AEGIS

"Karin?" I looked up from where I sat among the ruins of Ravenloss far away from the war tents, slowly scrapping a whetstone across the edges of my blade, at the sound of Tomix's voice. It was low and quiet, laced with tension. This was how all of us spoke at the time. It seemed as though the air itself was holding its breath; war was on the horizon. My armor lay on the ground at my feet; I wanted to at least have a little time out of it before I was forced to fight again.

"What is it Tomix?" I asked, immediately giving my full attention. My eyes scanned over him, hunting for anything in his face or posture that might tell me if anything was wrong. I suppressed a wince as I traced the long jagged cracks that marred his SpiritLooms. If only I had stopped him in time…

But nothing seemed to be amiss. His face, though still tight with stress, was surprisingly calm as he examined me back. There was a curious look in his eye, as though he were considering something.

"I-" he started, taking a step forward. He sighed deeply and took a seat on the remains of a wall direct across from me. He looked me straight in the eye and after a long pause finally continued, "I want to teach you to be a SoulWeaver."

I could only stare at him, my head tilted to the side as though the new perspective would change what he said. "What now?" I asked, placing my sword on the ground, "What brought this on?"

"Something's coming Karin," he said with little hesitation, "We both know it. This may be the only chance I have, you know, just in case something happens…"

"Tomix, nothing is going to happen," I told him sternly, "We'll find Greed and put an end to this and everything will be fine!"

"Your optimism is encouraging Karin," Tomix replied with a smirk that died a little too quickly, "but we both know there's a very good chance that something will happen. Please? It will help me feel a little bit better about all of this. Besides, you did ask me to show you how I did it." He carefully took my hands in his, obviously trying to convey his anxiousness through contact rather than words. The metal of his SpiritLooms was cold against my bare skin; it occurred to me that this was the first time I had ever actually touched it.

I looked at him for a long time, trying to decipher what was going on behind those yellow eyes. I gave him a warm smile. "Like I could say no to becoming a kickass SoulWeaver," I said, pulling that smirk out of him again, "How do we do this?"

"Well, first you need to find and form a bond with a SoulAlly," he told me. "To do that, I have to send your soul to the Plane of Elemental Spirits, but remember," he squeezed my hands for emphasis, "try to find your SoulAlly as fast as possible. If you are in the Plane of Elemental Spirits for too long, you won't be able to return to your body." I started at his words and nearly pulled away.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, swallowing past the sudden lump that had formed in my throat. Adventures never made me nervous; in fact I relished in the danger. But then, I never went out on my own without at least knowing a little bit about where I was going. This Plane of Elemental Spirits would be completely and utterly alien to me. I didn't know what to expect and that frightened me. Tomix just squeezed my hands a little tighter and smiled encouragingly.

"I have faith in you," he said, "are you ready for this?" I took a deep breath to try and steel my shaking nerves and gave him a confident nod. "Right then, look at me and clear your mind."

His eyes disappeared behind pale lids as he took his own breath. I could feel my heart thud loudly in my chest and I tried my hardest to focus only on Tomix's face and not on how nervous I was. Time seemed to stop, thinning down to that one moment, that space between our clasped hands. And then Tomix opened his eyes.

Black and depthless. A sudden intake of breath and an attempt to pull back. The sensation of falling, down, down, down through an endless tunnel of shadows and light and color.

It was so bright. Too bright. My vision was a blur and my body felt light. "Oh…" my voice sounded distant and vaguely like an echo, "What? Where?!" Shape and color slowly swirled into being, a landscape of rolling hills and towering formations taking form. It was almost like the sea during a storm had been captured and frozen in one point in time. It stretched out into the horizon, dotted with tiny groups of figures that looked almost human, each emitting a soft glow of a different color. "Right, right," I mumbled, memories sluggishly surfacing, "The Plane of Elemental Spirits. THAT was a journey I don't want to make too often!"

