Chapter 26 - Aloryk

"These should have been changed the moment they were soaked through," Yoryx, the Healer tsks at me as he unbinds my wings. I do not reply with anything more than a grunt, too preoccupied with the wonderful feeling of my feathers being unbound. I try to stretch both wings, finding that the right is able to spread and elevate almost to its full potential, but the left is… the stiffness I feel in the limb is painful to test and holding it correctly against my back when folded is also uncomfortable. I stop trying to straighten it and find it naturally wants to sag at an awkward, lower position than its brother.

Yoryx tuts again like I am still the youngling he used to scold for flying too high before my wings were tried and true.

"They will heal," I find myself snapping at him defensively. When I hear no response from the older male, I turn to look at him. " You will heal them."

The healer looks me in the eye as his jaw works. "The right is almost already healed. Maybe not quite ready for flight, but-"

"And the left?"

He sighs. "Your wounds are healing well with no sign of infection," he says, busying himself with his pots and cloths. "But I cannot say either way if the left will ever gain enough strength to support your weight in the air. You are still a strong, young male, so perhaps the Goddesses will see fit to-"

His words cut off when we are joined in the small Healers hut this day by Mavyx. My Second Spear looms large in the doorway as if his very frame could block all light from both suns. Once he steps inside to join us, I see he is not alone. Bound to his chest with cloth and hide is his little human daughter, Nova. The youngling seems quite content to be bound to her father in this manner and is currently drooling over his chest as she sleeps. Despite being bound and secure, Mavyx keeps one hand at the youngling's head, seeming not to care that she is slobbering on him like a jowly mountain hound as she slumbers.

" Protector Aloryk ," Mavyx greets. " Healer Yoryx ."

I dip my head to him in return. "Second Spear."

His small daughter squirms on his chest, prompting the large male to bounce a little and make shushing noises. "Where is your little female with the mishi-colored hair this day?" he asks, his eyes still on the youngling.

The smile that threatens to burst onto my face is almost too much to hide. "She is thoroughly exhausted. I left her sleeping in our nest." I woke early with only this day's first sun beginning to peek over the horizon. But my Polly? I am beyond proud to say my cock exhausted her this last night.

And I hope she will let me exhaust her again and again.

Mavyx's golden eyes flick up to look at me beneath his brows. " Thoroughly exhausted ," he repeats, and it is clear he has knowledge of what it is I speak of.

I do not miss the way his gaze falls to my chest - still bare of any heart-stars - only to bounce back up again to meet my eye. It is a quick flash of movement and I see his skin-stars dance around his flexing jaw as though he is irritated with himself for checking… or perhaps unhappy that my heart-stars have not yet ignited.

Goddesses believe me, no one is more unhappy with that than I.

My Second Spear clears his throat, his eyes now surveying the Healer's hut with his shelves of salves, herbs and mixtures. "And the wings?" he asks, still bouncing his daughter. "You will fly again?"

The question is short and asked in an almost distracted manner, like the answer means little. But then, after a second or two where I do not answer, his eyes meet with mine and I see the understanding land there. My tail flicks behind me as I square my shoulders and tell him, "I will be doing everything in my power to see to it that I return to the skies, my Second Spear."

Mavyx grunts and nods his head in reply before he looks to Yoryx. "See to it that you do everything to aid him. Protector Aloryk is one of my most honorable and skilled males," he tells the Healer before shifting closer to me and putting a heavy hand on my shoulder. "And when you are healed, I will be the first to soar with you again, brother."

My throat feels thick and dry. I try to swallow, but it is not without difficulty.

"Your main priority will remain to heal," he says, stepping back. "But soon, I will need you on light duties, and, of course anything that will help settle the new females." Mavyx pauses before I catch one side of his mouth pull up into a knowing smile. "Although, I believe you are doing everything in your power to help settle one female in particular."

The grin is barely formed on my face when Mavyx's attention goes back to old Yoryx. He talks to the male as if I am no longer there, asking for balms and remedies for his mate who is experiencing discomfort in her breasts due to the suckling of her tiny youngling. The Healer stammers out a few suggestions but I do not pay the conversation any mind.

