Life Review Ch. 02

"It's Denza, and those are Imperial currency. The Triumvirate has an agreed upon commerce ratio of a hundred to one for each metal. One hundred copper to one silver, and so forth," Denza noticed a gold coin twice as large as the others, "That big gold coin is called an Alectum- ten gold, the silver variant - twenty silver, and the copper variant - fifty copper."

"Two types of currency?" Shawn examined the coins. "If there is an agreed upon exchange rate, why the secondary denomination?"

Denza chopped away at some root vegetables as she thought of her answer, "Consolidation? Patriotism? It could be any number of reasons, but you'll only find that type of currency used inside the Imperial borders. Velain has its own currency too, the Golden Septariot at five gold, Silver Septariot at thirty-three silver, and the Copper Septariot at twenty-five copper. If you try to pay a Velisian with Imperial gold, you'll be laughed out of town. Which is better than being thrown out on principle like the Imperials would do to you."

"We landed in the middle of a political nightmare," Cassidy moaned.

"What's the deal with the Imperium and Velain," Shawn asked.

Denza sighed, "That's a very long story. All you need to know is that big nations don't like rivals. They've fighting each other for most of written history. The Triumvirate was formed to put an end to the constant wars, the Non-humans got sick of being drawn into the middle too. All the death has bred hatred into everyone, but mostly everyone hates the Imperium. The God-Emperor can go trip and fall on his sword."

Cassidy whistled at the venom in her words, "You really don't like the Imperium. You seem to hold a very personal grudge, considering how quickly you attacked us."

Denza wordlessly swept the chops roots into the pot of water, added some dried meat and closed to lid to let it simmer. "I do. They took something from me that I very dearly want back. That is why I needed the proof of the Wolf's Gem. I don't even have that anymore," She shot a dirty look at Shawn.

He caught the look and rolled his eyes, "Okay. Out with it. What did I do now?"

Denza tried to remain angry, but was too exhausted, "Now that I'm Bound, everything I own belongs to you, Including the Gem."

Shawn frowned, "I don't what your stuff, Denza. Like I said before, I don't want a slave or anyone bound to me. It was an accident I'm sure we can fix, right?"

Denza shook her head sadly, "Again, Bonding is a lifetime thing. It's said to even persist through death. There is no 'fixing' it."

Shawn sat back and took a deep breath. As if sensing his stress, Cassidy nudged him with her foot, "Look at the bright side. You could have been bound to someone who wasn't as hot as Denza. And she's an Elf. An ELF, Shawn. This is like a nerd's wet dream!"

"I love the enthusiasm, Cass, but you don't seem to grasp the seriousness of what she's saying," Shawn leveled a look at her. She was nonplussed.

"All I'm saying is that maybe this bonding thing isn't so bad. Sure, it happened by accident, but she could have been bound to someone so much worse than you," Cassidy grinned and winked at Denza, "He's totally a great guy. Long walks on the beach, dinner by candle light, punching people with a flaming fist, all the things a girl loves in a man."

Shawn and Denza groaned, for very different reasons. Cassidy seemed very proud of herself in that moment. Dinner was soon ready and they each had their fill. Shawn scooped up twice as much as the girls did and moaned happily as the stew tasted worlds better than the bland lunch they had earlier.

Cassidy glanced at Denza, "So, what's a proof and why is the Gem so important?"

Denza put down her bowl, "The Wolf's Gem is a magical gem that holds the wolf's foresight, that is what helped it survive for so long. The Gem acts as a proof that I slew a powerful creature and doing so gives me the right to become an Expeditionary."

Cassidy nodded, "And who are they?"

Denza looked into the fire with a bitter expression, "Strong people who do contract work for compensation. Cadder and his band of merry idiots took a contract from someone that wanted the Gem. Since I'm not in the Expeditionary Guild, I am under no obligation to help or assist them, or hand over my kill."

Shawn suddenly remembered that weird vision he had, "You said the Gem grants foresight, like seeing the future?"

"Yes, why?" Denza asked.

"That's how I knew Cadder was going to stab me in the back," Shawn whispered.

Denza groaned again, "And the Gem chose you? Damn it all Shawn, can you leave me with nothing at all?"

Shawn scowled, "What does that even mean, it chose me? And I'm not taking anything from you. Keep the damn Gem."

