[Content Warning]
This chapter contains depictions of graphic violence and physical struggle.
——————————————————
When Ayne and I were still children, we'd heard countless stories about the Bonded.
Warriors who tamed monstrous beasts and forged a bond for life.
I had always admired them for their courage. And envied them for the chance to meet one of those breathtaking creatures.
But the magic that lay in those stories quickly faded as I stared into the gaping maw of the monster before me.
Its sickle-shaped teeth glinted in the harsh sunlight, but the foul stench of iron wafted toward me.
There was no escape, not with these injuries. Not with it standing before me.
"Go on then, eatme, you dumb beast," I growled, meeting the gaze of the crimson-red creature.
Every breath burned in my lungs like crushed glass slowly grinding through my flesh. With every moment I waited for death, it became more unbearable.
Not as unbearable as Ayne's agonizing gurgle, I couldn't help but think.
The taste of hot copper lay on my tongue, yet I could only think of Ayne.
Maybe we'd see each other soon. Or maybe I'd burn in hell alone.
The guttural growl of the creature before me tore my thoughts away from Ayne.
"You finally ready?" I joked, suppressing a cough that would only make the pain worse.
But to my surprise, its eyes merely narrowed, and its gaping maw closed.
Instead, it came closer and nudged its skull against mine.
By the gods?! What's happening?
The monster's warm breath stirred the dust of the pit and stole what little air I had left.
Before everything around me went black, I saw the azure expanse one last time.
Maybe it was fate. Maybe a cruel joke from death.
But I was relieved.
** **
The stabbing pain in my chest made me bolt upright, but instead of the creature, I only saw an old man sitting on a small stool beside me.
»Ahhh. Finally. You're awake«, he grumbled, twisting his beard.
In a strange, quirky way, he reminded me of the village elder back home.
Wherever home was.
The stone walls and the man's uniform were as foreign as my own body. If it was even my own.
I still couldn't believe I could walk again - feel what I had missed for so long.
»Where am I?« I whispered, lost in thought.
The old man rose from his seat and strutted over to a small cabinet where something lay.
Before I understood,a violet band flew toward me and I caught it.
»Congratulations, Cadet Vanrell. The Arakai has chosen you.«
Arakai? Chosen? Vanrell?
My thoughts spun in circles, and the image of the girl who had called the name Yrâ flashed before my inner eye.
Who in the thirteen saints is Yrâ Vanrell?
This all felt like a bad joke. What happened to Ayne?
Again, I heard the unwelcome gurgle. The limp body hitting the ground. How he died.
My body twitched involuntarily and my heart raced faster and faster.
Whether this was a dream or reality - I had to find Ayne.
Before I could lift my body from the bed, pain hit me like a blow to the face. A groan escaped me and I collapsed back onto the bed.
»Careful, Cadet Vanrell. Your Arakai roughed you up pretty good before bonding with you. We had a hard time getting you away from it.«
»Arakai?«, I groaned through the pain.
His eyebrow rose as if I'd asked one of the stupidest questions possible. As if it were obvious what he meant.
»Cadet Vanrell. Have you forgotten everything we taught you in the last week? Not that I expected much from a gutter child.«
A memory that wasn't mine played before my eyes, and the old man drifted into the unknown.
The summer was scorching hot, but the teacher's words burned deep into my mind. The creatures of the pit - our future partners - were divided into three types.
Hanyee: burly beasts, tough only on the outside, more like sheep on the inside.
Xineren: sleek, wingless creatures that paralyze their prey with poison and eat them alive.
And finally, the Arakai. The worst option you could encounter in the pit.
The young ones can't fly yet, but their habit of playing with their prey for fun makes them unpredictable.
Sometimes they kill their partners before they can bond.
Great. An oversized, winged reptile that sends me to oblivion when it gets bored.
»Cadet Vanrell?«
The man's voice pulled me from the strange yet vivid memory. His gaze was full of concern.
»Yes, Sir…?«
»Fernygô. Lord Fernygô,« he repeated, stomping toward the door. »You have until dusk to see your companion. But don't overdo it.«
Excuse me? See my companion? Why would I go voluntarily?
Without further notice, Lord Fernygô left the small room, and I was left alone in the silence.
Ayne's death, an eerie creature, a foreign body.
So much had happened. So many questions.
I stared in disbelief at my hands. They reminded me of the sand in the arena.
