Chapter 27: Curses of fate

Givontair: 

"Keep digging, I'll go find him. When we return, I better not hear anything more about contracts," I snap at Nathaniel. He looks ready to argue, but I am already running in the direction Erik took off. 

My nose is as keen as ever. I can smell the boy, when I am near a cave. Just how did he run this fast? Are his champion powers already manifesting themselves? I can hear growling from the cave. What if there is a wild beast inside of it? 

Pulling out my dagger, I edge ever closer to the cave. There are two sets of eyes staring at me from the darkness. One must be Erik's. The other one must belong to some sort of animal. This is not good. If he already has familiars, then his prophecy is going to manifest sooner with him, than with me. 

"Don't come closer, or I will make Thurum attack you," Erik's voice is wavering. I know for a fact he doesn't want to sic the animal on me. 

"Can we talk? I will stay outside the cave. The only thing I want from you, is to listen," when Erik doesn't make whatever he is controlling come at me, I relax. As I sit on the grass, I wonder just what is in the cave. Perhaps a bear? Maybe a tiger? 

"I don't want to enter contracts," Erik says. He must know of some contracts forced on people, to be so against the idea. I don't blame him. Contracts don't see the difference between self-defense, and outright attacking. 

"I won't let Nathaniel do something like that to you. I don't care that he is my mate. If he can't learn to live with us, the way we are now, then I will drop him on the side of the road," it sounds almost heartless. After all, I did promise him eternity. But I want to keep Erik safe and close. The boy is still young, and needs my protection. I can always find love elsewhere. 

"Do you promise?" Erik asks. I hear rustling of fabric. Soon, I see him at the entrance of the cave. 

"I swear on my life," I let the mana seep out of me. This is one vow I gladly make. For, if I fail this little boy, I don't deserve to keep on living. He comes out of the cave then, with a tiger cub following him. My lips turn up into a smile. "You have some guts, threatening a dragon with a tiger cub." 

As if insulted, the tiger cub runs up to me, and then snaps its teeth around my boot. The leather is too much for it, yet, it still tries to chew through. 

"I am sorry, mighty beast. My remark is uncalled-for," I say, as I pet the little bugger between the ears. Still, the fluff ball's anger is ever present. The slight growling sounds accompany the sound of chewing. 

"Thurum will grow up," Erik says. The tiger wags its tail. "And then you will not laugh at him anymore." 

I scan the tiger, to see just what is the potential size for it. It will be a big cat. As big as a bear. I pet the white fluff ball between the ears again, and pat the spot next to me. 

"Do you want to talk?" I ask Erik, as the tiger keeps on chewing at my boot. 

"Why didn't Nate have faith in us?" Erik asks, his shoulders hunched. 

"He is a necromancer. He knows, better than anyone, just how hard it is to resist the urge to kill," I don't want to make excuses for my mate.

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He really should have been more careful with his words. There are times, when I feel as if he is on a high horse, with a blindfold on his eyes.

 Still, I can't help but feel attracted to him. He is my other half. Maybe not my better half, but my other half all the same. 

"What sort of contract did he have in mind?" Erik asks me, as he sits by me. I wrap an arm around him. 

"One that will release necromantic mana into us. Our brains would have shut down in a matter of seconds. A quick way to die. Some would even say, merciful," I pull the boy closer to myself. 

"There is nothing merciful about death," Erik murmurs. I nod along. Suddenly, I feel a slight pinprick on my toes. The little tiger cub growls in triumph. I sigh, and pick the little bugger up.

 Those were some good boots. What a pity. I place the cub in Erik's arms, and tug at the animal's ear. 

"You should train him not to chew through boots," I say, as Erik kisses the top of the animal's head. 

"He was just trying to defend his honor," Erik says, and the tiger cub yawns. 

"Are there more of his kind, in the cave?" I really want to know, if this is a tiger born from another tiger, or if Erik created it from mana. 

"No, I wanted someone to defend me, and Thurum showed up," Erik says. I hum at that. 

"You will need to learn how to control your emotions," I say, as I pat the boy on the back. The cub's tail whips at my hand. I smile, and grab the appendage lightning quick. The animal snaps at my hand, but I have already retreated it, by the time the small teeth come closer to the tail. Instead of the cub biting me, it bites its own tail. 

"Payback for the boots," I say with a smirk. The tiger glares at me. Then, it shifts in Erik's arms, so that it is belly up. I quirk an eyebrow at that. "You won't catch me with such a tactic." 

Erik snorts, and then begins to give the cub a belly rub. I watch him for a while, and then stand up. 

"Come on, before Nate decides to hunt us down. We still need to bury the dead," I regret those words, when Erik's smile falls from his face.

Thurum growls at me, probably sensing that it was my words that saddened its master. Erik hugs the tiger close to himself, and stands up. Together, we make it out of the clearing, and back to Zachary's house.