Denza hugged her knees to her chest, "I can't. Everything I own is yours. That's how the bond works."

"That's kinda fucked up, why would female Elves even allow themselves to become bound?" Cassidy asked.

"Elves live in a patriarchal society," Denza explained in an exasperated voice, like they should all know this. "Females are bound to their spouses to ensure the family union lasts forever. The bond makes them docile and subservient to their bond-mate. Loyal to a fault. It was bred into our race from the beginning."

"Oh, Shit. You weren't kidding," Cassidy gasped. Denza nodded glumly.

Shawn sat up, "Look, I'm sorry for what it's worth. I promise I won't treat you as anything other than a person. I meant what I said before, I don't want slaves or anything. You are free to have your own things, like the Gem."

Denza's expression softened just a touch, "That's a noble gesture, but you'll forgive me if I don't take a human's word at face value. That's all humans do. Conquer and enslave. That is the foundation of the Imperium."

"We aren't from the Imperium," Shawn said with more strength, "Where we come from, we don't have slaves. They have been outlaws for more than a century and a half."

"He isn't lying, Denza," Cassidy smiled, "Even if this bond is like a shackle, you'll never be tied down. If you want to leave right now, we won't stop you. Take your stuff, the Gem, and you can be on your way. Just point us to the nearest town."

Denza eyes seemed to regain a little more life to them, "I appreciate the offer, but I can't. I'm stuck with Shawn now. While your words are kind, they mean little to me at this point. Even if you lied, it's not like I could do anything to stop you. As for the Gem, it chose Shawn. For whatever reason, even though I slew its previous owner, It chose Shawn as it's master."

"Alright, so then we need to get you a new Proof then," Shawn shrugged.

"Excuse me?" Denza asked in disbelief.

Cassidy met his eyes, "Oh, yeah. I'm totally game."

Denza looked between them like they had lost their minds before Shawn explained, "We need to join the Expeditionary Guild too, to start making our lives here. Cassidy wouldn't settle for opening a bakery, and I've always had wanderlust in my blood. We just need to know where we can get more of these Proofs. Are there any more powerful creatures around?"

The Elf shook her head, "There aren't any powerful creatures around, and the only thing I can think of is the old mountain tomb that hasn't been claimed in thirty years. Everyone that's tried to clear it has never come back. The Master level Expeditionaries won't touch it, and those below that rank never survive, so it has a bad rep."

"Sounds good to me," Cassidy yawned. "Let's head there in the morning. This little tomb raider needs her sleep."

Denza gave her a funny look, "Why on earth would you want to go to a place that kills everyone who enters?"

"Because it obviously has assloads of treasure," Cassidy returned her funny look. "People keep dying because they want what's hidden away. You want proofs, I bet you my left tit that there is more than that in there."

Shawn shook his head at Denza who opened her mouth to say more, "Let's catch some sleep. Apparently we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."

Denza nodded reluctantly. Cassidy went off to the little girl's bush, while Shawn climbed in the tent and stripped down to his shorts. He laid on a thick rolled out mat that felt like straw, which meant memory foam was out of the question. He crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. He heard the tent flap open and someone shifting around as they took off their clothes. He shifted over to the side to make room for Cassidy. When she laid down, he opened his eyes when he felt a naked body against his. His heart pounded hard in his chest with the sensation of two full breasts pressed into his arm and a leg draped over his. He rolled over to protest to Cassidy that this wasn't appropriate, only to find it wasn't Cassidy. It was Denza.

"What the hell are you doing?" Shawn yelped. Denza lay on her side, completely nude. Her arms pressed her breasts outwards in an enticing show, the curves of her hips and butt added to the visual buffet of woman before him.

She looked away awkwardly and with an air of resignation, "What? I thought this is what men wanted? Don't you want to enjoy your new slave?"

"I just told you I didn't want you to be my slave, or my bitch, or whatever you have it in your brain that I want," Shawn shook himself and tried to divert the blood flow from his lower head to his proper head.

Denza looked mortified, covering herself unsuccessfully with her arms which somehow made him want her more, "What is it then? Am I not woman enough for you, pig?"

"No, Denza," Shawn pleaded softly, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "That isn't it at all. You are beautiful, but I'm not going to sleep with you because you feel obligated."