After I'm told to leave my wings unbound for the day to ensure all the feathers are truly dried, I depart the Healer's home in favor of the Elders, intent on seeking out more of the stain that has now made its mark all over the ground of my hut. I smile to myself at the memory - of how desperate my mate and I had become for one another this last night. Losing myself in my Polly's perfect body is an unmatched bliss. But it was so much more than that. So much, that I honestly thought I'd wake up with ignited heart stars decorating my chest. Do I need to feel even deeper for my mate? I am not sure it is possible. She is already an integral part of me and who I am.

After securing more stain, I leave the pots beside a still sleeping Polly. She had stirred a little when I'd pressed my lips to her brow, but I'd whispered encouragement for her to continue resting. She will need energy if I am going to exhaust her all over again this night. I am smiling to myself at the very thought, when I happen upon a gathering of females, original, and new. Chaz-Titi, Dove, and High Spearess Zahreenah sit with three of the newly rescued females from the pods. Either the other one is still resting, or the rumors I'd heard about her being too upset to leave their hut is true.

Daffy is there, though, and she does not seem upset, in fact she is smiling and laughing at something Chaz-Titi is saying. I watch them for a while, realizing I'm not the only one doing so. Across from me is a small group of Protectors pretending to stretch their wings just so to catch the new female's attention. I snort to myself before noticing another group who are very obviously chewing the ‘cream pie leaf' as Chaz-Titi calls it. I do not know why she has named the plant as such but the name has stuck. The males make a show of how much they stuff into their mouths, making it more than obvious that they want to appear as though they are ready for mating.

I do not blame them. If they knew just how wonderful it feels to have a female allow you to slide your cock into the warmth of her welcoming cunt, I'm sure they'd be willing to eat half the jungle if it pleased her to see him do so.

I watch the new females a little longer. Alongside Daffy, there is one with very light hair, and another who is not quite so dark-skinned as Ah-Lanah and little Nova, but it is a very pleasing shade that suits her well. She is wearing an odd decoration on her face; something that rests on the bridge of her nose and reaches back to curve around hears, with large circles that frame her eyes. I do not know what this decoration means and I will have to ask my Polly when she wakes. The light-haired one is of a similar build to my Polly, except this one is taller, I think, with even more curves for some Trixikka to salivate over.

I glance over the female's head and yes - there are a few males who have their eye on her, standing around with offerings in their hands, waiting for a chance to approach. I shake my head, pleased beyond anything that I already have my Polly.

It fascinates me how different all the females are from one another. I wonder if they all hail from different tribes? Perhaps even different lands? Humans still hold a lot of questions for me, but I look forward to learning more from my mate.

"Ricky!" Chaz-Titi calls, waving me over. I take the invitation to join them, bowing to the females before I seat myself on a sitting rock next to Daffy. "We were just trying to explain why you guys don't have any Trixikka women," Chaz-Titi says, gesturing to the new females. "But it's probably better coming from one of you guys."

I do my best to recount the tales of The Punishment from the Goddesses, and then how they took pity on us and returned with their Temples. The females listen, but their brows are permanently pinched as if none of the words I am speaking is making any sense to them.

They have questions. Very odd questions. They don't seem to believe me when I tell them that we offer up our seed in return for the hopes that Temple will give us sons. Chaz-Titi and Zahreenah take over the conversation to tell them of what they have witnessed with their own eyes. I don't often think of how strange our lands, ways and even bodies must be to the human females.

What do human males even look like? How do we compare? Are they better able to protect their females? My tail flicks behind me at the thought and without thinking, I try to flare my wings slightly, forgetting that one of them sags at my back pathetically.

I suck in a breath and release it slowly, my eyes dropping to my feet while the females around me question the Goddesses and our Temples. It is not a discussion that I shall participate in, since the Goddesses have given me everything I could ask for. Well… everything except for my heart-stars and a set of strong, healthy wings. My gaze drifts to the female beside me. Daffy. Her foot and ankle are bound and she keeps it elevated upon another sitting rock situated in front of us.

