SOULBOUND ‡ clash
By Wes Leigh
This
is a work of fiction (or is it?) intended solely for the entertainment of my
readers; any resemblance to any real people or places is purely coincidental. Readers
who would like to chat are encouraged to contact me at weston.leigh@protonmail.com.
This
story is the property of the author and is protected by copyright laws. The
author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's
consent.
If
you enjoy this story, please support the Nifty archives today with a thoughtful
donation by visiting https://donate.nifty.org/.
Note
to readers: SOULBOUND ‡ CLASH
is a sequel in the SOULBOUND series. Although you can read it now without
having read any of the other stories, you may enjoy the story more if you read
them all in the originally-published order. For a guide to all the Soulbound stories, please read SOULBOUND ANTHOLOGY.
A very special thanks...
All
my love to three wonderfully creative guys--
Robbie,
Lucas, and Danny--
for
suggesting so many of the twists and turns in this story.
You're all beasts!
I quote others only in order the better to express myself.
-- From The Complete Essays by
Several years ago ...
A lone wolf, rust red in color, slowly crept
through the forest. One padded paw ever so gradually crept forward and settled
in the carpet of pine needles. The slightest of pressure pushed the decaying
pine needles down without a sound. The wolf's body shifted forward a fraction
of an inch closer to his prey.
He paused, frustrated. Damn. The wind was shifting,
swinging around from behind and blowing in the direction of the family of
rabbits nibbling on grass just ahead of him. Their ears flicked nervously up
and back. They sensed danger nearby in the form of a werewolf.
He made a quick dash forward, snapping his
jaws, but the rabbits were all blessed with uncanny luck on top of their
lightning-fast reflexes. His slashing teeth closed on empty air. The rabbits
scattered.
He started to chase them, but stopped and sat
back on his haunches, panting slightly. He watched the rabbits leaping and
dodging randomly, disappearing rapidly, and he didn't seem to care that his
meal was escaping. He'd eaten yesterday, so he wasn't suffering from serious
hunger pangs. Hunting the rabbits had been more for the joy of tracking down
challenging prey and proving himself the ultimate predator.
He sat down under a juniper pine and curled
his tail around his haunches. With a shivering shake, his body transformed into
a boy, young but well-muscled, naked, auburn hair, eyes flashing with joy. He
loved being a wild werewolf roaming the forest on his own.
Connor the werewolf was alone, but he was
happy.
Many miles away, in bustling New York
City ...
A
thin young man in a perfectly tailored tuxedo walked forward to the center of
the stage in the Juilliard auditorium. The audience waited, eager to hear the
much-anticipated solo recital of the newest rising star among the school's
talented students.
The
bright lights made him look more pale than usual and caused his raven hair to
gleam with blue highlights. His deep black eyes swept the audience, bringing
shivers to many, though they couldn't explain why.
He
raised an oboe to his lips, paused dramatically, and began playing Six
Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op. 49, by Benjamin Britten. He followed it
up with Wayne Barlow's The Winter's Passed and Georg Philipp Telemann's Oboe
Sonata in A minor.
In
each piece, the notes were pure, rising into the air, dancing around him. There
was a peculiar magic in his performance. His music had the power to pull the
deepest longings from their hearts and shape their desires into individualized waking
dreams. Some saw a childhood long past filled with laughter and carefree play.
Others felt pain. Or longing. Or passion. Some closed their eyes and allowed
their souls to soar with the melody, losing themselves in the moment.
The
thin young man centered himself in the storm of emotions radiating from his
listeners. As he played, his fangs extended slightly, puncturing his lower lip
from the inside, drawing his own blood. The pain was no concern, merely the
price he paid for his music ... and his reward was to drink in the dreams of his
listeners, feasting, content for that moment as his music merged his soul with
those of his audience. In those exquisite moments, he was able to forget his
painful existence as a creature of the night.
Even
if the auditorium had been empty as the grave, Xavier
the vampire would still have played with the same fierce passion, in the hope
that the music would set his soul free.
Far
away in Colorado Springs, a city nestled in the Rocky Mountains ...
The
blonde boy laughed with his friends as they sat in the food court of the mall,
eating egg rolls, pizza slices, and burritos. It was a Saturday afternoon
ritual. Gather for lunch. Laugh and joke. Stuff French fries in your ears. Make
someone blow soda out of his nose. Get chewed out by the mall security guard. Run
laughing to the restroom to clean up, then sneak back to the food court for ice
cream.
After
eating as only teenage boys can eat, they walked the mall hallways. Whenever
girls from school walked by in their giggling huddles, the boys strutted,
trying to appear uninterested, but sneaking a peak at the girls as they walked
by.
