Reasons

"Hey, Gryphin! Are you sure about this?" Brannen shook his red-brown hair out of his eyes.

"I’m sure, Bran. I can’t leave a demon out like this, and none of the other mages has even a chance of handling it. Do you like the idea of a demon loose in your kingdom eating people and the like? Besides," the silver-haired elf said with a grin, "it’ll be good practice!"

"I’m coming with you, Gryph. Don’t try to stop me either. I’ll just follow you," Brannen said stubbornly, green eyes flashing.

"But you’re the heir. If something happened to you there would be trouble," Gryphin said.

"And you’re the palace mage! Neither one of us should be doing this," Brannen said logically.

"Fine, my friend. Just don’t get yourself killed."

*

"Gryphin, you idiot!" Tears streamed down Brannen’s face as he looked at his friend. The elf had fallen to the ground next to the slain demon.

"Don’t...don’t worry about it," Gryphin said with a cough. "I’ll be okay." He coughed again, and blood trickled from his mouth. "It’s...a good thing...you came with me. Heh heh..." His grey eyes closed.

"No! Gryph, if you die on me, I swear, I’ll never forgive you!" He pulled off the tattered remains of the elf’s shirt, revealing the bloody, parallel claw marks the demon had left on Gryphin’s torso and arms. They were bleeding freely. He’s losing too much blood, Brannen thought in horror. He won’t have enough energy to heal himself.

"Sweet Lady, Lady of Lights, help me. Please," Brannen whispered. A gentle breeze, smelling of springtime and growing things, played with the tips of Gryphin’s silver hair.

"Who calls?" a laughing, gentle voice asked from the air. Brannen looked up when a hand rested on his shoulder. Kneeling beside him was a beautiful woman dressed in a simple, sleeveless dress of pure white silk. Bracelets clinked at her wrists and drops of silver and fire emeralds hung from her ears. Her long auburn hair was caught up in a beaten silver crown. "What is it, little one?" she asked, placing a hand on his head.

Brannen gestured helplessly at his fallen friend. "I’ve done all I can," he said in a choked voice, "but he--he’ll die if he isn’t healed. H--he healed me but he doesn’t have enough magic left..."

The woman rose to her feet and moved to Gryphin’s other side. "He is very weak," she told Brannen, her smoky-hazel eyes serious. "Traditional healing would kill him at this point."

"Then..." Brannen shook his head. "No. I won’t accept that. I can’t accept that. There has to be a way."

The woman looked at him gravely. "There is a way," she said. "However, it will be hard on you."

"I don’t care!" he said stubbornly. "Gryphin’s my friend. If I can help him, I don’t care what happens to me. If I were the one dying he’d say the same thing."

"If you are sure, then take his hand and do not let go whatever happens," the elegant woman intoned. Brannen nodded and held tightly to the elf’s right hand.

The woman made a simple gesture with her hands. Brannen’s eyes closed in sleep, but he still held his friend’s hand tightly.

"You deserve happiness," the woman said, gazing at the two young men with bottomless, smoky-hazel eyes. "Happiness, but it will be some time in coming. I will give you strength instead, the strength of friendship. So mote it be."

She kissed both of them on the forehead and waved her hand a second time. A silvery mist formed around their joined hands. When it was gone, Brannen and Gryphin each wore a simple, silver ring. "Be well and wake," she whispered in a breathy voice as she disappeared.

*

"Gryphin!" Brannen’s eyes flew open. How could I let myself fall asleep?! His right hand tightened around Gryphin’s, then he relaxed. I didn’t let go. He sat up, and had to stifle a groan. And I ache all over, he realized. Looking down, he grinned in relief.

Gryphin was sleeping peacefully, his wounds from the battle with the demon healed. All that remained were faint scars, barely noticeable.

I don’t want to wake him up, but we need to get back. Brannen bit his lip. I guess I can wait ‘til sun-high, but then again, I don’t know how long I was asleep...oh, skrell!

Huh? Wha...? Gryphin opened his eyes, blinking against the bright sunlight. "B-Brannen?" he asked raspily. "What...ohhhh..." He put a hand to his head. Something feels different. Something in my head. Calming his mind, he did a thorough mental check. The demon didn’t do any damage, and it doesn’t feel wrong, just changed. Wait. I seem to remember dying. Why am I alive?

"Because you are, Gryph," Brannen said calmly.

"Bran, I didn’t say anything..."

"Yes you did, you asked ‘Why am I alive’ and I answered...you..." Brannen trailed off.

"I was only thinking, Bran. I didn’t say anything," Gryphin repeated. He lifted his right arm and rotated it slowly. "I’ll tell you one thing though-- I am never going up against a demon again if I can help it."

Brannen grinned weakly. "You are also going to get proper instruction in the blade. That would have helped a great deal during that fight."

Gryphin made a face. "I can’t use your style of swordwork. I should know. I tried when I was younger," he told the human prince. He ran his right hand through his tangled hair.

"Don’t worry on that account. I wasn’t planning on you learning my style. Say, where did you get that ring?" Brannen asked.

"Huh?" Gryphin looked at his hands. On the right ring finger was a narrow, silvery band. Criss-crossing lines were etched on the surface. His eyes widened slightly. "Let me see your hands, Bran," he commanded. The prince obeyed, a puzzled look in his eyes.

An identical ring adorned his right hand. "Alaniriel," Gryphin breathed.

"Ala-what?" Brannen said. "What does that mean?"

"It’s a lyen word. Alaniriel," Gryphin told his friend slowly. "I’m not entirely sure how to translate it so you’d understand," he paused. "It means...soul sibling. Heart sibling. A person that shares part of your soul. You can hear their thoughts, and feel their feelings."

"Like a soulbond?" Brannen asked, looking at the ring on his hand.

"I suppose," Gryphin said, putting his hands behind his head. "But I’ve never heard of it happening between a human and a lyen before. It’s a rare thing, even among my people-- even rarer than a soulbond."

"But what’s the difference?" Brannen asked.

"It just...is," Gryphin replied laconically. Then, seeing his friend's annoyance, he relented. "A soulbond is at a different emotional level than the bond of alaniriel. They’re basically the same thing, but for some reason, soulbonds are more common. I don’t know how else to explain it," he finished with a slight shrug.

"That’ll work. So, what does this mean exactly?"

"It means..." the elf began. "It means that we are closer than brothers. I suppose you could say, it means we exist for each other," he paused. "Only a goddess could have done this."

"I...I prayed," Brannen whispered. "For help, when you..."

"That would be the reason, then. Alaniriel."

| Back | Notes |