1 Chapter 1: Kysael- Beginnings (2/2)

\tHe looked at me, his face confused, wary even. ”What are you doing?”

\t”Lay with me,” I told him. He didn't argue as he lay beside of me on the moss. ”Do you love me?” I asked.

\t”Always,” he said. ”That's why we're getting married in two months,” he reminded me.

\t”Then that's what I'm doing,” I said, and I put his hands on me as we kissed. His hands-his dark, tan hands-squeezed my mounds of flesh as mine squeezed into his nearly white hair, loose now from its wolf-tail, falling around his face in a way that I wasn't used to. It heated me further, and I began pulling off his clothes.

\tHe tugged at my clothes, and then his burning mouth was on my pale flesh, and I moaned against him as I flipped us over for me to be on top of him, kissing his bare chest. His muscles rippled under his dark skin, the tan of his flesh making them more defined to my view.

\tAnd then, he tilted his head to the side, and I latched into him with only slight hesitation. I'd never drank the blood of a person, before. I'd ever only fed on animals. His blood was an explosion on my tongue, salty and meaty, more than anything I'd ever had before, and I lost myself in it as he moaned out against me, and his hips moved underneath me.

\tI finished feeding, and we sat there, bare chested against one another. I wasn't willing to give him my purity, because I knew that would get us killed. I knew that women were checked just before the wedding ceremony to be sure that they were pure, you could not avoid that. If I wasn't pure, on top of everything else, I would surely die. And that was something that we were not willing to do just yet.

\tBut there was something else that I could do, something to tether him here, to me, so that he perhaps wouldn't lose himself in his assassinations.

\tI felt my stomach and my chest ache as I pulled my spirit up into my throat, and I could feel him do the same, as we breathed our spirit into one another.

\tAnd then we lost ourselves in one another that night, there in the moss in the forest. And, so...we began the earliest stages of the Soul Bond. We gave one another a part of our souls, and we were forever connected. Our mouths and hands loved one another, and we struggled very hard to not go any further.

\tAnd somewhere, somewhere in the forest, I could hear footsteps quickly running away from the scene, running away from us, and for some reason...my heart ached and I felt empty...because there was only one person it would be. It was always him. The guards never watched me this far out from the city anymore.

*

June, 1098 A.D.

\tWe were on another mission together, and when he had landed to make his move and assassinate this target, they had been prepared for him, taking away his element of surprise. It was a mid-ranking Darkelf, and he was quite powerful. He slashed his blade across Kelose's abdomen, and I gasped as I felt it sear in my own flesh, burning me. It was unnatural, and I couldn't understand what was wrong with me. I had felt Kelose in pain, I had sensed it and it had caused me severe discomfort. I couldn't describe how his pain felt to me.

\tKelose was finally able to overpower the Darkelf, and he huffed as he retrieved an item to confirm his death, and pulled himself away, back to the forest's edge, grasping his wound.

\t”Kelose!” I said softly, coming to help him away. ”Come, we must get out of here immediately.”

\tI helped him back to the city, not yet making him aware of what I had felt of his pain. I already had a plan. I would go to Dragon. Dragon should know, I hoped, he was a medic. I didn't think that the first stages of the soul bond travelled that deeply into the body and soul, it should not be affecting me this way.... should it? I didn't know enough about it.

\tAnd so, I had gone to my Dragon, begging him to explain why this was happening to me. Kelose was on the bed beside of me, getting treated for his wounds, as I quietly explained to Dragon what had happened.

\tHe took his time examining me, a look of unease and anger brooding on his face. My body shook in fear, as hung his head and shook it, sighing softly, confirming my fears as he pulled his hands glowing with lavender aura away from my abdomen and my chest. ”So... you are Soul Bonding,” he said softly. ”It seems that you overestimated how much of your souls to give to one another that night. A little would not have caused this much damage. But the two of you.... you were practically consuming one another that night.”

\t”What are we going to do?” Kelose asked. His eyes were wide, fearful. ”The wedding is still almost two months away,” he said softly. ”The Soul Bond is something sacred, something even more holy than marriage to our culture. If we show any signs of this Bond before the wedding...”

\tDragon looked at me, pity on his face. ”Kysael...” He shook his head. ”What were you thinking? Do you have any inkling of an idea how serious this matter just became? You should have known better! You damn sure didn't know enough about this Bond to try to participate in it in any sort of way! ”

\t”Please, please don't chastise me, Dragon. Please don't lecture me. I'm already saying enough cruel words to myself. I can't take anymore, especially not from you!” I cried. ”Why didn't you stop me? Because it's clear that I was not entirely in my right state of mind. I am an adolescent! Weren't you there? I heard you running away! You could have done something!”

\tHe sighed heavily. ”Kysael, I don't know what I can say to you. You're old enough to make your own decisions, and it's not my place to interfere with that. I have been the one to raise you, what you do now that you are of age is your own decision and I am supposed to be able to trust that you are able to make the right decisions based on everything that I have taught you! I didn't raise you to give a huge part of your soul to someone in a sacred Bond before you were even married to him!”

