#linkedlives

The 18-year old chest burned as he continued to run further into the temple. They were invaded by monsters, not gems..Monsters of earth...He didn't know what type but they were humanoid and they were able to match his mother; Onyx, and the gems. The face she gave him, when she was tossed into the sand on her back. The enemy blade meeting and struggling  against her midnight octagon barrier. 

"Steven! Get the cobalt chest in the temple flame, now!"

Never did he see such a look of reluctant defeat on his mother's face. The mighty Onyx. Leader of the Crescent gems. Nor did he ever see the gems look so shocked and fearful.

He was a hybrid bearing a gem imprint instead of a true gem, and only exhibited gem physicality. He knew he couldn't help against these...demons...Not against their magical prowess. Not without whatever was in that chest.

So he ran fast, following his mother's order. Deep down the stairs, through corridors, round corners  after corners. Why did this place have so many corners?

"WHERE ARE YOU LITTLE HYBRID! LET SEE YOU POOF POOF POOF. LIKE THAT OF YOUR MOMMA."

His eyes widened as he heard one of the invaders' voices. He didn't  have time to think about how the invaders got in or the status of his family, though. He could feel the energies  of the flame close by, urging him to run towards it.

He soon found himself in large a circular ruin, with a blue flame both rising and falling within its center through two openings on the floor and ceiling, it's only light. Rune and glyph covered the area completely. Six sections lined up against walls, four on each side, in each was a stone body part. At the very back on a stone bench..

"The chest!" 

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He ran towards it with a smile, the chest shined the same color as the flame, outlined with black and gold glyph. He stopped to stare at the box, His heart pounding into his chest as he did. It had no latch, no keyhole. He laid a single fingertip on it, 

“”Huuuuu-haaahahahaha!”

Brown femenine kissable lips flashed within his mind; a seductive gasping laugh resounded within him causing him to back up in caution…  Whatever was in there..Was not to be trifled with..and yet he can feel his cheeks heat up.

“COME ON YOU SKINNY COWARD! IT'S TIME TO POOF POOF POOF!"

He looked towards the entrance  before turning back to the chest. He held the top of the chest and tried to force it open.

"Fuck!"  It was a no go, probably magically sealed. How the hell was he supposed to open this box. He gripped the box and squeezed trying to shatter it...

Nope.

"WELL WELL WELL..LOOK AT THIS PLACE." 

Steven, froze at the horrendously gravel voice, before turning towards the entrance. 

a questionably hunan of snow white skin and lips, gray hair straggly hair, tall bone thin body, red eyes, inhumanly large hands and feet with yellowish rotten nails sharpened to claws and talons, and crooked, fanged, diseased teeth. 

Dressed in a tattered red and black body suit, with a long crooked tie. Bangles on their wrist and ankles, made of bone gold and skull.

“THIS IS SUCH A COOL PLACE. CLASSIC MYSTICAL RUINS. YOU WOULDN'T KNOW SUCH A PLACE EXISTED  IN THIS DAY IN AGE…

It scratched the top of it's head, making a sound like stone scratching a chalkboard, as it yawned revealing a large, green, viper like tongue. Its breath smelled of rotten flesh.

"WELL, GUESS YOU WOULD KNOW, BEING A GEM AND ALL. THOUGH, FROM WHAT I HEARD YOU GUYS ARE FROM THE STARS, RIGHT?"

Steven gulped as the creature took a step towards him, a look of aggression on its face.

"YOU'RE QUITE RUDE, LITTLE SHARD..I'M TRYING TO HOLD A CONVERSATION AND YOU'RE NOT ENGAGING! HAVE YOUR MOTHER TAUGHT YOU NO ETIQUETTE!" 

Steven watched in horror as the demon's stomach swelled, it's abdominal muscles pressed tightly against its skin. The monster reached and plunged one its entire hand inside its swollen midsection, before ripping out a thin malleable bone half as tall as Steven, dripping with cream colored blood. With a flick of the wrist the bone hardened, and glistened in the flames light it swung it against the rune wall, cutting through as if it was flesh. 

