Onyx Dreams Ch. 14

Cyrus was slowly getting up, his annoyance with Erykia swelling like a volcano inside him. "Oh really, Erykia? This coming from someone who has NOTHING at all except a lying weasel RAPIST like Rhys for a companion." He spat the words out with acidic venom, his eyes narrowing as he made a vow to Erykia so serious that a roll of thunder followed. "But trust me on this Erykia...if I am consumed by darkness, then I will bring it to you in full force. If I am destined to succumb to the evil I have just fought off then I will bring the armies of evil to your doorstep and I will BURN-IT-TO-THE-GROUND!" Lightning crashed as he shouted the last word, anger bubbling up within him as the demon on his shoulder began whispering again, growing stronger as his rage rose.

Bogart swung his head and knocked Cyrus down, pinning the young man to the ground with his claw. He was careful not to pierce any part of Cyrus. He just wanted the boy to be silent. ~Hush boy. Your anger is causing more problems than it's worth~ he grumbled.

The wind was knocked out of Cyrus but he still managed a glare at Bogart and spoke mentally. ~And you, Bogart, attacking a rider without due cause. Not very dragon like is it? Not a good example for either of your daughters.~

~I am not attacking you silly mortal. I'm keeping you from doing anything else stupid~ Bogart retorted.

Cyrus' glared at Bogart and he spoke with precision. ~Restraining me would be holding me back. Knocking me off my feet is attacking me. Ask any rider or dragon and they will tell you so. Now release me before you lose a talon.~

~No dragon will back you for you have brought shame on Brenna this day. Any creditability you would have gained you've just lost. Henry and I are only trying to help you. Kaie is trying to destroy and control you. You, however, will persist in believing what you want~ Bogart backed away. He looked at the other dragons and bugled twice and took to the air. All the dragons including Brenna followed him.

Erykia sighed and looked at Henry. "Do not worry, we will take you home. Your little trainee can get himself back. I will not give a ride to one with evil intentions."

Rhys gently scooped Kennice up into his arms. "It's alright. I have you. I'll get you somewhere that's quiet and you can rest." He held her close and inhaled her scent. She had fought bravely and his lust had risen seeing her fight to protect all them. She was worthy to be high priestess. Now if he could only get her to stop thinking of Cyrus, it would all be better.

Cyrus couldn't help but laugh loudly at Erykia's comment. "Evil intentions? Coming from you I'm shocked that the heavens haven't opened up and struck you down with lightning. Even Henry has said that had he known you would turn out like this then you wouldn't have become high priestess." He laughed again and looked at Erykia with wonderment that she hadn't exploded when she said that blatant contradiction to universal fact. "And we all know what a piece of work Rhys is. Anyone who's been in the same room with him for five minutes knows he's a slimy backstabbing coward who can't fight his own battles. He's more like a child molester than a high priest"

Rhys thought about saying something but then Kennice caressed his face and he held back. He couldn't have been more delighted. Cyrus was alienating Kennice! Rhys wanted to sing his joy but he buried it deep and looked to Henry for instruction.

Henry prayed for long suffering. "Cyrus, please, just go back to the house. Rhys, take Kennice to the car so we can get her to safety. Erykia, my dear. We need to put out the flames."

Rhys bowed and walked to the car, holding Kennice like a very precious treasure he was afraid to lose.

Erykia nodded and retrieved Kennice's staff. She planted it firmly into the ground and whispered two words. Thunder rumbled in the sky and then rain began falling.

Cyrus once more glared at Rhys as he walked away with Kennice in his arms. Cyrus' anger rose sharp and bitter. He turned and walked away, ignoring the rain as it poured over him. He could see now that Henry was in fact worse than Anthony had ever been. At least Anthony knew the difference between right and wrong. Although it seemed to Cyrus that even Anthony was a coward when it came to applying right and wrong to people high up the social ladder. No matter. He knew now that there was no point in returning to the house. Unfortunately Brenna had been wrong in her judgment this time he felt. Henry wasn't some great master; maybe he had been in the past, but not anymore. Any real master would've taken their student down and punished them for their crimes no matter how high up the chain the student was. He zipped off into the dark, the opposite direction from the house and whispered to Brenna. ~Don't come looking for me Brenna, they will simply follow you and make you suffer more for things you haven't done. I've finally had enough of this political bullshit. These people know nothing of honor, loyalty, or justice. They are simply in it for the power and the greed. You wanted to understand humanity, well that's it my friend. It's all based on greed and power.~

~Be careful~ Brenna said quietly. She didn't know what to do. She was very confused and afraid.

