I GIVE ALL I AM, I GIVE ALL I OWN
The Hollow was constantly being relived by his past, seeing Bastian get ripped to pieces by Beartooth himself on the field. That was their opening to the war, his brothers fighting. Fara was still pregnant with their children, and that's what kept him in the sky that day or he'd like have been next. That's what his aim was anyways, Beartooths whole war was for his sake. He wanted Bones dead.
When in flight, he felt free normally. But since he was transformed he could only thing it a reminder of his brother. Perhaps even a gift. Now he could see the dead, he could hear them and speak with them. He could speak with Bastian, who was at peace and keeping a watchful eye on Beartooth and his army of Danes. It was falling apart. It made him happy, the fear was fleeting but the pain and fear from what he saw that day still remained. Bastian being ripped in two was still vivid in his mind.
With a gasp he awoke, picturing and seeing it all again like he did every time he slept. His body was full of sweat, as he made his way out into the winter air to cool off and remember himself. He needed to do this almost every day now, just to keep from losing his mind. He sighed, looking out at the trees. Fara was likely out with the packs pups, keeping busy. He tried his best to hide his pain from her, but he felt like she knew. She was comforting always, but how could she take the scene from his very head? He sighed, watching the clouds move across the sky as his wings folded gently behind his back.
Rayne blinked into sight, a ghostly form. "Hello?" she tried, speaking to that brother of Bastian. "My name is Rayne, can you hear me?" She flapped her wings a bit, whooshing air around herself.
His icy gaze flicked to another spirit, hearing her form a hello. His head tilted to the side as she introduced herself. "Rayne? As in my brothers old mate?" He asked her, confused. She died? How?
Rayne giggled, forming a sad smile. "I'm a ghost, I'm not living. You're not going crazy," she told Bones, taking just a step closer to him. "Don't worry." She paused, unsure of what to say.
He shook his head at her words, a small smile forming on his face. "I know, I'm a Spirit Elemental. I spoke with my brother already as well, so it's no surprise to me." He said. "Aren't you Bastians ex? What happened?" He asked her, his smile fading. Was this the woman who had sold out their position in Starfall to Beartooth?
Rayne's wings stilled, drooping. "I was claimed in Tarben," she whispered, her voice low. "I died birthing his children." Nikolai and Baladan. She missed them so much.
His eye twitched at the mention of Tarben, so it was her. "You were the one who told Beartooth about where Bastian and I went, and started the war with these innocents." He sighed, his glance breaking from her for a moment. "I can't say I hold a grudge against a ghost, so i forgive you. It seems you got what you deserved after you made Bastian an enemy. All he did was care for you." He said, his eyes growing nonchalant.
Rayne stood stock still. She was shocked by Bones' words; did he think she'd deserved to die? Her mouth opened and closed a couple times, tears threatening to fall.
Bones eyes shifted to her, raising a brow. "Would you rather I hate you for what you did? Bastian died in that war, Rayne. So did your son if I'm not mistaken." He said, trying to get her to understand where he was coming from.
Her wingtips drooped to touch the floor; she opened her mouth. "He caught me trying to kill myself," she admitted, a couple tears tracing down her cheek. "He frightened me, and I said too much. And after . . . I had no idea just what I'd done."
Bones shook his head. "Regardless of what you were doing, he used you. You bore his children and fed into his sick dream of having an army." He said, no remorse in his voice. "You had an idea I'm sure. How would he have known you were with Bastian, and not some random woman in his pack?" He shook his head again. "You were mad, I'm sure. That Bastian sent you away after you bore stillborns from him. He preferred it though. He'd spoken about you before he died." There was so much running through his head, so much to tell her, if only she'd be open with him so he could have closure.
Rayne's jaw set firmly. "What could I do? He r a p ed me. And then what, leave my sons and surely kill myself from grief? Never forgive myself for leaving them alone in that place, with him? I don't regret being a mother. What I regret is saying too much in my half-crazed state of fear and shock. I think he would have found out eventually, though, don't you? I just expedited it, accidentally. I'm sorry for what my words cost Starfall. But I'm not sorry for staying in Tarben, if only for my sons, Bones."
He sighed at her words. Beartooth was a monster, but he wouldn't pick fights with everyone in Starfall just to find him. She seemed to have a lot of excuses. "You could have taken them with you, you could have sought peace elsewhere before he even got to you. It's of course not your fault what he did to you, but things could have gone differently had you found help elsewhere as we did. Your sons will just be a pawn in the next war." He was feeling anger in his heart, and anxiety rising. "Bastian didn't have to die for loving you." He said through his teeth, as tears beaded in his eyes as he looked back to her once more through the skull on his face.
