make sure to remember that," Xaphile noted. "I'm going to leave a little bit earlier than everyone's expecting, though. I want to start working on my training."
"Go on ahead. I'll cover ya."
When Vrael grinned at him, brown eyes gleaming, he felt the ember of warmth within his breast expand. He smiled before he could stop himself and set a gentle hand on Vrael's arm.
"Thanks, bro. Catch ya later."
Then he walked off with a wave, not turning around. He didn't need to look back to know that there was a stunned, giddy look slowly spreading across Vrael's face. He just felt it.
After all, it was the first time he had ever called Vrael 'Bro.'