Spiritbound [Spirit Magic, Military, Progression] (Book 1 Complete)

Tucker stood in the stillness of the night as the weight of reality pressed down on his shoulders. He had done his best through every situation that was given to him, but it wasn't enough. It was never enough. With his time in the bastion, he successfully created his fourth aura star and manifested his property. Yet the usefulness was limited. An ability that allowed one to never get tired or feel strain in their muscles could only do so much. It didn't add any power or twists to his aura.

All it did was strengthen his endurance and remove the fatigue from his body. And what good was that? It didn't save his friends or make him any stronger.

His hands took shelter from the spring breeze within the depths of his pockets. He listened to the leaves rustling in the wind and released a tired sigh. A part of him wished that his property could do so much more, but now he could only work with what he had been given. Tucker held out his left hand, feeling his aura dance in the air. It slowly curled around his fingers, numbing the minor cuts on his hand that were hidden by the linen cloths.

"Tucker?"

The soft voice called out to him, causing him to turn his head. His eyes landed on a woman with short black hair that stopped just above her shoulders. He met her violet eyes and slightly frowned. Unlike her usual white priest garments with the golden embroidery lining the edges, she wore a simple light blue short-sleeved shirt and grey pants.

"Mary… I didn't expect to see you here," Tucker said, narrowing his eyes. "You aren't following me, are you?"

"F-following?!" Mary walked closer as her flat-bottom shoes hit the floor. She punched his shoulder while frowning. "Is that what you say to someone who came all this way to celebrate with you!"

"Uh… the Lousy Tavern back there." Tucker pointed down the street, yet Mary just slapped his hand down.

"I know where it is. I just saw you walking all this way and was curious why the star of the party is leaving so soon."

"I wanted a breath of fresh air."

"So… you're planning to go back then?"

"Yeah, after a little bit."

"Great! Then let me keep you company." Mary sat down on the wooden bench and gently tapped the surface beside her, gesturing for him to sit.

Tucker couldn't help but stand there in confusion. He sat down at the far end of the bench while gazing at the lights that lit up the streets.

"Do you have to sit so far?" She asked. "It makes it harder to have a proper conversation."

"Well, it's so no misunderstandings happen."

Mary glanced at the silver ring on his ring finger and softly chuckled. "Misunderstandings between you and me?"

"More like if any of the other guys see us."

"Are you scared that your men will think something's happening between us?" Mary teasingly asked.

"Yeah, I don't want to create any inconvenience for you. Just think of it as me being considerate. Nothing more."

"I see… and you do know that the ring you wear on your ring finger is supposed to be for those who have been married, right?"

Tucker froze and glanced at his hand before staring at Mary. "Eh? But I've never been married."

"You… you've also never dated anyone either. Have you?"

How does she know?

Tucker hid his thoughts and simply laughed. Throughout his time in the academy, he was too focused on his career to even dream of dating. The only time he tried was in picking up hobbies he thought would help; instead, it surrounded him with men. Yet it wasn't all bad. His friends from the knight division treated him like one of their own, acting like his personal bodyguards. Any noble who tried to pick a fight with him quickly learned what it meant to challenge them.

He glanced at Mary, thinking about what his life could have been. If he had found someone during his school days. Would he still be a watchman? Would he have still trudged through the endless drills, running for his life in the swamps while Luka and John dragged him through the mud. Desperately fighting back the monsters that snapped at their heels? It all felt like yesterday, but now that they were gone.

Ray was right.

Odds were they weren't going to survive this war, but it wasn't his words that bothered him. It was the fact that many of the people he cared about wouldn't see the end of this war. His knight friends were bleeding on the front lines, and those he shared meals with had already passed. In the coming days, people would hold countless funerals. Funerals for those who had given everything, only to leave their loved ones behind.

It could've easily been him, and the thought of dying made him wonder. If anyone would go to his funeral. If there were someone who cared enough to visit him. But as he thought about this, a familiar sound rang in his ears. Tucker glanced up, watching as the crackling sound filled the night sky. A variety of colors bloomed across the sky. Orange, blue, gold, and many more flashed like shooting stars. Bit by bit, a sense of nostalgia was slowly claiming his heart.

"Do you like fireworks?" Mary softly asked.

"If I did, not anymore. They just remind me of some of my friends," he replied.

"Really? I never imagined you would sit and watch fireworks with your friends."

"I used to, when they were still around. Some of them romanticized about spending moments like these with their lovers."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Do you dream of that too?"

Tucker held onto the silver ring on his left hand and bitterly smiled. "Not anymore. I don't believe in this lifetime I'll ever find love."

Mary curiously stared at Tucker, leaning forward as she propped her chin against the palm of her hand. Her elbow resting lightly on her lap. In his eyes, a swirl of emotions shifted like shadows in a restless flame. "Why?"

"Some things just aren't meant to be. Besides, I owe it to a few troublesome fellas to win this war."

A trace of sadness flashed through her eyes. "Are you planning to die in this war?"

Tucker silently sat there, holding his hand while thinking about everything that had happened. He had seen the horrors of war. War that made men mad. War that took the lives of those he cared about. He didn't plan to die in this war, nor did he want to. But reality was always different from his expectations and desires.

"If that's what it takes to win." Tucker rose from the bench as the glows from each explosion lit his figure. Then, forcing a smile, he added. "But that's enough of this depressing talk. Today's supposed to be a day of celebration, and you've worked hard saving my friends."

He held out his hand to her. "Come on. We should head back to the party; the other guys are still probably drinking their hearts out."

She stared at the outstretched hand before finally taking it, letting Tucker pull her to her feet as the wooden bench creaked. And once she stood up, he gently let go, slowly walking towards the Lousy Tavern with soft steps that hardly made a sound against the stone path.

