《Legend of the Virgin Wizard》 Prologue ¡ªLust. One of many characteristics that mankind shares with many other species on this vast earth. However in the case of humans it can be argued that this plays a major role in the advancement of our species as a whole. The lust for power, the lust for war, the lust for progression. These are but sparse examples of human lust. Although, through evolution and the development of a generally more sophisticated form of social communication. Human beings have subconsciously steered away from the blatant exposure of the root desire, and topic at hand. One of the most primal instincts embedded into the DNA of all living animals¡ª That¡¯s right; sex. Our lust stems from the innocent desire to attract the opposite gender, with this single goal in mind. Fancy cars, expensive clothes, large mansions: These are all but the human equivalent of say; a male peacock ostentatiously fanning his elaborately patterned tail, or a male baboon gesticulating his ferociously red buttocks. All to attract a suitable partner. As embarrassing as it may be to think, both you and I are a direct result of this instinct. Still, with this noted desire that we share in common with other fellow beings on earth; we humans practice something that only a select few species on this planet do. And that is the practice of monogamy. The ritual of courting a desired partner through various means. The deepening of an emotional connection between two human beings; Romance. One of many social habits that we as humans have developed over the millenia. With this being said, we hold a particular interest in this ritual. Not for the end ¡°result¡± per se, however the story that is told throughout. As the saying goes: ¡°The journey is the reward¡±. We idealise the stories of those in love. Even going so far as to record some of the greatest love stories in the very fabrics of history. Romeo and Juliet, Jack and Rose, Allie and Noah. it doesn¡¯t matter if these stories are fact or fabrication, what matters is the journey of the two involved. Why? Perhaps to replicate ideas of courting one could not have perceived otherwise, or perhaps to observe and learn of the intricacies for the fickle trail of love that many have traversed before. Or maybe, just maybe, they are one of the few people of our kind that do not possess the courting skills or fortune to find their soulmate. The ones that experience love through others romantic triumphs. The losers. Unfortunate as it may be, there are many who have lived and died before finding that connection with another. However all is not lost, there is still hope for those few. Have you heard of the red string of fate? ?? ?? ?? ¡°CONGRATULATIONS!!!¡± Words of praise and cheer are exchanged throughout the small, brightly lit, maze like office that holds a slight bit of exhaustion in the atmosphere. This office is the worksite of a small scale video game development company. And in this moment they have just completed their largest project to date. As workers are migrating from cubicle to cubicle, everyone is joyously conversing amongst each other. Everyone except ¡ª ¡°Ahhh, geez! I don¡¯t think my heart can take too much more of this.¡± These words of fatigue escaped the mouth of a fairly young looking man, with an unkempt appearance: He was tall and slim, his skin light-brown, with warm reddish-orange undertones. Ruffled hair, five o¡¯ clock shadow, and deep bags underneath his eyes; that even the large frames of his glasses couldn¡¯t hide, as they sit crookedly on his sunken face. Giving the overall impression that he has been without sleep for several days. With a deep exhale he slowly sinks into his chair, and calmly collapses his head into his folded arms resting on the desk. ¡°YO, ARJUN!!!¡± A hardy boisterous voice resonates, as a large shadow looms over him from the cubicle directly across. Without looking up for any facial recognition, as if identified by voice alone; the young man replies in a partly annoyed tone¡ª ¡°What¡¯d YOU want Old Man¡¯¡­?¡± Towering in front of him is a rather large, well built man with a small curly afro; showcasing a wide smile across his face, that exhibits similar features of fatigue that others present in this tiny office also share. ¡°Ouch! Touchy, touchy! I was only joking.¡± ¡°Well whose fault is it? Work is the last thing anyone wants to be doing on their so called birthday.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m here!!!¡± The large man says this as he reaches across to pat him on the back. ¡°A few of us are going out for some drinks to celebrate. You don¡¯t usually come out, but today is like killing two birds with one stone, right? With it being your birthday and all!.¡± The young man peeks his bloodshot eyes from beneath his still folded arms in interest. The large man continues¡ª ¡°It¡¯s not everyday you turn¡ª¡± The large man pauses, and proceeds to count his fingers on both hands.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Twenty-four?¡± ¡°Thirty damn it!¡± The young man angrily retorts this number. ¡ªThat¡¯s right, although he has the appearance of someone in their early twenties, this is in fact the night of his thirtieth birthday. Now, it¡¯s time for a proper introduction¡ª Arjun Ianni, a genius level video game programmer. Failure with women, socially awkward, and a video game zombie. But above all else¡ªA virgin¡ª A loser. ?????? Have you heard of the red string of fate? The belief that everyone has a soulmate awaiting them on the opposite ends of a string attached to one''s little finger. A piercing red string that bypasses time and space, and connects two souls, destined to be together. Quite possibly the same article that brought forth the unison of star crossed lovers and the like. This string created of miracles and hope¡ª ¡ªThe red string of fate¡ª ?????? White. White as far as the eyes can see. The synchronized ticking of numerous clocks reverberate through the air, as his consciousness slowly wanders awake. This pure white room feels foreign, but somehow familiar. How did he get here? Where is here? Last he could remember, he was out drinking with coworkers but now¡­ He can see clearly, yet he felt as though his eyes are sewn shut. His spoken words only come out as echoing thoughts. And his body feels as though it is a part of the room itself, hidden somewhere amongst the blinding white. As his mind starts to race for answers, he feels a second presence¡ª ¡°...A...guest¡­¡± Standing before him, as if present all the while, stood a beautiful young girl. Eyes closed shut, with pale pasty skin, and long flowing silver hair. Hair so long that it goes on far enough to give the illusion of being one and the same of the white abyss that is this very room. ¡°...