Chapter 1
Craig creeps along the edge of the cottage, making sure to be absolutely silent. He pauses, listening for noise, and continues after hearing nothing. He approaches the door, and stops moving, pulling out a thin shard of metal. He slowly inserts the metal into the lock and twists, hearing the click, signaling the door now being unlocked.
He puts the metal away before quietly opening the door. He enters, being sure to close the door behind him. He walks to the center of the room and looks around, hoping to spot what he came here for. He finds himself wanting to get this mission finished as quickly as he can. If the reward wasn't so great, he would never have accepted this job in the first place.
All he has to do is find a certain artifact in this cottage and leave without getting spotted. Everyone knows that nobody sane would dare to steal from a warlock. He approaches a set of drawers and rifles through them, but the artifact is not in there. He closes them and walks into a room that branches off from the room he is standing in.
He spots a desk and notices that the top drawer has a lock on it. He brings out the metal shard again and easily unlocks the drawer. He opens it and is greeted by the sight of the exact object that he came to find. He picks up the object and studies it curiously. It's an amulet with different symbols on it.
Craig has no clue what the symbols mean but doesn't question what they are as he slides the amulet into a pouch hanging off of his belt. He quickly leaves the room and hurries to the front door. As he reaches for the doorknob, it begins to turn. Craig looks around before deciding to leave through a window.
He quietly runs back to the room where he found the amulet and goes to the window. He opens it, making sure not to make any noise and crawls through it, carefully dropping to the ground. He stands up to close the window and notices a figure staring at him through it.
Craig doesn't hesitate and runs right into the forest, hoping to get away quickly. He picks up speed as he hears the front door of the cottage slam. He pants slightly as he runs through the forest, depending on the moonlight to light up his way. He only spares quick glances over his shoulder without slowing his pace at all.
With the glances, he can make out the figure chasing after him and that they are only about 15 feet behind him. Feeling only slightly desperate, he changes direction and enters a cluster of trees and bushes, hoping to lose his pursuer. He runs for about a minute before glancing back once more to see that the figure is no longer there.
He turns his head back around to face the front and feels a victorious smirk come across his face as the trees come to an end. He bursts through the bushes and leaves, noticing that it leads to a clearing. He slows his run into a walk, allowing himself to catch his breath.
When he reaches the center of the clearing, he stops completely, looking at his surroundings, taking note that nothing is out of place or strange. His gaze goes around the entirety of the field before raising to the sky. Craig only stares in awe of the view of the night sky which, in the summer months, shows millions of stars, all clearly visible.
Before Craig finds himself too lost in the view, he hears a branch snap. He quickly looks in the direction that the noise came from while reaching down and unsheathing one of his knives, unsure as to what is hiding in the forest. He only stares at the spot, watching for any kind of movement.
After a few seconds, a figure slowly walks into the clearing, staying right at the tree line. Craig doesn't move a muscle, waiting for the figure to move. Faster than he can respond, the figure disappears in smoke only to reappear right behind him. On instinct, Craig turns around quickly while swiping outward with his knife.
The figure dodges Craig's movement while taking the chance to grab Craig's wrist and snatch his weapon. Craig grunts with displeasure as the figure jumps back out of his reach. Craig lunges forward and attempts to grab his weapon back. The figure disappears once again. Craig quickly looks around but doesn't see the figure anywhere.
Suddenly, in his peripherals, he spots the figure reappearing. Craig turns before attempting to move toward the warlock but finds himself unable to move. He notices that the warlock has one hand raised, no doubt immobilizing Craig with his magic. Craig finds himself having a staredown with the figure before him and decides to break the silence.
"You've caught me. Now, what do you intend to do to me?", Craig asks bluntly.
The figure doesn't answer and just stares. Craig finds himself feeling irritated, instead of frightened, like most people would be if they were in his position. After about a minute, the warlock finally speaks.
"You are quite foolish, mortal. You stole something of value to me. You must be punished for this.", the warlock says quietly.
Craig only rolls his eyes at this.
"What, are you going to torture me or something?", Craig inquires.
Like before, the warlock stays quiet for a minute before speaking.
"From this point on, you will be doomed to live endless lives. You will always have to remember the events of each life. And know this, in every life you live, you will always be fated to meet your soulmate, but once you do, your soulmate will be taken by death no more than six months following the two of you meeting.", the warlock says as a green glow travels over his hands and settles over Craig before disappearing.
Craig opens his mouth to respond, but as soon as he does, the warlock disappears in smoke. Craig falls to the ground and looks around, hoping to spot the warlock, but he doesn't see him anywhere. He stands up and stands there for a minute, unsure as to what to think or do about the warlock's foreboding words.