\t”But I-”

\t”You have your duties, but I have always seen you as a free girl, free to make your own choices. I know that I have taught you what happens to people who break the law,” he said softly. ”Woodelves don't take well to law breaking, and you should damn well know that by now! And the Soul Bond is no laughing matter. It completely changes how you behave, and if something were to happen to him, it would deeply affect you. Especially with how much of yourselves you gave one another! If anyone found out, they wouldn't need to get any more proof of your disgrace to our race. Who knows what they would do...”

\t”Can you just...tell me that everything will be alright?”

\tDragon gave me a hug. ”I can't tell you that. But we can always hope.” He hugged me tightly to him, pulling my face into his body in the same comforting way that he had since I had been a child. The gesture made my heart pound, and tears come to my eyes. ”I will always be on your side,” he told me.

\tAnd I cried as I wrapped my arms around his waist. I knew that he was disappointed in my decision, but I knew that he was more upset at himself for having allowed it to happen when he'd had the opportunity to stop me.

\tA Soul Bond could become visible to all, and it was a sacred Bond that wasn't supposed to take place until after one was married. It was something that was so sacred to our people that if they found out, they wouldn't simply execute one party, but both. Intimacy before marriage often got the female party killed. We may not have been physically intimate, as I still had my purity...but the Soul Bond? There was no allowance for the disgrace of such a pure and holy bond. It was the epitome of purity to our people.

\tDragon was right.

\tI should have known better.

*

July, 1098 A.D.

\tI shot awake in bed, burning pain rushing through my mind and in my body. Something was wrong. My connection with Kelose, it felt like. Something was wrong with it. My Soul Bond...I could feel him burning, but then...but then I realized that it wasn't his pain, it was him feeling my own pain. I was left in a dizzy, disoriented state from it all.

\tBlood came pouring out of my mouth, and I gasped. Suddenly, I remembered that Dragon had spent the night that night, asleep on a bed of furs next to mine that he had brought over to sleep on. ”Dragon!” I called. He must have heard the panic in my voice, because he rushed into the room immediately. His body was glistening, and I realized that he had been out hunting nearby. He sat his bow to the side, rushing over to be beside of me.

\t”Kysael!”

\t”Something is wrong, Dragon. I'm burning!”

\tHe looked over my body before he told me to hold on, and he rushed out of the room. Off to get his medic kit, I assumed.

\tI tried to stand, but my legs gave way, and I vomited more blood. I couldn't understand what was wrong. I mean, yes, I had fed on Kelose, and we'd begun the Soul Bond....but.... what did that have to do with anything? How could that be affecting how I was feeling now?

\tIt wasn't long before Dragon rushed in, and he helped me back onto my bed as he examined me.

\t”Kysael....” He took a sample of my blood from the floor. ”This...” He did some glow with his fingers, before nicking a spot on my arm and taking a sample, comparing the two samples. ”This vomit is not your blood. In fact, it isn't the blood of a person at all. And I already know what it means, but I expect you to be honest with me.”

\t”W... what?”

\t”It's the blood of an animal, from the looks of it. It smells of hog. Is that the last thing that you fed from?”

\tI startled. ”Well...yes, but...

\tDragon leveled me with a firm expression that I couldn't bring myself to meet. ”Did you feed on him?” He asked, moving his eyes to look at the floor where the blood lay soaking into the ground. His question was full of accusation, already knowing the truth but demanding an answer from me anyway.

\tI looked away. ”I....”

\t”Kysael!” He scolded sharply. ”How could you do such a thing?” He groaned. ”You are finally given some level of freedom from the king. You are able to marry. But...but then.... You start a Soul bond of all things! And now, on top of it all, you have fed from him? Do you have any idea what fate is lying in store for the two of you? Are you simply that determined to ruin your life, and his, and mine? This isn't just about you anymore, Kysael. This involves my life, for vouching for you, and it involves his life, too. And if you continue to make these decisions, you're going to get us all killed! This must end, Kysael. Now.”

\t”But-”

\t”No!” He shouted, his tone giving no room for debate. ”I will not allow you to throw both of your lives away, possibly my own as well, just because you desire to make ridiculous decisions. I am taking control of this situation now.”

\tWe suddenly heard Kelose's voice in the other room. No doubt, he had sensed my pain and sickness through the Soul Bond, and he had rushed over to help me. I could practically feel his panic.

\tDragon sighed, and he looked at me with a sad expression. ”It seems as if I am going to have to be the adult and fix yet another one of your mistakes, Kysael.”

\tAnd then he kissed me.\t

\tMy mind spun out of control, all of my feelings for him throughout my childhood and my adolescence rushing back to the forefront of my mind, and I could feel a soothing, magical feeling envelop my senses as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulling him in closer as I moaned into him.

\tI could feel him hesitate for only a moment before deepening the kiss with me. The heat rushed through my entire body, and all my pain flew out the window as pleasure set in. Dragon's arms tightened around my waist, and I could hear his breathing quicken.