¡± Arjun tries to speak, however not a syllable can cross his lips as he tries to speak to the mysterious girl. As if she could hear his very thoughts, she responds¡ª ¡°Your mind...is here...yet your body¡ª¡± Without allowing him time to process her words, she continues. ¡°If...you are here...with me...you must be¡ª¡± The young girl slowly moves towards him however, something is off¡ª She¡¯s...floating! Nowhere in this brilliant white room was there anything that could possibly be considered a ground to be seen, and yet¡ª Currently witnessing a spectacle that most would imagine belonged to a B-Rated supernatural movie, his heart starts to hammer faster and faster with each inch she pulls near. *SNIFF* *SNIFF* Resembling a bloodhound searching for its wounded game, she circles him while delicately sniffing the surrounding air. She pauses and opens her mouth to speak once more¡ª ¡°I knew it...you¡¯re...just like me...!¡± A faint smile creeps across her face, as she begins to dance merrily in the air. After a few laps, he upbeat tempo began to gradually die out. As she makes her way back in front of the young man she wears a noticeably perplexed expression on her face. ¡°But...you are¡­ a man¡­¡± She presses her two pointer fingers against her temples and begins massaging them, as she slips into deep thought. After a few moments pass, she snaps her head upright and quickly slams her fisted right hand into the palm of her left. And speaking in a matter of fact tone she comes to a conclusion. ¡°Might you be...what...they call...a cherry boy...?!¡± The statement flustered the young man, however true it may be. Still unable to vocalize his emotions, she adds. ¡°What...exactly...is going on...in there¡­?¡± As she raises this question, the echoing gongs of numerous clocks could be heard resonating throughout the seemingly infinite stretches of the room. ¡°Seems...that¡¯s all...the time...we have¡­for now...¡± She speaks this with a dejected look on her face. She hovers closer, aligning her face with his and stares at him momentarily. She lets out a quiet chuckle, grabs him by the face, and kisses him. For the first time since waking in this room, the young man''s eyes jolt open and are frozen in surprise. As she continues to kiss him, he can feel a powerful energy flowing into his body. The same body that he was unclear even existed moments ago, was now brightly glowing a kaleidoscope of colors. The girl pulls back and ends the kiss, in awe¡ª ¡°Such...pretty colors¡­!¡± The young man stares at the girl, as she stands mesmerized by the colorful exhibition of light his body is currently exuding. And¡ª ¡°You¡ª¡± Finally, after what feels like an eternity he was able to speak once more. However amongst all of the things he could think to say, was¡­ ¡°...Beautiful¡­¡± This word snapped the girl back to reality as he continued¡ª ¡°Who...are...you?¡± The girl once again dances around joyously, while cheerfully humming to the ongoing gongs sounding in the distance. She abruptly comes to a stop in front of the young man once more. However now, unlike before, her eyes are wide open. But where there should be an iris and pupil, were only the cryptic turning of multiple gears and cogs; mirroring the inner mechanics of an old clock, that rotated along precisely to the echoes of Tick-Tock. ¡°I...am Elka...the virgin witch. I reside here...in the outer confides of¡ª¡± One final deafening and resounding gong fills the space, and all of the clatter halts as if on cue. ¡°I¡¯m sure...you will learn¡­¡± As Elka speaks these words, the room begins to warp. Bending and twisting in a spiraling behavior. As the once vivid white room warps around the two, the young man begins to lose consciousness. ¡°See you...again¡ª¡° The last words Elka spoke were muffled and distorted, as his mind finally gives, and drifts off into the darkness. ?????? And so begins a story, of two souls connected by this unforgiving string. Two individuals who are not separated by distance, social status, or cultural differences. However two lovers separated by time itself. A love that may not make it to the archives of history, but one that will stand the test of time in its own right. With this, the wheels of fate have begun to turn. Chapter 1 Long ago, in a time where magic and mythical beasts were commonplace, occurred a war. A war between two factions: The Witches, young women who suddenly and inexplicably possessed the ability to manipulate the earth''s life force and the life force of any living creature around them, through a phenomenon simply known as magic. And the Knights Crusade, remnants of the Templar knights once in search for the Holy Grail, whose sole purpose now is to serve and carry out the orders of the current Grand Master and protect the people of the land from the Witches. This war is known as the Thousand Year War. The precise cause of the war has been long since forgotten, but still they fight. Knights hunting witches and witches killing knights. This dreadful cycle played its way throughout the years of the war, until two individuals, one from each side of the war finally met¡ª ?????? ¡°See you...again¡ª¡± These words echo from the direction of a glowing white silhouette. ¡°Wait...WAAIIITTTT!!!¡± Arjuns desperate screams resound as he extends his left hand out, in an attempt to grasp the fleeting image. The dark space slowly lights up from the intensely radiating white figure, until the entire area is completely engulfed in light¡ª *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* The deafening blare of an annoyingly functional alarm clock fills Arjuns ears, as he opens his eyes to a bedroom drowned in sun rays; that are flooding in through the open curtains. ¡°Grah...damn it.