Chapter 37

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A young boy and girl stood meters apart and we're ready to fight. They both merged and stood alert.

The boy's fists were alight with flame while the girl was posed with her spear surrounded by whirling balls of water that she attracted from nearby water sources.

Both sides were confident in their skills and they took a deep breath, and leapt forward.

(A/n sorry for my horrible skills but here's my first attempt at describing an actual fight)

The girl took the first strike and pranced forward, her movements flowed as she aimed her spear for her opponent's arm.

The boy tensed his muscles and leapt into the sky, opening his mouth and blew a jet of flames towards the girl.

With a swift flick of her wrists, she spun her spear and attracted a bubble of water to the tip. The spear tore through the bubble spraying water onto the flame and steam filled the area.

The girl danced around the boy who was now getting annoyed, the two very different dances swirling around each other. The dance of the water and the dance of the flame flickered and flowed.

Reaching exhaustion from merging so long, the girl's dance faultured and the boy took advantage.

He reached forward and grabbed her arm before lifting her up into the sky.

The two stared into each other's eyes for the brief moment surrounded in steam. Eyes locked and still.

Ba-dump

Pinning her down under him, the boy readied his fists to end her life.

His flames burned hot.

And went out.

He couldn't do it, he couldn't kill this girl he met only about ten minutes ago. He couldn't bring himself to hurt those soft green eyes that stared right into him.

He couldn't.

Standing up, he stared at his own fists in embarrassment. His first fight that he almost won was now pointless. Both of them were on the brink of bleeding to death from all their wounds. The boy backed away and fled from the battlefield disappearing into the ash filled mountain.

The girl's body was found unconscious by a few who were observing the fight and carried her home.

High up the mountain, the once tough young warrior-to-be was now mocked by his peers. He was seen as weak and was banished from the tribe. He was alone and wounded, with no home to go. He ran to the edge of the battlefield that was between the trench and mountain, hiding in the dying trees that stood there.

By the deep trenches, the young girl was having her wounds dressed by the tribal herbologist and she was tired from battle. Her mother was proud of her efforts and the others were glad she was okay. Selkies stay together after all and if ones hurt, all are hurt.

The girl sat on her bed and looked out, suddenly feeling to listen to the cold salt water. Her Selkie trait dragged her injured body across rocks until she came into the hidden area by the battlefield.

It was her favourite place to just sit underneath the trees and listen to the sound of flowing water.

Except this time, an injured boy sat high in the branches of one of the dead trees, asleep.

She was going to run but she realised it was the same boy she fought and was surprised at seeing all the wounds.

All the wounds she made...

Jumping easily up the tree, she examined his injuries and started to dress them by stredding parts of her long dress.

It took a while but by the time she was done, she had almost ripped through her whole dress. She sat there shivering as she dressed the last cut and the boy awoke.

Grabbing her arm, he glared at her and she whimpered in pain. His grip was like iron and his glare pierced through her just like that moment in the battlefield...

Ba-dump

He let go when he noticed all his wounds were dressed and was about to thank her when she fainted.

Panic took over him and he picked the girl up, only to realise that she was ice cold.

Pulling her cold body towards his chest, his familiar set a few branches alight as the two sat there in silence.

She woke up a few moments later in his arms, surrounded in warmth and the two stared into each other's eyes again. She silently let go and lightly hopped away from the tree and skipped back towards her tribe. Just as she was about to exit his view, she turned around and waved, before disappearing.

That was there first encounter, the girl gave up the battlefield and became a herbologist. The boy lived in their secret place and hunted for wild animals in the Chimera lands. He would frequently get hurt but the girl would always be there waiting to dress his wounds.

They grew closer and soon most of their days were spent together.

Until one day, the boy didn't return after a hunt and the girl went home without seeing him that night.

The next day, he wasn't there either.

Nor was he there the day after.

A week had passed and no sign.

A month...

A year...

A decade past and the girl was now 22 and the only unmarried woman of the tribe. Her friends all either had kids, were married, or engaged.

She sat in her hut surrounded by herbs and every day she went to her secret place. Their secret place. And she went everyday after dinner to sit in the tree, looking out into the water and listening to the rush of water.

She sat there alone once again, staring into the deep blue water when,

"Inko?"

A deep voice said her name and she turned around to face a man covered in burns. Parts of his face were torn and wounds littered his body. He was different but...

"Hisashi..."

The two were drawn together like magnets and hugged each other, refusing to let go.

Before Inko could say anything, the boy she waited for all this time said,

"Run away with me Inko, and marry me. I love you and I'm sorry I kept you waiting this whole time, I wished everyday I could've come back but I can now. I have no familiar holding me back from loving you. "

Looking over at his familiar, Inko realized the price he payed to say that. He broke his bond to his familiar. He broke his soul contract.

For her.

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