Cyrus sent reassuring emotions to Brenna across their mental link. ~Don't worry about me, Brenna. I'm thinking of visiting Juan and maybe my father afterwards. I could do with a command structure that doesn't revolve around one's title for once,~ he paused a moment as a thought crossed his mind. ~Tell me about Kaie, Brenna.~

~I can tell you but you will not believe me. Even now I can feel the coldness in your heart towards me. But I will explain. She is my sister. She did some very terrible things that caused her rider to get killed. Then she became evil and was banned from ever going home to Draconia. She wants another rider but no rider wants her for she is evil. She is trying to find a rider who will help her rule this world and ours. She wishes to displace father as leader of our people.~

~With the attitude he has, why am I not surprised?~ Cyrus sighed softly and stopped under a tree to be out of the rain for a while. ~I'm not cold toward you Brenna. I'm cold towards everyone else. So far you and my father are the only ones who haven't betrayed me in some way, shape or form. I should've just let Kaie eat Rhys. There's nothing in Draconian law that says I can't stand idly by and watch one evil eat another.~

~But haven't you betrayed as well? You point fingers but you have done the same. Even now Kennice is feeling betrayed. She slept with you, gave you her most precious gift yet you did not even check on her after Kaie attacked. While I was trying to save her, you were ranting, raving and condemning those around you. It was Rhys, not you, who ran to her aid and helped her. You probably didn't even notice that she caressed his cheek. She never touches him unless made to touch him. Do you know what that says about her feelings toward him?~ Brenna was trying to help her rider see reason and to calm down. Her tone was full of curiosity and pleading.

Cyrus' mind went icy cold for a long moment and he struggled not to glare at the ground in front of him. ~It's a little DIFFICULT to do that when you are A) fighting off a dragon, B) having knowledge of ages ripped forcefully from your mind C) unconscious because of said knowledge being ripped out and D) are in the process of vomiting due to the images which are STILL hanging around my head might I add. By the time I actually managed to get up you were almost done. I know you better than you think I do, I didn't check because I trust you.~

He chuckled softly hardly believing the accusations that were being thrown at him. ~I saved an entire village tonight, risk having my mind torn to shreds by an evil dragon and this is how I get repaid? Brenna, I love you as family and one of my true friends but baby...you SERIOUSLY need a reality check. Hell everyone in this place needs one. The last time I checked world law, torture and corporal punishment are ILLEGAL, as in against human rights, as in anyone caught doing it gets thrown in a cell for ten to fifteen years.~

~I don't know about your laws, only ours. And I have enough reality thank you very much. Perhaps my objecting rider it might be you that needs the reality check?~ Brenna calmly countered.

Cyrus took a slow breath and thought for a moment on how to get Brenna to see sense. ~Alright Brenna, when it comes to forcing someone to do something they don't have to do, what do your laws say?~

~That we must consider the greater good and analyze our behavior. If we are wrong then we must change. It is not often that the whole group is wrong though it occasionally happens.~

~So would you consider raping someone as an act that is for the greater good? Or beating them because they think you are an insidious vile worm is for the greater good? Or that NOT bringing justice to OBVIOUSLY evil people isn't for the greater good? I mean how the HELL can you dragons not see that Erykia is more evil than Kaie ever could be? Kaie only wants to rule two worlds, Erykia wants to control Kennice like a puppet.~

~You just answered your own question. Kaie is worse because she wishes to rule and control EVERYONE. Erykia only wants to control one person. And from what I understand you have to have good and evil to create balance. Without this balance everything will be destroyed.~

~Umm Brenna, what exactly has Erykia done in the last six months that could be considered good? As far as I know, nothing. Nil, absolute zip that wasn't written down in various books and scrolls. Now if we look at Kaie for a moment, she took it upon herself to try and kill two murderers. I believe that man Erykia hit with an energy blast at the fertility ritual is dead as a doornail.~

~He is not dead and the only reason he got shot was because you set him up. You are just as evil as she for you placed a person in a situation to be harmed and she harmed a person.~

~Ha! I chose the lesser of two evils; it was either him or me. She could've simply told him to leave. Instead, she shot him. I'm not even close to being that dispassionate. Is there ANYTHING in your laws that are outright banned? Or is everyone so obsessed with whatever everyone else thinks that they can no longer think for themselves?~

~They're some things that are banned~ Brenna said cautiously.

