Life of a Phoenix - Chapter 19 - Notes, Pain and TAILS!

Notes:
Aa. is a japanese concent. Kinda like yes, just a noise of agreement.
Parrde - A group of were-leopards are called a Parrde, as a wolf pack is called a Pack. He is of the last Were-Leopards in existance.

"Mistress Lucria! I've a letter for you."

"Letter?"

"Yes, Mistress." The young blonde guard held out a delicate paper to Lucria that was written in rust colored ink. "He said to wait for your reply."

Lucria stood and accepted the letter, nodding absently to the guard. Flipping it open after not recognizing the seal, she scanned it, and then reread it thoroughly. A wicked smile curved her lips, and she looked up and blinked before rereading it and committing it to memory.

With a slight wave of her hand, she conjured a piece of parchment and quickly scrawled a few words. Smiling, she handed it to the young guard and nodded.

"Tell the man thank you for the letter, Arion."

The young guard bowed and then walked away.

Lucria watched the door shut with a grin. She walked over to her mirror, looking at the face that still carried a pink scar. Her wing was worse off, having been bandaged.

Wings were light and hollow bones, and since no magic could be as precise as her body could be, they were reluctant to magically heal them.

So she resigned herself to the tight bandage upon her upper wing. The healers said that it wouldn't be too long until it was mended, so she should just to let it hang limp.

That statement irritated her to no end. It was a stupid idea anyway. Imagine! Letting something wounded continue to just stay limp! Especially when it fell off to such a strange angle. Instead of that beautiful upward sweep she had, it was left lying straight and perpendicular to her spine.

She sighed. It made her back ache as well. She growled again.
"Stupid healers!" Her eyes narrowed at her reflection. "He'll pay. That bastard of a child will pay." Her fingers came up to caress her scarred cheek. "Now I have the means to pay him back . . . and he will feel sorry for every tangling with me."

The Master sat idly in his throne, one long leg thrown over an arm as his back rested against the other. His left arm was draped over the back of the throne, the long hand gliding fingers across the gilded peak. Above his splayed right hand, a crystal globe spun lazily.

Gold and black swirled within like liquid as it moved, and the Master watched intently at the scene within.

He chuckled lightly as his eyes flowed over the figure within the crystal. "Fiery one, do you know how much you tempt me?" He chuckled again, running his fingers over the image. "Oh yes, I know you protest. I know you say you don't love me, but I know you loved that." His eyes gleamed as he licked his lips. "But don't worry. You'll be here soon."

He let his head fall back as he laughed manically. He stopped and looked at his servant lying across the steps.

The Master smiled as he watched the limp body. "I suppose I was too hard upon him." He ran his large hand through his golden hair, shaking it out. Gracefully, he rose. His naked feet making soft sounds against the bare stone as he walked to where Vashon lay sprawled.

He bent and knelt upon the floor, his hands gently brushing along his servant's back.

Vashon shivered and tried to move, but was casually restrained by a strong hand upon his lower back. He slowly opened his eyes and saw only the pale lavender hair obscuring his vision. His lips moved painfully, trying to issue some sound, a plea maybe, as he felt the softness of the Masters thigh beside his own.

"Ah, Vashon. I should not have been so harsh, and now you are not up to playing any more."

Playing? Vashon thought numbly, his blood encrusted fingers twitching.

"Vashon, will you come to me after you are healed?"

No, a voice murmured in his head. No I will not . . . but I'm not strong enough to say no, so, yes bastard, I'll be there.

The Master's voice grew sharp. "Answer me, Vashon, or your punishment next time will be more rigorous."

Vashon wet his broken lips, working moisture into his mouth. "Yes . . . Master. I will . . . be there . . ."

The Master caressed the bloody plains of Vashon's back. "Good. I enjoy you."

Vashon shuddered, feeling pain spike in his body as the Master's fingers dug into the wounds, tearing them a little wider. He moaned softly, pushing his face further into his arm.

The Master bent down and sharply bit Vashon's pale neck, breaking the skin and letting his blood flow.

"Go heal yourself and we will continue this within my chambers."

With that, the Master stood and walked off, bare feet padding off into the darkness, leaving Vashon alone . . .

He felt like he was floating within a darkened sea. Warmth surrounded him as he lay there, utterly accepting of the situation. His long white hair spread out around him, and he curled his fingers within the silky strands.

He frowned slightly as a soft light fluttered upon his closed eyes. With a groan, he swiped his hand at the light as if to swat it away. When this failed, he moaned pitifully, praying that it would leave him alone.

