Page 164 of To Free a Soul
And Leonidas... well, he’d finally taken her advice and left the Veil.
So, he’s gone back to that house,she thought, wrapping herself up in her cloak to escape the winds, unable to fly through such a storm.
Her hand itched to bring up his face again to see the quaint home in the background. He was hidden, watching over it silently from the trees or in the snow.
She didn’t know why, only that he returned to that house, situated in the north’s forest, every year or so. There had once been a young woman there, her hair as black as night and as straight as an arrow, but she’d stopped returning many years ago. Leonidas had watched over her father and his declining health before he, too, stopped being there.
Even when it was absent of life, Leonidas returned.
She’s there now, though.Was that why he was constantly drawn to that house, just for the chance to see her? The windows had been lit up from within, and she’d left to go hunting that very morning, geared up in winter clothes, a sword, and a bow and quiver.
The woman was in her late twenties, and there was a sharpness in her brown eyes that Lindiwe only ever saw in those who had seen death and survived.
They were the eyes she saw in her own reflection.
A cold, unfeeling logic in the face of adversity or pain. Self-sacrifice in the name of betterment, even if it wasn’t always good. Someone strong, unafraid, and resilient.
To know her child cared for someone deeply enough to want to spend his final moments watching over her was heartbreaking. Even more so that she didn’t even know he existed, and the potential future they could’ve had was now... impossible.
How sad,she thought, wrapping her arms around her babies, and cuddling them close. Her heart throbbed for Leonidas, and she wished things didn’t have to be this way.And there’s nothing I can do to fix it.
A time unknown, but where hopelessness fractures
A tug yanked Weldir awake.
It was tight, like a string being pulled taut so it could retract towards his centre in a burst of kinetic energy. He’d felt it before. Only once, but it was strong enough to pull him from slumber sooner than he should have.
So, Leonidas’ skull has broken, has it?he thought, as he lifted his hands to see what he’d managed to recuperate.
He was surprised to see there was so much of his physical self, considering he’d been held under the waves of mana exhaustion.How long has it been?
He brought up a viewing disc of Lindiwe, only to note which season it was, as it was unlikely she’d left Austrális during this time.Winter?Only a few months had passed then.
That was enough to give him strength, especially as his mana and power were quicker to return now that he’d covered much of the world. Sure, it was difficult to maintain, but he’d long figured out how to automatically consume souls even when asleep.
He could unconsciously heal and expel, consume and strengthen, and place them in their locations to rest.
Lindiwe wandered near and around a town in search of something. When she couldn’t find what she sought, she transformed, left the town’s location, and headed to another.She only does this when she’s searching for souls.Could this be the reason he’d gained so much strength in such a short time?She’s been aiding me.
He considered telling her about Leonidas, but decided against it for now. First, he needed to bring his offspring to his side, even if he wasn’t in his mist and easily reachable.
Waving his hand, he summoned all his fate tethers to become visible. He found the one that was tighter than the others, as if it wanted to be returned to him, and its twisting yellow and black informed him it was Leonidas’ – although another of his offspring had a similar colour.
Weldir gingerly wrapped it around his forefinger, locked onto it, and pulled to call his soul to him. Oddly enough, it held firm. He tried again, using only a small amount of force, as that was all he’d needed to obtain Nathair’s.
It didn’t relent.
I don’t understand.If Leonidas was dead, his soul was no longer anchored to his skull.It should come easily when called.
Weldir waved a hand to conjure a viewing disc of his offspring, and all he saw was his yellow spectral soul moving around in ablurred, white environment. Weldir was unable to properly see the real world, when Faunus was a part of the afterlife.
With his finger still wrapped around his child’s fate tether, he yanked again. Leonidas snapped out a snarl only he could hear and shoved himself forward to fight the tug that Weldir had on his spectral spirit.
I see,he mused, releasing the string.He isn’t ready to let go.He was holding onto life, seeming to follow someone or something, and Weldir couldjustperceive the movement of life in the murk surrounding him.
Weldir would give him a little more time to process his own death before fate itself would take him anyway. He had a day on Earth before his soul would be yanked to Weldir, even if neither of them wished it.
He watched as Leonidas whimpered. He backed up and then whined while covering his chest as if someone had walked through him without seeing him.