~Like what Brenna?~ He sat back and rubbed his eyes with his palms. His entire life was collapsing around his ears and he knew of no way to end the avalanche of guilt.

~Killing another dragon. Killing a rider.~

~Nothing else? Nothing that's socially banned?~

~Mating with those not your color.~

This last one made Cyrus pause, he wasn't sure what was so bad about it but it seemed a bit odd. ~What's wrong with mating with someone of another color?~

~Each color has special gifts. It is not encouraged to mate outside your color because the resulting magical combination could be powerful or it could be harmful. That is why your constantly pursuing Kennice is becoming such a problem. Even dragons understand the need for social order. And you are deliberately breaking the human social order. The order we are supposed to uphold.~ Brenna's confusion and misery were apparent.

Cyrus harrumphed loudly, his frustration welling up inside him. ~Most of the human race abandoned those barbaric beliefs centuries ago. There's nothing harmful about people from different social circles mixing with each other.~ Cyrus was feeling the burning bile of disgust in the pit of his stomach. He truly pondered saying to hell with the whole world and simply letting them kill each other.

~Where you go I will follow, even to death~ Brenna said firmly. ~So would Kennice, but right now she's hurt that you weren't there to save her. And that Rhys fellow,~ Brenna's tone oozed with disdain. ~Is suddenly being nice. The high priestess is smiling but Henry looks angry~

Cyrus lightly thudded his head against the tree stump. ~Isn't there anyone higher than Erykia? Or another council or something? Someone who can actually do something without it coming back and biting me in the ass?~

There was a long poignant silence on Brenna's end and then a deep male voice answered him. ~Yes, there is a way but it involves a lot of effort on your part~

Cyrus paused a moment. Who was prying into his mind THIS time? ~And what would I need to do, Mr. Mystery voice?~

~After all those dreams and those teasing remarks to Brenna you don't know who I am, Cyrus? I'm hurt~ the male laughed amusingly.

Realization dawned on him as he worked out who it was. ~Ahhh so THIS is the infamous boyfriend Brenna was preening over. Hayden, isn't it?~ He chuckled softly and sent feelings of love to Brenna over their link. ~He sounds like a fine man.~

~Thank you, young mortal. I will help you because I have a rider that I'm waiting for and who I am denied because of this mess. I wish for the peace between the druids and the dragons to continue and that will not happen as long as you remain miserable and are kept from your soul mate. And, since I'm older than Brenna, my word has some pull among our draconic brothers. We will all do what we must to be with those who matter to us. Can you control your temper and your impetuousness long enough to give me room to help you?~ Hayden asked of Cyrus.

Cyrus paused a moment and tried to work out what impetuousness meant. It probably meant being impatient or something. He nodded and stretched against the tree, yawning a little. ~I've got all the patience in the world when it comes to revenge.~

Hayden's snort of amusement echoed in Cyrus' mind. ~Do I have your solemn oath that you will give me two months of your mortal time to set it up so that you can be with your lover?~

Once more Cyrus nodded, but with a little hesitation. Two months was a long time. ~Yes. I'll go see father. I'm sure he'd like a helping hand around the temple.~

~Cyrus, you have to say the words "I give my solemn oath" and then say what it is you are promising.~ Brenna told him

~Oh. Alright then.~ He cleared his throat dramatically, ~I give my solemn oath that I will give Hayden two months of my mortal time to do what he needs to do.~

Suddenly a quick of flare of pain struck him and Brenna bulged through the link.

~It is done and sworn. May the Fates have mercy on you if you forswear your oath!~ Hayden told him before abruptly leaving Cyrus' mind.

Cyrus slapped a hand to his temple and made a strangled gasp of pain. ~OW! You could've warned me! Jesus...one of these days am gonna install an immigration service into my head...~

There was no response for Hayden was gone.

~Cyrus, do you need me to come get you?~ Brenna asked.

His fingers were massaging his temples and he let out a breath. ~It's alright Brenna, I'm fine. Don't worry yourself. I want to be long gone from this place when Henry realizes I'm not coming back for two months.~

~Be careful. I will always come if you need me~

Cyrus nodded once more and slowly stood, getting his bearing before zipping of into the night again. ~Thank you Brenna~

Brenna sent another burst of loving emotion and then she was silent for Cyrus was out of range.