"What, do you just not like women then? Do your taste run more towards the rougher sex then?" Denza looked offended and confused. The calming gesture wasn't working.

"No, I love women. I just can't be with you. Not like this," Shawn offered with a pained smile. He hoped this would be enough to end the conversation. He was wrong. Very, very wrong.

"Is it because I'm an Elf?" She snarled indignantly. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and he could see the long ears the swept back and curled behind her head. Cassidy was right, a nerd's wet dream. Even in fury, a naked Denza would have any red-blooded male rising to the occasion within seconds. It was very hard to argue with a woman when half of your blood supply was trapped in your pants.

"What? No!" Shawn protested.

"Then what is it, you pitiful excuse for a man, you probably couldn't even spread me open-" Denza snapped, but stopped short when Cassidy appeared on her knees as she was crawling into the tent. She looked at Denza, then Shawn, and apparently heard what the Elf had been spitting.

"You don't talk to him that way. Do you hear me?" Cassidy growled, her voice dripping with venom.

Denza met her gaze and paled, but to her credit she didn't back down, "I'll talk to a human how I please! You are no better! Filthy, uncultured swine!"

Shawn didn't even see Cassidy's hand, but he sure heard the resounding smack across Denza's face. She looked stunned that Cassidy had slapped her. Her cheek was turning an angry red in the shape of a handprint.

"You want to say that again?" Cassidy hissed, her hand was trembling from anger. Little motes of flame began to flicker in and out of existence around her fingers. "You can be a bitch all you want to other people, even to me because I couldn't care less, but not to him. He's been nothing but kind and nice since YOU attacked US. Then WE saved YOU from being made a slave by the Imperials after the fact, or do you think you are so good you could have taken on all six of them alone? I think not. Shawn kicked your ass soundly, even while defending me. What does that tell you, huh?!"

Shawn looked at Cassidy with open mouthed awe, he'd never seen her act like this. He glanced at Denza who was fighting back tears. Suddenly his bond spat out her feelings directly inside his mind. Fear, anger, pain, loss, humiliation, rejection, and an all-encompassing failure. Denza grabbed her shirt and pants from the floor and shouldered past Cassidy.

"What the hell was that all about?" Shawn whispered hoarsely.

Cassidy glared at him until her face softened, "I'm sorry if that was mean. I don't like it when people insult you. I know you feel the same for me. This was the first time I've ever seen it happen, and could do something about it. Did I go overboard? I just got so angry."

Shawn pulled her into a hug which she accepted gratefully, "Just a bit, but I understand where you are coming from. Look, get some sleep and I'll be back in a while. I'm going to settle this with Denza. This bond lets me feel her emotions so I have an idea of what she's going through. She's lashing out because she feels like she's lost everything."

Cassidy sighed, "Yeah. I get it. Go do your thing."

Shawn kissed her on the cheek and scooted out of the tent. He glanced back to see Cassidy nestle herself into the spot he had warmed up and pulled the fur blanket over her. He smiled then turned his attention to his next task. He picked up the satchel and fished out the Gem, then tracked Denza a ways off into the forest, moodily staring off across a pond. The moon had risen high in the sky at this point.

He stood in the shadows for a while to let her have time to herself and gather her thoughts. When he felt enough time had passed, he walked over and sat down next to her. They sat in silence, staring at the reflection of the moon overhead.

"I'm sorry, Shawn," Denza said quietly. Shawn didn't need the bond to know she was being sincere.

"It's fine. I know you were lashing out from a place of pain. We all do it," Shawn smiled at her, her eyes were bloodshot from crying. He handed her the Gem which she took reluctantly.

"I told you, the Gem chose you. It's yours," Denza mumbled, trying to hand it back.

Shawn wrapped her hands around it, "I told you I didn't care. It's yours, and you'll keep it. You won it, and you need it for a proof for Guild entry, right? Me and Cassidy will just find our own in the tomb tomorrow or somewhere else. You killed the Great Gray Wolf all on your own, I will never steal your accomplishments from you."

Denza shifted uncomfortably, "Why are you being so nice? After all I did? Anyone else would have beaten me or used me for the pleasures of my body. You're just...nice. That's why I find it hard to trust you. There has to be an angle, a reason for you to be luring me into a false sense of security. I just can't figure out why. You've already bound me to you, my soul is literally yours. You could command me to do anything and I'd do it, I try and sleep with you and you push me away. I don't understand, and that scares me."

