"An outcast," Aloryk answers for me, earning a glare from his High Spear.
"A'Shadow Wing'is a Trixikka of no tribe," Rynn says, turning to me. "He is a male who has committed sins against Tribe and Temple. It is a danger to keep a male such as this in the village, so he is banished to the forests."
"Ok..." I say. That makes sense, I guess. "Why are they calledShadow Wings?" Because honestly, that sounds badass.
"Because of our forced ability to stay hidden in the shadows," comes a velvet-smooth voice from the nearby jungle tree line. Instantly, Rynn and the others go on high alert, spears gripped and daggers withdrawn from their belts. "When we are banished from the tribe, we are forced to consume the sap from the Girri tree. It blackens our skin-stars helping us to stay hidden in the depths of the jungle," the voice continues. "And it marks us as traitors of the tribe."
Desperately, everyone scans the tree line. I do too, but I can't see where the voice is coming from until the owner steps forward into the clearing around the temple. He is Trixikka. Tall, muscular, and broad-shouldered, sporting those huge, onyx-black wings and the tail too. Except where Rynn's skin is speckled with glowing lights, this alien's markings seem to fade like shadows instead of bioluminescence. At least, that's what it looks like until Rynn blocks my view, standing right in front of me, no doubt to shield me from this newcomer.
"Tryk," he says in greeting. Rynn's wings flare wider as the Shadow Wing approaches. "If you start dropping in on us unannounced like this, I will have to revoke that privilege," he growls. "And I know you wish to keep in contact with your brother."
"High Spear," I hear this 'Tryk' guy say, acknowledging Rynn. "But seeing as your Protectors, as well as Zarikko's, are patrolling the skies almost constantly, I thought I'd come and offer my aid. Either there is a great threat in the jungle, or, like me, you've found something rather curious. Judging by the way you seem to be trying to hide something from me, I suspect the latter. " The muscles in Rynn's shoulders bunch and his biceps flex. Trying to spy over the guy's frame is futile, he's so tall and with his wings splayed, it's almost impossible even on my toes. So instead, I duck and peek out from beneath his feathered wing. The visitor's eyes meet mine immediately. "Ah," Tryk says with a grin. "Hello, curious creature."
Rynn begins to growl in warning, but I'm too preoccupied with what Tryk had said before. "What did you find?" I ask, stepping out from behind my big, feathered protector.
Tryk's eyes dart all over me, his brow slowly scrunching in confusion before smoothing again. "Nothing like you."
I go to take another step forward but am stopped by Rynn's tail wrapping around my ankle, giving a little tug for me to stay back. I look up at him, watching the slow swallow and the shake of his head. Is this guy really that dangerous? What 'sin' did he commit?
"After all this time you still think I would harm one of you?"
None of the Trixikka move a muscle, Rynn least of all. Just standing beside him, I can feel the tension coiled in his body like a cobra ready to strike if needed. The air is thick with this masculine, alien stand-off bullshit and I'm about to ask more. What the hell this Tryk guy is meant to have done to deserve such a welcome? When the man himself sighs and grabs at the blades tucked into his belt. Rynn begins to drop into a defensive stance and lets loose a low snarl, his onyx wings flaring impossibly wide. He pauses when Tryk holds up his black daggers in a show of submission and throws them down, the blades embedding into the white-grassed earth with a swift 'thunk' noise each time. Bending at the waist, Tryk bows, his arms and wings splayed wide and low. "High Spear, I mean no harm. You know this."
Rynn grunts in response, which I suppose is the best that Tryk is going to get out of him at the moment. "If you overstep with my mate or any of the females-"
"Females?" Tryk's expression brightens, the inky dark markings on his body fluttering all over, like a swarm of passing shadows as he looks at me again, those eyes assessing me more closely. "It cannot be."
Somewhere behind us, one of the unconscious girls starts to wake, making a small, self-pitying type of noise. Tryk seems to disregard all warnings from his High Spear and moves forward, pushing one Trixikka male out of the way to get a better look. The guards surround him instantly, daggers drawn and spears pointed at his huge frame.
The waking girl is Chastity, her pale skin contrasting against Aloryk's deep tan and her red hair spilling over his arm where he carries her oh so carefully. "Tryk," Rynn warns through gritted teeth. One of the spear bearers growls and pushes the sharp tip of his spear into Tryk's shoulder. A trickle of blood dribbles down his bicep.
He doesn't react at all.
Chastity mumbles something and turns her head, her big blue eyes blinking up and coming face-to-face with the Shadow Wing. Tryk's breath hitches audibly.
"You're…” she scans the newcomer’s face. “You’renew," Chastity says, trying to get down and stand up but having to deal with Aloryk's tight, protective and unyielding hold.
Tryk's blackened skin stars are dancing at his temples as he swallows thickly. "As are you, little creature."
The sing of a blade cuts through the air and before I can blink, Rynn has maneuvered closer and holds an opal-looking dagger at our visitor's throat. This time, it's Chastity who gasps, but I feel like I can't breathe watching the whole ordeal. "I told younotto overstep,Shadow Wing," he hisses. "Tell us of what you found in the jungle, visit with your brother andleave."
Chapter 13
RYNN
Tryk's presence is worrying. It is our way that grave sins are punished by banishment. After all, a Trixikka cannot nourish his body with rotten fylli fruit, and so it is that a tribe cannot flourish with rotten people. But Tryk...Trykis a special case. His sin is grave, yes - committed many rain seasons ago now. And yet his story of the events have remained unchanged since that day that he was found with Trixikka blood on his hands.
I have been lenient in my banishment of him. The way of my people say that once a tribe member is tarnished as a Shadow Wing, they can never again approach the tribe. They are meant to live out their remaining days in solitary, only knowing the jungle for their home and family. Many do not last.
But something in me had believed Tryk when he'd told of why he had murdered his kin, and so I allow him his visits, as long as they stay short and infrequent. He often brings kills to feed his younger, lame-winged brother, or life-stones for others to give as Temple offerings on his behalf. It doesn't change what he has done, or what he is. He is a Shadow Wing, most likely slowly being driven to madness living alone in that vast and violent forest. I do not trust him around my tribe, and certainly do not trust him around our females.
My wing wraps protectively around my mate as together we watch Tryk fly off to the village to visit with his brother. I jerk my chin at two of my Protectors to follow him to make sure he does as instructed. Before he left, he had told us of his finding; some strange, huge carcass like never seen before. Something that looked as though it had been brought down by a rare and terrifying burrot worm. Even Trixikka do not go hunting for these creatures.
"I think it's the ship that brought us here," my Zahreenah says, huddling closer. She is shivering and that will not do. I tuck her small frame in closer with both arm and wing, my tail wrapping around her too. I do not know this 'ship' she speaks of. She was brought here because the Goddesses willed it for me and my tribe. "They stole us from our beds and sold us to be breeding stock like cattle," she continues, her words hushed, eyes now watching as my Protectors see to the waking female's needs, making sure she is not too weak to stand and offering her food and water. I cannot help the growl Zahreenah's words ignite in me.
"Whodid this to you, little-light?" I ask, rubbing my hand up and down her arm. "I willgutthe male who has upset my mate."
Her eyes are unfocused when she answers. "He’s dead now."
