How Beizi Met Tashriel pt. 1

After the life as a dog, Beizi was born into a bumbling human's life again.  This time, though, he had been a slim man and he had died in his late twenties while stealing from a museum.  It had all gone downhill when he had not studied the outline map well enough, tripped a burglar trap and alerted all of the security guards to his location.  Try as he might, he could not reach an exit in time and had been shot before he could even get the treasure he had stolen out of the building.

He had died there on the cold marble floor with cameras and strangers in his face.

The life after that was the long, quiet life of a tall tree.  It was a little touch and go at first when trying to fight into the sunlight but Beizi grew tall and strong as the years went by.  He had been bored out of his mind at first but soon realized that he could sleep and breathe deep as a tree without worrying about anyone else.  It was a healing lifetime, a time for deep thoughts and deep breaths.

Little furry animals and birds lived in his many branches and the quiet of his neighboring trees soothed him.  He sometimes had felt the tread of human feet coming his way, but they never stayed for long.  Sometimes they would touch his mighty trunk, but they never talked to him and they never bothered him.

It was a lifetime of learning the weather and the earth, and Beizi fell in love with the feel of the sun on his high leaves.  When winter came, he sank into the soil and slept in his roots, waiting for the warm spring air to melt the snow and to free his blood from winter's cold grasp once more.

It was a long, long lifetime before Beizi finally moved on.  He had heard through the great reach of his roots that tangled with other trees that man had come to the forest with machines and had started cutting.  They were far, far away though and in the end they never found Beizi with their machines… a large storm felled the old tree before they ever could.  Beizi had been dreaming deeply and had let go of his worldly body and before he knew it, all he could hear was the groaning of the surrounding trees and the cries of birds as he fell to the soft, moist earth below.  Rain and wind ruffled his leaves as he felt his life slipping away.  Already he could feel his mighty body returning to the earth and he relaxed, falling and falling and falling…


He had woken up in a hospital, a human babe once more.  He quickly learned that he was the son of a well to do man and his quiet wife; their home was in a little village in the English countryside and their lives were peaceful.  Beizi grew up there, causing mischief and trouble wherever he could.  He learned from past mistakes, though, and was tricky enough- and fast enough- to not be caught.  He had also learned from his long life as a tree to find peace within himself and that probably kept him from joining in any of the other boys' more vicious games.

He was twenty-three years old and working in a bar when he met his first mystical creatures.  They looked exactly like a human, but Beizi instantly realized that his master had hot-wired him into spotting creatures like himself.  And yet, they were different from Beizi.  They seemed to glow with an inner light, and Beizi was mesmerized by the pair.

It was a quiet night in the dead of winter when they blew in.


Beizi glanced up at the sudden gust of cold winter air.  A tall blond man and what appeared to be a brown haired boy shook themselves off in the entryway before moving farther into the small bar.  Beizi's eye caught the brilliant light of their otherworldliness instantly but pretended to ignore it when he noticed no one else perk up at the soft glow.

"Something hard for me, lad," the tall man said as he sat at the bar, "And something not so hard for the little lass."

"I c'n order for m'self, Meimei!" the little girl piped up as she climbed into one of the high bar stools.  Beizi grinned at the little girl he had mistaken for a boy and she beamed back.  Her hair was a short messy brown bob that got in her green eyes and Beizi marked her to be no older then eight years.  But there were blue marks by her left eye and on her neck and Beizi was reminded that they were not human, so who knew if they aged the same way?  "Could I have, ah," her face got pink, "Ah, a glass of milk, please?"

"Right away," Beizi murmured, then stopped as he turned away.  Was that the first time he had spoken?  Surely not; he had lifetimes of speaking with others so why did it feel so different when he spoke to these two?  Did they realize that he wasn't human?  But he was human in this lifetime… could they see that his soul wasn't that of a human's?

Beizi placed a shot glass of alcohol in front of the tall man and a large glass of milk in front of the little girl.  He was curious about the two and what they could be doing outside in this sort of weather and why they had gone to a bar instead of an inn of some sort.

"So what are you two doing out in this sort of weather?" he asked before he thought better about it.

"We are meeting someone," the man said cautiously, casting Beizi a sharp glance from behind his shaggy blond bangs.  "They should be here shortly."

"We hope.  We haven't seen 'm in years an' I wonder if he'll recognize us?  Do you think we'll have t' call him over, Meimei?" the little girl asked, casting her large companion a glance.

"He had better," the man said under his breath then nodded towards Beizi to refill his glass.  "It's a hard night out there, though, so he may be a little late."

"It sure seems like it," Beizi agreed as he poured more alcohol into the glass, "Are you two new to the area?"

