The light of dawn spread across the pink and gray cloud-dotted sky. Linhart looked up and felt a sense of renewal; this day was a new beginning. He and Zoey had been held underground for the past week and just being under this open sky and breathing this fresh air boosted their moods and lightened their step. They were walking across the pebbly walkways of Binder’s Garden, down the sloping valley, towards the hills of Fighter’s Green. Linhart was back in his uniform, and she in her sports clothes, with a bag full of food and his favorite devices that Octavia had gifted him in their final moments together.
Octavia had been good in the end. In fact, the week of servitude had been quite enjoyable... for him, at least.
Looking over at Zoey, he felt a pang of guilt for the terrible things that Octavia had done to her. She was still not talking, instead barking responses to all his questions. She might even go back to walking on all fours, if she wasn’t so solidly wrapped around his right arm. She was hugging like she’d never let go.
Linhart thought back to her first reaction, when the slave bond had shattered. Zoey had really beaten up her former tormentor, and Linhart had taken his time in stopping the assault from happening. By the time he called her to heel, Octavia’s beautiful smooth chest and face were covered with bites and scratches that would linger for days to come, or until she received healing. That look of pain and fear on her face would last in Zoey’s mind much longer. All that because of the indignation of being made her slave for a week.
Linhart frowned. But he had done something much worse. She was his slave for life, and there was no recovery from that contract. Would she be able to return to her studies now? Could she go back to living with Chloe again? The more he thought about it, the more he wished he could give her back her autonomy, which he had foolishly stolen away.
Now they had entered the green hills and Linhart was heartened to see the Fighter girls moving about; red plaid skirts swishing with their spirited steps. It felt like they were returning home. Lost in reverie, they stopped in front of Fighter’s Hall.
“Here we are, home, sweet home! Are you happy to be back, Zoey?”
She barked happily.
Linhart hesitated, not sure how to proceed without hurting her further. Of course, she had already picked up on his feelings and needs, and was ready to obey. That made it easier.
“Zoey, spending all our time this past week together has been like living in a dream,” he said, laying his hand on her cheek, “But, now that we’re back, we’ve got to get back to our regular routine. We both have courses to get back to, and that means we’ll have to be apart for a good part of our day.”
Zoey barked sadly.
“Could you please speak human, now?”
“Ruff… I’m sorry Linhart, it’s kind of… hard to form my words… I don’t know why,” she spoke slowly, like she was just now remembering how to speak. She looked like all the air had gone out of her, as she released his arm with reluctance.
“I will go get changed then, and go to my morning courses… When can we meet again? How soon?”
Linhart could feel her need to stay close to him surging up, and he promised himself he would be there for her as often as he could. “How about we eat together at Midday meal? I’ll introduce you to some of my friends, okay? I bet all your friends will be surprised that you’re Fighter: Level 5 already.”
She smiled, a glimpse of her former radiant self returning. “Yeah, I might even be stronger than Chloe now! Goodbye, Linhart, I’ll miss you!”
Linhart walked away, heading straight to his Anatomy course at the Theater. From behind him, he heard her call, “I can’t wait for Midday meal. See you then!”
* * * * * * * * *
He made it just in time. The seventh bell stopped ringing just as he arrived at the theater’s main entrance. It was so good to be back. It’s hard to believe it was just a week ago that he’d bonded with Serapha and Drystan right here in this building.
Now, as he entered the crowded theater, his mind went out searching for those two. They must be close by, if they were seated somewhere here already, he’d be able to detect them. But instead of finding Serapha or Drystan, he felt a very different connection pop into his brain.
Full of shock with his sudden reappearance and dripping with desire, the bundle of feelings and needs were flashy and full of swagger, reminding him of the fourth Fighter he had bonded with. It was Giselle.
She was seated right next to the aisle he was descending, about halfway between him and the center stage. Her long platinum hair spun around and her eyes locked onto him as he went down the steps. His heart was beating faster, feeling the intensity of her eyes upon him. Her breasts drew his attention, bouncing lusciously as she rose to her feet. She was like a goddess sitting among mortals here.
But Linhart didn’t know what to say, and sifting through the mess of emotions that she was sending; she had mixed feelings about seeing him again. Why was that? Was it because of the way Serapha and he had left her stunned and violated on the floor of the girls’ room? He never wanted to do that, but it was a necessary lesson, not to mess with Serapha anymore.
Where was Serapha?
Linhart kept his eyes straight ahead, and made to walk right past her. As he reached her row, he half-expected her to reach out and grab him, but she just watched as he passed by, not saying anything. He made his way to the second row and sat where he remembered sitting with his friends last time.
Magister Quintus was just arriving on stage, and Linhart tried to recall what they’d been studying the last time he was here. He had missed so many days! The last time he was here… he and Giselle were humiliated on stage together. His ears started to heat up just thinking about it.
As the students quieted down, Linhart was surprised to hear a string of curses coming from someone in the row just behind him. He was just turning his head to peek over his shoulder, when a vicious set of hands grabbed his hair and pulled him over backwards. A swirl of blond hair and an angry set of fiery blue eyes greeted him as his head hit the stone steps.
It was Chloe.
“You dirty little whore,” she snarled, “I knew you’d come back sooner or later.”