\tThis had been everything that I had ever wanted-

\t”Kysael? What's wrong?!” The door burst open as Kelose flung it open, reminding me of his presence in the house, but what he walked in on was something that I had never expected to ever take place. Suddenly realizing the severity of the situation, I ripped myself away from Dragon's lips and embrace to gaze over at the door, seeing Kelose's body frozen, his face hurt. I looked away from that look that ripped my heart into pieces.

\t”...I....Kelose, I...”

\tSilence. I looked up, and I saw his now emotionless face, tight and tense. His body stood perfectly still. He wasn't even breathing, literally holding his breath. Dragon squatted beside of me, watching Kelose with cold, calculating eyes. He was gauging his reaction, to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid.

\tI knew that Dragon was cold, and brooding, and intolerable toward the people of this city, but I knew that he genuinely did care, even if he didn't want to admit it to anyone...or even himself. He was just a harsh person, especially when he was so cautious of me this way, making sure to stay by my side, ready to defend me.

\tBut in this moment, I could feel the hatred pouring out of him, his aura darkening significantly, his eyes cold and unfeeling.

\t”K....Kelose?” I chanced speaking. His eyes sparked, boiled with rage as he glared at me and his aura changed, became unstable and flickering in his anger. I shouldn't have spoken.

\t”You were lying about your feelings for me the entire time, weren't you?” He asked, his voice deathly calm. The golden rings around the outside of his irises began to overflow, and the golden hue took over and flooded over the rest of his blue coloring, his eyes a deadly golden color. I suddenly felt frightened, wondering in one part of my mind if he intended to assassinate me.

\tThe fact that this was even in question in my mind hurt more than I cared to admit. Dragon stirred beside of me, bringing himself to stand, hovering beside of me, sensing the same rising dark energy that I felt.

\tI startled. ”What? No! Kelose, no, I didn't-Dragon kiss-”

\t”-You wanted to trap me in a marriage with you! Everyone else was in on it!” He accused, pointing a finger at me. Dragon put one foot in front of me, shielding me. ”This was your plan all along, to trap me and then tell me that you only wanted me as your food source! You lying bitch! I should have known that something was wrong from the first moment that you chose to give me part of your soul to me before marriage!” He shouted.

\tI sobbed into the blood covered blanket. ”No!” I cried. ”No, you don't understand! I've always cared for you; I'm telling you the truth!”

\t”You can't even say that you love me! Admit it! You have only ever truly loved Dragon, and that will never change! I was only a means to try to escape the fact that you didn't feel that you could ever have him!” He finally took notice of the state of the room. ”And what's all this blood on the floor? Another one of your victims? Heavens, to think that I've actually let you feed on me! You were just using me as a personal blood source!”

\t”No!” I denied his accusations, but he stormed out, slamming the door behind him without another word. ”K... Kelose,” I sobbed. ”No!” I grabbed my stomach. ”What have I done?”

\tDragon's prediction had come true. I had given Kelose a part of my soul before marriage, I had started a sacred Bond with him before marriage that was only for those who were married for many years, and not only did I lose him, but I lost all respect for myself, as well.

\tI gripped my stomach, vomiting more blood onto the floor as Dragon rubbed my back with light circles, trying to comfort me, and then everything spun, and I was falling.

\t”And you must face the consequences for your sin,” I whispered to myself, and I saw Dragon rushing to catch me as I fell unconscious to the floor.

*

October, 1098 A.D.

\tI wasn't eating the way that I was supposed to. I had lost a significant amount of weight. I was allowing myself to be injured during training and on missions regularly, so that I could be allowed to stay home to recuperate and not be out on missions. I didn't want to do anything other than lie in bed all day and wither away.

\tDragon tried to give me my space, but I would often wake to find him by my bedside, healing the damage on my body, looking at my face with a mixture of sorrow and irritation.

\tI didn't think that he was angry, necessarily.

\tJust quietly bearing this on his own shoulders, since he had pushed me into this situation. He felt responsible. But I knew that he'd done what he had felt to be best for Kelose and for myself, so I wasn't angry at him anymore.

\tI didn't speak anymore, nor did I sing or dance. I barely did anything those first few months after Kelose deserted me. He besmirched my name around the city, proclaiming how angry he was and that I had wronged him.

\tTruthfully, I could hardly leave my home anymore. People came to my property and they threw things at me and, and the people who lived in the middle ring shunned me. People even went as far as to spit on me, while others ran and kept their distance.

\tThe only reason that the King didn't execute me was because Dragon and his family vouched that I had ended my relationship with Kelose because I'd decided that I wanted to be with Dragon instead. It was easy enough to believe because of something that had happened in the past, some agreement with Dragon and the King. I didn't really know, nor did I care. It didn't matter.

\tIt wasn't as if I cared about my future anymore.

\tKelose refused to work with me on missions anymore, and anytime I was hunting for an assassin, I was always disappointed to see someone other than Kelose to meet me at the site. Kelose didn't even want to see me, and I couldn't blame him.

\tI was a monster.

\t”She's not in any condition for that,” I heard Dragon say outside of my bedroom door one day. Drakul had come to talk to him about something very important, obviously, but I didn't care enough to pay much attention. It was sad that his father had been made to come all the way out to my tiny home to speak with his own son, whom still didn't live here with me.

