Bird of a Nest - Chapter 15: Chapter 15

"Keep looking at me," Nel'os murmured, as Ryraso started to look away, his golden eyes pinning Ryraso's. The look echoing through Ryraso's being to primal instincts lost forgotten apart from in those moments of gut reactions.
A dangerous creature looking at him ready to strike. Waiting for a moment of weakness. Talons already pinning him in place and stopping him from fleeing. If he gave an inch, his neck would be ripped out. Only that wasn't true, was it? This wasn't an enemy or a monster. This was someone far more dangerous than either of those things. This was someone who had claimed him as their own. This was this friend. This was someone who had slept with him and beside him. This was someone he was meant to trust, not feel like that could rip his throat out.
Ryraso tried to look away on purpose but as he shifted, pain shot up his arm and he yelped, closing his eyes from the pain rather than rebellion. He trembled, trying not to scream. He couldn't scream. Not now. He felt blood roll drop his chin as he bit his lip, the pain dimmed in comparison to his arm.
"Ryraso," Nel'os said in concern. "You really did a number on yourself, didn't you?" he said half chuckling but the look on his face was desperate. A part of Ryraso, buried by the sudden rush of anger and pain, whispered the truth of that. Nel'os was trying to break through. Trying to joke and calm him. Only, it wasn't working.
"Fuck off," Ryraso growled, glaring at Nel'os best he could through the pain. "Let go of me," he demanded. He sent a pulse of healing energy through his hand and whimpered. The bones weren't right. He was going to need someone to reset it before he could heal it probably.
"I can't. I'm sorry. I know you want me too but I can't just now. Not while you're like this," Nel'os almost seemed to ramble, a look of panic on his face. "Just, keep breathing and looking at me. Please darling," he pleaded softly, his eyes catching Ryraso's again and holding them. "You're safe. We're in your room. Do you know where you are?" he asked, taking a step closer to Ryraso, freezing as Ryraso flinched and hunched in on himself.
"We're..." Ryraso furrowed his eyebrows. "We're in the palace," he said slowly, almost visibly putting the pieces of the sentence together. The words were hard for him to find.
"Where is the palace?" Nel'os prodded, giving him a meaningful look. Ryraso growled, but looked down. Ryraso was panting heavily. He felt his knees give way. Before he could hit the ground, arms wrapped around him and supported him. Nel'os holding him close, the k'nairi breathing heavily himself. "Ryraso," he breathed.
Ryraso rested his head against Nel'os shoulder, closed his eyes and just breathed. The world was spinning. Nel'os was warm, almost hot against him. The man's wings were trembling. He was scared. Why was Nel'os scared? He was not the one backed into a corner and failing at even that. He pressed against Nel'os, trying to push away. He moved, only for strong arms to wrap around him and pull him up into the air. He yelled in pain as pressure was applied to his arm. Next thing he knew he was sitting on the floor between legs with arms around him.
"Tantrum over with, sweetheart?" Dyn'ad's voice murmured into his ear. It was dark and sank into Ryraso's awareness painfully.
This time fear shot through Ryraso. The sound he was something no adult should make. The arms tightened around him as he began to flail madly. Desperate to get out of the hold. He wasn't safe. Not here. Not now. Even the pain from his broken arm and wrist wasn't enough to stop his mad struggling. Dyn'ad was. The man held him tight, murmuring gentle words as Ryraso yelled and sobbed. The man kept him from moving too much and Ryraso slowly calmed, the noises turning to choked sobs and he slumped in Dyn'ad's hold.
"Dyn'ad," Nel'os murmured nearby. The concern in his voice almost tangible. Ryraso didn't look at the man, too busy looking at the floor. His world fussy around the edges and he was almost hyperaware of the blood in his ears and every sound around him.
"He's panicking," Dyn'ad explained softly. "We just need to keep him safe while it works though. He'll be fine. I have him. Go get Pol'ar."
"But..."
"Go," Dyn'ad ordered firmly. There was a strange but familiar noise as Nel'os transported away. Dyn'ad tightened his grip on Ryraso and shifted them slightly. Ryraso went without a struggle. He felt hollow at that moment. Fear was still touching around the edges. As was anger. But it was all dimmed next to the numbness that had press through his chest. His arm felt on fire with pain and a similar heat was warming him everywhere Dyn'ad touched.
Panic? Was that what was happening? Why would he be panicking? Nel'os had just said no to having sex with him. Why would that have set off such a violent reaction?
"Dyn'ad?" Ryraso breathed.
"Yes, Love?" Dyn'ad murmured, his chin moving against the back of Ryraso's head. Ryraso swallowed at those words. The angry words he had been building up disappeared in an instant. Lips pressed a gentle kiss behind his ear and tears rolled down his face. He wasn't weeping but tears were now running down his face and it was all he could do not to sob.
"I don't feel good," Ryraso said dumbly, letting Dyn'ad take all his weight, slumping back against the man. Dyn'ad's grip adjusted but there was still no way for Ryraso to escape the hold. He was trembling now. He felt cold. Maybe Dyn'ad was right. Maybe this was all panic. Wasn't an excuse but a reason. He'd accept that at least. He'd have to make thing up to Nel'os when the world wasn't so fragile.
