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Armando and his best friend, Jakob, were wrapping up their weekly team meeting. The six members of their architectural firm, Medina & Ramsey, Inc., were in their boardroom to discuss recent developments for their business.
“Help me be mature here,” Jakob said. “I want to call our competitors and gloat.”
Armando chuckled. “Please don’t. You just promised us you wouldn’t.”
Armando and Jakob’s company had received confirmation that their bid to design a massive convention center had been accepted. The new building would be located in Unera, the southern-most Nieri Territory.
The rest of the team laughed.
Ryoma glanced at Armando. “I think you owe us lunch. It took Jakob less than ten minutes.”
Armando shook his head. “I thought he would hold out longer.”
“Wait,” Jakob said. “You all made a bet on me?”
“Yes.” Armando raised an eyebrow. “We bet it would take twenty minutes until you started gloating. And it cost me lunch. So, before we have lunch, anything else we need to discuss?”
Ryoma leaned forward. “I know it’s strange to mention, but I’m worried about the Basheil reports.”
The Basheil, the Nitelvosa’s main enemy, was a militaristic faction. Thousands of years ago, they’d separated from the Nitelvosa and left to build their own society. Generations later, they’d returned to fight a massive war against the Nitelvosa. The conflict had been devastating, lasting for two decades, and resulting in almost a billion of Bashiel, human and Nitelvosa dying. While the Nitelvosa and humans had driven the Bashiel away from the three planets, the population on the three worlds were still below prewar levels.
Nitelvosa and humans remained vigilant about the Basheil. Protective shields encompassing the three planets had been put in place. Periodically, Bashiel spacecraft would come close to Nitelvosa and human space. Reports of such occurrences were now more frequent.
“Well, I was thinking topics that were work-related,” Armando said. “But if the Basheil are on your mind, we’ll talk about that.”
Ryoma gave him a lopsided grin. “You know how I am.”
Armando smiled. “I do.” His smile faded. “I’ve been worried about what’s happening too.”
“Why are there so many reports lately?” Jakob asked. “There have been five sightings in the past few months.”
“Do you all believe the reports?” Yaretzi, who primarily handled client outreach, asked.
“I’m not sure.” Viktor, who managed the office, shrugged. “First, we weren’t getting much information and now things seem to be much more open. I’m just saying...”
Jakob stroked his jaw. “At least we’re discussing it more openly now.”
“All right.” Armando clapped his hands. “Enough speculation about the Basheil. Let’s take a break and get lunch. Izdahl mentioned there’s a great Jamaican restaurant a few streets over. Should we try it?”
They agreed on the restaurant and decided what to order, including a curry chicken roti for Armando.
“Okay,” Viktor said. “I’ll call in the order.”
Armando rose from his seat. “In the meantime, I need to clear my head. A walk outside would be great.”
“I’ll go with you,” Jakob said.
“No. It’s okay.”
“Did you hit an ‘introvert moment’ and need some alone time?”
“Yes.” Armando grunted dramatically. “How many hints do you all need?”
Jakob and the others laughed. “We’ll let you go.”
“Finally.” Armando made a comical face at his best friend. “Thank you for getting the message.”
Grabbing his jacket, Armando headed out of his office. When he reached outside, he took in a deep breath of the early spring air. It was clean, crisp, and just what he needed. He leisurely strolled to a nearby park, as he relaxed and enjoyed the fresh air. His stomach rumbled and he decided it was time to return to the office.
He was on his way back to his company, when a sharp pain went through his head and he pulled off to the side. He massaged his temples as he squeezed his eyes shut. The pain was familiar, one he felt whenever he was trying to remember details around his parents death. The timing was odd because, at that moment, that traumatic night hadn’t even been on his mind. He didn’t understand the reason for the pain.
“Are you all right?” he heard.
He opened his eyes to look at the person asking. A tall Nitelvosa peered at him. Armando’s headache intensified and the hair on his arms rose. The sunlight reflecting off the windows and sleek metal surfaces in the business district didn’t help. He mentally pushed through the pain to respond, trying not to call more attention to himself.