After standing there, he just shakes his head and walks to the tree line and heads in the direction of where he is supposed to deliver the artifact. He walks until he approaches the tavern that his current employer had told him to meet him at. He can hear people laughing loudly and he can smell the ale from where he is standing outside.
He wrinkles his nose in annoyance and mild disgust before making his face completely devoid of emotion and entering. He looks around, not seeing the man he came to see and decides to take a seat at the bar. He only is sitting for about thirty seconds when he feels someone tap him on the shoulder.
Craig turns around to see that it is an unknown man that has gotten his attention. Before the thief can ask what the man wants, the man speaks.
"Someone wants to speak to you in the back room.", the man informs him before walking away.
Craig watches as the man leaves before heading in the direction of the back room, figuring that his employer is waiting there for him. As Craig enters the room, he sees that his assumption was correct. The man is sitting down and motions Craig to sit in the chair across from him.
Craig obliges and sits before reaching into his pouch and pulling out the amulet. His employer pulls out a bag full of coins. He hands the bag to Craig, who hands the amulet to him. Craig sits and counts the coins before turning his attention to the man.
"Is there anything else you need or is our business done here?", he asks.
That man stares with an eyebrow raised before answering him.
"I don't need anything else done at the moment, but I will contact you if a job arises.", he smoothly responds.
Craig nods before getting up and leaving the room, heading straight for the door of the tavern. Once he gets outside, he takes a deep breath of the night air and begins the trek back to his camp. He heads for the forest line and slips between the trees. He walks for about ten minutes before getting the feeling of being watched.
He glances around but notices nothing strange. He turns back and continues walking for about another five minutes when the feeling returns. But this time, he hears leaves rustle and looks up, only to see nothing. He glances at the trees around him, but once again, only sees nothing.
He continues walking, paying close attention to the sounds all around him. He hears leave rustle and a branch creak. He looks up again, this time seeing a figure leap from a tree branch and land directly on him. Craig tries to get the figure off but finds himself unable to, since they are sitting on his chest with their legs pinning his arms down.
The figure quickly pulls out a knife and holds it against Craig's throat. Craig looks up and finds himself frozen as he stares into the most intense eyes he has ever seen. They are the prettiest shade of green and they are full of defiance and life.
Craig allows his gaze to drift up to the hair of the man on top of him. His hair is just as intriguing as his eyes. It's a vibrant yellow, reminding Craig of the sunflowers that were grown at his home when he was a child and served as a hiding place for him when he wanted to be alone.
Craig doesn't dare move a muscle because of the blade pressed up against his neck. He gets a better look at the man and notices the black stripes tattooed on his arms and face and one black stripe across one of his hips. He realizes that the man is a barbarian, part of a tribe that is nearby the Grand Wizard's camp.
He only stares into the barbarian's eyes, waiting for the other man to make a move. The barbarian notices him staring and glares at him before speaking.
"Who are you?!", he aggressively questions in perfect English.
Craig only stares blankly as he answers.
"My name is Craig.", is all he responds with.
The barbarian looks confused for a split second before regaining his aggressive attitude.
"What are you doing out here?!", he demands.
Craig, just like before, calmly answers. "I'm heading back to my camp."
The barbarian squints his eyes at Craig as if to see if he is being dishonest. He must believe Craig because he gets off of him and puts some distance between them. Craig stands up and only stares at him. The man stares back, a distrustful look on his face.
"Well?!", he says.
Craig looks slightly confused. "Well, what?" , he asks.
"Why aren't you trying to kill me?! Your people hate my people!", he screams as he starts to shake slightly.
Craig only gazes calmly at him. "I won't hurt someone unless they hurt me.", he says as he moves forward a couple of steps.
To Craig's surprise, the barbarian doesn't back away and stays where he is.
"What's your name?", Craig asks.
The man before him stays silent for a few seconds before answering. "My name is Tweek.", he says cautiously.
Craig feels like his heart fluttered at the name, but he would never admit that to anyone.
"So, what brings you out here at this time of the night?", Craig asks, wanting to know more about Tweek.
Tweek seems like he is finally beginning to calm down and relaxes his stance. "I was just out for a walk when I saw you go by."
Craig can't help but grin at Tweek. "So, you decided to stalk me?", he asks in a joking tone.
Tweek starts freaking out at the question. "Ngh, NO! I just didn't know what you were doing out here.", Tweek rapidly says.
Craig watches as the boy starts breathing heavily and without thinking about it, he approaches Tweek and runs his hand through his hair. Tweek freezes at the gesture and looks up at Craig while his cheeks start to flush. Craig notices his blush and pulls his hand out of Tweek's hair and takes a step back.
