Blood Bond

Ice from the cold, stone floor stabbed into my bare feet as I stepped onto the balcony. Chilled air brushed past my face along with a pale and ghostly light, reminding me of that fateful morning when I had woken up early to cook omelet for Maya. It had felt like a lifetime ago, and yet, it had only been days, I suppose I wasn't me then.

A breath escaped my lips. It turned white, and swirled like a serpent before dissipating up into the air. I followed the trail to the grey sky, then out to the edge of bleeding orange in the distant horizon. What had the me here been like? I was spoiled, naive, angry, prideful—some would say stuck-up. Have I changed much? I'm even more angry now.

My eyes found a statue of an Aethelwing right across from me, one of its wings was shattered, leaving it lopsided. The wrongness of it clawed at my insides. And I'm still prideful.

"Ha!"

A voice rang out from down in the training yard where I'd usually see the trainees run through their drills. But it was too early for them, and in their place was a lonely figure running through his sword forms over and over again in the murky greyness: Kael.

He was shirtless. Sweat beaded over his bare skin as the sinews of his muscle strained with every stroke of his sword and twist of his torso. The other court ladies would probably swoon over this, I could almost hear their vapid giggling in the background. But me right now? I wanted to join him. To do some form of exercise before this nervous energy of dread bubbling up from within drove me mad.

A fur cloak was draped over my shoulders. The lining was soft and svelte. It came from a Starburst Bear: a huge, lumbering monster that my Father had hunted down, all to get the soft underbelly of fur for his treasure. The texture was far too luxurious for someone of my other life, goosebumps formed as its familiar and yet alien hairs slid over my arms.

I knew who had placed it around me by the gentle care with which it was done.

"He practiced late into the night as well." Anya's worried voice spoke from behind me. "But you're up early. For the first time ever."

A steaming cup of tea settled in my palm, warmth spread out into my fingers. "Thank you, Anya."

There was a sharp intake of breath beside me. Kael cried out down below as he swung his sword in a wide sweep.

"You are different now, Ela." The worry was heavier in Anya's voice.

Her words made me reflect. In all the time we've spent together, had I never really said 'thank you' to her? Shifting through memories, it's always been orders, demands and snide comments to this girl who's like a sister to me. I lowered my head. "Is that what you see? Through that sight of yours."

I wondered if she could see me like Annie does.

"I see you as just you, Ela. But your movements, the way you speak sometimes, and your eyes… that bright laughter is gone."

I took a sip of the tea; light, floral leaves, a hint of honey, the heat flowed down my throat to my stomach where the tightness still lingered. Again, I was gripped by a need to tell her what kind of monstrous horror I'd become, but all that came out of my lips was. "I've been changed."

"We all have been." Anya nodded as she moved up beside me. "My mother told me before I was sent here. That in life, once we set foot on a path… we can't go back."

Her hand reached out for mine down below and I took it. Her fingers squeezed mine tight.

In both my worlds, my roots were deep.

Kael turned back toward us as he reached the far side of the training yard. He cried out, his eyes focused forward, he kept swinging, his muscles rippling as the sweat sprayed from his body. His face was contorted in utter determination. He needed to win.

I can't let go.

—

"You really like staring at the rabble, don't you girl?" Titus yelled from the seat across from me before stuffing a spoon full of beans into his mouth.

We were seated in an open-top carriage, heading toward the arena. I understand why they would want to parade me around, but their choice of seating companions was… interesting.

In the corner facing me was Saleic's father Titus, eating his usual beans and dressed almost shabbily in a black leather tunic. Beside him was Lelian, Jarlen's mother. The elven queen was dressed impeccably in a long flowing green gown that shimmered against her silver hair. Seated beside me in the adjacent corner was Tamas, dressed in his Ironfell uniform. He tugged at his collar, looking deeply uncomfortable.

I pulled my eyes from the line of workers dressed in rags, marching toward some scaffolding off in the distance. "I was just wondering what's going on there. I don't remember ever seeing that there."

"It's a new project that we have started, the Regency Quarters." Tamas finally spoke up after his long period of silence. "Gives the vermin something to do, as father would like to say." He followed my gaze to a clump of ragged figures gathered around a soup pot. "Lets them earn food through work instead of making trouble."

Then he looked toward me, his yellow eyes assessing mine. "Do you wish to take a tour of the site after this?"

I was about to refuse, after all, weren't there more important matters, but then I remembered how ignorant I had been and still was. "Yes, please. I would like to see for myself what the conditions are like."

"So it's true. Our high princess does have a heart that bleeds for the unfortunate. This is so very touching, your highness." Lelian inclined her head toward me. Like before, her face was serene, and I couldn't tell for the life of me whether that smile was one of sincere admiration, or just pure mockery.

