The Soul Keeper

Chapter 56: Mark

"What kind of a deal?"

He grinned. "Have you ever heard of familiars?"

Hesitant, I nodded. "Animal companions for witches, right?"

"Not exactly." He said as the cool night freeze shuffled the tree leaves. "OTHERWORLD decided to do it differently in this game. A familiar is any willing being that accepts the bond offered to it by the mage." He glanced at me. "As in, you."

I flinched. "Hey, hang on!" I protested. "That's-"

"Listen to me before you start yelling." He said with an annoyed expression. "It's less of binding you to my service and more of a..." He pondered a moment, as if he were searching for the right words. "The bond I'm talking about isn't a master-servant relationship."

"Well, what the hell is it, then?" I asked. I didn't like where this was going at all.

"It links my magic with yours." He shrugged. "Sure, it does give me some power over you, but it also benefits you."

I glared at him. "What if I don't want you to have any power over me?"

He chuckled. "I already do, though. That's why we're having this conversation." The worst thing here was that he was right. That didn't stop me from glaring at him, but I couldn't say he was wrong.

"The bond works both ways. It allows us to know where the other is, it let's you borrow some of my power and vice versa. And whenever one of us gains more power – as in, experience points – the other also gains a small portion of it." He grinned. "Doesn't sound too bad, does it?"

I remained silent and continued to glare at him.

"Fine." He breathed out. "There is one thing that should interest you. If you're ever at the brink of death, it will teleport you to me."

I flinched. "What?"

"And since I'm multiclassing into a priest, I can heal you as long as you're still alive." A smile flashed across his face. "Meaning, you basically get a single free life."

"It only works once?" I asked hesitantly. He shook his head. "No, but the spell requires a component, and I only have one of it." He pulled out a small, shining crystal out from his inventory. "I found it a while back. So, if you see anything like this, make sure to take it with you."

I still didn't like the idea too much, but I had to admit, it did sound somewhat useful. "And how does this give you power over me, exactly?" I asked after a moment's hesitation.

"You can't ever harm me." He calmly said.

"That's it?" I asked after a few seconds. "Nothing else?"

He nodded. "I told you, you need to stay alive. That's all I'm trying to make sure of. It just so happens to come with a little bit of insurance." He put the glowing crystal back into his inventory. "It comes with a few more perks, such as telepathy." He looked at me with expectation in his eyes.

"What's the alternative?" I asked after a short moment.

"You'll stay here." He said without missing a beat. I flinched, that was even worse. I shook my head. "That's not exactly an alternative, is it?" I grumbled.

"Well," He grinned. "It's what you get. So? What is it going to be?"

I sighed. I really didn't want to do something like this but... I had to admit, it did seem like it was going to do more good than harm. "Fine!" I said reluctantly. "Fine, but not a word of this to anyone!"

He nodded as his lips formed a wicked smile. "Of course not." He stood up and glanced at the sky. The clouds had started to scatter. "It's as good time as any for it, right? Let's get this over with."

"Now?" I asked in surprise. I had expected him to at least wait until morning.

"Why not?" He said as he rose on his feet. "Come on, get up."

I sighed but did as he said. "What do I need to do?"

"You don't need to do anything. The spell is nothing complex. It leaves a visible mark, so tell me where you want it to be." He showed the back of his left hand. "I'm a sorcerer, so it's normal for me to have one. I won't try to hide it."

I hesitated. I didn't want Rina and the others to know about this. Mainly because Rina would become furious and probably try to make Asher undo the spell. "My back." I suddenly said. "Right between my wings."

He raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Rina has truesight. She can see magic. Put it anywhere else and she'll immediately notice it. There, and I can just say it's probably because of my wings." I explained, choosing my words carefully. "I'm sure you understand," I added. "Since you also have truesight."

He grinned. "Good catch. What gave it away?"

"You can see the souls."

He chuckled and nodded. "In that case, I'll make the mark seem like it's connected to your wings. It will sting a little." He circled behind me and placed his hand on my back. I shivered as I felt his magic seep into my skin. Nothing happened for a few seconds, then the spot he was touching stung, just like he said it would.

"Done." He said as he stepped back. "See, I told you it was easy."

I turned towards him, only to see him show the back of his hand. The mark looked like a pair of wings. It was black and looked like a normal tattoo. Honestly, it looked nothing like a magical mark. Despite that, I could feel the magic pulsing within it.

"That's it?" I asked. I expected something more, considering how important and powerful this spell was.

"Yeah." He said with a grin. Then, I heard his voice. "I told you it was easy." I flinched as his lips didn't move.

"That's-"

"Telepathy." He interrupted me, though this time his words didn't echo in my mind. "You'll have to get used to it." I shook my head and sighed. "Yeah, that's going to take a while. I'm going to sleep."

I left him there and walked inside, to the second floor. After a moment's hesitation, I grabbed my old cloak and used that to cover the dusty bed. I laid on the bed and pondered.

I wasn't actually sleepy or anything. Sure, I was tired, but I didn't think I could sleep. My mind was a mess, thoughts whirled inside my skull and there was this incredibly annoying awareness of Asher in the back of my mind. I knew he was downstairs, I knew he was healthy, and I knew he was much more tired than he let on.

Honestly, I wouldn't have minded this too much since the perks that came with it were amazing but knowing that he knows where I am and how I feel just... felt wrong.

With such thought racing in my head, I watched the night sky through the window.

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