I moved to stretch what felt like aching limbs when… I didn't have any limbs. It was a strange sensation; like I was there and not there at the same time. I remembered Tomix telling me that it was my soul he was sending to this place. How the hell is a soul supposed to move? I pondered for a moment, trying to adjust to the sensation of weightlessness and light that it appeared I was made of. Experimentally, I tried to imagine what it would be like to place one foot in front of the other on the glassy floor of the Plane and indeed, it passed beneath me with the equivalent distance of a step. I tried again; once more, it seemed as though I moved over the ground.

I felt myself smile even though I was pretty sure I didn't have a mouth to smile with. I removed my attention from the ground and took in the scenery. "This place is… amazing!" I spoke aloud, the sound of my own wispy voice helping my brain to process that this was all real. "Wow, it's so beautiful…" the tall formations appeared like waves ready to break over the surface of water. Ethereal light danced in the air, turning everything into soft shades of gold, blue and green that constantly shifted and swirled like ink in a basin. It was very beautiful, but Tomix's warning quickly reared inside my nonexistent head, "I'd better hurry and locate a potential SoulAlly. I don't want to end up trapped here."

I willed my soul over the rolling hills, moving like the wind; never once touching the ground.

"H-hello?" A small voice called out. Immediately I turned my senses, searching for the owner.

"Who's there?" I called back, allowing my voice to magnify, "I don't see you!" I thought for a moment, "Wait… do I even have eyes right now?"

"Can you h-help me?" the voice answered, trembling slightly with fright, "I'm being chased."

"I'll be happy to help you once I find you!" I replied, zipping over the next rise. The form of a young girl appeared in the valley below me, alight with a soft orange glow like candlelight. She smiled sweetly and waved me over.

"M-my name is-"

"PANDORA!" the masculine voice rang loud over the dunes, bringing with it a sudden gust that cut through my soul with an icy chill. The spirit jumped with a little squeak and tried to hide behind my light. Looking out, I saw another spirit, this one tall and lean and burning a bright blue like sunlight streaming through ice. His face, framed by a snowy white helm, was stern as he floated swiftly towards us, gloved arms crossed over his chest. "I thought I made it clear before," he scolded the little spirit, "you are to STAY in YOUR domain! You are a threat to the others!" The spirit called Pandora ducked her head beneath his glare, mumbled a meek "sorry", and drifted away.

"She left!" I couldn't help but say, tingeing it with just a bit of accusation directed at the male spirit. He came up beside me and watched her go, a strangely sad expression on his face. He heaved a sigh and fixed me with a deep blue glance from the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry you had to meet her," he said, "Pandora is… an anomaly. She seems to attract bad luck and misfortune for some reason. You were lucky nothing happened to you."

"Ah, I see," I could only reply. How sad, I thought, she must be very lonely.

"But where are my manners?" the spirit's voice cut into my thoughts, "My name is Aegis. I don't recognize you, and you're not a spirit."

"I'm Karin, an adventurer of Lore," I told him, not without some sense of pride," I'm here to locate a SoulAlly so that I can train as a SoulWeaver."

His smile was surprisingly warm. "I see. I wish you good luck in finding a SoulAlly! I would offer myself as a possible companion, but…" he sighed deeply once more and looked out over the Plane, "I'm looking for a Hero. Someone I can respect and support."

"Really?" I said, perking up and flying back into his field of vision, "Well then, you're in luck! I AM a he-"

A shrill scream interrupted and Aegis and I turned as one toward the source. "What was that?!"

"Trouble," Aegis quickly replied, determination already setting in on his face. He took off soaring over the hills with me close on his heels. "We're getting closer!" he shouted back to me, not seeming to mind that I was coming along for the ride, "It's over here!"

As we mounted the crest, Aegis came to such an abrupt stop that I would have run into him had I a body. Before him, a crowd a spirits had gathered, trembling. "What is…" Aegis began, his voice full of authority until it suddenly dwindled, "…going…" I followed his gaze as it traveled up what I first believed to be another frozen wave. Boy, was I wrong. Towering over the land, thick saliva dripping from a maw that spilled thick tentacles, was the ugliest creature I had ever seen. "ON!" Aegis finished his delayed sentence as he stared up into the monster's face, his mouth hanging wide open. No doubt, if it had been there, my jaw would have been on the floor.

