Laws of Cyoakians

Lyolis sat across from Zoar, watching. Eyes burning from the tears that stopped flowing hours ago. 

 Out of all the places how did they end up here? Bedside, watching the man she meant to marry losing life with each struggling breath. 

"He is scarred, but he'll live," Volidan said, adjusting his thick, rounded glasses. Up close he was an oddly-shaped man with vibrant red hair, appearing more like a flaming pear than human. "Lost a lot of blood though." The man glared. "Don't know why you young blood act such a fool … had another a few weeks back, nearly dead from a decayer."

"He was attacked!" Lyolis said fiercely, her hand paling from clenching. "We were not looking for trouble."

Volidan massaged the flubber beneath his chin. "Say as you will … I've been around long enough to know when trouble is lurking and when one seeks it out." He pointed to the boys head. "I'll change the bandages tomorrow. For now, he needs rest. And to stay hydrated." The man looked at the large Cyoakian men standing near the door like bears watching their cubs. His tone lightened. "If you need anything else, call my assistant Oakot." Then walked cautiously between them as he left the room."

Lyolis stood up and walked over, takin Zoar's hand into her own. I wish mother and father were here. They'd know exactly what to do… 

She yearned for their company now, but they never seemed to be there when she needed them most. Both too wrapped up in their own affairs. When she cried for help the only answer she heard was her own echos, that is, until Brylax and Droom stormed the room. Their shotguns and tomahawks held high, ready to slaughter anything close enough to be struck. She was thankful for the pair. And though she hated being watched, it was nice to know somebody would come to her call. Even if that somebody wasn't the one she thought she needed at the time. 

Time was hard to keep track of in the small, windowless room, but it felt like days. Surely her parents would be wondering about her whereabouts. She stopped focusing on them and thought about the man from the lavender fields. Even with all that beauty around them, he brought fear into her heart. The scar, not a mask, but his face, showing the true darkness in his heart. 

Zoar should've listened to his father and killed that man when he had a chance…

Three knocks came at the door and her heart jumped. Brylax and Droom held their tomahawks ready in hand. Lyolis looked to the vials tied by a leather strand around their throat. Used only if necessary, she knew. An alchemy only known to the Cyakians; a changeling alchemy.

"Please, answer…" Lyolis's voice was soft. It had to be her parents. Or who else could it be? Surely the man with the scar wouldn't come here and finish the job … or would he? She clutched Zoar's hand harder. 

Droom, the bigger of the two men, grabbed the door and swung it open. Lyolis eyes glimmered. It wasn't her parents nor the man with the scar, but a young boy, her age, with hair as golden as the Prairie Hum fields.

"Boone?" She recalled his name. The boy from the train. What was he doing in a place like this? 

"Sorry to be a bother … a friend of mine, well, Oakot, the Stir Doctors assistant told me you was here." He eyed the bandages around the boy and rubbed the back of his head. "I just came to give my condolences to yours." He nodded. "I'll leave you be—"

"No, Come!" Lyolis waved a hand disregarding the pair of giants hanging by the door. "I'd much enjoy the company." She turned to the men. "Please, wait outside, if you will."

Droom and Brylax glared at one another. Both with an uneasy look in their eyes. Once they looked the boy over twice they decided he was no threat and did as they were told. Boone walked over and found a seat across from her, void of the twinkle that was usually in his bright eyes. 

"Why are you here?"

Boone raised an eyebrow, "to give my condolences," he reminded her. 

"No…" She shook her head and her braided hair whipped to her right shoulder. "Why are you athe the Stir Doctors?"

Boone nearly choked on his words. "My Grandpappy …"

"The one taken from the train?" Lyolis face sparkled. "Did you recover him?"

Boone dropped his head, lip trembling. "We had, but he didn't make it … Damn Yurks gave a sickness to him as bad as Blackstraw."

Lyolis grabbed her mouth, hand trembling. "That's terrible … I'm so sorry for your loss."