Yet Mary just stayed there, thinking about what he said. The wind gently tugged at the ends of her hair, and she wondered if he was sincere in his words. It was odd seeing a man so naïve, yet devoted to a cause even though it meant pushing others away. She wished that Tucker would also experience more joy in his life, but she wasn't the one to give it.

Tucker stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "You coming?"

"Ah, yes. I was just lost for a moment," Mary replied.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm here then," Tucker jokingly said. "You would've been dazed the entire night."

Mary smiled. "I suppose so."

Together, they both walked along the winding stone path. Down the street, while passing the cheerful families that were on their evening stroll. Tucker held the door once they made it to the tavern, with the soft chime ringing in their ears.

"Oh? You're back and you've brought the priest." The corner of Max's mouth curled upwards. "I can't thank you enough for what you've done at the bastion; you really saved our hinds there."

"I'm delighted I could be of service." Mary slightly bowed her head while placing her hand over her heart.

"Bleh, you can stop with the formal greetings." Max brushed it aside. "We're just here to drink and enjoy the moment. Formalities like that will just harshen the mellow."

"It's true. If Ray carried the same demeanor in the bastion, then the party wouldn't be half as fun," Brian pointed out.

Tucker slightly frowned. "What…?"

He looked over to the side and saw Ray standing in triumph with the top two buttons of his shirt undone like a general in victory. Liam and Jones fanned a wooden plank that blew his crimson hair back. Beneath the dazzling lights as the people around him stood in shock. At Ray's feet were seven unconscious soldiers surrounded by a small mountain of empty mugs.

"I swear we weren't gone for that long," Tucker muttered.

"You weren't, but Ray has defended his throne seven times so far," said Max. "I would be damned if he did it an eighth time, though."

"Why? Are you thinking about challenging him?" Brian asked with a smirk.

"Not in the slightest, I have to train in the morning."

"Ha! You're no fun. Allow me to broaden your horizons." Brian rolled his shoulders back while taking wide strides towards Ray.

"You've… definitely met some interesting friends, Tucker," Mary commented.

Tucker gave an awkward laugh. "That's one way to put it."

"Yes, yes, but now that you're back, it's time for us to discuss something far more serious. Far more… significant. It's likely that this is the most important discussion we'll have tonight." Max crossed his arms as a stern light shone in his eyes.

He gestured for the two to follow while standing in front of the wooden board that had been scribbled on with white chalk. Max grabbed onto an empty glass mug and struck the edge with a fork he picked up from the table.

"Everyone, if I could have your attention!" He shouted, gently striking the surface of the mug with the fork.

The cheers gradually faded as Ray and Brian stopped mid-swig with their half-empty mugs hovering in the air. They all turned towards Max, some with confusion, others with anticipation. Their eyes soon fell on the wooden board scrawled with Tucker's ever-growing tally of nicknames.

Yet the first to react was Ray, who slammed back the rest of his drink with foam spilling down his chin.

"You fools! How could you turn against the beer sovereign?" He cursed while waving his mug furiously towards the men slumped over the table. "I thought we had a deal! If I won, you would vote for Lucky Tucker! How in the hell are we tied for last place?!"

"They can't hear you because they're asleep…" Liam quietly mumbled.

Ray whipped a fierce glare at Liam. "What was that? If you hadn't suggested Captain Grumpy, we'd be climbing the ranks right now!"

"But we'd still been in last place…" Liam whispered.

"Oh, the agony! The betrayal! After everything we've been through—"

Before he could spiral any further, the men around Ray quickly wrestled him back into his seat, muffling his cries with rough laughter. Seeing this, Brian couldn't help but chuckle while taking a small sip of his drink, leaning against the wall with a defeated shrug. While Tucker could only stand there, wishing he could crawl into a hole and disappear. They were watchmen, the elite of the elite, and here they were—a bunch of drunkards brawling over nicknames.

"By any chance… was Ray sent to the bastion because of insubordination?" Mary asked.

"From what I've heard… yes, that would seem to be the case," Tucker replied.

Mary giggled. "I can see it."

"Sadly, I can too." Tucker covered his face, trying to hide the secondhand embarrassment.

Max smiled while tapping on the glass once more. "Now, as you all know, thanks to our rowdy friend over there. Captain Grumpy and Lucky Tucker are dead last!"

Laughter rippled through the room.

"Next," he continued with a dramatic pause. "We have an honorable mention, the Commander of Ashe, coming in second place! But as we all know… a name needs to have meaning! It must carry spirit."

The men all roared in agreement while cheering. Some were pounding on the wooden tables, while others were stomping their boots against the floorboards.

Max leaned forward as his voice rose with fervor. "And when the storm raged over the bastion in our darkest hour, I came to the realization that the storm wasn't against us—instead, it was with us! The wind howling through the courtyards swept away our fatigue. The rain cleansed our wounds. And the thunder that split apart the skies carried our spirits through the dread! The very same spirits that refused to yield!"

He set his mug down just as the waiter arrived with three more, each brimming with froth. Max respectfully passed one to Tucker, one to Mary, and then raised the last for himself.

His gaze fixed on Tucker, his voice was steady and proud of his friend, who had carried a burden unlike any other through the countless battles. "This one's for you, Tucker—the Stormbearer!"

A cheer thundered through the tavern as every glass reached for the lights. Tucker turned, catching Mary's smile as she joined the toast. The knights of renown whistled while Jess helped Ray lift his mug. Even the men of the Thirty-First were joining with tears streaming down their cheeks. Brian, Liam, and Jones gave a firm nod while holding their glass, and for a moment, the words escaped him. All he could do was smile back.

These weren't just comrades he had fought beside—they were like family, and in the bastion, they had formed a bond like no other. For the first time in a long while, Tucker felt something rare yet genuine, he felt happiness in their company.