Kiromir75

Sorrin and I had deliberated with the elders and their accountant for three hours as we figured up our list of demands. We put a price on our homelands, the campers lost. Dimal came in useful, gathering everyone’s losses. They owed us a debt of over one-hundred million dollars. Just to buy something equivalent to where we called home, it would be over half of that. Our land had gone up in value over the years significantly. The wanderers moving, at this point, was a blessing in disguise just for property taxes alone. I didn’t want to lose my home, though. Nobody did.

We tallied up our lives’ possessions like they were so easily replaced and added on for suffering. When it came to the loss of life, the flock law could be unforgiving and cold. We had to give a number for Niala and Gaff.

“The firstborn son to a long line, even if a common one and his potential bondmate,” Sorrin said as they translated the value from our texts in what would be today’s currency. I looked at a sum of six digits, barely what we got for a mission.

“This is what Niala’s life means to our law,” I said quietly, and Sorrin bowed his head in shame.

We drafted a formal proposal and sent the email right away. Tavar called us within minutes.

“Done. Absolutely done. Everything you asked for we agree upon,” Tavar said hastily, knowing we outmatched them for strength and magic.

“And the questions we wanted answers to.” Sorrin drummed his fingers on the table as he waited. His elegant composure faltered.

“It’s not as easy as that,” Tavar said.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” I interrupted things to ask.

“Rolyn compromised everyone. The only reason the Songbirds are safe is because you’re hidden. They couldn’t find you if they stood at your gates,” Tavar said

“We have to leave sometime, Tavar. We’re screwed, too, aren’t we.” Sorin’s lip curled. “We’ll have to renegotiate for our lands as well since we too are compromised.” Tavar made a choking noise on the other end. “I understand.”

“This is going to be Germany all over again,” Sorrin sighed. My stomach twisted. I wasn’t alive then, but much of the flock knew directly. Their entire flock had been abandoned. Their leadership had been exterminated, and a slew of those made it out between our flocks. Most of them stayed with the Grells. Those that still had an ounce of laughter in them stayed with us. None of them could take the rough light.

“We’re fucked.” I had to say it and rested my head in my hands.

“By the time this is all over with, we’ll be over the Grells,” Sorrin said sharply.

“There won’t be Grells for you to dominate, Sorrin. We’re all fucked, as you put it, Kiromir.” Tavar’s sigh rumbled the speaker.

The racing thoughts in my mind shattered. Would we need to evacuate to the Nyota, the Cuervos? I could see gears turning in Sorrin’s head, and he sighed heavily.

“Get those answers from Rolyn. We’re going to get our things in order and make sure people are prepared to evacuate. Tavar, we’ll have to hold high courts over this. This is beyond anything we’ve ever dreamed of.” Sorrin pulled at his hair.

“I understand. We took a risk without consulting anyone else. Unfortunately, it failed, and we had bad actors. I swear we’ll take responsibility.” Tavar meant every word. He faced death.

“You better, because I will start demanding wings as payment by the time this is over.” Sorrin hung the phone up and steadied his breath.

“Kiromir, make sure everyone has an evacuation plan, and anyone you think can muscle enough mana to help bolster our spells,” Sorrin ordered.

“Right. Thank you, Sorrin.” I turned to head out of the room, dead set on following his lead, when I noticed an angry set of eyes focused on me, glaring gold.

“Rehn?” Sorrin looked up, confused. “I thought you were going with Thanus to find the lost ones?”

I had a bad feeling as he approached the table and slammed his hands down, alerting everyone around us.

“Niala is a seraph. Why did you not tell us?” he scathed in wait for shocked reactions.

“Yes. She has a tail.” Sorrin stood slowly, his mana bristling. His Ikris twitched, and I could feel the twinge urging me to lash. Rehn struggled with it for a second and buckled to Sorrin’s threat. Contempt wrapped around the room in a seductive split that covered a petering aura of boredom. Rehn had the closest aura to Niala I’d ever felt, and it pained me on a new level to feel.

“And?” Sorrin asked.

Rehn looked around the room with indignation, waiting for someone to blink or look surprised. Kiromir had not kept it a secret from the elders and higher-ups. It was Niala’s secret to keep from the flock, to keep her from being teased, and to stop reactions like this.

Sorin’s aura of contempt flared hard, and Rehn lashed his dark brown wings. He wheezed as they came out and glared up at us.

“You know Niala. She’s brought us so many blessings, and if it wasn’t for her actions, we’d be in the same situation as the other flocks. She brought us magic. SHE had Rolyn call her hand early. We’re alive because of Niala. Does this bother you, still?” Sorrin leaned across the table with his hand at the neck of Rehn’s shirt in a blink. Sorrin’s eyes danced with green fire. It was a terrifying, boiling thing that he couldn’t shake. I knew what healer’s fires did if used against itself. It burned, rotted, ate away at flesh, giving and taking at a whim.

Rehn choked and struggled before Sorrin shook him sharply and released him to the ground.

“When and IF they come back this evening, you will be apologizing. I put my reputation on the line to recommend you because I trusted you with my life. Instead, you’ve embarrassed me and lost my trust.” Sorrin turned his head with disgust and went back to looking at some papers on the desk. His green eyes had mana flickering in them. Rehn panted, staring up at all of us, betrayed and fearful.

“If you think I raised her to be a monster, I’m sorry your opinion of me is so low,” I added.

The problems would only worsen if we weren’t careful, and we needed to find her and reach some sort of peace soon.