That morning when I awoke, I found I was still encased in Leon’s arms. He was still sleeping soundly, his long waist-length raven-black hair fanned out under him, some of it blending with my own long brown locks. A feeling of warmth rushed through my chest and my gut. Reluctantly, I slipped from his arms without waking him and dressed quietly. Before slipping out of his house, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his cheek.

He was beautiful and I was in love with him. How long ago that happened, I still didn’t know. For me, it was still a mystery when he had turned into something more than a teacher and a friend. I couldn’t help but be thankful that he had an emotional clue about our circumstance and the courage to change it into what it should have been.

As I walked back to my house, which was only a few yards away from his, I found I was sore in my body, sore in deep places I’d never been sore before. And I felt fatigued in a refreshed way, if that made any sense. The plan was to train, but a sore body is lazy, so I decided to train on something else that day, my communication with Estrakulius. We’d been much better about being able to talk, but both of us found it was still rather an exhausting task.

Estrakulius and I had come close to being able to summon our second power willingly, but Leon told us that it would become easier if our bond were stronger. I could feel my blade vibrating with frustration every time we did it, and felt the disappointment coursing through me as well. I would apologize, we both knew it was my fault; however, he would tell me to never mind it and try again.

But first, before bonding time with my Soulmate, a shower. Or maybe a bath. Or maybe bonding time in the warm bath. I was not sure yet. And as I neared the steps to my front porch, I heard a banging and an all too familiar voice shouting my name. I couldn’t help the sinking feeling in my stomach, and inexplicable guilt washing over me.

“Yooozooooooooki! Get your butt up girl c’mon! I want to talk to you!” She howled. Nakita, who was standing with her, back to the wall, had already seen me, and she was grinning. It was a wolfish predatory grin, one that made my sunken heart quiver with anxiety. “Lawdy, where is that girl?” Kora exclaimed in frustration and Nakita nudged her with an elbow.

“Der.” She said, nodding to me, causing Kora to whirl around. Her eyes took in my appearance, still wearing my bridesmaid outfit, shoes in one hand, hair tousled, and, knowing me, probably a very guilty expression on my face. Kora suddenly laughed and put her hands on her hips.

“Why, I never! Did we just catch you walking the walk of shame red-footed?” She exclaimed and Nakita’s smile grew even bigger.

“I am not ashamed. I am just a bit tired because it’s early. And I don’t know why you’re here.” I answered. It was true. It wasn’t a walk of shame. I had nothing to be ashamed of. It did not stop my cheeks from betraying me with the stupid burning sensation.

“Zree guesses where she was last night…” Nakita practically purred, spurring on the excitable Kora.

“Oh, I don’t need to guess! You totally spent the night with Leon! How was it? Oh my gosh, give us the details already, woman! You dirty scoundrel!” Kora squealed, running down the steps to stand by me, as Nakita followed her.

“It was wonderful and I’m not giving you any details. I also have plans today, so I must go and bathe…”

“Ewwwwwwww!” Kora squealed excitedly as I pointed out I needed to bathe which set my cheeks aflame again. Nakita burst out laughing as I crossed my arms, feeling vulnerable.

“If you guys will excuse me, I have a bath to take and some training to do,” I said in a huffy tone, wishing a hole would open up and swallow me.

“Relax. Kora, dat brings up what we needed to tell ‘er.” Nakita said, calming down, though she was still visibly fighting off the urge to grin.

“Oh, that’s right! I think you'd better hurry up with that bath, Yoozoo. Trainin’ gon’ have to wait. Turns out the scouts that were on duty yesterday saw somethin’ strange durin’ the weddin’. CiCi is callin’ a meeting ya know? It starts in about an hour. We were gonna go tell Leon after we told you, but I think we’ll leave it up to you. I won’t be able to keep a straight face.” Kora said. “D’aw I’m just so proud of you! Becomin’ a woman and all!” She jibed, but I ignored it now, my face growing serious as I looked at Nakita, who was also somber.

“What did they see?” I asked them, and Kora’s smile disappeared, a disturbed look crossing her features.

“Dem boys be seein’ Tisin running ‘round da city outskirts. Be going around in circles, goin’ real slow and close. Like dey were scouting.” Nakita interrupted Kora’s words, watching me carefully. I felt my heart sink. Tisin that were scouting the perimeters of the city? That had my father’s stench all over it. I nodded and pushed around them.

“Go wake Leon. Tap on his bedroom window if he doesn’t respond to the front. The curtains are closed, don’t worry.” I told them as I opened the door to my little house. “You really ought to be more serious with this kind of message Kora.” I scolded gently as I stepped inside. Once I shut the door, I could still hear their voices fading in the distance.

