It was the dead of night. An oppressive silence hung in the air that not a spirit dared stir. Not the chocobos, not the fireflies, not even the wind. Even the moon had retreated behind Eorzea to hide from the sun's light. Menphina's blessing would not be upon anyone this night.
The mists swirled around Kyren as he made his way up the stairs of white-stone to the Altair household. As he reached the front gate, his blue eyes lifted to the roof of the large house. The hawk that perched on his shoulder followed his gaze, and a moment later flew up in a wide arc, landing gracefully on top of the weather vane, its head quickly turning this way and that as it surveyed the Mists.
Key in lock, turn, click. A moment later the door closed soundlessly as the cloaked Au Ra passed through like a wraith.
He was greeted on the main floor by flickering candlelight. Wax had begun dripping down onto the dining table in small globs as the flame burned its life away. Asleep on one of the nearby couches was Luxore. Kyren had only met the man once before, but he was pleasant enough, with a quick wit that complimented against his husband's more stoic nature...
"Ahhh, and so the latest suitor arrives. I see you eventually deigned to grace us with your presence. Our family is so honored."Â
Khavan Amadeus Nightwing slowly stood from his chair by the window, up to his full height of six fulms, eight ilms. Almost as tall as Kyren. Almost. His eyes were bloodshot and haggard... sleepless. But Kyren recognized that look behind them. That pent-up frustration, the anger that comes from being helpless and unable to do anything. In that, if nothing else, they were kin.
Kyren stared at Lilithium's eldest silently for a long moment before finally turning around opening the front door again, passing back through it and into the mists outside. A moment later, Khavan followed, closing the door quietly behind him.
"Do you really think you belong here, Au Ra?" The highlander growled as Kyren turned to face him. "You're nothing, do you understand? A passing fancy. A parasite that somehow managed to latch onto my mother while she was grieving for her late husband, Thal rest his soul. And since she can't seem to see that..."
Kyren simply stood there, his glowing eyes on the man. He knew Khavan was only in pain, and that he needed to take his frustration out on something. Even so, the words hit their mark. As did the man's fist.
Kyren staggered to the side as the weight of Khavan's fist almost sent him down to a knee, and could immediately taste blood in his mouth. The motherfucker was built like a behemoth, with fists that carried the strength of Ala Mhigo in them. But more than that, they carried the weight of a son who cared for his mother. And a small part of Kyren envied that.Â
Slowly, he stood back to his full height before the next punch took him in the gut, doubling the Au Ra over as he worked to breathe. The fist against his back finally sent him down to his knees, and the uppercut to his chin lifted him off the ground, sending him falling onto his back as he thudded against the grass.
"Where were you, huh? Where were you when she got it into her head to go off on her own?"
Kyren slowly began to push himself back to his feet, getting to his knees before another fist sent him sprawling back against the ground. Khavan fell to his knees over Kyren's body, holding him down.
"Locke would have been there. C'kayah would have been there. Fuck, even Ghislan would have been there. So where in the NINE HELLS were you?"
Another punch to the face. And another. And another. For a good ten minutes this continued, until Kyren was bleeding from the mouth and from one of his eyes. Until Khavan's fists were torn and bloodied from hitting the Au Ra's scales over and over. Until he was too tired to raise his arms any longer.
Khavan finally got back to his feet, and Kyren soon followed, slowly pushing himself to his knees before standing. For a moment, it seemed like the highlander had worn himself down as he turned back to the doors... paused... and then suddenly turned back again with a growl as his fist swung forward. But the attack was stopped dead in its tracks as Kyren caught his fist in his hand, holding it firmly in place. He met the man's eyes for a single moment before suddenly pushing forward and down. The highlander had no energy left to resist, finding the himself falling to his knees with a thud. He looked up at Kyren, and all that was left in his eyes was pain.
"She could have died. Do you understand that? She could have died out there, alone, with no one by her side."
Kyren looked down upon the grieving son for a long moment before finally lifting his hand, placing his palm gently on the man's forehead. There was a sudden, brief swirl of purple aether and Khavan suddenly began to slump over, but was quickly caught by the Au Ra before he could hit the ground.Â
He sighed, looking down at the man. Hopefully now he could get some sleep, even after the spell wore off. With a painful groan, he lifted the large man up and slung him over his shoulder as he carried him quietly back inside.
- - -
He very carefully lay Khavan down on the couch next to his husband, resting his head against Luxore's shoulder before turning and heading for the stairs.
"Thank you."
Kyren turned, looking back at the two. Khavan was still passed out cold, and Luxore was asleep as well... save for the small smile on the man's lips. Kyren stared silently for a moment longer before giving a single nod. He then turned back and headed down the stairs.
- - -
He could feel his right eye already swelling shut, and his arm smeared with blood as he wiped it across his busted lip. He would need to see a healer the next day, but that's hardly what he was worried about right now. Coming down the stairs, he made his way down the small hallway before spotting Sara asleep in a ball on the couch in the small den, a tiny fire still burning in the fireplace.
Poor girl, she probably felt worse than Khavan. He quietly walked over to where she slept, taking the blanket that had fallen off her and covering her back up, being careful not to wake her. He knew his appearance frightened her more than most people. Not that he could blame her, he practically looked like a voidsent. And with what had happened to her sister...
He sighed, shaking his head as he moved back to the hall, opening one of the side doors quietly as he looked in on the children. Adokenai Rinannis Altair. Mikh'a Rinannis. Elonwea Rinannis... Ellie. Kyren hung in the doorway for a moment as he looked upon Lili's youngest ones. Khavan's words echoed in his head. Was this really a place for him? This was her family. These were her children, not his. They had roots. A shared name. They were there for each other when anything happened to any one of them. They were family.
And Kyren? His only family had sold him into slavery. He was the heir of nothing. The prince of a forgotten clan. The failed guardian of a dead princess. He had no roots. He had no legacy. All he had now was the power to destroy... and he had lost his appetite for destruction.Â
He closed the door to the nursery with a quiet click.
- - -
He stood in front of her door now, staring down at the handle. He had been trying to distract himself, trying not to face it. As long as he didn't see it with his own eyes, there was still that small possibility that it hadn't actually happened. But he couldn't pretend any longer. He reached down and opened the door.Â
The low light of the floor lamps greeted him, as well as the smell of her. She lay on the bed, asleep, blonde tresses falling gently around her face. She looked so peaceful in that moment it hurt. Careful not to wake her, he walked around to the side of her bed, his expression unreadable as he looked down at her. Slowly, he lifted the sheet that covered her, looking down to the empty space where her left leg had once been, where there was now nothing but a bandaged stump.Â
He slowly let the sheet fall back down. Taking a seat in the chair next to the bed, he leaned forward, his fingers drumming against each other as he stared at her sleeping form. He sat there for a long while, contemplating... something as he stayed by her side.Â
After some time, he slowly moved from the chair down to his knees next to the bed, lowering his head as he closed his eyes. It was only then, finally, that his shoulders began to shake and the tears began to fall against the white linens.
"I'm sorry," came the whispered words as he choked back the tears, finding his voice for the first time that night. "I'm so... so sorry..."