"You are a…" what had she called it? I gesture to her injured ankle. "…A fee-see-oh-"

She chuckles and cuts into my words with a nod. "Yeah."

Nodding along with her, I can feel the tickle of my skin-stars dance along my temples as I start to wonder… "It is a kind of Healer, yes? Could you…?" gesturing to my wings behind me, my throat feels tight. "…Help? When you're settled of course."

Daffy leans back to take a look at my broken wings. I try to stretch them out as much as is comfortable for her inspection, but it is nowhere near my full wingspan.

"Well…" the female blows out a long breath and I brace myself. "I'm not knowledgeable about wings in particular but considering that the ligament structure should be similar to arms…"

She is still talking, but my world shrinks down to one female with mishi flower-colored hair who looks as though she has come to find me after waking from her slumber. She stands between two surrounding huts and I smile for her, but she-

My Polly's eyes dart over me, bounce to Daffy and then to where the female is lightly inspecting my wing with touch. And, my mate's face drains of all colors.

My breathing ceases in an instant.

She is seeing my wings unbound. Seeing how they are still so far from mended. Seeing how I am still a broken male.

"Polly!" I jump to my feet and hurry over to my mate. She blinks at me and then at the group of females I have just left. "Are you well?"

"I… um…"

She carries with her the new pots of stain I had left for her, looking down at them now in her hands.

When she offers no further words, I guide her toward the group of females. "Come, break your fast with the others, and then we can start this day."

She resists the hand I have at the small of her back, taking only two reluctant steps forward before she halts movement altogether, planting her feet like the sturdy roots of a night tree. "D'ya know what, I… I don't really feel like being social today," she says, starting to back up and hooking a thumb over her shoulder. "Can we just… go back to our hut?"

I nod my agreement, wondering at her eagerness to leave. It could be that she wishes to spend this day as just the two of us, but there is something… other … in that look to her eyes.

It is not a good ‘other'.

I will care for her this day and try to comfort that look out of my mate, I decide. "I shall get us foods," I tell her, hurrying back to where the females are still gathered. Jaxyn has joined the group now, taking up the space next to Daffy on the sitting rock. Seeing him sitting there with his lame wing almost makes me halt in my steps. His story of flightlessness is different to mine. He emerged from the egg with a wing that would never take to the skies. Tryk, his Shadow-Wing brother still brings him kills and life stones so that he may still present offerings to the Temple. He seems to be offering one of those very life stones to Daffy now. Glancing quickly at the males that line the perimeter, I huff out a low chuckle. All this attention and it is the lamewing who has the courage to approach the new females?

Bending, I gather a selection of nourishment from the bountiful platters offered to our females. Truly, the Hunters and those that gather have outdone themselves this day. "You will help me, then?" I ask Daffy while kneeling, picking the best fylli fruits for my mate. "With my wings?"

Confusion clouds Jaxyn's expression as he sits beside the Healer-female. He looks between us before she speaks.

"I can try, yeah. We might be able to get some strength back into the left one. I can't guarantee it will be enough for you to fly, though."

Jaxyn huffs, but I pay him no mind.

"I am to spend this day caring for my female, Polly," I tell her. "Perhaps when the suns are set, you can help me?"

Daffy's expression brightens. "Yeah, I'm having real trouble sleeping so having something to do to take my mind off things might help. Deal ." She juts out her hand and I stare at it for a few seconds, wondering what she will do with it. She chuckles and tucks it away again and that seems to be that.

"You're a fool, Aloryk," Jaxyn adds with a shake of his head. "I have seen your wing. It is no better than mine. The sooner you accept this, the easier it will be for you."

I do not answer the lamewing and simply take the foods for my female and leave. He has been flightless his whole life and everyone knows it has forced him to grow into a male who is blind to the Goddesses' gift of hope.

But I will not give up on that, not when I witnessed how my female reacted to seeing my broken wings unbound for the first time. I do not want to see her looking at me this way ever again if I can help it. If there is any hope of me being a whole male again for her, I will grasp onto it tightly.