Private Heart of Rishi

[Pyeth Raffinki]

Days had become weeks, confined to his father's roost he studied and practiced the techniques Tiland had shared with him but even his frequent visits were losing their touch.

Isolated and trapped each day was beginning to feel the same, with nothing left to stimulate him but the dreams. His rest was intercepted with his thoughts of Aashi, he had always missed her but now that he was here. Those dreams and desires were eerily dominant, but she wasn't alone.

A large bird like none he had ever seen called to him. It's form and voice a distortion that weighed on his mind, perhaps finally he was succumbing to madness.

He shuddered at the thought, dismissing it out of fear and instead concentrating on Aashi. He hadn't seen her in a decade; had she dyed her feathers, how wise had she become as the Chieftains mate.

He dreamed of her voice, imaging her at his side again beneath their favourite tree. The thought of her laughter, the memory of when their wings brushed. His heart pounding.

"Pyeth?"

He could hear it now.

A gentle touch ran up his arm. He could feel it now. This was too real.

"Pyeth, we need to talk." Her voice sounded strained and broken.

Talk? He flinched in a waking moment opening his eyes to a familiar face. Aashi. She was kneeled before him eyes flickering. Something was wrong.

"Aashi I... I" He stammered, trying to speak his mind. He was no better than a chick asking her out on their first date. She placed a wing to his beak silencing him.

"I'm sorry." She said, gathering herself. "I need your help."

She need not have asked. "My help? What's wrong." He asked

"It's Anisael, she's missing." She whimpered, her eyes already beginning to tear up. He felt her grip his shoulder tightly. She was trembling.

"Anisael?" He hesitated, recalling Vedas' demand that he not get involved. "What about Vedas?"

"The sickness has taken root in him. I sent out the guard, but they're not willing to travel far. Pyeth. I- I know we haven't been fair to you. I tried. I'll speak to Vedas, we will-"

Pyeth wrapped his wings around her, "Don't."

She looked back at him in shock, "Pyeth please."

"That's not what I mean. I will find her, and bring her home safely, just please don't make any promises that will hurt you. Do the guards know?"

She was silent looking down at the floor, ear tufts low. This was already painful enough for her, seeing him again and going behind her mates back. "No. Vedas is too proud; or afraid to ask you." She admitted before looking at him, "Thank you."

 

[Pyeth Raffinki]

Aashi stepped away from the dwelling, slumped to either side the guards slept drawn into a slumber. Nearby she could see the wooden bowls, still half filled with bubbling water.

She collected them, and left without another word. The planks groaning under her talon falls, every step felt heavier than the rest. Soon it she couldn't carry herself dropping into a bench under the emotional weight of everything.

She wasn't certain what she was hoping for, Pyeth agreed and she trusted him to follow through. It was all she could have wanted, and more. He didn't expect anything in return.

She stared back in time to see a shadow moving amongst the darkness, taking flight towards the valley not wasting a single moment.

Aashi dug her talons deep, trying to relieve herself of her emotions through frustration. It did little more than remind her, what happened nearly a decade ago.

9 Years Prior
​

Aashi watched from her father's side, as the remaining Chiefs entered the pavilion. They filed around circling a central brazer illuminating the room. Pyeth's father, the Hunt Chief was at her father's side. His body language told her everything she needed to know.

He stared at the floor, ear tufts invisible beneath a tight plumage. When her father spoke, he flinched at Pyeth's name.

"It is with deepest regret that I have summoned our council. Young Pyeth, during the rites slayed a Maungar. It his claim that he did so protecting my daughter, a fellow Aspirant claims otherwise. That he hoped to trap and slay the Maungar."

Aashi trembled holding her injured wing tight. Fighting the urge to call out those lies, feeling her father's touch did little to comfort her.

"Unsurprising. We know we'll the young Pyeth's obsession." The Shaman smeared

Yes. Obsession born out of love. Her beak tightened.

"We cannot be seriously considering condemnation of one of our own. I've seen his work, he will make an excellent healer someday. It's not in his nature too..." Healer Aponi spoke in his defence but was swiftly cut off.

"Did he not recently request to exchange Zepis bark with the lowlanders."

"He did yes," She confirmed

"And did you not refuse, only to find our limited reserve missing?"

"What your suggesting hasn't yet been determined." Aponi snapped, "He has a good heart, and bright future." She glanced at Aashi who quickly joined Pyeth's father in staring at the floor.

