Bird of a Flock (Bow 2) - Chapter 26: Chapter 26

"You took your fair time!" A female voice scolded. Eyeri looked up to see a young woman sitting in the trees, her legs dangling in the air. She looked unimpressed and was staring at Eyeri intensely, though she was clearly talking to the older Sparrow carrying him. Her eyes were orange. She was one of the halfling Sparrows.
"We had to take a slow way. The Winglord has every k'nairi out looking for us," The clear leader of the group said sternly. The girl pulled a face but nodded in acceptance and jumped out of the tree. Her abilities immediately obvious as she descended calmly from the branches at a controlled rate.  They landed too and Eyeri found himself put firmly on his feet and steered in front of the leader. "This is Eyeri," He gestured at the boy. "Fetmar's youngest."
"I remember the briefing, sir," the girl said as brashly as someone could without being openly rude. "So this is who the fuss is about," She sniffed. Eyeri resisted the urge to glare back at her. The younger Sparrow who had been nice at first but Eyeri didn't trust now did actually pull Eyeri back slightly, away from the openly hostile woman. "Not much, are you?" she commented coldly, ignoring the fact her teammate had moved Eyeri away from her.
"Leave him alone Monia," he commented. "Unless you want his brothers on your back," he warned.
She huffed unhappily, but her eyes locked on Eyeri's like a predator looking for prey. "Your other brother, Oira? He is small too. But he is a scientist. Techheads are useful. What are you?" Monia demanded coldly. Her attitude was reminding Eyeri of a D'mar grunt rather than the Namya she was.
"I am a medic. Also useful to have," Eyeri said back strongly, keeping his head back. "Unless you know how to stitch limbs back together and treat illnesses brought on by local plants and water?" he asked with a fake sweet tone, trying to channel one of the D'mar spies who had regularly snuck on board. He had treated the boy a few times after he had gotten himself hurt and he had given Eyeri a few tips on how to act around bullies.
"I did not say you were useless. I only asked what made you useful!" Monia commented, something flashing through her eyes. Respect perhaps. Anger was more likely. "You trained under Ryraso?"
"That's why I'm in this mess, yes?" Eyeri said coldly, trying not to think too much about that. He was painfully aware that those words made it sound like he blamed Ryraso, but he didn't. Ryraso had done so much for him, he couldn't blame him for this. Far worse things could have happened.
"You aren't just a medic then?" Monia pointed out like she had uncovered some massive secret of his.  "You're a healer," she stated, taking a step forward so she was pressed up against his teammate.
"In training, yes. But I am a fully trained medic," Eyeri pointed out, taking a step forward so he was pressed up against the back of the man.  "I don't claim to be anything I am not," he said fluttering his eyes, not afraid to get up close to her. The man sandwiched between them made an awkward sound but the woman glared at him and he shut up.
"But you do leave out that which you are," Monia snapped, looking unhappy by Eyeri playing her game.
"As interesting as your conversation is, I do feel the need to remind you, we are fugitives and it is time to move. Also, I think Caon would like to be freed from your fight," the older Sparrow interrupted with an amused smile on his lips. He had been enjoying watching the boy who he had heard was meek and avoided fights, easily handle himself against someone who was known as a bully. Apparently, Fetmar was underestimating Eyeri, or having a k'nairi as a stepbrother had done a lot to improve his broken attitude.
Both nodded and Monia stepped back, crossing her arms and walking to the side. Coan turned and gave him a big grin. "You have a fire to you," Coan said approving, ruffling Eyeri's hair and tugging him close for a one-armed hug. "Makio will be pleased," he beamed. Makio was the second oldest brother and the one with the reputation for sassy and unafraid to fight with words. Fetmar was diplomatic, Kalan would brawl and Oria would simply make things blow up around someone. Makio would tilt his hips and use words like daggers. Eyeri had usually just hidden behind the lot of them.
"Yes, well," Eyeri said trying not to look bashful and not quite pulling it off. Luckily he was saved from reacting as two other men appeared from the air, carrying a third.
"Eyeri," the man exclaimed, jumping out of their grip and neatly on the ground. Eyeri found himself wrapped in a tight, crushing hug. "Everyone's been worried about you, kid," he murmured into Eyeri's ear.
"Zaro," Eyeri smiled softly, hugging back. "I missed you too. How come you're not with the main crew anymore?" he frowned, looking at the man. Zaro was low ranking but not unimportant. He was Tiew's brother. Tiew being Inai's right-hand man. He was also a fantastic sniper and was often kidnapped by the black ops unit for missions. So to see him here was surprising.
"I'll explain when we are out of the city," Zaro said tightly. Eyeri frowned and burying his face in the man's shoulder, really not liking the sound of that and Zaro rocked him slightly. That suggested bad things were happening to the former warship crew. It stood to reason that they would have to split up but if Tiew had let Zaro go on a mission to Navat? That was really not a good sign. "So, what is the plan for our escape, Alesul?" Zaro asked, looking over at the oldest Sparrow.