She turned her icy blue eyes toward Titus. "General, must you eat that here? In sight of all your admirers?" she said in her saccharine-coated voice as she gestured out to people on the side of the road watching us pass, none of whom had their eyes upon him.

Titus barked out a laugh and raised his can to Lelian. "This shit? Is what my men ate every single day on their long march out to this holier-than-thou place. So you better bet I'm gonna keep eating it." His dark eyes scanned the rivers of people and his lips twisted. "Oh, I see the way they're looking at you, girl. They got hope in their eyes. But don't worry, my Saleic is going to kick your pretty boy's teeth in and stomp the name Veridia into their psyche for ages to come."

—

Anya had read to me with sparkles in her eyes of all battles that have gone on in the Grand Arena, all the heroes that have been enshrined, all the villains vanquished, and the princesses saved. Words however, couldn't quite match the spectacle. I stepped out into the box seats and was immediately arching my back, my eyes being pulled upwards by the rows of seats that rose like a curved cliff face before me. Rows that stretched toward the sky, supported by massive stone ribs, jutting upwards at regular intervals.

I had, of course, seen videos of modern sports stadiums that hold many tens of thousands of people, but being in one is different. The atmosphere of it. The way the din of the gathered crowd reverberated through my body. The way the walls of spectators surrounding us suffocated the air.

"Never been in The Arena before, girl?" Titus's voice snarled at me from behind.

He then laughed when I refused to answer. "Even I've been here several times before. Though never with seats like these!" He slammed one hand upon the ornately carved arm of his seat: a throne seat, one that I was sure was meant to be Father's, and here he was, sullying it by eating his beans upon it!

Beside him in what should have been my mother's seat, Lelian sat elegantly with one of her slender hands raised, waving to the crowd. "Ah, isn't it wonderful? It looks like all of Aethelgard have their eyes on us today. And not just them, but our soldiers as well. They're certainly looking forward to a show." She said with that serene, unreadable smile of hers.

Down near the arena floor were nobles dressed in their sparkling fineries, and intermixed with them were the uniforms of various colors of the invaders. But further up above, I could make out the workers in stained linens, pilgrims in their greys, and even a few children in rags, almost all of them were staring down at me.

The clinking of chains echoed through the stadium as the metal gate to the arena floor slowly lifted. Out walked Saleic and Kael, led by a herald dressed in Aethelgard blue. Saleic had on a glossy black breastplate that shone under the sun, while Kael wore just a simple cloth tunic that was silver edged with blue.

The herald stopped dead center on the sands and waved a hand. The air above the arena floor shimmered, distorting like a heat haze.

Giant faces of Saleic and Kael appeared within the distortion. It was like a jumbotron for the cheap seats, except the images weren't as perfectly or sharply rendered, instead they felt more like ghostly mirages that wavered when the figures moved.

Saleic's face had the sneer plastered on his lips, but it felt forced. It'd quiver at times and his eyes kept darting toward his opponent. Kael was his opposite. His jaw was set, his gaze fixed forward, his mirage staring directly into the audience.

The herald introduced Kael, shouting in a voice that must be magically amplified as it rang across the stadium. He hailed him as the "battle companion to the Chosen", and the "slayer of demons and monsters", then topped it off with the "Grand winner of the Solstice Tournament." For some reason they seemed to be building him up as some mythic hero.

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"And here we have Prince Saleic of Veridia. He was captivated by flames of the High Princess Elara in a dance that many of you had witnessed, and was compelled by her beauty to challenge for a chance to stand by her side! Here he is with nothing besides his courage, and… a gift from the Deepwoods." Saleic stepped forward, raising his rapier into the air. The display zoomed in on the two crystals embedded in his hilt.

I turned to the two seated behind me. "You can't be serious! Are you really blaming me for this idiotic duel?"

Titus wiped at the corner of his eyes. "It's such a beautiful tale of passion and love. I can't wait to see the end when our poor Saleic will get the heart he desires after showing everyone here what their hero is made of… guts of course." He couldn't stifle the last bit of laughter.

Arguing with him was pointless. I turned my glare on Lelian. "And you, are you seriously trying to use this fight to promote those things?"

She smiled back at me. "It's just a gift dear. Between friends."

—

The gate slammed closed after the herald left the arena floor, leaving the two combatants to face each other across the stretch of orange-stained sand.

Saleic circled, a chaotic vortex of energies. Wisps of wind kicked up the sand with each of his careful, measured steps, while tendrils of frost and inky black swirled along the length of the long, thin blade. The Soul Seeds of his rapier must now be active.

