SOLACE ROTATION, IX CYCLE 5032 - WINTALYN
~ELIAS~
"Ryder? Are you fucking crazy?" Xavier snapped.
"Ryder, what do you mean that's not all?" Kade asked, understanding Ryder's behavior must have had a meaning.
Ryder turned to face us, not even concerned about his back facing the flaming beast.
"Whoever its host is...they're our final star knight."
We were completely silent, the shock of Ryder's confession leaking through our bond.
"Please tell me he's joking?" Eli whispered into my mind.
I don't think so, EliaseAnne. Shit...
"You're fucking joking," Xavier ground out. "That blazing hellhound is our sister's final star knight?! How do you even know for sure?"
"I can feel it. I won't deny that the connection to him isn’t strong compared to the connection with the others. His link seems muted, but he's one of us. Whoever he is," Ryder declared.
We were all silent as we turned our attention to the blazing creature quietly growling at us. Ryder turned around and took a deep breath, advancing another step forward to face the hellhound who appeared ready to pounce on Ryder if he got to close.
"I won't hurt you or your friends. I just want to talk," Ryder announced. The beast stopped growling, narrowing its burning red eyes that kept switching colors from yellow to orange to red.
"You can tell I'm not lying. Your host hears voices, doesn't he?" Ryder asked.
The hellhound began to growl again, looking like Ryder only pissed him off.
"Ryder, I don't think that approach is working," I pointed out through our bond.
"I'm still trying to take in the fact that he's a star knight," Marcus admitted.
"He's strong as fuck," Daniel commented.
"Still have to work on your swearing, but I completely agree with you," Kai confessed.
"What if he decides to say fuck it and burn us all?" I asked.
"He won't." Ryder took another step forward, and we all flinched when the hellhound roared loudly, the sound carrying through the dark forest.
"There's been a misunderstanding and we need to talk. I don't know you or your host, but I'm not here to hurt Mako or your friends. You can ask your angel friend if I'm lying." Ryder motioned to Isa as he spoke.
The hellhound scowled and looked toward Isa. She slowly stood up on trembling feet and looked at the beast as she reached out to pet him. "He's not lying. He truly wants to talk."
The hellhound didn't seem satisfied but began to stretch out, waiting for Isa to remove her hand from his body before he ruffled flaming fur that spewed out flickers of ember.
He shifted closer to Mako, moving his head low enough to nuzzle his nose against her cheek. She stirred at his gentle touch but relaxed once more, which seemed to give the hellhound enough reassurance that she was okay.
Flames immersed his body, and the power that had been vibrating off him lessened. When the flames dispersed and flickered out, a tall man emerged.
He stood at 6'3, making him taller than any of us, and his long hair was currently glowing a vibrant orange-gold. He didn't appear pleased to see us, and just from his crossed arms and stiff pose, he gave off the vibe that he didn't trust us at all.
He narrowed his eyes on Ryder first before they drifted to Daniel. He turned his attention back to Isa, and instead of speaking English, his words were coded in a language none of us understood.
Isa gave him a sympathetic look and shook her head, replying in the same language. They conversed for what seemed to be about two minutes, leaving us completely stumped as to what they were discussing.
The man nodded after Isa finished explaining something and returned his attention to us. "I'll let you speak to my host, but I'll state this. Hurt any of these people, and I'll burn you all and ensure your souls cling to this very land," he threatened.
"Does he know who he's talking to?" Xavier grumbled.
The man turned his gaze to Xavier and narrowed his eyes. "I don't give a shit about who you are. Hurt Mako, Ann, or Isa, and I'll kill you without a second thought. You've been warned."
He closed his eyes and took another deep breath. His once glowing hair began to dim, revealing long silver hair with black tips. When he opened his eyes again, they were bright red, the color sending shivers through me. Shit...those eyes don't give me good memories at all.
"At least he has good looks," Eli commented, sounding just as disturbed. I knew it was judgemental to compare him to King Aspen's red eyes, but those colored eyes were rare. At least he looked nothing like him.
Ryder bit his lip, appearing to be in pain. "Do you mind lowering your anger for a second?"
The man frowned. "Why should I lower my anger for a complete stranger? In fact, who the fuck are all of you, and why are you after Mako and Ann?"
"Couldn't we find out who you are first?" Kade asked. "Kind of hard to address you without knowing your name."
The man rolled his eyes. "Nikolai. Introduction done."
"I'm calling it now. I don't like him," Marcus declared in our bond.
Nikolai blinked for a moment and looked at Marcus. "You know. For a giant bear shifter, you shouldn't go saying who you don't like, asshole."
