Pirate Assassin

Chapter 5

"The Wolves are a group of Outsiders who have a culture of strength. They have a genetic anomaly which allows their muscles and bones to grow denser. Therefore, their men are muscular, but not unduly so, and their women are graceful and lithe. The men are veritable tanks, able to trudge through the thick snow of their frozen Pland, while the women glide on top of the snow, so quietly that one does not know if they stand right behind you.... Perhaps most curious of all is their ability to imprint themselves on someone. This creates a bond which transcends that of friendship or camaraderie. It is to these reasons that they are a much sought after people."

-Cut from a documentary concerning the Wolves.

Zack, after the years of seeing popular and beautiful girls in high school look down on others, was quite suspiscious of Elyss walking to their table. Corby was right, though. The loose dark green jumper she was wearing showed her curves and she had a natural charm about her, as well as the other 'womanly features' Corby had specified and he found he couldn't tear his gaze away from her. She stopped in front of him, her fan club behind her, waiting to see what she would do. Zack saw Bradsfort among the crowd and dismay filled him. It was unwarranted. She spread her arms wide, looking straight into Zack's eye and said simply, "Hug."

Everyone's jaw dropped and Zack was conscious of a gurgling sound behind him. He didn't turn around but he suspected that had been the last straw for Carvin. "Excuse me?" he asked. Elyss dropped her hands and frowned thoughtfully with a hand under her chin. Then she pulled Zack up, displaying strength that belied her feminine frame and said in a voice that somehow reminded Zack of gentle stream, "We've got a lot to talk about," and she moved closer to him and whispered, "Brother dear," and she pecked him lightly on the cheek. He followed her mystified as the entire cafeteria went into an uproar with girls fainting (and probably some boys too) and boys gaping at her retreating form. Corby was left shaking Carvin awake muttering about how lucky some men were in this side of the galaxy.

Zack followed Elyss through winding corridors trying to figure out what she meant, what she was about to do and why she seemed so familiar. Everytime he lagged behind, she would emit that twinkling laugh and pull him insistently. Finally, they reached a stone door about hers and Zack's height and she pushed it open. She ushered him in and closed the doors behind him. He found that they were in a small aclove within the academy - he noticed the walls still surrounded them - but the place was like somewhere a monk went to meditate, with a small waterfall at the northern end, with a hill overshadowing the wall, which flowed gently into a pool which was a few steps ahead of the entrance. The entire place was covered with soft grass. "I love this place. It's just so relaxing." she said as she flopped onto the soft grass and dunked her feet unceremoniously into the water. Zack couldn't help but grin. Still the same, he thought, then froze. What was still the same? "You're confused aren't cha?" she asked, lying down with her eyes closed. Zack shrugged and went to sit beside her. "Why do I get the feeling I know you? And why did you call me your brother?" Zack asked puzzled. She turned her head to look at him, "Dear, dear forgetful brother," and she abruptly sat up. "Do you remember a little girl who you played with when you were 5? One who was kinda weird and well..." she looked at him sheepishly, "bit you?" It was as if that was the key to open up a chest of memories he put aside.

He was 5, a little boy with a penchant for wandering. His mother had only let go of his hand for a moment to get the two cones of ice cream. When she looked down, he was gone. Waddling around in the park, little Zack took everything in with fervour. Trying to catch the butterflies and the crickets, splashing the pond water, romping in the grass, he had never felt so free. Then he noticed a lone little girl staring at him so in all, as of yet unknown, gentlemanliness, he went up to this girl and said proudly in his squeeky voice, "I'm Thack!" not quite getting the grasp of the Z. The little girl giggled and replied in tones way beyond her years, "Thack? That's funny name." His poor little baby brain didn't comprehend that he was being teased. "Yup, Thack! Thathh me!" and he went nearer to pull her up to play with him. As he touched her arm, she began trembling violently. Her emerald eyes widened and before any one knew it her teeth had sunk into his right shoulder. Zack screamed and wailed, and hearing a baby scream and wail is quite distinctive. Before long, the respective parents, and a crowd of people, had gathered. After giving great amounts of apologies the two women and their children went their separate ways. Strangely, for all his claims that the little girl had bitten him, there'd be no blood, only a faint mark on his right shoulder and as the girl was out of sight, Zack couldn't help feeling as if the girl was still watching him.

Zack recounted the story. "Yeah," she said touching his shoulder gently, "Sorry about that. It was instinctive." As he remembered the events, he suddenly felt a strange feeling in his head, like a presence... "Yeah, that's me," she said, still poking around his old wound. Zack blinked. "How..."

"Did I know that? Simple, we have a psychic link."

"Psychic link? Wha...?"

"When I bit you, it was part of an imprinting."

"Imprinting....?" Zack blanched. Unsurprisingly, Elyss did too. "Don't worry, its not that Twilight garbage, though sadly to say, it COULD be. We have a bond, Zack, that runs deeper than a mere friendship. You rarely hear of couples forming over imprintings, but it does happen. The most usual case is a forming of sibling-hood and the next would be a right hand man system, where the Wolf is the trusty companion since after all, we're stronger than normal humans," she explained then grinned wolfishly at Zack, "And I know that you always wanted a younger sister to dote on, just as I," she continued before Zack could retort, "always wanted an overbearing and overprotective older brother. I'm a year younger, by the way." She smirked as she poked him playfully on the arm. Zack scowled. "I find the one way mind reading unfair," then he paused, "Wait, does that mean you know everything for 13 years of my life?" he asked, dread seeping into his features. "No, no," she replied reassuringly, "We were too far away. I could only sense you and your general emotions. Its great to feel like the other half of my brain's close by, don't you?" and Zack couldn't help but feel that as well. "And as to your first question, we can train it, and its easy. Just focus on me in your head. For now, since its so new, close your eyes."

Zack followed her instructions. "Now," she said while he was completely in the dark, as one would say, "imagine me talking to you in your head." So Zack did just that. She was standing in front of him with that grin on her face. "Perfect! Now reach out for my hand," and he saw that her image was offering him his hand and he took it. Suddenly, a tide of voices rushed over him but one, louder than all the others saved him from being overwhelmed. "Zack! Sift out the voices! Focus on the ones with my voice!" and Zack concentrated till he was certain there rivulets of sweat flowing down his face. His efforts paid off. The darkness was now much quieter with occasional voices, those being Elyss' own and he heard one in particular: 'He's doing very well!' and Zack opened his eyes to a grinning Elyss. Her thoughts now were still in his head, a bit disconcerting, put at the back of his mind but he always wanted a friendly spirit nearby. "How is it?" Zack grinned, a rare one as he hardly showed any emotion as much as he could, "Creepy," and he laughed at her frown. He leant and ruffled her hair, "But I suppose I'll get used to it." Elyss laughed. "There was something you wanted to ask me right? Let's try have a psychic convo. Think of that thought and slot it into the link. He left his eyes open this time but he still couldn't do anything else but concentrate. "Nevermind, it comes with practice," Elyss' disembodied voice said in his skull. "And as for the tournament..." and she turned to him and made a mischievous grin. "Would I ever dream of saying no?"