Page 76 of Sway’s Peace (Delivery Service #2)

Was he that confident Sway wouldn’t do anything? Or was he just so accustomed to the luxury of his peaceful existence, it didn’t even occur to him to try to defend himself?

Veesway kept his gaze. Glaring him down. Not a trace of the fondness and relief and love that once filled those eyes.

Sway didn’t know if it was better or worse that there was no shame there. He was at least standing by his decision. He couldn’t be accused of being uncertain in his beliefs. But the fact that he really felt no remorse after exiling and disowning his own young was a blow.

Really, though, it didn’t matter. It just baffled Sway that Veesway didn’t do a single thing to defend himself when Sway reared back and punched him full on the mouth.

Veesway fell with a grunt, hitting hard on his back, blood coming from his lips. A harsh burning on his knuckles told Sway that he’d cut himself on his teeth, but it was easily ignored. That tough skin wouldn’t bleed much, as it was designed specifically to take these blows.

Veesway struggled to sit up as a loud explosion announced the destruction of another obelisk. As it fell, Sway could feel the easing of gravity under his feet. Not much, just a little. There were still more obelisks making up for what was being lost.

His father didn’t notice, however, as he brought a shaking hand to his lips and dapped his fingers to the dark red, nearly brown blood. He brought them back, staring at the soft skin of his hands with eyes widened in horror.

Was it the first time he’d seen himself bleed? Surely not. But at the same time, Sway wouldn’t be shocked if it was.

Veesway’s eyes darted up to him again. “You hit me…”

“I held back,” Sway said calmly, hating that he did so. He shouldn’t have shown him any sort of clemency after taking Grace. “You deserved it.”

“You hit me!” He said again, his crest dropped to his head, tail completely tight.

Completely opposite of Sway. He could feel his crest standing tall and proud, his tail feathers spread wide. His true self on full display.

“Get over it,” he sneered. “You took my female. You threatened to steal my youngling. Did you think there’d be no repercussions?”

“Do you? ” Veesway shot back, getting to his feet, blood trickling through the feathers of his chin. He threw out his hand, gesturing to the Humility that was still overhead, terrorizing a rapidly emptying city. “The peacekeepers will have you killed!”

“I doubt it.”

“You’re destroying an entire city!” He yelled as yet another building top was obliterated.

“Yes, I am.”

Veesway’s mouth dropped, stunned by his nonchalance. “How could you…”

“You really are ignorant, aren’t you?” Sway smirked. “What a charmed life you must have lived. Have you ever faced consequences? For anything?”

“Charmed life?” He sputtered, fury driving his crest up. “I’ve lost my mate! I’ve lost my son! The things I have suffered are beyond compare! And now, you come to steal my grandhatchling and destroy my Song. You are a monster!”

“So what if I am?” Sway asked, unconcerned. “So are you.”

Veesway gave him an incredulous look. Like he just said something absolutely ludicrous. “Me? You’re calling me a monster! A murderer like you?!”

“Aren’t you?” Sway asked. “You were going to rip my young from their mother’s arms then throw her into the wild before she even had a chance to heal.

I might be a murderer, but at least I’m one who has the courage to kill someone myself, and doesn’t deny it under some deluded, self-righteous idea of superiority. ”

“You-Ah!”

Sway grabbed him by the neck, jerking him up onto his toes. Veesway choked, struggling but breathing, as he grabbed onto Sway’s hand. Trying to ease some of the pressure off his throat. Yet still, he didn’t try to fight back.

By his people’s standards, the fact that Veesway wasn’t trying to fight him off violently, even now, would be considered honorable.

While a person couldn’t be blamed for acting out in violence to defend their lives or that of their family, those who would refuse to do so, even under such extreme circumstances, were people to be admired.

They were considered to be noble paragons of the ideal type of behavior.

But looking at him now, Sway found it all rather pathetic.

Was pacifism really such a noble pursuit? Was it really worth dying for? The only struggle this cowardly male made was to try to alleviate the weight on his neck. He wasn’t even scratching at Sway’s hand or pulling at his fingers.

He was worse than helpless. At least someone who was helpless had a reason for being unable to protect themselves. Weakness or injury or inability – those were understandable. Veesway had the ability to do something, and he just wouldn’t.

