Bird of a Flock (Bow 2) - Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Watching Tai'ray wipe Eyeri's face before pulling the boy close in pure view of the nobility was almost too much to Ryraso. It was almost enough to make Ryraso jump up and try something, anything but he managed to control himself. He found himself reaching out to take Dyn'ad's hand. Dyn'ad tangled their fingers together and squeezed gently, not calling attention to it.
"He will be safe," Dyn'ad whispered through the link.
"I know," Ryraso breathed as he watched Tai'ray start to speak in k'nairi.
"The name Zamen is a powerful one in many circles. Though that is not the reason that Eyeri is here tonight. His bloodkin, skilful and respected as they may be, are not who make him connected to us but rather the path he has chosen to walk. The person he chose to follow and learn under is," Tai'ray paused, looking around slowly, taking in his subjects. Every eye in the room was on him. He smiled warmly, turning to look back at Ryraso, his hand still on Eyeri's shoulder.
"Ryraso," Tai'ray called, and Ryraso forced himself to look calm.
Ryraso was lord of his med-bay and had no fear of being in the limelight when it came to something he viewed with a passion. This was slightly more unnerving. He had no real idea what the Winglord was planning, nor any of the other people in this room. He could not let them see him falter.
"My lord?" Ryraso replied, standing respectfully, Dyn'ads fingers naturally fell from his but the man's knee pressed against the back of his legs. Ryraso had to be strong but he was not alone here.
"Who is Eyeri Zamen to you?" Tai'ray asked openly.
"My apprentice. My son," Ryraso spoke without hesitation, meaning his words, few as they were. The room shifted under the weight of them, the link singing with the truth behind them. The air was tentative with this, neither approving or disapproving. Simply there.
Tai'ray closed his eyes and smirked, dipping his head in acknowledgement. "Who are you to us?" Tai'ray demanded a considerably more dangerous look in his eyes now.
The air shifted again. The eyes now on Ryraso and his answer. He could not lie nor mask his feeling on this. Not with the link focused so tentatively on him. Ryraso felt his heart beat twice and he forced himself to breathe. "To the royal triad or the k'nairi?" Ryraso asked back. He was on fragile ground here and now was not the place to say the wrong words. The Winglord had used the word 'us'. That had different connotations.
"The k'nairi," Tai'ray clarified willingly, "No one doubts what you are to me and my bonded. As much as you have fought it."
"I am Caw," Ryraso allowed to fall out of his mouth, stopping himself from making a comment about there being reasons he had fought. This was not the time to fight with the Winglord about that. Not when the Winglord was about to place burning hot iron into his son's back. And it was the Winglord, not Tai'ray.
"Who are the Caw?" Tai'ray asked.
Ryraso paused, uncertain of how best to answer that question. What the k'nairi thought of themselves and what the k'nairi thought of them were two very different things. He tried to think of an answer which would suit both middle grounds. "K'nairi who have broken the laws, or who have abandoned the k'nairi," Ryraso said slowly.
"Who are the k'nairi?"
"Anyone who is governed by the link," Ryraso said firmly.
"I stand here, the heart of the link. I act as the collective wishes of all k'nairi. A wish that is to be whole. It is time that those of us who have left, returned. A betrayal on this level cannot go unpunished and while Eyeri does not deserve punishment, the link still demands a price. A mark to prove he knows his place," Tai'ray spoke, a dark tone entering his voice. "But I feel the need to remind you all just what that mark symbolises. It symbolises belonging. To a family. To the link. It should be clear that this is not a mark of property! No more than the crests you all wear on your outfits make you a slave to your house! Is this understood?"
"Yes, Winglord," every voice murmured together before another voice sounded out in the dim.
"I disagree!" A voice yelled.
The room turned to face the speaker, Tai'ray remaining upright and strong, refusing to be shaken by one voice denying him. He turned and faced his foe. It was a lord from a minor clan. His hair was black and short, his eyes almost orange in colour and his wings were white. That was enough to let Ryraso know the personality of the lord, the kind of lord he hated. One of the ones who even after fifty years of Tai'ray being in power, hated having a commoner as a Winglord.
"Humans are nothing to us and you have let us grow soft," the Lord sneered darkly. For an instant, the link split. Agreement and disagreement. Those who had witnessed the fight all those years ago, those who had friends who were human and those who had none.
"The humans are not nothing," Tai'ray spoke calmly, "And you would be a fool to think they are."
"They are weak creatures. Stupid and almost cruel in how they flaunt each other's weaknesses. They are less than us. We are powerful! We rule the skies!" the Lord yelled.
"They are clever," a different voice called, several chiming in agreement.
"So are animals, we don't call cattle sentient. But we call these beasts it," the man scowled looking over Eyeri darkly. Eyeri kept his stance meek but looked slightly afraid at this point. He did not understand what was going on right now but he knew when someone was looking at him dangerously. "You are a failure for allowing yourself to be defeated by that creature who now commands you."
Tai'ray moved further in front of Eyeri, protectively, using one hand to push him backwards away from the look. Eyeri took the hint and moved back to the Royal nest, Nel'os reaching out and pulling him into a protective hug.