¡± Arjun grumbles as he¡¯s lying on his back. He notices that his left hand is outstretched for some reason, but even more so, he notices that his vision is hazy. ¡°Ahh, my glasses. I need my glasses.¡± He continues to mutter to himself as he repositions his left arm to rest on his chest and reaches his right arm off to the side, to grab his glasses; which are normally placed on his nightstand. ¡°...Hm?¡± Calmly navigating his hand around the area that his nightstand should be, he feels¡ªnothing. ¡°What the¡ª¡± Frustrated Arjun begins to thrash his hand around like a mad man until he finally gives in. He sits up and leans his head over to take a closer look. As he dose, he feels something slowly slipping off the sides of his face. Suddenly his sight becomes clearer, and after a brief pause of silence he hears a familiar clacking sound as the object hits the hardwood floor beneath. Looking down he notices his glasses on the floor, but something was off. They appeared far away; REALLY far away. Perhaps my eyes are fooling me. He frantically flings off the blanket covering his lower body and begins to roll out of bed.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. After slinging the covers off of himself he notices¡ª he¡¯s currently floating several feet above his bed. As he begins to panic, squirming around in strange ways he feels his body get heavier, and quickly plummets to his bed with a loud¡ª *CRASH*. He lands face first onto the floor, while the lower half of his body is uncomfortably sprawled over the bed. *SLAM* The door to Arjuns bedroom is violently slammed open, and emerging through it, at a blinding speed is a tall and fit woman with spiky hair that is held back into a ponytail, sporting an evidently pissed off attitude. ¡°WHAT¡¯S WITH ALL THE DAMN NOISE!!!¡± The woman ironically booms these words much louder than the events that led to this uproar. ¡°N-Nori?!¡± He nervously butchers her name as he quickly ponders various ways to calm her down. However Arjun notices that Nori¡¯s gaze is no longer fixed on him, however the bed behind him. ¡°...mmm.¡± A supple voice suffuses his ears, as he slowly turns around. To his surprise he sees a comely young woman resting on his bed. She wakes up and slowly rises to an upright position while sluggishly rubbing her almond eyes. The mysterious woman has long, unkempt pale blue hair that gleams sharply in the beaming rays of light, and golden-brown eyes that pierce through the same light radiating from the punishing sun. As he ogles her boundless beauty, his head is suddenly whipped forward as Nori grabs him by the collar of his shirt and begins to violently shake him. ¡°AND JUST WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU PLANNING ON DOING TO THIS POOR INNOCENT GIRL SO EARLY IN THE MORNING, HMMMM?!?!?¡± And in the same breath, without permitting him a chance to properly answer¡ª ¡°AT LEAST TURN OFF THE DAMN ALARM BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO GO TO POUND TOWN WITH SOME RANDO!!!!!¡± She barks these words while pointing in the direction of the noisy culprit, while simultaneously shaking him with her other. Arjun jesters his hands in a forfeiting manner. ¡°I-I get it! I get it!¡± He reaches over and finally silences the ongoing alarm. ¡°Geez, at least let me know when you decide to bring someone over. You need to try to get it through your thick skull that you¡¯re not the only one in this house anymore; got it?¡± She calmly says this, as if she weren¡¯t the spitting image of an irate gorilla just moments before. Nori slowly her crocodile grip, cuffing Arjun into a headlock as she pulls him in closer. ¡°So? Did you do it?¡± She motions her hand in a sexually inappropriate way. ¡°OF COURSE NOT!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me, you were so out of it last night that your handsome afro buddy had to lug you all the way back here.¡± ¡°Huh, the old man did?¡± Arjun folds his arms and tries to recall last nights events. He remembers wrapping up the companies latest project, going out for drinks and¡ª ¡°A GIRL!¡± He lets his thoughts slip as he turns around to check on the stranger as she sits silently on his bed. No matter how he slices it, he just can¡¯t recall ever bringing home a woman yet alone such a beauty. *SIGH* ¡°Well, whatever.¡± Nori slowly stands up in disappointment, reaching both hands to the ceiling for a nice stretch. Turning towards the door to walk away. ¡°And here I thought my nerd of a cousin finally lost his V-Card.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth and get the hell out of my room.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Just remember that your dear cousin has classes in a few hours so you two love birds quite down wouldja.¡± *SHUT* ¡°Man, what a pain.¡± Arjun rolls his head onto his bed and stares up at the mute woman. ¡°Soooo, what¡¯s your name exactly?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes widened, now showing a bit of life to them and she replies with a beaming smile¡ª ¡°My name is Seri!¡± Arjun pushes himself to his feet, and screams in shock¡ª ¡°WHAT THE HELL, YOU CAN TALK! WHY THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN SILENT THIS ENTIRE TIME?!¡± *THUMP* ¡°SHUT THE HELL UP!!!¡± Nori can be heard screaming from the other side of the wall, after apparently throwing something in anger. However Arjun is too distracted by this revelation to notice. Seri blushes, and coyly replies: ¡°W-well it¡¯s just that so much happened so fast that I couldn¡¯t keep up, haha...¡± ¡°Hah, well listen here...Seri(?), it¡¯s about time for you to leave here. I¡¯m not entirely sure how we ended up together last night but one thing I can determine for certain¡ª¡± Arjun inhales sharply, taking a deep breath. ¡°We did NOT, under any circumstances have s-s-s¡ª¡± His face turns beet red as he rushes to cover his blushing face like an embarrassed high school girl in front of her crush: ¡°WE DEFINITELY DIDN¡¯T HAVE SEX LAST NIGHT, OKAY!!!¡± After a long silence, Arjun senses a change in atmosphere and peaks through his fingers to gauge Seri¡¯s reaction. As he glances at Seri who now dons an intensely stern expression she mutters. ¡°I can¡¯t...do that...