Except
for the blonde boy.
He
pretended to be interested in the girls, but he wasn't. Not really. The
reactions of his friends were more exciting to him, especially when they
grabbed their crotches and adjusted themselves. The blonde boy felt himself
getting hard every time that happened, and he had to pull at his pants to make
more room.
Just
before the afternoon matinees began, they stopped outside the multiplex to
argue about which movie they should see. They never agreed, not at first, but
the blonde boy always seemed to find a way to convince them to compromise and
choose a movie they all wanted to watch.
Then
it was time to buy their tickets and the mandatory bucket of hot-buttered
popcorn and a super-sized soda. Laughing as they chatted in anticipation of the
movie to come, they walked down the carpeted halls and into the dark theater
itself. Finding seats (either at the very front or the very back of the room,
depending on what the blonde boy suggested that day), they made themselves
comfortable and tried to see who could toss a piece of popcorn the highest
before catching it in his mouth.
When
the movie finally started, the blonde boy sighed contentedly. Daniel was generally
a happy kid, despite struggling to understand his confusing teenager emotions.
In
the green-dappled depths of a jungle in Brazil ...
Two
boys played a game of their own devising. To anyone watching them, it might
have appeared to be a game of tag. At first.
One
boy was tall, chubby, and always smiling. He was grinning now as he tiptoed
carefully around a tree, his brown eyes searching the undergrowth for any sign
of his friend.
The
other boy was short, thin, and mischievous. He wasn't allowed to use magic to
hide—that was against the rules of their game—so he had rubbed dirt on his
forehead and cheeks before wriggling beneath the tangled roots of a mangrove
tree.
The
chubby lad walked past, pausing when he heard a soft snicker coming from the
tree roots, then spinning and jumping at his friend, making the short boy
screech with laughter.
After
slapping the other lad lightly on the shoulder, the chubby boy's body rippled
and transformed, becoming a large kinkajou. He scurried off, moving as fast as
his now short legs could carry him, quickly disappearing into the undergrowth.
The
other boy quickly slipped out of the mangrove roots and ran in pursuit. He
slipped through the jungle growth and found five kinkajous perched in a tree,
eating figs. He tilted his head to one side, studying the marsupials carefully,
then pointed a grubby finger at one kinkajou. It was much like the others, with
thick golden fur, large round eyes, and a long pink tongue flicking out to find
the ripest figs while its thick tail wrapped around the branch of the tree,
holding it in place. But it was bigger than the others, round and plump, with a
slightly darker shade of fur.
The
kinkajou blinked slowly at the boy on the ground, pointing in its direction,
then its body rippled as it transformed into a slightly overweight, pale pink
flamingo and launched itself from the branch, narrowly missing the boy with its
flapping wings as it struggled to lift its portly body up into the sky.
The
boy giggled and waved his hands before his chest in a complicated pattern. Wind
swirled around his body, creating a vortex of air, leaves and twigs. The
spinning storm lifted him off the ground and carried him in swift pursuit of
the flamingo.
The
flamingo saw him coming, and its body rippled again, this time changing into a
manatee. The manatee plunged from the air into the river with a massive belly
flop before swimming rapidly out of sight. Though the skin of the manatee was a
pale gray, it soon disappeared beneath the murky waters.
The
second boy changed the pattern of his moving hands and the winds fell, dropping
him gracefully out of the sky. He brought his hands together and bent at the
waist, diving into the river in pursuit of the manatee. He held his breath as
he sliced through the water, finding the manatee resting in the shadowy depths.
He poked the manatee in the belly, blew out his breath in a sharp laugh, and
swam powerfully to the surface.
Gasping
for breath, the thin boy waited until the manatee surfaced next to him,
transforming back into the chubby boy.
They
both laughed joyfully. Diego was delightfully happy whenever he was with his
best friend, Paulo.
͠
͠ ͠
Not
that long ago ...
Connor
stood on a barren hill, with sparse prairie grass swirling around his feet. He
looked down on the small town built along the western bank of the Missouri
River. The sign on the road read, "Welcome to Agony. Home of 12,000 friendly
people. And 3 old grouches." Connor was curious about what it would be like to
live in this place called Agony.
In
the air above Agony, a helicopter circled slowly. Xavier, sitting in the
passenger seat, had a chance to survey the town fully before they circled in to
land on a helipad behind a large mansion on the outskirts of the town. He was
pensive, accepting that this was to be his new home, certain it would be no
different than anywhere else he'd been forced to live. As long as he could play
music, Xavier could endure even a husk of a town like Agony.