“Did you see her face? That face was scary!”

“Dat face da face of a warrior with somethin’ to protect, Kora...”

Swiftly, I turned from the door and hurried to my Soulmate, whom I’d left at home for the occasion. Pulling Estrakulius down from the stand and partially pulling him from the beautiful custom-made sheath.

“I’m home,” I said to the sword, running my fingers over his jeweled hilt affectionately.

“I’m sorry,” I told him softly as I turned towards my bathroom.

It’s fine. We’re Soulmates. I almost always know what is happening to you. I knew where you were. And what you were doing. 

A soft chuckle emanated into my mind from my Soulmate and I rolled my eyes.

“Not you too.” I groaned softly, and I felt the warmth of amusement ripple through me.

 I rolled my eyes, setting him on the counter and stepping gingerly into a hot shower.

When I was ready and dressed, Leon was at my door waiting for me. We laced our fingers together as we headed to the meeting. When we entered the main hall, the cafeteria was filled with warriors at their rows of horizontal dark wood tables. Vertically opposing them was a table for the chieftains and their Braves. Estrakulius was hooked to my body, slung across the small of my back so that I could draw him if I needed him. I saw Artemius to CiCi’s right, Claus to the left of him, with Vivian to his right between them. Leon sat me down next to CiCi on her left, before sitting next to me.

I realized how tense I was when his warm hand took my smaller, cooler one and held onto it firmly. I felt my body relax the slightest bit, and my other hand went to the hilt of Estrakulius.

Estrakulius spoke softly within my mind, and I smiled.

"I’m trying. We seem to be talking so easily today." I mentioned to him while waiting for the last of the warriors to file into the hall.

It was because you let down one of the annoying brick walls in your heart. Mind you, if I had known having coitus with Leon would do that for us, I’d have suggested it long ago.

 Estrakulius said, sounding happy. I felt my face suddenly flush hot and my body tense again as Estrakulius' handsome-sounding laughter rang through my mind. Leon turned his eyes to me, examining me with concern.

“What is it?” He asked in a soft voice, and I shook my head, fighting the urge to tap my blade sharply in punishment. I didn’t know if he would feel it anyway.

“My Soulmate is a cheeky pervert, and suddenly he’s very talkative,” I told him softly, and Leon’s eyes widened in surprise. I smiled a bit, letting myself relax as I tried to force the hot blush away from my face. “We can talk more easily now. It feels natural when we speak to each other today.” I explained, and Leon’s face broke out into a delighted grin.

“Good! It’s great, right? A Soulmate loves us unconditionally, and each has their own personality. When we finally connect with them, it’s a feeling of completion.” He said, pulling my hand to his lips and planting a small kiss on my knuckles. I felt my heart race as he let it drop once more into his lap, unsure of how to react as Estrakulius laughed in my mind again.

"Shut up, Metalmouth." I whispered while smiling, at both my lover and my talking sword.

It seemed everyone had arrived once CiCi stood, silence filling the hall, and she took a moment, reaching down, scanning a few papers in front of her.

“It seems we have a problem.” She spoke finally, her voice just loud enough to fill the hall and every ear within it. “Yesterday, the guards atop the wall spotted what appeared to be a squad of Tisin around Warrior City. They circled the city as if taking measurements of our defenses. What this means, I do not know.” CiCi finished and sat down, crossing her hands in front of her. At her words, my body went cold, and as a heavy, worried silence filled the room, my hand clung to Leon’s, gripping it tightly.

I knew what it meant. I knew exactly what it meant. My father had finished building his army, and he was preparing to put it to ‘good’ use. I looked up at CiCi now and noticed she was looking at me, her eyes expectant. I gave her a small nod, and in turn, she gestured to me.

“However, luckily for us, we have someone here who knows the soul of the Tisin that the Spiderbeast was born of personally. She will speak now, and you will all give her your undivided attention.” She commanded, and I stood up shakily. Leon thankfully did not let go of my hand. I felt shame welling up within me, fear, but most of all, rage. I took a deep breath, and I could feel Estrakulius shiver in approval at our composure. When I opened my mouth, my voice was steady and smooth.

“The Spiderbeast was once a powerful man who worked for an Empress. He was a strategist, and he knew how to infiltrate fortresses and take out everyone within the vicinity silently, quickly, and precisely. The blood would not stop spilling from his hands until the intended target was dead. That Spiderbeast was once my father. And oftentimes, my siblings and I were used as recon for these little invasions. We would test the defenses, scout from the shadows, and we would watch and learn everything we could for days, sometimes weeks. We would watch until we knew exactly where to breach their defenses, where their weakest points were, and what the biggest threats to us were.