Tweek blinks before speaking. "W-what was that?", he asks while looking at Craig with an extremely confused look on his face.
Craig can't help but think that Tweek looks absolutely adorable with that expression.
"I was trying to calm you down.", Craig simply explains.
To Craig's surprise, Tweek smiles at him. "Well, it worked.", Tweek says softly.
Before Craig can say anything, he hears a howl raise up in the distance, cutting through the silence of the night. Tweek looks in the direction before howling himself. Tweek looks back to Craig with a slightly sad expression.
"I h-have to go.", he says before running away.
Craig only watches, but before Tweek is out of sight, he stops and turns around to look at Craig.
"Meet me here tomorrow.", he says before disappearing.
Craig can only stare at the place where Tweek left before forcing himself to walk back to camp. He quickly reaches camp and immediately heads to his tent, feeling really tired after such a long day and also feeling anxious to see Tweek again.
Craig finds himself really beginning to enjoy Tweek's company over the next few months. He also begins to fall deeper and deeper in love with the barbarian boy. He wants to tell his friends how happy he is when he is with Tweek, but he can't say anything to anyone since their groups hate each other. If anyone found out about them, it would result in the death of one or both of them.
Because of this, he always meets up with Tweek in the forest at a mutual favorite spot of theirs. Craig wakes up early and peeks outside his tent to see if anyone else is awake. After seeing that it is absolutely still in the camp, he quickly gets his clothes on and sneaks into the forest, walking through the trees.
He hurries to his and Tweek s favorite spot. Upon arriving, he sees that Tweek is sitting on a low tree branch. Tweek spots him and his face lights up as he jumps down and rushes over to Craig.
"Were you waiting long?", Craig questions Tweek.
Tweek shakes his head no. "I just woke up not too long ago.", he responds.
Craig only nods. Tweek goes to sit back in the tree as Craig walks over and leans with his back against the tree. He feels his thoughts beginning to overwhelm him. Today is important to Craig because today he is planning to tell Tweek how he feels about him. Craig forces his thoughts to a halt and turns his head to look at Tweek.
"Tweek. I have to tell you something.", he says seriously. Tweek immediately looks at Craig, noticing the serious tone.
"W-what is it? Are you in trouble? Is someone going to hurt you?!"
Tweek's voice rises with each question he asks and his hands slip into his hair to pull at it. Craig reaches his hands up, grabbing Tweek's hands and removing them from his hair.
"I'm not in trouble and no one is going to hurt me.", he assures Tweek.
Tweek calms down somewhat from Craig's words.
"Then what is it you need to tell me?", he asks.
Craig takes in a deep breath and decides to be blunt. "Look, I've been spending a lot of time with you and I really enjoy spending time with you. You make me happy in a way that nothing else does. And in the last few months, I've started to have feelings for you.", Craig says as a faint blush appears on his cheeks.
Tweek's eyes widen as Craig's words sink in. He blushes and looks away from Craig as he takes a deep breath. Tweek looks at Craig once more before jumping down from the tree. Craig watches as Tweek walks until he is right in front of him. Tweek raises his hands and puts one on each of Craig's cheeks.
Craig covers them with his own hands. Tweek slowly begins moving his face closer to Craig's and Craig finds himself doing the same. They move until their lips brush up against each other. Craig closes his eyes and presses his lips to Tweek's slightly harder.
He does this until he needs to breathe. He pulls his face back and takes a deep breath before opening his eyes. He is surprised to see Tweek looking at him in awe. Tweek doesn't give Craig a chance to say anything and immediately goes into Craig's arms. Craig wraps his arms around Tweek, holding him tightly and buries his nose in Tweek's hair. He decides in this moment that he never wants to let Tweek go.
A month passes from Craig confessing to Tweek and Craig sneaks off every day to go see him. When he wakes up, he quickly gets dressed in his usual attire, but with some extra layers since the weather has become colder. He exits his tent and quietly walks through camp, glad that he is always awake before everyone else.
He looks around to make sure that no one is watching before quickly slipping behind a tent and running into the woods. He walks to his and Tweek's spot and waits. He looks around, not seeing the person he's waiting for. He is about to go look around when a pair of hands cover his eyes from behind. He hears a giggle and lets a chuckle slip out.
"Oh my, I wonder who that can be.", Craig dryly jokes while grabbing the hands and removing them from his eyes while turning around and pulling the owner of them into his arms.
Craig smirks as he watches the barbarian blush from the close contact. Tweek gives him a pout before speaking.
"Does nothing scare you?", he asks.
Craig still smirks as he answers. "Nope.", he answers simply.
