Peregrine

The Souls were going to be released.

Peregrine barely registered it before it happened. There was this young woman—almost a girl—and she was smirking deviously before she raised her hands and threw her head back.

Souls exploded from the Mountain, making Peregrine’s desperate grip worthless as he was bumped around like a ragdoll. Souls were racing at unbearable speeds towards other sides of the globe.

He stood up, and walked around. Did his Soul run? Did that girl make it hide?

Peregrine stopped when he felt his toes getting wet. It was a small melt water pool; undoubtedly from a glacier he had not seen. He looked at his reflection in the calm water. He seemed hollow. It really was visible.

The reflection moved.

No, not because of a sudden ripple of water had disturbed the sheer surface of the pool—the reflection had actually struck a pose.

He had his (nonexistent) hips jutted out to the side, his hands rooted in his hair and his lips pouted. In short, the reflection was ridiculous.

Peregrine whipped around in a second. “What the hell . . .”

The reflection stood, brushed imaginary dust from his shoulders. “Did you miss me? Or should I say yourself?” He was smug.

Peregrine thought the click in his head was audible. Stupid!

“How do I get you back in my body?” His Soul was lying in the damn pool! Without air or not, it was a good act.

His Soul stuck out his tongue. “Not my job.”

“Then whose?” Peregrine was getting agitated.

Shoes lightly scraping rocks filled the air; “yours.”

It was the young woman. Upon closer inspection, she was definitely young. About thirteen, with natural carrot-coloured hair; she wasn’t ginger, her face was devoid of freckles. She was short and skinny, giving her a fragile appearance. That was anything but her vibe. Malevolence and pain radiated from her.

“You have to call him back.”

Peregrine just stared at her with ‘what the fuck’ written all over his face.

The young woman just wiped her hands over her face in frustration and closed her eyes. She let out a deep, quiet breath, “feel him missing. Call him to fill the gap.”

She had an internal battle going. She had hated him earlier today! Why is she helping him now? Whatever thought was passing by a red haze hovered around the edge of her closed lids.

With a final thought and deep breath, her eyes shone. An evil smile lit her face. I’m the Vindicta—the master of revenge.

Peregrine had closed his eyes and was trying to pull his Soul back. His Soul was laughing at him until he started being pulled from the melt water pool.

The wind picked up and Vindicta let out a short bark of a laugh. “I’m not sorry I want to do this.” She swung her hands out towards Peregrine and his Soul. She was blowing his Soul away . . . she wanted Peregrine to die now, rather than because of something in a later stage. Peregrine felt his focus being torn and his Soul getting farther from him. He opened his eyes as sweat beaded faster to see what was going on.

All he saw was a flash of Earth-toned feathers less than inches from his face, accompanied by a shrill whistle as his Soul was thrown into his body. A flush of warmth and a sensation of two puzzle pieces being clicked together impeded on it.

He couldn’t see how far his Soul had gotten from him, but judging how close the bird was to him, Peregrine guessed his Soul didn’t get far. I guess I just found a guardian of mine, he thought gratefully.

He looked down into the sheer pool. His tattoo was glowing electric silver again. I’m back!

When he looked around the water, it looked fairly shallow; apparently benign enough that the peregrine falcon drank from it. When the earthy coloured bird was done, he hopped to a ledge looking over the pool. He cocked his head sideways. He whistled at Peregrine. What’s new buddy?