We all gawked at him, and Marcus seemed the most shocked. "Y-you heard that? Oh, wait a minute. I'm not a fucking bear shifter! Why does everyone think I am?!"
"You're bulky, huge, and look like you work out for at least five hours a day," Nikolai commented plainly, looking bored.
"Argh," Marcus grumbled and looked at Ryder. "I don't like him!"
"At least you learned how to say it out loud, asshole," Nikolai mumbled.
"Can I kick his ass?" Marcus huffed.
Nikolai grinned, and we shivered at the wave of power that leaked off him. "Go ahead, asshole. I don't need Blaze to kick your ass."
"Can the both of you chill for a second? Why don't we have this conversation on the ship where we can make sure Mako and Ann are okay? They didn't look good earlier," Daniel declared.
That silenced everyone, and Isa walked over to Mako first. She knelt and pressed her hand against the side of Mako's forehead.
"I agree, Nick. Mako isn't well," Isa revealed in English. Nick bit his lip, responding in their language and Isa responded back.
He let out a huff and glared at us. "Fine, but we stay ON the ground. I also suggest you put your invisible barriers up. You're close to a rogue base."
"Rogues? Here?" I asked.
Nikolai turned to me and stared. "You're Elias, aren't you?"
I was stumped that he knew who I was, and I swallowed hard, feeling EliaseAnne's anxiety as well as my own. "Yes. How do you know that?"
"Hmph," Nikolai replied, not bothering to answer, which only left me confused.
"Don't like him," Marcus grumbled through our bond again.
"Fuck off!" Nikolai replied.
"Oh, for fuck sakes, I didn't say that out loud!" Marcus snapped.
"Sounded like you did." Nikolai shrugged and looked like he didn't give a shit at that point. Isa glanced at Nikolai and said something.
He frowned, staring at her for a long moment, then sighed. "Fine, take Ann."
Isa nodded, moving over to Ann. Xavier took a step forward, but Nikolai glowered at him.
Xavier immediately lifted his hands up in defense. "Jeez, do we need to make an oath or something? I won't hurt Anya."
"Her name is Ann," Nick corrected. "And an oath doesn't sound like a bad idea."
He took a long glance between all of us and continued. "As we stand on this land, we make an oath, the Starlight gods as our witness, that neither side will cause harm to the other. Regardless of differences, both sides agree to be neutral until the purpose of this intervention is addressed and resolved. I, Nikolai, declare this as a resident of Wintalyn and so shall it be."
We could feel the weight of his words, and we all exchanged glances before we stood in a line and raised our left hands to our chests.
Ryder took the lead as he spoke. "I, Ryder Carter, agree to this oath with my fellow star knights. We gather here, not to fight, but to discover the truth and the lie. Regardless of our differences on either side of the spectrum, we come together in peace and unity and will do no harm. We will remain neutral until our purpose for this intervention is addressed and resolved. The Starlight gods are our witness."
Kade decided to lead for his brother. "I, Kade Mackenzie Heart, with my brother, Xavier Mackenzie Heart, vow to remain neutral as we discover the truth from the lie. Regardless of our differences, we vow to cause no harm. We will wait until our purpose for our intervention is addressed and resolved. The Starlight gods are our witness."
Xavier nodded in understanding, as did the rest of us before we all sealed the oath. "In stars we trust."
The wave of magic that cascaded around us assured us that our oath had been heard, and it seemed that the atmosphere was a little calmer.
Xavier strode forward, moving to where Isa stood. "I'll carry her."
Isa nodded, appearing unconcerned as she offered Ann to him. He scooped her up with ease and held her with care. I could tell from the look he gave her that there was something more there, a loving look filled with compassion and longing that made me wonder if Xavier had once loved Anya before she was kidnapped all those cycles ago.
Daniel and I moved forward; both of us paused for a second before we decided to move towards Isa, Nikolai, and Mako.
"Is she coming down with a fever?" Daniel asked Isa who was eyeing him.
"Yes. She wasn't feeling well, to begin with, due to lack of sleep. She should be fine, but I'd rather have space to perform a scan on her to ensure that's all it is," Isa declared.
I glanced between the two of them, their similar features only growing more apparent now that I was up close. They both had the same tint to their eyes and the same shade of blond hair; Daniel clearly inherited them from his mom, and from my memory, I figured Michael had too.
I knew Daniel was trying to be professional, but we all could feel his nerves and a hint of fear. "We have a medical area on the ship. It has three scanners and other equipment you can use. I can also assist as well."
Isa nodded, and a small smile formed on her soft pink lips. "Excellent. Let's not delay."
I wanted to pick Mako up, but Nikolai beat me to it, scooping her up with ease and holding her tightly against him."I'm coming with her for the scan."
