Original - With Wrath, the Fall

Keagan - Chapter 3: Terms of Bindings

"That prick! Binding us together... This is going to be hell," Lane cursed.

"If you two idiots hadn't caused such a scene, this wouldn't have happened," said the kid, Randal.

"Caused a scene? You ran into me!"

"Get over it."

"Get over it? You have some serious balls bossing me around!"

"Do I now? Get rea..."

I tried my best to ignore their conversation. We had been walking north toward the cafeteria to get some food. I had moved myself so I was side-by-side to the fox, Kalvin. I kept it to myself earlier and tried to retire the thoughts I had by eyeing those tigers. They really were attractive. Beautiful, well-shaped, ideal but it was really just a way to muse myself. It was not easy.

I stared at the fox. His fur was a deep red rust color with a black tip on his tail. His bottom jaw was colored with white that ran down his chest in a streak then disappeared under his t-shirt. His shirt clung tightly to his torso. He had a shapely body that was fit and athletic. His face was appealing, not too big or small. His eyes were like a galaxy that sparkled with intelligence. I found him enticing.

"Keagan? You okay buddy?" Lane asked.

"I'm fine"

Kalvin looked at me, raising an eyebrow, "You seemed to have been quite lost."

"Why are you talking to me?"

Lane bumped my shoulder with his elbow. "I know what you were thinking of. You were thinking of them tigers from earlier, weren't you?"

I forced a smile, "Damn right!"

"Hahaha. I know what you'll be doing tonight."

"Do you?"

"You'll be snagging one of them ladies, won't ya? I guess I'll have to keep up."

"As if you could."

"You two are ridiculous..." Randal spoke with disapproval.

"What'd I tell you about watching what you say, kid?"

"What are you going to do tigerboy? You can't hit me. We're all in checkmate here."

"I can't huh? I'd bet I could."

Kalvin interrupted, "On the contrary, doing so would not only injure him but your buddy and yourself as well. That's the conditions of a binding spell. You know that, right?"

I cracked my knuckles, "I don't care."

"I am going to inform you both to assure the safety of us all. First, a binding spell forces those who are bound to display similar behavioral patterns. Not necessarily at a personality level but more at a habitual level. For example, as the professor said, we will be indirectly going to sleep and waking up at the same time. Binding spells favor the later or earlier one based on the terms of the caster. In our case it favors the one who gets up the earliest. I would hope the terms are that it favors whoever goes to sleep the earliest. Although, given the circumstances, that is unlikely. Secondly. we are bound. Look at this as if we're tied by a transparent barbed rope. We are unable to go opposite directions without severely injuring ourselves and the others."

"How the hell does that work?"

Lane looked at Kalvin with a half-disinterested look.

"I just explained how."

Randal took the steps to clarify, "I think he's talking about our dorms and classes."

Lane glared at him, "I don't need you butting in."