I could hear Aegis' teeth grinding. "What is Uthuluc doing here?!" he demanded, whirling on the congregated spirits, an accusatory finger pointing at the group that trembled beneath his authority, "How did it escape?! Who released it?!" The crowd suddenly parted, all eyes staring down the little orange form of Pandora. The spirit hung her head, avoiding everyone's eyes, looking guiltier than a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Immediately Aegis deflated. "Pandora…" he groaned, bringing both hands to his face and rubbing at his temples.

"I-it was a m-mistake," she stuttered, so quiet it was almost impossible to hear. Aegis ignored her and turned back to the towering monstrosity.

"Uthuluc is immortal," he said, though I wasn't sure if he was addressing me for just talking to himself, "We CAN'T kill it. But I suppose… I could seal it. Or perhaps banish it. If I'm lucky."

"Aegis!" I called before he could move, "Let me help you. In my world I'm considered a Hero. I can assist you! You don't have to face this thing alone." Aegis' face was skeptical as he looked me up and down. He almost seemed amused.

"That's good to know, but in your current state… I don't think you will be able to do much. I appreciate the offer though."

"I mean, my body is… with me… that is, with the soul… together… body and soul… oh, bother." I finally grasped what he was saying to me. Yeah, a little bobbing ball of light could totally help banish a two-hundred-foot-tall monster from the depths of an alternate dimension. If I had hands, I would have smacked myself. Aegis merely smiled and launched himself high into the air, headed straight for the creature's dripping jaws. I couldn't help but grumble to myself, "I do NOT like standing back and doing nothing… just watching while someone else takes care of the monsters."

Meanwhile, high above, Aegis battled the ancient monster. He swung the amulet dangling from his wrist like a bludgeon, and wherever it hit the beast's scaly skin, ice erupted in frozen blossoms. The spirit swarmed over the creature and it wasn't long before the entire thing was frozen solid within a glacier the size of a mountain. Aegis landed lightly beside me. "And done," he said, as though he had just finished a mild work out, "He should remain frozen for at least a century." I had to admit, it was some good handiwork. The thing almost looked tolerable behind a thick sheet of glossy ice. The other spirits had already drifted away; Pandora was nowhere to be seen.

I felt Aegis' frosty gaze. "Um, yes?" Again, it felt like he was examining me. Was being in soul form like being an open book? Could Aegis already see everything about me?

"Karin…" he started slowly, "You said you are a Hero. Are you a good Hero? Helpful? What kind of deeds have you done?"

"Am I a-" at first I couldn't comprehend why he had asked me that question, "Of course I am! I have a destiny and I'm trying to live up to it!" I could feel my emotions rising, like I needed to prove something to him. "I will save the world with my dragon! Help the good people of Lore, drive away the bad… I will!" I sounded to myself like I was trying to justify something. "And while I'm helping people in need, I'm still in a race against Sepulchure for the Elemental Orbs! He cannot get them all or we're doomed!" I felt like I was rambling, and I probably was. That familiar feeling of having the world on my shoulders threatened to crush me again. Aegis was silent as I spoke, watching me carefully.

"Enough."

That single word broke through my tirade and I trailed off. "Excuse me?" I asked. "What do you mean?" Aegis smiled that warm, amused smile again.

"I've decided then," he said, and bowed deeply before me, "I would be honored to become you SoulAlly."

"Wait, really?" I replied. This would have been a lot easier if you had listened to me before.

"No, I'm kidding. I'm just going to leave you here until Uthuluc thaws out and let him have his way with you," he snapped back. I nearly bit something back and almost missed the mischievous twinkle that had entered his eye.

"Oh hoho, you're sarcastic!" I exclaimed and Aegis just rolled his eyes with a smirk, "I can respect that. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!" he chuckled in reply.

