Bird of a Wing (Bow 1)

Chapter 11

The pain was piercing, spreading from the back of his neck to his forehead. Which is when it became clear the pain wasn't physical, it was mental. The seal on his wrist burned painfully and Ryraso gripped it tightly, gritting his teeth trying not to scream.

He felt as Aw'endo hugged close to him and felt as a hand was pushed to his mouth to keep him silent. He bit back a scream as another wave of pure pain washed over him. He felt as the seal broke off his wrist. The innocent click of the clasp breaking somehow echoing in his ears as screams poured into his head, hundreds of people screaming. His grip changed from his wrist to his head, clutching at his hair to try to ground himself from the mental pain.

The seal was broken. He was back in the link, along with hundreds and thousands of minds who had been hiding for so long from Tai'ray. They were all back and it hurt.

"Hush," a voice washed through his mind in a soothing tone. Tai'ray calming the flock, his voice strange. Ryraso had rarely heard it like this before. He was Tai'ray's friend, now his enemy, not his flock. Through the haze of confusion, it finally clicked what was going on. Tai'ray was forcing open all the blocked links.

His mind whispered with Winglord lore, learnt out of interest for the powers that Tai'ray gained as the centre of the link. Out of interest of the powers Inai gained as High Priest. The leaders of races always had exceptional powers. What Tai'ray was doing right now was a painful process for everyone involved. Tai'ray and his mates would be feeling the pain as acutely as the rest of them felt it. It was also an ability which required a lot of power in its own right. Something Tai'ray tried not to use too often and hence rarely did. In many ways, it showed how powerful Tai'ray was. Not to break the block on one bond but hundreds at the same time? That was a power which would no doubt leave the Winglord vulnerable for days and yet he sounded fine in the link.

"Stop please," Ryraso begged, his voice joining many others wanting the pain to stop. Some were begging, others threatening. Some were even trying to resist the pull, trying to raise blocks, but for each that tried, the pain only increased. Tai'ray's presence found his and wrapped around it, not painfully or even forcefully. Just like a hug, the hot breath on his shoulder suddenly smelling of Tai'ray and not of Aw'endo who was actually there.

"Stop fighting," Tai'ray cooed to the link, "I just need to talk to you all, now stop!" There was a forcefulness to the last two words that only made the people fight more. "Honestly, why do you all bother? You will return someday, everyone always does," Tai'ray whispered in Ryraso's ear, letting him know that only he could hear it.

"Tai," Ryraso breathed feeling Tai'ray's hurt, but Tai'ray was already focusing on the link again.

"Keep fighting and it will only hurt everyone more," he warned darkly. "I can't protect them from your stubbornness."

A wave of calm moving over the sobbing presences, almost like Tai'ray was petting them making them heard to the ones fighting, hurting them. It got the message across. None of them no matter how stubborn would keep harming the weaker presences who were in the link. Not while they could feel their pain. After a moment, the pain faded as everyone, reluctantly, stopped fighting and the traitors of the k'nairi were all re-linked to Tai'ray.

Tai'ray's presence smiled, a warmth spreading through them all. A sharp contrast to the new emotion which dominated the link, fear. Fear of being controlled by Tai'ray and D'mar, fear of being forced to go against their values, against their friends and family because of a connection made long ago. Then there was the fear of the punishment to come; everyone knew the punishment for a caw.

"Hush," Tai'ray murmured softly, spreading his presence wide and wrapping himself around the more scared in the link. Trying to reassure them that he wasn't a monster, that he wasn't going to hurt them as angry as he was. "I'm not going to hurt you for abandoning your kin. At least," he corrected, "not past the decided punishment. There will be no whipping, no extended grounding. Just the front up punishment," Tai'ray promised, the knowledge of the punishment flowing though the link.