"....NOW THEN. LITTLE SHARD. SINCE YOU DON'T WISH TO TALK, HOW ABOUT YOU GIVE ME THE CHEST, YEAH?  WE KANARAKAS, LIVE UP TO OUR VOCATION; AND AS SUCH I, ANTIQUARIAN MUST COLLECT THAT CHEST...AND YOUR HEAD"

Steven gripped the chest harder at the claim, glaring in defiance. He had no false hope of actually  beating this 'Antiquarian'..but he wasn't gonna make it easy for them. Though he really had no idea what to do.. Watching as the monster crouched low before dashing forward ready to run Steven through. 

Instinct took over as Steven intercepted the stab with the chest. The energies of chest and bone created a small implosion, slamming the boy back to the eastern wall and his opponent to the opposite wall.

"Ow!" Steven winced as he stood feeling a bit of stone fall off his back. He didn't have time to survey the damage as Antiquarian was already striking down towards his skull, attempting  to split him in half. 

"Face Up!" Steven complied, intercepting the bone again with the face of the chest. A different result occurred this time, as Steven was unharmed and Antiquarian was electrocuted by a stream of supernatural lighting running through the bone blade to the demon. The monster pain of agony was silenced after a few seconds as its body crumpled  over.

Steven stumbled back on to the floor, the smell of burned flesh getting to him. He sighed as he turned towards the chest in his hands. He breathed deeply as he turned towards his opponent, seeing that it hadn't made any movement but was clearly breathing.

"I don't know how I feel about that?" Steven groaned as he relaxed, looking up and zone out a bit. He took a shocking deep breath as the scent of jasmine, chai and bluebell hit his nose...and a gentle weight hit his left shoulder. He turned his head towards the weight and for a split second, saw an azure blue silhouette of a girl his age leaning upon his shoulder. 

"Who are…?"

She was about to turn towards him when they heard the growl of Antiquarian as he stirred and sat up in pain.

Steven gulped as he reached for her hand only to meet ground. He turned to her to realize she was gone. 

"What the fu.."

Antiquarian roared as, turning towards Steven, hate in its eyes. Steven stood his ground chest in his hands, his determination meeting Antiquarian's hate and wounded pride as the monster stalked forward swinging a clawed hand at the young man's skull. 

Steven stepped under the attack and moved in close. He slammed the chest, hard into the stomach of Antiquarian.

Antiquarian loomed over Steven, as he bent forward in pain.

"JUST A BOX."

Steven's eyes grew in fear before he was snatched and skipped along the floor by Antiquarian into the southwestern wall, hitting his chest and landing on his side withering in pain. He struggled to breathe let alone move, as he clenched the chest closer. Struggled but did so. 

He felt the box glow one last time as speckles of magical energy flowed towards him healing his damage, leaving the chest dull in color. He still couldn't open it though.

"Oh come on!" That was the only lamentation Steven was allowed as Antiquarian was already mid punch.He was able to narrowly dodge the hook, watching it crack the stone wall where his head was. 

"Ok..Now what!"Steven thought about running for the exit, only to realize he would literally go  over, under or through the monster. All seemed impossible. It was hopeless.

"GIVE ME THE BOX!" Antiquarian roared as he took another swing at Steven, this time at the boy's ribs. Steven leapt back, but the blow glancingly connected. It was enough to get the point of cross as he felt a bruise forming. He winced but held his ground as he lifted the box up over his head, a threatening look in his eye. He was poised to slam the boxed towards the floor.

"You want the box!" 

He watched as Antiquarian froze in it's movements, eyes trained on the box.

"The flame. Burn me, emblaze me, RELEASE ME!"

His eyes widened as he heard the voice of the chest again. He turned his eyes towards the flame and breath deep. 

"Go get it!"

"NO!!!"

Time seemingly slowed as Steven tossed the chest into the flame.They watched as the flames encased the chest in an orb that crushed and burned the box. It wasn't long until the chest broke and burned away, the flames kept moving as it was.

Steven didn't get a moment to feel defeated before he was slammed to the stone floor  unconscious.

