Once Dead Twice Bound Ch. 01

Author's Note: This story takes a bit before it gets to the sex. If you're looking for instant gratification, look elsewhere. Big thanks to VeeBird for taking the time to help me out with editing. As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.

Spoiler Tags: Reincarnation, Harem, Magic, Soul Mates, Kitsune, Monster Girl, Transformation, First Time, Shyness, Submission, Orc, Adventure

Prologue

The explosion tore apart my unit, shaking the sky with the force of the shockwave. Shielded by my lieutenant, I only felt a fraction of the blast, and even that was enough to rattle my brain. My muscles shook as I pulled myself out of the dirt. The shaking was not from exhaustion, although I had trouble standing minutes before. I was trembling from an explosive mixture of rage, despair, and resignation. My sadness was not for my comrades, recently released from their duty. No, my tears mingled into the sweat and blood on my face for the void that they had left within me upon their passing. Suddenly, I felt no weariness, fear, sadness, or emptiness. All I was left with was an inferno twisting inside my chest. It fueled my muscles, and I was in turn fueled by the frantic beating of my heart that was trying to escape from the cage of my chest. I felt as if I would explode from the intensity of the blood raging through my body.

I started channeling my mana, my body acting on well honed instinct. The voice inside my head that pleaded for caution burned away, fuel to the fire in my chest, roasted in the pyre of my need for vengeance.

They would pay for this, I am no longer weak, no longer will I let others dictate my life.

I would etch my worth into the center of the forces that opposed and stole them from me. Pulling off my helmet, I knelt to the earth and drew up what remained of my power from the dregs of my soul.

This would be the last spell I would ever cast. The energy necessary to sustain my life sacrificed to its completion.

My life for a chance at vengeance... I accept. Not like I had other options anyway.

A silver energy like a vaporous liquid mercury pooled in my hand as I started to fashion the essence of my soul into a weapon of malice. There would be a grace period before reality would catch up to claim its debt, and I would use this time to complete my final mission for my squad. The silver energy coruscated as it spun in a double helix in both directions until it was a rod nearly five feet in length. The light gathered at top point of the rod and pulsed briefly blinding in its brilliance. Instinct directed my arm to dip the haft into a pool of blood oozing out of my late lieutenants lower half. When I raised the spear the liquid had coalesced into a winged spear tip. The tip gained bright crimson along the wings before darkening into a sinister obsidian point. That point seemed to slice the fabric of the air as it drifted, following my trembling arm, leaving a echo of black streak in its passing.

The tip was an embodiment my comrades rage and hunger for vengeance. Its core consisted of a piece of my soul into which I poured the remainder of my mana. The central shaft let out pulses of brilliance through whorled patterns engraved on its burnished silver haft as the spell was completed. This artifact of immeasurable strength would be the pride of mastercraftsman mages ten times my strength, too bad it only cost one's life to achieve it. Taking a deep breath, I looked up from the spear, eyes scanning my surroundings. Looking for targets.

~ ~ ~

The marauders emerged from the forest to look upon the devastation their ambush had wrought. A mishmash of people, obviously poorly nourished and dirty from so much time spent in the wilderness. They cheered as they saw how successful their trap had been. A man better dressed than the others, with a jeweled sword pommel strapped to his side and a belly that showed no lack of victuals, turned to the band.

"You have done well today my friends. The traitorous fiends who support the subhumans shall continue to feel our blades until the world is cleansed from it. Upon that day we shall return home as heroes to embrace our loved ones in a world made safer by our actions." The captain finished his speech and stared out at his band of twenty. He noticed they were not cheering in their usual reaction to his rallying speech, and were instead looking over his shoulder at the explosion crater. The dust had begun to clear, revealing a lone man, blood running down his ears, staring intently at a silver object in his hand.

"Shit a mage", he swore to himself. "We need to kill him before he kills us all." The captain pulled his sword and let out a war cry and started to charge at the enemy, galvanizing his forces to action.

The mage didn't seem to notice the lives that poured into the ground; his eyes simply trace the whorled loops that the sparkling tipped traced through the air. When that pattern intersected with flesh and bone it didn't pause or slow, it continued on its way, unhurried and unstoppable.

