Bound in Spirals Ch. 03

"Uh, can you understand me?" He asked, still unnerved by the enormous carnivore.

'Yes yes, of course. Spare me your astonishment, I am not some dull witted stone widdel.' Resounded a voice within his head, in the same way the man had before. 'I know your language. I had a master before, though it has been a few hundred years.'

Sam was somewhat surprised at it's articulacy, but more so at the unmistakably feminine tone. 'You're... a female.' He tried to project toward her.

'Why does that surprise you? Never mind that, I have already figured out why.' The wolf replied. 'Where did the strong one go, why was I left with the pup?'

Sam rubbed the back of his head and looked down sheepishly. 'I-I'm not really sure... Sorry. I don't even know where he came from.' He said. 'Um, do you have a name or something?'

The argwolf huffed her annoyance again. 'Very well then. Yes I do have a name, I was known as Letta by my previous master.'

'Uh, nice to meet you then, Letta... I guess. Maybe not so nice really, I ended up pissing my pants.' Sam said, looking down at his soiled clothing pitifully.

'I'm flattered that you were frightened so thoroughly.' Letta said, with something resembling a snort of laughter.

'So you aren't going to kill me right?' Sam asked, still feeling his situation was precarious.

'No. Now that we are bound, if you were to die my mind would be drawn into the void with you. I would like to continue living.' Letta answered bluntly.

"I think I'm just going to speak to you out loud for now, doing it mentally is a bit taxing." Sam said aloud after a few moments of silence.

'Very well.'

"I guess I might as well clean myself since we're at this stream." Sam said, starting to undress.

'I will go retrieve your friend.' Letta said as she rose.

"W-Wait what?" He fumbled out. "Uhh... A-Alright then, try to avoid hurting him if you can."

His shirt slid off between the sheath pressed against his back. As he turned to look, the argwolf had already gone, making no sound. 'Jesus christ, things are happening way too fast. Someone else is in my head, and I now have a pet that could kill me as easily as I could a spider.' Sam thought, running his hand back through his thick hair. 'Also, I killed 3 people today.' He mulled over these facts as he thoroughly rinsed his pants in the cool stream.

He wrung the water from the soaked pants, and hung them over a low branch in the nearest tree. He repeated the process with his undergarments and shirt, then scrubbed his own body, realizing he hadn't showered for a few days. Sam dunked his face into the chill water and sucked in, the cold liquid quenching his thirst.

In the middle of replacing his damp clothes, Sam saw a black and white image projected into his mind. It was an overhead view of Theodore. His expression was fierce and he held his lance out defensively, his long blonde hair matted with sweat. Sam realized that the image must have been sent by Letta, based on the position the point of view was from, and Theodore's guarded stance.

He worried for his new friend's safety while he pulled the leather boots over his wet socks, with some difficulty. By the time he managed to shove his feet into them, Letta was returning. She trotted into the clearing just as he finished tying the laces. In her mouth, she held an unmoving Theodore by the back of his shirt. Sam felt a slight fear at his appearance, but it was quickly quelled by Letta.

'No, he is not dead, only unconscious. He was not very cooperative.' She said indifferently.

She set down his limp body before Sam, and that was when he saw the lance jutting from her left shoulder.

'He most likely has a broken rib or 2, you should probably heal it.'

Sam looked between Theodore and Letta with wide eyes.

"I'll do you first, he's knocked out so he's not feeling it anyway." Sam said, skirting around the body lying face down.

As he approached, Letta let out a snarl and her lips lifted menacingly. He jumped back, frightened for a moment but quickly remembered that she wouldn't kill him. When she saw that he wasn't backing down, she reluctantly submitted to his treatment. She rested down on the soft earth and turned her head away from Sam. Huffing through her nose, as she seemed partial to doing.

He gingerly rested his palms on the smooth wooden shaft. From what he could tell, the tip of the lance would come out fairly easily, as it seemed to have gone in straight. 'Might as well get it over with quickly.' He thought to himself, and gripped the lance just below where it protruded. Sam closed his eyes and breathed in, then yanked the weapon free. A low whine escaped Letta as the blade was pulled.