I zoned out and though I heard the words, their meaning and the forming of them was completely lost on me.

\t”You promised, Dragon. And she has been left alone, now! And the king insists that she marry and continue her bloodline, thanks to her various abilities that our race lacks. He wants to exploit her heritage. She has no other choices! But the other suitors he has tried to line up for her are threatening revolt over the idea, and he so eloquently reminded me of the vow we had made him that you would take up the gauntlet and do it.”

\t”I hear you, father, truly. I did make you a vow, as well as her mother and also the king. But she isn't ready. She needs time. She is in no condition to enter such a contract at this time. I will go and discuss this with the king.”

\t”Don't wait too long, Dragon. Or else this matter may be taken out of our hands altogether. Our king is merciless. He has been very generous so far. He could decide to skip marriage altogether and simply force soldiers to breed with her as if she were a dog in heat to produce strong soldiers. His patience is already wearing thin. We need to take action, quickly… before he does. It's the best thing for the girl. She's been through enough.”

\tI was so distant from my own mind that while I heard the words, I simply just could not understand. And I didn't care what happened to me anymore.

*

July, 1099 A.D.

\tMy teeth were biting into the flesh my own arm, not even caring about the pain. I wanted to hurt myself. I may as well.

\tI sensed a familiar presence, and I let out a big sigh.

\t”You can come out, Lord Dragon,” I told him softly. Surely enough, he came stepping out of the forest, into my sight. ”You don't have to hide,” I laughed.

\t”It's not that. I always watch over you, but I don't like to disturb you until you tell me that I can approach. I know that you have a lot on your mind.” He looked at my home. ”You have made some improvements, I see. You have done quite a splendid job,” he told me with pride. ”It is very nice, Kysael. You added a room and made the home taller, adding another floor. It looks nice.”

\tI scoffed. ”Not as nice as your cabin in the middle ring,” I laughed softly. ”Brother helped a lot, and brought me a lot of the wood and supplies that I needed. He brought me nails and hammers, also, and taught me what to do.”

\tHe smiled. ”I'm glad that you were both able to work on this project together,” he smiled before giving me a pointed frown toward my arm. ”Why on earth are you biting your own arm?”

\tI laughed. ”I don't really know,” I told him softly.

\tHe glanced at the guards in the trees. Since Kelose had left me, guards had been sent to take a report on my activity a few times a day, just to assure the king that Dragon and his family were telling him the truth and to ensure that I really had simply left Kelose to be with Dragon. We had to be sure that the story was believable.

”Would you like to go inside? There is something that I need to ask you.”

\tI nodded. ”Sure, of course, my Lord.”

\tHe followed me into the house, and sighed. ”I do hate that they have to follow you around. It's nothing personal, it's just orders from the king. So.....how are you doing?”

\tI smiled sadly. ”I'm alright.”

\t”It's been a year today...You are not really alright, are you?”

\tI sighed. ”No, I'm not alright. But I will be. Everything will be alright.”

\t”You're strong,” he smirked at me. He came to me, and lay a hand softly on my shoulder. ”I am sorry, Kysael. That's why I got here so early today. I wanted to be sure that you're alright.”

\tI smiled. ”Thank you. And my lord,” I laughed. ”I'm only strong because I have someone like you looking out for me,” I smiled.

\tHe wiped his thumbs under my eyes, and it was only then that I realized that I was crying. ”You're wrong, Kysael.” He pulled me into a tight hug. ”I am strong because I have trained well to be able to protect you. You are strong because of what you have went through, and because you are more than an ordinary Woodelf woman. I have to train especially hard to even keep up with you, honestly,” he laughed.

\tI smiled against him. ”So... you're only strong to protect me?” I asked.

\tHis chest rumbled with a chuckle. ”Partly,” he admitted. ”You have been great motivation for me, at least. And you've went through more already than many go through in entire lifetimes, Kysael. You are no longer the little girl spouting dreams and singing, and you're no longer the little girl disappearing into the forest to explore, causing mischief. You are no longer the fragile child who was so lonely and sad because she had to stay home all the time when school was out. You are strong, now.”

\tMy arms tightened around him. He finally pulled away, and rested his hand against my abdomen again. That is where I felt the pull from the Soul Bond the strongest, the pit of energy in my body. That was where the pain stemmed from.

\t”I can promise you, that someday you will be with someone who will lead you to make wise decisions, who will love you no matter what happens. And I am sorry for what I had to do to fix what happened.”

\tI cried as he took my shaking body into his embrace again, one hand stroking my hair as I sobbed against him.

\tAfter a moment, he pulled me away. ”There is...something that I should really discuss with you,” he said softly.

\tI sniffled. ”What is it?”

\tHe hesitated, struggling with what he was going to say. ”You are almost a year passed the marriage age, Kysael. And you only have one year left to meet the requirement.”

\tI nodded. ”Yes, I remember. I have to be married by eighteen, or I'm breaking the law. But I had intended to talk to the king and ask for more time.”

