Changer's Blood (Balancer's Soul cycle)

by Lee Morgan

  Sarah tightened her left hand that held Tool and prepared for the oncoming assault.

  With her claws in the dirt, it added more friction to her sudden burst of speed. Kara’s speed wasn’t any greater than it has been all day, but her precision was. Being slightly faster than her, Sarah stepped back as her right clawed hand raked past her face by only an inch. When the hand moved from her face, Sarah saw that her catlike eyes were still calm and remained focused and determined. Sarah used the palm of her right hand to block the kick aimed at her abdomen. She spun with her leg as Sarah jumped back. That’s much better. With her claws in the dirt, she stopped sooner than normal and charged again.

  Kara tried tackling, but fainted to the right. Jumping to the left saved Sarah a lot of pain because she could still feel the breeze of Kara’s claws on the right side of her face. As Sarah regained her in her peripheral vision, she sidestepped.

  Kara’s eyes were still focused, but now they were getting desperate.

  Sarah made the first mistake and Kara took the advantage.

  As Sarah jumped sideways, her foot caught a rock and caused her to stumble. She broke eye contact with Kara for only a moment as she tried regaining her footing again. As she did so, she looked back to see where Kara was. Kara’s right clawed hand was swinging directly at her face because she wanted to win this time. Sarah knew she wouldn’t be able to stop her momentum and she couldn’t dodge the coming strike either. When her claws were less than an inch from her eyes, Sarah tightly closed them, knowing how bad things are going to get.

  Something large made a solid impact with her chest and it literally knocked the wind out from her lungs. The strange force wrapped around her back. Sarah opened her eyes experimentally when she neither felt any serious pain nor the land beneath her feet. She looked down and saw that she was floating above the ground. Sarah’s eyes shot up on their own accord and saw a worried face looking down.

  Extremely hard muscles held her securely and gently to his chest. His short sandy blonde hair barely moved in the breeze. His piercing raptor eyes held her entranced. His strong jaw locked in place and she saw his jaw muscles flexing just below the skin, warring with anger he wished to voice. Connor’s soft and restrained voice asked “Sarah, are you hurt anywhere?”

  With a sigh of relief she put her head against his chest. Sarah’s left hand started getting painful and she knew that she was gripping the metal handle far too tightly. Putting Tool in Connor’s belt, she said “No, but that really was a close one.”

  His voice was straining to keep his calm. “Kara and you will no longer fight, until she learns a little more restraint.” She looked back up at him and saw his attention diverted at the ground. “I saw the two of you fighting and she was doing well until she got too carried away when you tripped.”

  Sarah looked down and saw that both Mark and Kara were standing together, silently looking up at the two of them. Kara’s eyes were glowing and Sarah knew that she was changing back to normal. The fight was over and she knew that she is in trouble. A minute later, Connor descended back to the firmness of the ground, very slowly.

  Kara ran up to them saying “Sarah, I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll never do it again.” Sarah took her eyes away from Kara and fixed Connor in her field of vision. He was feeling a strange emotion. “Brother, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.” Connor’s jaw remained locked and flexing; he said nothing to her. Sarah looked back at Kara when she started to cry. Being ignored is painful to her.

  Connor finally spoke in his restrained voice, but only to Mark. “We’re done for today. We’ll see the two of you tomorrow.” He then started walking away before anyone could say anything.

  Sarah swiftly caught up to her mate. Before they entered the tree line she took one last look back. Kara was crying on her knees. Mark knelt on one knee as he rubbed her back, trying to comfort her.

  They walked at a normal human pace and over the course of a few minutes Sarah saw and felt that his rage began dissipating. About halfway home, Connor spoke as he ducked under a branch. “I’m sorry for doing that to her, but she needs to know that it’s called training and not a fight to the death.”

  Rounding an old oak tree and jumping over a fallen pine tree Sarah said “If you didn’t step in, my face would have been ripped open in four jagged strips at the moment.”

