Page 38 of Exordium

One of the dark figures stepped up, and flames shot from his hands, disintegrating my mom on the spot. My fathers started screaming and fighting the men holding them, trying to get to me. The men pulled out knives and slit both of their throats simultaneously. Blood began gushing out onto the floor and running toward my bare feet.

Nathan broke free running in my direction. The man that could weld fire turned to him, and flames shot out again, turning my beloved Psycho into ashes.

The heat from the flames and the smell of burnt flesh was overpowering. I could smell the coppery scent of my fathers’ blood, feel how sticky it was coating my feet. This wasn’t an illusion! It had to be real, all my five senses confirmed it. I fell to my knees sobbing, closing my eyes tightly so I couldn’t see thebodies of my fathers and what was left of my sweet mother and the man I loved.

Suddenly, I felt a rough tongue lick my face, from chin to forehead. Opening my eyes, I saw a creature I had only heard about in stories.

Seeing a Fellat shocked me so much that I snapped out of my grief and realized it had been Emberhold all along. The smell and feel of the blood disappeared, and the illusion was broken. My greatest fear was the Council discovering my secrets and taking the ones I loved from me.

Feeling the great beast snuffling my hair brought me back to reality. What in the hell was he doing here? Where did he come from?

“I’m here because I felt you calling me, Nexus.”Looking around to see where the voice was coming from, I realized it was just me and the Fellat here.“My name is Pantar, so you can stop referring to me as the Fellat.”How in the hell was he speaking to me telepathically? I thought frantically. That was Grumpy’s ability.

“Calm down, Nexus. I can speak to you because you have the ability inside to communicate with animals. It can be found in your ancestry.”

This was incredible.“How are you here? I thought your entire species were all killed during the war.”I couldn’t believe this. Using his tentacles, he helped me to stand.

“Nexus shouldn’t lower themselves so.”He took me to task,“especially one such as you.”Answering my question, he said,“Most of my kind were killed trying to defend the Nexus we had bonded with during the war. Luckily, my Dam hadn’t found a Nexus worthy; already bred and close to giving birth, she found a safe place deep in the Cimmerian Forrest. We stayed there until we were old enough to venture out on our own.”

“But how are you here, at the Academy?”I asked.

“I felt you. Your power is incredible. I deeply regret not finding you before you started your Faction.”Pantar replied without completely answering my question.

Still shocked at this turn of events, and the illusion I had experienced fresh on my mind, I begged,“Please, you can’t say anything. Nobody knows!”

“Silly Nexus, I can’t communicate with just any Aurathions,”he rolled his eyes. “And I am insulted that you would think I would betray you.“ I sighed at my stupidity.

“That’s true, I suppose, and I’m sorry.”He was so beautiful, and his fur looked so soft. I hesitantly reached up to touch him and he lowered his great head so I would have better access. His back leg started tapping, when I scratched behind his ears. Seeing such a vicious-looking animal looking so adorable made my heart melt and a smile come to my face.

He shook his great head and said,“OK, enough of that. We need to get you out of here, and I would like to make our bonding official.”

“How do we do that? My mom had a Fellat, but it was killed defending her Faction. She doesn’t talk about her, and since we thought your kind extinct, there was no need to discuss the bonding process.”I was excited and scared all at the same time.

“That is understandable. The process is quite simple. All it takes is a small bite, and the bond snaps into place.”

I winced, looking at Pantar’s sharp teeth. But the honor of bonding with this great beast made me push the fear to the back of my mind.

“I’m honored you chose me, and I’m ready when you are,”I told Pantar.

Leaning down, he took my wrist delicately between his teeth and bit down gently.

I felt the bond snap in place immediately. It was like a warm balm to my soul. I felt a burning between my breasts and aswelling of my power in my gut. Pantar bent his front legs and bowed his head like I was royalty.

“I am honored to bond with you, Nexus, and will protect you and yours all the days of my life.”

“I accept your vow and promise to honor you and your kind until my last breath,” I said. Not knowing where the words came from but needing to say them.

Standing, Pantar decreed,“It is done. Now, let us leave this place.”

Coming out of the tunnel, I saw Zeke hit Instructor Storm and knock him on his ass. I couldn’t help clapping at the fantastic sight. I don’t know what he did to piss Zeke off but whatever it was I’m glad I didn’t miss the awesome sight of that bag of dicks laying on the ground bleeding.

The guys turned to look at me, and their mouths dropped open in shock. I guess it wasn’t every day they saw someone walking around with a giant tentacled beast at their back.

Things were about to get real. There would be no doubt about my Nexus status now. The time had come to own my shit, and I was ready for it.

With Pantar by my side and my Faction coming together, I was going to be just fine.

Chapter 15

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