Soul binders

Soul binders, they make up 90% of our population. The remaining 10% are the kids and older people who have lost or haven't gained a companion. A soul binder is someone who has bonded to a creature gaining abilities and strength from the bond. The bond is for life they protect each other and need each other. The creatures can be anything from a angle, centaur, wyren, or even a common rat. What you bond with though means everything in Acirema. Get a dragon and you are guaranteed a position as a general in the military. Have a powerful plant you get a high paying job as a apothecary. Then you have me a 18 year old girl obsessed with medicine and monsters, but isn't boned with one. It's not that I didn't want one, but I haven't found the right one. I personally don't know how you can bond with a plant when they don't have faces and dragons are hard to come by. Not that I was a fighter to begin with.

Gabriel on the other hand had created a bond last year. How it happened though was less then savory. Just remembering what happened had my blood boiling with rage. I still remember how he was in stuck a cage with dried blood covering the entire thing and it being way to small for him. His clothes were tattered and dirty and his beautiful midnight hair was messy and covered in dirt to the point it looked brown. His eyes. God his eyes. They were so hollow the only emotion I saw was fear. That was until he saw me. He lit up like fireworks that resembled how he used to me. He still had nightmares about that time but I was there to help him through it. Over time he slowly returned to his usual goofball self. Though I can say he became clinger never leaving me out of sight for long. It got annoying sometimes but I never stopped him. In all honesty I felt the same way I didn't want him out of my sight.

The months we were apart when he was kidnapped shattered me. I couldn't eat, sleep, or function as a regular human. I went to the police thousands of times asking them to help. I begged, kneeled, everything. They didn't care though all they could say was "he probably couldn't take living in the slums anymore." That officer's voice echoed in my mind. It infuriated me Gabriel wouldn't leave me behind. We were all we had in life if he wanted to go somewhere he'd would've taken me with him.

Suddenly I felt a pair of arms circle around my neck kidnapping from my thoughts. I was trying to read a new book I got about medical verbs but my thoughts side tracked me. I look up to find the most beautiful jade eyes in the world smiling at me.

"What gotcha doing Kari?"I could smell sweat and dirt all over him. Gabriel must have gotten back from training the orphanage kids self defense. It was his way of providing back to the place that took us in and raised us. We both were a result of deserters. Parents who couldn't provide enough for there children because of their bonds not being good enough for jobs. That commonality brought us together and we bonded over that fact.

"Nothing much just trying to read a book before a certain someone interrupted me." I leaned back on our dusty brown couch relaxing at his touch. He followed by putting his head on my head. I could feel his chin poking me as he talked.

"Somehow I doubt I was the one distracting you seeing as how I called your name at least three times."

"Well maybe I would've listened better if you weren't covered in sweat and dirt. I suggest you take a shower before I dump a bucket of cold on you." I felt his arms leave my neck making it feel cold.

"Your wish is my command. I'll right back." I turn to watch him walk away. As I did his arms went up to look like a balance scale that turned into a shrug.

" girls I swear don't know how to appreciate how manly it is when you are covered in sweat." I rolled eyes as he left the room. I got up and decided to clean up the house a bit. The place wasn't big nothing ever was in the slums. It looked as run down as it felt. It was a frequent occurrence of door handles falling off and things breaking randomly. It caused Gabriel and I to become experts in fixing stuff. Everything was too expensive to replace. Between me collecting herbs and Gabriel's self defense classes we weren't earning much. Once I finished reorganizing the books again I grab my bag full of foraging supplies double checking making sure I had everything. After Gabriel gets done with his classes we go out and search for medical plants to sell to the local apothecary. Once I was satisfied with my inventory check I heard movements from the direction of the bathroom and saw a fully clothed Gabriel with wet hair looking at me. He walked over to me and I got up tossing my bag over my shoulder. With my right hand I grabbed Gabriel's left hand and we started walking out of the house.

The way to the forest wasn't a long one. It was just down the street to our house. When we left Gabriel started to leave at least one flying insect every couple of feet apart. It was our way of making sure we don't get lost when we go to the forest kinda like the bread crumb idea but with insects. Today apparently was butterfly day the insects he used to mark our trail were in the shape of monarch butterflies.

As you may have a guessed already Gabriel was bonded to a bunch of insect fey. There were thousands of them and he could basically shape them to whatever insect he wanted. The bigger they were though the smaller numbers he had. I thought it was a great bond to have.

I loved watching him change and shape them in different ways. Even if they're bond was rocky as first Gabriel eventually came to love his insect swarm as well. He thought it was cool that he had the ability to scare me with spiders and cockroaches whenever he wanted.

The rest of the world though didn't have the same opinion. Insects were ranked as the lowest of the low in bonds formed. Mainly because they don't give any major power that could benefit the government. Even if Gabriel's insect were actually fey which was the 4th highest ranking monster the fact they took the form of insects cancelled that out. Which meant no one would accept Gabriel into their work place even if he was a darn good teacher for fighting. Just thinking that made me what to punch all those idiots for thinking that.

I suddenly felt a squeeze on my hand bringing me from my thoughts.

"Earth to Kari. Man your really spacing out hard today." I focused my gaze and realized we were at the edge of the forest now. I squeezed his hand back.

"Sorry I don't know what's going on with me today."

"Your fine it's probably just stress. Hey how about once we get back let's just laze the entire day away."

