Bird of a Wing - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

The moment Tai'ray first laid eyes on Ryraso was not one he had ever forgotten. He had summoned the human doctor who had dared threaten to snap his mate's wings off and was going to lose his job because of it. The doctor who knew k'nairi a little too well for someone who had a pass and whose name Tai'ray did not know. Most pass candidates forgot the language almost immediately if they had no tie to the k'nairi. If they didn't, that tended to mean that they still had a tie to the k'nairi. That, if nothing else, would have sparked Tai'ray's interest.
Ryraso had walked through the door to his room with his head held high. Brown hair, blue eyes, the healer was not tall, but not short either. His outfit fitted him beautifully, cupping him in all the right places. Tai'ray blinked as he felt something shift within his chest looking at the young human. A pull, something he was used to feeling about humans who were his.
"You are one of mine," Tai'ray stated, narrowing his eyes at that realisation. "Yet you are here," he murmured confused on how Ryraso had slipped through the net. Tai'ray allowed the medical exchange with one condition. After a passing, or failing occasionally, any human who had gained a link, or the beginning of one were invited to remain in Navat. If any refused the offer, he was informed of the names and faces of those who hadn't accepted. Ryraso had never shown up on any report and yet the pull was there.
"Yours?" Ryraso said clearly surprised at the statement, tilting his head slightly, his hair shifting with the movement. "How so my Lord?"
For a brief moment, Tai'ray entertained the idea that Ryraso didn't know about the link but in the end, he decided the human did. It was impossible to keep something so big from k'nairi culture a secret from outsiders even if few outside the link truly understood it. Tai'ray frowned as gestured for Ryraso to come closer, looking at him carefully.
"No. Maybe not one of mine. Not quite," Tai'ray corrected himself, seeing that it was truly the beginnings of a link. Something that maybe if the healer's mentor had not been fond of him, would have been missed. Tai'ray would have to find out who the mentor had been. "Close enough though. You lived in Navat I presume?" he said, pulling back on his Winglord persona.
"Of course sir. How else would I have known how to treat a k'nairi, my Lord?" Ryraso commented dryly. Tai'ray resisted the urge to chuckle at the human's words. This was someone who wasn't afraid to annoy people more powerful than himself. "I received a pass from the medical exchange for a reason," Ryraso folded his arms defensively."Unless you have compliant?"
"None of yours skill," Tai'ray waved off with a reassuring smile. "I am very glad for your skills. A pass is not given lightly and I trust my medical staff."
"Nice to know. I wonder occasionally if staying here affects my skills or not," Ryraso commented, tugging a strand of his hair behind his ear.
Tai'ray let out a chuckle as he found himself watching the action. He could understand the emotion behind that. Nel'os and Dyn'ad had taken an interest of their own in the healer and done some research on him. Ryraso was not exactly in a well thought of the job, as hard as the job was. Ryraso was known as a hard worker but it was clear that none of the other doctors liked him because of his common roots.
Tai'ray leant back, looking very relaxed, giving out a regal air around him. "You humans always are more concerned with rank than skill, but no, your skills have not deteriorated," Tai'ray promised. The k'nairi were also concerned with rank but skill was more sought after and rank could be earned with skill.
"I have no rank," Ryraso snorted.
"And yet you have the skill," Tai'ray murmured. "More than I usually allow to simply leave without an offer to remain. Especially those with a connection as well," Tai'ray said unable to keep the curiosity from his voice, subtly asking how Ryraso had slipped through the gaps and if how he felt about that. It was confusing to Tai'ray. Still, if the humans weren't going to make use of his skill, Tai'ray would ensure the k'nairi would. One of the other reasons for the exchange was simply that few K'nairi became healers. Too many problems with their temperament.
"Connection?" Ryraso frowned confused. "I have no link. I am not k'nairi."
"Tell me, healer. Do you miss Navat?" Tai'ray asked, meeting the attractive human's eyes and giving him a knowing look. Ryraso didn't need to answer. The haunted, longing look in his eyes told all he needed to know. This little human wanted to go home and his home was not here in the human capital. "I thought so. You may not have a link but you have the beginnings of one. Even after all this time. How your mentor missed this..."
"He died," Ryraso answered the question softly, his voice sad. "His colleagues were too busy to look twice at me. Now, you summoned me for a reason?"
"I wanted to meet the man who saved my life. I can't say that I am disappointed," Tai'ray smiled slightly. "You were Healer Umin's apprentice, his first and last."
"From what I know," Ryraso allowed.
"Interesting man that one," Tai'ray nodded slowly. "You may go if you want," he said softly seeing Ryraso's unease. He didn't want to scare him too much. "I will see you again, however. I don't like it when my people are unhappy Ryraso, and you are not happy here," Tai'ray said seriously, catching Ryraso's hand and kissing his knuckles.
Ryraso flushed red but didn't argue the point instead fleeing the moment he could. Tai'ray smiled contently. This had potential.
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"Sounds like they like you," Millie teased as Ryraso told Isst and his girl what had happened. Millie sitting on Isst's lap with Isst's hand around her stomach while they were at the bar.
"They are the royal triad. They don't just like random human healers," Ryraso argued. It was strange though, There was feeling in the pit of his stomach like something was about to happen. The look in Tai'ray's eyes had felt more than just a man meeting the person who had saved his life.
"I don't know," Isst hummed, nuzzling Millie's ear. "I think you sell yourself short," he smiled, eyes flashing to the side. Ryraso followed his eyes and spotted wings in the shadows. He had gained himself a stalker it seemed. "They seem pretty interested to me."
"Should I acknowledge them?" Ryraso asked, trying not to look too obvious.
"Maybe?" Millie chuckled. "Would that be too forward?"