Blackish blood began to pour generously from the deep wound. Sam hastily dropped the lance and set his hands on the wolf's smooth fur. He accessed his power with only a slight difficulty, and recalled how he'd performed the healing on Theodore earlier. Thin tendrils of magic spread from his fingers, and the gash quickly sealed, becoming unnoticeable as her fur returned to it's normal state. Letta said nothing as Sam released his hold and turned to Theodore.

He rolled him onto his back, and felt for any broken ribs. Theodore's breathing was labored. Fortunately it seemed there was only one, so Sam quickly repeated the process. His breathing leveled as the bone snapped back to it's rightful position. Having finished, Sam plopped down onto his rump, feeling his weariness catching up to him. As he glanced to the massive grey argwolf, lying her head on the ground between her paws, a question came to mind.

"Letta, just out of curiosity, why did you attack us back there? You said you had a master before, so..." Sam inquired softly.

Letta blinked and shifted her massive intelligent eyes toward Sam. She breathed deeply, as though she were considering how to answer his question.

'Well, I suppose for several reasons. Though the main reason was hunger, my general anger toward your people factors in as well.' She said after a time. 'By "Your people" I mean humans, by the way. I am aware you are not of this realm.'

Sam's eyebrows rose at the last bit, but after most people of the he met had guessed it, he wasn't so surprised.

"What did these humans do?"

'They started that foolish war! Over the usual trivial nonsense, of course. That always annoyed me when I was around them in the past. Due to their excessive need for food, the lands in their vicinity have been drained of my normal prey.'

"Hmm. I suppose that's justified." Sam said thoughtfully, his chin resting on his palm. "Though I would prefer that from now on you don't eat anybody. At least not without asking first." He finished with a sardonic smile.

The great wolf did that same snort of laughter she'd done earlier. Another question surfaced as Sam glanced at the now snoring Theodore.

"Why did you chase after me?" He questioned. "Of the three of us I imagine I have the least meat."

Letta yawned, showing off the intimidating rows of pearly, knife sized canines.

'The answer to that is slightly embarrassing on my part, to be quite honest.'

Sam had a hard time imagining this frightening being embarrassed in any way.

'I suppose I could say that it was because you seemed weaker, but that would be a lie. I sensed a certain...' She paused, considering her words. 'Potential... from you, and became curious. After spending nearly a hundred years as a human's companion, I think I came to long for that again. And so, I followed you, hoping, to a certain extent, that you would be capable enough to bind me.'

Sam rubbed his face, the prickly stubble tickling his hand. He frowned, not sure what to make of that.

'Well you did not have the experience yourself, but in time I doubt it will be an issue. In all my time I have never seen such an overwhelming amount of power in a mage.' Letta finished.

"Huh. People keep saying stuff like that, but it's probably just because I've hardly used it." Sam bashfully replied.

'No, I know what I have seen.' She glared at him to emphasize her point.

Sam nodded, somewhat reluctant to accept this. He rubbed the back of his head, as he had a tendency to do.

'I have just noticed, that you know my name but I do not know yours, pup.' She changed the subject.

"Oh, uh, right. I'm Sam." He said absentmindedly, occupied by thoughts of his magic. "Why did you call me pup, by the way? Seems a little condescending, considering I'm your master now and all."

Letta let a low growl escape and her eyes narrowed. Sam's attention was immediately turned.

'You are not my master, not until you can do what the other did. I will call you pup because you are one. One day you will be stronger, but that day is not today.'

Sam raised his hands defensively and smiled, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"I get it, I get it." He said, and Letta settled down. "Speaking of which, do you know who the other mind might have been?"

Letta's eyes stared at him piercingly. 'Yes, I know who it is, or perhaps it would be better to say I know how they came to be there. But you know as well, I can see it.' She said.

Sam did know actually, but he was hesitant to accept it. 'It seems like Letta can practically read what's going on in my head.' Sam thought to himself. 'Wonder if it's part of the bond or if she's just able to tell...'

"Yeah, I have an idea of who it is..." Sam said softly, shaken by the thought. "It's Samson..."

In a castle thousands of miles from the forest, a priest brought forth a silver chalice. Inside the chalice, a swirling mixture bubbled. The liquid shone with a lustrous violet and red. A grimace distorted his wizened face as he glared down at the blasphemous brew. In better circumstances, the man would have never considered creating such a thing. Unfortunately, the young woman who'd requested it could not be declined.

