Ch. 12 Tethered
At the advice and guidance of the good sentry, who I’ve decided to call Lina. I adjust the orb to zoom in on Aristotle. The one-way mirror immediately starts to ripple like a raindrop falling on a pool of still water and once finished, the various view of the imagined cityscape are replaced with four street level views of Aris.
My first thoughts are “great, he’s alright.”
Immediately afterward I watch as he’s carefully creeping up and down the city streets trying to avoid unnecessary skirmishes all sneaky-like. Thus, I am quickly reminded of how angry I still am about him not telling me I needed yet another stupid security clearance to safely enter this room. Aristotle, you sly, dumb bastard dog, I ought to bleep, and hang you by the toenails. Feel free to fill in the blanks. Anyway, as soon as I think it through, Aris suddenly stops and begins to look around like he hears something. Just what are you looking for I think to myself, as I will the orb to open up another map of the surrounding area. I already know that the closest Dragon tooth warrior is still 6 blocks away and stuck in a sinkhole. A miniature 3D hologram, like the ones C3PO uses in Star Wars, floats out of the mirror and stops in front of me. Just as I thought, the closest red dot indicating the enemy is 6 to 7 blocks away. So, what are you looking for? I’m wondering when Aris turns to sniff and stare in the direction of the invisible camera. I look into his eyes on the screen and try to figure it out. At first nothing comes to mind but as the seconds go by I start to hear an annoying high pitched sound strong enough to make my temples throb. Actually, now that I think about it, it feels more like a weak knock on the door of my brain. That’s when I realize it’s him, Aris and somehow he knows I’m watching him right now just like I somehow know that he knows I know. Finally, just as I know that he knows that I know he knows we have each other’s attention, that high pitched ringing in my ears comes into focus like a concert mic sound check. I HEAR YOU, Scooby!
Calm Down! You’re going to make my head explode, I said with my mind still
trying to get a grip on this telepathy link thing. What do you want I’m busy trying to keep you alive, out of site and out of mind? “Oh, my bad, he says, so this is what you had I mind when you asked me about the room next door. I take it you made it safe?” Yeah, no thanks to you, you bastard mutt. I’m watching the screen while he turns his head sideways as if he is looking right at me. I switched the screen to a different view twice more and he turns to look right at us yet again.
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Say Aris, how do you know what angle we’re using to see you? I’m not really sure what you mean, I just feel like someone is watching me he says. That’s what I’m trying to tell you, you over grown hound. Every time I change the view you spin around and stare at me like I’ve got something on my face. It’s kind of creepy. Oh that! Is that what this is? He walks around in a circle peering at what I believe is the exact spot that the magic camera is just before looking towards one of the others. Is this one of them? Yes, I suppose so I tell him telepathically. Hmm, I didn’t realize the tether could be used like this, he says telepathically muttering to himself before trailing off. ARIS! FOCUS! I blurt out loud simultaneously by mistake. Master Aaron, Lina asks, is everything alright? Do you require an additional dose of Tahasun? What…No…Wait…You can’t hear that? Hear what?
She says with a confused look. Umm, Aristotle, why can’t Lina hear you? Who is Lina, Aris asks. Who is it that I can’t hear continues Lina? I take a minute to explain to both of them separating my question and I finally get a proper answer.
Apparently the link that Aristotle has mentioned on so many occasions is a god
class spell (really, really powerful spell), that enables a being under certain conditions, to crossover into a different (major) of existence without fear of “The Vanquishing”. A Major, from what I understand is a primary mythical realm of existence that acts like a nation’s territory, or boundary line. The Vanquishing is what happens when you are eliminated by The Vanquisher, who is judge, jury and executioner of any and all who crossover without permission. His power supersedes all others and most importantly The Vanquishing hurts a lot…like a
lot a lot.
This invisible tether that was fastened between the two of us by my parent is known as Sulvana Gauda, or Soul Guardian. Yeah, I know it kind of sounds like that thing parents fight for in Divorce Court, Sole Guardianship or something but it’s not. To say I co-signed for his soul would be more accurate or better yet a dependent on my tax forms. Anyway, letting them explain in their own words separately, I am able to quickly figure out that Aris is still being annoyingly vague about his answers. Because of this, I secretly start looking to Lina for the undisclosed details. Through her I find out that there are actually multiple functions and gifts that come along with being tethered by the Soul Guardian spell. Some gifts are even unique to the two in which it is cast upon. However, unlike the most common features, little is known about those person specific skills due to the vast amount of magic required to cast the spell in the first place. Regardless, according to Lina, my parents cast this particular spell due to the obvious telepathic link, shared sensory, and ocular GPS which allows Aristotle to visually see the shortest route to my location and track me to the ends of the earth or any major. So…Lina, what else do you know about my past?