\tHe sighed softly. ”Don't forget it, Kysael. Even if he extends your time, once you hit the extended deadline, he will have no mercy if you do not own up to your end of the bargain. He allowed you to marry, and now he expects for you to do so.”

\tI nodded. ”I won't forget.”

*

September, 1100 A.D.

\tI had spoken to the king. And he had extended my date for marriage until I was nineteen...only one year after the required deadline. It wasn't much time, but at least it gave me a little more time for myself.

\tMy missions grew even more numerous than before, but I didn't mind. Keeping busy kept my mind from thinking of Kelose. Since I had gotten back to being busy, I wanted to stay busy. I wanted to be out, doing things and working. It made the pain not quite so harsh.

\tIt was the yearly autumn gathering in the city. Each year, on the first day of autumn, everyone gathered in the city for sales from the shop keepers and for delicious, fresh hunted food and fresh farmed fruits and vegetables from the farmers. It was a big celebration as we gave thanks for the harvest and the hunt. I had just turned eighteen the month prior to this one.

\tThis year, it had been the Assassin trainees' jobs to work with the hunting and arching trainees to hunt down the meat for the gathering, as a training and collaboration exercise.

\tAnd, of course, I had seen Kelose. We had talked to one another in passing, with Lord Dragon by my side, since his students were also taking part. He had taken over the arching unit from Drakul, and Drakul still remained the head of the Hunting unit.

\t”Hello, Lord Dragon....Kysael,” Kelose had acknowledged us as he went to pass us.

\tSince what had happened, what he'd walked in on, despite that Dragon was way above his rank and he knew that he had to show him respect by using his title, he still managed to make it sound disgusting.

\tI glanced at his body, and forced my eyes away. His muscles had grown, his presence was heavier, darker. His aura was golden with just a small touch of green, not at all what it once was. His tan skin was even darker than it had been last I'd seen him. He was taller, but still half a head under Dragon's height, but a head higher than my height. I would guess his height to be around seventy-two or so inches, while I was at a measly sixty inches, and Dragon was probably around eighty inches tall. But I wasn't good with numbers or estimations. I didn't really pay much attention to things like that anymore unless I had to.

\tKelose's energy was darker, a bit fouler but not....in a necessarily evil way. It frightened me, and made me want to swoon at the same time. His eyes were an even brighter shade of gold than I had seen them last, and that was always startling.

\t”Hello,” I whispered, not daring to meet his gaze again.

\t”Kelose,” Dragon said softly. ”How are your missions going?” He asked, making polite conversation.

\t”Quite well, thank you. I should be graduated by next year, or so master Rekium has informed me.”

\t”That is impressive, most don't graduate from under him so quickly. I am glad to hear all is well,” Dragon said.

\t”I trust that you have been well,” Kelose said, looking at me.

\tI quickly met his eyes, and was caught by his smoldering gaze. My breath hitched, and Dragon wrapped an arm protectively around my shoulders. My body began to shake, and my eyes blurred with tears. My heart raced. My body felt suddenly, inexplicably hot.

\t”She has been doing better,” Dragon said softly, squeezing my shoulder gently to strengthen me.

\t”She seems a little on edge,” Kelose said smugly. He came directly up to me, and leaned in. His eyes held mine captive. ”I can practically feel your heart fluttering like a bird's wings in my own chest, Kysael. Do calm yourself,” he chided lightly, giving me a knowing smirk.

\tOf course, he could feel it. We'd been in the first stage of the Soul Bond, the Body Bond. He could feel my pulse inside of his own body.

\tDragon tensed, his hold tightening slightly on me. ”I'm sure that her heart is only beating faster because of the hunting,” Dragon said, a heated gleam in his eyes and a tense smirk on his face.

\tKelose bowed. ”Of course, that must be it. Good day, my lord.... Kysael,” he said with a grin, and he turned on his heel and left.

\tDragon pulled me off to the side of the forest, where no one but the usual guards keeping their vigil on me could see us.

\t”Are you alright, Kysael?” He asked me softly.

\tMy eyes burned, and my vision wavered with tears. ”It's...it's so hard, Dragon,” I whispered.

\tHe pulled me into a hug. ”I know,” he whispered.

\t”His eyes pull me in, like a weight. When I see him, my soul pulls me so hard.... toward him. My soul, the very fiber of my mind, pulls me to be with him. It hurts so badly,” I choked out.

\tHe patted my head, and looked off to look at Kelose, back with his group. ”Yes, Kysael. Finding one whom your soul connects with on a spiritual level is something that can be very dangerous if things don't go well. You are left hurt and devastated, while he moves on with daily life. It affects him as well, but instead of the love and painful heart ache that you allow to fill your heart and mind, he allows anger and bitterness and irritation to fester there. His heart grows harsher and darker each day, as yours grows sweeter and lighter.”

\tI nodded. ”I see it, too. Every time I see him, my lord, he is darker. He is...his presence is stronger, heavier. The air is denser around his body. His energy is.... more sinister. He...somewhat frightens me...”