She was holding his hair tightly with one hand now, as the fingers of her other hand closed around his throat, he felt her claws rasping across his skin. They were as razor sharp as ever.
“What did you do with my sister?”
He was gasping in panic and trying to speak, though she had a tight grip on his larynx. “Chloe, we just got back… *cough*... Just now… Zoey is safe. She was with me the whole time…”
“Where is she now?” her voice was cold now. Dangerously cold. Her claw was pressed against his jugular vein.
“She’s at the dorm… *gasp*... Changing… Going to her morning courses…”
“I don’t believe you,” she snapped. Linhart could feel the pressure increasing now. This crazy bitch was going to kill him! He was sure of it then. But something else happened before she could cut him. Chloe’s face, which was upside down from the angle she was holding him, was pulled away from him, up off the ground and her fingers slipped away, leaving a long cut, like a smile across his throat.
He could see now that Chloe was being held by the scruff of her uniform by the mighty arm of Giselle. She was literally twice her size. “You’d better not hurt Linhart, you little twat. Girls who cut boys get hurt around here.”
Chloe lashed out like an angry cat, cutting into Giselle’s arm and slicing through the front of her white shirt and into her powerful breasts. “Put me down, you ugly titty-monster!” Giselle didn't let go, instead she slammed the little girl down hard against the stony floor. Then lifted her up and did it again. Chloe’s arms and legs were swinging about like a ragdoll.
Chloe did not give up easily, and she was still mouthing off, “Is this how you killed that boy too, you giant cunt? Everyone is watching you!” Giselle looked up. Indeed, all eyes in the room were on them. She tossed Chloe down on the bench, her arms both twisted looking like they were broken, and then gently, delicately lifted Linhart in her arms.
“Come on, Linhart,” I’ll take you to your friend,” she spoke in a gentle low voice, and the sorrow that was pouring through the bond brought tears to his eyes.
“Linhart, I’ll kill you!” Chloe shouted from behind them, as Magister Quintus called for order to be returned, and Healers leapt to help. But Giselle refused to put him down, carrying him straight out of the theater, like a groom carrying a new bride.
Linhart peacefully surrendered, and relaxed his body as Giselle held up against her lush breasts, showing no sign of putting him down. She was bringing him somewhere. What had happened while he was gone?
“Giselle, where are you taking me?”
“To the Circled Square, to see your friend.”
“You mean Serapha?”
“Yeah,” she paused as if unsure of what to say, “Serapha is there… Linhart, I want you to know that I was not involved in what happened. No matter what anyone says, I didn't hurt her this time…”
A feeling of dread entered him. Something was terribly wrong… His mind raced to the last time he had seen Serapha, she was assaulting Giselle’s two bully friends. He had helped and then left her there with Drystan.
“Giselle, put me down,” he commanded her coldly. She immediately did as he asked. “What happened to Serapha?”
Her sharp, hazel eyes filled with concern, and for once a look of uncertainty clouded her face. They were standing near the ring hill now, just outside the Circled Square. Some Fighters were walking past, but Linhart’s focus was on the girl right in front of him. “Tell me, Giselle, because right now my mind is assuming the worst!”
“She was attacked in the girls’ room, the day after we had sex there… She was beaten up pretty bad, worse than anything I ever did to her. But she’s alive and she’s recovering now in the Fighter’s infirmary.”
Linhart’s heart swelled with regret. It was as bad as he’d imagined. Serapha had been beaten half-to-death the same day that he’d left for Binder's Garden? He could've prevented this if only he hadn't gone away. In fact, wasn’t it his actions that made her a target to begin with?
He lashed out at Giselle demanding, “What did you even start bullying her for? Was it because she was my friend? What kind of a monster are you?”
A look of pain crossed her face at his accusation. She raised her hands pleadingly, but he could feel her response through the bond already. “I’m sorry! Yes, I was jealous that she was so close to you. I thought if she were to drop off, that you would become my boyfriend.” A bit of fire entered her voice as she seized his shoulders, “But I haven’t touched her since the day we bonded. You can trust me, Linhart!”
Yes, he was certain that she was telling him the truth now. She couldn’t lie, not to him. “Then it was your friends… what’re their names?”
Giselle nodded sadly, “Saya and Ayame. Yeah, it was probably one of them, or the both of them together. They were both pretty upset with the way you and those two other freshmen stunned them…” A look of horror came over her face and shock rocked the connection between them. “Wait, you did hear about Drystan…?”
“What about Drystan…?” Linhart’s blood ran cold, and he already knew what she was going to say.
“Everyone's talking about it. He's dead, Linhart.”
With those few simple words, Linhart’s world fell apart. Drystan was dead? His best friend. The boy he had played with since they were kids together. He was so honest, and hard-working, and so full of life… until now. Drystan was smarter than he was, stronger than him, and always trained harder. But somehow he was alive and Drystan had died?
"It happened a few nights after you disappeared. He was taken from the dorms is what they're saying."
Her hands were back on his shoulders, but he pushed her away as hard as he could. Then he turned and ran. This is impossible! How could both of his bonded friends be taken from him all at once? He needed to know more, to find out why this was happening to him. He ran to the only person he knew could help. The one who had warned him about the dangers of being a Fighter boy.
He had to find Xenia.
