Life of a Phoenix - Chapter 21 - Sibling Talk

"You deserved this."

"I know."

"Aryun will hate you forever."

"I know."

"Is that all you can say?"

"No . . ."

"Then talk to me. Why did you have to act like such a dick to her?"

The man sighed. "Because she would be better without me."

The woman shook her head as she came around to kneel in front of the despondent man. Her slender fingers reached up, brushing back the golden red strands that covered his face.

"Brother, you must talk to me." She gently placed her palm against his unblemished cheek. "Please speak your mind. You cannot be the impenetrable wall that you are normally. No one, mortal or immortal, is made for that."

The man trembled, closing his eyes and leaning onto the hand of his sister. "Iraina, I . . . I have erred. I destroyed the life of the only living breath of Lady Kieran. I turned a shoulder when I should have held a hand."

Iraina's eyes were a luminous light green, the color of new spring leaves, and soft grasses. Her hair was the soft color of newly turned earth with the slight elemental trace of copper. Twin braids adorned the sides of her face while the rest hung freely to the middle of her back. Her face was slender, yet slightly proud looking in such a way, that she resembled her brother. Despite the difference in hair color and the difference in mothers, Iraina was always accused of being the twin of her brother.

"Even we, we who are called gods, make mistakes, dearest brother." Her skilled fingers brushed another strand of his hair back away from his wounded cheek. "Dearest one, you must talk to her. No snide comments, no rude behavior; just talk to her civilly, like a true father would. Remember that she is now your equal, or perhaps above your station. You did your job in making her strong, but you should have been more human."

"More human," he laughed quietly. "I am supposed to be more human when all that was drilled into my head was that I had to act above 'petty, nasty creatures like them'. Then I . . ."

"You and your mother had a falling out before she died. You know, I think you and your brother are the only ones who remember their parents."

Her brother smiled slightly. "True . . . but after that . . . I ran into Kieran on the streets of Tardahs. I was . . . completely smitten by her. Her hair was like sunlight itself and poured over her back down to her thighs. It was always plaited back from her face, but several strands would ring her ears, so she wore a silver circlet to keep it back. She wore a black thin shift of which the shoulders here only pinned together. The bodice she wore was silver as well, slipped on over the shift tightly. Her long slender legs were encased in silvery-black leather, I have no clue where it came from, and her boots were silver knee high as well.

"She was tall, and very slender. Her hands were delicate, and one was wrapped around the sword she wore. I watched her as she talked and bartered with a man, her face becoming darkened in anger, and I thought that the emotion suited the face, strangely enough. The slender, elf like face she had was beautiful. Wide set bright blue eyes, thin yet full lips, and her nose was narrow and slender. Her blue eyes had a slight tilt to them that made her exotic looking. Even more so was the soft golden hue to her skin that the sun brought out.

"I think in all reality, she only came to my shoulder while I walked in avatar form. I remember she sighed in disgust, shaking her head before she ran into me."

Iraina's brother laughed slightly. "Yes, I was not paying any attention either, and she ran into me. Funny that I still remember the first words she told me." He broke off, laughing heartily, hearing her yelling that obscenity at him.

"Hey fuck face, watch where you're going and perhaps I won't have to kick your ass."

He sobered up slightly. "Yes, Aryun's mother swore worse than she does, although Aryun makes up far more creative ones."

Iraina tilted her head, watching her brother laugh. "KimVay, talk to Aryun. You both made mistakes, and I think she realizes that."

"True," he chuckled. "That is true. Mistakes are what make us truly alive. The ability to fuck up everything you love and adore. You know, I never knew Aryun was mine until Kieran had passed. It was a horrid thought that I destroyed her life." He sighed and shook his head. "I helped her when I could, Aryun I mean.

"I never though she would show up at my temple door a young hardened warrior woman. Her red-gold hair was hanging free, her dark blue eyes were deep pools of anguish as she came through the doors and up the aisle. Her clothing was blood stained and torn, and her face was smudged with dirt, sweat, and blood. So like her mother, so very like her mother in that moment that my heart squeezed in pain.

"She walked up the aisle until she came to the altar, and dropped down to her knees, her head bowed and tears coursing down her pallid cheeks. She wanted a place to feel accepted, to feel love. She knew I was her father. Her mother had already given her the clues to find me." He shook his head. "I failed her because I did not answer her pleading. I turned a blind eye and a deaf ear believing that I was doing her a favor, but I wasn't. I did not know that I was the last stop before she plunged into the darkness. This darkness that still lurks within her mind that she fights. It was my fault she fell, and you cannot convince me another way."

He closed his eyes. "Iraina, patch me up and I will see if my nerve will stay still, and then I will talk to Aryun."