He has walked the earth for nearly 500 years, but Phayu has not found what his people call a 'draugs', a mate, a person who will walk with them in the insufferable darkness that is their life. So he decides to take that one step - find a way to end...
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"You.. did.. what?" Tharn asked slowly, his voice a dead giveaway, his temper simmering just under the surface. Each and every one of them had paled as the boys had told the tale of what they had done earlier that day. Phayu could swear that his heart had stopped beating for a moment, and the breath had rushed out his body. He could see the same fear pumping out of everyone present there. There were many things he wanted to say to Rain, but he realised that he had pretty much lost his voice. "Dada, I promise you. We were safe," Rain said, his voice pitched low as well, knowing that Tharn, as well as all the elders there were barely reigning in their tempers. He didn't dare look up at his Phi Mate, afraid of what he would see there. He could take the anger, but there was no way in hell he would be able to take up the disappointment.
"Do you have any idea of the risk you took? The four of you?" Sean asked. The boys sat silent, wanting to find the right words to convince everyone that there had been no risk involved. "What were you all thinking?" Charn asked, his voice betraying his turmoil. If something had happened to any of them, they would have lost their friends and sons. "We know that you perceive what we did as a risk. But you must understand that we would never break a promise. You all know the decision that Phi Mate had almost taken. You all made him feel guilty about it, but did you all stop to think that if he had taken that step, what would have happened?" Rain said. "We did promise you all that we will not take any chance on our lives; and we didn't. We were safe, protected. They never knew we were there," Team said.
"I know what P'Phayu did was wrong, but we cannot condemn the rationale behind his decision before knowing what was in his head. Haven't you taught us not to judge anyone unless we walk in their shoes?" Sky said. "Rain wanted to protect his Draugs, and I see nothing wrong in that. Maybe we should have told you what we were going to do, shown you what we could do, that's true. But it's also a fact that, even now, Rain is protecting us, all of us, and that's what he did before too," Pharm said. Every person in the room looked as one at Rain, as he squirmed under their weight. "Rain, little one, come here please," Phayu said, in his softest tone possible, but the command in it was clearly heard, making it impossible for Rain to refuse. He made his way to Phayu obediently, albeit reluctantly. The whole room was plunged in pindrop silence as Phayu stood, waiting for Rain to reach him.
Phayu stared at his mate, who stood, fidgeting, in front of him, shuffling his feet. Although Phayu couldn't see his face, or directly feel his emotions, he could guess by Rain's stance that his little one was not at all happy at being summoned like a naughty child. He shook his head and smiled internally and then opened his arms. "Won't you hug you Phi Mate little one? After scaring him like this?" he asked, keeping his emotions under control and not doing what he actually wanted to do; drag Rain off privately somewhere and spank him. But right now, his Draugs was craving validation, and who else but Phayu to give it to him? Rain looked up at Phayu in shock, looking between him and his open arms, before flinging himself into them, sighing in relief. The whole room followed suit.
