Author's note: First, I want to say that this story is inspired, I am sure, by manga and graphic novels that I have read. I can't pinpoint specific titles at the moment but I just want to acknowledge their influence. I am sure that the term soul keeper had been used somewhere in this big, wide world, but I couldn't think of a better term. Sorry. If you could think of a better term, let me know. Secondly, I am sure that there are probably a lot of harvest moon wolves fanfictions out there and I just want to offer yet another one. Hope you like it. Remember, review/constructive criticism is always appreciated. Thanks.
Chapter 2: The Farmer, The Wolf and The Cat Spirit
Mark looked at the mark on his right palm. A bond that can never be broken, huh? He thought. He recalled the ritual, the blood oath that he had taken on his eighteenth birthday, a year ago. After the ritual, a red mark, which looked like some sort of tattoo, had appeared on his right palm. A matching mark had also appeared on Vaughn's left palm. He glanced sideways at the taller man crouching beside him. Vaughn's face was calm and stoic as usual.
Mark sighed and turned his attention back to the deserted alley that he and Vaughn had been watching for the past two hours or so. They were crouching on a roof top of one of the houses that lined the dark alley, watching and waiting. There had been reports of supernatural activities going on in this alley, of strange visions, strange noises and inanimate objects being thrown around. Mark and Vaughn had been hired by the locals to investigate.
Farmer by day, supernatural investigator by night, Mark smiled at that thought. The money was good so he couldn't resist. Besides, his and Vaughn's abilities were well suited for this kind of job. He shifted his weight from one foot to another. Maybe not tonight, he thought, nothing is going to happen tonight. Then, as if to prove him wrong, a brown-haired girl entered the alley. Her eyes darted around as she walked as quickly as possible.
"There", Vaughn whispered as a garbage can was hurled towards the girl, barely missing her, and slammed into a wall instead. The girl screamed. Vaughn straightened himself up and jumped off the roof. He landed silently on the ground, crouching on one knee, with his back towards the girl. He heard Mark landed beside him.
The spirit took a form of a black panther tonight. As it growled at Vaughn and Mark, another garbage can flew towards them. But Vaughn moved swiftly to the side, dragging Mark by the shoulder to avoid the can.
"Bad kitty", Mark glared at the spirit as Vaughn lunged towards it. The panther jumped sideways trying to avoid Vaughn but he was faster, and stronger. He caught the panther's neck and held it in a dead lock.
"Now Mark!" Vaughn yelled at him. Mark took out a spirit seal out of his pocket and held it out. Wind rustled and swirled around him, as he opened his palm. The seal fluttered in the wind as it rose, and was suspended in the air for a few seconds, before it rocketed towards the black cat. The big cat shrieked and fell onto the ground, struggling, as the seal planted itself firmly on its forehead.
After some time, the spirit lost its fight and lay on the ground, trembling.
"Please, please don't hurt me. I don't mean any harm...I am just cold...so cold.." The panther begged with a small, boyish voice.
Mark crouched in front of the panther and scratched his head, wondering why the spirit had decided to haunt this alley. A small mark on the panther's right ear caught his eyes. A cursed seal, he thought. Someone cursed this poor thing, causing it to rage against living things.
"Hey Vaughn, look at this. Someone is provoking this spirit".
Vaughn nodded as he examined the panther's ear. Then he reached into the mark, hooked his fingers around it and started to pull. The cursed seal stretched out of the ear, hesitantly at first, but Vaughn kept pulling and pulling until the seal finally detached itself completely from the cat's ear with a pop. The instant it was pulled off the ear, the cursed seal disappeared into thin air. The panther let out a big sigh of relief. Mark reached out and stroke the panther's head and the big cat purred in response. Vaughn watched Mark's hand with fascination as the latter slowly stroke the panther to calm it down. Mark is always good with animal, Vaughn thought.
"You have a choice", Mark spoke to the panther. "You can promise us that you will stay away from human and not bother anyone ever again, or..." He looked at those glittering, yellow eyes and marveled at their beauty. "...or you can come and live with us as our familiar".
Whoosh...the panther changed into a boy cloaked in long black robe. He had black hair, and looked no older than fifteen. "Can I...can I really stay with you?" His huge, amber eyes hopeful.
Mark looked at Vaughn who frowned at him but said nothing. "Why not? I have always wanted a pet cat", Mark grinned. Then he turned to the boy, "Han, I will call you Han".
"Oooh..." Will, Han and Vaughn turned their heads at the brown-haired girl. At some point, she had fainted and they had momentarily forgotten about her. Now she was groaning, as she tried to push herself up on her knees.
"Are you okay, miss?" Mark asked the bewildered girl, as he offered his hand to her. The girl looked up to him and took his hand, letting him to help her stand.
"I...I am okay...tha...thanks for helping me", she said, still trembling at the vision of the vicious panther she saw before. "Did...did you kill the panther?" She said as she looked around surreptitiously. There was no sign of the panther anywhere.
"The panther won't bother anyone anymore", Mark answered her.
"I know you", she said, with awe. "You are Mark and Vaughn, right? My...my name is Chelsea. I owned the new farm at the edge of town". Chelsea's heart beat faster. She just couldn't believe her luck that she would actually get to introduce herself to them. She had heard about them of course, from the rest of the townsfolk, and she thought that Vaughn, with his serious demeanor and his silver hair, was even dreamier than what other girls had told her.
"Thank you for saving me", she spoke to Vaughn, blushing a little.
"Don't mention it. Go home", Vaughn said coolly, as he waved at her.
Mark glanced at the trembling girl. "I think we should walk her home, Vaughn. What do you think?" He looked pointedly at Vaughn. When Vaughn didn't say anything, Mark sighed. "Come on Chelsea, don't mind the crabby man. We'll walk you home", he said to her cheerfully.
After they walked Chelsea home, Mark, Vaughn and Han walked back to Mark's farmhouse. A few months ago, Vaughn had suggested that it was just more practical for the Wolf and his Soul Keeper to live under one roof, especially during full moons, and Mark had agreed to that, so Vaughn was now living in Mark's farmhouse.
At home, Mark took off his baseball cap and flung it carelessly at his bedside table. He threw himself on the bed and yawned. He had been awake since dawn to attend to his chores. He felt tiredness all the way to his bones and his eyes were heavy, and he fell asleep before he could think of anything else. Han transformed into a small, black cat and curled himself beside Mark.
"Mark, do you want..." Vaughn stopped himself as he stood by Mark's bedroom door. He was going to ask Mark if he had wanted any coffee, but he could see that Mark had fallen asleep. He stepped towards the bed silently and peered at the sleeping young man. The sight of Mark sleeping always caught his breath. His hand hovered over Mark's head for a moment, and then gently he caressed Mark's blond hair. He sat on the bed beside the sleeping man and sighed, thinking of that day, nine years ago when he met Mark for the first time.
Many soul keepers in Vaughn's family clan came into the family voluntarily. They were humans with supernatural abilities who had decided to ally themselves with the Silver Wolfe clan. But not all, some were forced or bought. As he got older, Vaughn found that Mark was one of those who didn't come voluntarily. Mark was an orphan. His parents died when he was ten, and he was sold to the Silver Wolfe clan by his aunt. Sold to slavery when he was ten! Guilt and rage rose in Vaughn's heart like ocean waves. His gaze lingered at the sleeping man's pale, full lips, at his quivering eyelashes. I'll treasure you always, silently Vaughn promised Mark.
End of Chapter 2
