Harmonizer's Evolution (Balancer's Soul cycle) (39 page)

Then he finally removed his hand and smiled. “Any more questions?”
He knew Connor’s
silence meant that he could go. He then said “Good.”

“Honey, I’m going with you!” Kara announced while walking to his side.

“No you
’
r
e
not.” Mark stated flatly
. He then looked up to Veronica. “Neither are you big girl.”

“Sorono’s my mate. I’m going!”

“It is only going to be me and Connor. The real reason he doesn’t want anyone to travel with him is because he needs to think clearly and not worry about everyone if something does happen. If anyone else goes they will only hinder his search because having too many companions means slowing down to stick together. I on the other hand can keep a clear head and not allow my emotions to cloud my judgment. Plus my sense of smell is slightly better than any creature on th
e planet.” Mark’s
speech ended and he looked squarely at
his best friend
. “When do we leave?”

He crossed his
arms
and shook
his
head
. “As soon as you transform, Bud.”

Mark
smiled and his pupils began glowing a pure white.

They
all heard bones snapping inside his body as his physical shape altered. He became taller and
black fur began to grow
all over
. His face started changing into a muzzle and his teeth sharpened. His ears tapered into points. Then he dropped on all fours just as his wings began growing from his back. And he kept his fur loose. Soon he
stood
in his completed Fwen form. His former round pupils became slits after his eyes stopped glowing.

He sent
his friend
a wolfish grin and spoke in his deep animalistic voice. “I’m ready, Connor.”

“Honey, before you go, wait just a moment.” His head turned as his mate spoke.

Kara’s eyes began to glow too.
They
all watched
as she flipped her wrist back and
a bone in her arm began cracking and breaking. As the sounds continued, her wrist skin began moving
unnaturally
and then turned white as it stretched. Soon a pure white bone
jutted
through
the skin and continued growing. After the bone grew in a perfect cylinder for six inches, it began flattening. For the next two and a half feet
her bone had turned into a double-edged
white bone
sword. Once the flattened sword narrowed into a
sharpened
tip
,
Kara grabbed the handle and broke the bone sword from her body. Her skin then immediately healed and not a single drop of blood could be seen.

She walked up and held the handle towards her mate. “Honey, I know we have
our
claws and teeth, but take this just incase.”

“I can handle that compromise.” He pushed himself on his back legs and reached for the sword that his mate made for him
of her very flesh
. She handed it over and he slid it through a hidden
leather
string at his waistli
ne. He tied the hilt to his hip and
then smiled down at his mate. “Thank you, Kara. We’ll be home as quickly as we can.”

“Good, and I’ll keep an eye on everyone here.” She jumped gracefully and kissed Mark on the side of his muzzle before her weight leveled the ground beneath her feet. “I love you.”

“And I love you.”

Sarah then stood before Connor
.
“Come home safely.”

“I will. Now give me a good luck kiss.” She grinned weakly and kissed
him
.

Soon Mark gained a short running start before flapping his wings and flying above the treetops.
Connor
jumped
right behind him as
he
too flew.
They
took one last look at the ground to see everyone waving goodbye.

Hang on, Sorono. I’m coming.
Then his
best friend and
he
flew south.

Sarah’s
eyes wer
e on the verge of tears
as
her
heart
begun to
break, until someone grabbed her hand gently. She looked to the left after tearing her
eyes away from the em
pty sky. It was Kara who held her
hand. Her pure silver eyes wer
e calm and a little resentful. Sarah’s
voice felt defeated since
her
mate left
her
behind. “What is it, Kara?”

Her voice remained
calm and sure. “From now on I’ll be sticking close to you.”

“Why?”

Her
silver
eyes seemed to bore into
her sister-in-laws
. “Because unlike you, I cannot feel where my mate is
at all times
.
I can only track him by his scent.
He won’t leave Brother’s side
no matter the situation. Since you are bonded and are linked to my big brother, you are
the only
link to my mate. You
will
tell me when something feels wrong
,
when it happens. Until they come back you are go
ing to have to put up with me.”

Veronica knelt in front of them
and looked just as sure as
her
sister-in-law.
“Kara will not be the only one to be staying all the time. I too cannot feel where my mate is located. Tell me if something changes. I cannot bare it if there isn’t some form of connection to my mate.

Kara
then released her grasp on Sarah’s hand to swu
ng her arm around
her
shoulders
. Her tone became annoyingly chipper.
“Besides, your worrying isn’t necessary. Brother isn’t as reckless as Sorono.”

