 |
"Sssss...."
Antony couldn't help himself; the sudden, intense hiss burst from him with almost explosive force. All he had done was reach around to bite at an itch on his shoulder, but that movement was clearly too much for his barely scarred-over injury. Only a couple of weeks had passed since the horrendous battle with the invading Kalona army; it felt simultaneously like an eternity had passed and only the blink of an eye. Though he tried to remain positive, Tony seriously doubted he'd be dreaming pleasantly for some time. Each night, he saw new visions of fangs and horns and claws, of generic Kalona and that one Kalona, that one who had so nearly ended Tony's dreaming for etenity.
In spite of himself, Tony shuddered. He did not mourn the death of that Kalona, or that of any of the Kalona who had so willingly invaded and murdered in the peaceful Kawani lands. But he mourned what they had brought; what they had forced others to do. Tony himself had killed; his mate had been forced to revisit the demons of her youth, and his son...his son.
Sighing, Antony reflected with concern over the change that had befallen his youngest. Corsant had always been so happy, so full of life. Sure, he'd always adored fighting; of all of Tony's children, Corsant was the most gifted when it came to Kalona combat. But in spite of that hobby, he'd been good-natured and happy. Nothing ever seemed to get him down; he could even come up laughing from a kick to the face!
But since the battle, it was as though a dark doppleganger had replaced Corsant. Tony hadn't once seen him smile since then; Corsant was constantly enveloped in a cloud of brooding darkness, punctuated from time to time with spurts of self-directed rage. Tony and Loveless were extremely worried; Tony felt particularly badly for Loveless, having to deal with worry over both her mate and her son. Not that Tony felt he needed to be fussed over; he had a long way to go healing-wise, but thanks to the prescence of that alicorn, he had lived. And he would continue to live. But what about Corsant? The boy had taken some nasty bashes in the fight, but he had acquitted himself stunningly. Tony suspected that part of his son's problem was shock; he had killed on that day, after all, and he had never killed before. It could not have been easy, seeing his favorite pastime suddenly transformed into something dark and ugly.
But even understanding the stresses of battle his son had seen, Tony suspected there was something more to his son's blackness. He had tried to reach out to Corsant, but for now Corsant was refusing to talk. He had been grateful for Tony's recovery, ebullient in his gratitude for both of his parents' safety, but then? Nothing.
For his own part, Antony would much rather try to work out Corsant's troubles than worry about himself. Considering everything he'd been through, Antony was feeling rather...rather sanguine about the whole thing, if he was being honest. He'd lived almost his entire life in fear of pureblood Kalona; his mother had been the impetus, and the world had only served to intensify that fear. He had devoted over a year of his life to training under Diabetia, and years after that honing his fighting skills. He had passed those fears and skills on to his children, wishing for them to be prepared for the worst, even if it meant sharing his uncertainty and worry regarding their mixed blood. It was a paranoia that had haunted his steps since he was barely out of foalhood...
And now it had come to pass. Now, he had fought Kalona willing to kill. He had fought, and he had WON. And because of him, his son had also lived. His darkest fear had come to pass, and he had made it through that darkness into the brightness of day and life. For his own part, Antony could only be grateful.
He just wished that he wasn't alone in that sentiment. He knew Loveless had been badly affected by the battle, and she was pouring care and attention onto Antony as a way of getting past her issues. He was willing to be a diversion, but there was only so much cossetting a stallion could take! Aside of the great dark wound at his neck, Tony was feeling fine...
But that great dark wound was a bit of a problem, not only because it complicated itches. It had been weeks since Tony had dropped in on his father, and he knew that Guilian would be wondering about him if he continued to stay away. Tony had made a point of visiting his father regularly ever since setting up housekeeping with Loveless; those visits had become even more frequent since the catastrophe with his sister Amary's sons and his father's subsequent spiral into depression. It was that depression that so worried Antony; he hated seeing his father like this, especially for this long! So he always tried to be positive and cheerful, to help move Guilian on. What would Guilian think if Antony stayed away?
But what would he think if Antony came, sporting a huge, nasty scab?
Well...Antony would have to find out what that answer would be, because he was going to go see his father.
|
 |
Reply