However, the light was insistent, as was the soft, and gentle tugging of his hand.

With great reluctance, he opened his eyes, knowing that he would be scalded with pain.

When his eyes fluttered, he realized it was a mistake to come back. Pain tore through every fiber of his being and made him cry out softly.

Cool fingers touched his warm face, gliding along his cheek and jaw.

"Wake up, Ashi. It's time to wake from your sleep."

His lips tugged down in a slight grimace. "No." The word was faint, and weak. "I. Will. Not."

There was a clap of hands, and a happy sound. "Oh, you are awake!"

"No, Lethe . . . I prefer to be back where I was . . ."

"No, no, no, no! You're staying awake with me. Iraina said you would wake once the fever went down finally."

Ashi rolled his closed eyes. "Goody."

"Hey! You don't have to be so acerbic!"

Painfully, he opened his right eye. Blurry, it finally focused upon the sun-kissed haired woman. "And why, pray tell, not?"

Lethe grinned and brushed her fingers down his cheek. "Because it would defeat the purpose of me getting to see you ill. You can't be invincible all the time, Pussy Cat."

Ashi's lips pulled into a deeper frown. "Do. Not. Call. Me. That!" The tone was a snarling hiss.

"Ah, stay still. You'll rip stitches. Now, if we're quite through with biting at each other, would you like to tell me who did this to you?"

Ashi's frown deepened further. "I do not remember."

"You don't?"

His mouth pulled painfully into a sneer. "Woman, do you think I would know who smashed a sword hilt upon the back of my neck? Unlike you gods, I do not have eyes in the back of my head!" He bared his sharply pointed teeth at her, a low rumble coming from his throat.

"Oh, come off the snarky fit! You're not impressing me, and you damned well know it!"

Ashi still kept his teeth bared in agitation. His tail, which had unwound from his waist, thumped upon the bed in the irritation.

Lethe paused, watching her agitated charge and laughed. "Aryun and I were talking. You need fuzzy ears."

"Hell no!" The tail started to thump faster.

"Oh, come on! It'd be cute!"

"Yeah," Ashi drawled as he rolled his eyes again, "And have Cerith after me more than he already is?" He snorted, and then winced as he coughed lightly. "Never."

"Oh well, we can always get you when you least expect it." Her fingers brushed his white hair out of his face. "Since you feel up to quibbling, do you want to see Aryun? She's here . . . somewhere . . ."

Ashi's violet eyes watched her intently, and he nodded slightly before speaking his assent.

"Ah, Ashi, you are awake." Tyral's silvery blue eyes watched him intently with a smile as he entered the small room. "Alas, Aryun and KimVay were involved in a fight. KimVay's spoken the truth to her."

"Oh dear," Lethe whispered as her hand flew to her mouth. "How did she take it?"

"I am not sure. He left and is with Iraina now, although he's refusing to be healed claiming he deserved it."

Lethe sighed. "He should have told her sooner."

"But what can you do?" Tyral shrugged gracefully.

Ashi shook his head. "I thought . . . you disliked KimVay?"

Tyral shook his hair out of his face. "I never said that." His fingers came up to play with a slender silver chain that encircled his neck. "KimVay and I decided that it would be best off if I cared for little Aryun, and he earned her hatred. It's easier for people to hate him than love him."

"For the love of the Light! Why in the Nine Hells did you decide that?!" Ashi was more than beyond miffed. His tail was twitching dangerously as it thumped upon the bed. "You know what she went through, and yet you let her think that KimVay hated her?"

Tyral shifted upon his feet looking very uncomfortable. "We decided this."

Ashi narrowed his violet eyes. Sure, he was in pain, but he was well beyond caring at the moment. His lips twisted in a snarl, he mimicked Tyral's tone. "'We decided this.' I never thought you'd stoop to being mendacious, Tyral!" He struggled and finally balanced upright as his tail started to dangerously snake across the bed. "You realize when she finds out how deep this . . . this machination extends, she is not going to be very happy."

Lethe's hands fluttered over his thin shoulders, trying to keep him down unsuccessfully. "Ashi, lay back down. Please. I don't want you hurt anymore."

Ashi said nothing, but his glittering violet eyes were pinned upon the Rex.

Tyral, for his part, had turned his face away. Several strands of silvery hair had come loose from the impeccable braid and flowed into his face. The silvery-blue eyes were closed, the corners tightened in pain.