\tHe pulled me into another hug. ”I am sure that everything will be alright, Kysael. Things will work out however they are supposed to. I promise. He is just getting more powerful, and because of your attachment to him, your bond, you feel it physically in your own body. It will more than likely always affect you. But you will be alright. And I am always here for you.”

\tI smiled. ”Thank you, Lord Dragon.”

\tAnd then we set to work again, and I tried to put Kelose out of my mind.

*

July, 1101 A.D.

\tMuch had changed in the three years since I had lost Kelose. I was now eighteen, fixing to be nineteen next month.

\tFor the first few weeks, I couldn't eat. I couldn't drink anything, not even water. I couldn't keep anything down. I didn't want to be around people for a while. But I finally grew strong enough to move past that. I began letting people in. I began letting Dragon in again.

\tKelose had refused to have anything to do with me after that, and had called off the wedding. But we'd seen one another in passing, as we had that day of the hunt last year. I had been such a coward, relying on Dragon to protect me the entire time Kelose had stood there. I had been weak.

\tBut now, I was strong enough to face him again, without Dragon's protection. I was strong enough to face him alone.

\tI had matured. I had begun taking on more hunting missions for the city, as part of my will to become free, perhaps one day be able to leave my service and simply be free to roam the wilds. I strove to become a magnificent huntress for, rather than the city, myself.

\tI had upgraded my small home into a more accommodating space. It had two small bedrooms, a storage room for food, a table with one little chair to eat at. It wasn't much. But it was something to call my own.

\tKelose had become a very well-known assassin in these parts. He was very skilled in his profession. And he made a lot of money doing so.

\tHe had grown physically, as well. His face had begun to grow a thin line of hair, lining his jaw and chin. His eyes grew hard. His voice deepened. He had grown taller. His skin was even darker tan than before. His hair had lightened from long hours in the sun, blonde but still somehow almost white. Well-toned arms and legs and torso had become muscular from his long hours of working and strengthening those muscles.

\tI knew it. Today was the day that I could face him again. I sent a messenger bird to his cabin, asking him to meet me at our mossy place near the river, close to the outer gate of the city...the place where we had become one.

\tI got dressed in a beautiful yellow gown that I had, and let my long, ashy, silvery blonde hair hang loose, free of bindings.

\tThis yellow gown accentuated my breasts, but in a modest way, so that I didn't look like a harlot, but I knew that Kelose would appreciate the modest amount of cleavage.

\tI rushed to our special place, and it wasn't long before he arrived there.

\tHis eyes were not the golden hue that I was expecting, but rather the color of the sky, the color that I had fallen in love with initially. His gaze was calculative, and expectant. He was waiting for me to talk.

\tI cleared my throat. ”I have grown since I last spoke to you, Kelose. I have become strong, a valuable huntress for our nation. I have moved out of Dragon's home, and built a place of my own, with my own two hands. I have grown in beauty and in charm. I am asking you, Kelose, to be with me again. Let us start anew.”

\tHis eyes widened a little, surprised, before they swept over my body, taking me in. I could feel the heat from his eyes. I could feel his desire, and I began to hope, somewhere deep in my heart. His eyes carried heat along my body, and my heart raced in anticipation.

\tAnd then his eyes met my eyes again, and finally closed, a pained expression on his handsome face. ”I'm sorry, Kysael. I can't.” And then he turned, and walked away.

\tAnd I... myself, who had become so strong, I thought.... was left there, once again left alone by him, crying into the ground. Had I not grown after all?

\tI had thought that I had grown up, and that Kelose couldn't hurt me this way anymore.

\tBut I had been wrong.

\tNothing had changed.

\tMoments later, I felt my sobbing body pulled into arms, and I let myself cry into Dragon's chest as he sat on his knees beside of me, rocking me as if I were still a child. Rocking me when I was in pain, as he had done for as long as I could remember.

\t”I'm sorry,” I whispered. ”I'm so sorry, Dragon.”

\t”Whatever for?” He asked.

\t”I keep needing you. I keep needing for you to come to me and comfort me.... I thought that I was strong enough to finally face him, and he...” I sighed. ”He doesn't want to give me another chance!” I cried. ”And nothing has changed. I'm not stronger, as I had thought that I was. I'm still crumpled on the ground, crying!” I pulled away from him harshly, punching the ground. ”I'm not improving!”\t

\tHe stopped my punches, and took my fist in his hands, glowing with healing powers, healing the cracked bones and lacerations from the rocks in the ground.

\t”These hands....” He paused. ”These hands will bring greatness to the world. You'll see. You were strong enough to face him, strong enough to stand before him with your head held high. You were strong enough to meet his eyes, and to tell him what you thought without hesitation. You have grown stronger. You're still speaking. You're not a lifeless heap on the ground that I have to force to eat and drink to keep you alive anymore. And I am very proud of you. You aren't weak because of this. You're still much stronger than before.”

\tI laughed through my tears, hugging him before he brought us to our feet, and he escorted me back home.

*

August, 1101 A.D.