"Nonsense. This transgression will not go unpunished, if we allow him to remain the spirit of Rishi will bring ruin upon all of us. Our laws are clear, we cannot make an exception."

"Chief. If he fought to defend your daughters life-"

"Let us not treat hearsay as fact, especially when it comes from the beak of a pariah."

"Pariah? I do yet recall a decision being made..."

"Enough. Regardless of his reasoning, Young Pyeth has slain a Maungar. If what he says is true, we are in a difficult position. Life is sacred, and exiling one so young for saving one of our own is most likely condemning him to death." The High Chief, her father, shouted trying to return a stillness to the chamber.

"We cannot allow ourselves to be swayed by personal connection." He glanced at Pyeth's father who hadn't yet moved. "Hunt Chief Padak?"

"I..." He drifted trying to separate himself from his own flesh and blood. An impossible task. He had always been hard on Pyeth, harder than any of the other fledglings. He closed his eyes trying to refocus, "My..." He sighed, "Pyeth has broken our traditions, and his actions may invite Rishi's wrath. Unless someone can validate his story," He turned to Aashi at this silently pleading for her help.

She only stared back tearfully, beak beginning to grind. When she said nothing he looked away defeated, "I've always believed we should respect our traditions."

Aponi looked shocked, "Padak, he is your son. You can't..."

"He is my son, yes, but I am a member of this council. I agreed, as we all did you defend and uphold our values." He spoke softly, trying to sell it to himself. "If no one can support Pyeth's claim."

"Stop!" Aashi leapt up crying, "Why... Why are we even discussing this? It's Pyeth. He is a part of our flock! We are meant to protect, and look out for one another, even if that means... That means..." She stopped herself from saying something she might later regret. "Aashi, if you have something important to say. Say it, or sit down." Her father hissed sternly.

She looked around all eyes on her, she could save him now. All she needed to do was say three words, it would expose Vedas' deceit. His words rang in her head.

Pyeth has alienated too many of the Chiefs. Your partnership with him will divide our community. It's plain to see. Do as your father says, it's what's best for all of us.

She croaked trying to force the words, but it was too late.

"Nothing to add? Very well, with three votes to one we are agreed to exile Pyeth to the lowlands."

Aashi didn't remember what happened next, she only recalls forcing herself past her father to run away into the peaks. Sitting beneath a lone tree, until Aponi found her.

"Aashi, it will be sunrise soon. Your father is worried."

She glanced back, everything blurred through the streams of tears dampening her feathers. "Pyeth. This is where we spent most of our time together."

"It's never easy, decisions like these-"

"Decisions!? What decision did Pyeth have when the Maungar attacked us?" She snapped turning on Aponi. "He saved me! There I said it! I- I don't care about the flock, if the flock is willing to abandon its own for fear of change."

"Aashi why didn't you -"

"Because... Because I am afraid and weak." She collapsed again to the ground, digging up grass in her talons. "I couldn't even speak three words, to save someone I love. What sort of person does that?"

"I don't know what to say." Aponi said, "Who. Who put you up to this?"

Aashi did not answer. It was meaningless, Pyeth was gone.

Present​

Aashi watched again, the back of her friend leaving home. Praying, that when next they met she would have the strength and resolve to tell him. How she failed him.

"Through inaction I became complicit in their plot against you, and your family." She repeated, despite knowing it was already too late.

Humans claimed time healed all wounds, nothing could be further from the truth.

 

[Pyeth Raffinki]

Pyeth​

Landing at the lower cliffs, where the two had met Pyeth began scouting the area. He knew so little about Anisael, she was the daughter of Vedas and Aashi. That carried weight, but he rather not think of the possibility of a kidnapping.

It didn't take him long to find her tracks, the mud was damp from the drizzle and rolling clouds helped keep the earth fresh. There were others too, a dozen or so Rishii had passed through here recently. Probably the scouts Aashi had mentioned?

Thankfully, Anisael never travelled alone and he began following the soft paw prints until the granite claimed them leaving only muddied smears.

"Did she climb?" Pyeth spoke aloud, to his right the passage he and Tiland used cut through the mountain. It was a fair easier trail, and far less dangerous. He stepped up running his hand over the rocks, flinching as the jagged edges sliced through his scaled skin.

He then looked down, spotting the small opening where Fang, her pet, had gotten trapped days before. Why did it go down there? It wasn't hiding. It even bit him.

Pyeth dropped to the floor, reaching down again stretching to feel his way inside. It was cold and damp, but then he touched something coarse and artificial. Pyeth gripped onto it tightly and pulled revealing a weaved pouch.

