"Calix?" Bevy inquired as she sent to the beta's other side. "What's wrong?"
Calix shook his head as he struggled, "I-I-I don't know. It j-just hurts so bad." The beta tightened his grip on his heart as tears formed in his eyes. "I want to cry. I don't know why, but I feel like my world is crashing down."
Syri's eyes widened as he heard the beta's words. 'His mate!...Oh, Calix...I'm so sorry...' Tears touched the zeta's eyes; he knew the pain the beta was currently enduring. There was no other explanation for the sudden pain and despair.
"Let's get him to the gamma," Bevy said and brought one of Calix's arms to sling around her shoulder as she supported the beta. Syri nodded in agreement and began to support Calix, but Kip rushing to Calix's side caused Syri to back away and let the grey-eyed beta support his friend.
"What happened?" Kip inquired of the alpha as he saw Calix's pain-stricken expression. Worry covered Kip's face as he looked at Bevy for an answer. Kip had just exited the stall with the saddled horse when he saw Calix kneeling on the ground.
"I don't know," Bevy answered with a shake of her head. "He suddenly collapsed in pain."
"Okay, we need to get him to Estan," Kip said as he began to lead the beta toward the stable's back exit.
Syri did not intervene and tell them his speculation of the cause of Calix's pain as it was not his place to disclose the death of Calix's fated one. Instead, Syri watched Kip and Bevy support Calix in walking toward the back of the stables.
"What is taking so long?!!!" The woman's shriek reached Syri's ears as the three continued down the main hall. The zeta swiveled his head around to see the copper horse standing obediently twenty paces behind him. Syri did not waste a second in rushing to the horse and grabbing its reins.
"Take care of things here," Syri told the omega as he passed the blue-haired while leading the horse. "I'll be right back."
"Ae, Syri Inso," Ibbi answered before turning to watch Bevy and Kip advance down the hall.
Syri quickened his pace until he was standing in front of the noble. "I apologize for the wait. Here is your steed, Madame," Syri apologized as he bowed to the woman.
"Hmph! How dare you keep me waiting!" The woman said loudly as he raised her riding whip. Before Syri knew it, a sharp stinging sensation appeared on his right cheek. The zeta's eyes widened as he realized he had just been whipped. Being a lowly servant, Syri immediately folded his body in a deep bow. "I deeply apologize. One of our workers had an emergency-"
"Don't give me excuses!" The woman yelled as she raised her whip again. Syri jumped back as the instrument of correction made contact with the top of his back. The zeta raised himself from the bow only to throw up his hands in defense as the woman began delivering whip after whip. "How dare you make me wait!! You deserve to be punished! Guards!! Where are the guards!!"
Blood began to run down the zeta's arms as the woman continued to assault him. "Please! There was an emergency! Please!!" The zeta's cries went unheard by the woman as she continued to shriek for the guards and whip the poor boy. The pain triggered hot tears in the zeta's eyes as his body screamed with affliction.
'What did I do that was so wrong?' Syri was perplexed as to why the woman would beat him for delivering the horse she so wanted. Tears streamed down the zeta's face, but a broad body stepped in front Syri and shielded him from the rage of the horse whip. Strong arms wrapped around the zeta as the woman continued to land her stinging blows.
Syri looked up to see Kip standing in front of him. The beta's eyes were closed as he silently took lash after lash. "K-Kip I-Inso," the zeta let out in a whimper through tears as he looked up at the beta protecting him. Kip kept his eyes closed as he brought his hand to the zeta's head and covered Syri's eyes. "Don't look, Syri," Kip said quietly as he continued to shield the zeta.
Syri complied with Kip's request and closed his eyes as Kip received the brunt of the noblewoman's anger. 'Why can they treat us so badly? I can't even help Kip Inso. I hate that we are no more than ants to them.' The despair of the truth of the injustice filled Syri's kind heart as he could do nothing but hear the whip come down time after time and bear the shrieks of the woman.
The zeta thought the torture would never end until a strong voice rang out, "Stop this at once!" The zeta opened his eyes as the whip was brought down, and the assault halted.
The beta released a small breath at the relief from pain. "You okay?" Kip inquired quietly as he opened his eyes and looked down at the zeta. Syri nodded as he said, "I'm fine. How are you?" Kip managed a small smile and answered, "I'll be okay." Syri pursed his lips as he saw the pain filling the beta's eyes and knew Kip was just saying that to cover how much he was hurting.
"What do you think you are doing?" The voice inquired as it neared the scene of the assault. "Answer me!" The command was sharp as the noblewoman turned to see who had stopped her from delivering her punishment on the lowly servants. The woman's eyes widened to the size of saucers as she saw who intervened. "L-L-Luna!" The woman stuttered before falling to her hands and knees. Kip's eyes also widened at the woman's exclamation and gently brought himself and Syri to their knees as the Luna approached them.