\t”Excellent job, lassie,” Drakul complimented me on another hunt. ”You tracked him down with ease and the guards were able to get him back into custody. You're almost ready for the final exam, and then you will graduate my class and become a full-fledged huntress for the city! You will be taking missions directly from the King and the war council, with no more of the scrap jobs that I hand out to you. You will gain access to the inner ring of the city, and your guard detail will greatly decline. The king is finally awarding you for the trust you have worked so very hard to earn. Are you excited?”

\t”Absolutely!” I said, a little breathless. ”I'm thankful for this class, master Drakul. It has truly made me stronger. I feel so powerful.”

\tHe gave me a hug. ”Go on home, lass, you've done more than enough for today.”

\tI hurried home, but I didn't feel like doing anything else. I always had so much less energy, now.

\tBefore Kelose and I had separated, he had allowed me to try his blood. And ever since, I could hardly stand to stomach animal blood. And the more he would let me feed on him, the less I could keep animal blood down. I needed the blood of a person, not just a wild beast in the forest. I craved it.

\tI almost hated Kelose for that. He had ruined my diet. I forced myself to hunt and drink and eat, so that the guards who followed me to keep tabs on me could report that I was eating my normal diet to the king. But if they knew that I went home often times just to throw it all back up, they would report that back to the king, and the king would figure out that I had tried someone's blood.

\tI sighed, and answered the door when a knock sounded.

\t”Oh, hello, Dragon. I haven't seen you in a while, though I know that you are always with me, watching over me. I've missed talking to you, though. So... How are you?”

\t”I am well...are you alright?” He asked, looking at me as if I were about to explode. He walked inside and shut the door behind himself. I went to my kitchen and sat down.

\t”Why, yes, why wouldn't I be?” I asked, confused.

\tHe hesitated, opening his mouth to say something that he thought better of, and closed his mouth again before he decided what he wanted to say. ”You look pale.”

\tI let out a little laugh. ”That's because Kelose let me feed on him, and now I vomit every time I drink animal blood.” I sighed. ”And I can't start hunting people, now can I?”

\tHis eyes got wide. ”You haven't been able to keep down your normal diet since you two separated? I knew that you'd gotten sick that one time, that you've battled sickness a few times, actually but.... truly?”

\tI shook my head. ”I've thought about asking Kelose if he would mind feeding me a few times a week, so I wouldn't continue to starve. I even thought I might be able to pay him to do it,” I laughed.

\tHe looked away; his body tensed. ”Kysael...That's why I'm here. I thought you might need someone to talk to, but it seems that you're not yet aware. I didn't want to be the one to tell you this, in all honesty. I suppose, however, that I must. Kysael, Kelose....well...Kelose got married today...”

\tI startled, standing from my seat. ”W... what?”

\tHe squeezed his eyes tightly shut. ”Kelose got married today, Kysael. To the niece of the king, Lunariel is her name, I believe. I... I'm sorry, I know how you feel about him...”

\tI fell to my knees, and his body tensed, watching me with trepidation. And I began to vomit the meal I had just drank.

\tHe rushed to my side, his glowing, healing hands hovering over my stomach. When I finished vomiting, he pulled out a handkerchief and waited for me as I wiped my mouth, and then he quickly pulled up the sleeve of his tunic.

\t”Here,” he said, worriedly. ”Feed from me, Kysael.”

\tI startled, and looked at him from my tear-filled eyes, and I shook my head. The room spun around me and I could barely make sense of his words. I felt lightheaded. ”What? No, I can't. I can't do that to you. You need to leave. You have to-”

\t”-I have to protect you. Now, do what you need to do and take what I am offering to you. Go on. Do it.”

\tHe held his bare arm out to me, and before I could stop myself, my fangs latched into the skin of his forearm gently.

\tHe hissed in pain, and then, after a moment, I could tell that the heat had set in.

\tWhen I fed from something, my teeth released pheromones into their bodies to cause them to feel intense pleasure from the sensation, so that it made it easier for me to feed, for them to be fed from, and they wouldn't be struggling the entire time.

\tHe looked at me from half-closed eyes. ”That is truly a very...intense experience. An intensely intimate experience...”

\tI closed my eyes. His blood wasn't as masculine, as meaty, as Kelose's blood had tasted to my tongue. It was sweeter, smoother, with no metallic after taste. It was rich, and so warm.

\tFinally, I had replenished what I had thrown up, and I released my fangs from his arm and sat back, breathing deeply in relaxation and observing him quietly.

\t”No wonder Kelose would allow you to feed from him...that is a very...pleasurable experience,” he said, looking for the right words. ”It's something that sounds so incredibly vile, and yet...” He laughed. ”I don't know how to describe that.”

\t”So, I've been told.” I sighed. ”Why would he marry someone else...?”

\tHe patted my shoulder. ”I'm not sure, but I intend to find out more about this. You deserve to know the truth.”

\t”Thank you, Dragon.”

\t”I will always be on your side. If I haven't proven that by now, then you need your vision evaluated,” he laughed. ”I will always be here for you.”

\tAnd I believed him. And as I watched him, his mouth still moving, talking to me, I drifted out of time, into the far recesses of my thoughts. I let my mind leave the confinements of my body, walking around in the space of the void.