"We spilt up. You and Eyeri share a likeness from a distance. Coan and Egroeg will take you and fly north. Monia and Kinper will take Eyeri and fly west. Us two," Alesul gestured to the younger boy who had flown with them, "I will fly behind Eyeri as backup. Now let's move"
The Winglord was walking in the sanctuary of the temple, trying to untangle how he felt and the bombshell that Ryraso had thrown on him. The idea that Ryraso who had fought so hard against them, saying that it was his right to be free but was willing to stop and surrender to save Eyeri and Fetmar from the brand almost hurt. Tai'ray knew Ryraso loved him and was willing to be courted, now, but the fact that Ryraso would give up all rights was too much. Tai'ray's heart hurt.
He didn't want Ryraso like that. He wanted the fire and passion that came with Ryraso. Not a dimmed spark. Tai'ray shook his head and found himself by the mural of the first Winglord being granted his power. He looked at it and felt the Goddess's warmth in his chest as he thought about his reply to Ryraso. He would not take from Ryraso what the man was not willing to give.
"To protect the weak and support the strong. To judge fairly and without biased views. To protect the flock but never at the expense of the individual," Tai-ray said out loud, looking over the mural and the flowers which were growing on the vine's either side. He dipped his fingers into the water and swirled the water idly. "To do everything in my power to keep the bond strong and to never abuse it for my own purposes," he finished, closing his eyes. That was the sticking point, wasn't it? The abuse of power for his own purpose.
"You made these promises a long time ago now," a voice murmured from behind him, "Any reason you feel the need to repeat them?"
Tai-ray turned to find one of the temple caretakers standing near him, watching him closely. The caretakers were a bit of a mysterious sect of the priesthood. They served greater powers than the Winglord, but were still accountable for their actions. After all, they still lived in the mortal realm.
"You know of the missing boy?" Tai'ray asked softly, never quite sure what news reached the caretakers. They always seemed to know everything and yet simple things did seem to elude them at times.
"Of course. No k'nairi does not," The priest smiled softly, Tai-ray realising this was an old k'nairi. By his face, it was hard to tell, but as Tai-ray studied him closer he noticed signs. The feathers on his wings were grey and thinning. His talons were brittle and his skin was weathered slightly.
"I must be a child to you" Tai-ray murmured, making the older one laugh. Age to the k'nairi was something to be proud of.
"You came to power at a very young age Winglord. You are still in your first century. You gained your right to rule through an incident which should never have happened. You were a commoner. Someone who had never been taught how to rule. Yet you have done well," the caretaker chuckled, walking over and looking at the mural strangely. "Better than many before you who had actually been taught how to rule. But tell me, how does a lost human boy, come to make a Winglord consider his vows?" he asked with a strange tone in his voice.
"I have broken them. Several times. Each time I tried to make amends but there was always something I could not do. I fear I am about to break them again. If I already have not," Tai'ray admitted, knowing what was spoken in the temple would not be spoken of outside of it.
"How so?" the caretaker asked, palming some of the water and pouring it over some of the vines.
"I am using the link to get people to search for someone whose only real connection to the k'nairi is one that I made," Tai'ray said softly.
"You would do the same for any k'nairi child who was lost and misguided. In fact you have several times. Searching for a lost child is not abusing your powers," the caretaker reassured. "You could argue the boy is not k'nairi but he will be so soon."
"It is his brother who is trying to free him. I am not so sure I have the right to rip him from his family because his adoptive father is k'nairi," Tai'ray commented, his heart twisting at the thought. He could not fault the brother for doing what he was doing but this was not so simple. His personal inclination and his duty were clashing on what to do with the brother. He did not want to hurt someone for trying to save his young brother from an enemy.
"The brother. A man who is tied to the k'nairi himself," The caretaker pointed out, reminding Tai'ray of the fact that the caretakers were one of the orders of priests who could sense links to the bond. They could sense who was most likely to form one and who would likely never have one. They could not manipulate the link for their own causes, but in some ways the priests knew more and about the nature of the bond than the Winglord himself. The caretakers, in particular, meant much of their time studying the link and the way it moved.
"Yerir'o desires him," Tai-ray nodded. Another thing that he had to consider when deciding Fetmar's punishment when caught.
The priest tilted his head slightly in agreement. "He does. Though he does not truly acknowledge this yet. But if someone else tried to take the brother from him, he would not best be impressed," he said with an amused smile.
"Few of us ever are," Tai'ray said mournfully.
The priest smiled before frowning, "There is knowledge you need before deciding the boy's fate. Knowledge you must simply know, not learn. Forgive me, but this is the only way." Before Tai-ray could puzzle over the meaning of those words, something hit him in the back of the neck. His vision went blurry and he fell to the ground, his head landing in the water. Maybe it was a figment of his imagination. Brought on by the fact he was drowning and unable to move. Or maybe what he saw in those passing moments was truly a vision.
Colour and sounds flashed around him and different people filled his view. This final image being off Nel'os looking at him concerned, and saying something he couldn't hear.