Chapter 199: Chapter 199

199 The Bond

Skye, Tidas, and Maevis gasped and froze at the deep, booming voice that filled the room. It was the same disembodied voice from her dream on their honeymoon; Skye would recognize it anywhere. Tidas reached down towards his boot to grab his hidden dagger, while Maevis whipped her head about looking for the source of the voice.

The voice wasn’t threatening. If anything, Skye found it helpful. It was the only reason she’d found out about the connection to the Alchemist’s legend. If Marco hadn’t shown up, Skye would’ve combed through the library for other ancient legends, for cross-referencing. She had a feeling that there were others..

There hadn’t been a reason to mention that the Ethereal Spear was also known as the Ethereal Nexus. The voice had volunteered the information to Skye, making her wonder if she had a secret ally in him. As her thoughts raced and nerves fringed from the difficult day, Skye deflated in exhaustion from it all. Becoming seemingly nonchalant about the situation.

“Please, for the love of the gods, cut it with the cryptic nonsense and speak plainly. The day has been long and beyond taxing, as Ima sure ye know.. Ye have something to tell me, don’t ye?”

Tidas stared at his wife in disbelief. ‘Why is she talking like she knows it?! Shit, is this some kind of new power?! I’ve never heard of hearing voices as a trait; except Tamers.. They hear the voices of their companions within their heads, But! She can’t have another trait! It’s moving too fast!’

“Skye...What’s going on?”

Hearing the anxiousness in her husband’s voice, Skye replied; “Don’t worry, it’s an ally, I think.. Remember the dreams I had on our honeymoon? The last one? Where I saw the world’s history? This is the voice that spoke for the spear.”

“That does Not make me feel any better..” Tidas stated.

The disembodied voice spoke; “I mean you no harm, Noble Aegis. I am merely here to guide and Bear witness to the Catalyst; nothing more.”

.....

“What name do you take?” Maevis inquired in a stern tone.

The voice paused a moment before replying; “Many..”

Maevis insisted; “Why do you guide the Catalyst? What is your title?”

The voice grew louder; “It is not your place to question such things, Argent Pixie.”

Skye sighed; “What about me? May I ask yer name?”

If the group didn’t know any better, they could’ve sworn they heard the voice sigh in exasperation. The thought made Skye smile; it was a sign that the being behind the voice had a personality. Although Maevis’ reaction to the voice did make the princess a bit leery.

After the voice had called her the Argent Pixie, Maevis’ eyes went wide as her mouth went silent. It was abnormal for her to give up so easily, and the contemplative look in her gaze made both Skye and Tidas believe there was an interesting story behind the name...

“My name is not important. I am here to guide and observe the Catalyst, nothing more..

Your Will is strong, and you have Earned my help.

You have your Noble Aegis, your shield; so Fate has granted you the Bond. Only the bond will Tame the Nightmare.

Beware the Dark Man, Catalyst. If he obtains both the Ethereal Nexus and Heaven’s Tear, he will become the Cataclysm. All choice will be lost, as Rebirth becomes inevitable.”

Skye processed every word the disembodied voice had said. He was giving her clues, albeit in a roundabout way. She seriously wondered who the voice was, and what it came from. ‘Another Fae? Maevis’ reactions would indicate either that, or something on a higher level or plain.. A god, maybe? If Ima really the Catalyst, I imagine the gods would have a hand in all this, if they truly exist.’

Not being one to beat around a bush; Skye asked the voice directly. It went silent for a few minutes, making her wonder if it’d left. Right as she was about to call out to it, the disembodied voice spoke to her; “Now is not the time for you to know.”

“There are many things that both you, and the Noble Aegis must discover for yourselves first. Once you understand what is required of you, all shall become clear... After that, it is up to you to decide: Existence or Rebirth.”

Skye felt like the voice was going to leave again, so she called out to it; “Will you at least answer one question for me?”

A few seconds of silence that felt like hours ticked by before the voice answered, “Yes.”

Skye didn’t want to ask in front of Tidas, but she had no choice. She wasn’t sure if she would get another chance to speak with the voice again. It had implied that it would, based on it’s reply to it’s name being asked, but Skye couldn’t be sure..

“After I’ve made my choice, regardless of what I choose; will I die?”

Tidas’ heart sank at his wife’s question. ‘Why would she ask such a thing?! There’s no way I’d let her-‘

“Yes. No matter the outcome, the Catalyst will be wiped from Existence. That is the cost of making the Choice.”

Skye and Maevis were both surprised by the touch of sadness in the disembodied voice’s tone. Tidas, on the other hand, responded with hostility..

“The Hell she will! She may be the ‘Catalyst’ to you, but she’s my Wife! I’ll kill anyone who tries to take her-”

A thunderous booming noise echoed inside the room before the disembodied voice nearly shouted; “Do NOT Interfere With The Catalyst’s Choice, Aegis! Doing so will sever the strings of Fate for All Eternity! Creation will Cease! No Existence, No Rebirth; just Nothing. Do you understand? It is not the Noble Aegis that shall save Creation..”