  Connor stopped in his tracks. When she looked up into his eyes her heart began leaping. He cupped her cheek with his right hand and with a gentleness only he could provide for her. Closing her eyes she began nuzzling into his warm hand. He said “I was glad that I had the forethought to get up when Kara was calming herself down. The moment I saw you trip, I flew right at you. I’m lucky that my flight was faster than Kara could move.” He then pulled Sarah closer and into his loving embrace.

  Stress began floating away as he just held her. Sarah took in his masculine scent and he still had his usual smell that drives her wild, but his shirt also had a smoky hint to it from the fire. It was a potent combination and it made her knees go weak and her excitement began growing. On top of that, his strong heartbeat made her own heart match his rhythm.

  He held her close for several minutes, in complete silence. Then he kissed the top of her head and when she looked up, his smile that is hers alone was on his face. He released his hold on her lower back and she too pulled back. Connor then looked back at the log that they leapt over. “I forgot that we will need some fire wood for the winter.” He looked back to her. “Being from Washington and all, I’d bet that you know how cold the snow gets.”

  “You’d win that bet. Try living in a world without technological convenience like I did.” His smile widened and so did hers.

  Connor walked over to the log and studied it. “No use in cutting down a healthy tree if we can use this one.” He took Tool out and walked over to the roots of the tree. Using the hatchet side of his weapon, Connor cut away all the roots that bound the base of the collapsed tree. Putting Tool back at his hip, he reached just below the base of the trunk and with one mighty heave he lifted the tree out of its groove in the dirt. As he sat the tree on the flat surface Sarah was amazed at Connor’s overwhelming strength. She’d seen her father do it before, but with her love it seemed effortless.

  The trunk of the tree was as round as Connors arms if he put his hands together and made a circle. After he cut off some of the branches, He lifted the base of the tree again and held it over his right shoulder. “Let’s go home. I’ll make the fire wood if you can make us a snack.”

  She smiled his favorite special smile.

  Connor dragged the entire tree home without stopping or looking the least bit exhausted. Connor dropped the log at the side of their cottage and walked inside with her. He walked into his work room that he recently made out of one of the spare rooms. He also made Sarah a work desk and converted the last room into a study for her because of school.

  While she was washing some fruit in the sink, he walked out with a crescent bladed axe hanging over his shirtless shoulder. The axe over his shoulder was one he made when they got home after buying groceries. They stopped on the side of the road when Connor saw a big piece of scrap metal. Using his powers, he re-forged the mangled metal it into a solid axe. The crescent blade of the axe was as wide as Connor’s chest. Sarah had to restrain herself from jumping him right then. He was so handsomely rugged with his overdeveloped muscles, rugged axe and his unwavering spirit.

  He went outside as she started cutting up the fruit. Thunk, Sarah heard Connor’s first swing hit home on the tree. When she heard the sixth Thunk she made a platter of fruit and four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She left the food in the fridge and opened the front door to watch her mate in action.

  Her mate used the base of the tree and made a stump out of it. She could even see where Connor forced the log down into the ground with brute strength because the dirt was slightly riding up the sides of the wood as it had been forced into the ground and couldn’t offer any opposition. She s
aw that Connor had the entire cylindrical tree close beside the log. What was amazing was that five straight lines separated the pieces of the tree. She knew that her husband cut through the trunk of the tree with a single stroke of his axe. He picked up a cylinder piece of the tree and placed it atop the log platform. He made each stroke of his blade precise with each cut.

  Sarah leaned her shoulder on the frame of the front door as she watched her man work. Twenty minutes later Connor had a thick sheen of sweat covering his body because the sun hit him just right. Each droplet glistened like tiny diamonds. She noticed her bottom lip was hurting because she was biting it to keep herself somewhat clear headed. She walked into the kitchen and made two glasses of lemonade.

  It wasn’t possible to calm herself down after seeing all that.