Pyeth stared at it confused, "Anisael? What were you up to?"

Untying the knot he looked inside, finding some old Wampa skin scroll cases. He recognised them immediately as his father's maps. Did she steal these?

Hastily he spread the three cases out, two remained sealed with the third well worn and partly opened. Inspecting it was empty, but the intricate markings on the case told him enough.

it featured a tree with a clover shaped leaf, and a large blooming flower at it's peak. Zapis. She had gone looking for Zapis, she must have been planning something like this for awhile. The onset of her father's illness forcing her hand, but why didn't she tell anyone?

For a moment, he considered going back, informing Tiland Kortun of this but his father had left on this journey and not returned. And Tiland may well advise caution.

Could he afford to prepare? Anisael was heading into dense forests in search of something that might as well have been mythical to all but the few who returned.

No. He couldn't do that. He promised Anisael's safe return, and time was of the essence.

 

[Pyeth Raffinki]

As the days slipped by, Pyeth would take roost in the canopy and caves by day and travelling at night, some ancient sites visited by ancestors. Others outposts used by hunting parties, their stocks of dried and salted foods recently raided.

With days of travel weighing Pyeth down he descended beneath the canopy, unlike the other outposts this one was heavily damaged. Wood planks torn asunder and part of the roof caved.

Pulling away debris he found tufts of shaggy brown fur, still wet from the last days downpour. Pyeth ducked low hearing the grunting breath, and clash of pottery inside.

Silently he moved towards the entrance, one hand reaching for his spear. The door was blown off its hinges, scattered into shrapnel on the floor. Scraps of food scattered around, hopefully it would mask his scent.

Peeking the corner he witnessed the adult Wampa slamming against a reinforced door. With a another slam the wood buckled producing a sharp aggressive bark from the opposite side.

Fang?

Inhaling a deep breath he gripped the spear, and dashed into the room lunging for the back. The Wampa shrieked in pain, twisting in a sudden swing. Deftly the Rishi ducked beneath the blow, surrendering his spear to retreat to safety.

He was lucky. His movements were sluggish, muscles aching from the days of endless travel. The Wampa wasted no time, bull rushing at him with a crazed howl its mouth foaming. Rolling aside he raised his wing creating a shield to protect himself from shrapnel.

It recovered quicker than expected grabbing him by the wing and throwing him like a vase to smash against the door. Pyeth shrieked his wing dropping limp besides him. Wasting no time the Wampa threw itself at him in a wild rampage.

Thrusting his hand forward he threw a blast of Kinetic energy at the Wampa's feet, knocking it off balance while he swept the legs. A strip of blood painted the walls red as talons sliced through flesh and ligament.

The Wampa collapsed carried into the wall by its own momentum. Pyeth dragged his wing pulling himself away, managing to recover his spear before it could recover. Pyeth composed himself, adrenaline helping numb the pain of his injuries. The beast snarled, rising up to meet Pyeth's eyes.

The hulking beast lumbered forward, snarling at its own foot. Pyeth took his chance, thrusting forward into its belly and twisting the spear to maximise it's damage. It should have been the killing blow, but instead it grabbed the shaft pulling it back deeper into the wound.

Caught off guard he was pulled forward into a bear hug. Pyeth shrieked in shock and surprise, desperately he pushed the spear again. It was to no avail, something possessed the beast driving it to fight through mortal injury.

It pulled tighter forcing the air from his lungs, Pyeth's hand slipping from the grip of his weapon. He tried to summon the Force, but what came was feeble and useless against its massive bulk. Bones began creaking under the strain.

Losing energy fast he resorted to the only thing he could think of, throwing his head into the beasts neck and biting down. His beak pierced the skin. Abrasive blood filled his mouth, the Wampa screeching let go it's attention diverted to pulling Pyeth away. Instinct took over and he instead tightened his grip, scratching with his talons until they found purchase on its belly hooking into its fat.

When he seemed it's desperation, pulling it's neck away he pulled in the opposite direction. The result was a disgusting squelch as flesh and muscles pulled themselves apart.

Finally, with a heavy thud the beast collapsed denting the wooden floorboards beneath their combined weight. For a second, Pyeth considered devouring his prey but a sharp cry brought him back.

"Pyeth!" Anisael shouted

He stopped, chunk of flesh still in the vice like grip of his beak. "Anisael? I found you..." His voice drifted, weakness and exhaustion catching up with him until finally he collapsed joining his attacker.