~ ~ ~

I moved in a seeming bubble of muted silence as the spear twitched, half guiding itself through the intricate dance.

Sever an arm. Remove that leg. Duck the sword Break that axe while splitting his neck.

Reading the battlefield as if I'd lived each moment a thousand times, like an old dance with an beloved partner, knowing each and every motion, every step and dip the other would take before they even performed it. The enemy numbers dwindled under my assault, their remaining number growing evermore horrified at my relentlessly efficient reaping of lives. Only twelve of the initial twenty something were now standing on the battlefield. Friend and foes limbs and viscera mixed in the dirt as the enemy force started to break and flee from the battlefield.

I continued slaughtering my opponents long after they'd given up the fight. A bloodthirsty grin pulled up the corners of the my mouth.

I will show them how right they were to fear magic. They will, ever so briefly, know what it means to be hunted.

Pulling a ceramic necklace out of my shirt I grasped it tightly before throwing it to the ground. I looked around counting fleeing figures that had thus far escaped my wrath.

Four. Easily within the capabilities of my rainy day charm. I brought my foot down on the teleportation charm and vanished with a thundercrack, the air collapsing into the vacuum of space I just exited. One after another, the fleeing fighters had the greatest shock of their life as they watched a man appear out of in air before a glittering light with a tip of darkness burst through their chest. The final marauder gave what sounded to be a sigh of relief as I pulled the spear from his chest and he collapsed onto his face, his eyes already staring lifelessly into the distance, a jeweled sword falling from his limp grasp.

A seeming eternity of action finally ended as my eyes refocused on my surroundings confirming that I was standing alone at the end of a trail of carnage that both disgusted me, yet also filled me with a tainted sense of satisfaction. Like a candle running out of fuel the anger inside of my flickered before extinguishing, leaving me hollow. I was upright for a single fraction of a second before a crashing tide of sadness and weariness capsized me. I sank into the dirt as the weight of loss crushed to me to my knees. Staring into the falling rain, the world seemed to mourn with me, the tears falling down my cheeks echoed by the leaves of the tree I knelt under. The darkness at the edge of me vision creeped inward as I crawled closer to the tree that was riddled with pockmarks from the explosion, lightly smoking as curling wisps of smoke crept out of the darkened holes. Leaning on the tree, I slid to the ground, finally releasing the spear as I welcomed the encroaching darkness to the forefront of my mind.

A pair of golden eyes emerged from the brushes across the valley from my unconscious body. The eyes were attached to golden fox who had watched the ambush and subsequent extermination with some interest.

~ ~ ~

I had never seen such an violent display of magical mastery in my twenty three years of life. Looking around cautiously, I ensured that I was alone before creeping forward into the valley. The magical weapon next to the fallen man drew my attention, it's bloodlust quieted, now radiating a steady outpouring of settling magical power, distorting the air with its raw energy. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of exploded gunpowder and the pungent copper of freshly spilled blood.

A subtle scent underneath the blood caught my attention, I filled my lungs to capture as much of it as possible, the scent luring me into deeper and deeper breaths. Then the realization struck me like an edict from a god, one of the particularly smitey ones.

No. Nononono. Not now. Not with him, I thought, hurrying to the fallen man. The smell of cinnamon and honey flowed into my lungs as my soul thrummed in proximity to its counterpart.

Bonded. My bond-mate is in danger, I thought, frantically shifting into human form to check him for wounds.

A hazy image superimposed itself over the fox like heat waves radiating off a desert dune and where once a fox crouched now a young girl stood.

Not quite reaching six feet of height, I had sharp features that were softened by my silky brunette hair that fell unencumbered around my face. The same burnet color could be seen on a sleek tail that sprouted from my lower back, and hung slack and lifeless, trailing along the ground with worry. The color of the tail lightened to a creamy white at the tip which was currently sweeping the dirt in agitation. Not seeing any obvious cause for unconsciousness I opened my aural sight to check his energy levels. Hyperventilating in distress at what I saw, I frantically pulled his limp form into an embrace, the void in his soul damning him. I tried to desperately pour my energy into him but it just slid off of his ingrained defenses to foreign magic.

