More than partners?

So uncool

Somehow I manage to roll out of the way right before he grabs me. I push myself up off the bed and run for the front door of the inn. He doesn't stay far behind. Throwing the door closed behind me I run through the dark, shaded alleyways made up of the small shacks and houses that are scattered throughout the village. I knock down trashcans, kick up dust, anything to try and slow him down. 

I see the edge of the village start to come into view and I put out an extra spurt of energy, my legs burning from running so long. The hot desert sun greets me, attacking my already burnt skin. Looking over my shoulder I see the mirage of Soul running towards me, faltering at the edge of the houses for a second before running out. 

He changes drastically. Smoke rises off of him and his clothes catch on fire, spreading to his skin until his identity as Soul disappears. Then, his real appearance is shown. Taut black skin covers a bony frame, and two bulging eyes rest above a thin crease of a mouth. 

The sun seems to hurt him, but only enough to slow him down a bit. I take off running again, trying to go back to the lair where the kishin were hidden to try and find my Soul. I couldn't take that thing on without a weapon. Checking to see if there are any souls within the area, I get a hopeful glimpse of one that seems to be down through the trapdoor, and I can only hope that it's Soul's. 

After running for about a mile, the creature gives up, howling as it claws at it's burning face and skin. Glaring at me, it runs off to the village again. I didn't have long though, the sun was already starting to set, and once night comes around I'm sure that thing will be out here again looking for me. 

Since I had been trying to get rid of my attacker, it takes me about twenty minutes or so to reach the trapdoor again. I go down through it, climbing down a rickety rusted ladder. Hopping off onto the ground I look around, squinting my eyes in the dark. This cellar like area is composed of three or four different rooms, which all branch off from the main room where I was held. So far I see no sign of Soul, and whenever I try to check the area for souls I only get a muddled response. 

Walking in the first room to my right I find a dingy bedroom with a smelly mattress. Stepping over a pile of dirty clothes I proceed to search every inch of the room, doing the same with the other three. Nothing. The only thing I find is a rat, hidden in a kitchen cupboard. 

I start to get nervous as I walk back out into the main room, looking for anything that could tell me where Soul is. My feet shuffle over an antique rug, and my foot hits something. Suddenly hopeful, I pull the rug back, realizsing a cloud of dust, and exposing yet another trap door. 

Pulling back the surprisingly heavy wooden door I peer down into the dark abyss that greets me. There's no ladder, and I can't judge how far down it goes. Taking in a deep breath I sit down at the edge of the hole before plucking up my courage up and jumping down, my feet touching the bottom without much difficulty. The hole couldn't have been more than six feet down. 

A musty, damp smelling room lies in front of me, and sitting in a chair tied up at the far end of the wall is Soul. It takes all of my willpower to not just run over there and untie him. I walk slowly, moving to his left side before shaking his shoulder. His head lifts up slowly, his eyes out of focus as he looks at me. Blinking a few times he squints at me, and it takes him a minute before he registers that it's me. A lopsided grin appears on his face as he squirms around in his restraints. "Hey tiny tits, mind untying me before that idiot comes back?" 

I want to hit him so badly, but instead I throw my arms around him and hug him tightly. This is definitely my Soul. 

"What the hell are you doing? Untie me would you?" 

Smiling I untie his hands and his feet. Soul get up and stretches, his hands scuffing the ceiling. "When we first got attacked some creepy ass guy stabbed a syringe into me, drugged me. I tried to kill his ugly ass but I couldn't move. So he brought me back here and I've been bored out of my mind. What happened on your end?"