"BASTARD!" Antiquarian snapped at the hybrid, its hands ready to shatter Steven windpipe for costing it its treasure.  

Just as Antiquarian hands enclosed around Steven's neck and lifted him from the ground, a sound coming from the flame stole their attention, it was that of a giggling girl.

Antiquarian snarled as it didn't see anyone, but heard the giggling resound all over the ruin.

"Well, what do we have here, a Kanaraka? I thought you single minded fools were all destroyed. What do you call yourself, what's your purpose?"

""I AM ANTIQUARIAN! SHOW YOURSELF!, I KNOW IT WAS YOU WHO WAS DEFENDING THE BOY... COME SO I CAN COLLECT YOUR HEAD AS WELL."

"If you know that..You must know that I'm  already here."

"SHOW YOURSELF!"

"OR WHAT!?" 

 The force that came from the yell, knocked the Kanaraka away from Steven and onto the wall, pinning it there. Unable to move, the monster could only watch as the flames began to swirl and twist around themselves, as a microscopic, dim azure wisp like orb enlarged itself in the center of the flammes, second by second. 

Steven groaned feeling the heat of the area, fluttering his eyes he looked towards the flame and fell in awe at what he was witnessing.

As it grew, the orb seemed to take basic human shape, floating within the flame. First, of an infant, a toddler then a child. After that the shape became identifiably feminine as it ‘aged’ to that of an older teen. A swell of breast, the curves of hips, the softness of the shape, the lack of anything phallic.

Soon, the stone body parts began to hover from their pedestals and fly towards the flame attaching themselves to ‘her'. First her arms and legs, followed by her torso, and finally the head. The pieces melted and melded together in a nice skin of magma in the form of 'her' as the flames continued toward dance around 'her',caressing her in a gentle embrace. 

It was at this moment that the flames no longer swirled around ‘her’ but flew within her; illuminating her form, energizing it and giving her body heat...Giving her life as 'She’ began to move within the flame. 

"huuuhaaaa." Her chest began to rise gently as 'she' took her first breath. Her fingers began to twitch, her toe curled, her lips quivered and finally her eyes slowly opened.

She moved her head up looking straight, ignoring the flames that found their place within her as they restitched her existence to the living. 

Steven's heart skipped multiple beats as he gazed into her very human eyes. Powerful...Alluring...Charismatic.. The most illuminating pearls of black he ever saw, locked with his own brown eyes.

He watched her descend to the ground as if led by the very flames entering her, appearing as a goddess of molten earth and azure light. ‘She’ landed in a kneel, still as the stone she was encased, the flames finally dying out as she began to stand. 

Her movements were slow and steady, as if she was afraid she would break otherwise, She turned fullt toward Steven and slowly stepped forward, leaving melted footprints on the stone floor. She watches as his eyes widen towards her….

“Watch out!!” 

She felt the fist connect with her skull, the air as she sailed across the room, and the destruction of her body as it broke through and was buried by the western stone wall.

Steven's bottom lip quivered in shock before he felt the sparks of rage flicker within him. Ignoring the pain of his body, he stood glaring at the Kanaraka, who stared readily at the crumbled wall.

“Bas-”

“Bastard, don’t you Kanaraka have any basic manners.”

Steven froze at the sound of ‘her’ voice, before turning towards the whole in the wall.

“Holy..”Steven was left breathless as she stepped out into the dim lighted ruin, completely bare, and without shame.

 A slim, curvy and tone build,with long legs. Skin of dark mahogany, small yet full lips, prominent nose, thick umber eyebrows with mid-back length hair of the same color, and those black eyes. On her wrist were azure color markings, in a language he couldn’t make out. 

If Steven hadn't seen her release, he would have thought of her as a slightly taller nineteen year-old human girl, with an exotic air about her. Watching her as she cracked her neck and stretched her back, sides and legs, with a fire engine face.

“YOU..NO NO YOU D-.” Antiquarian growled objectionably, it’s eyes narrow  as it clenched it’s fist tightly, drawing a bit of its own blood due to the pressure.

