Chapter 1
Kiran briefly remembered what his father had once said; "Feel the space around you, and let others' souls guide you. When in battle your brother will help guide you also."
After playing this through his head, he lifted Keane, his brother, up in the air to block an attack. Keane, who was taking the form of a warhammer, grunted.
Keane shouted, "Stop letting you mind wander! Focus on the battle!"
Kiran looked (or felt, rather) around. "Shut up. There's only five of 'em!" He defiantly yelled.
Kiran had been born blind. He could only see, or feel, the souls around him. Keane could see perfectly fine however. They were fraternal twins.
They were fighting five Kishins in the middle of a daycare playground.
Kiran spun the massive warhammer above his head and jumped high above the swingset. "Aghhhhhhh!" Kiran roared.
The Kishin, who stood in an athletic stance on the mulch, stared up at him. His eyes widened. Kiran brought the warhammer straight down through the Kishin's body. Blood splattered, and the Kishin's body unraveled to reveal a red, spotted, glowing soul.
Keane chuckled through the warhammer's head, "That's more like it! Four more!"
A Kishin came flying off the monkey bars with an ear-splitting screech. Kiran dug the warhammer head into the multi-colored mulch, swung off the long handle, and sent a flying kick straight into the Kishin's jaw with a satisfying crack. The Kishin slid across the playground and Kiran immediately pulled the hammer off the ground and smashed it into the Kishin's chest. With a splintering snap, the Kishin's blood splattered, and in unraveled to reveal yet another Kishin egg.
"Three to go!" Keane hollered.
The last three Kishin's crowded around Kiran and his brother in a wide circle.
Kiran and Keane both felt a tingle run through them. Kiran nodded. They had practiced this technique together ever since they were almost ten years old.
Kiran and Keane cried, "Soul Resonance!"
Each brother could feel his soul mesh into the other. Keane's warhammer form grew into an even bigger weapon.
Kiran jumped into the air with Keane in both hands. He lifted the warhammer high above his head. Once they reached the apex of their jump, Keane started to glow a bright blue color.
Both siblings screamed, "Aghhhhhh!"
Kiran flew through the air, head first, executed a perfect front-flip, and brought the end of the hammer down with unrelenting force.
A shockwave came about and exploded across the playground with such force that all three Kishins shattered. Their souls floated about where they once stood.
Kiran stood up from being on one knee and looked around. He launched Keane up into the air, and Keane landed, now in full human form.
Keane smiled, "Let's eat." He licked his lips and ran off, not intending to savor any of the five souls.
Kiran watched Keane's soul run around pleasantly, and saw each Kishin soul disappear, one by one. Before each soul disappeared, Kiran heard his brother's distinctive, gratifying slurp. Kiran smiled.
"We did good," The meister said, "really good."
Keane yelled with his mouth full of the last soul, "Hell yeah we did good!"
Kiran saw Keane's soul approaching. Kiran stuck his hand out and they performed their brotherly handshake after what seemed the millionth time. "Let's go check in with Lord Death." Kiran said. They ran off together back to the academy.