“I’m all right,” he said. “Thank you for checking.”
“Are you sure?” the Nitelvosa asked, her voice filled with concern.
“Yes, I really am. I’ll just stay here a moment.”
The Nitelvosa looked at him skeptically, before nodding and walking off. The unsettling feeling became stronger. Armando felt a pull in one direction and turned his head, trying to search for the source. He now felt the same as when the barrier around Zaitiv’s statue had fallen. Whoever had been hiding in the barrier was now incredibly close to him. He turned in circles, knowing it was unlikely he could spot who was causing his unease. Various humans and Nitelvosa bumped into him, giving him strange looks as he struggled to understand what was happening. The feeling slowly faded and he decided to let the issue go, for the time being.
When he returned to the office, he thought he’d wiped any concerns from his face. His team could easily read him and they asked what was wrong. Instead of answering, he pushed them to start eating lunch and they did so reluctantly. After their meal, he stepped into his office to call Izdahl. The moment Armando saw Izdahl’s face on the video call, his anxiety began draining away.
“Hey, Iz.” Armando let out a long breath. “I needed to see you.”
“What’s wrong? Did I get my days mixed up?” Izdahl asked, his eyes filled with confusion. “Were we supposed to have lunch together today?”
“No. Something happened. Remember I told you how I felt when Zaitiv’s statue fell?”
“Yes. It reminded you of the Nitelvosa you saw that night.”
Armando noted that Izdahl was never explicit about what “that night” meant and he appreciated it. Izdahl had referred to when Armando’s parents had been killed. The attack had been led by a Nitelvosa. Later, when Armando was recovering at the hospital, the same masked being had appeared at his bedside. Ever since that point, he’d had trouble recalling most details. It had only been during the past year that memories of that tragic event had began pushing to the surface.
“Today, the same thing happened as when we were by the fallen shield,” Armando said. “I got this horrible pain in my head. It felt like that person was close. Really close.”
“What? Are you all right?” Izdahl quickly rose from his seat and the video phone’s drone camera followed his ascend. “Do I need to come there?”
“No. I’m okay. I just had to tell you. You don’t have to leave work. Really, Iz.”
Looking doubtful, Izdahl sat again and the camera returned to its original position. “How are you feeling now?”
“I don’t hurt anymore. Just still processing.”
“If you want to talk about it tonight, let me know.”
“Okay. I’ll see you at dinner.”
After ending the call, Armando gazed into space, thinking of what had happened. Finding it a source of comfort, he rubbed the leather and baltium cuff Izdahl had given him almost two years ago.
He shook his head clear and tried to focus. He was glad his team didn’t have anything major that needed to be handle that day.
***
Izdahl met his mother in his parents’ backyard. A separate wood and stone abode was off to the left side of the yard, with a pond nearby. The abode held an access point to the Kasykelan Realm. The lawn outside the abode was covered with shimmering blue dust, an indicator that a large and powerful cluster of Kasykelas were in the area. The creatures who lived in the other realm thrived on strong feelings of love, along with having an affinity for those with a positive spiritual presence.
As a highly respected and effective healer, after intensely using her powers, Hadil sometimes needed significant spiritual recharging. She’d then go into the Kasykelan Realm. Izdahl had watched his mother visit the creatures many times. He’d seldom gone there and, each time, he’d found the experience to be too much. As he entered the realm with Hadil, he hoped things would go better for him this time.
He stepped onto the stone path with Hadil. A group of Kasykelas came to greet them, floating with ethereal gentility. The four beings—blue, green, red, and yellow with spots a darker shade of their main color—were five inches in length and possessed wings. Their heads, with a golden circle in the center, had frills on the sides that gently and constantly moved. With large round eyes, small nostrils, and a small mouth, they were deceptively adorable.
The creatures went to Hadil and put their foreheads against hers. They released a pleasant hum. With Izdahl, they stood back and watched him carefully.
“You probably don’t remember them,” Hadil said to Izdahl. “But these are the leaders for the areas where our sanctuaries are. I let them know I’d be bringing you here for special healing. They’ve concentrated extra energy in our shrine to help.”