"I imagine so," Dyn'ad agreed. "Don't worry. I have you. Pol'ar's coming. You'll be fine."
"Pol'ar?" Ryraso murmured, closing his eyes. His strength was almost completely gone now. "Can't someone else help?"
"Not really, Ry" Dyn'ad said softly. "He is the physician for the Royals, after all. If we got someone else, it would look bad." He shifted again. "I know you don't like him much at the moment, I'm sorry."
"It's ok," Ryraso breathed. "I... " he trailed off as a fresh wave of trembling and tears washed over him. He shifted, curling into Dyn'ad's hold and seeking as much warmth and safety from him as he could. Dyn'ad let him, wrapping his wings around them too for an added layer of safety. He sobbed in pain and Dyn'ad only hummed, holding tight. It took a while for him to calm down again.
--x--
Pol'ar was mildly surprised when Nel'os showed up the clinic. The royal's wings revealed the man was scared while his face was relaxed and confident. He kissed his son on the cheek before pulling Pol'ar into the office. He didn't even have to speak to say who needed Pol'ar in that moment. There was really only one person who would have Nel'os scared like this.
"I'll get my bag," Pol'ar said as Nel'os shut the door. "What do you know?" he asked as he pulled together his away bag. The Royals were not going to want to bring Ryraso here. Not while the relationship was still so fresh. Ryraso wasn't safe here, not to rest and recover anyway. The nobles were like sharks to blood and they would be all over him.
"He freaked out. Punched the wall multiple times and I think broke something in his arm," Nel'os admitted. "Dyn'ad was keeping him still as he went through the last throws of panic? I think," Nel'os grimaced and for a moment looked far younger than he had in a long time. The Royals were so young compared to the rest of the court and in that moment, Pol'ar was reminded that they didn't always know what to do because of lack of experience rather than knowledge.
Pol'ar put some extra things in the bag. "What made him freak out?" he asked, on purposely using Nel'os' word for it. This was not the time to scold for using the wrong language. He needed information.
"I. I did?" Nel'os said hesitantly. "I didn't mean too. I didn't think it would..."
"Royal Bonded Nel'os, you didn't try to force an issue, did you?" Pol'ar scolded carefully. He paused and for a brief moment, his many years of working for Royals flashed through his mind. Some had been sadistic, others not so. Many had used the law that the Winglord decided who was is to their full advantage. He had fixed up various injuries and punishments. Some more gruesome than others. Tai'ray, Dyn'ad and Nel'os were not that sort of Royal. They wouldn't hurt someone they loved. That didn't necessarily mean they wouldn't harm the human they had fallen for. Humans. They felt some things differently to the k'nairi  "Do I need to pack other things too?" he demanded. The things needed to fix that kind of injury were very different indeed.
"No! No!" Nel'os shook his head. "The opposite? He tried to force the issue with me and I said no?" he said sounding so very confused.
"Ah," Pol'ar nodded, relief flowing through him. He had enjoyed the peace of not having to fix broken souls up. Garkin had recovered well from his time under the former Winglord. Ang'as hadn't. There were others too. Still badly scarred from what they were forced to endure. He'd rather not have to deal with that again. "Right. Well, I guess that's to be expected," he said almost idly, throwing some extra stuff in the bag.
"How?" Nel'os asked incredibly.
Pol'ar turned and smiled at Nel'os fondly. "Because, my boy. When the link expects something from you, it has a habit of making sure it happens. People are assuming he's sleeping with you," Pol'ar explained.
"It's affecting him?" Nel'os frowned. The link certainly could do that at times. None of them were immune to its effects. Tai'ray harnessed it to rule the land. Normally it wouldn't cause people to act so against their own natural instincts thought. Plus Ryraso was technically human. Even connected, they were often dimmed to its effects. It was how they were able to break out in mass and leave 8 years ago. "But..." Nel'os looked at Pol'ar in disbelief. "He's never been so strongly affected before?"
"He's been apart from the link for 8 years. Are you really surprised he'd struggling to readjust to having it whispering in his mind again?" Pol'ar asked with a touch of surprise. "Especially given it's now centred on him? Or can't you hear it?"
"Hear it?" Nel'os furrowed his eyebrows truly confused. "I don't understand..."
Pol'ar just continued packing his bag. If Ryraso had panicked, he still would be coming down. He'd be feeling all kinds of bad at the moment and Pol'ar needed Nel'os to be calm when they got there. Ryraso also needed time to recover emotionally. He would not thank Pol'ar if he was still a wreck. He needed time to move into the numb phase of this. Umin's protege was a sensitive soul.
"Well. You are young," Pol'ar nodded to himself. "Maybe in another century?" he shrugged. It was hard to explain. Some people could, most people couldn't. Normally people who could were priests but Nel'os was a royal. Most Royal Bondeds could hear it. But Nel'os was still so young and it was his love being surrounded by its power. Maybe it was making the Royal deaf to its call? "Come on," Pol'ar offered his hand to the Royal who was doing his best not to look offended and failing. The look almost made Pol'ar smile. They were amusing, these Royals. "Let's go help Ryraso, shall we?"