A devious smile met him as he entered the princess's quarters. In a mock throne, the young princess sat. She looked up from the book in her hands and it snapped closed. Her grin widened as she saw the priest. It was easy to see the young woman's angular face was noble. She rested her head against her hand, a lock of her blonde hair falling over her eyes.

"It is ready?" She asked, her clear hazel eyes eager.

"Y-Yes milady..." The old man said, not sharing her enthusiasm. "Milady, I must say it again, b-but please reconsider this. There are safer ways to gain power. I-I could even teach you!"

"I have not the time for tedious methods, I cannot allow my sister to be queen!" The princess said, her expression changing in an instant.

The priest looked at the woman pityingly and nodded reluctantly. He handed over the simple chalice.

"Be cautious with how much you consume..." He said, but was silenced.

The princess took the chalice and poured it into her mouth. Without regard for the consequences, she gulped down the entire mixture. She sighed happily, and tossed the empty silver cup to the side. It's clatters echoed in the enormous room. The woman stood, licking the last of the liquid from her lips.

"How long until it works?" She asked, looming over the short priest.

"I-I'm not sure exactly, probably a few weeks." The old man said, retreating fearfully.

His fear was justified, as the princess lunged forth and gripped his throat.

"Your help is appreciated, but I cannot have knowledge of this leaking out." The princess whispered to the suffocating man.

His face turned a sickly shade of purple, and his mouth foamed. The princess chuckled at the wild, bulging eyes that stuck from the priests withered face. Finally, the frail hands stopped struggling, and the man fell limp. She dragged the heavy corpse to the large balcony overlooking the city, and leaned him against the stone railing. The princess heaved the legs up and over, then laughed as the limp body flailed in the air...

After Sam's revelation, the pair did not speak for the next hour. Sam's contemplative silence was broken as Theodore began to toss and turn. He glanced at the groaning man, pushing up off his knee as he rose.

'We should try to catch up with the survivors that went ahead. Can you carry us?' Sam asked Letta mentally.

'I could, but I will not.' She replied.

Sam raised an eyebrow questioningly. 'Why's that?'

'The ideal situation for you at this point, would be to remain a neutral figure. With your level of power, they will be wont to use you for a political tool. I saw it first hand with my previous master. Especially considering your current...' She paused, looking for the right word. '...innocence. You would be easily taken advantage of.'

Sam frowned, unable to deny anything she'd said.

'Why do you think my magic is so great?' He asked, still somewhat bothered by how much praise he'd been receiving.

'My previous master was an S class mage, yet even she could not compare to what I have glimpsed in you.' She answered.

Sam rubbed the back of his head, and scrunched his eyebrows as he pondered. He looked up to Letta as he thought of something.

'Can you explain to me this whole class system? Theodore mentioned it, but I never had the chance to ask about it.'

'Hm, yes I can explain the basics, though my own knowledge of it is secondhand.' She said. 'It is a ranking structure based on how powerful ones magic is. The highest rank being SSS class, then SS, S, A, B, and so on. Until the lowest, being F class. And in each class, individuals are ranked by number.' She stopped as Theodore moaned again, then continued.

'The majority of mages are between B and D class, the numbers being in the millions. My master was one of 39 known S class mages during her time, ranked 11th. Considering the fact that there were only 6 SS and 2 SSS class, you can see how coveted your abilities would be.'

Sam's eyes widened further and further as she went on, his ego inflating with it. 'No, No. I can't get cocky, I barely know how to control my own magic.' He shook his head and chided himself.

'How do they measure each individual?' He asked.

'I am not certain to the specifics, but she mentioned that there are multiple methods. The first involving many different tests to check the power of one's bind or sever. The second used an extremely expensive magical tool that measures your power directly, only the S+ classes have access to it. She also described some other archaic, and less precise methods, which are no longer or rarely in use. Well, this is how it was a back then anyways, there have likely been advancements.'

Sam was now extremely curious as to where he would rank on the spectrum. He smiled unconsciously. He had another question for Letta, but forgot it as he heard Theodore suddenly speak.

"Wha... Where? I'm still alive?" He said, pushing himself off the ground.

"Finally. Theodore, you fully awake yet?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I think so. What happened? I thought..." He cut off as he turned toward Sam, and saw the immense gray figure lying behind him.

"Calm down, she won't kill us." Sam said quickly, seeing him starting to franticly look for his lance.