The Kasykelas began communicating telepathically, sending their gentle voices into Izdahl’s mind.
“We remember you, Izdahl,” the blue Kasykela said. “Welcome back.”
“Much has changed with him,” the green one said.
The red one flew very close to him, hovering inches from his nose. “Oh! He is deeply in love." The Kasykela smiled. “With a human called Armando. Oh! A human. Interesting. We must learn more.”
“He is scared, like when he was a boy,” the yellow Kasykela said. “And he is embarrassed.”
Izdahl looked down at the ground, feeling strange that he wasn’t comfortable meeting the Kasykelas’ eyes.
“Anu-uha. Anu-uha,” from the four Kasykelas filled his mind.
“Why do I feel like I’m being mocked?” Izdahl asked.
Hadil laughed. “They’re not mocking you. That’s the sound Kasykelan parents make to soothe their little ones. This is something you’d know, if you’d studied them a long time ago. But you were afraid.” She playfully elbowed him. “Imagine competing in fire dueling but being scared of these adorable creatures."
Izdahl motioned with an open palm at the group of Kasykelas. "They're kind of creepy, Mother."
The blue Kasykelan leader nipped Izdahl’s thumb with its jagged teeth, while communicating telepathically that it didn’t like his tone.
“I apologize,” Izdahl said, quietly.
Hadil laughed and poked his shoulder. "Serves you right. Now, let's meet Sunja and Metienne, before you really upset the Kasykelas. We don’t want to get banned from their realm."
“They can ban us?”
“Yes!” Hadil shook her head. “Again. You’d know if you’d studied. Let’s go.”
The four Kasykelas hung onto Hadil’s shoulders, as she headed into the sanctuary. Izdahl followed her. Sunja, whose presence was as formidable as Xeira’s, waited for him. His great-aunt’s hair was white and cut short. Her silver bracelets, engraved with the Ziyad Family crest, jangled against her medium-brown skin. By Sunja was Metienne, his aunt on his mother’s side. Tall and lithe, she possessed medium-brown skin tone, along with sharp hazel eyes that noticed everything. Having participated in and won several Elite Fire Dueling Tournaments, she’d trained him for the previous one. He hugged Sunja and Metienne, grateful that they were always ready to help.
A short while later, they began the healing ceremony. In the center of the room, Izdahl sat and faced his mother. He felt Metienne’s steady hand against his back. On the opposite side, Sunja was supporting his mother.
Izdahl breathed in deeply, attuning to Hadil's rhythm, with Metienne and Sunja doing the same. To help him focus, he released small orbs of of air, earth, fire, and water. He let them circle above his head as Hadil directed. She’d use the orbs as monitoring devices, as part of her health check review. If the spheres became distorted or disappeared, she, Sunja, and Metienne would adjust their power output for the healing process.
A thicker blueish mist filled the room, letting him know his mother had concentrated much more energy around them. He continued to stay calm, feeling her using her spiritual power to search his soul in minute detail. Her comforting ability rolled through him and he hoped she’d find the source of his ailment.
When the deep spell ended and they’d left the Kasykelan Realm, Izdahl opened his eyes. He stared at his mother, finding her brow heavily creased.
“Do you have an answer?” he asked.
“No. Well not one I’m totally satisfied with. Now that I was able to concentrate the healing energy, there’s another soul signature I’m picking up. I’m almost sure it’s Armando’s. I guess it would make sense, since he pulled your soul back, but why would that be negatively affecting your health? Your father and I have soul bonded and that didn’t hurt us.”
“Did you find any spell shards in his body or soul?” Sunja asked Hadil.
“None. I was expecting something from the enchanted stake had injured him.”
“Could the source of Izdahl’s health issue be Armando?” Metienne asked. “With Armando touching Izdahl’s soul, there might have been a change we didn’t see at first.”
Hadil nodded. “We need to talk to Armando. Now.”
Izdahl’s eyes widened “Really?”
“Yes. Bring him here.”
“Mother—”
“Do it. Now.”