"I know this, Ashitare of the Parrde. I know this very well. As for why . . ." He held a slender hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. "KimVay was devastated that Thanatos asked him to delere Kieran. Devastated. He couldn't handle anything for many years afterward. He came to me the night he took her away. Begged, sobbing, that he couldn't tend for her. I . . . what was I to do? My older brother, who I love dearly, was begging for me to help him. He wanted her to know nothing of him. He said it would be best that she hated him for 'taking' her mother away, but he never thought that she had inherited his damned stubbornness." Tyral sighed and shook his head.

Ashi watched Tyral with suspicion, his tail calming down. "Why did not you tell her about the deal later? After she had met with KimVay?"

"I didn't know if she wished it."

Ashi snorted. "'Didn't know'? Oh come off it, Tyral! You know damned well that she wanted to know him. She was dying for his acceptance. You know only two cared for her when she was a child, and everyone else beat her! Why hide things from her?" His white tail was swishing angrily upon the bed covers again. Irritation made plain by the occasional thump.

Tyral's slender mouth pulled into a frown. "I didn't lie, but I did deceive slightly. I've always told Aryun that with KimVay, things are definitely not what they seem!" He turned his silvery-blue eyes towards him. "That you cannot fault me on!"

Ashi stuck his nose in the hair and sniffed. "I can put blame on you when I want and for what I want. You're not infallible, Tyral." His expression softened slightly. "And I honestly can see where you got away with telling her that. I myself wouldn't want an irate Aryun on my tail . . . wait a minuet . . . I've had that before." His eyes narrowed to a glare. "What about Elysian?"

"Never knew."

Ashi's narrowed eyes widened. "You mean to say that he wasn't in on this too?"

Tyral cocked his head. "That's what I mean to say."

Ashi waved his hand towards Lethe. "And her?"

There was a soft smile playing upon Tyral's lips when he looked at Lethe. "I cannot hid anything from her. You should know I'd be beaten for it." He shook his head. "Yes, she knew. Only because she's my mate . . ."

Lethe picked up a small pillow and threw it at him.

It smacked his face and a few feathers came out to flutter gently to the floor.

"Ah, I take it we're still on 'off time'." An apologetic smile graced his features next. "I truly am sorry, Lethe, for whatever it is you think I did."

"Everything you did is wrong," Lethe scoffed as she turned her face away.

"Aa. I wish you would tell me things." He rolled his eyes at her. "You're acting like such a child now."

She snorted inelegantly. "Child? If I recall, you were the moron who yelled."

Exasperated, Tyral threw his hands skyward. "You're still going on about that?" He turned and paced the few spaces towards her. His hands came down upon the arms of the chair as he leaned close to her, their noses almost touching. "Woman, why go on about that?"

Lethe's violet eyes grew large as they looked into Tyral's ice-colored depths. Her voice quavered slightly. "Because you're mine."

He tiled his head, scarcely brushing his nose across her cheek. "Aa. Yes I am, and you are mine. I don't appreciate it when you say you found that fop attractive." He brushed his cheek against hers, running his nose along the edge of her jaw. "You, my dear goddess, are mine, and I'd hate to think what would happen if you left."

Lethe swallowed, and tried to move away from him, only to be trapped by the chair. "Tyral . . ."

Ashi watched in amusement when Tyral brushed his lips across the skin at the base of her jaw. Even though his body still hurt, his wounds ached, he always enjoyed when Lethe was put back in her place after those fights they'd engage in.

"What?"

She shivered as his soft breath fanned her ear. Her anger melted at the soft touch of their skin. She swallowed again and turned her head. Her lips met his and she wrapped her long slender fingers within his silver silk hair.

Ashi watched them for a few moments before he decided to interrupt. "Hey! I thought you two were going to take me to Aryun. But I can always walk there myself as I would hate to interrupt you. I mean after all, you two have been sleeping on couches for over two months."

They slowly broke apart, ignoring the happy-to-irritate Parrde upon the bed.

"So," he whispered against her lips, one finger lazily making it's way down her jaw. "Am I forgiven?"

Lethe's eyes were half closed, her lips half parted. "I don't know. Will have to find out later since Ashi is chomping on his tail . . ." She leaned forward, quickly kissing Tyral and pushed him back so he stumbled.

Brusquely, she stood and brushed her black tunic off. "Come on, Ashi. Let's see if we can't find Aryun somewhere. My bet is the North Tower."

Ashi grinned as he dropped his arm across her shoulders. "Your on! My bet is the south one."

Tyral laughed as he bounded out of the room. "My bet is neither. She hates heights."

"Deal!"