Soulbound - A Double Life Story

-Enemies-

Joel

"WOOOOOOOOAAAAAA" A scream erupts from my lips in glee as I fly down the hill. The boat's wooden sides splinter my hands as they tighten their grip. The wind pushes my hair out of my face, and I see the form of a rock approaching fast. "OH BLOODY HELL"

The boat splits apart on the rock, its planks pulling away from one another and launching me into the air. There is a moment when I feel almost weightless before I crash into the grass, wincing at the pain in my shoulder. My eyes widen as I hear a familiar scream of surprise.

"ETHO WAIT THE ROCK--" A loud crack is heard before a huge mass rolls to my feet, giggling.

"Hey Joel," He wheezes as I kneel, extending my hand to pull him up from the mud. "I think we missed a rock." I burst out laughing, leaning on my knee for support.

"You think!"

"Woah, what happened here?" I hear a voice from behind and turn my head to face it, still giggling. There stands Grian, his arms crossed and a grin on his face. Scar stands behind him swatting at a fly and failing miserably. We stare at him as he wrestles with the air before giving up and turning towards myself and Etho, his eyes widening.

"Did you guys take up pig farming or something?" My hands are sticky with the mud and wood splinters coating my body. I look up at them.

"More like summer sledding." I grin as I stand up, holding my hand out for Etho, who takes it.

"Welcome to the Ship!" I hand Grian a mug of steaming tea. Etho found a few herbs as we were picking through the grass for wheat seeds. I only found an anthill which I accidentally stepped in. Our little farm was doing alright, though it was like watching the grass grow.

After helping us clean up the remains of our boats, Scar immediately started proposing a crazy idea. He sat us all down on the small cushions I had woven from some dried seagrass I found and told us all about the fort he had found Minnie trapped in. The small fairy was no longer with the duo, but I didn't push; Scar teared up when he mentioned her.

Scar had been exploring the opposite side of the gorge when he saw it. The huge tower rose over the hilltops. He trembled as he walked, the stick in his hand hastily sharpened with no idea how to wield it. The man in the clearing had told him to leave, to explore and find his soulbound. Grian was just as scared as he was, yet his voice held a tone of power that Scar had never felt before. It seemed as if Grian was meant to be giving orders, and he followed them.

As he crested the hill, he examined more of the menacing structure. Canvas tents and wooden cages spread from its base. It looked almost like an army camp. People milled around doing various tasks. Many seemed to be training their shots with cross-bows. He could see a group trying to strengthen a large wooden cage with a huge statue inside. Strangely, this statue moved as if trying to break free from its restraints. Some of the soldiers patrolled what seemed to be the outer limits. One of these patrols was headed straight for where he stood.

"State your name and your business, trespasser." He was scared, his stick shaking at his side and his feet shuffling backward. They continued to approach. The man at the head of the party had spoken, a large shield held in one hand and a sword in the other. Two others flanked him both aiming cross-bows at Scar's stomach. The stick slipped through his fingers and his hands raised to his head.

"Sc-Scar." He stated, his eyes darting between the arrows aimed at him. "Uh, um, no business, I'm just exploring really." The captain's eyes narrowed before he adjusted his sword.

"Take him." They dragged him towards the camp, soldiers jeering at him as he was dragged through. After some arguing they threw him into a seemingly empty, wooden cage. They left him there in the darkness and returned to their tents. Scar was not a fan of darkness, and he had never liked being alone. He began to cry, his knees at his chest and his tears falling to the dirt below. A small sound startled him to his feet. A soft blue light emitted from the corner of the cage where a small blue fairy was curled up shivering.