"I sure that together we will do many good and helpful things," he agreed. "Ah, but it seems you've been here long enough. Let's get you home." He reached out a white hand and I felt it cradle my soul. It was cold, but comfortably so, like a cool breeze on a hot day. "I'll see you on the other side," I heard him say before the world was drenched in light.

Tomix saw the light flicker off in Karin's dark eyes and caught the young woman as she toppled forward. Gently, he lowered her to the ground, keeping her head nestled in his lap. He would stay with her, just in case anything went awry while her soul was wandering the Plane. He remembered his own trip into the Plane of Elemental Spirits; every student of Edelia was required to make the journey as a rite of passage. He remembered the fear he experienced as his soul was sucked from his body, the anxiety of realizing he had no way to protect himself, and the wonder of seeing the beauty of the world of spirits. Karin had seemed so nervous. Sure, during their time fighting through the city, he had seen many emotions cross her face; elation, anger, triumph, fatigue, disbelief, but one thing Karin never was, was nervous.

And now, this was yet another side of Karin that Tomix had never seen. As she lay unconscious in his lap, she looked so… vulnerable. He had seen her sleep before, back when she was recovering from ChaosWeaver poison, but that was different. Back then, her face had been screwed up in pain and covered in a sheen of sweat as she fought off the fever.

Now… she was peaceful. He had never seen her when she wasn't bristling in her battle armor, splattered with the blood and gore of her enemies with a bright grin on her face. Now she seemed small and fragile compared to that image of her. The sleeves of her black tunic stopped just short of her elbows, allowing Tomix a view of scars; from burns and bites, from scratches and stabs that marred her skin, standing out white against tan. What has she been doing to become so scarred?, he thought to himself.

Something smooth slipped through his fingers and Tomix realized with a start that while he was thinking, he had begun absentmindedly to run his hands through her hair. And to his greater surprise, he kept doing it. Dark red strands glided over the exposed skin of his fingers, surprisingly soft.

Why did she help me? He couldn't help but wonder. He didn't ask for her help and had in fact advised against it, but she had stuck with him anyway. She had quite literally come falling into his life and now it seemed as though he had no chance of getting rid of her, like an annoying and chipper song he had stuck in his head. Of course, I wouldn't actually ask her to leave. Honestly, it was because of her that he had come so far in his quest for retribution. Whenever he had started to lose hope, she would be there with a grin, a witty quip and a bad pun to get him back on his feet. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't have found Riadne again-

Riadne. His fingers froze in the locks of Karin's hair. With a quick glance, Tomix looked for the Arachnomancer in the gloom before remembering that she was still weak, fighting off injury and poison beneath the ever-watchful eye of his SoulAlly. Being held prisoner at the hands of the ChaosWeavers had taken more out of her than Tomix had first suspected. Looking back down at Karin's slumbering face, he felt his heart twist in his chest.

Tomix felt himself torn. Riadne tugged on one half; that beautiful, brave, serious young woman who had driven him frantic with worry and lifted his spirits with the knowledge of her safety. Karin tugged on the other half; an equally beautiful woman who was strong and tenacious, who knew when to crack an awful joke and when it was time to slit some throats.

He thought back to the first time he met Riadne, how he had been struck by her beauty and her intelligence. She proved herself to be a resourceful, level-headed woman. She had said that she missed him when they found her in the park, had blushed a bright red when their hands had accidently brushed. Her going missing had sent him into a frenzy to find her, and a desire for revenge against those monsters that hurt her still simmered beneath the surface.

He thought back to that time in the sewers beneath the prison. Karin had succumbed to delirium as she curled up in his arms, giggling like a little girl and whispering sweet nothings in his ear around a tongue slurred by poison. She had told him she liked him, laid a hand on his cheek, leaving trails of fire behind her fingers. He was never worried that she was going to be fine, knowing she wold bounce back soon enough with a snarky quip and a good shove to get him back on his feet.

