Chapter 64: Chapter 64

“Skye?! Where are you?! SKYE?!” Tidas yelled out frantically for his wife, but he couldn’t see or hear her.

Stalking over to where she was standing; Tidas looked about the area. Skye had just been standing in front of the skull a moment ago. She was naked, so he knew she wouldn’t just go wondering off on her own. He bellowed out her name again as he put his shirt on, straining his voice to be as loud as possible. As he took a step forward, the prince suddenly found himself falling through a hole in the ground.

When Skye had opened her eyes, she’d realized she’d landed on something slightly soft and moist; breaking her fall. As she sat up and looked around, her eyes and mouth gaped at what she saw. Above her head, the massive jawline of a dragon connected to large vertebrae; forming it’s neck. At the base of the neck sat what looked to be a small cottage, similar to the one they were staying in.

Standing up from the moss bed, Skye had only taken a couple steps before she’d heard Tidas yelling for her. She looked up at the hole she’d fallen through, and debated on whether she should call out to him. But it became a moot point as he came tumbling down onto the same spot she just had.

When the prince had landed, the sound of cracking wood filled the cavern. The moss had grown from a rotted pile of wood that Skye postulated used to be stairs of some sort. ‘They must’ve ve been there for a long time to be so overgrown.’ She wondered who’d built them there for a split second, but snapped back when she’d heard her husband groan.

Tidas lifted his head and sighed in relief as he saw his naked wife. She was looking at him like he’d just slipped down some stairs. He grunted out of soreness, and began to lift himself out of his landing spot. Skye stepped forward and offered her hand with a small giggle.

Tidas took it, then immediately pulled his wife into his arms upon standing. Losing sight of her for those few seconds had scared him more than anything else ever had. He squeezed her hard; causing her to tap his back to release her so she could breath. The prince took a step back, then took off his shirt. He wrapped it around Skye, bringing a grateful smile to her face.

.....

The cave was cold and dark; lit only by a few random holes that let the moonlight in. It came down in pillars, giving the area a mystical aspect. The ground sat just above sea level, and a small, steep cavern trailed off and away in the direction that the water flowed above ground. It seeped through the compacted ground, making a decent run-off. Skye and Tidas agreed that the underground stream was probably what fed the well by the cottage they were staying at.

The ground was made of quality soil, from what Skye could tell with her earth magic. She’d wanted to make sure that there weren’t any more natural pitfalls before they moved around too much. If sunlight could reach it, Skye wondered if there was anything that couldn’t be grown there. Clasping their hands, the couple walked towards the cottage.

It looked almost identical to DragonSnare, and Skye asked her husband; “Do ye think this is the original cottage?”

Tidas pondered a moment before replying: “I suppose it has to be. The age, location, and surroundings are all indicative to the old records I’d researched before coming here myself.”

Skye whipped her head to look at Tidas with surprise before she inquired; “Ye did research about DragonSnare? I’d never heard of it before that book fell into me hands. Where did ye learn of it?”

Tidas gave a cheeky grin before he answered; “When I was researching Dragonhorn. Roland Snare had been mentioned in the documents I found in the records room in the palace. It’s attached to the library.”

“So... Ye figured out all of this for yer self, for me? Because ye knew how interested I was in the history of it all?” Skye’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she spoke.

Tidas didn’t speak, he simply nodded and kissed the top of his wife’s head in response. The emotions in her eyes threatened to spill out as tears if he’d begun to explain. It’d been a lengthy process to find out as much as he had. He’d invested a lot of time and money trying to figure out Dragonhorn’s origins.

The flood of ancient tomes over the past couple of years had finally given him some clues as to it’s cause and creator. It’d only been when he’d actually come to seek out the descendants of Snare that he’d come across the skull. The owner hadn’t realized that the odd formation that gave the small plot of land and cottages their cover wasn’t natural.

The geographical makeup of Alcon was rolling hills, mountains, and valleys. There wasn’t really any flat lands, but the valleys were very close to being an even pattern. The location of the hill didn’t make sense when compared to the rest of the area. Not to mention it’s placement in comparison to the gates at Dragonhorn.

Skye posited that if the dragon would’ve flailed after it had it’s head cut off; the distance between the city and the skull would’ve made more sense. Tidas agreed to her assumption without much forethought. He didn’t have the imagination she did, and had been astonished by her theory. Especially since she’d thought of it on the spot, and with little effort.