As the voice faded, it quickly added; “You are meant to Save the Vessel..”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

An eerie silence filled the room as the light from the scroll faded. Skye released her hand on it, and quick-stepped over to her table. She had a notebook sitting next to the box for obvious reasons, and quickly wrote down what the voice had said before she started to forget specifics. As Skye scribbled, Maevis and Tidas began to discuss what had just happened.

“What did he mean I can save the Vessel?! Is that Skye?! Does the legend say anything about it?”

Maevis put her hand on her chin as she thought and spoke; “Not that I recall.. There’s a part at the bottom that references ‘The Bond’, but the rest is missing..”

Tidas felt his ire rising rapidly. ‘The voice had said Skye would die, but that I can save her.. No, he didn’t say she’d die, he said ‘wiped from existence’, for a reason. That’s worse than death.. Does that mean I’ll forget Skye? No, that could never happen..’

Staring at Skye, Tidas’ memories flashed through his mind’s eye in rapid succession. Their times playing as children in the palace, playing in Warrick Forest, their countless conversations about everything and nothing..

Their moon viewing picnics, their first kiss at the loch before he left to find and fight his uncle.. She was his motivation to push through the worst parts of his life. Skye was imbedded in every facet of Tidas’ life; there was no way he could forget her..

As Tidas lost himself in his nostalgia, so did Maevis. She hadn’t heard her ‘human title’ in a very long time. Most that knew of it were dead, except for the few Fae friends she had left. It was the title Tiberius had given her after they’d won their second battle together.

Their squad had been pinned down by Sync soldiers, and they were nearly out of both magic, and medical supplies. Maevis had acted as a decoy; only seen as a streak of silver light flashing across the battlefield. Tiberius had followed nearly directly behind her, slashing enemies as he seemingly flew past them. She didn’t have a Tank trait, but throughout her youth, Maevis was one of the fastest Pixies alive.

“Alright ye two, out yer heads; we have work to do,” Skye stated as she set down her pencil.

Skye’s words brought them back from their respective thoughts. Tidas grinned while Maevis looked sad to her. She wanted to ask, but before she could, Peggy bustled into the room with Zazzy following close behind. As soon as the baby dragon saw her surrogate mother, she rushed her like an over-excited puppy.

Braced for impact, Skye grunted with force as Zazzy slammed into her. She’d nearly knocked the both of them over, but Tidas had saved them. He’d used his trait to speed over and catch them before they tipped. Grateful for the save, Skye beamed at her husband as she laughed at Zazzy’s...enthusiasm.

Looking at her beautiful, cheer-filled face; Tidas couldn’t imagine a world without her in it. A deep, searing pain crossed his chest at the thought of never seeing again. He’d never acknowledged it as a possibility before; his determination not allowing it. Now, he was being forced to.. And yet, he still couldn’t see it.

Every fiber of his being screamed at him: Skye would never disappear to him. She was as much a part of him as any other piece. She was ingrained in him, and not even Fate could break that bond..

As the thought crossed his mind, Maevis’ words ricocheted around in Tidas’ head. She’d mentioned something about a bond, but that the part of the legend pertaining to it was missing. When he asked about it, Skye was reaching into the box to grab the research books made by others. She was in mid-sentence when her entire appearance stiffened.

Slowly, Skye pulled a single piece of paper out of the box. Fear was plain in her eyes as she and Maevis exchanged a strange look. His confusion as plain as Skye’s fear, Tidas asked what the paper was. After he read it and Skye explained, anger replaced his confusion as his eyes flitted back and forth in thought, considering who the dark man might be.

After a few minutes of silence, Skye cupped her husband’s cheek and said; “Out yer head, love.. Yer place is here, with me..”

Hearing their pet phrase, Tidas left his thoughts behind. Skye had removed Zazzy from herself, and was standing up on her tip toes to be as even as possible with him. He’d been a little surprised at her sudden closeness, and even more so when she grabbed the sides of his face to gain his total focus. Her stern expression didn’t match the love in her eyes as she spoke.

“You listen to me, Tidas MacArthur.. No matter what happens to me, we will Always find a way back to each other. I know ye would never abandon or forget me, and I will Never Stop trying to get back to you.. Do ye agree?”

Tidas grinned softly as he stared into his wife’s eyes. Her faith and love in him equaled his own in her; mixing to create mutual devotion. His inability to picture a world without her wasn’t denial to him, it was unwavering faith in their bond.

Leaning his head forward to touch hers, Tidas replied in a light-hearted tone; “Aye, wife.. I agree completely.”

After a few moments of silent communion, Peggy spoke in a stern tone; “Why did it sound like a bomb went off earlier? And what’s with the box?”