Soulbearer

The news. A violent, shocking, and sick portrayal of a world where some will glamorise anything to get hold of a concept that is as evil as it is necessary to stop another evil's primal form from overtaking the land. This is the world that we live in. A world where one's soul is packed in a fragile case all too easy to break, given the right to believe freely that they are not allowed to believe freely. Such irony in this world, and the many others on which we'd colonised, at times claiming as our own what was not natively our claim. In this world, it was not safe to assume that one was ever safe. Apparently not even when one is dressed in a morning gown, watching the sick, shocking and violent happenings on the news.

Gunfire. A pain in my left ear, as I jump and spin in the air, another shot, and another pain in my arm. Quickly, I spin out of my seat, adrenalin pumping as I rush up the stairs, ripping the only weapon I can grasp on my way out from its display – a sword. My grandfather's katana, Soulbearer. As I ran into the kitchen, towards the fire exit, I grasped to place into a rucksack I usually kept my worktools in any food and water I could, before dumping a first-aid kit in as well, and taking my leave, another bullet flying past, as once more rang the sound of gunfire.

I had to get out of there. I threw myself down the stairs, jumping down when I thought I would land safely. Unfortunately, the feeling when I landed was that of shattering in my left paw. But the adrenalin pushed me forward as fast as I could go, whimpering as I pushed beyond all limits, Until day turned to night, and pain and fright and tiredness filled me. I was going to die, I was certain. I hid in a dustcart down a back alley. Slowly, the torture ended in unconsciousness, my body too worn to care any further. It made no difference to me whether my final resting place was here.

***

When I awoke, pain flooded me. I remember wondering if hell could be so white... I tilted my head to the right, and smelt a strange perfume hit my nose, but no more. The hooded cloak shadowed any feature that may betray her, but I could hear the smile in her voice "You're not going to die. Not even when you're found covered in discarded needles" she then went to leave "lucky one didn't stab you" and with that, she left me, and once more, night surrounded me. Unable to move, I found myself falling back into the night's grasp, and as I fell back into slumber, I wondered if I'd regret seeing the hooded female I had seen when I awoke.

By the time I did come to, I had a patch on my ear, a cast on my leg, and a bandage on my arm. A hospital. I went to get up, but saw at the end of the bed a security guard. I groaned, and he looked.

"Oh, You're awake then? seems someone tried to take your life in another ward, so they moved you here. Your treatment was paid for, but we don't know who by. Seems you have a guardian angel, sir."

I nodded as I picked up all of my belongings that were beside the bed, moving the paw. With the amount of casualties hospitals saw these days, it was not surprising how many advancements had been made in modern medicine. As it was, I knew the cast was ready to be removed... and I could remove it. I pressed a button, letting it open, and pulled on some clothing, there were two things I could tell from this guard, a hybrid of lion and panda bear. The first thing that struck me was the musk coming from him. As I got dressed, I went over to him, hearing him murr as I stroked his tail area, "Thanks for taking care of me, kind sir, it was a honour meeting you" I smiled, as he smiled back, looking deeply into my eyes as I withdrew my hand. I forced a lick on his muzzle, then left waving goodbye, him responding with a coy smile.

As I stepped out of sight, I shuddered. That was not a role I wanted to play again anytime soon. The second thing that had struck me about him though was his profession as a security guard. I had not played the role just to torture him. my hand had roamed his pockets, and, as expected of a man of his profession, I had retrieved some lost items that had not been beside my bed, including, but not limited to, my wallet and silver neckchain, with locket. One can never be too careful.

***

After checking out, and stepping back onto the street, I walk along the street. Something was calling me... the sword, I dashed towards it, not caring for how I should be resting, back over to the needle-strewn dustbin. There. Laying on top of everything else, was my sword. I grabbed it, and fastened it to my belt. I felt strangely... whole, like I had just stepped into myself again.