  He took a break from the cutting the tree and joined her in a drink. He wasn’t breathing hard, but he was breathing deeply. He soon went back to work cutting the logs and stacking the wedges perfectly beside the cottage.

  Thirty minutes later he finished cutting the firewood and came inside to take a shower.

  When he came out of the shower, wearing clean black shorts, he sat down with her at the table. His short hair was brushed to the side and he looked so delectable.

  Come to me my Greek God! He was stunned at first after hearing her seductive thought, but caught on to her mood very quickly.

  After he ate his snack, Sarah partook in hers.

  Trail and Track

  Connor awoke early the next morning just before dawn and felt great. Sarah’s uninhibited attack was nothing short of spectacular and awe inspiring. From the look of her wild hair in bed this morning, it was for her too, if not more. Even in her sleep she often sighed in satisfaction.

  He cooked breakfast and brought it to her in bed because he slipped out unnoticed. He slid back into bed with the tray of food, just as carefully. When Sarah smelled the eggs, bacon and orange juice, she woke up very quickly. Her beautiful green eyes softened as she saw him holding out her plate, enjoying her expressions. “Good morning, my Greek God.” She sat up and stretched, wearing one of his shirts as a nightgown.

  “Good morning, my Goddess. Would you like some breakfast? You did have a rather long workout last night.” Her eyes looked down and her face went completely red. She looked so cute when she becomes shy. It is one of his favorite traits that she uses. Her shell only comes off when they are alone, but she still blushes.

  “I’m not sorry one bit if that’s what you’re looking for.” She glanced at him from under her long eye lashes.

  He had a short laugh. “Why would I want an apology for last night? We should do that more often.” He smiled at her.

  Sarah’s face came up. She said with a wry smile “Then you better find some more firewood to chop.”

  After he leaned over and kissed her forehead, they started laughing. Finally they ate in bed together before the food became cold. When breakfast ended she sat on the bed, between his straightened legs so that he was able to finger brush her wild and messy hair. It was a long and arduous process, but well worth it.

  Getting out of bed, they took another shower together before they dressed and left their home. Before they left the clearing Connor had to go back inside the house because in his haste he forgot Tool and Sarah overlooked her dagger. On the coffee table in the living room Connor saw his cell phone and decided to take it for some odd reason. He shut and locked the front door and caught up to Sarah as she waited for him under the shade of a tree. Rays of sunlight catching parts of her form made him shudder in pleasure.

  He handed her the dagger and she slid it through the leather belt at her left hip. Connor saw the track he made as he drug the tree home from yesterday. “Princess, I’ll need to fix that.” He pointed to the disturbed earth. “It leads from our cottage to the rocky clearing. I don’t need anyone to get suspicious and follow the trail to where we practice.” She nodded in understanding the warning.

  Connor focused on the trail and summoned the power of Terra. Utilizing his energy for the task he made the dry ground vibrate and fill in the trenched earth. The trees around them also began shaking and the birds weren’t too happy with such a wakeup call. The sparse grass and shrubs moved with the earth and obscured most of the evidence. He walked along the trail from the tree’s impression and filled in the rut, all the way to the spot where they found it. He took one last look at the progress he made and decided that no one but a superb tracker could ever follow the trail.

  “Good job, Connor.” Sarah said as she interlaced her fingers with his. As they started walking again she asked “How much energy did that use?”

  “It’s odd because I used the same amount of energy if I were to run directly here. So I’d say that I didn’t use all that much. It’s getting odd because the effort required is lessening which is beneficial, but it shouldn’t be that way. The task required should exact equal energy, but it isn’t. I can tell even your father is becoming aware for unlike us, his elemental requirement exacts the energy of the effort he uses.” He looked into her enticing eyes a few moments later. “I think that maybe we should do more practicing together.” Her eyes went wide and her complexion became red. “Oh Princess, you know what I mean. Like when we worked together flying and fighting in the air.”

  His favorite smile was present in her full lips and her eyes were twinkling. “If I say yes, may I have a request?”