"Sounds like a plan." I smile and we started heading into the forest.

This forest was called Magnolia Garden. I don't have any idea why but it was a good place to look for a lot of valuable verbs. While I was looking around picking up whatever plant I saw that could go for a price. Gabriel kept watch making sure nothing dangerous nearby. Mostly though the only creatures we saw were a few animals and a few different kinds of fairies and gnomes.

While I was looking for herbs I started think about how much I wished I had black hair like Gabriel. My hair color was a dark brown that made my pale skin look pale. My eyes were a deep blue kinda like the color azure and I loved that color a lot. I wasn't skinny but I wasn't fat either rather I was what people called thick boned. I had my insecurities about my body but Gabriel made sure to reassure me and help me through them whenever they struck out. Gabriel on the other hand wasn't too skinny or muscular. He was a perfect in between which was great cause I couldn't date anyone who looked like a boulder incarcerate.

As I went thorougher into the woods I didn't notice Gabriel's voice until I had entered a clearing which housed a very large creature.

"Kari I need you to walk back to me slowly." I could hear the fear in Gabriel's which cause me to look up. What I saw was a larger like size of a giant larger creature staring straight at me. I froze in fear. In front of me laid a titanic wolf faced creature with two very larger wings that replace its front paws. It's wings were different shades of green with red streaks on them. It's face had distinct features of a wolf's head. It's back legs however were still wolf paws with the same green that cover its body. Lastly it has a long tail that was even longer then it's body it tail feathers had a combination of green and red throughout it. It's eyes however were what kept me in place. Instead of the gold color wolves usually have they were a deep blue like mine. The creature was laying down just looking at us.

"Kari I need you to walk slowly okay. Don't make any sudden movements." I nodded at him not sure if he saw it. Seeing how he was staring at the back of my head. I started to step back when I accidentally stepped on a twig making a cracking noise. I instantly gulped at the sound closing my eyes waiting for a attack when I saw it start to move. I felt arms wrapped around trying to protect me from the monster. Instead of the pain I thought was coming I felt a very wet something touch my forehead. I slowly opened my eyes to see a very large face staring at me with wide eyes. I don't know why I thought this was a good idea but I started to raise my hand and laid it on its head. I felt Gabriel tightened his grip on me. The weirdest thing happened though the beast instead of biting my hand off closed its eyes and relaxed against my touch. After a few seconds it opened its eyes again and stared at me.

"I am Saph a celestial that has lived for centuries." I felt a voice ring into my mind. It was a deep motherly voice that had a graceful tone to it. Taking this chance to reason with it I started to speak up. If this monster was indeed a Celestial then that means I was meeting the highest ranking creature you could bond too.

"I sorrrry to bother you. I was trying to search for some herbs and I wasn't paying attention.

Please let us leave. We mean no harm." I cursed myself for slipping on my words. Celestials were known to either be fair or murderous I hoped We meet the fair one kind.

"Worry not child I mean you no harm instead I would like to form a bond with you." My jaw almost dropped at that but I held it together.

"Why would you want to form a bond with someone like me. I have no amazing skills or anything."

"Once we form a bond you will gain such skills. As for the reason why? Well because you have the same color eyes as me no other reason." Now this time my jaw did drop. I couldn't believe it was such a simple reason as that. My eyes just stared in shock while the wolf? Just started at me with amusement.

"Why not accept it. There's nothing stopping you right? What's the harm in doing so?" I looked up from my staring competition to look at Gabriel he had a encouraging look to his eyes.

He was right I didn't have anything to lose. I'm sure she could be useful to me having such a powerful ranked creature as a partner would ensure that I get some powerful skills. After a couple more seconds of thinking I finally nodded at the bird? I honestly didn't even know what you could call her. The wolf bird? Let out a growl that sound kinda like a chuckle.

"You can call me Saph and I'm what you call a Simurgh. I am one of the greatest healers in the world."

"Well Saph I accept this bond between me and a Simurgh."

"And I was well accept this bond with the human Kari." With her finally words echoed in my mind. I felt a string connect me to Saph.

I felt a lot more energized with tons of knowledge of medicines and treatments coming through my mind. Along with all this new knowledge I also felt Saph's emotions spring forth too. It felt like a tsunami flooding my senses if Gabriel wasn't holding on to me I would've fallen down. After a few seconds passed the my senses finally returned to normal but I could still feel the bond I had with Saph.

"Well the question is now how am I going to get you through town without you breaking anything." I started petting her head absentmindedly while I thought of a solution. When people are far away from their bonded partners they feel excruciating pain the farther away they are.

"Easy I can shrink." As if to prove it she started getting smaller until she got to the size of a macaw and flew over to my shoulder to rest. She nestled her head against mine rubbing against my ear. I looked up at Gabriel he was looking at tired as I was.

"Let's get home." I said as I relaxed against his chest.

"Agreed." He relaxed his grip on me leaving one arm around my shoulders as we walked out of the forest. We followed the butterflies home stopping by the apothecary on the way to sell the herbs I found. The owner gave me a strange look at the creature perching on my shoulder but I was to tired to care. Once we got back home Gabriel and I fell on the bed leaving his insects and Saph in the air as we fell asleep.

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This story will be updated infrequently compared to my other two books I'm publishing right now it's probably gonna be like a weekly to maybe a bi weekly thing. This one compared to the other requires research on monsters from different mythology. I hope you enjoy it !

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