¡± ¡°And why exactly is that?¡± He feels a chill go down his spine as Seri¡¯s gaze pierced through his very existence. As she coldly replies. ¡°...If I leave your side now, you will surely die...¡± Chapter 2 - Familiar Pt 1 Arjun inbreathes and begins to slowly break into a cold sweat, while his heart sinks from his chest. Even though he just met this strange woman, for some reason, deep down, he could sense that what she just said was most likely the truth. Even still, he can¡¯t quite fool himself into believing such a tall tale from a complete stranger. ¡°S-Stop joking around.¡± Arjun wryly responds, in an attempt to shake off the tension surrounding the two. However the serious yet somber look on Seri¡¯s face does not diminish. *RING* *RING* *RING* A cold shiver runs up Arjun¡¯s spine as his phone rings aloud, equally surprising the two of them. He cautiously answers the phone. *BEEP* ¡°He-hello?¡± ¡°Yo, Arjun!¡± ¡°O-o-old man! What¡¯s up?¡± He was relieved to hear a familiar voice but even more so, to have been momentarily saved from the ponderous atmosphere he was just experiencing. ¡°Just checkin¡¯ up on ya after last night is all.¡± ¡°I-oh, yea. I¡¯m still a little hungover but other than that I¡¯m fine. Thanks for helping me out last night also.¡± ¡°No problem! But you really should learn to hold your alcohol better¡ª¡± *BAHAHAHA* The old man''s signature boisterous laugh could be heard blasting through the phone. Which, causes even Seri who is in ear shot, to wince in pain. ¡°Oh yea, by the way.¡± Arjun interrupts. ¡°Was there perhaps a girl that tagged along with us last night?¡± ¡°A girl?¡± He pauses. ¡°NO WAY! AS IF YOU¡¯D GET THAT LUCKY¡ª¡± *BAHAHAHAHA* Arjun is now visibly annoyed. ¡°...I¡¯m hanging up now...¡± ¡°Wai-wait a sec kiddo! Another reason I called was to give you the day off. Figured you¡¯d need it after pulling off all those all nighters.¡± ¡°Gee, thanks.¡± He dryly responds. ¡°Oh, yea. One more thing.¡± The old man''s voice was suddenly uncharacteristically serious. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Put in a good word with that cousin of¡ª!¡± ¡°NO-WAY-IN-HELL!¡± *BEEP* Arjun swiftly hangs up the phone, still annoyed from the conversation. ¡°Ummm...¡± Seri hums under her breath to grab Arjun¡¯s attention, snapping him back to his reality before the phone call. ¡°Ah, what¡¯s up?¡± *GROWL* A nightmarishly chasmic sound echoes from Seri¡¯s stomach, while she frowns in embarrassment. ¡°I gotcha. I¡¯ll cook us up a meal but, in exchange, you have to fill me in on the details of whatever is going on, okay?¡± She zealously nods her head in agreement while impatiently pursing her lips in anticipation. A faint smile slides across Arjun¡¯s face, as he reaches over and flicks her on the forehead. *THUMP* ¡°...uhhhh¡­¡± She holds her forehead and lowly moans as Arjun slowly stands and exits the room. Without his knowledge Seri closely followed behind. Continuing toward the kitchen, while in the hallway he can hear Nori¡¯s beastly snoring penetrating through the walls. ¡®Heh, Snori-Nori.¡¯If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He creepily chuckles to himself in delight while relishing his own terrible pun. Once in the kitchen Arjun makes his way to the fridge only to find that it¡¯s been whipped completely clean. This was definitely the work of the worlds worst cousin no doubt. Even though she¡¯s only eighteen she has the appetite of three large-sized adult men. In fact where does she even hide it all? *GROWL* A thunderous growl fills the kitchen. All the while, Arjun turns completely pale from the shock. He slowly turns around only to finally notice Suri has followed him to this point. ¡°WHAT THE HELL¡ª¡± Arjun quickly silences himself, in order to not wake the sleeping gorilla down the hall. The last thing he wants right now is for her to come rampaging again. There¡¯s no way it could end well a second time. ¡°Y-y-you nearly gave me a heart attack!¡± Seri is squatting over, inches behind Arjun, gawping intently into the desolate fridge. Seeming to completely ignore his irascible disposition. ¡°There¡¯s no food?¡± She says woefully, while nibbling on her left index finger as if imagining it to be a toothsome snack. ¡°Seems that way...¡± Arjun replies with a piteous sigh. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to do a bit of shopping.¡± Siri looks at Arjun with guileless innocence sparkling in her golden eyes. Swaying Arjun¡¯s virgin heart, which isn¡¯t used to such an attack. ¡°Okay. You can come along.¡± He replies begrudgingly. They exit the kitchen and make they¡¯re way to the front door that leads outside. After tossing on his shoes, Arjun looks at Seri¡¯s still bare feet. ¡°Uhhh, where are your shoes?¡± Seri tilts her head in confusion and replies in an unaffected tone. ¡°...Shoes?¡± Arjun looks around the foyer but can¡¯t seem to find an additional pair of shoes, aside from Nori¡¯s run down workout sneakers. And he let¡¯s escape an all too familiar¡ª *SIGH* ¡°On second thought, you stay here. I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± Arjun turns for the door but a sudden thought strikes him. ¡®Why exactly am I being so familiar with a stranger? I mean, she¡¯s hot and all but this could totally be some warped case of breaking and entering; right?¡¯ He lulls over this thought for a moment and turns back to Seri. ¡°...Please don¡¯t do anything shady while I¡¯m gone. I beg you.¡± With these words, he turns back to the door and exits the house. ?????? After an approximate fifteen minute walk, Arjun finally arrives at the shopping center. ¡®As usual this area is overwhelmingly crowded.¡¯ However, fortunately for him, he lives well within the heart of Santa Lupe. One of the most bustling metropolis in the country, that is well known for its edge in technological marvels and innovations as well as having a large influence in the world of fashion. So needless to say, mundane tasks such as this are no big matter. In no time at all Arjun is able to acquire the groceries he set off to get. ¡®Let¡¯s see...Steak, cheese, potatoes, cereal¡ª¡¯ He exits the grocery store lost in thought, as he mentally goes over the assorted food items, stacked neatly in the bags he¡¯s carrying in both hands. ¡°Nice, seems like I have everything.