“Intelligence has gathered that the Spiderbeast has been building an army, dominating countless Tisin of all ranks to do his bidding. He has developed an alpha system within the Tisin, and it has been recorded that he possesses powers unheard of among the beasts. It is said that Souls who transcended here into Limbo have a rather unique, bold strength about them in comparison to those who were born here. I believe this would hold true for a Tisin that has transcended from the living world. This Tisin was not created in the usual way - but rather his soul escaped his body as a monster and ripped its way into Limbo.” There were murmurs within the hallway as people began to look around. I waited, pausing the words that I had thought so heavily about since I had last seen the image of my father, the Spiderbeast, looking back upon the memory of what happened to my soul when I transcended.

“SILENCE.” CiCi thundered to the hall, and once again the room did as it was commanded. I took another breath, clenching the hilt of my sword.

You are doing fine my Other. Tell them what they need to hear. 

He encouraged me, and I nodded, steeling myself once more.

“I know not much is known about this unusual behavior, and I am aware that the idea of Tisin being transcended from corrupt and evil living humans has not dawned on many of us within the room. Transcendence is so rare as it is, but I believe this is what happened when I died… no. I am sorry. When he murdered me, my spirit was swept away by a Dragon’s magic, and I was shoved into this place. He followed me using his own resources. What I believe the Tisin scouts at the wall mean is that the Spiderbeast has finished collecting all the Tisin soldiers he feels he needs. Remember, he has been feeding off the souls killed in the villages and even his own soldiers, so he is remarkably stronger than any other Tisin you will have ever faced before. And sometime in the near future, he means to invade us, and obliterate us.” I dealt the final blow to the Warrior’s deftly, with a voice that sounded like steel. When I was done, I sat as people got to their feet, shouting and looking to CiCi for confirmation.

Leon moved closer to me as CiCi closed her eyes and listened to the clamoring exclamations of panic for a moment, his arm wrapping around my waist, above Estrakulius. Instinctively, I moved closer to him, my heart hammering in my chest as I thought about what I just revealed to the entirety of the Warriors. There was nothing left but to wait for CiCi to speak.

She stood then, her face calm as she held her hands out for silence, and once again the noise subsided in the room. Her face was stone, unreadable as she crossed her arms.

“I cannot give you answers just now. Everyone, please assume your posts, and by tonight, you will have orders directly from your assigned Chieftains as to what measures will be taken. For now, I must make sure our defenses are renewed. They have had a long life and have never been used. I think it is wise for us to go about our day and not panic. Please do not speak about this within earshot of the citizens, and remain a picture of serenity.” She dismissed them, and the warriors filed out, filling the hall with worried whispers as it emptied.

Once we were more alone, CiCi turned to me, her emerald eyes scanning my face as if trying to read into my expression, to take more from me than what I had said in words. After a long moment, she sighed, as if she'd come to a grim conclusion from her silent eyeballing.

“Claus. The defenses are your specialty. You and Vivian see to it that they are all tested, and any repairs that need to be done, I need them done quickly. Leon, go with him.” CiCi commanded and both men nodded. As Claus stood up and began to leave, Leon hesitated and looked at me with uncertainty. I caught the stare and smiled, suddenly wishing I could go with him.

“I’ll see you later. I have something I need to do myself.” I told him as I stood with him. He nodded, leaning in and kissing me softly, quickly, before he took off after Claus. I barely caught the quirked eyebrow in my direction from CiCi, and I blushed as I straightened out.

“Can’t say I didn’t see that comin’.” She mused, looking a little smug. I looked up at her, a little bit flabbergasted.

“You don’t have anything better than to watch other people's love lives?” I asked dully, and CiCi laughed.

“I need to be entertained sometimes too, you know. You guys were the biggest source of betting and gossip for months.” She said simply, shrugging shamelessly. “In fact, I think Claus owes me a month of foot massages now.” She said, a grin spreading across her face as I began to sputter.

“You guys seriously bet? And Claus bet against us?” I asked disbelievingly and CiCi began to laugh before answering me in an almost perfect imitation of Claus’ accent.

“’Leon is too stoic to act on his feelings. That man’s more stubborn than a brick wall. And the Lass is just hopeless in matters of the heart. She won’t know she’s in love until it hit her over the head with quite a literal hammer.’” She winked at me, similarly to Claus. It was a bit disturbing to see it coming from her angled emerald eyes. Still, despite my irritation at having bets placed on matters of my personal life, I laughed with her.