Rayne saw the truth in Bones' words, but she likely couldn't have taken Radke and Arvin out of Tarben. She was certain that Beartooth would have hunted them. "Got to me? I, like a stupid idiot, was so focused on committing suicide because I had nobody left in the world, that I-that I-blundered right into Tarben like a fool!" She took a deep breath. "Alright, yes, I might have gone somewhere else. But as to them being pawns, that's what I came here for." She looked Bones straight in the eyes, deadly serious. "I'm trying to correct what I should have ages ago. Balerion, Tarben's Black Dread and my sons' uncle, is going to lead an uprising against Drekistone, that new pack. Mori, the man who claimed me, is going to him. I want you to take a message to Mori. Tell him that Nikolai and Baladan are to be gotten out of Tarben. I want them in Drekistone after these wars, I want them safe. If you don't want to . . . I understand and respect that, and I will just find somebody else."
"I truly am sorry. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea what to do. Radke . . . Radke is following Balerion as well. I want my boys to be together, and to be safe and happy. It's what I could never do when I was alive. I know I probably don't deserve that peace of mind, though."
Bones grit his teeth at her request. "You killed my brother. And you want me to help you?" He spoke angerly. "We aren't done here, you need to know what he was really doing when he sent you away." He spoke, his head lowering. "He sent you away to protect you from the very man you bore children for. He adored you. But he feared for you, he feared for those children you bore. Because he knew Beartooth would be the death of all of you, but you turned on him the minute things got difficult." He growled, a few moments of which he stopped. "I'll inform Mori. Not for you, but for Bastian."
Rayne's ears pinned in anger and confusion. "If you don't want to, don't, I'm not going to force you! Why are you doing it for Bastian? They're not his; you shouldn't have to care." This was spiraling way out of control. "Look. I know you hate me. I can leave right now if you want me to." She stopped, trying to get used to the fact that Bastian had been trying to protect her from Beartooth. "He . . . did he really love me?" She wished she hadn't asked that, as soon as the words left her mouth.
Bones sighed at her angry outburst. "If I were you I wouldn't have come here to begin with. They may not be Bastians, but it's what he would have wanted." He said shortly. Rolling his eyes at her comment of him hating her. "I do not hold grudges over ghosts, its pointless. You're already dead so why hate you? And threatening to leave like it wouldn't potentially cost your children their lives?" He spoke, anger in his voice. As she asked about Bastian loving her, he felt something snap. "Everything he did was for your sake. Coming to Hawthorne wasn't just for me, it was his idea. And he hoped telling you where he'd go would mean you'd come to us. He'd hoped no strings attached would mean you'd be safe. And you soiled everything, Rayne." He spoke once more through grit teeth. "Even as a ghost you're ignorant, perhaps you should've succeeded in taking your own life. Then maybe he'd still be here and Beartooth would have left us all alone!" He growled.
Rayne recoiled, the words like a slap. Without a word, she slowly flickered, about to just fade away.
As he watched her fade before him, his anger subsided and a sigh left his maw. Now he had to try and find a way to tell Mori something he likely already had taken care of. The war on Drekistone was likely on the rise as we speak, the echoing calls of the presumed black dread were faint but able to be heard from Hawthorne. He sighed, Bastian had done so much. He truly deserved better, and he felt anger come back to him. He wouldn't do her the favor. What good had she done for him, for Bastian? And she was right, those kids weren't his nephews, but the father would at least keep them with him should they take Drekistone. He knew that well enough.
At Lucayas call, he looked into his den to where Fara likely was before he moved towards his childrens den. "Kids, the Queen is summoning. Lets go." He called out to them before his wings took to the sky. When he came to the clearing, he noted the small family of Maverick meeting up and Lucaya on the throne. He wondered what the meeting would be about, but figured it would be discussed soon enough. He sat and folded his wings, Harlow and Dianthe joining him and sitting beside him.
Walk, "Talk", Think.
WORDS :: 1,885
Permission given from Nadia and played through privately on Discord for Raynes ghost.
TAKE FROM ME MY BONES
THE LOST SOUL BROTHER TO BASTIAN & BEARTOOTH |
| TIED TO FARA | FATHER OF FIVE | HAWTHORNE IOTA | METALHEAD |
table and manip made by metalhead
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