Miles
away, in Colorado Springs, Daniel heard his parents talking about the oil boom
starting up in North Dakota. His parents were thrilled, anticipating all they could
do with the extra income they would earn there. He ran to his bedroom and
slammed his door in frustration. He was happy where he was, with his friends,
and Daniel didn't want to move to a place called Agony.
Even
further away, in a hotel room in Houston, Texas, Diego sat with his family
around a table looking at a laptop showing a small town huddled next to a river
in the middle of a wind-swept North Dakota prairie. The boy was confused and
worried. He hated leaving their home in Brazil and travelling all the way to
the United States. It was so far. It would be so different. It would be so
miserable being separated from the boy he adored. His grandfather pointed at the
laptop screen and told everyone how they would hide here, safe for a time. Diego
struggled not to cry. What could he possibly hope to find in Agony to replace
all he had had in Raiz Antiga?
͠
͠ ͠
In
the very recent past ...
Xavier
and Connor were the first to discover what it means to be soulbound.
Despite their differences as a vampire and werewolf, they were drawn together. While
sitting in History class, struggling to resist the attraction they felt for one
another, they began to understand that their souls would not be denied. Family
traditions could not prevent their love from igniting. Fighting against it only
made it grow stronger until they gave in to the inevitable. They fell in love,
a secret love they hid from everyone.
Daniel
was the next to fall in love, but his struggle was to decide whom he loved
more: Xavier or Connor. Struggling with the traditions and restrictions imposed
by human society, he couldn't understand that the heart does not choose whom it
loves. When he finally gave in and allowed himself to love both boys, he
discovered how wonderful it is to have your soul bound to other souls for
eternity. In a moment of passion, Connor and Xavier bit Daniel at the same time,
infecting him with both Lycanthropy and Sanguine Vampyrus.
The unexpected result was Daniel became a vaewolf, a
powerful hybrid of the werewolf and vampire.
Unlike
Daniel, Diego had no qualms about falling in love with three boys at once. He
found Daniel charming and fun. Connor was the big brother he never had, protecting
and guarding him. Xavier's fangs scared him at first, but he quickly learned
that the teenage vampire would never hurt him. Together, the three of them
bonded with Diego quickly, for once again their souls found a connection their
minds didn't understand. And to make the bond complete, Diego asked Daniel to
bite him, making him a vaewolf also.
The
most amazing and curious discovery for all four of them wasn't that they could
love each other despite their differences. It was that their differences simply
didn't exist in the loving relationship they now had. When they held each
other, making passionate love, it wasn't a vampire, a werewolf, and two vaewolves ... it was four souls in love. They were never
lonely again, for they communicated telepathically wherever they were, sharing
thoughts of affection and desire. Jealousy never infected their relationship;
the love between them was too powerful, too overwhelming, constantly drawing
them closer together.
Although
they lived in Agony, it was there they found love beyond understanding and
happiness greater than they'd ever imagined possible.
͠
͠ ͠
In
the very near future ...
Daniel
pulled Diego into a tight hug, kissing the boy, desperately trying to convey
how much he loved him. Diego's eyes filled with tears. "Is it really over?"
Diego asked.
Daniel
could only nod his head. He glanced over Diego's shoulder at Xavier and
silently projected a mental question. There are too many of them, aren't
there, Xavier?
Xavier
closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around both Daniel and Diego. I've
never seen so many vampires working together like this. I don't know how Ignatius
did it, but I know it means the end of Agony.
Connor
growled low in his throat. Don't say that, X. Don't ever say that.
The
other three boys turned to look at Connor, who was standing next to the window,
looking out on the practice field next to the high school gymnasium at the dark
shapes moving closer. Connor was anxiously trying to shift from human to
werewolf and becoming more and more agitated when he couldn't transform. He
turned towards the others, his muscular body pale in the scant light coming
through the window, struggling to control his anger. I won't let him win.
Not again. He's killed the last member of my family, and now I kill him.
Please,
Connor, Daniel mentally spoke. Come be with us. We may not have
much more time.
Diego
whimpered and whispered, "Please Connor."
Xavier
held out his hand. Connor, I hate being here too, but we need you with us
right now. We cannot change where Fate has taken us, but we can remember what
sweet Agony it has been to love as we have loved, if only for a short time.
Connor
shook his head. Xavier always had a fancy way of putting things, but then
again, Xavier was right. Connor stared sadly at the other boys, before asking, When
I first saw this town, do you know what I thought?
The
others slowly shook their heads.