“Well, thank you for having faith in me and my hopeless heart,” I told her as I turned to leave.

“Oh, I didn’t. I just wanted to bet against Claus. Thank you for proving both of us wrong.” CiCi answered, amused, and rolling my eyes, I turned and left the building, leaving CiCi to her own business.

It wasn’t until sometime later I found myself on top of the hill, Estrakulius drawn and ready in my hands. I was panting, sweat dripping down my face and back. Each little drop that trailed down my spine was uncomfortable and cold. There was nothing more challenging than training the mind; nothing physical could ever compare.

“We have to get this right…” I told him softly. “We cannot afford to be impotent together anymore. My father is coming. And it will be us who puts a stop to the beating of that heart.”

It is our life to end, my Other. One more time, Yuzuki. Let’s try. The first time is always the hardest. I believe in us.

I nodded, my teeth clenched. I’d been trying for what seemed like hours already. I was tired and frustrated.

“But how? How do we do this? What works for us?” I finally asked. I’d listened to everyone and taken their advice, but nothing worked.

Estrakulius whispered softly, and I felt a feeling of warmth flood my stomach. He believed in me, and a new determination flowed through my veins. My Soulmate had been so patient with me. He believed in me through my disbelief. He’d waited for me through my refusal to communicate and my fear of depending on him. To accept him as part of my own soul. And even through my hopelessness, he’d been there with me through my worst and best times. He was mine, and I was his. He wasn’t tangible, but he was within me, part of me.

“Together then,” I said, realizing that I’d still only been depending on myself all this time, even through painful lengths and efforts to try and depend on him. Without thinking, following my instincts, I raised my sword, reaching inward towards the warmth of him that I had become more aware of. The warmth in my stomach spread, and in that one moment when I swung my sword, pulling my weight evenly, I felt a connection. I felt a sharp pain in my back, and I cried out as I fell. The arm that flew forward to catch myself was glowing brightly. The glow was a mixture of deep sanguine and indigo, and I resisted the urge to recoil away from my Soulmate.

I felt him latch onto me, and together we writhed on the ground, his physical proof of existence shimmering brightly on the grass beside me, the blade of his sword glowing. The pain lasted only a few excruciating minutes, and when it was over, I pushed myself up to my knees and looked back, my jaw dropping in shock.

The first time is the worst. It will soon become natural. We are different from the others.

 He whispered softly into my mind, and I smiled, my heart hammering in my chest excitedly. Let’s try it out! He urged me, and I could feel the happiness that resonated in his voice, and I laughed, standing up on shaky legs to try out the new level of power and unity that Estrakulius and I had reached.

The following days were frustrating. No one could leave the city on patrols due to Tisin camping out in the shadows beyond our it. The ever-changing scenery of our world kept all of us on our toes and kept the Tisin on edge. Every time a bare environment arose, such as a desert, the Tisin would scatter for a while, and we would be able to venture out of the city further. Skirmishes were becoming more frequent, as groups of Tisin converged on our city to test our strength.

Guards atop the wall had been doubled, full of long-range Soulmates. And every day, many of them would grow a bit stronger. Even Kora had been put on top of the wall, with her wind being used as a weapon to help fight off the patrols of Tisin, who were trying to gather information on our walls. Not many escaped, but the few who did made me anxious.

One morning I sat atop the wall with Kora, my feet dangling down as I sat perked at the edge. We were by the front entrance, and it was strange to see the Golden Gate below us from a bird 's-eye view.

“Yoozooki! Get away from there, would ya? You’re going to fall to your death!” Kora was complaining, and I laughed. It had been almost two weeks since the first meeting about the patrols. Every day, there was a briefing from the wall patrols about how many Tisin had been cleansed by the arrows and bolts and elemental attacks of the wall guards. The rest of the Warriors had been training double time. The sound of blades clashing as people sparred against each other echoed out from early morning to evening. We could hear them faintly in the distance as we sat together, Nakita off to the side, listening to us quietly in her stoic manner.

“If I fall, I assure you I’ll be fine, my friend,” I said serenely. Today, the forest dominated the scenery, with a meadow surrounding the city. The thick trees were lush and the smell of pine wafted towards us with the gentle breeze that made the trees flutter gently in the distance. And within the forest, the sounds of birds echoed happily, as if it were a fine spring morning.

“Whatever, girlfriend. If you fall and break yourself, I’m going to be so mad at you!” She scolded me, and I laughed cheerfully. Nakita looked at me, her eerie green eyes sparkling in mischief.

“You be laughin’.” She said pointedly, raising her voice to a pitch of surprise. Kora and I both looked at her, my own brows raised in question. Was it really that odd?