  He ducked under a branch and skirted around a thorn bush before finally asking “And what request may I grant?”

  “Can we dance together in the air again?” Connor ran into a tree because he paid too much attention to his gorgeous mate. She is serious, but she looked so stunning and her words caught him completely off guard. He rubbed his jaw when she sounded concerned. “Are you alright?”

  Rubbing his stinging jaw he admitted “Yeah, I was just a little absent minded.” They resumed walking again after his thoughts came back to reality. “To your earlier request, it’s granted. We’ll dance in the sky later.” Sarah squeezed his hand and through their bond, knew that she was excited.

  Breaking through the woods and crossing onto the field Connor saw everyone sitting in a loose group. The sky revealed itself to be overcastted and he knew that the sun wouldn’t be such a drain for their day. A comfortable breeze filtered in from the north and it kept the temperatures down. Another upside to this day is that it is going to rain in a few hours. The rain will pack in all my work from covering up the trail. He thought and saw Sarah looking with a questioning expression and then he noticed her mind connected with his. “Sorry, it was just a random thought.” Under his breath he said to himself “I think she knocked a few of my screws loose last night.”

  They eventually met the party of four over by the shade tree again. Kara was the first to stand and she oddly attired a long sleeved jacket and pants. It was strange to see her wearing such heavy clothes during the summer. “Brother, Sarah, I’m so sorry for my behavior yesterday.”

  Before he spoke back to her Connor pushed his mind into Mark’s. “Good morning, Bud.” His calculating silver eyes went from Kara’s to Connor’s. Mark stood and all he wore were his leather pants, his usual attire for practice. He nodded in response to the greeting. “Did you tell Kara about the lesson that she should have learned?”

  Mark shook his head slowly so as to not be noticed. “No I didn’t, Buddy. You are right about her needing to learn at her own pace. She didn’t even ask what she did wrong. After you left she, became really quiet and sullen. Withdrawn almost… She didn’t even talk to me until she finished eating everything in my apartment last night at around ten.”

  Connor nodded and exited the Changer’s mind. “Sorry for the intrusion Mark.” He smiled and shook his head slowly. He returned his vision directly on his little sister. “I will only accept the apology if you learned a very specific lesson from yesterday’s match.”

  Kara’s forehead frowned. “Which lesson? The one where I need to be less
of a hot head and think before I act or that you’ll kick me in the rear the next time I overextend myself and hurt someone?”

  He began to snicker. “So you did learn a lesson after all. I accept your apology. Now you need to get it from Sarah.”

  Kara apologized and soon became relieved when his Princess accepted as well. Sarah reentered his mind. “It looks like yesterday’s shock made her wake up somewhat. She learned something at least. It’s a start.”

  “Not only that, but it was hard to make her cry when I acted like she wasn’t even there yesterday. It’s hard to make her grow up and distance myself. At least she did learn a valuable lesson.”

  Her hand squeezed in pleading. “Will you please give her another chance to spar with me? She needs to keep progressing or else she might accidently harm someone and not intentionally.” Connor looked into his wife’s twinkling green eyes and crumbled.

  “Alright, but on two conditions.” Sarah’s eyed lit up further as she nodded. “Bring Jillian as a referee for your match.” She nodded vigorously with a self satisfied grin. “And it will be only a fifteen minute session.”

  She turned her head in Kara’s direction. “Your brother said that we can have a rematch, but only if Mother can be our Ref.”

  Kara’s eyes pleaded down at Jillian as she watched all of this with curiosity. Jillian stood up wearing her usual battle gear of a red bathing suit top and white shorts. “I don’t have any idea of what’s going on, but I’ll referee for the two of you, if that is what you want…” She adjusted her clothing and began walking forward.

  “Thank you so much.” Kara stopped Jillian and hugged her in relief. His sister truly wanted to fight and learn about her own skills. Then she straightened up saying “Sarah, remember yesterday, when I told you about Mark getting something from the tailors?”