¡± Content with his haul, Arjun smilingly strolls through the city continuing his way home. While walking, he is momentarily distracted as he passes by a clothing store, that is advertising a substantial range of female footwear. From the popular Dr. Martins combat boots to the newest athletic shoes, this place clearly had it all. He thinks back to Seri¡¯s bare feet and Nori¡¯s worn down shoes. ¡®Hmmm, maybe I could splurge a little.¡¯ Still deep in thought Arjun is abruptly stopped, as he feels a small figure bump into his chest. *BUMP* ¡°Oi, watch it!¡± A sweet and angelic voice, albeit one with a very harsh tone of speaking can be heard as he focuses his sights back in front of him. Beneath him stood a woman of below average stature. Wearing an oversized, lite-pink, shoulderless sweatshirt; coupled with black leggings and the exact same boots that are currently on display. With her platinum-blonde shoulder length hair pulled into a stylish bun and sharp rose-red eyes that were beaming up at him, even Arjun could tell that this woman was definitely looking down on him. Unable to weather her harsh gaze any longer, Arjun breaks the intense silence. ¡°Uhhh, s-sorry about that. I wasn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s strange. I could¡¯ve sworn the scent came from this area.¡± The woman mumbles to herself, interrupting Arjun¡¯s apology. As pretty as she may be, he definitely sensed a strange vibe coming from her. Something telling him, that he should definitely keep his distance from yet another weird woman. ¡°Ummm, well I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± As he begins to walk past, she grabs him by the sleeve stopping him in his tracks once more. ¡°Hey, you, Boy.¡± ¡°M-me?¡± Arjun stutters over his own question while pointing blankly at himself. No matter how anyone looked at it, he¡¯s clearly much older than she is, so¡ª ¡®What¡¯s with the Boy?¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡°Have you been in contact with any strange women recently?¡± ¡°Geh!¡± He is caught completely off guard by such an invasive question, however he is still manages to keep his poker face. ¡®How the hell could she possibly know something like that?¡¯ ¡®Could it be that she¡¯s possibly connected to Seri somehow?¡¯ ¡°Wh-who knows?¡± Arjun lightly scratches his chin, and avoids direct eye contact, as he feigns ignorance. ¡°Don¡¯t play daft with me. You¡¯re life may depend on it.¡± She whisks him by the collar and pulls him closer. Arjun acutely begins to blush from embarrassment. Needless to say, as a virgin with no experience with women, this is the closest that his face has ever come to one. Especially one as pretty as her. *SNIFF* *SNIFF* ¡°You definitely have it¡­the scent of a witch.¡± She calmly releases her grip after she speaks. ¡°W-witch?.¡± *BA BUMP* *BA BUMP* *BA BUMP* ¡®What the hell IS this feeling?¡¯ Arjun¡¯s chest suddenly tightens, as his heart begins to beat sporadically. ¡°Well in any case, I¡¯d lock myself away until the scent fades, but that¡¯s just my advice.¡± She says shrugging. ¡°You can run off and die for all I care.¡± With those cold parting words, she slowly walks away. ¡°What the hell was that just now?¡± Throughout the remainder of his walk home, Arjuns heart continued to race erratically. Chapter 3 - Familiar Pt 2 After more than an hour of being away, Arjun finally makes it back home where upon entering, he sees Seri laying in front of the door way. ¡°Come on now. There¡¯s no way you can be THIS hungry.¡± He chuckles, as he says this in a nonchalant manner. *PANT* *PANT* He hears pained breathing coming from Seri as she lays motionlessly on the cold floor. A chill overcomes his body, as he kneels over to inspect her closer. He notices Seri clenching her chest. Arjun still doesn¡¯t completely grasp the situation, but he knows he can¡¯t just let her lay there. ¡®Think! Think damn it!¡¯ Suddenly an idea strikes him. In movies and television shows, situations like this usually call for CPR. Also known as¡ª ¡®Mouth to mouth¡­¡¯ Arjun nervously licks his lips, as his thoughts are stalled on these three words. And rightfully so. Here stood quite possibly, the world''s most inexperienced virgin. Yet in this moment, he finally has an opportunity to kiss a girl. *SMACK* *SMACK* ¡®No, no, no. Get your head out of the gutter Arj, her life may depend on this.¡¯ After a stern pep talk and well deserved slaps to his face, Arjun snaps out of his delusions. He nervously gulps as he pulls back the thin tee shirt that Seri is wearing. Placing his hands on the center of her chest, he noticed that her skin felt cold and clammy to the touch, possibly due to the excessive sweating. ¡°...Gar...eth¡­¡± After Seri whispers someone¡¯s name under her breath, Arjun looks up to find her hazily gazing at him. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± He is relieved to see her conscious, albeit a bit disappointed for some reason. She extends her right arm and cups the side of his face. She weakly pulls herself up and aligns her face with his, and kisses him. Confounded, Arjun¡¯s face slowly begins to warm. As the kiss continues, he feels an eerily familiar spark of energy surge throughout his body. *AHEM* The moment is suddenly interrupted by Nori¡¯s obnoxious throat clearing, apparently meant to alert the two of her presence. ¡°If you two are done, I really should be getting to class now.¡± She speaks in a clearly irked tone. Surprised, Arjun expeditiously pulls away from Seri, and tries to explain to Nori the circumstances. ¡°Ah! Th-This isn¡¯t what you think!¡± He unconfidently continues, as her arctic gaze beats down on him. ¡°I-I-I know! If you don¡¯t mind waiting a bit, I was just about to make breakfast¡ª¡± Arjun utters while stumbling to his feet. ¡°No thanks. Move it!¡± Nori forcefully pushes Arjun out of the way glaring at him as she passes by. ¡°Pervert¡­¡± she grumbles under her breath. And just like that she exits the apartment. *SIGH* ¡°...I¡¯m sure she definitely has the wrong idea...