Theodore looked at Sam like he was a lunatic. Finally seeing his weapon lying next to Letta, he froze. She placed her paw over it, while staring into his eyes as if daring him to try.

"What? How? Why?" He rattled off quickly, looking to Sam for answers.

"Uh, well I bound her somehow, I guess..." Sam said, not sure how to explain the fact that Theodore's old friend was presiding in his mind. "It was lucky really..."

Sam rubbed the back of his head, and silently hoped Theodore would just accept the vague explanation. Theodore scanned his face suspiciously for a moment, then sighed. Sam's tension released slightly as Theodore relaxed.

"Well, I guess I don't have much of a choice but to go with it, considering it hasn't killed us already. If what you say is true, it seems that my earlier estimation of you being at least A class is quite far off." He said, rubbing his temples with a pained expression.

Sam smiled sheepishly in response, shrugging his shoulders apologetically.

"Where is Walten?" Theodore asked, glancing around the clearing.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"The other man who ran into the forest with us. Did the wolf not get him too?" He replied.

Before Sam could react to his words, Letta spoke to him. 'He was killed, just before I got to you. I found some entrails when I was searching for this man. I assume it was by the grenks in this forest.'

Sam frowned. "She says he died, by grenks or something..." He relayed, gesturing to Letta with his thumb.

Theodore looked to Letta, then grimaced and looked down. "Awful way to go... I suppose that makes me the last of the guard."

'What's a grenk?' He asked Letta after seeing Theodore's reaction.

'They are a small primate that hunts in large packs. I have had a encounters with them in the past, and they gave me scars to remember them by.' She said, lifting her back left paw to reveal patchy area of white fur.

'Yikes, don't think I wanna run into them any time soon.' He thought to himself, then turned back to Theodore.

He was watching their silent exchange with unrestrained interest, but seemed to switch gears as Sam's gaze came to him.

"Alright, well it seems we are gonna have to spend the day catching up again." He said. "If your familiar would carry us it might not even take that long."

"She says she won't do it."

Theodore looked at Sam inquisitively. "Why is that?"

"Something about people taking advantage of my naiveté." He replied with a shrug.

Theodore rubbed his chin thoughtfully at that. "Honestly now that I consider it, I think I agree with that. I could already see the coven starting to do it back there. But where will you go?"

"Er, haven't really thought that far ahead yet." Sam said. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Hm, well, my first thought would be to go to Eltinn, you could prepare yourself there. Then, I suppose it really depends on what you want to do..." Theodore said, scratching his stubble.

'Now that he mentions it, what do I want to do? Should I go back home? Do I even have the choice?' Sam's face scrunched as he tried to pry an answer from his muddled thoughts.

"I'm not really sure what I want to do yet... But that seems like a good starting point. I should have time to consider my options on the way." He said with a light smile.

'I will carry you to Eltinn, but I will not accompany you into the town.' Letta said.

'Yeah, I can see where that would cause some problems.' Sam replied mentally, then spoke aloud. "Alright, she says that's fine."

"Okay, we should start moving soon, but first we should gather some food. I'm feeling quite peckish." Theodore said with a soft chuckle. "I'll go gather some edibles, it won't take long."

With that, Theodore moved to retrieve his lance, and Letta removed her paw.

'Tell him to be wary of predators, the grenks were not very far from here.' She told Sam.

Sam relayed her message, and Theodore nodded affirmatively. He jogged off into the thick forest, and disappeared from sight. After a minute of awkward looking around, Sam sat down on the spongy earth next to the stream. He unsheathed his new sword and rinsed the smeared coagulated blood from the blade. With the dark gray sword cleaned, he replaced it in the sheath and stood.

'He is returning, and fast.' Letta said suddenly. 'He is being pursued by something, or rather many somethings.'

She rose and glared toward the direction Theodore had gone just 10 minutes before.

'Get on my back, we may find ourselves needing to flee momentarily.'

Sam found himself unable to move for a moment, but quickly recovered and ran toward her. As he got to her, she leaned down and he hastily clambered up her left foreleg. Just as he settled himself behind her shoulder blades, Theodore came crashing through the edge of the clearing. His face was strained, and he looked over his shoulder. He splashed through the stream clumsily and slipped slightly, barely staying on his feet. In his right hand was his lance, now coated in fresh blood, and in his left was a bundle of leafy plants.