SOUL BOUND

"You are not a god, dear husband. We can not change what is destined to be."

The old man sighed and pressed his ear to the growing belly-bump of his wife. He listened to the soft beating of his unborn child and closed his eyes. He thought of how unreal it is that he is finally a father. It took a long decade for them to have a family of their own. A long decade of longing for a daughter.

But for a new life is ones end.

The woman cupped the tear-stained cheeks of her husband and smiled. He stared at her violet eyes and in them he saw love and happiness. The man let loose of the tears pooling in his eyes and leaned into the palm of his wife. "I can not understand why I can not have both my daughter and my wife. We begged for a daughter, Darya but never in a million years would I want you to—"

Darya shushed her husband and softly kissed his lips. "Our daughter is a product of our love. She has a part of my soul, as long as she is with you then so am I," she said softly as if scared that she'll crush the remaining pieces of her man's heart. "Promise me, Ashbel. You will raise her strong. Let her make mistakes. Let her learn. Love her with all your heart and with all of mine." Darya held Ashbel's hand tighter and smiled once more knowing that this may be their last night together.

In another land full of riches, a kingdom celebrates the birth of a young prince. The streets were decorated by the soft petals of Revan. It is tradition to scatter the petals of a flower that closely resembles the hair color of the newborn royal. The Revan is the flower of the deep waters. It is almost as dark as the night sky but has the slight hue of the darkest blue. The streets were shouting of joy. Men drank and drank until their hearts desire and the women danced until the soles of their feet ached.

Little did the people know that inside the castle, chaos burn the grounds.

"The King and Queen is dead!" The marshal shouted panic and blood covering his face. "Find the prince and protect him! Find the assassins! Kill them on sight!" Every knight on post immediately formed groups and spread out into different parts of the castle. A strategy they learned during training.

The marshal took off from his post and unsheathed his sword to find the newborn. He sprinted down the hallways and opened the door leading to the baby's chamber. He peered down out the crib to find the prince missing. The marshal's breathing became harsh and labored. He searched the closets and the bathroom only to find no sign of the child. He was about to leave the room when suddenly a tall shadow loomed over his figure. He turned and blocked just in time before the assassin lands a deathly blow to his head with a huge ax. The marshal ducked just as the cloaked man swung his weapon once more. The knight lunged as he aimed for the right thigh of his attacker. The assassin fell to his knees and cried in agony. He raised his sword and sliced through the man's neck in a swift motion.

He watched as the body fell. A soft whimper was heard by the soldier but it was not from the assassin. He slowly approached the large desk by the door and he once again heard the whimper. The marshal raised his sword, getting ready for another fight but was frozen when he saw a maid trembling in fear, her back turned showing only the mahogany curls that flowed down like vines on her back. She looked up at him only to reveal the sleeping prince on her arms. He sheathed his sword back onto his scabbard and crouched down to meet the eyes of the lady.

The maid was hesitating to ask for help. She doesn't know if this man is to be trusted with the prince. What if he kills the prince? What if he is not actually a knight of the kingdom?

The soldier saw the fear in her eyes and he offered a gentle smile. "I will not hurt you nor the prince," he said reassuringly. The maid narrowed her eyes and the marshal chuckled in response. "I promise." He added and gripped the woman gently by her arms to help her stand. The maid smiled in thanks to the man.

"Let us get the prince to safety. We will use the escape tunnels." The marshal unsheathed the sword once again and proceeded to lead the way. He went to the far side of the room and pulled out a brown book from the bookshelf. A rumbling noise was heard and the maid was shocked to see a large block of stone move by itself to reveal a dark path leading to a place unknown by the maid. "Do not be scared, lady."

"I am not— I am not scared."

"Prove that to me, lady." He grabbed a candelabra from a near table and grinned at her. "This will be an adventure of a lifetime."

13 YEARS LATER

My sweat continued to slowly drench my loose tunic as I train out in broad daylight. I continued to duck, block and attack the air, my movements calculated but still unpredictable. I swung my right arm to attack my imaginary enemy with a dagger and music filled my ears as I heard my dagger sing as it cuts through the wind. I crouched down and slid my leg across the gravel. I closed my eyes in pain and grunted in frustration at my own mistake.

The sound of foot steps near me as I stood from my position, still murmuring profanities and furiously rubbing my eyes in an attempt to gain my eyesight. I turned to see who was approaching but still failed as dirt is still in my eye. I squinted to the direction of the noise to at least get the silhouette of the person. I rolled my eyes, well attempted to, knowing fully well who it is. I sighed, "I know, I know. I should be more aware of my surroundings and use it to my advantage. I should have been more careful. I know."

"I know that you know." He chuckled and forced my eyelids open as he blew air into my eye. I blinked a few times to clear out the remaining dirt.