Sobbing into his neck I felt his body twitch and I started, a bud of hope blossoming. His eyes opened for a second and I stared in surprise. Locking onto mine, his deep blue eyes had a small circle of dusty brown encircling the pupil. I shivered as I felt a whisper thin tingle, uncoiling in my stomach, accompanying a deep thrumming noise as the fledgling mating bond established itself. Like a well tuned guitar strings the bond thrummed with the harmonic energy of creating between us. He blinked up at me, his eyes slowly flapping up and down like a butterflies wings, as the tears slipped down my face falling onto his chest. His lips gave a small twitch somewhere between a smile and a grimace before closing his eyes and falling limp in my arms. I wailed my despair into the universe, the soft drizzle of rain onto the ground it's only response.

~ ~ ~

I slowly drifted back to awareness, amazed at the lack of pain, expecting an unbearable agony agony at the spiritual hole in my metaphysical self. Even more amazing was the realization that I was being held by someone. Soft thighs caressed my back and I felt a gentle warmth on my neck. Summoning my will, I barely managed to wrench my eyes open. I was rendered twice mute by the sweetest sight of my briefly remaining life, the softly angular features of one of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Tufted triangles poked out from the top of her head and a soft tail whipped across my thighs in agitation. The most striking thing about her were her light brown eyes that bordered on golden in the drizzling rain. She was a kitsune, one of the elusive fox ladies that was part of the demihuman magical creatures I was fighting to protect.

I hope the sundering is successful so that the world won't be deprived of this kind of beauty.

Tears splashed down her face as I tried to smile at her reassuringly but the inexorable cold collected in my chest and pulled what little warmth that remained from me, as well as my consciousness, into the void for the final time.

~ ~ ~

I saw his spirit slowly slip out of his body as he fell limp. I braced myself for the aftershock of the shattering bond, clutching his body to my chest. The stories told me it was incomparable torment as half of your soul was ripped from you leaving tattered remnants floating in the aether. Then... nothing. The fledgling bond held true, its warmth still radiating deep in my core. A relieved giggle that edged on hysterical burst from my chest.

He would return, his soul had not gone to its final rest.

A smile lit up my face.

He would return and I would be there to finish we'd started. But first... a burial.

~ Jack ~

Startled awake, I clutched my chest, soaked in sweat and breathing fast and shallow.

Damn, dying in dreams always leaves me unnerved. What a dream. It felt so realistic, such emotion, that deep and encompassing rage. Followed by the inevitability and resignation as I slowly slipped away.

I shivered slightly at the recollection. Wiping the moisture off my forehead, I tried to control my breathing, and, through that, control the nervous sweat so I didn't look like a junky suffering from withdrawal during class. As my panting slowed, I tasted the air experimentally as a scent tickled some forgotten memory. It smelled of woodsmoke and citrus as it danced through my senses. Shrugging, I dropped the elusive scent from my thoughts, the lingering memory of the dream fading.

Pulling myself off the bench I had been using as a makeshift bed, I slung my makeshift backpack/pillow over my shoulder, making my way out of the study room. My mind was still haunted by the desperation I saw in the golden eyes of my dreams.

What had she needed from my dream self?

The thought kept my attention as I drifted through my calc one course, letting the professor's voice filter unimpeded between my ears. I wasn't worried about falling behind as this was mainly a review from the calc course I had taken in high school. The only reason I'd chosen this course was to ease myself into the college life. New living conditions, no friends or family and brand new freedom were heady enough drugs that I felt I could use a course that I didn't have to worry about. It helped that I wasn't in a rush to get done with college, and my full ride scholarship was dependent on grades, so a couple of freebie courses were not going to go amiss. I was a loner in a strange place and my first attempt at reaching out to a potential friend had been an unmitigated disaster. I slouched more firmly into my seat as I contemplating the view of those deep golden eyes, disturbed by the sadness in them.

~ Tara ~

Strolling through the campus of a state college, I tried to puzzle out its name while I watched nubile young faces as they wandered around, lost during their first weeks of classes.