Connor
continued, I thought what a stupid idiot it must
have been who named this town Agony. And I wondered how much I would suffer
here. Now I see. Agony has been the place where I found my soulmates, where I
loved like I never thought possible, and where I've seen my love snatched away.
That's true Agony. Loving the three of you and then losing you.
Diego
wept silently as Xavier cuddled him from behind, gently squeezing his
shoulders.
Daniel
walked slowly toward Connor and held out his hands.
Connor
reluctantly took Daniel's hands and swallowed convulsively. "I don't want to
lose you Daniel," Connor whispered. He glanced at Xavier and Diego. "I don't
want to lose any of you. I love you all so much."
Daniel
held Connor's hands, no longer trying to hold back the tears that flowed down
his cheeks. "I don't see any way to stop that now, Connor. We're trapped. Surrounded.
And I don't want to spend my last hours regretting the one thing that has made
my life complete ... loving the three of you."
Daniel's
right, Xavier added. I don't want to lose any of you, but I would
hate to have never found you in the first place. That would have been the real
tragedy.
Diego
pulled Xavier's arms tightly around his body. I'm glad I found you guys. I'm
glad Daniel bit me. I'm glad I'm a vaewolf now. And
I'm glad I'm here, with the three of you, even though I've never been more
scared. Diego held out his hand to Daniel and Connor. "Please. Come
here. We need to be together now. I'm scared, but I'm so glad I'm with you. I
don't want to die, but I need you holding me now so I can face it without being
afraid."
Daniel
and Connor hurried over and all four boys hugged and cried.
I
don't want to give up like this, Connor moaned.
Daniel
slid his hand around to Connor's broad back, slowly stroking the rippled
muscles there, calming the hot-blooded Connor. Daniel's fingers danced up to
the side of Connor's neck, gently stroking the skin.
Connor
tipped his head to the side, pushing back against Daniel's hand, rubbing his
cheek against Daniel's fingers.
Diego
pushed forward into Connor's chest, melting into him.
Xavier
nodded and smiled, reaching up to touch one finger on Connor's lips.
Connor
sobbed softly, pulling all three boys into a hug. I adore you.
None of them had to ask whom he meant. They all knew that the love they shared
included each of them.
They
were soulmates. Soulbound. Connected as one. Connor,
the wild fury that sometimes swept them away. Xavier, the cool wisdom that
guided their path. Daniel, the bold heart that gave them courage every step of
the way. Diego, the daring laughter that sustained them in their journey. All
four, bound in love, forever one.
And
now, with no hope for rescue, they faced their fate together.
It
seemed unfair. To be promised so much and then have it snatched away so soon.
Tilting
his head up slightly, Daniel kissed Connor softly. I adore you too,
Daniel said. Though he was looking at Connor when he said it, Xavier and Diego
felt the unspoken words directed at them as well.
Diego
nuzzled his cheek against Connor's chest as he said, I cherish you all.
Xavier
leaned in, squeezing Diego between them, and said, With
all my heart, I love you three.
A
loud crash sounded in the corridor outside the classroom. They all turned to
face it, no longer crying, no longer afraid.
The
wall next to them seemed to explode, showering them with debris, and the
ceiling collapsed, burying them.
͠ ͠
͠
Daniel sat up, covered in sweat, shaking and
breathing in short, painful gasps.
Lying next to him, Diego awoke and sat up,
patting Daniel on the shoulder. Are you okay, Daniel? Diego
silently asked.
What's wrong? Connor asked as
he rolled over, scrunching his eyes to see what Daniel and Diego were doing.
Sorry, you guys, Daniel
silently apologized. I didn't mean to wake you up.
Xavier chuckled mentally, reaching across
Diego to gently caress Daniel's arm. We're awake now, love, so tell us
what's wrong.
Daniel stared at his hands, clasped together
in his lap. He stuttered slightly as he said, It
was...was another vision. Same... the same as before. The four of us being buried
alive. He glanced nervously at Connor to his right, then turned to look
at Diego and Xavier on his left. And Ignatius was there. Again. Leading
the attack.
The other three boys were silent, lost in
their own thoughts.
Diego sighed and asked, Is that really
our future?
Daniel nodded slowly. My visions always
come to pass.
Conner grunted and said, Then
we had better get our asses in gear.
Nodding, Xavier agreed. Indeed, we have
much to prepare.
The
end of Chapter One of SOULBOUND CLASH
Special thanks to Collan for the helpful suggestions that
added a touch more realism to Xavier's recital at Juilliards.
Pedibus nostris firmiter insita re, adsurgat nostra phantasia volatus!