Larik [Tarik is alive] {spirit animals fanfic}

Adventure Begins

Tarik awoke on the final morning of his stay in Neivi. Anushka was already up and had packed a small bag of things for him. This was the one time Tarik had not slept in. He released Lumeo and walked over to Anushka who handed him the bag.

"Leaving already?" she asked.

"Yeah I have really got to get back" he said "but it's been lovely staying with you" he moved to exit, the others were all awake now.

"Byeeeee Tarikkkkkkk" called Ami. He smiled.

"Goodbye" Lumeo jumped down to let the children pet him one last time before he left, then he returned to Tarik's shoulders.

"We are gonna miss you" Lana said, hugging him. He patted her head.

"Maybe i'll come back one day" he sed she smiled and sprang back to join her brother

"Bye" said Trika with a smile, he smiled back.

"Until our paths cross," said Yari, holding out his hand, Tarik shook it.

"Until our paths cross" he pulled aside the fabric over the door frame, when Anushka called out;

"Whait" Tarik stopped and turned to face her. She hoisted a bag up over her shoulder "I'm coming with you" Tarik led the way out of the hut. All the villagers where stood at their doors, waving goodbye. Anushka led him out of the village and into the open savanna. They walked in silence for about an hour, both cooped up in their own thoughts.

"Thank you for coming with me," offered Tarik, he was glad to have a guide. She smiled.

"Your welcome, I've been in need of some fun" they cept walking "so" she said "what's life like as a greencloack?"

"Oh it's boring mainly," he joked.

"Realy?"

"Oh yeah almost dying every moment, having to try and control four crazy kids who never do as they're told" a small pang hit Tarik as he thought about the four hearos. He looked away from Anushka. He really hoped Rollan had gotten away. He had never bothered to go back and check for them, and the girls, what had happened to them? Was Meliln alright? Last time he had seen them they were on the king ray heading out to see mulop. So much had happened, so much that he had missed, so much he could have prevented.

"You alright?" Anushka asked. Tarik looked up and for a moment thought she was Abeke, his heart jumped, till he realised it was not his former student.

"Y- yeah I'm- I'm fine"

"You don't look alright" she put a hand on Tarik's shoulder "you sure there's nothing wrong?"

"I'm worried," he confessed, "I'm worried about Rollan and Meilin and Abeke and Conor and even Urtike" what had happened to her? Had she been alright? Had she survived, or had she met the same fate as her mother?

"Urtike?" ecohed Anushka.

"A guide, she was helping us at the oasis, but she was hardly old enough to have a spirit animal"

"Oh, I see" an awkward silence fell over them as they kept on walking. Tarik's mind kept wandering back to the four children he was supposed to protect, what if they were in danger now, and he wasn't there to save them? What if they needed him and he wasn't there for them? He absentmindedly went to fidget with the clasp on his cloak, but, of course, his cloak was gone. Then he remembered it in Rollans hands, the last sight he saw before everything went dark. It was a mirecall he had woken up. Lumeo seemed to sense his distress and nuzzled his cheek lovingly. Anushka watched them, jealousy written on her face. "You're lucky to have him," she told him.

"I am" he agreed "to lucky in my opinion, I- I don't know if I deserve such a great gift"

"You do," Anushka said "I am the one who dosent deserve it"

"What do you mean?"

"I was denied the nectar" she said "they were so sure I wasn't going to someone enathing," she sighed "and they were right"

"How old exactly are you?"

"Fourteen" The oldest he had ever heard of a bonding occurring was thirteen.

"So there is nothing to worry about, the bonding sickness shouldn't take you, not this old"

"It's not me I'm worried about"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I was denied the nectar, so will my children be"

"You have children!?"

"No, I mean when" she dropped to an angry mutter, "and if" then she raised her voice agen, "I have children"

"Oh right I see"

"I'm worried for my family," she gave him a sheepish look, "and a little annoyed I don't have a spirit animal" Tarik smiled.

"Sometimes they can be annoying," he said, stroking Lumeos head. She laughed.

"I'm sure they can be"

"I never met your local greencloack"

"We don't have one" she said, looking down, ashamed. "I mean we did before he was killed"

"What was his name?" asked Tarik, worriedly, wondering if it was someone he knew.

"Marloa" Tarik's heart stopped until she added the A. No one he knew, and not his brother.

"I'm sorry about his loss, what happened?"

"His son refused the nectar, said he babbled on about it too much, he got the bonding sickness and killed this spirit animal, it drove him insane, and he killed his father, blaming it on him. Shortly after, he killed himself, knowing he had done wrong" Tarik was stunned by this shocking story.

"That's horrible"

"Insent it" She looked pale. "he was my best friend" She admitted. Tarik put his arm around her, maybe he couldn't help the four children he was supposed to protect, but he could help this girl. Lumeo slipped around her shoulders and tried to comfort her.

"That must have been very hard for you"

"And it was my fault!" She seemed angry now "I made it without the nectar and so he thought he could as well! Im such an indot!"

"Your not" He said. Suddenly he was reminded of Maya, how he had protected the defenseless girl in Aricticka. She was around the same age as Anushka, probably a bit older. (no one knows mayas age XD) He remembered her crying. Then he remembered Rollan crying, and essix finely going into passive state. Then he thought about the wallrusses, and how Rollan's reaction had been the funniest thing in all Erdas. He thought about all of the fun times he had had with those four training, fighting, saving them from deathly things. He remembered in the jungles of Zhong, and how he and Lishay had saved Conor and Abeke from the crocodiles. Fighting beside his friend had been some of the most fun he had ever had. Then he thought about Lishay and doiran what had happened to the people he had trained with? Were they both ok? He hoped so, he really, really hoped so.