He shook his head vigorously. I can't deal with this right now, there's a war coming for Lore's sake!

The woman on his lap suddenly stirred, and Tomix's worried thoughts evaporated.

Everything felt heavy, like my limbs were weighed down with lead. Wait… I had limbs again! I twitched my fingers just to clarify, and sure enough I felt each one move. A groan escaped me as I tried to turn over, my body protesting as though I had just run a marathon. I tensed my back and tried to sit up and was quickly thwarted by gravity until strong hands clasped my arms and helped to keep me up. "Easy now, take it easy," a low voice soothed, "It's a rough journey you just returned from. Take your time."

Forcing my eyelids open I saw Tomix crouched beside me, his hands supporting my shoulders. I blinked lazily and lifted a heavy hand to rub my face. How nice it felt to know where it was. "Ugh," I moaned, "I feel like I've been sleeping for a month."

"Well, you did just have your soul pulled from your body and forced back in," Tomix replied, "trust me, I know what it feels like." The smile on his face was almost proud, "I knew you could do it."

I grinned sluggishly back at him. "I did do it, didn't I?" I tried to stand, but apparently physics are so different on the Plane of Elemental Spirits that I forgot how they worked on Lore. My legs shook underneath me and if it weren't for Tomix, I would have ended up face planting into the dirt. "I'm okay," I said, shaking my head to try and get the blood flowing to my brain again. When the world finally decided to stop spinning I let go of Tomix, waving my arms a bit to keep my balance. He was always right there to catch me if I stumbled, but I managed to maintain at least a little bit of my dignity.

It really did feel as though I had slept for a long time. Though I was groggy and stiff, joints popping as I moved, I felt strangely refreshed. "I actually feel pretty good!" I said, bending my fingers to relieve the pressure, "I really did need a nap." Tomix's pulled a face at the audible pops that sounded from my neck and shoulders and back as I stretched, relishing in the feeling of flesh around my soul again. Speaking of souls… "Oh hey, I want you to meet my SoulAlly! How do I do that?" Tomix seemed distracted as he watched me crack each knuckle. I waved my hand in front of his face. "Helloooooo. Is anyone in there?" I asked, smiling as his startled eyes met mine.

"Oh, right," he said, pale face tinged pink for a fraction of a second, "You and your SoulAlly are now connected. If you call them, they will come."

"Really now?" I replied, and cupped my hands around my mouth. "AEGIS!" I shouted loudly into the emptiness, my voice echoing in the cavernous space. A cool crisp breeze danced through my hair just as a voice spoke in my ear.

"You rang?"

I couldn't help myself. Letting out an uncharacteristically girly scream, I spun around and threw my arms around Aegis' torso, lifting him clear off the ground and spinning in circles, giggling like a maniac.

"Alright, alright!" I heard him shout over my laughter, "I understand that you're excited, but don't you want to introduce me to your friend over there?" I spun to a stop and set Aegis back on his feet, only for him to grip my shoulder and rub at his ribcage hissing: "Oh Gods, you're really strong!" I smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. Aegis, this is my good friend Tomix. Tomix, this is my SoulAlly Aegis!" The two greeted each other with small bows, all the while watching my bounce up and down on the balls of my feet, trying really hard not to break out into giggles again.

"Is she always like this?" Aegis asked of Tomix, eyeing me as the giggles started to bubble out.

"Only when she gets really excited," Tomix informed him.

"Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into," Aegis mumbled. I couldn't handle it anymore. Both men let out a surprised shout as I caught them both in a tackle that sent all three of us tumbling to the ground.


Oh my god, I've been waiting to upload this chapter for ages! It's been sitting in my word file for months and I'm very excited to show this to all of you! I hope you enjoy!

By the way, I finally got around to drawing our lovely Heroine Karin! You can find it on DeviantArt over here - art/Bitch-Do-You-Know-Who-I-Am-564116710

And on Tumblr over here - post/130449761475/there-she-is-the-dork-in-all-her-shiny-armored