Eternal Beasts

Differences in Form

"Yes!" the young warrior woman said with a relieved and delighted laugh before holding up her hands and looking at them with her golden yellow eyes. "But I'm not really sure why I look like this."

Carefully sitting up, Jared stared at her as she looked first at her hands, then her legs and body.

"I look okay though, right, my Jared?" she asked, looking up at him, her expression filled with questions.

"Uh, yeah," he managed, fighting from grimacing as sensations, both physical and emotional, from the young woman kept flitting across his mind and senses. Nope, that wasn't going to be distracting at all. Then his bones were creaking as she pulled him into a crushing hug.

"Finally!" she breathed. "After waiting for five millennia, we are finally bonded, my Jared!" A final squeeze that actually made his breath wheeze out of him from the force, then she was leaning back, eyes bright and her expression excited. "Normally we would go for our first flight together now. But ..." She paused, somewhat crestfallen. "I seem to have misplaced my wings."

Despite himself, Jared chuckled wryly.

"Don't worry, kid. You still look like an angel to me," the words came out of his mouth before he had the chance to stop them. Then his bones were complaining once more when he found himself in yet another crushing embrace.

"Thank you," she breathed into his ear. Then, after playfully biting that ear, she was leaning back.

"And it's Samantha, not kid," she primly corrected him, triggering another wry chuckle.

"Samantha," he repeated, smiling as he reached up and felt his ear where she had bit him, wondering why she had done that. "I like it. Do you mind if I shorten it to Sam every now and then?"

Samantha smiled brightly.

"Not at all," she replied. She then settled back. "So, what do we do now, my Jared? The Watcher says you have to stay here until you've been healed of the wound you took in that battle with the cholim gladetori."

"Okay." He looked at the room's window with a frown. "And just where is here?" He made to stand so he could look out the window. Only to find himself nearly toppling over when his balance abruptly abandoned him, his left eye pulsing uncomfortably. Only Samantha's sure hands kept him from falling awkwardly to the floor.

Nodding to her in thanks, he settled back onto the bed with a frown. While he could see with his left eye, there was something wrong with the perception. Like a film was drawn over the eyeball or something. His frown deepening, he reached up to explore it with a hand.

Only to find Samantha's hand catching him by the wrist just before he could touch it.

"I don't think that's a good idea, my Jared," she said. "That was the eye that was wounded."

"No shit," he said, looking at her. "But I can see with it."

Samantha shrugged, which brought Jared's attention to her state of undress once more.

"I'm not sure, my Jared. I just know the Watcher put that magical eyepatch in place to keep the energies now contained in your eye from accidentally discharging."

'Magical eyepatch. Okay. Containing the energies now in my eye. Still okay ... maybe.'

- Okay, book, since I just heard you make your announcement, I know you're here. Mind explaining what the hell just happened and where we are? And you can skip the part about Samantha and I now being bonded. I figured that part out by myself. -

- Well, first things first, - the entity began. - You are back on Earth. In your old dorm room, to be exact. -

Jared looked over at the door with its visible blackened blast marks from the cholim sorcerer using magic to blow the door open. And in doing so, caught sight of the bright yellow crime scene tape that was stuck in the jam. That could prove to be challenging, especially if the cops come for another look at what should be an empty, messed up room.