Izdahl pushed to his feet to grab his mobile and call Armando. “Hey. This is going to sound strange, but can you come to me? I’ll open a portal.”
“Is everything all right?” Armando asked.
“It’s nothing bad,” Izdahl said.
“You don’t sound like it’s—”
“Armando, please. Just come to me.”
“Sure. Give me a second.”
A few minutes later, Armando walked through the portal Izdahl had opened. He met Izdahl with a smile that slowly faded.
Hadil stepped toward Armando, with her arms folded. “Did you put a barrier around my son’s soul?”
Armando rubbed the back of his neck. “A barrier? I’m not sure. I might have done something. Izdahl and I had meant to ask you about that, but we never got around to it.”
“Izdahl, come stand in front of me,” Hadil said.
When Izdahl did as directed, Hadil reached for Armando’s hand. A moment later, Armando yanked his hand away and checked his palm.
“What’s wrong?” Izdahl asked, taking Armando’s hand to look at it. When he noticed the center of Armando’s palm was reddened, he glanced at Hadil. “Mother, did you do something?”
Hadil raised an eyebrow. “I gave Armando a very tiny amount of the pain you’ve been feeling. Armando, I know you meant well, but you put a barrier of your energy around Izdahl’s soul. Or at least a partially formed one. Had it been a full and proper one, Izdahl wouldn’t be in pain.”
Armando glanced at Izdahl. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
Izdahl shook his head. “I really don’t understand what just happened, but I’m already starting to feel better.”
“By linking spiritual energy from you and Armando, I could see the barrier better,” Hadil said. “I thought a cruel spell cast on the stake had also gotten into Izdahl’s soul.” She fixed her gaze on Armando again. “Instead, it was you.”
Armando gave her a weak smile. “I’m sorry. Just to be clear, I had no idea what I was doing. One night, Izdahl was talking in his sleep. It was the first time he’d ever done that. He talked about how scared he was and how he didn’t want to lose me. I put my hand against his chest and his skin heated up.”
Izdahl stared at him, his eyes wide. “You never told me that.”
“I kept on thinking about how I needed to protect you. It wasn’t until the next day that I noticed the light around your soul had changed.”
Metienne laughed heartily. “Imagine a Nitelvosa casually doing that to someone’s soul, let alone a human doing it.”
Armando sighed with exasperation. “I didn’t mean to, at least not while causing a problem.”
Sunja chuckled. “I guess that mystery’s soulved. Did you hear that? Soulved.”
Izdahl playfully rolled his eyes at his great-aunt. “Please stop.”
“Izdahl, do you want to leave the barrier in place?” Hadil asked.
“Are there benefits?”
“Yes. There are multiple ways that the barrier reinforces health. If one of the Nitelvosa’s pregnant, the partner can feel some of the pregnancy pain.”
“I don’t think we’ll need that benefit,” Armando said, making Izdahl laugh.
Hadil grinned and lightly smacked Armando on his shoulder. “Stop being obnoxious. Another health benefit is, when you’re physically and mentally drained, your partner can use their soul energy to nourish you.”
Izdahl glanced at Armando, smiling gently at him. He looked back at his mother. “Then, I want to keep the barrier.”
“All right.” Hadil nodded. “There’s a potion you can drink to help you adjust to the change. Your health issues should go away, with the barrier properly aligned.” She gave Armando a pointed glare before focusing again on Izdahl. “So take it exactly as directed.”
“Understood, Mother.” Izdahl glanced at Armando. “I’ll do anything that makes you feel better.” He gave him a soft kiss. “Thank you for protecting me.” He looked back at his mother. “Can I do the same with Armando?”
“I would not recommend that. Not right now.”
“Why?” Armando asked. “If it would set Izdahl at ease—”
Hadil crossed her arms. “Will killing you set him at ease? Your soul isn’t strong enough for that kind of barrier. At least not yet. You’re still recovering from using soul energy to pull back Izdahl.”
Izdahl looked at Armando and squeezed his hand. “One day you’ll be strong enough. For now, let’s be happy we know what caused my pain and how to handle it.”