"Thank you, Father." I said and smiled at him. He looked at me from head to toe and frowned. Did I look that bad? I know that I am very sweaty at the moment but that is normal for a trainee like me. "What is it? Do I smell?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Vaia, how many times have I told you to tie your hair whenever you train? Do not come crying to me if your hair accidentally gets cut," he said as he ruffled my untamed caramel hair. He took my training dagger from my hand and grinned. "You should take a break. Regain your strength. Go and eat with the others while I go ahead and talk to the Grand Head about your next mission." He gave me a quick kiss in the forehead and ushered me towards the small hut where Alren and Neil were shouting while Egan was sharpening one of his blades.

I chuckled as I realized the two of my friends were actually singing horribly off tune to a song and not shouting. Ever the happy bunch. They saw me coming and purposefully started shouting the song louder. I glanced at Egan who visibly became rigid under my gaze.

I cringed at their so called singing and went on to eating a steamed fish that I brought with me and continued to ignore their childish acts. "Please eat your food while your mouth is closed, Neil. No one wants to see the contents of your mouth and brothers please, just eat." I said, a smile never leaving my face.

"I heard that the King is going to recruit boys my around our ages to send into battle," Neil mumbled as he toyed with the food at his plate. The table became silent. Neil's dark face was a void of any emotion but the slight tremor in his voice, gave him away.

Neil is one of the greatest trainees in the academy along side me and Alren. Neil is the eldest out of our small group. His face is never seen without a smile. Seeing him like this is foreign. "I do not want to go. I still have a lot of plans ahead of me. I have only been alive for eighteen winters. I do not want to go." He looked up to stare into the distance.

I knew that this day was coming. I have heard the rumors of the king's plan floating around the streets of my motherland, Erythia. I was preparing myself at the thought of Alren and Neil leaving the academy. I was preparing myself so that when the day comes, I will not shed tears. Hearing them say the news themselves breaks my heart. I set down my utensils and stared down at my lap. Forcing the tears pooling in my eyes to not spill. I looked back up when I heard Alren stand and walk to Neil's side.

"Cheer up, brother and specially you Vaia, do not dare cry," Alren said and gave me a pointed glare. He turned to Neil and scooted closer to him and slapped his back with great force causing Neil to jerk forward and bump in to the table. He turned to Alren and slapped the back of his head. Alren only chuckled and continued, "You are not going alone. You will return with me back here to bathe in the glory and scent of naked women and I will make my father proud once we get back and proclaim victory that ended the war."

I looked back down at what Alren said. I do not want them gone. It is a war zone that they will be fighting in. It's been fifty years since the war has started between Erythia and Rynwon yet still the war is never ending. Great generals had already died in that battlefield. What more could it do to my friends? More tears start to blur my eyes. I closed my lids in another attempt to stop crying. But when Alren announced that he will be going as well, Egan's eyes gleamed and his bony shoulders tensed.

Alren, Neil and I grew up here in the academy since our parents were all part of the army. Alren's mother is a healer and his father was a legendary soldier. His father became a legend after he took the life of a Wyren. Those creatures are called Dragons of the Night for a reason. They wreak havoc once every full moon and freeze towns of Erythia to death with their ice cold magic. These creatures are made by the enemy kingdom, Rynwon, The City of Gold where every man drowns in their selfish desires and riches. It is told that Alren's father had killed the last Wyren as It has already been thirty winters since the last attack--the same year when his father slayed the dragon.

Neil's father, Ryll, was the brother of my mother. He was a lowly knight who died in battle against Rynwon. Neil's mother went on to late night trips to the pub since the tragic death of her husband. It is only Neil that keeps his mother alive. His father was a kind man, and so is Neil, but my uncle was too kind for his own good. Most of their money was given away to poor beggars on the streets. I remember asking him the reason for his doing and he merely shrugged and chuckled, "Too hell with riches! I do not wish to be a target of thieves, that is why." He was a madman they said. But I believe that he is not.

Meeting Egan was a different story. Alren and I saw Egan covered in blood and crying behind a bush in the training grounds one night. He said that the elders punished him because he was accused of stealing a gold coin. We immediately took him to the herb room to treat his wounds. He refused to let Alren help him clean his wounds and told us that he can do it by himself. We were hesitant but agreed anyways. Before we left, I took a good look at him. He was covered in blood but there was no wounds present. He was limping along the way here but he had no injury in his legs. I shut the door behind me as I felt his eyes on me.

The next few days after meeting Egan, a total of six trainees has been reported missing by the academy. I know who it was but I needed evidence against him. I did not tell anybody about my accusations. I stayed silent. Alren took it upon himself to befriend the boy and offered him a place to sit with us during breaks. I did not have anything against what Alren did as it gave me good opportunity to know him and to test his waters.

"When will you be leaving?" Egan asked.

"After two changing of the moons." Neil replied the frown in his face deepening.

I quietly ate my food, occasionally forcing my self to laugh every once in a while at their lame attempts to clear our minds of the nearing separation but Egan seemed to be more ecstatic about the news. Silent smiles appear in his face a couple of times during the conversation. There is something sinister about his smile. He's planning something and I need to know what it is.