No doubt. This was not my body.
With my old body, I would have blinded people as soon as the sun touched my skin.
But this body was stronger. Healthier. And not broken.
An unexpected knock startled me, and moments later, a scrawny boy entered. His eyes were swollen as if he'd been crying for hours or hadn't slept.
»Thank the stars you're alive, Yrâ«. His voice reminded me of Ayne, and my heart suddenly grew heavy as stone.
Before I could answer, he hugged me, and again, pain shot through me.
I groaned, and with a pained look, the boy let go.
»Amira didn't make it«, the boy whispered, looking at me with emerald-green eyes as if he'd announced the end of the world.
Who is - or rather was - Amira?
My face must have spoken volumes, because the boy's expression changed instantly.
»You know… Amira. She was with us in the trial. She saved you…«. He trailed off, and the tears came again.
It wasn't necessary for him to continue. Even without words, I understood he was talking about my rescuer.
I didn't know who he was or why he'd come to me. But I understood his pain. His loss.
Despite the pain, I leaned forward and hugged the slender body. He was a head shorter than me, yet so much weighed on him.
Inevitably, »I'm sorry« slipped from my lips.
I wished I knew who Amira had been and why she'd risked everything for me.
Just as I was about to ask the boy's name, the door swung open and a tall man stormed into my room.
»Yrâ, did you really bond with an Arakai?«
»Can't you see he needs rest, Garon?"«. The small one's voice dripped with contempt.
But thanks to him, I knew the muscle-bound guy before me was no friend.
»Shut your mouth, rat. No one's talking to you.«
Garon was the image of a typical soldier. Steel muscles, not a hint of compassion, and not much patience.
»Don't call me that«, the small boy hissed before lunging at the giant.
Full of fire, the small one clawed onto Garon and bit his upper arm.
Garon seemed unfazed and grabbed him by the neck before throwing him like a pillow back through the door he'd come from.
The small one slammed hard into something in the hallway, and I could hear him gasping for air.
Despite the pain, I rose from the bed and grabbed the pitcher on a small table near the bed.
»Leave. Him. Alone«, I hissed through clenched teeth.
I was barely staying on my feet, which Garon noticed before he charged at me.
The fist flew faster than I thought, but not fast enough. I dodged at the last moment and smashed the pitcher against Garon's face.
The smell of sweat filled my nose, and I felt my heart racing. Only the pain and my rage kept me standing.
I didn't know the small one, but I knew his pain. His pain was mine.
Garon screamed in rage, clutching his left eye - where the pitcher had hit him.
With all my strength, I pushed against him, but the size difference and my lack of strength were my downfall.
Garon grabbed my neck with his paws and lifted me into the air, squeezing.
The pressure on my neck was unbearable, and with every passing second, everything grew darker.
Wildly, I tried to fight back with my hands and feet, but Garon was many times stronger.
I couldn't think of anything but air. My lungs felt like they'd burst any moment if I didn't breathe right away.
»Leave Yrâ alone!«
Just as I thought I would really die this time, the small one jumped onto Garon's back and bit his neck.
I hit the ground as Garon loosened his grip, but all I could think about was breathing.
I crawled slowly forward, trying to get as much air as I could, but I only felt fire in my lungs.
As I lay coughing on the floor, Garon and the small fighter wrestled. Blood ran down Garon's neck until he finally managed to free himself from his attacker.
»You filthy rat. I should have killed you in the pit.«
With full force, Garon pressed the boy against the wall, and within seconds, the small one's face turned red, then almost purple.
Damn it, I have to do something.
But my body wouldn't obey. I tried with all my might to push myself off the floor - in vain.
My shirt had turned red by now. My wound must have reopened. But there was no time for that.
I had to save him.
I won't let anyone else die.
I gathered my strength one last time and rose from the cold floor before grabbing a piece of the broken pitcher and rushing at Garon.
With my remaining strength, I stabbed him in the back.
Garon's scream shook me to the core, but I pushed it deeper.
The small one fell to the floor like a wet sack.
And this time, the fist came faster than expected.
Shit.
The last thing I heard was the crunch of my broken nose.
——————————————————
[TheBeastsofThanatt]
The Bond Beasts are the final remnants of the Brood. With the fall of the last Royal Family, the lineage of the Bond Beasts perished as well. Now, it is a desperate struggle for every single Bond – and the final straw for the monarch to grasp.