Suddenly Tweek gets a devious look on his face before putting his pointer finger in the center of Craig's chest and pushing forward, making Craig move backward until his back hits a tree. Tweek leans his face close to Craig's and watches as Craig swallows nervously, which is unusual for him to do. A grin grows on Tweek's face as he looks at Craig.
"Are you sure about that? You look pretty scared right now.", Tweek says before giggling.
Craig only snorts at Tweek's words. "There's a difference between being scared and being nervous.", Craig snarkily replies as he grabs hold of Tweek and reverses their positions, so Tweek is the one with his back against the tree. Craig watches with satisfaction as Tweek is now the one looking nervous.
"It's not so funny when it happens to you, now is it?", Craig questions with a grin.
Tweek gives him a weak glare. "S-shut up.", he stutters.
"Why don't you make me?", Craig asks in a taunting tone of voice.
Before he can even blink, Tweek is roughly shoving his mouth against Craig's. Craig blinks in surprise before closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around the barbarian. He feels the other man sink his hands into his hair and grab some of it, pulling a little. Craig responds by rubbing his hands up and down Tweek's sides.
He breaks the kiss and stares at Tweek before leaning his forehead against his and staring into his eyes.
"I love you so much.", he says softly, the emotion clear on his face.
Tweek smiles that smile that Craig loves to see before responding.
"I love you too.", he says as he leans forward and plants a soft kiss on Craig's lips. Craig returns the kiss before pulling Tweek close and resting his head on top of Tweek's.
He spends the afternoon with Tweek before they decide to part ways. Tweek gives Craig a goodbye kiss and disappears into the forest. Craig sighs contently as he heads his own way into the forest. He heads in the direction of his camp but decides to go visit one of his favorite taverns for a drink.
After leaving the tavern, Craig sneaks back into camp and sees that people are gathering in a crowd in front of the Grand Wizard's tent. He looks around, trying to figure out what's going on. Usually, people gather like this when something really important is happening.
He hears the Grand Wizard begin to speak. "My people, we found a dirty barbarian sneaking around in the forest outside our camp. These people are vicious and will take any opportunity to kill us. Thankfully, we caught this one before he could do any damage."
"W-what s going on?", he questions Clyde, who looks to Craig.
"They found and captured a barbarian near the camp.", Clyde informs him.
"What are they doing now?", Craig manages to get out, as he feels dread come over him.
"They are about to execute him. On orders of the Grand Wizard." , Clyde says.
Craig feels himself freeze as he processes the information. He quickly runs through the crowd and halts as he sees what's going on. Tweek's hands are tied together behind his back and he is sitting on his knees, head bowed, while a man is standing next to him, holding a very sharp sword.
Before Craig can even make a move, the Grand Wizard makes a gesture with his hand, smiling gleefully as the executioner raises the sword up, prepared to bring it down. It feels like time slows down as Craig watches the sword come down and slice through the barbarian's neck, severing his head from his body.
The head rolls across the ground before stopping a couple of feet in front of Craig. The thief finds himself falling to his knees as he gazes into the once vibrant eyes, watching as the color fades out of them. Not wanting to look anymore, he gets up and runs from the scene, into the forest, not stopping until the forest around him is completely silent.
Craig finds a tree to lean against. He breathes in and out rapidly before bending over and losing his lunch from that day. After he gets done, he leans his head forward until his forehead is resting against the bark. He closes his eyes and tries not to think, but at the moment, all he can picture is Tweek's head laying on the ground.
All he can think about is that he'll never get to hear Tweek's laugh again. Never get to see his smile again. Never get to see those vibrant life filled, green eyes again. Craig unsheathes one of his blades and stares down at it, flipping it over slowly. A life without Tweek is not one that he wants to live at all.
He makes up his mind as he turns the blade around so that the knife is facing him. He positions the tip of the knife over his heart and closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath before shoving the knife into his chest. He gasps in pain as he feels it pierce his heart.
He starts panting as the pain increases and slides down the tree until he is sitting on the ground. He just leans back against the tree and listens to the quiet night. He feels the blood pouring from the around the edges of the knife and hopes for death to come quickly so he can join Tweek.
He turns his gaze to the night sky, noticing how beautiful the stars look tonight. As much as he loves the night sky, he finds himself angry that anything dares to be beautiful when his Tweek is no more. Craig finds himself thinking back on the events of the last few months.
He fondly thinks of all the time that he has spent with Tweek and remembers the night that they met. As he remembers their meeting, something occurs to him. He recalls the warlock's words to him. His eyes widen slightly in the realization that Tweek is his soulmate and was fated to die.
Craig also recalls the fact that he is fated to live countless lives. Before he can think more about it, he feels himself getting cold and his vision starts to dim. He closes his eyes and feels himself slip into darkness and fade away.