The tall man shot Beizi another glance and he felt as if his mind was being judged.  "We are just passing through," the blond finally said and looked away, "We are looking for a place to stay during the winter and are hoping to find a warm place before the snows start to fall."  He swirled his drink around in the glass then looked away from both Beizi and the little girl next to him, "Our last home burned to the ground and we've been hoping to start a new elsewhere for a while now."

"The guy we're meetin' should be able t' help us," the little girl piped up, "He's really kind and I've known him forever- he'll help us somehow!"

"Is he from around here?  Or just passing through like you two?" Beizi asked as he started polishing glasses.  They had been polished already but a bartender had to keep his hands busy somehow or other, and polishing never hurt anything.

"Such a chatty bartender," the man said and gave Beizi a slight grin, "His name is Tash-"

"Hey, he's here!" the little girl interrupted as she swiveled around on her stool to point at the door, "Hi Tashriel!"

The figure at the doorway stopped in his tracks before spotting the caller.  When he spotted the little girl he smiled under his hood and shrugged it off, hanging it on one of the many hooks by the door.  Beizi watched him, unabashed, as he kept his scarf snuggly wrapped around his neck.  He was beautiful.  Not in the sense of a woman's beauty, but in an otherworldly beauty that made Beizi suddenly wish he was anywhere then where he was.  His eyes were dark from a distance and Beizi wondered what color they were in daylight; his hair was a sandy blond that seemed to reach his shoulders; wispy bangs framed his rather feminine face.

Beizi smiled a little at the new man as he sat down at the bar and ruffled the little girl's hair in a friendly manner.

"What can I get you?" Beizi asked.

The man, Tashriel, looked up at him, seemingly startled at the sudden question.  His voice was low when he spoke, soft like smoke, as he looked away shyly and said, quietly, "Just… just some wine, please."

"Any kind?" Beizi asked, grinning.

"Ah, whatever you think best." The blond man said, not meeting Beizi's eyes.  Beizi's lips quirked to the side as he turned away, amused that the new creature was flustered by him as well.  He quickly placed a thin-necked glass of one of his favorite wines in front of the blond then went back to his cleaning.  Usually he joined into conversations with the people at the bar, but with this odd crew, he felt like he should just stay put and listen.  And the best way to stay put and listen was to have something to do nearby.  His boss would be pleased (or creeped out) by the sight of the overly shined glasses in the morning.

"So do you have anything for us, Tash?" the big blond said as he turned to look at the new arrival.  "Anything at all?  A house?  News from home?  Anything?"

Tashriel grimaced a little before saying, "A house, yes, I have found you a place to stay where you will be warm for the winter.  I can't say how safe it will be come spring, but it will keep you well protected over the cold months.  As for news from home there is much to speak of.  Where would you like me to begin?"

Beizi refilled the little girl's milk glass and kept his eyes down while listening to the talk.  What a bizarre turn of events!  Not one, but three people who were anything but normal with odd accents that did not match the one in this time period all together at his bar at once.  Talk about banding together!  And the way they spoke, too!  They spoke with an accent unknown to Beizi, but one that felt familiar.  It reminded him of the peacefulness of the trees, yet… it puzzled Beizi.

"How's Mama?  How's everyone at home?  Meri said somethin' about a war but we thought he was talkin' about a war here?" the little girl asked, turning her sweet face towards Tashriel.

His smile was grim, "Your mother is fine, though she worries about you and your brother all of the time.  No one knows that you are here yet, even though you've been gone for such a while.  They wonder, though, and they've just started asking about your location."

The other blond grumbled, "I had hoped they wouldn't catch on for a little while longer… and the Seniors?  What do they think of all of this?"

"Your esteemed uncles are rather divided about it all.  Many think it too dangerous for the little lass to be here and for her to be watched over by you," Tashriel said, nodding in the other man's direction, "A few of them think it for the best though only a few of them know that you were sent here on a purpose and to keep you safe," he ruffled the little girl's hair again, "They honor your mother's wish for your safety at least.  My son misses you as well and says that his job is a lot more boring without a little girl to cause trouble with."

The little girl sniffed and drank her milk, not responding.  Beizi quickly looked at Tashriel's hands, looking for the telltale wedding band, but found none.  Wasn't that a Very Bad Thing not to be married and have kids in this day and age?  Beizi could not remember.  Perhaps it had to do with the crew before him being not of this world… maybe wherever they came from one did not have to have wedding band to prove their love?  And what did they mean by being 'sent here' to get away from a war?  Here?  When there was gossip and talk of a war looming on the distant horizon as it was?

"Is there anything else?" the other man asked, breaking the short silence that had fallen over them.  "Aza said that something big was coming, something dangerous, and that we should get out of the country while we still could.  Is there any news from home about that?"