“Djinn..I’m a Djinn, Kanaraka.” She retorted in the same fashion, before chuckling. “You said your name was Antiquarian, right?” She shook her head mockingly “That’s too good of a name for something like you. How about ‘Collector, or ‘Scavenger’ those seem more your taste.”

The Kanaraka charged with a screech ready to run the girl through, It shot  it’s long clawed hand forward a direct course for the girl windpipe,

“GRRROOAAAAGHH!”

The loud crack of bones breaking resounded in the ruin, as the girl’s fist met with the palm of Antiquarian, breaking it’s thin hand; tearing the bone through its pale flesh.

“What was that you said about taking our head?” The mocking question was followed by the slamming of her left knee into the chin of the demon, making it stumble and fall to its back; it’s jaw loosened by the blow. She looked down at the monster before turning her gaze to Steven, her eyes softening at his red face, despite him not looking towards her , 

“I’ll be right with you, keematee” Cheerfulness in her voice as she gave him a small smirk, it quickly changed  to annoyance when she skipped over a sweeping kick from the demon, She watched the demon somersaulted back to its feet, near Steven.

Antiquarian glanced at the hybrid for a quick second,contemplating taking him hostage, only to be forced to duck and move away as the Djinn girl attempted to strike with her fist; landing in front of Steven and giving the Kanaraka a cool deadly glare. 

“MAHESWARAN! DEVIL OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE!” Antiquarian snarled, anger and dread vibrating in its throat. Picking up its bone sword  ready to defend itself 

"Huh? Oh My! How informed you are." Her smile and voice was gentle and almost admiring...It never reached her eyes, they remained unchanged.She placed the tips of her index and middle finger on her chin as she walked forward, causing the monster to step back.

"But..I think you’re missing some vital information. Let’s start with the “Fire and Brimstone-” 

“GET BACK!” 

“I understand how one such as yourself could come up with such a conclusion..Seeing how i was brought back..But I must correct you, I am not an elemental of earth or fire. I am not an elemental at all, though I have dabbled in using those two..”

“STAY AWAY!” Antiquarian swung the blade towards the girl's torso, ready to slice her in half, Both human and Kanaraka was stunned as she halted the weapons path right before it landed with a palm size vortex from her left hand. The bone weapon shook against the wind. .

“But truly, I admire that of wind.” She enclosed her hand around the blade. “And lightning.” 

Antiquarian was quick to release the weapon, seeing the streaks of blue magic based electricity run up the blade like a crackling livewire. It watched with unease as the girl twisted  the all too large blade around like a baton before resting it on her shoulder, before returning to her stroll towards it

“Second, the ‘Devil” comment. I take offense to such a thing. I’m a Djinn. I bear no imp tail, or horns. I serve no, nor have I ever served, a fallen angel in hell...Though.” She glanced at Steven from the corner of her eye. “I can be devilishly delightful, depending on the mood.”  She teased the boy.

The Kanaraka crouched low, its talon scratching the stone floor, Its mouth tight in rage, baring its teeth. Ready to strike her down at any given moment.. Until, she turned her sight back toward the kanaraka and showed it her eyes...Those eyes warped in wickedness … and felt the strangulation of reality...She would be Antiquarian final visage. 

”Three, and this is very important.”Her voice held an aura of pure sugar, as her smile began to hild the same wickedness as her eyes. She was just a half foot away, looking up at the lengthy monster who looked like he wanted to beg for forgiveness.”Who gave you instruction, allowance to speak of my blood? Do you understand the affornt of your actions?” 

She didn’t give the monster a chance to respond before,heating the bone sword up until it glowed azure and using it to stab it's right shoulder, watching the arm drop off and simultaneously cauterize the wound.

 Antiquarian screamed in pain as it dropped to its knees, it reached for the dropped limb. 

"Well?" She asked as she sliced the fallen  limb a couple of times, scorching it before Antiquarian could reach it. 

The light of the blue flames gave the Djinn visage, a horrifying light. The Kanaraka could only look at those eyes..Those deep black, half-lid eyes illuminate in hellish blue looking down on it. Too afraid to speak.