¡± Arjun peeps down at Seri, who now looks visibly healthier than she did moments ago. Still concerned he reaches his hand out to help her onto her feet. ¡°Feeling better?¡± ¡°Much!¡± She quips cutely, as a smile appears on her face. After helping her up, Arjun leads her into the kitchen where he prepares breakfast with prodigious speed and flare, until his signature steak, egg, and hash brown omelet was complete. All the while Seri watched in amazement whilst drooling at the mouth. The two sit next to each other at the dining table and begin to eat in silence, until Arjun addresses the elephant in the room. ¡°So, what exactly happened to you while I was away?¡± ¡°A form of separation anxiety, perhaps?¡± She replies unsurely, while wolfing down her omelet. After swiftly waxing off the remainder of her food, she continues. ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. No?¡± She looks at Arjun and pauses. ¡°... ¡®If I leave your side now, you will surely die¡¯...¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Seri cryptically quotes herself. He definitely remembers those chilling words, however¡ª ¡°You did say that but what exactly does that have to do with your attack just now?¡± ¡°Hmmm, maybe saying that was a bit too vague.¡± Seri loses herself in thought as she formulates an appropriate response. ¡°The thing is, we are connected.¡± She continues to speak while gently placing her hand onto Arjun¡¯s chest. ¡°Think of it this way. If there is one soul shared between two vessels and either vessel is separated from the other, the shared soul will begin to weaken and flicker out.¡± Judging by the gleeful look on her face, she clearly feels content with her explanation. However, Arjun is skeptical to believe such a farfetched story that sounds like it comes straight out of a clich¨¦ fantasy plot. Nevertheless, he begins to think back on his walk to the store recalling his irregular heartbeat, that somehow seemed to steady the closer he got to home. Or is it the closer he got to Seri? ¡°S-Suppose I decide to believe this story, then what?¡± ¡°¡­. Hmmm, and then¡­.¡± After a long pause she continues. ¡°...What was it...again...?¡± ¡®This girl is definitely clueless¡¯. Realizing this will get him nowhere, he decides to give up on this line of questioning. ¡°Well can you at least get going now? I¡¯d really like to take a nap.¡± Arjun, now outwardly displaying his disdain toward Seri, yawns lazily. However, looking over at her, he finds that she is happily sleeping after her meal. *SIGH* ¡°She¡¯s like a stray animal, huh.¡± Arjun proceeds to pick up the peacefully sleeping Seri, and carries her to the couch in the living room. Draping her in covers, he then departs for his room to indulge in a little sleep of his own. For some reason or another he feels completely exhausted, ever since that kiss he shared with Seri. ?? ?? ?? ¡°TRAITOR!¡± This word is being chanted by a mob of angry spectators crowded in the streets. The smell of blood fills the air as Arjun is bound by unknown means, looking helplessly at the cobbled ground beneath him, as he slowly gains consciousness. ¡®Where am I...¡¯ To Arjun, this all feels so familiar, but almost like an out of body experience, or perhaps d¨¦ja vu? ¡°******, you have been found guilty of treason, betraying your fellow knights for the hand of that of a witch. How do you plea?¡± ¡®******? That name somehow sounds familiar.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯ve heard the stories, you know the truth. I just beg that my execution be the end of this war.¡± Arjun speaks these words verbatim responding to the juror. Although it doesn¡¯t feel like he himself spoke these words. ¡°Very well then.¡± The juror raises his hand, signaling the executioner to release the guillotine. *SLAM* ?? ?? ?? *COUGH* *COUGH* *WHEEZE* *WHEEZE* Arjun snaps from his nightmare coughing and wheezing while grasping for his neck. His panic wakes Seri, who was asleep beside him apparently sneaking into his bed sometime throughout the day. Still gasping for air, Arjun jolts out of bed towards the window opening it to let fresh air into the room. As his coughing ceases, he takes in the crisp night air as his vision adjusts to the dark. While peering out of the window, everything appears much darker than normal and he sees something staring back at him. A large, deep-yellow, orb like object that is decorated with several swirling black¡ªirises? ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯ Before he could properly analyze what he was seeing, Arjun is grabbed by large finger like appendages that are barbed with a thick layer of shell like skin. The large limbs shred through his flesh as he is grabbed, and quickly flung out the window, violently landing him outside of his apartment complex upon impact. *COUGH* *KHAK* Coughing up blood, he tries to gain his bearings. Once he does he looks up to the second story window that he was just thrown from, catching view of a lumbering creature crawling on the side of the building. To Arjun the closest thing he could compare the creature to was one of those face hugging aliens from a certain sci-fi movie he currently can¡¯t recall although, covered in a barbed black exoskeleton. While he is looks on in horror, the creature¡¯s large yellow eye plunges through its exoskeleton relocating itself onto its back, now looking right at Arjun. Terrified, he tries to make a run for it, before feeling an overwhelming pain, hammering throughout his arm. He looks down at his right arm, only to realize it has been completely severed, with a copious amount of blood streaming from the open wound. ¡°GYAAAHHHHHH!¡± He drops to his knees screaming in agony, before a small flash of light briefly surrounds his injured arm. ¡°Red Magic: Healing Factor.¡± The blood spewing from his arm suddenly stops as the pain also subsides. ¡°I knew it would be worthwhile to follow you.¡± Arjun turns around to face the source of the voice, only to find it belongs to the harsh angel voiced woman he ran into earlier. ¡°Y-you?¡± Too faint to say anything due to the amount of blood he¡¯s lost, Arjun watches as the woman walks towards him. ¡°Red Magic: Gravity Up.