Chimera Fields long intervals of horrible sanity

And there it was.

For a long moment, Cypress was absolutely silent, that only slightly uncertain smile plastered stiffly upon his bloodied muzzle; it was an ill-fitting guise in that it didn’t quite match the inexorable darkening of his sulphureous gaze. Beneath his neutral, even pleasant mien, a churning firestorm of fury — how could you leave me why did you even come back maybe it was all your fault after all how could you put this on my shoulders I’ve never asked you to carry anything for me how dare you ask me to lie for you beg for you — slammed against a frostbitten cold front of epic proportions — what am I going to do without you I just found you I missed you I missed you you’re my brother Noch why are you leaving me don’t you care about Allure don’t you care about me don’t you care — and left him in a state of tumult that could not be contained.

“I can’t hurt anybody anymore.”

The words replayed themselves, and Cypress barked a laugh — his hackles flared to life, tall ears pressing aggressively forward upon his skull, the wild fur on his nape and shoulders standing on end. “You just did,” he hissed, wrenching his lips back in a virulent snarl that caused the scab of congealed blood to crack and weep. Unbeknownst to the tortured raven, his demon yellow eyes had begun their useless crying once more — his face was a wretched, ugly mess as he filled his lungs and spewed words he would later regret: “I’m not going to lie for you, Rannoch! I’m going to tell them what you did — I’m going to tell them you ran — ” His breath heaved in huge, uneven gulps as he began to hyperventilate, panting hysterically as saliva pooled in the divot beneath his razor-edged tongue and began to stream in thin strings from his trembling lips.

“Tell him,” the dark, tempting voice said again. “Tell him it’s all his fault — because it is, isn’t it? That’s what he said.” Cypress pinned his ears against his skull, shaking his head in silent denial as he skittered back a few steps. “Tell him no son of Scimitar would run away this way; tell him what a coward he is. You want to hurt him, don’t you? He should be hurting, shouldn’t he? He hurt you — didn’t he?”

“I need both my boys to protect me.”

“You made your choice!” Cypress bellowed, his voice cracking inconveniently, growing increasingly more tremulous and shrill as he advanced toward his littermate. “You were supposed to wait for me — we were supposed to find Lucy together!” It was hardly the time or the place for this pretty little diatribe, but the words felt right. “This — this is — it’s — ” The raven ground his teeth together before he could place unfair blame, slewing his muzzle and gaze to the side with an injured, infuriated whine. “I’m going to tell them you ran — you ran like a coward!”

“Why, I couldn't have just one little boy — I needed two! My little team!”

Cypress sneered, showing every tooth in his mouth — and then he threw the ball headlong into Rannoch’s court with a warning growl and a breathless sob: “It wasn’t your fault, Noch,” he said, “but this — whatever happens now — is gonna be your fault. If you leave, Rannoch, I’ll love you — ” his voice broke anew, and it was several minutes before he could collect himself long enough to finish his threat “ — I’ll love you anyway — but if you leave this time you’ll ruin everything. Maybe I’ll die, too — maybe I’ll die, and it’ll be because you left — ”

“Your fairy godmother, Deirdre, ensured that I would have the perfect little team.”

“ — and you’ll send someone and I won’t be here because I’ll be dead — ”

Swaying where he stood, Cypress held as tightly as he could to consciousness. “Please, Noch,” he begged, his fury and venom extinguished by a fresh burst of anguish. “Don’t go away — please — I love you, I can’t — please don’t leave me don’t not you too Noch please not you — ”