"We really should have done that transport earlier," Nel'os breathed into Eyeri's hair, in human tongue so Eyeri would understand. Eyeri shifted, looking up at his face before leaning back so he was more safely in Nel'os' arms, understanding the warning. Things could go south quick.
"No one commands me," Tai'ray hissed warningly at that insinuation, growling lowly. He took a step closer to the man, his claws extending.
"Then why do we fight the human's war!" demanded the lord, shifting closer himself. The entire room could tell a fight was about to break loose soon now. The question was, would it be an official challenge or a brawl.
"Because he was allowed one wish. One thing. He chose to ask us of our help," Tai'ray warned. "It is the law. The same one all who hold the title of Winglord must follow."
"Our debt, your debt, has long been paid in our blood. No more! No more humans living in Navat. Not as glorified pets anyway. They were our food! They may have grown more interesting but that is all they will ever be. Beasts of burden. None of them could ever defeat a true k'nairi!" the man sneered, looking down his nose at Tai'ray.
"You dare insult me?" Tai'ray said coldly.
"I call you a failure. I say you have allowed your feelings" The man spat after saying the word, "For these animals to blind you from the truth of their insignificance. The k'nairi should be ruling the world. Not these pitiful beasts. I challenge you for the position of Winglord!"
The room inhaled at the official declaration. Tai'ray had to accept or the man would instantly win. Tai'ray was not about to give up his job so easily.
"Name yourself!" Tai'ray demanded, wings spreading. Anger thrummed in the air, making it almost hard to breathe. Several of the submissive nobles fell to their knees as power slammed through the room. The goddess was watching. She was watching how her champion responded to such an open challenge in the throne of Navat.
"It is not of your concern! It is time for you to die!" the challenger roared before diving at Tai'ray, claws drawn. Tai'ray did not disappoint, attacking furiously back. The power of the link abandoning them both as the nobles watched the showdown.
Ryraso watched in horror as one of the worst possible things that could happen came into play. The day Tai'ray's words of warning rang true. When one who followed the old beliefs challenged the commoner Winglord for rights over the k'nairi and the humans in their domain. An arm wrapped around him and pulled him close.
He looked at Dyn'ad who was now standing too. Dyn'ad cupped his cheek and kissed his forehead. "We can not interfere in this. Be faithful. The rightful champion will win," Dyn'ad promised, a strange touch of magic in his voice. It was not his magic, but the magic of the link. The magic had fled Tai'ray for the fight but not his mates, not yet. Not while he was still technically the Winglord and for the moment, they were the voice of the link.
The laws stated only the best of the best could be the Winglord. No assistance was allowed. Tai'ray had to defeat the man under his own power and the little power the link would offer him in a fight. If the k'nairi people agreed with the challenger. Agreed that Tai'ray had grown too soft because of the humans and it was time to reclaim their place on top of the food chain. Tai'ray would lose.
Nel'os was watching with an unreadable expression, cradling Eyeri close more for his own comfort than Eyeri's. He flinched as another set of arms reached around him only to retreat at the flinch. Nel'os looked and realised it was Aw'endo, looking almost slightly hurt at the reaction. Quickly, he reached over and tugged the youngling into the hold too, kissing Aw'endo's cheek and holding him extra tight for a brief moment. Aw'endo seemed slightly comforted or as much as he could be given the situation which was occurring.
Flashes of the moment Nel'os had first met Tai'ray and the way Tai'ray had fought against the former Winglord moving through his mind. He prayed to the goddess that the man was wrong, that their people hadn't forsaken them. That they didn't think Tai'ray had abandoned their kind in favour of the humans.
Not that Tai'ray needed help. He was not the best of the best for a reason. He may have been defeated by Loror, and even Inai in battle, but they were special. They were different. On the same level of what he had to be. No one else, baring Dyn'ad, had ever defeated him. For every injury taken, Tai'ray dealt more back. His wings arching as the fight took them to the air like any true fight between k'nairi should. The fight intensified. As the will of the link changed and shaped itself.
The people would have their champion. The only real question was, for the fate of both the K'nairi and human, had enough people grown to care for the human enough for them to truly be considered sentient? Had humans gained enough status in the eyes of the K'nairi that they would side for them? Or against them?
Pain filled everyone in the link as they felt the fight through them. No injuries came to them, but the pain of both men did. The will of both men did, forcing them to decide. Decide between the one who would fight for the humans and do his best to defend them from people like his challenger, or the man who would go back to the old ways.
"Please," Ryraso felt himself whisper to no-one and yet everyone, the link fully open now. "Don't let him fall."
Nel'os and Dyn'ad looked at him in a mixture of horror and surprise. Only they should have been able to do that, barring the Winglord. For Ryraso, to be able to call across the link... He was truly Tai'ray's chosen. The Link had already accepted him, before he had accepted it himself.
"Please," Nel'os' words joined the plea.
Those were all words that were needed for the last few to decide who they were to follow. Who was worthy of being the K'nairi leader and more importantly, who was not.
The fight paused for a moment, both contestants catching their breath, watching each other from their positions in the air. Blood dripping from their claws, robes in tatters and bruises starting to form.
Then Tai'ray smiled darkly, his eyes turning red. A look which sent fear down his opponent's back.
Power was his.