¡± The creature is suddenly struck by a blinding fast attack that sends it slamming to the ground beneath. Forming a large dust cloud and scattering debris throughout the area. After the clouds settle the monster creakily gets back up in an eerie fashion. ¡°You¡¯re a tough bastard, huh.¡± She fixes her attention to Arjun. ¡°We have to find an open area, otherwise I can¡¯t go all out without bringing down a house or two.¡± He thinks of nearby places to go with the fewest people at this hour and concludes¡ª ¡°There¡¯s a park a couple blocks from here.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± She reaches out her hand signaling Arjun to grab it. He stares at her hand and realizes. Even at this age he¡¯s never held a girl¡¯s hand, but why does it have to be now of all times. It¡¯s almost like he¡¯s the damsel in distress. ¡°Fine then die here, see if I care.¡± She pulls her hand back. ¡°Wait a minute, I get it!¡± He snatches her hand firmly in his as she smirks deviously. ¡°Hold on tight!¡± After grabbing her hand he feels a slight jerking movement and in the blink of an eye his vision is filled with a very familiar view of the park that he mentioned earlier. An old swing set, a slide that twists, and not to mention that old decrepit jungle gym. This is definitely the park he just mentioned, but how. It should¡¯ve taken at least two minutes even if we ran. ¡°Hey, now''s not the time to get lost in thought. You could seriously get eaten by that thing you know.¡± ¡°EATEN!¡± A strange roaring sound can be heard fluttering somewhere in the sky. *BOOM* The monster comes crashing to the ground, landing right in front of the myster woman. *WHISTLE* ¡°It seems pissed off, if you don¡¯t want to die I suggest you hide somewhere.¡± ¡®Hide somewhere? Easier said than done!¡¯ Scanning the area Arjun realizes that the only place that would provide any form of shelter is the decrepit jungle gym. As he safely makes it to the jungle gym, the woman pulls out her jet black pearl earrings and throws them to the ground. In a large flash, a black winged dragon like beast appears where her earrings once were. ¡®What the hell is that thing?¡¯ ¡°Boston.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡®It can talk!¡¯ ¡°Support me from above.¡± ¡°As you wish, ma¡¯am.¡± The black creature mimics a bow to its master and takes flight, where suddenly a bombardment of precise explosions rattles the giant creature. The creature is clearly being over powered by the insane team work between the woman and her winged partner. ¡®Maybe I just might make it out of this alive thanks to her.¡¯ No sooner than Arjun hopes of survival go up, the creature avoids one of the woman¡¯s attacks and comes sprinting right at him. *CHE* ¡°Damn it, I told you to hide!¡± Now standing in front of the jungle gym the monster swats the frail structure away, like it were made of cardboard. Suddenly it¡¯s yellow core splits in half to expose a gnarly mouth with dozens of rows of razor sharp teeth and a long purple tongue. Arjun stands paralyzed in fear. ¡°This can¡¯t be real.¡± Sensing these are possibly his final moments Arjun closes his eyes to accept his fate. Chapter 4 - Familiar Pt 3 An outlandish THUNG, bleeds into the air as a radiant flash of light engulfs Arjun¡¯s view. The creature makes contact with the light, but is repelled with extraordinary force, as a silhouette gradually takes shape whilst the light fades. Standing before him, with her arms held out in front of her, deflecting the creatures attack, is Seri. Inches in front of her hands, is a strange barrier of sorts. It has a translucent blue hue and is made up of several hexagonal shapes. Almost like the kind of thing you¡¯d find in a video game or some other fantastical work of fiction. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Seri asks, as she turns to Arjun. The moonlight loosely hugs her figure, creating an image that Arjun couldn¡¯t help but compare to an angel, as she stretches one hand out toward him. Muddled, the woman asks herself. ¡°Who the hell is that?¡± She continues. ¡°Another witch?¡± The monster scrambles back onto its feet, bellowing deeply as it lunges towards Seri and Arjun. While still in mid action, a booming SCREECH can be heard echoing from the sky, as Boston swoops in, attacking the monster, knocking it from its path. ¡°Wha¡ªHow¡¯d you get here?¡± Arjun questions Seri in bewilderment. ¡°I sensed that...you were in...danger...¡± Seri¡¯s words begin to trail, as she slowly lowers her eyes to Arjun¡¯s glaring wound. ¡°...Your arm¡­?¡± Arjun glances down at his missing arm. ¡°It¡ªIt¡¯s not that bad see¡ª¡± He lifts his limb, and begins to wave it in the air. ¡°There¡¯s no pain at all anymore.¡± He gives voice to this, speaking in a reassured tone. ¡°That girl really helped me out somehow, so try not to worry too much.¡± He forces a smile across his face, directing it to Seri as he finally grabs hold of her hand¡ª BA BUMP. His heart suddenly begins to throb painfully, as he desperately grasps at his chest. COUGH, KHAK. An object begins to protrude from the area that Arjun hopelessly continues to claw, while violently coughing; struggling for breath. When suddenly a brilliant varicolored flame, begins to glow from his chest. Seri¡¯s eyes widen as she identifies the gadget that is now sticking from his sternum. ¡°This is it; this is our¡ª¡± Out of the blue, a large shroud of earth and debris scattered around them with a sounding BOOM, after the beast violently catapults the woman towards the twos location. She coughs up a substantial amount of blood as she lumbers to her feet. ¡°WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING!?¡± She agitatedly shouts, whipping away the trail of blood from her chin. ¡°GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!¡± She looks to Arjun and Seri, and notices the item now in his hand. It is a long silver object, embroidered with unfamiliar characters, with a filthy red cloth tightly wrapped around the area Arjun is gripping. One could easily mistake it for a dagger although, it is missing several qualities to wholly compare it to such a weapon. However, with her trained eye, the girl knows exactly what it is. ¡°That...can¡¯t be...what the hell is going on here?