This makes me feel less lonely. Which is kind of depressing considering I'm alone in the crowd.

I sighed wearily. Many years and miles had passed without anyone special, and the loneliness hung heavy on my mind. Although, I had reason to hope my solitude would be soon come to an end. My naiad friend Lily had dropped me a mysterious voicemail mentioning the 'weave' and this campus.

Whatever its name is. It won't hurt to hang around awhile. Not like I have anywhere better to be. Although auntie might say otherwise.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my aunt, it's just that sometimes she could be a little... intense, and sometimes I took any opportunity I had to put some distance between us.

I lied down onto a public bench, the sun kissing my skin and warming it in a luxurious fashion. Closing my eyes, I listened to the soothing chatter of pedestrians as it mingled with the light breeze.

I awoke lying full length across the bench. My dreams had been full of the one and only contact I'd had with my bonded. Although the events went differently than the tragic past. In my dream, I'd managed to save the dying man, quickly wooing him and the moment before we consummated, my excitement drove dream away.

Sighing loudly, I draped one hand over my forehead, shading my eyes from the setting sun. It was among the more pleasant variations of the recurring dream, although, as always, I was frustrated that it'd left me on edge.

What wouldn't I give for just five more minutes?

Wiping away a spot of drool that had encrusted the side of my mouth I blinked away my last vestiges of sleep. Yawning, I stretched my hands out over my head and rolled my neck to relieve the stiffness. The wind was blowing slightly stronger then when I'd fallen asleep, shifting directions in a temperamental manner, as it often did here in the midwest. My stomach grumbled slightly as it protested my neglectful treatment. Easing myself off the bench, I started towards the campus union, hoping to pick up some food before heading out of town. I paused, muscles tensing, holding me absolutely still as the shifting wind brought the whisper of his scent to my nostril. I barely dared to hope. Snuffling brought the scent more firmly into my sinuses and taste buds.

Honey and cinnamon. I've waited so long to taste you again.

I breathed deep, the details of the scent causing me to shiver involuntarily in anticipation, like an addict cat taking a hit of the catnip. I abandoned my strolling walk, stalking the scent, following it's path as it led away from my impromptu napping spot.

He walked right past me and I missed him.

The scent was relatively fresh and I didn't want to lose him...again. He was close and my wait was finally over.

~ Jack ~

Yawning, I maneuvered my way through the union hallways. My nap had done little to combat my recent proclivities of late night video gaming. Normally, I liked to walk outside, but the currently gusting wind had tried to drive it's chill deep into my bones, and forced me to seek shelter. The wind usually made a nice contrast to the muggy humidity of the fall, but this wind had a hint of the imminent winter's bite. Mentally steeling myself to go back into it's chilly teeth, I rounded the last bend that led outside, the hallway acting as a runway to the entranceway. I noticed the tall woman rushing through the door, but kept my head down. Her hair had blown about her head in a frazzled manner, the beautiful brown tresses a sacrifice to the greedy wind god.

I smiled at the silly thought. Using my peripherals, I tried to look a little closer, without being obvious about it.

She stopped in the middle of the hallway, blocking my progress. She was almost as tall as me, probably somewhere around five-eleven a shade under my six-foot even. She wore nondescript tennis shoes that led to jeans that were tight on her shapely curves, while still remained tasteful. A plain black v-cut t-shirt with short black sleeves topped the ensemble by hugging her generous assets. This all was noticed in an instant but ignored in favor of the burning pools of golden amber that were locked on my with a fierce intensity. I swallowed around the awkwardness of getting caught staring.

Also, why does she look like she wants to eat me?

~ Tara ~

The scent now filled my mind. I was drowning in the sweet scent of honey and cinnamon. Stopping in the hallway, I took note of the scrawny young man standing in front of me. He had short brown tresses that draped about his head in an unconcerned fashion, falling just on the wrong side of needing a haircut. He was thin, but not unhealthy, in his appearance. He wore a pair of running shoes with loose jeans and a baggy shirt advertising some band I was unfamiliar with. I locked eyes with his hazel ones as I felt the buried bond quiver and start to unspool.