“Yes. I do that sometimes.” I told her in a cheeky tone, and she rolled her eyes.

“Means ya spent the night with your Mustang. Ya laugh now. It’s weird.” She retorted, and I felt my cheeks heat as Kora burst out in gales of laughter of her own, her hands clutching her stomach as she was overwhelmed, before chiming in with her own two cents.

“Yeah. Ever since they started to practice makin’ babies, she has kind of a personality, doesn’t she?” She teased and I huffed out in irritation.

“I have always had a personality!” I said defensively, crossing my arms. I actually felt like sulking a little bit.

Yeah, but it was a rather dull one, always suspicious and quiet. You weren’t actually happy like you are now.

 Estrakulius chimed in, and I scowled, tapping the hilt of my Soulmate, my cheeks hot.

“Don’t encourage them, ‘Straky.” I growled out loud, and Nakita snorted in amusement.

“He didn’t agree with Kora. Just with you, Nikky.” I said, picking up on the endearment Kora had taken to calling Nakita. Nakita hated her nickname just as much as I hated being teased about my sex life, and Leon being referred to as a horse.

“Hey! When are you going to tell us about your second level?” Kora complained. Ever since I had told the girls about how I had fully connected with Estrakulius, they’d been bugging me about it. I grinned and kicked my feet in the air happily. I loved teasing them, and it brought a sense of understanding why they enjoyed teasing me too.

“Someday,” I answered her vaguely, and Kora audibly groaned unhappily. Nakita smirked, not as unnerved by my secrecy as Rachel and Kora. Of course, Nakita was the only one of the girls other than me to take things as they came and mind her own business.

“See? Yar mustang put some fire in ya.” She muttered, and this time I laughed with her as Kora pouted, crossing her arms, the fan at her hip seeming to tremble as if it were trying to comfort her.

“I thought we were friends.” She mumbled, and again I laughed, reaching out and patting her arm.

“We are! It’s just the only thing I have to hold over your head.” I answered cheerfully, and Nakita snorted in amusement, her dreads lifting gently in a breeze. And suddenly I realized something was off. Kora opened her mouth to argue with me, and I lifted my hand to silence her, my eyes narrowing out to the forest.

“Wait… hear that?” I asked suddenly, the feeling of unease settling down in my chest and stomach. The nagging suspicion screamed in my head that I’d missed something important while goofing off with Nakita and Kora.

Estrakulius whispered in my mind, and if it weren’t for the heavy dread, I would have laughed and reminded him that no one else but me could hear him.

“It’s too quiet.” Nakita echoed my soulmate's thoughts seconds later, her olive eyes narrowing as she caught up with my thought process, rising from her relaxed position to an alert stance. I nodded, standing on the small raised platform that made the edge of the wall, my heart suddenly racing, beating hard against my chest.

“That’s never good,” I spoke softly and Kora turned. She’d been stationed near the fire signal, and her hand stood ready at the torch, ready to light the large rig of oil that stood near us.

“Yoozoo…” she said, her voice trembling and I shook my head.

“I don’t know, just be calm,” I told her in a soft voice. The three of us stood watching the distance, and I was pleased to notice that other guards down the wall had either noticed our rigid postures or the silence, and they stood alert, hands on Soulmates, ready to draw.

What we weren’t really prepared for was a terrified scream to rip through the trees. Following the shrieking of a woman, more cries filled the air and I gasped as a mob of souls ran through the trees, running for their lives.

Among them, Tisin gave chase, taking down the slower people. I felt heat ignite on my back and turned to see flames licking the sky, towering above us from the oil signal. Nakita had already drawn her Soulmate and a black arrow was aimed down.

Memoirs of the In-Between - Chapter 14

When Friendship Conquers Death

That morning when I awoke, I found I was still encased in Leon’s arms. He was still sleeping soundly, his long waist-length raven-black hair fanned out under him, some of it blending with my own long brown locks. A feeling of warmth rushed through my chest and my gut. Reluctantly, I slipped from his arms without waking him and dressed quietly. Before slipping out of his house, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his cheek.



Memoirs of the In-Between - Chapter 14

When Friendship Conquers Death

This is an Exclusive Story for supporters of Hope Martin

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Hope Martin

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Memoirs of the In-Between - Chapter 14

When Friendship Conquers Death

This is an Exclusive Story for supporters of .css-13w9qce-Text{display:inline-block;color:var(--text-accent);}Hope Martin

About the Creator

Hope Martin

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Keep reading

Audiobook Recording Complete With A MONTH to Spare!

This is an Exclusive Story for supporters of Hope Martin