Chapter 19: Birds
Present time
[note: this can count as a lore chapter. Since they are already claimed at this point.]
Night had settled over Elyasia when the twin ravens returned from a clan meeting, having been away for a long while.
In the north, the wing carried the scent of pine and cold stone. Dark landed heavily on the balcony just outside Lyra's room, which was unusual. Normally, he would land in his own room. He knelt down in pain. One of his white wings was folded behind him, while the other refused to bend. Fresh blood traced a thin line from his forehead to his jaw. Feathers were missing from the leading edge of his injured wing, and the old scar between his shoulder blades was throbbing and painful.
Once the door opened and he saw that it was Lyra, he let out a light breath. "I'm fine, Princess. I'm sorry your angel is a little late."
Lyra didn't speak as she assessed him. She saw blood dripping onto the floor. She walked over and sank to the ground in front of him. Reaching up, she used her sleeve to wipe away some of the blood. "Angel... did you get into a fight with Kard again?"
He didn't speak; he simply leaned into her touch. He hated how easily she could make him lower his guard. He frowned slightly. "Yes..."
In the south, Kard was not any better. He had landed in a tall tree near Mira's room. His short purple hair was matted with blood on one side. One arm was pressed tightly against his ribs, which the tree did not help when he hit the branch.
Mira stepped out of her room and frowned lightly. "Kard....Get down and go see Soren...."
He sighed lightly before dropping from the branch, but he didn't do so in his usual manner. His descent was clumsy, causing Mira to blink in surprise.
She walked out of her room and quickly down the stairs. She went outside and walked to him. She slid to the ground next to him. "Krad, what happened?" Since what happened to Sinta, she had become less cold than she used to be.
Krad shook his head, knowing how she was and not wanting to bother her. He simply folded his dark wings and lay back against the ground.
Mira frowned slightly. "Krad, get up and let's go see Soren..."
It took a few moments before he finally gave in. He slowly got up from the ground. Once she stood up, he followed her inside, moving slowly because walking hurt him. It took a while for her to help him to his room. She assisted him to his bed and then went to get Soren. Krad let out a light sigh as his back sank into the soft bed.
The two were still in Lyra's room, but she had moved Dark away from the window and onto her bed. She had cleaned the wound on his forehead, then crawled onto the bed and positioned herself behind him. She was careful and very gentle with his injured wing.
Dark had watched her in silence, allowing her to do as she wished. He oddly enjoyed how she behaved around him. He was one of the few who got to witness the quiet yet gentle side of the hyper childish princess.
"Clan meeting," he said after a moment of silence. "Naesala spoke up and set off Krad—just like always."
She blinked as she gently began to clean his injured wing. She truly loved his white wings and hated it whenever they were hurt. "Please tell me the rest, Dark."
His jaw tightened. For a moment, it seemed he would finally refuse her. Yet when he felt the soft pressure on his injured wing, he let out a breath.
"It was never a ranking fight," he said. "Not like the first one... this one was different."
He spoke in fragments, never providing her with a complete picture, only the pieces that still lingered beneath his scar. The high cliffs of Mount Sin, where the Raven Clan resided, were the portion of the mountain that the dragons allowed them to claim. Naesala's voice set the terms of the trial. The air felt different, as if something older than them had awakened. The moment Krad stopped fighting for ranks and instead aimed for the weak space between the wings. "He chose it," Dark said as he looked at the floor. "He felt the pull of our shared soul and decided he would rather cripple me than stay connected. The scar is the proof."
Lyra's hands paused for a moment. "Krad wanted to disrupt the twin bond you two were born with? And this time?" she asked softly as she resumed gently tending to his injured wing.
"Yeah, Naesala put us in the same room again. He brought up the old trial. Krad looked at me as if he still wanted to finish what he started." Dark's voice dropped to a whisper. "Sometimes, I still feel like I'm missing half of myself, and I hate it."
The princess crawled over to his side and hugged him tightly, being careful of his wings. She didn't say anything; instead, she nuzzled against his chest as he embraced her in return.
While in the south, Mira pulled Soren with her to Krad's room. She hugged his arm as Soren tended to his injuries. He remained quiet, allowing Soren to do his work. Once Soren was finished, he left, leaving the princess giving Krad a light glare, silently telling him to explain what had happened.
He let out a soft breath, conceding. "He always gets in the way..."
Her glare remained steadfast. "Naesala will hear about this... I won't allow that meanie to hurt my dark angel..." she said with a small pout. "So, talk, Krad."
Krad blinked, then smirked lightly. However, that smirk faded as he sighed. He leaned down, pressing his face into her shoulder. The words came in short, bitter fragments, as if each one shattered something within him.
"The first fight wasn't really about ranks. I felt my other half trying to drag me back into duty—loyalty, staying close to the same sky. I felt trapped by those ways because it was all I knew, and it was the only way to prevent our bond from screaming." He said quietly as he shifted, moving her into his lap and hugging her tightly, but not too tightly. "Dark got to keep home. He got the princess that Naesala actually favors... I got labeled the runaway half and the open road." He didn't look at her as he kept his face in her shoulder; he was scared of what he might see.
Mira blinked and then moved to ensure he looked at her. She reached up and cupped his face with her hands. "Krad..."
He blinked, then nuzzled against her hands. "Leaving for the south and being your knight is the only freedom I can claim... to feel that this is still mine... not Naesala's or Dark's."
She hummed softly. "Dark may have pretty wings, but I already have an angel in the south, and Reyson has prettier wings than Dark. As for Naesala, he can stay in the north. You are the only raven I want here. Okay?"
Krad felt his heart race as she spoke. He knew he couldn't mate with her, but at that moment, all he wanted was to be close to her. He gently moved her hands and leaned down, kissing her softly.
The Raven Clan area.
Naesala stood on his high perch overlooking the clan's oldest meeting grounds, his long dark hair stirring in the cold wind. He already knew the twins had returned to their princesses wounded, and he was aware they would tell the girls the truth, but it didn't bother him at all. He flinched slightly at the thought of Lira discovering it. He did not like angering that girl.
"Useful fractures," he thought, as a thin smile appeared on his lips. The protective half remained close to Lyra, the princess he favored, while the unstable half stayed far to the south. Now, the two would never unite against him. Their hatred was an old and useful tool. As long as it continued to affect the scars, it would keep the clan intact.
