Sylas

SYLAS

" H as anyone found Blayn yet?" I ask the others as we sit in a small eatery a few blocks from the dome.

It's made all the smaller by the presence of us four gladiators, given we overpower most of the seating with our size, bulk and wings. Klynn is eating his way through a mound of meat. Rych sits back, swinging on his tiny chair, a glass of spirits in his hand.

Maxym runs his hand through his hair. "No, but he'll return when he's hungry I suspect. The dome guards are never going to be quite the same again, not after what he did."

"He won't get into trouble, will he?" Alex asks with concern.

"No more than usual," Rych says, tossing back his drink. "Blayn doesn't care anyway, just as long as he's left alone to howl in his cell."

"No more cells," I growl. "You may as well come along. The resistance has agreed to find all of us somewhere to live away from here, until we can find the rest of the Gryn."

"What rest of the Gryn?" Maxym growls. "They left us here to rot so far, so why should we go looking for them? Sorry, . This isn't the greatest life, but I'm staying."

"Same here," Klynn says through a mouthful.

"You'll stay anywhere there's a free meal and things to kill." Rych laughs harshly, pouring another drink from a half empty bottle which was full when we got here. "I'm comfortable enough here," he says, swallowing the liquid with a grimace, his gold chains chinking against his chest monitor.

"Blayn?"

"You think he'd survive outside of the dome on his own? He can't stand being touched by anyone, unless it's causing him pain. He has to be in total darkness most of the time and even then he's still likely to kill rather than kiss. Blayn's better off where he is," Maxym says emphatically.

"Whatever you decide, the resistance will be able to direct you to us in the future, if it's what you want," Alex says kindly, putting her hand over mine.

"The resistance is going to be busy." Rych snorts. "The procurator might have gone, but the council has already appointed a replacement. They can't risk losing the credits the games bring into Tatatunga, regardless of the resistance's threats."

It makes my stomach tighten at the thought of the dome continuing, but as my sweet mate has told me, change doesn't happen overnight. The resistance downloaded enough of what they called "evidence" to convince the council to release any gladiators kept in the dome as prisoners to fight, but not enough to have it closed down, or have my fellow Gryn released.

I gaze at my eregri . She sips at a glass of sweet juice and smiles at something Maxym has said.

Their battle continues, but mine is at an end.

"We need to go," she says to me quietly, nodding across the street at the small discreet transport sent for us by the resistance.

"Gladiators." I stand and place my fist over my chest. "I gave my oath and my body to the dome, but it is time to be free. Fate speed you to your hearts' desire, my brothers." I bow, not taking my eyes from any of them. "Be safe, you bunch of vrexers, and try not to get killed." I sigh.

Rych grins wildly. For all his love of fine things and pretty jewels, he's the dirtiest, most unhinged fighter I've ever met. Maxym glowers for a few nova-seconds, the darkness within him showing through. Klynn grins through a mouthful of meat, already working out many ways he can stay alive and kill as many other creatures as possible.

Alex slips her hand into mine, and we make our way across the street to the transport, where I squeeze inside, feathers everywhere.

"I know you care for them, but you couldn't make them come if they didn't want to, ," Alex says after a period of silence. "But you can be there when they want to leave."

She wraps her arms around my torso, fingers pushing into my wings and her warm body pressed to mine.

"I know, my eregri ," I murmur. "I can't save all of them from themselves."

The door closes on the tableaux of Rych punching Klynn in the head and all chaos breaking loose.

"Ere-gri," Alex says. "What does it mean? It doesn't translate."

" Eregri ." I roll the word off my tongue, enjoying it immensely in her presence. "I'm not sure because even before Medius and the Zavaro wrecked my memories, the origin of the word is lost to me, but you are my everything, Alex, and maybe it means just that."