Kael, on the receiving end of that blade, stayed rooted in place. He sank into a low stance with his sword held high, its blade sheathed by a simple coat of ice that radiated thin lines of steam.

Almost without thinking, I connected with my blood within Kael. His blood was flooding his Soul Seed, but there was no glow, or the name of an ability. Instead, it felt… darker. Then I realized, he was using the awareness that Master Steffan had taught me—he was sensing through his Soul Seed. I reached for his Soul Seed, and slipped inside. I was sensing alongside him. I could feel the jarring vibrating of their blades colliding. The scrape of boots against rocks, and even the disturbance of a thin finger of darkness zipping past his ear.

It was a shock, being inside of his Soul Seed so easily. Had I done it so easily because of the awareness drills? Or was it from the overall use of my powers, including on Earth?

On the outside, Saleic seemed to be growing frustrated after several lunging thrusts at Kael which were easily deflected. "Attack, you simpleton!" he growled before pulling back, the wind swirling around him as he slowly circled. "I was there! You know? When our men stormed your precious keep! Your shield brothers and sisters…" He whipped his rapier hissing through the air. The blade left trails of black and white in its wake. "They snapped like dried up twigs against the might of our new arms. You are the last of them, and I will send you back with them into the tales of old."

Kael stayed where he was, unmoved by the taunt. "The Chosen is still standing!" he cried out, his voice carrying loud and clear even beyond the din of the crowd. "And with her we shall stand! Against the tide of overwhelming darkness we shall remain!"

The words stuck, over and over until I was stumbling. He knew. He wasn't talking about Astrid. No, here in front of the gathered masses, he was declaring his faith in me.

Saleic gnashed his teeth. "I will make sure there'll be nothing remaining of you!"

The wind swirled around him, propelling him forward as his feet stepped upon the air itself.

Through Kael's Soul Seed, I sensed it a moment before it happened: a ripple of energy from Saleic just as he launched himself forward, and smaller, frothier ripples rising over his blade. That must be the mana Master Steffan had mentioned. Kael sensed it too, though his perception of it must be sharper and more exact, because he made only the slightest step to avoid the attack, and raised his blade only an inch higher.

RING!

The blades met and Saleic's blade was knocked aside as Kael sliced through the icy and dark tendrils, leaving them to dissipate into nothingness.

Saleic's frustration began to show on his face and in his actions. The mana ripple that gathered around him was smaller each time he attacked, and the froth around his rapier grew more chaotic and larger. He was channeling more magic into his weapon than himself, trading speed for attack power!

A spray of sand and dirt shot into the air as a bolt of black ice struck the ground where Kael had been just the instant before. Again, he made the barest movement of his blade to deflect instead of meeting the attack head on.

"Damn you! Stand your ground!" Saleic screamed as he swung his thin, pointed rapier in a wide, out-of-control arc.

Instead of trying to figure out what those runes do, Kael is avoiding them altogether! He was drawing his opponent into making a mistake and "fighting the enemy where they aren't." The realization made me jump. I clasped my hands together. He can win this!

The air around Saleic warped as he gathered for a massive attack. He was now abandoning any attempt at channeling his own ability, and was focused fully upon his rapier. Even I could sense the bulge of mana swelling around his blade.

"Die!"

He stabbed his weapon forward and a serpent of blue ice surged out of the thin metal, along with a giant black writhing hand reaching for Kael.

ICE PLATE!

An armor of ice encased Kael as he stepped forward instead of aside. The serpent crashed and splintered against the sheets of ice covering his body. Kael ducked an inch away from the dark fingers of the black hand as it streamed overhead, and then he struck, stabbing forward with his own icy, blue blade into the heart of the two crystals on the rapier.

CRACK!

The rapier snapped, exploding into metal shrapnel and throwing Saleic backwards. He rolled, coming to a stop a few steps away, facedown against the ground.

Kael approached. I knew it was wrong, and I knew Kael wouldn't do it, but there was a part of me that screamed out to him. Just finish him! Stab him in the back! Please, just end it!

But Kael stood over Saleic's body and reached to turn him over. There was a blur of movement, and Saleic's body spun, the shadow of something long and thin flew through the air, catching Kael in the shoulder.

It was a long spear in Saleic's hand, on the shaft of which were two more Soul Seeds, one a flaming red crystal with the fists of a Berserker rune, and the other was the same dark skull. The spear was shrouded in tendrils of black. What's more, the dark tendrils were also writhing over the gash on Kael's shoulder.

Kael stumbled a step. I could feel the blood essence fleeing him through that wound. He was being drained!