¡± ¡°...Master¡­¡± Seri continues to hold Arjun''s hand in an attempt to comfort him. Master? He thinks to himself. Why on earth would she call me that? This girl gets weirder and weirder by the second. While Arjun is lost in thought, Seri takes his hands and points the object in the direction of the monster. ¡°Magika Nigri: Exitium.¡± [Black Magic of Destruction] After speaking these eerie words, a black beacon of light darts toward the monster, piercing its thick exoskeleton. In a matter of seconds, the threat that stood before them moments ago was no more, disintegrating into a black mist that is swiftly swept away by the morning breeze. ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± Confused, Arjun continues to mumble to himself. ¡°She repeated something similar to that lady over there.¡± ¡°I thought it was strange before, but I think I get it now.¡± The woman directs this statement to Arjun, as she places her hand on her chin while making a curious face, as if analyzing him. ¡°See what exactly?¡± Arjun retorts. ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything.¡± ¡°When I stopped you earlier it was because I smelled something¡ª¡± She pauses for a moment and continues. ¡°¡­Or rather I smelled something coming FROM YOU¡­I guess.¡± Compared to the confident and demeaning way she typically speaks; it doesn¡¯t sound like she is too positive of what she just said. But still, hearing this causes Arjun to quickly sniff his underarms. ¡°GEH. It¡¯s true, I reek.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°N-Not that kind of smell you moron!¡± She declares disgustedly. ¡°I smelled IT.¡± She takes a breath, and the air around her becomes heavy. ¡°The scent of a witch.¡± ¡°At first I figured you might have had contact with a witch but, apparently¡ª¡± She glances at Seri and the item that is now in her hands. ¡°You think Seri is a witch¡ª?¡± Arjun halts his words and thinks for a moment. Wait, actually, that doesn¡¯t sound too far fetched. She has been saying strange things since I¡¯ve met her and even now she appears out of thin air. He continues. ¡°Although from what I¡¯ve seen of witches on TV, aren¡¯t they usually old hags? She doesn¡¯t fit that image at all.¡± ¡°Hmmm, not exactly.¡± She points at the object in Seri¡¯s hand. ¡°That there is a Magical Conduit. Also known to you normies, as a wand.¡± ¡°And if my guess is right, then even though she was the one that cast the spell YOU were the one holding it at the time therefore¡ª¡± She then points the same incriminating finger at Arjun, who in turn points back at himself, clearly confused. ¡°YOU are the witch I sensed earlier.¡± Unable to hold back his emotions from this perplexing statement, Arjun wails out¡ª¡°EHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be, aren¡¯t witches only WOMEN? No matter how you look at it, I¡¯m a bona fide man.¡± He frantically points at Seri. ¡°In that case, she fits the mold much better, right?¡± ¡°She?¡± ¡°Her. Her. Seri.¡± He says while jabbing his pointer finger in Seri¡¯s direction. HAH. The woman lets out a deep sigh. ¡°I hate to burst your bubble but that ¡®girl¡¯ is more than likely your familiar. So even though she resembles a certain sex, the fact is she¡¯s a genderless being. As are all familiars.¡± Arjun looks at Seri in disbelief. ¡°...No, way¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t believe me?¡± The woman reaches her hand towards the sky. ¡°BOSTON!¡± She shouts. Suddenly the large dragon like creature that supported her in the fight, comes sweeping down from the night sky, landing neatly beside her. ¡°Speak.¡± She commandingly directs this order to the creature. ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Boston responds unsurely. ¡°This is my familiar, Boston. And as you can hear he has the voice of a borish male. However¡ª¡± She points to Boston¡¯s lower half. ¡°This guy here isn¡¯t packing any genitalia, be it male or female.¡± ¡°The reason being is that familiars are personas of what we hold in our hearts.¡± She places her hand on her chest and haughtily continues. ¡°Emotions, memories, personality, everything that makes you, YOU is rolled into a magical ball known as a familiar.¡± She makes a small gesture with her hand, as if beckoning someone to come to her. And in a moment, the large beast is engulfed in a blue light that zips to the woman¡¯s motioning hand. Now sitting in her hand, are the same black pearl earrings that she wore before the fight ensued, placing them back into her ears. ¡°And there you have it!¡± She proudly declares. Arjun stares at Seri in bewilderment as she places her hand on her cheeks in embarrassment, mimicking a blushing teenage girl that¡¯s acting bashful in front of her crush. ¡°But still, it¡¯s not often they take the appearance of a human.¡± She briefly inspects Seri from head to toe, before focusing back to Arjun. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of one other male witch before though, but that¡¯s usually treated as an urban legend.¡± This utterance piqued Arjun¡¯s interest. ¡°There¡¯s another male witch!?¡± ¡°Was. He¡¯s long dead though.¡± She says slyly as she shrugs, then begins to dust herself off. ¡°Well, now that that¡¯s cleared up I guess I should get going¡ª¡± ¡°WAIT A MINUTE!¡± Arjun abruptly shouts. ¡°Don¡¯t act so nonchalant about this. What the hell was that creature just now, what do you mean by witch, and just WHO the hell are you!?¡± ¡°Me?¡± She replies in a blas¨¦ tone. ¡°I¡¯m Clarissa von Adelgrief. I¡¯m the sole heir of the Adelgrief family, so I¡¯m basically royalty!¡± She puffs her chest out in a prideful manner. ¡°And that thing that you and your familiar got rid of for me, is what we like to call a Witch Eater.¡± ¡°¡­Witch Eater?¡± ¡°They¡¯re beings that devour anything that emits mana. They tend to target larger prey first.¡± She points again to Arjun. ¡°For example, you or me.¡± ¡°Even then, they don¡¯t tend to invade a witch¡¯s territory, however I think I understand the reason it targeted you.¡± She sits on her words for a few seconds and concludes. ¡°I think as thanks for getting rid of that one for me, I¡¯ll tell you exactly what you¡¯ve gotten yourself into.¡±