And in that moment, Sway actually saw himself in this male that could be considered his father. His own behavior, his own choices, were reflected back at him. The only difference was that Sway would have absolutely fought back in his position.

Because this wasn’t noble. This wasn’t admirable. This was worse than fighting and failing to gain any ground. At least, in that, there was an attempt.

Veesway was choking on a cry for help, looking for backup that wasn’t coming. All the domini mercenaries were laid out at the base of the steps of headquarters, victims to the xenom male who was currently climbing up to join them.

Veesway would really rather expect and demand others to dirty their hands, to fight his battles, than to take on the responsibility, and therefore the blame, of fighting them himself.

Exactly as Sway had been doing.

More than when he used to live on Rik-Vane, he was filled with disgust towards himself.

Looking back, all the battles he could have fought, all the times he stood behind his brothers, all the days he locked himself in the bridge of the ship to avoid a fight, came rushing back to him.

Memories to haunt him and, this time, he had no one to blame but himself.

Had he really tried to emulate this male? For what purpose? To what end? Did he want to be seen as someone who refused to fight their own battles? Not even could not, but outright declared that they simply would not.

“No,” he said, speaking his thoughts aloud as his hand tightened around his father’s neck. “I will not be weak like you. I will not be useless like you.”

With a grunt of force, he threw his father back. He didn’t go far, but he landed hard, snapping some of his tail feathers under his own weight.

Veesway tried to scramble back to his feet, but Sway drew back hit foot and slammed it – bam!

– across his face. He felt his nose crunch under his boot.

His father fell back, groaning, blood staining the stoney ground.

Even now, he did nothing to protect himself.

But he looked around, trying to find someone to do it for him.

Pathetic.

If that’s what pacifism was, then he wanted nothing to do with it.

“You have what you want,” Sway said, stepping back from him. “You are no father of mine.”

Spitting out his blood, Veesway glared up at him. “You are a disgrace. And I will see you punished for this!”

“If there are consequences, then we’ll overcome them,” Sway said, unafraid. “But there are no future consequences that will protect you from me now.”

Veesway clenched his jaw, facing him without fear. “Kill me then. I am not afraid of death. I die whole and intact. And I would rather that than live broken as you.”

“I am not going to kill you,” Sway smiled. “Don’t you know? They called me the Pacifist. Because I wouldn’t let my victims die. No matter how much they begged.”

Turning, he walked away from him and every foolish, weak-minded philosophy he’d allowed himself to believe in. The final piece of his childhood. One he should have buried along with the rest of it. He didn’t know why he’d tried to cling to it so hard.

Grace was waiting for him. Her expression concerned, her eyes shiny wet with tears even as she reached for him.

He held her close with one arm, looking over her head as she clung to his side.

Loyalty had come to stand behind her and he was wiping blood from his muzzle.

A few cuts through his scales had drops of blood welling up that were even now retreating back into his body.

“Great, we all ready to go then?” He asked like they were out for a pleasant stroll and had just finished the errand that drove them out in the first place.

Sway nodded and looked over at the Humility. Trove was still having fun, shooting off the very tops of various buildings just to prove he could. Sway lifted his other arm and waved it in the air, signaling out to whoever was watching with that one gesture, alerting them that he was ready.

Whether it was Alred monitoring him on cameras, or Tanin watching him directly, or even Trove keeping watch at the gunner’s position, his signal had an immediate response.

From the bottom of the ship, the landing shuttle emerged with a sudden drop that turned into a smooth glide as its own power took over.

Unlike the larger Humility that was probably pushing its engines to the edge just hovering overhead, the landing shuttle was specifically designed to go from no to full gravity.

It was quick and nibble as it made its way across the city to come to a halt right there at the edge of the stairs.

It floated in place, the back dropping into a ramp.

Sorbet and Tebros, the twin avanava males, dark blue scales gleaming in the light, stepped out, their twin swords in hand.

They immediately came to flank their sides, expressions closed off and unreadable.

They stared at Veesway, like he might actually be a threat.

Their presence at his side, finally, made Sway relax.

More than this place, than his father, than anything in his own culture, he didn’t feel like he was welcome and at home until just now, flanked by his brothers.