"You don't need to be there, though," I pointed out.
Nikolai turned his gaze on me. "Right at this moment, you're all strangers. I won't leave my girlfriend with any of you. She's mine until I say so." He shrugged.
I wanted to argue, feeling Eli's anger, but Ryder spoke up. "Fine. You can stay with Makoto on the ship and as long as you deem it necessary."
My eyes grew wide as I turned back to glare at Ryder, who seemed like the only calm one now with the other guys all staring at him in shock. "What?!" I exclaimed, Marcus and Xavier stating the same word of astonishment.
Ryder ruffled his hair. "You all know Mako well enough to realize she'll freak the fuck out if she wakes up and someone familiar isn't there. Doesn't matter if she doesn't remember who she is and what she's been through. Just because she has no memory, it doesn't mean her triggers and reactions are erased."
"Ryder's right. She'll panic, and it will just be harder to ease her into the situation we're in. Let Nikolai stay close to her. At least he's somewhat cooperative," Kai mumbled. I could tell he wasn't pleased, but knowing Kai, he'd support Ryder's leadership over our emotional responses.
Kade sighed. "She'll trust Nikolai. I also suggest Isa handle the main healing work until she understands who Daniel and the rest of us are. We don't want to lose her trust."
I grimaced at his words, not wanting to fuck this up and lose Mako forever. She doesn't remember us, though. How the fuck are we going to figure this out? How can we fix this?
"Fine," Xavier grumbled.
"Hmph." Marcus huffed.
"Alright," Daniel replied.
Everyone looked at me and waited for my response. I pursed my lips then relented. "Sure."
Nikolai stared at me for a moment but said nothing. The others moved towards the ship first, but I remained, feeling so many different emotions. It was worse with Eli upset, anxious, and defeated also.
It was hard to watch from afar. Mako loved this man named Nikolai, but seeing it up close was even harder, and I didn't know if I could accept it. I don't know if I can let her go when she's right there.
"Why do you look like you've lost?" Nikolai asked.
I blinked and lifted my head to meet his guarded gaze. "What?"
"Do you love her?"
"Makoto? Of course I do! We all do." I defended, feeling offended by his absurd question.
"Then why not fight for what you want rather than giving up before the battle has begun?" Nikolai grumbled.
I stared at him in confusion. "Why the hell are you helping me?"
He grinned. "Who said I'm helping you?"
"Nikolai!" Isa called out, grabbing our attention as she stood in front of the path that headed into the deeper part of the forest, her arms crossed. Daniel stood behind her, most likely waiting for me.
Nikolai turned back to me, and I could see the determination in his red eyes.
"I know what I want, and she's currently asleep in my arms. No matter who you people are and your relationship with my Butterfly, I know one thing is for sure. She’s mine to share, and as of now, I'm the one who gets to decide if any of you are worthy of her love."
I clenched my fists, which only made him smile. He turned to face me, looking directly into my eyes.
"You want what's mine? Don't be a coward because you want Mako to be happy. Happiness is delivered through actions by the individual or the people around them. You want a chance to be back in her life, prove to me you love her enough to fight for it. If not, don't bother interfering because I'm confident in myself and the love I have for Mako."
He didn't let me counter his words, turning around to begin the walk to the forest and eventually our ship. He stopped after a few steps and glanced over his shoulder. "My advice goes to both of you."
My jaw went slack as I stared at him, his words leaving me more confused than bewildered. "How..."
He turned away and continued his trek towards Isa and Daniel. I stood there, still trying to figure out if or how he knew EliaseAnne and I were the same person.
"Mew."
I lowered my gaze to my feet and saw Nightmare looking at me with her cute wide mismatched eyes. "Mew?"
"Do you know who I am?"
She tilted her head and lifted her paw to rub against her cheek. I guess not.
I crouched down and scooped her up, rising to stare at Nikolai's back with a hint of disgust. "He loves Mako, but left her familiar," I grumbled through the knight bond.
"Nighty, we're going," Nikolai called out on cue.
"MEW!" Nightmare jumped out from my hand and ran forward, reaching Nikolai in mere seconds.
She jumped up and clung to his pants, slowly making her way up his body before reaching his shoulder. Her three tails wrapped around his neck and she nudged her head against his cheek.
I groaned. I think I agree with Marcus. I don't like him.
"He has fairy essence in him," EliaseAnne announced.
What?"
"I can sense it now. Before...I wasn't sure, but now...definitely," she mumbled.
I knew this wasn't going to be good for either of us. We weren't worried about not getting along with another Dark Fairy.
No. This meant that he was now competition, and so far, he was winning.