"Not going to answer, such bad etiquette." She grabbed Antiquarian by its jaw and squeezed.  'Ok answer this..Those gems, do you have them?" 

The Kanaraka shook its head the best it could. 

"You were bragging about my mother being poof..Dissipated." Steven chimed in, his back towards the scene. 

"That's true...So were you lying?"

The Kanaraka sneered in response.

"Oh ho! You did lie. I figured they might still be fighting correct."

As if to answer her answer, a tremor from outside was heard. 

"Sounds like they're about to end their bout. So how about it, Kanaraka? Why come here, huh?"

"I WOULDN'T HAVE COME IF I KNEW YOU WERE HOUSED, MONSTER!"

"But you did know and you did come."

"ALL I KNEW OF WAS THE BOX AND THE HYBRID.."

"You threatened to take my head."

"I WAS UNAWARE OF WHAT THE BOX HELD.." The pleading sorrow in Antiquarian's voice, fell on deaf ears.

"You threatened to take his head."

She received a growl in response. 

'She' sighed dully, tapping the blade on her shoulder as she spoke in its ear. "Antiquarian..That's your name and vocation. To collect ancient treasures...Treasure as he maybe, he's only on the cusp of adulthood. Seventeen-"

"Eighteen." 

"Eighteen years, so far. Not what you would call an antique...You went against  your vocation...What's the punishment for that again?"

"DEATH."

 She nodded as she released its jaw. "You wanna tell me who sent you?"

The Antiquarian said nothing waiting for the blow. 

"I commend your loyalty." 

It was a simple strike of her hand that ended the demons' existence. It didn't scream, howl or roar. It just let it be. It didn't groan when she grabbed it's  heart, didn't wince when her nails punctured it, didn't give any type of negative emotion when it felt itself being added to her existence. All it felt was a gentle, welcoming, warmth of blue. 

"BETTER DEATH THAN MOST, I SUPPOSE."

'She' left no burn, no ash, no smoke. There was no trace of Antiquarian, except  for it's bone blade, which she made vanish in a streak of azure. 

"It's done, you can turn around now. There's  no body."

Steven clenched his fist at the statement, she said it so indifferently. "Right"

He turned his head and quickly turned back around.. He forgot she was still nude.

She saw the red on his ears and smirked an impish smirk before gliding silently towards him. She leaned forward so her head was on his shoulders before giving him a warm held peck on his cheek.

"Gah! What!" Steven yelped before turning towards the girl, getting an eye full. He quickly turned away before taking off his jacket and handing it to her.

"Wear this."

"Hmm?" 'She' blinked as she looked at the jacket, holding her head to the side. "Why?"

"Because, you're nude!"

"And. I think I have a very attractive body."

"That's not the point!"

"I feel nice too, wanna see."

Before he could answer, she pulled him into a hug, placing his head just above her left breast and squeezing him, almost adoringly.

"'What. What are you doing!?"

Thump-thump...Thump-thump

His eyes widened at the sound. A heartbeat, a very strong human heartbeat. From there his body started to acknowledge other aspects. Such as the human warmth of her body, the supple softness and comforting firmness of her flesh. He held her back around the  small of her back..just in curiosity. 

She smiled as she tussled the slightly  smaller man's hair. "Feels nice, right? Just like a human."

He hummed in content unaware of his hands.

She shivered as she felt herself palmed. "Hey hey. You're a little low!"

"Wait, no! I didn't mean to!" 

'She' laughed as the apple red hybrid tried to struggle out of her grasp. "You're so precious! Such a gentleman, my bonded is."

"Bonded?!"

"Well..not yet, I suppose."

Steven was going to retort, when she caressed his face and placed her lips upon his. Steven was stunned at first, his muns telling him to try to break it..but his subconscious..His instinct and heart drove him to do the opposite and so he did…And returned the kiss.

In doing so he felt a heat rise in him, a power and knowledge he didn't have flowing within him, a connection he didn't want to lose.

She broke it gently before stepping back, waiting patiently. Her legs crossed as she bent forward looking up at him.

