Song of the Firebird

Fifty Five

Ryder stared into the empty grounds, where there were last traces of Danny's and Iqbal's presence. He sat as he stretched his legs upon the stairs and studied the bloodbath. To begin with, it was not actually a real one, yet, the image of the fallen told rather a different saga.

When he was taken into Kirk's gang, he pledged not to take emotions and make the most of him since they are capable of blinding oneself wherever there was blood. Thereby serving as a constant reminder of what a man wanted to forget. Sometimes, they also turned men soft. Shutting the emotions alone led a gang like his to achieve most of their goals to fruition.

As soon as he spotted the Sheriff's car, Ryder braced himself for the hardest decision he ever had to take, courtesy of his bottled up emotions. A single day shattered years of his beliefs to shards. Till this time, he regarded that the emotions were mere blows to men's strength. Ryder was convinced that he quite witnessed the opposite from the previous events.

Emotions only made men stronger and stronger.

Especially love.

Ryder saw how love had strengthened a woman's will to live and endure; how it held the seeds of sacrifice; how it encouraged camaraderie; how it channelled trust; how it prepared oneself to confront their fears; and how it brought out the best in men, when they were either outnumbered or susceptible to the harshness of the outside world.

Altogether, love had remained unrivalled among many other qualities responsible for the civilization that men desired, years after years, flourish.

Tilting his head against the pillar, Ryder watched as the men in blue took necessary precautions to secure the area and look for any possible threat. When they had discovered that there weren't any souls living or awake to intervene in their duties, they gathered around Ryder. A couple of them remained armed beside him, while another couple invited themselves inside the cabin where Kirk was laid to rest.

There were non-stop radio updates among the policemen about the bloodied site. When it occurred to them that Ryder was the only one who could answer the gushing questions clouded over their minds, they surrounded him. Taking his cue, Ryder cleared his throat. When he began to submit his words into statements, he saw Kiara, emerging from behind the Sheriff's broad posture.

The moment their eyes met, Kiara could not stop herself from letting the new lonely tear. She studied the injuries on his naked torso and face. She could not feel anything but pity. Even though they weren't on mutually agreeable terms, she could not digest the fate of her cruel ex. Her heart ached, for she considered that it was brutal on whomever at the receiving end. She couldn't believe how he survived all this trauma while she was beginning to nauseate and felt her palms circle around her lips in response. She had not felt the same way when she was dragged to identify the men on the property's ground.

Two officers helped her to get back on her feet. While she was ready for the toughest part, she heard Ryder say, 'May I have a private moment with the lady, please. I will answer your questions, later, truthfully.' Ryder's request caused the Sheriff and his men to turn their heads in the direction of the only lady in their crew. Kiara nodded.

Ryder and Kiara were left alone, given only a five yard radius for the supposedly last of their personal moments.

Before Kiara could speak up, Ryder began. 'It had been months, hadn't it? When I tried to kill you in your own store?'

'Yes.'

'These weren't from him.' Kiara felt relieved at the pronoun that was tugging her mind, and had answers to her fears. She could not come to imagine the wreck that her boyfriend was capable of making under such a circumstance as today's. 'I deserved it, even if it were to be from him.' He chuckled making her heart flutter like the old times. She also knew that it was one of the last times that she would be able to hear him laugh like that. When she could bet that there were no lingering feelings for him, his one bloody form stirred the old flame in her.