As they came closer to the cottage, Skye and Tidas realized it was exactly like the others, except that it was falling apart. Centuries of solitude had caused most of the roof to cave in, and one of the outer walls to crumble and collapse. With how old it looked; the two were surprised it was still standing at all. And for some reason, they’d found it amusing that the front door still stood in place.

Tidas led Skye through the collapsed wall. He kicked debris out of the way for about two minutes before he’d gotten fed up with it. Instead, he turned around and scooped Skye up into his arms, bridal style. Since the only warning she’d had was a frustrated grunt, she’d yelped when he’d done it. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she giggled playfully before looking at him and saying; “Must ye always do that without warning?!”

“But you make such a cute face when you’re surprised.. Honestly; it’s your own fault.”

“Yer such an arse..” Skye smacked his shoulder lightly as she’d spoken.

The couple chuckled at their own antics before looking about the first room. The placement of everything was the same as their cottage; except for near the kitchen. Instead of dishes or food in the cupboards, tomes, folders, and other various papers were spread out on the shelves and counters. Skye audibly squeaked at the sight before wiggling free from her husband’s arms.

“Hey! If you step on a nail, it’s your own fault...” Tidas chided his wife.

Stopping in her tracks, Skye nervously looked about the floor. She really didn’t want to get hurt, but it’s not like there was a broom around. Or anything she could use to clean up. The train of thought made a light flicker in her eyes before she smiled mischievously at her husband. Skye squatted down and focused her Earth magic into the ground. She could feel the minerals around her, and began to shift anything that wasn’t pure soil over by the door. She’d made the ground move like waves to shift the debris.

Tidas was astounded by his wife’s capabilities once again. Her Shaman and Earth traits were still so new to her, but Skye wielded them almost like a veteran. A sinking feeling overcame him every time he began to ponder the reasons for her abilities. Something Genie had taught them as children kept rearing up in the back of his head, but his mind refused to remember it. He knew it had something to do with an old legend. But something inside of him was intentionally preventing him from recalling it..

Once Skye finished clearing away the debris, they each took a side, and began to sort through everything. The exposed papers crumbled to dust as soon as a slight breeze came into contact with it. The folders did the same, as well as some of the books. Skye’s enthusiasm took a nosedive as the historic documents and books crumbled in her hands.

“This is hell... We slipped into hell!” Skye screamed in frustration; sending an echo throughout the cave.

The door between the counters fell forward from the vibrations, scaring Skye half to death when it slammed onto the ground. Tidas had jumped to the ready; pulling out a small dagger from his boot that was always there. They looked at the door, then to each other before bursting out in laughter at themselves.

Entering the room, the couple immediately noticed that the floor was mostly clean, and that the air smelled dry and stale. It hadn’t been exposed to the elements for nearly as long as the rest of the cottage had. It was supposed to be the kitchen, but seemed more like a workshop.

Different lengths of processed hide hung from the walls. It was the same material as her book cover was made from, or so Skye thought. Upon inspection, however; she could tell there were drastic differences. While her book may have been made from the dragon’s hide, the strips that practically covered the walls were more like king shavings from massive scales. They were tougher than the hide, but just as flexible. There were pieces that looked like they had been shaped and molded in an attempt to make armor from it as well.

Skye and Tidas beamed at each other over their luck. When Skye lifted one of the longer pieces, she’d gasped at the other treasures she’d found. One long sword, and three short swords sat sheathed on lacquered shelves. Three large tomes sat below the swords that had similar covers to the one she had. Grabbing the first one; Skye began to quickly flip through the pages while Tidas grabbed the long sword from the shelf.

The sword was extremely light compared to the prince’s heavy steel one. The blade was black with a golden handle, and red markings on the hilt that read ‘ Lazarus’. The other three looked exactly the same, but smaller. They seemed to be made from the dragon’s bones, and were quite possibly the best swords he’d ever seen.

Skye had stopped flipping through the pages and was reading with intensity. She slowly turned towards Tidas and looked at him with a shocked expression. She swallowed hard before reading a passage from the tome.

**********

If ye are reading this book, then I am surely dead.. The dairies I have left behind are not meant for the eyes of anyone who does not have Alcona’s best interests at heart. These stories are about my wife, my best friend, and the curse that has taken them from me. I write these journals in the hopes that one day, someone will use my knowledge to bring about the Catalyst, and save Alcona from it’s dark fate..