He Wanted To Cry

 Hurried footsteps echoed inside the memorial cave, breaking the silence. 

As soon as he heard them, Nyell snapped his head toward the passageway and let go of Allen's hand. He pretended not to notice the disappointed look in the man's eyes and focused on the entrance. 

Who…?

A second later, Corriel came into view. In his arms was a disheveled Lapis, his white clothes stained by dirt and blood spatters. The hems of his sleeves and his robes were tattered while his hair, which had been tied into a high ponytail when they parted earlier, now fell freely, just like a veil. 

"Dodge!" Lapis screamed.

Corriel didn't think twice before throwing himself to his right, rolling on the rocky ground. A spike the length of a grown-up man's arm passed through the air where he had been standing, embedding itself into the stony wall directly in the center of one of the wooden tablets. The whole cave trembled, and some urns tumbled down. Ashes hovered in the air, making Nyell cough and groan. 

Oh shit, did he just inhale someone's ashes…?

He couldn't think about it for long, or have an existential crisis. The sound of something coming his way at high speed whistled, and Nyell stepped further away from the center of the cave.

Because the passageway was in a straight line, the spikes could travel through and reach the memorial room. A barrage of bony spikes followed a frustrated roar, piercing the wall and the wooden tablets. Thanks to its massive body, the manticore couldn't enter and run after its prey. It was stuck at the entrance, putting it in a frenzy. Its prey were so close!

"You brought unnecessary trouble with you," Allen clicked his tongue, glaring at Lapis sprawled atop Corriel's chest.

Lapis lowered his eyes in shame. He wasn't in the mood to argue with Allen, for he knew he was right. He had been stubborn, chasing after Nyell even after he made it clear he wasn't interested in becoming his chief's mate, and it had cost Hersyl's life. 

"Can you take care of it for me?" Allen asked, gently stroking Myur. "It'd make me happy."

The familiar spirit chirped. It seemed to nod before flying toward the exit, leaving behind a speechless Corriel and Lapis. What the heck was that…? And how could a small ball of black fur manage to bring down a manticor a dozen times bigger?

"So," Allen's gaze turned icy as his eyes landed on his beta, "mind telling me what you're doing here?"

"He has just gone through something traumatizing," Corriel pleaded. "Can you give him a bit of leeway?" 

"Traumatizing?"

Allen cocked an eyebrow, looking at the two men whose bodies were still intermingled from the fall. Nyell followed his gaze and imitated the White Moon tribe's chief, cocking an eyebrow too. His father held the White Moon tribe's beta by his waist while Lapis lay on his chest, their legs intertwined like vines. It was an interesting sight, to say the least.

But that was also when Nyell realized something was off.

"Come to think of it, where is Hersyl?"

Lapis bit his lips, unsure what to answer. Corriel patted the man's back as if to comfort him, or maybe to encourage him to speak. Whatever the case, it helped Lapis gather his courage. He admitted in a whisper, "The manticore got her…"

As the words left his mouth, a shrill shriek reverberated into the cave. Then, silence fell. It was soon interrupted by the echo of liquid dropping onto the ground. The steady and rhythmic sound grew closer until a black, fluffy ball appeared, holding the manticore's head in its mouth by the ear. Myur flew to Allen and dropped its trophy at his feet. 

It chirped, bouncing in the air.

"Good job," Allen praised, patting the familiar spirit's head. He didn't seem to mind the pool of blood seeping from the severed neck and clustering at his feet. 

Nyell's mouth twitched. It hadn't even been a minute since Myur left to take care of the manticore!

"Is it me, or do you like to surround yourself with dangerous beings?"

Manticores weren't weak beasts per se. And yet, Layla and this thing eradicated them as easily as smashing a fly. It was a little disconcerting and fear-inducing. It was even more troubling that they both obeyed Allen to the letter. 

"Hm? I just like competent beings."

Lapis flinched, knowing the jab was for him. Not only did he venture outside of the village against his chief's orders, but he also caused one of their best warriors to die.

Hersyl probably would have survived if she had been on her own. But with him around, she couldn't defend herself while protecting him. She had to use her body as a shield. The warm and sticky sensation of the blood she spat on him after the manticore slashed her back open with its front paws was still haunting him. He'd probably never forget it.

"Sorry," she whispered as her last words.

But who should be truly sorry?

