Shotgun

Michael paced, he had been pacing for a while. Amelia's words rang in his mind, dissolving all his earlier worries, replacing them with more concerning one.

He was troubled, he knew this was the best option he was going to have in a while, yet that didn't make it any less of an impasse.

***

"Part of what an emissary can do to contain souls within themselves. I saw someone do it once, you should be able to. Now, is it risky?... From what I've had, it's relatively safe. My proposal is simple, contain me within yourself, open a mind link between us and I will lend you all the knowledge I can to help you through the nether, in return I am no longer shackled to my desire. I help you find the castle, maybe teach you a few tricks along the way and I get to be free. As a show of good faith, I am going to share with you the memories of me and Aliah's journey through the nether."

***

Her offer sounded straight forward, no hidden implications that put Michael in harm and from how willing she was to help, he assumed she was desperate. How else would he describe the willingness to be bound to another for as long as they lived? More questions surfaced, what were the repercussions of such an arrangement? Certainly it was bound to come with risks.

The pacing continued and the night sky turned a shade lighter. Dawn was approaching ushering the cold of dawn that kissed their exposed skin.

His breath fogged up before him as he considered her offer. On the one hand, it was a good way to get around the Nether and possibly survive, on the other, it promised to disallow Michael his privacy.

He let out a heavy sigh and sat closer to Amelia, a constant pressure weighing on his mind, demanding he arrive to a decision soonest.

Gazing at her face, he realized he had not really considered her this closely. She had strong features that accentuated her feminine bearing; fair skin, sharp eyes, full lips that curled into a radiant smile, the hair on her head flowing gently over her shoulders like a raven waterfall, she was soft on the eyes. She gave him a warm smile causing him to look away.

The questions still remained, accept her offer or decline? The latter was harder to choose because as it stood she was offering to make his life in the Nether less of what it already was; chaotic. Therefore, the former was a more viable option, at least his gut agreed.

At his core, he didn't want to choose.

He wanted to remain here in this desert of a world, to never go back to that vine filled horror -scape to never have to make a decision that would influence the trajectory of his life. The thought of giving up weighed on his heart. But, did he even have an option? The bitter reality of his circumstance had already been made apparent, he was a slave if not lower.

To escape the reality of his first life and land in an even worse life, how ironical.

He sighed heavily, Amelia giving him the privacy he deserved; at least a semblance of it, in truth she was always listening in on his thoughts. This was already lost to Michael whose mind was weighed down by stress, fatigue and all the negativity that carried forward from his earlier life.

It had been earnest desire to give up this flaws; to become a new man in his second life. Yet the wall he had to bring down seemed almost insurmountable. And now he was faced by an even greater choice that was sure to affect his stay in the Nether going forward.

Did he have to give an answer right away? Why not remain in this desert for as long as it took his heart and mind to calm down. He dreaded going back to the grassland. It demanded he face whatever horror caused him to somehow end up with Amelia in the first place.

He hadn't been ready for all that, neither was he prepared for any of what had happened so far and he sure as hell wasn't prepared for whatever the future held. It hadn't escaped him that, by Caster's words, he was at risk of succumbing to his desires in the Nether and being shackled by it for eternity. That in and off itself constituted a chunk of his apprehension towards the Nether. And then there was the matter of conquering this god forsaken place. How was he to do that? His options of survival were; Caster, who, in light of his earlier actions, didn't seem like the best mentor to get him through his harrowing task and Amelia.

He turned to face her again, his eyes wavering between resolve and desperation.

'Maybe, just accept her offer.' It seemed like the right thing to do, it made sense somehow, but it didn't sit right with him. The idea of walking around with a soul bound to him was unsettling. He was weary of what she would learn forcing him to measure his thoughts every step of the way to avoid revealing his inner most secrets.

'Fuck all that. I have no better option, It's either I decline her offer and suffer knowing I could have done something about it or accept and accept whatever the repercussions', he thought to himself steeling his resolve; worrying never got him anywhere anyway.

"I accept your offer, however, I have conditions. When a better condition for this whole set up is found, we take it. Also, you are going to help me survive the nether however you can. Lastly, this is arrangement purely on the basis of mutual benefit, when your help is no longer required, the deal is void; keep to yourself I keep to myself."

Amelia stared at him momentarily stunned by his words. She seemed to not enjoy his sudden demands, she half expected this eventuality but not so sudden, with how shattered and defeated Michael appeared. Yet, behind the veil of strength and control she wore, she needed Michael for her own ends. However, she kept her thoughts hidden.

"Fine!" she half said and half sighed.

Michael was not displeased, however he did grow a little cautious of the woman, he expected her to present him with a counter offer, yet she didn't accepting his terms without question. Should he have asked for more concetions? It was done, however, they had agreed to the others demands, one more half-hearted than the other.

"This is the start of journey for me and you, bearer of death's mark." She said flashing Michael her best smile.

"How do we go about this then?"

"A soul tie of course."

[Authors Note: Enjoy!]