"No! You can't do this! That's cheating! That's not fair!" I wailed. We were so close, so very close!

Titus laughed from behind me. "Oh? Saleic just came prepared. Everyone should have a spare set of those, isn't that right, Lelian?"

I could just imagine her smiling at his hideous face with that awful, serene smile of hers. My fingers dug into the railing as I attempted to rip it off its moorings.

The spear struck Kael's other shoulder and his ice armor melted off of him. Kael staggered back. He was moving slower now, the light of his own blood essence was nearly fully dark within him.

CLANG!

The head of the spear struck his blade, shattering the ice and sending it flying out of Kael's grasp.

"It's over. Yield!" Saleic shouted as he held the spear before Kael's face.

"With her we shall stand," Kael repeated, his voice now low and yet still holding an edge of steel.

The spear point wavered. "Damn it. Just give up! It's over!"

Kael's sluggish hand grabbed for the spear which twisted away. He sank down onto his knees.

Saleic's large bulging eyes then looked toward the box seat. His eyes found mine, and I shook my head at him, pleading. But then he looked past me. Behind me Titus raised his hand and turned that dirty spoon of his downwards.

"No!" I screamed as Saleic thrust his spear down at Kael for the finishing blow.

My hand reached for him—he was out there by himself in the sand. He was there reaching out to me as I walked lost under the ancient fresco of the temple corridor. He was there grasping my wrist as we stared at each other in the barn. He was there cradling my face in clearing after the massacre. He was up close against me, his heart beating against mine as we danced. All this, to just disappear. No. I cannot let go!

"I Won't Let You Die!"

I pushed with all my might, trying to shove my own essence the other way into the void that was Kael. It was just like with Key, except the amount was far more vast. I don't care! I need him to live! I pushed until I felt everything shattering inside of me, and kept pushing until I broke through.

His hand reached for the incoming spear which was now wreathed in flames. Flames that would instantly sear flesh into dust. I imagined the only thing that would protect him, that would keep him whole: a layer of ice around his hands. Pushing that image into his Soul Seed, I searched for a name and called out:

ICE FIST!

Ice encased his hand as he grabbed the flames, snuffing it out. The ice then shot up the weapon's shaft, encasing the dark metal. My essence flooded Kael's blood vessels and lifted him onto his feet, while my blood stretched across his wounds, sealing them shut.

Both the combatants blinked in shock, but Kael recovered first. His other fist, now also encased in ice, smashed downwards, shattering the frozen spear. It was Saleic's turn to reel backwards.

Kael channeled his own ability into his Soul Seed.

BLADE SWARM!

A swarm of ice shards shot toward Saleic, who tried to counter with a shout of.

"Wind Wall!"

Plumes of sand rose as a barrier of air surged out of the ground, but the shards were powered by my essence, and they struck with such force that they burst through the wall and exploded into powder against his armor, denting it and sending him sprawling to the ground.

He threw up his hands, shouting in pained, pathetic gasps. "I yield! I yield!"

There must be observers out in the arena, because his voice was magically amplified, echoing all through the arena.

A hush fell over the front rows of the audience, while wild cheers erupted over the stands above, kids were jumping off of their seats and people were hugging each other.

Pain wracked my body as I coughed out hot, salty blood into my hand. It felt as if my insides had been torn down to the very fiber of my being. And that void within me, that ravenous hunger, now stretched endlessly down into the depths of me. I had used all the fullness I had left.

Kael turned to me, along with all eyes in the arena. They expected me to speak, but I could only still my body by squeezing tight upon the railing with one hand. I was rooted in place by agony and pride. I can't show any weakness, not to them! I bit back the hot blood that gushed into my mouth, and closed my hand into a fist to hide what I had spat out.

A breeze blew past, lifting my fiery hair.

Staring back at Kael and then the crowd, I slowly raised my fist with my elbow bent. A trail of blood leaked from my fingers to my forearm.

Kael's eyes locked with mine, and he mirrored me, raising his fist in turn. A silence descended upon the arena, and one by one, each audience member in the higher seats raised their fists as well, followed by even the students and nobles in the lower.

My gaze swept over the tide of raised fists swelling to meet the sky above. The eyes of men, women, and children were all fixed on me. A silent tribute to all that we have lost, and what we must become.

I turned, and Titus's green hair was now in disarray, as if he had pulled at it. His eyes were bloodshot and his teeth bared at me. His can of beans rolled on the ground. Its contents spilled.

Beside him, Lelian's smile was gone, and a look of anger and frustration had broken through over her refined features.

I raised my chin and glared back at her. I have you pegged.

Tamas appeared next to me, and took my arm, guiding me out to the tunnel exit.