Steven blushed before taking in her image, feeling his stomach and heart heat up, and not because she was still in the buff. Though he'd doubt  he would ever get used to it. The giggling lips, the shillolute, the voice… All had a face, form and figure. More so than that..

"Connie, get dressed."

It had a name and identity. 

"You see the modern derivative." Connie chuckled before giving him an adorable smile. "Well, if my bonded requests it."

Connie stood straight before looking around the room glyphs with a smirk. With a wave of her hand, the glyphs peeled off the walls like sickles before hovering around her in an illuminating cocoon. A few moments was all that passed, before the cocoon dispersed, revealing Connie.

A blue short jacket with dark green trim, Light blue low-rise short pants, brown cross lace sandals. golden anklets, green elbow length, mid finger gloves, black choker with charms of the sun and moon, one glyph earring in her left ear and a royal azure, cross front bodysuit. Her hair was still out but it now had a star clip in the middle of it. All the 'cloths' were printed with glyphs, though it was nearly impossible  to tell.

She watched his stunned look and felt her cheeks burned a blueish brown, feeling a bit shy at his sight. "I..I try to match the knowledge of cultural modernity I received from our bonding, with my own preference… Am I acceptable?"

Steven shook his head before walking up to the djinn, rubbing the top of her head. " More than acceptable...You're extraordinary."

"Hehehe...Thank you, Keematee." She gave him an appreciative smile. Before she clapped her hands in slight excitement. "Oh..can you lift up your shirt for me?"

"What?!"

"I wanna see your imprint. Please?"

Steven arched an eyebrow before lifting  up his shirt, revealing his birthmark.

Connie beamed at the mark.

"All right."

His mark as a hybrid; A tattoo shaped like a gem in deepest onyx ink with twelve facets with his naval acting as its face. Usually it was a simple design with an unusual hardness in that particular  area...not anymore.

While everything was the same, there was a new addition. upon each  facet and on the face was an azure glyphs. The same one on Connie's wrist. Evidence of their success in bonding.

"Interesting place for the bonding mark but.. I can't dictate where they go."

Steven's eyes widened in surprise at her comment. "What?! Hold on, what's gonna happen  to me?"

Connie chuckled bashfully as she scratched the back of her head. " Nothing bad.. I think?"

"Huh?!"

"I mean..I've never bonded or... At least, I can't remember last time I've bonded..."

Steven groaned. "What the hell,Connie?!"

Connie scoffed in anger. "Hey hey, don't get mad at me for not knowing."

"You're a Djinn! This is a practice for you. Your people do this! How don't you know this?"

"Excuse me, I've been dead for awhile. Sorry if some information got lost during the whole returning to life thing!"

Steven rubbed his temples feeling his anger flare. While Connie turned her back on the hybrid, arms folded..

'Stars, I should've just ignored it when you called out to me.' They both thought silently.

"You called out to me!" They both yelled at each other.  They both stopped, as realization hit.

'Holy, crap'

'Oh my'

'We can hear each other thoughts!',

The two remained silent as they waited for the other to speak or think…

'So..I called out to you..You say?' Connie thought as she played with her hair, glancing at Steven, who looked quizzically.

"You ok Connie? you look a bit blush in the face?"

Connie flushed as she growled. "I'm ok just answer the question!"

"What Question!? You didn't ask anything!"

Connie sighed as she placed her head in her hand.."This. We might have rushed into this."

"I would agree.."

The two looked towards the entrance  and saw a large full figure woman walk in. Hair was long spiked curls down to her ankles, a gray halter top body dress. Her skin was a dark tan, her eyes were a deep black, as were her lips She was Onyx leader of the Crescent gems, Steven's mother..Black diamond..and one of the perpetrators of Connie's murder.

"Steven..Kahanni."

She gave the two a prideful yet knowingly sad smile. Especially when  Steven instinctively grabbed Connie close by the waist and held her hand, while Connie took a protective step forward.

"It's Connie, now."

Onyx smiled a bit more at how in sync they were. "Of course."

"Why did you kill me?"

Onyx scratched her head "You're as blunt as ever…"

"I wanna know too, Black."