Beizi inwardly beamed at the name.  Someone else with a 'z' in their name!  What a peculiar group this was.

"I had forgotten that he had been sent to find you," Tashriel's smile was cold, and Beizi got the feeling that he did not much enjoy the company of this Aza person.  "Yes, it's been told that there is a large commotion on the horizon-" that was an understatement, Beizi thought, "-A war to end all other wars and all that.  It would be best if you could get out of the country soon and hide in the mountains of one of the countries across the seas, but winter is upon us and travel is hard in these times. Just try not to get involved, okay?"

The other man nodded, "We will try.  Is there any other news?"

"What're you doin' right now, Tash?  'Sides finding us an' givin' us the news and all?"  Imikin piped up, leaning on the bar and looking over at the older man, "Is there any good news hidden away?  Have you heard anythin' of my brother?"

Tashriel smiled a little, then dug through his pants pocket to bring out a crumpled photograph.  It was in color, something that Beizi had not seen in this lifetime, and it was of a man not too much older than himself.  The man had dark hair and bright blue eyes and he was lying in a circle of blood, dying from the looks of it.  Beizi tried to think of why the man looked so familiar and how the man before him had gotten a color picture but… why?

"I have not heard anything of your brother, sadly enough.  But this," he touched the photo gently, "This is my new project, given to me by my Lord Michael.  He took me from guard duties and put me to this job and… it has been interesting so far."  Beizi was curious about the title, but continued listening.  "It would seem that I have been lowered to a catcher, sent to catch thieves and the likes and bring them back home for judgment.  I do not know if I should be insulted or honored by this," he chuckled a little, "I have caught all of those on the list," he pulled out another crumpled piece of parchment, "Except for this one." His thin finger went down on the one name that had not been scratched out.

"'Project B'?" the little girl read, "What's that mean?"

"Well, from what I gathered from the last one I caught, there used to be three of these guys.  Project B was the second one and he's the only one I haven't caught yet."

The other man took the picture and looked closely at it, "What is this fellow in trouble for?  Stealing the noble jewels from some royal family?"

Tashriel shook his head and took the picture back, looking down at it.  He had a rather puzzled smile on as he took another sip of his wine, "Among other things, yes.  But the real reason this fellow is wanted is because he takes the lives of others.  Not on purpose, I don't think, but it's as if his soul just butts into another life's spot and … well, it's rather unbelievable, actually, but this fellow and his brothers have been known to travel through time, stealing from each place and hiding it somewhere."

The little girl stared at Tashriel, "Travel through time?  But how do ya know?  Has someone seen 'm or somethin'?" Imikin asked, looking again at the picture.  Beizi looked at the picture also and studied it upside-down.

"He's hard to find, true, and has yet to be captured alive.  A very tricky thief, this one, and he has eluded any and all traps laid for him by police and guards." Part of Beizi's mind wondered if they were talking about him, but he hadn't been that great at sneaking past traps, had he?  Or was he just not noticing things?  "The strange thing, though," here, Tashriel paused to pull another photograph out of his pocket, "Is that when he dies- and he has died before, quite a few times now- he is reborn in a completely different place.  Different place, body, lifetime, year, you name it.  Rumor has it that he's also been reborn as an animal before, though I don't know how creditable that is seeing how it would be rather difficult for an animal to steal anything."

'Not quite as hard as you would think,' Beizi thought, remembering his time as a dog.

Tashriel smoothed out the second photo and slid it over to the other two, "Here you can see him from what seems to be some two hundred years in the future-"

"The future?"

"Yes, like I said.  Time traveler," Tashriel said, "This was taken by a policeman when he caught this person stealing from a wealthy man's house."

Beizi felt a hand clench around his heart.  The face that stared back up at him from the picture was Lucy's, his first human life's face.

The tall blond man frowned down at the picture then looked straight up at Beizi, pinning him with a stare.  Part of Beizi's mind was howling for him to run, run, get away from these otherworldly people; get away from them for they speak of only you, thief.  His memory clicked: when Lucy had been caught, her picture had been taken by the newspaper and the police.  When his last life as the bumbling thief had ended with him dying, cameras had been forced into his face as he had died.  But that was in the future.  How had he gotten either of the pictures?  Another part of Beizi's mind marveled at the blonde's eyes.  They were peculiar and more bizarre than any eyes Beizi had ever seen.  One was dark, blacks and grays all mixed together, while the other was light and swirling with colors.  And currently they were watching him, judging him, sizing him up like a market man sized up a slab of beef.  Oh hell, had this man linked him to the pictures?