\tMy name is Kysael of the Cedar clan. I am a nineteen-year-old Woodelf-Wraith hybrid. I was a hybrid of both the Light Realm, and the Dark Realm. Something that had never been. An abomination to my mother's people, and more than likely an abomination to my father's people, as well. I didn't belong anywhere.

\tI was from the grand Nae, or Woodelf, city of Havengrove. It was a city that lay in the center of a valley, deep in the forest, between the mountains. The city was a large circle, with three walls. The thick, sturdy outer wall that protected our city, was made of stone and trees. Many homes were made out of large, towering trees with pathways carved out of the trunks and it was all interwoven into each other. It was very hard to describe, but it was beautiful. Beautiful lanterns hung from the trees, lighting the forest in the night.

\tAbout three miles inside of that outer wall, there was another wall made of stone, that held the inner city and most of the bulk of our people. The intricacy and beauty of the city was amplified here as there was more population here, and underneath many of the trees in the tall and thick roots were built little shops. There were many homes built inside of the trees, many built around the trees, but very few on the ground.

\tAnd about five miles inside of this inner wall, there was another wall that made up the Royal ring, the heart of Havengrove city. This two mile across part of the city held the palace, and the homes of all of the most wealthy and noble citizens. The detail of the intricate woodwork was at its peak in this portion of the city, and just outside of the towering castle built into a cluster of large trees was a courtyard, with stone and wood making up the floor. Here and there were tables built from roots sticking up to sit and eat, and there were fountains everywhere and beautiful lighting that made the entire kingdom simply.... magical.

\tI lived in the outer ring, in a small home built inside of and under a tall, big fir tree. It extended out to be built around the tree as well. It was small, but it was home.

\tIt was a Woodelf home.... Woodelf city.... Here I was, in the Woodelf city, and I wasn't even accepted as part of their race. I had an entire other race as part of my heritage, a race that I knew nothing about.

\tMy mother had been executed for her transgressions against our race, for her mating with and having offspring with a different race. I didn't know her, nor the circumstances of my conception or birth, other than that she had been given no other choice. I had never gotten to know her, and hear it from her own mouth. All I had was what I had heard.

\tMy father...I didn't know much at all. Going off of what Dragon had told me of his knowledge from what my mother had told him, he didn't know all that much either. All I knew was that he held a high position, because my mother had said that he was the leader of the group...whatever that meant.

\tAnd that he had raped her. I didn't know when she had met him...how she knew him...why he had taken advantage of her. And I couldn't ask her. But Dragon had always done his best to raise me to be a respectable young lady that my mother would have been proud of, and to keep me safe. He had promised her before her execution that I would stay in his care.

\tDrakul had been almost like a father figure to me, especially since I had become his student. His wife kept me in supply of the goopy concealant that I had to cover my Wraith markings with to be able to enter the city, despite everyone already knowing what I truly was. No one was willing to let me enter the city unless my marks were hidden.

\tDrakul and his wife and Dragon, my brother...they had always fought to defend me, saying that it didn't matter if the marks were hidden, I should be allowed to enter the city. Sometimes I wondered what Drakul and his wife really thought of me. What Dragon really thought of me, or my brother....

\tMy thoughts flipped and flopped around in my mind. I was so frazzled by everything that was going on. Kelose....Kelose had gotten married.

\tKelose was close to graduating the Assassin Association, and that meant that he would be needed for missions all over the continent, if I recalled correctly. He was held in high regards by the citizens, because he and his team assassinated some of our most powerful threats, and some of our most despicable traitors. And with every assassination, I had watched him in horror as he grew darker and darker, more and more serious.

\tHe had grown handsome and strong. He was no longer the sweet, child-faced young Woodelf I had met. He had shown me just how...far he had walked away from me. And I didn't know if I would ever be able to catch up to him. But I could never remove him from my heart, nor my soul.

\tFor we had begun something that was sacred, an ancient bond for our people that was not to be taken lightly. It was only to be started after decades of marriage. But we had not waited to be intimate, not waited to begin this bond...and now, we were forever tied to one another, and the void left in our hearts would never fade.

\tDragon had tried to fill that void, staying with me regularly and joking, laughing. But it wasn't the same as it had been before I had lost Kelose. Kelose had pulled out part of my heart, and that was something that couldn't simply be undone.

\tI sighed. Dragon had done nothing but try to help me for as long as I could remember. He had always silently, unseen, followed me and watched over me. He was even letting me feed from him now. And that was something that I had never wanted, not from him. Not from my sweet, compassionate protector.

\tDragon gave me a hug. ”I have to leave, but I will return tomorrow. Will you be alright until I see you again?”

\t”Yes, Dragon. Thank you.”

\tHe smiled. ”It is my job. You don't need to thank me.” And then he turned and walked to the door, and then leaped down to the ground, not fooling with my rope ladder that led down to the forest floor. I looked out the window and watched him look back at my window and smile at me, and then leave.

\tI could never have found anymore with a bigger heart than that of my amazingly fierce, loyal, beautiful Lord Dragon.