Veronica turned her head
and she started growling at Kara.

Kara
became
un-phased from Veronica’s aggression. “Oh please, give the growl a break
!
I know just as well as you do that he was being
an
typical
idiot
. You wanted to be by his side when he searched, but like every male
on the planet,
their pride thinks they need to always protect us. That’s why he’s in danger and you can’t feel him, right?” Veronica’s growl ceased to be replaced with large
,
mystified eyes.
“So you see, since he went alone and didn’t heed your advice
,
he is in
the position he placed
all
up
on himself
. Brother on the other hand made a compromise
,
since my mate is
tagging along
with him. My brother is strong and smart, but my mate is
highly
experienced and will give sound advice when the time comes. Trust me, your mate is in good hands and will be back before you know it.”

Everyone
grew
silent for a few minutes after Kara’s sound conviction.

“Kara, do you think that my father will be alright?”
Shann
on asked while walking towards them
on her hind legs.
Her golden eyes were wet and hopeful.

Ka
ra removed her arm from around Sarah’s
shoulder and sat on her heels to look the young keeper in the eye. “If no one in the world can do it, my mate and your uncle can. By the way, you and your mom need to take a bath
,
badly.
You reek.
Sarah and I will be right back.
W
e’ll go to my house
and get some fresh towels for you to dry yoursel
ves
off. Use the stream, but I’ll warn you it is a little chilly.”

Before anything else could be said
,
Kara grabbed
Sarah’s hand again and led her to the forest. She
smiled at her positive attitude.
It helped ease
her own
worry,
if only
slightly.

Sh
e only released her hold when they
started running together through the thi
c
k forest. Her steps were heavy because she weighed well over three hundred pounds even though she only looked one hundred and ten, dripping wet.
Kara’s
long sandy blond hair billowed behind her as
they
ran like no human alive ever could. Soon
they
reached her new house and saw that Jenny, David and Rhoda were sitting on the patio bench. They were talking to
the
children, but David had exchanged Pearl to Jenny’s arms so his could be free.
Kara went inside
without speaking, leaving Sarah to
explain
. T
hey were just as worried as
her
.

Pearl cried for the first time while
also
trying to be brave for her daddy.
She didn’t like that he was going so very far away from her.
Darrel w
ent
mentally
silent and
Sarah
read his mind to see him doing his best
to hold it all together
and not cry like his sister. H
e was trying to be strong for Sarah
and for his father
too
.

Abandon and Rescue

Mark tapped his
furry
temple as they
were flying
side by side
. His massive wings were making a constant beat as he f
lew at a reasonably fast pace. Connor
entered his mind and asked
“What’s on your mind, Bud?”

His silver eyes locked on sharp hazel
.
“First, I need to gain altitude so we can go faster
and use less effort
.”
Connor
nodded.

He beat his wings for another twenty minutes until
they
reached the optimum altitude
for flying
and left Minnesota
’s boarders
.
They
soared far above the clouds while not going too high so that the oxygen would be too thin to breathe. The surface of the ground made everything seem too small to be real, but it
remained the same, only perception changed
. Luckily there weren’t any airplanes nearby so
they
headed due south without interruption
or
being spotted
.

“Alright Connor,”
Mark started me
ntally speaking while Connor
was
still
telepathically linked
inside his mind.
“since it is difficult to hear with all the wind passing our ears, we’ll need to speak like this.”

“That is understandable. Would you also like for me to make a wedge made of Pressure so that the wind will not be such a burden and it will aid our speed?”

“Go ahead.”

The moment
the
power released
,
the wedge did what it was made for.
Their
flight speed increased
dramatically
and the chill was knocked off. He smiled and his wings leveled out because he
began
flying on an updraft. Once
everything
stabilized
Connor
asked
“You’re chewing on a question. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Mark’s
catlike
silver eyes glanced at
him
while his muzzle pointed south.
“It’s not really a question, but more like an idea
that came up
. You see, I have seen how fast, strong and how your uncanny senses alert you to any form of danger. And because you and Sorono have the same abilities
,
I find it hard to imagine how he could have been hurt or something.
And I don’t see him doing all this and worrying Veronica as a joke or test.
His size
alone
should allow him to deal with any situation and his power should be stronger than any
one else’s
. I cannot see how someone could do
anything
to him without him knowing about it first.”