He finally looked away, turning his eyes to the little girl beside him.  Beizi let the breath he'd been unintentionally holding go and tried to tune back in to what was being said before him but it was no good.  All he could hear was his frantic heartbeat and all he could feel was the rising panic in his chest.  Never before had he thought someone would be able to actually track him and find him in multiple lives.  How many places had he been where they were?  He wondered if he had already been caught in the future… oh, this was not good.  His master would be most displeased with this bit of news…

Beizi caught himself before he did something stupid, like run, and quickly bent to polish one of the glasses nervously.  The rhythmic motion calmed him enough so that he could once again concentrate on what was being said before him. He stifled a shudder.

"But how do you know it's the same guy?" the little girl asked, "How can ya link some guy from the future with some bookish lady?"

"It has to do with the soul, little one.  We made a mistake once, thinking that a Prince from a far off castle was our target, but we were wrong.  This Project B's soul is always the same, always that hint of … not being quite right," Tashriel paused and shook his head a little, "That's why we want to find him, so that we won't make a mistake like that again.  He steals not only jewels and precious metals, but other soul's lives and that has to stop."

The little girl was silent.

"One interesting thing about him is that he always seems to steal the same thing every time," Tashriel said, looking down at the picture, "Jewels.  Af and the others were puzzled for quite some time, too, by the fact that his soul had not come to them yet and Suriel kept saying that it was long over-due.  Well obviously, since his soul keeps traveling, it wouldn't go to… well."

Beizi rolled the names around in his head.  This 'Suriel' sounded a lot like Tashriel… it meant something, but for his life he couldn't place why it was so important.  And Af?  What kind of name was that?

"Excuse me, Bartender-"

Beizi looked up quickly, "Yes?"

"May I have another glass of wine?" Tashriel asked and pushed his glass over slowly.

Beizi nodded quickly, taking the glass, "Of course."

He felt three pairs of eyes on his back, watching his every movement as he refilled the glass and nearly dropped it in his nervousness.  He wasn't used to being watched so closely by three strangers, and it made him nearly spill the drink when he placed it in front of Tashriel.  "There you are, s-sir." His innocent act was shot down by a nervous stutter, "Anythi-thing else, sir?"

"… Could you take a look at this picture, please?  I'd love to know if you have seen anyone around here that might look like this," Tashriel pushed the picture across the bar and leaned closer.  Beizi knew that Tashriel had figured him out, or was near to it… there weren't pictures like that in this day and age.  Beizi's gulp felt horribly loud as he mentally cursed the man across from him and bent closer to look.

Right-side-up, there was no doubt in Beizi's mind that the dead man had been him and that the sullen looking woman was definitely Lucy.  Oh, lifetimes- must they always come back to haunt?  That lifetime as a clumsy thief had been so much fun, but had ended so quickly because he had been shot.  And Lucy's life, so long yet rather pointless; at least he had been able to get away with the loot unlike in the bungled life.  

"I've never seen either of them before," Beizi said, proud that he didn't stutter.  Feeling rather brave he looked up and met Tashriel's eyes.  They were blue.  They were a very dark shade of blue… so ridiculously blue.  Beizi felt his mouth open a little, staring.  Tashriel's eyes widened a little and he blushed.  Beizi closed his mouth with a click, "W-would you like me to ask around?"

"That would be very helpful," Tashriel said and broke the eye contact.  He looked away and fidgeted on his bar stool, "Any- anything would help."

"Tashriel," the other man started, watching both Tashriel and Beizi, "Shall we head out?  I would like to settle down for the night if you don't mind.  We can talk about the house for wintertime tomorrow."

The little girl jumped off her stool, smiling innocently, "We'll get t' stay there through the winter for sure, right?  An' be warm an' such?  No more nights outside."

Beizi looked at her curiously, taking her used glass away.

"Thank ya for the milk, sir," she said and smiled, spinning around happily to grin up at Beizi, "I hope we'll see you 'gain some day!"

Beizi smiled shakily, "Y-yes, so do I."

"Have a good evening," her tall companion said, a slight frown marring his face, "We might be back some time or other."

"Oh," Beizi's voice wavered, "Th- that's good.  I might not be here, though- different shifts and all that- and you might have to deal with, ah, one of the other employees here but maybe one day we'll meet again."

The tall blond nodded, threw a few bills onto the counter, and turned to retrieve their coats.  Tashriel was the last to leave, watching Beizi fidget behind the bar.  He carefully folded the two pictures up and put them back in his pocket before leaning in a little, "I assume we shall meet again soon."

"Oh real-" Beizi stopped, his voice squeaking, before trying again, "Oh really?"

"Yes," Tashriel's sweet lips smiled, and Beizi felt much like a trapped mouse, "Yes, I think we shall.  Have a good night."

"Y- you too…" Beizi watched as the three exited the building, waving a little back at the small girl.  When the door was closed, he slumped back against the hind bar.  What a night!

To Be Continued~