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Albireo Dual-soul

Albireo was lost in his own thoughts, walking down the busy street towards the military headquarters. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he knew that all of this was somehow...wrong. Totally wrong. He couldn't get behind this, not at all. The extermination of an entire people? They had told him he was to be attacking military dissenters, not women and children! Albireo clenched and unclenched his spear tightly, looking down at it's elaborate design, remembering the words of the maker

"Psh, the spear is as virtuous as it's wielder. What's that supposed to mean?"
But even as he said that he was disquieted to see that part of the spear was changing from it's pure white radiance to a dark black. Half of it was withering and becoming more wicked looking, as opposed to the noble weapon it had once been.

Lost in his thoughts and concerns, Albireo never noticed the young women in red until he had already ran right into her. They both tumbled to the ground in a heap, and he was quick to rise and give apologies. Albireo noticed two things almost immediately. She was young, not child age, but barely coming into womanhood. The second thing was of significantly greater importance in Albireo's mind right now, and that was that the woman was absolutely beautiful. Not necessarily in a way that anyone else would see, since she was thin and lacked angles where others found them pleasing, but Albireo was drawn to the sense of something deeper. She moved lithely and clumsily at the same time, and her eyes absolutely smit him. They were of the deepest green and seemed to examine him and laugh at him and worry about him all at the same time. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen, and he was deeply chagrined when she noticed he was staring at her.

"OH! A knight! Well I am sorry! I'ven ever met a knight before, what's your name? My uncle always told me that knights were good people, just that the men who led them were bad? Is that true?"

Albireo had a flash of his spear digging through the heart of a child and briefly looked away, then ignored the question entirely.

"I'm Albireo, Knight of Twilight, First Rank."

The woman looked impressed by his high title. His rank was high enough that he could have asked for a lordship of his own now and live out his life as a noble. She asked why he didn't do this.

"I...I couldn't live like them. They live like leeches, surviving off the accomplishments of other, doing nothing themselves and growing fat and evil while they do it...I could never do that. I fight for a better world, one where we can all be happy."

THe woman looked impressed and sly all at the same time.

"You really hate those Nobles, don't you?"

"No...I there's only one man who I could ever hate..." Whispered Albireo as he looked down at his spear and it's gradual decay. The woman followed his glance, and seemed to understand, as she nodded grimly and then pierced his eyes with her own. He fought the impulse to look away, but he had the feeling this young woman was much more then she seemed, at least much more mature.

"You could only hate yourself, couldn't you?" She finally whispered as they continued down the street. Albireo looked away, pained once again, but nodded slowly. THe woman sighed and looked at him again, then reached out and grabbed his hand. Albireo was alarmed by the tingling sensation that shot up his arm at her touch, but was even more alarmed when she pulled him towards her and them...

Kissed him. There, in the middle of the street, in front of all the onlookers, and directly in front of the military headquarters, she kissed him. The feeling was one Albireo had never felt before, and he fought desperately to restrain the impulse to pull this woman to him and hold her tightly. The whole world seemed to drop away at the touch, and Albireo was forced to concede that perhaps his military life had left him...lacking in some departments, as he had no idea how he was supposed to perform this particular act. He blushed madly, but the woman didn't let him go, and he honestly had no desire to go. But finally, the world stopped spinning and time started up again and she backed away from him. She smiled sweetly. He stood there awkwardly, unsure how he felt.

"We've been watching you Albireo... And you're different. Very different. Follow that heart of yours. It'll do you good. My name is Nicoh, and if you ever need me again, I'll always be close by." She came close again, this time putting her hand on his chest, above his heart. "This'll always show you the way back to me." She whispered, then slowly backed away through the crowd. Her eyes flashed all the way, laughing that silent laugh at him and drawing him in, even as she drew away. Finally she was gone.

Albireo licked his lips slowly, remembering hers. Then he wondered if he had done a good job with his first kiss. She sure seemed to think so. Nicoh, huh? Well he'd definitely have to go looking for her again...

But who's we? And why were they watching him of all people?

Albireo left, dreaming of kisses and beautiful women in red dresses.


(And that's how Albireo met Nicoh, who would be the central point of his life for the rest of his time as a mortal.)

/ [Albireo the Lost]