Shawn looked up at the stars. The sky was painted with endless small dancing lights that he would never make sense of, and even on Earth he would never get to see the stars like this because of all the light pollution. He considered Denza's words, thinking about how messed up this world must be for her to hold so much mistrust and hatred, "The home I left, I had a woman there that I love with all my heart. Something happened and I'm stuck here, with no way home. I will live and die before I get to see her again, an entire lifetime.

It isn't that I'm not attracted to you, Denza. I find you very beautiful. You are wild and exciting, even though we've only just met, I feel like you're something special to hang onto. Maybe it's the bond affecting me too. I can feel your emotions over the link, and I know you can too. Has anything I've said been contradicted by how I felt?"

Denza met his gaze and searched his face. She shook her head, "No, and that's what scares me. You are too genuine to be real. No one I've met is like you. Men who gaze upon me are only looking at my chest and my hips. I literally laid on you naked and basically begged you to take me, but you didn't. You could have made me your bitch and sated your bestial lusts inside me."

Shawn chuckled when he finally realized something. He had been confused when she had taken such offense at being called a bitch, but then considered the difference in speech between Earth and Niverra that Death had warned them about. His chuckle earned him a disapproving look, "I'm sorry. You are taking the term 'bitch' as literal. Where I come from its mainly used to describe a woman who is vicious and mean. You take it to mean like you are a dog, to be commanded and bred on a whim, don't you?"

Denza gave him an odd look, then nodded, "You come from a strange place, Shawn. Your words and phrases sound the same, but mean entirely different things."

Shawn chuckled again, "You have no clue how right you are. Things seem to be simpler here, believe it or not. No matter where you go, the same issues arise. Prejudice, classism, and hatred. Someone always thinks they are better than everyone else. I may not be like anyone you know, but good people are out there."

"So what are your plans then, with me?" Denza asked in a subdued tone.

"You said you'd follow any command I give you?" Shawn fought to keep his face stern.

"Yes," She responded hesitantly, already fearing what was about to happen.

"Then I command you to just be you. Live your life how you please. I won't say a word against it," Shawn grinned at her.

Denza couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Are you serious? You'll let me be free, just like that?"

"Yup. Like I said, I have no interest in slaves. I don't want to ruin your life and happiness because of a dumb mistake. If we are bound forever, than we can at least make the most of it. I won't ever make you be someone you aren't," Shawn scooped up a rock, skipping it across the surface of the pond, disturbing the pristine reflections on the water.

"Shawn, please don't toy with me. That simply isn't done," Denza said in a thick voice. He glanced over to see her eyes full of hope and tears.

Shawn wrapped her in his arms and squeezed, "I swear on our bond I'm not lying. Believe it or not, I just want you happy."

Denza sobbed into his chest. Shawn smiled as the bond radiated disbelief, joy, and hope. He let her cry in his arms until she was empty of both tears and frustration. She looked up at him and sniffed, "Thank you, Shawn. This means so much to me."

Shawn rubbed her back and nodded.

She studied his face, her hands tracing the outline of his features, "You aren't repulsive, like the other humans. You are rather handsome," She blushed once she realized what she said.

He copied the motions and traced her face, she leaned into his hands, "When your eyes aren't clouded by hate, you'd be surprised what you can see. You are also wildly beautiful, any man would be lucky to have you as his own. Now you are free to choose who that is on your own, no fear of the bond forcing you to choose."

Denza looked up at him with wide-eyed fascination. Their eyes met and her's became like liquid pools of moonlight, speckles of green sparkling like stars. Being this close, he could smell her scent. She smelled like sweat, forest, grass, and something sweet like blackberries. He didn't register that she leaned forward, or that he met her halfway. He was lost in her eyes and smell, the heat of her soft body pressed against his, her supple curves molding to him.

Denza moaned quietly when their tongues met in their furtive exploration into each other's mouths. He wound his fingers through her silky silver hair as she clutched him to her and trembled with need. Shawn felt his body respond, the soft leather of his trousers tented painfully as his shaft was pinned between them. He felt Denza's hand rake across his chest and journeyed down to cup him, groaning in satisfaction. The rush of hormones in his body filled his mind in a blissful haze. Something began to nag at him in the back of his mind.