***

Lapis was out of it. He barely realized that Corriel was brushing off his clothing, tidying them up, and trying to unknot his messy hair with his fingers. The Black Moon tribe's chief wiped the half-dried blood off his cheeks and pulled his robes over his shoulders. He treated him like a child, and although Lapis would usually be irked by such behavior, he didn't tell him off. His ego had taken a hit, and his pride had been shattered. He was still in shock, trying to understand what happened.

So, that was how it was outside their village? People had told him the jungle encasing the south side of the mountain bridge was dangerous, and like the arrogant idiot he was, he hadn't taken their warnings seriously. The Black Moon tribe lived in the jungle, so it shouldn't be that dangerous. Otherwise, how could people settle there?

How wrong was that thought… 

And now, he understood why the elders were so wary of the Black Moon tribe. To live in such an environment, even an average folk had to be a mighty warrior.

"I need to go," Allen said, snapping Lapis to his senses.

"Yeah, you do that," Nyell waved him off.

"Hm? You're not trying to hold me back? I'm a little hurt."

"Like I'd care!"

"Where are you going?" Corriel asked. He hesitated an instant but still started to braid Lapis' hair so it wouldn't tangle more than it already had. The bird nest was too unsightly. "Why are you not coming back with us?"

"Well, the mister here has things left to handle with my dead uncle."

"Uncle? What uncle?"

"Well, Dangu?"

"Who is Dangu?"

"Mom's younger brother…?"

"What nonsense is that? Your mom didn't have siblings."

"She had one," Allen smiled icily. "He was just erased from the collective memory of your tribe. The elders are the only ones who remember him now. Your wife did too, but she couldn't bring him up, lest she broke her oath."

"…" Corriel's hands stopped, and he stared at the blonde strands of hair for a second before continuing to braid them. He let out a cold chuckle that sent shivers down Lapis' spine. "I don't advocate being rough with the elderly, but I guess I can make an exception."

"Will you let me handle them?" Nyell grinned almost sinisterly. "I didn't tell you, but I paid a visit to Tuppel's dream two weeks ago, and I scared him to death just by showing off. I look quite a bit like Dangu."

"Quite a bit? If I didn't know better, I'd have thought you two were long-lost twins. The only thing that differentiates you from him is your eyes. He has the same eyes as Hulien, while you've got your father's eyes."

"Oh?"

"Ask Lapis to bring you into one of the elders' dreams tonight. Since it's a dream, he can tweak your appearance a bit and make you look exactly like Dangu. He may not be the best shaman out there, but dreamlands are his specialty. Isn't that right, Lapis?"

Lapis nodded, not daring to interrupt their conversation. It was probably the first time he heard his chief explain things in detail.

"But why don't you tell me everything instead of sending me into the elders' dreams?" Nyell wondered aloud. "You know what happened to Dangu, no?"

As an answer, Allen lifted a hand. A second snake now encircled the fern, mingling with the first one.

"…Another oath?! You have to be kidding me!"

"Sorry, not sorry. Anyway, I've been away for long enough. I have to go before Dangu's patience runs out."

"Wait!" Lapis finally spoke. "Will you be back before the two full purple moons…?"

"No."

"But you found your destined mate!"

"You told him?" Allen threw a surprised glance at Nyell. Myrven and Layla wouldn't have told Lapis without Nyell's approval first, so he had to have stepped in himself.

"Well," Nyell pursed his lips, "he was getting on my nerves, and I wanted to shut him up. I didn't think his attitude would do a turnabout…"

Lapis shrunk on himself. The more he heard him speak, the more it looked like Nyell truly had no idea how vital destined mates were for shamans. But how come?

"No surprise here. Be careful, and don't let him brainwash you. He'd spout a bunch of nonsense to get me a mate."

What nonsense?! Destined mates were as important as one's life for werewolves. And for shamans, they were worth the world itself, especially for powerful shamans like Allen. Moreover, the ceremony to come was indeed crucial for their tribe, but it was even more so for destined mates. Only… If his chief didn't want Nyell to learn about it, there must be a reason. Right here and then, Lapis decided to zip his mouth lest he got on his chief's bad side and ended up thrown off a cliff. 

"Is that so," Nyell shrugged. "Come on, get your ass outta here."

Allen let out a chuckle before leaving. 

Nyell waited a few minutes, making sure the man was out of hearing range, before crouching before Lapis. A smile that didn't quite reach his eyes stretched his lips. 

"So, what is that nonsense that I'm not supposed to know?"

"…"

Lapis wanted to cry. When he tried to tell him, Nyell flew. When he couldn't tell him, he wanted to know! Could that kid be any more fickle?!