Ryraso shrugged. "I guess not," he murmured, standing and moving to the corner. Millie patted his arm as he walked past them.
It was Dyn'ad who was sitting there, the royal mysteriously on his own. He didn't try to hide as Ryraso walked over to him though instead, his wings drooped in a relaxed pose. "Greetings," Ryraso nodded, leaning on the table next to him. "How come you're at this lovely place?" he asked, fluttering his eyes. The pub wasn't exactly a well thought of establishment.
"Following you," Dyn'ad chuckled darkly, not bothering to be coy. A k'nairi warrior through and through. "We wanted to find out if you had many attachments here."
"Not particularly. Just those lovebirds who I'm stuck living with. Why?" Ryraso asked, slightly surprised by the admittance but Dyn'ad had a strange look in his eyes.
"Thinking about giving you an option to return to Navat," Dyn'ad commented truly. "We just have to find a clinic for you."
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"You know Ran'mosy. Once I was asked by the royal triad if I would like to go back to Navat. Do you know what my answer was?" Ryraso asked the k'nairi quietly, drifting out of his memories, his heart still aching and the temperature of the night falling. Ran'mosy grunted. "I'd go back in a heartbeat," Ryraso whispered. "How things change."
"How long was it before you became more than another human to the Royals?" Ran'mosy asked, not understanding completely, but guessing this talk was about the human's feelings towards his suitors. Ran'mosy was still in no mood to talk himself but at the same time, the pain coming from the human was something he couldn't quite ignore after sitting with him for an hour.
"Sometimes, I wonder if I ever really was just another human to them," Ryraso muttered, "If I was just another human, I wouldn't have gotten away with half the things I did."
"Are you sure?" Ran'mosy commented, "From what I hear, you were always pretty much k'nairi."
Ryraso snorted, "What exactly could you have heard?"
"You are infamous, human," Ran'mosy smiled softly. "Everyone knows about the human who has caught the Winglord's eye. The human who is not afraid to kick the Windlord up the ass and put him through his paces when it came to rulings. The link knew about you, even if you were unaware of how much power you had over the Winglord."
"Someone needed to tell Tai'ray when he was being a dick," Ryraso said softly.
Ran'mosy laughed, a sad tone to it. "That's the point of mates," he said softly. "and friends," he added almost under his breath. Both were silent for a moment, lost in their own thoughts about the past and how they had ended up in the situations they were in. "Why is it humans fight against what they want?" Ran'mosy asked curiously. Ryraso looked up at Ran'mosy, giving him an odd look. "You want the Winglord, I can see it in your eyes and yet you are fighting against him," Ran'mosy said almost accusingly.
"It's complicated. But I guess normally, we get afraid of what will happen," Ryraso said to offer.
"Is it though?" Ran'mosy asked, "Herymi... He is braver than Cha'em, than Adar'y and even me. He had feelings for us but he didn't ever try to act on them. He just rejected us over a fight and ran away."
"Sometimes it is easier to run than say our real feelings. Safer than dealing with the consequences," Ryraso reasoned, suspecting that Herymi had to deal with his feelings far earlier than the k'nairi thanks to the difference in ages. They were all around the same age which meant Herymi would have had feelings for them earlier than the others would have felt desire. "To tell a friend you love them is dangerous to humans," he said softly.
"But why?" Ran'mosy turned to Ryraso, giving him a pitiful look. His wings moving, clearly distressed and confused. "The k'nairi don't give our loyalty lightly! No k'nairi would ever reject a friend," he paused, knowing that wasn't completely true. "We'd never risk losing what is ours."
Ryraso blinked, knowing that tone. "Yours," Ryraso murmured, something loosening in him. Something he had always known and yet at the same time almost forgotten. K'nairi were possessive. They would protect their mates and close friends to the end. To be friends with the k'nairi was a hard thing for a human, it was too easy to get glamoured by them, too easy to get comfortable and forget that they weren't human. "You forget, you never claimed Herymi as yours," Ryraso pointed out unable to keep the bitterness from his tone. "The k'nairi don't have the human issue of being too scared to act. If you don't, you can't expect us to know how to feel."
"He ran before we could," Ran'mosy growled.
"He lived with you for twelve years Ran'mosy. Exactly when were you going to do it? Also didn't you do something similar?" Ryraso pointed out dryly, "When you thought your nest didn't want you?"
"That was different," Ran'mosy snapped, looking away, his wings gathering around him defensively. Obviously, he didn't care for the reminder. "And most of those twelve years, he was just a friend," Ran'mosy trailed off near the end. "We never made the change clear," he whispered burying his face in his hands.
"How was your situation different to his?" Ryraso asked, knowing he was pouring salt on empty wounds.
Ran'mosy opened his mouth but closed it again, his wings curling up again. "I've fucked this up," he murmured, his wings shivering and tears rolling down his face. Ryraso reached up and stroked them lightly, smoothing over ruffled feathers.
"No you haven't," Ryraso smiled lightly, "He came back didn't he?"
"Not by choice," Ran'mosy said bitterly.
"He is not bonded to you, Ran'mosy. If Herymi did not want anything to do with you, he could simply say no to the claim. We do have that right. Or rather everyone but those the Winglord wants has that right," Ryraso said, sighing as he reached the end, feeling his own situation weigh on his shoulders more too.
"Would you say no if you had the choice?" Ran'mosy asked almost innocently.
Ryraso bit his lip, looking away from the other. "I... I'm not sure," he said painfully honest. The k'nairi shifted, sliding down off the rock to sit by him and leant against him. Ryraso wrapped an arm around Ran'mosy's waist and leant against him as well. "I may not be ready to forgive Tai'ray for his actions just yet but I will wait and see. After all, things are beginning to change."