Looking down at the dying girl lying at my feet, my heart clenched in pity, you would think after fifteen hundred years, and ninety-nine deaths, I would have become immune to the cruelty of mortals but I hadn't, sometimes I despised that about myself, I wish I could turn off my emotions just like the animals that had tortured the young girl lying in front of me.
She lay like a broken doll, her arms and legs were broken. From the size of her, she couldn't have been older than fifteen or sixteen years old. I couldn't make out her features as her face was so badly beaten, but black hair was coated in her blood.
I looked over body, and tried to determine if she had been violated, I was unsure how I would feel about inhabiting a body that had been raped, since I had always died before I turned thirteen years old, I personally had no experience with the sexual side of life, although I had witnessed young girls raped and tortured during my many lifetimes.
After seeing so much brutality from men, I really wasn't interested in forming any sort of romantic connection in this life, males seemed to be lustful, perverted, violent creatures, that I had vowed to stay away from.
Noticing that her lower half was still decently covered, I was relieved. The girl seemed to feel my presence, her eyes opened. She had the most beautiful lavender eyes I have ever seen, I expected to see fear in her eyes, all mortals feared dying, but to my surprise her eyes where filled with a mixture of rage and grief.
The rage I could understand, the grief confused me. In all my deaths I have never experienced grief at dying. Seeing her looking straight at me, I smiled at her gently — a part of me wanted to ease her suffering.
"Are you here to save me?" the girl asked, her voice weak barely above a whisper.
Kneeling down beside the young girl, I shook my head softly.
"No, I have come to make a deal with you" I replied.
I could see the confusion in her gaze.
"You are dying, nothing can save you," I told her honestly.
It was brutal but I could see that she knew she was dying, and I wasn't going to give her false hope. I could have waited for her soul to leave her body before speaking to her about the deal I wanted to make, your soul always lingered for a while after your death, the time varied, no one had yet figured out when the bond between the body and soul broke, but I decided to start our negotiations before she died, maybe it would ease her death, give her something else to concentrate on.
Initially, I wasn't going to tell her about my past, but looking into her eyes, I wanted her to know that she wasn't alone in her suffering, that I understood her pain. So I quickly gave her a rundown of my past, and then told her the reason why I needed her body.
"So in exchange for your body, I will give you justice — I will make the people you murdered you suffer a fate worse than death" I promised.
Surprising the young girl was still lucid, and she looked at me with a grave look in her eyes.
"Not just vengeance, I need something else" she whispered hoarsely.
I was startled to hear her words, what else could see want besides vengeance.
"What is it that you want?" I asked her curiously.
"P..p-eople, my people you must protect them, swear to me and we have a deal."
Her people, was that who she was grieving for, here she lay broken, tortured, alone and where were her people when she needed them, I was astonished at her kindness, that at a time like this she was worried about the people under her care.
I felt anger at the unfairness of this world, here in front of me lay a good person dying, while the animals who did this to her got off scotfree, they really are right I thought — only the good die young.
Even though I really didn't want to get entangled into her problems, well besides getting revenge for her, looking into her eyes, I suddenly felt the desire to protect whatever she held dear.
Nodding I said, "I vow to protect those under your care."
Her eyes brightened and she smiled at me "Good, then we have a deal."
I could hear that she was finding it difficult to breathe.
Struggling to keep her eyes open she whispered: "So what now?"
"Once you die, we will conclude our deal," I said, then to give her some comfort I added, "Dying is the easy part, and it is not the end, it is only the beginning."
As if my words gave her courage or peace, I don't know but her eyes clung to mine, and I watched as the light died in them, as she breathed her last.
A couple of seconds later, I watched as her soul left her body, next thing she was standing next to her body, her soul body intact, a golden cord was strung tightly between her soul-self and her dead body.
Looking at her soul body, I was amazed at how similar to me she appeared, we could have passed as twin sisters. Even Jax took a shocked breath when he saw her. In all my previous lifetimes my mortal body and soul body had shared some similarities but never had my mortal body looked just like my soul self.
"I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Brae, and you are?"
"Be'Lanna Satoru, daughter of General Cayedn Satoru" Be'Lanna said, raising her right hand she placed it over her heart and slightly bowed. I took note of how she introduced herself, as it must be a custom here on Teranovis.
"Hurry, her soul will depart soon," said Cinderstorm walking up to us. I was surprised to see that he now looked like a mortal, must have not wanted to scare Be'Lanna I figured.
"But Cinderstorm, I need more information" I replied.
Cinderstorm statement had made me panic slightly, as there was so much I still needed to know.
"Make the deal, I will transfer her mortal memories," he stated.
Not having much time, as I could now see the golden thread tying Be'Lanna to her dead body was starting to unravel, I was running out of time.
Looking seriously at Be'Lanna I asked, "Be'Lanna Satoru, daughter of General Cayedyn Satoru, do you hereby give your mortal body to me, in exchange for vengeance and the protection of the people under your care?"
Looking at me Be'Lanna answered, "I do."
With Be'Lanna agreement, two glyphs appeared — one under Be'Lanna feet and the other under my feet. The words of the promise that I had just spoken immediately appeared in between us glowing with a golden light, the words then moved over to me, just then I felt a stinging pain on my left wrist, looking down I observed those ancient symbols appearing as a band on my wrist.
Our divine covenant had been witnessed, the golden thread that had been unraveling snapped and instantly attached itself to me, I felt a massive force pulling at me just before I passed out.
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