Boone nodded, and she could see he was fight back his tears. He sat up, trying to hold himself strong. "And what happened to yours?"

Lyolis looked down and realized her hands were like vices, squeezing the color from Zoar's digits. She loosened her grip. "He was attacked by a group of bounty hunters …"

Boone lifted his head, interested. "What kind of Bounty Hunters? Jostice said he'd ran into a pair who helped him duel against the Yurks. A Dhurgian and a Huskman, he believed."

"No …" She shook her head. "By the looks of them, they're Merkoit folk. The swamp people. And the leader has a nasty scar across his face—"

"Mitch Horn did this?" Boone asked in a tone that was certain. His nose wrinkled, "that no good bastard and his son, Mason … always causing trouble … you know, they threatened to do harm to me and my best bud, Rynan?"

Lyolis recalled, "you mean the boy who attacked Zoar?"

Boone's lips sunk, forgetting. "It wasn't his fault … he may be odd, but he's no liar. What he said had to be true. If your bear—"

"Brusk'kab…"

"Your Brask'kob told him something … well then I have to believe he heard it." Boone swallowed. "He said she needed to be there or y'all would be in danger, ya here?"

Lyolis allowed his words to brew in her mind, seeing the boy upset, his hands trembling. She spoke kindly, "maybe your friend had gotten ahold of sure-tongue alchemy."

Boone said, "I'm sure he had … what's a sure-tongue alchemy?"

Lyolis rubbed her hands down her braids. "You've never heard of one? They're used by the Oganu tribe; the canyon people. It is said, by consuming the alchemy it gives their people the ability to speak to animals. They'd used it to befriend and train golden hawks..."

Boone nodded, "that must've been it. We went to that Baxter's place, where they held your bear, and we ate this alchemy food. Maybe it gave him the power to hear your Bruk'Cabs tongue?"

"Brusk'kab…" Lyolis pondered, "maybe whatever it was that was given to Rynan was meant for Zoar. You said you saw him there?"

"He was sitting right across from us. Likely our plates got mixed. There was a lot of people there, and food flying everywhere." 

Lyolis rubbed Zoar's hand once more, "she was going to warn you."

Boone rubbed his chin, "too bad you're not dueling in The Iron Alchemist Tournament. Mitch and Mason are going to be there … and we could really use some help … might even be able to get yourself revenge on them folk." Boone sighed. "Wouldn't want them coming after y'all again—"

"I'm not going to be in the tournament," she spoke loudly, giving the boy a jolt. "But those two men on the other side of the door are."

"You mean them men who are as large and as look mean as two rabid bears? Them folk out there?" He prodded a thumb over his shoulder. Lyolis smiled. "Well, damn. With a pair like that we could win the whole tournament." Boone held out a hand, "Partners?" Lyolis pondered the gesture, and before she had a moment to think, the boy took up her hand and gave it a proper shake. "Partners!" He grinned. 

Suddenly the door whipped open, "Is he alive?" Lyseria screamed while Leofort came rushing in behind her. "Tell me he is alive." They ran to the bedside, without noticing Boone. 

Lyolis released the boy's hand, glancing at her parents, eyes flooding with tears. "He is … but nearly mortally wounded … thankfully I was able to get here in time—"

"His hair," Leofrot shook his head, "tell me they did not take his hair …"

Lyolis sat speechless, eyes trembling. She turned towards Boone, but he had slipped during the commotion.

"It is gone," her mother held her braids. "Zoars head has been scalped."

Lyolis felt the anger return inside her veins. "Why are you two so concerned for Zoar's hair? He is alive … that is all that matters!"

Lyseria frowned, "my dear, have you forgotten?" Both her parents stared with fear in their eyes. 

Leofort said, "she must be in shock, dear."

Lyolis scream, "Forgot what?"

It was her mother who spoke almost too calmly. "The laws of the Cyoakian. no prince can become Chief without his war hair … and no daughter of mine can marry a mangled prince."