Thank you once again for being patient with me while I have been waiting for inspiration for this next chapter! I can't believe I'm saying it, but it seems that this book is getting close to the end, and it breaks my heart, but at the same time gives me immense joy! This book will end after chapter nineteen, along with an Epilogue. But, all things must come to an end, and I feel as if this story is going in that direction. I just don't want to stretch it out any further than it needs to be, otherwise it just won't feel right. But, with that being said, thank you for staying beside me and supporting my work here on Wattpad. I love you all for it!
Enjoy loves! :)
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The world around me seemed to fade away as I walked down the street, side by side with Kratos. A smile seemed to be permanently embedded onto my lips, and a skip filled my step. Something inside me fluttered as we came closer to the entrance and exit of the kingdom. The first time that I had ever left the bubble of this large, yet small, kingdom... it had been from anger and wishing to get away from anything that reminded me of this man. And yet, the past several hours, days even, had seemed to change my perspective completely. We were so different, seeing things in completely different light, but yet we had found common ground. And because of that, there was a sense of joy in my heart that I had never felt before. Nothing compared to how I felt in this moment, for nothing came close. From the moment that I finished my teachings, to the moment that I received to first scar after killing my first beast, they all seemed dull in color and excitement.
But yet, here we walked, woman and man, with no words said, but only one destination in mind. And I was perfectly comfortable with this. Kratos had somehow taken my negative view on the way that I had seen him, and changed it into a bright and colorful joy that only he seemed to be able to give me. It terrified me in a way, but at the same moment I was overjoyed with this need to stay close. It was as if something was pulling me towards him, wrapping us together, and never allowing us to leave the others side. He made me happy, truly happy.
When was the last time that someone had done that?
"You are much more quiet than I had imagined that you would be." Kratos said as he looked down at me, an amused smirk on his lips as he watched me. I rose a brow at him, finding my lips curve into my own secret smile. I turned my face away from him, allowing my hair to cover me from his gaze.
"Did you think that I would be screaming like that of a banshee?" I asked with a slight laugh caught in my throat.
A slight chuckle left his lips at my words.
"Under the current circumstances? No. We are in public, after all." My eyes grew wide as a blush started to creep onto my cheeks. How dare he!
I stopped in my tracks, in the middle of the cobble stoned pathway. Bodies who were moving around seemed to form a pathway around us, like ants when they meet a stone in their pathway. They simply walked past, bustling about as if nothing had stopped them. I had never seen anything like it. Looking up at Kratos, my brow rose as he looked down at me with a daring grin. He did dare. What has made him become so playful?
"I've surprised you?" He asked as he offered me his arm, still looking at me with that... alluring gaze. Blinking once, I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat, and the pounding of the blood that rushed in my ears. He wished to be playful? Then two shall play at this game.
"No. You're quite predictable." Kratos rose a brow as I silently laughed at him. Placing my hand around his arm, we walked once again down the path, the stone statues growing larger with every step. What were their purpose in this world? How were they able to move before, when we were young, yet now they stood still, unmoving, lifeless? "Now, if you had taken me then? Perhaps I would have been surprised."
He didn't say a word, only looked to the left as we came to an alley. Raising a brow, I watched as a smirk grew on his lips, curling back so I could see perfect teeth that shown in the colored light. My breath caught in my throat as he instantly pulled me into the alley, seeming to check if their was anyone around. It was almost like that of when Tenoos had taken me to the surface for the first time. The only other time that I had felt the wind on my skin since I had been taken here.
My back hit the wall, and a leg pushed my own apart, and lips locked onto mine in an instant. The world washed away in a single wave then, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, keeping his body flush against mine. Though their was clothing between us, I could feel the spark grow into a roaring flam once again. A sigh left my lips as his hand came up to capture my cheek, tilting my head up further towards him, and I surrendered into the bliss that I now had become so desperate of.
But, it was only a few moments lived, and he pulled his lips from mine. I looked up at him with large eyes, wishing that he would forget my teasing and playfulness, and just bring me back to the bed chambers. Yet I still wished to see the surface once again, and I wished to see it with him. Oh what are these feelings that I have grown to know and hate?
Kratos placed his forehead against my own, breathing deeply through parted lips. I was the same, wrapped around him, eyes closed, while my body still sang from his touch and kisses. If this was what it was like to be around him for only a short while... perhaps a lifetime of this would not be so bad? A lifetime? These foolish, lustful thoughts... why will they not leave me?
"I may be a King and a gentleman, but I am still a man. And I am not immune to your sirens call." He whispered before kissing my lips softly, seeming to wrap around me in a gentle caress, reminding me of the sweet kiss of the first rain of the warm months. A sigh left me as I held him close, allowing myself to melt into the growing heat of my heart and core. I would never get enough of this man. It was as if he was starting to become the very air that I needed to breath with. What has he done to me?
"I'm not a siren, and I am not making a call for you to listen." I whispered at him, looking into the crystal eyes that shown brighter than seven suns. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt something inside me seem to intertwine with something else... and I felt more like a person than I ever had. What have you done to me?
Kratos looked down at me, giving a gentle smile, one that caused me to smile at him. Bending my head up to him one last time, I gently kissed his lips, tasting the sweetness of wine, and the tang of salt that seemed to linger on him permanently. It was a toxic mix, poisoning me to where I was become more addicted to it than any other substance.
"Come, we're here." He said before pulling me from the alley, seeming to not be affected by the very thing that had caused my heart to flutter like that of wings on a dragon.
"And where is 'here'?" I asked as a laugh left me, out fingers intertwined as he quickened his pace into a slight run.
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We stood in a secluded part of the kingdom, where the greenery was met with the water. I hadn't seen this place before, but I was captivated by its beauty. Moving around the alleys, we had moved east, going to the larger of the guardians. Once there, I had been informed to strip of my clothing and had placed on a leather fitting bodice. It hugged my body, covering my breasts and core, along with my backside. Yet, though I was covered, I still felt naked and vulnerable... but alluring. Kratos stood below me, his legs wadding in the water as he watched me with glowing crystal eyes. I smiled as I placed the basket on the stone beside us.
"Why have I not seen this place before?" I asked as I looked around. The greenery was lush, reminding me of the surface, but held a sense of the kingdom. Shells littered the ground, along with creatures of different colors and shapes as they crawled around in the pool of water. The guardians legs were to the sides of us, like that of a great mountain, hiding us from all eyes, but keeping us protected. I could see the details clearly, the indentations carved like that of skin, but with the colorful, crystal light that seeped through to brighten the isolated place.
"It's not known to many. This is where I am able to leave the kingdom and go to the surface without calling attention to myself." He said with a smile. "Come, it's time to pay our respects to the god." I rose a brow at him as he offered me his hand, the world around us seeping away once again. Before us, the water rippled as a small stream came from the leg of the guardian, seeming to be coming from beneath him, as well as from him.
"What god?" I asked as I stepped into the cool water, feeling the slick rocks underneath my feet. A gasp left me as I felt my footing loosen, but was stopped as Kratos held me upright. He simply smiled at me before looking around us. "Is this how I die? You lure me in with a promise of the surface, only to slaughter me where no one will find me?" I asked teasingly. "Surly I am not that horrible to sleep with."
He chuckled then, causing me to smile up at him. Shaking his head, he picked up a plant that was hollow, but swayed around the ankles of the guardian. Snapping it in half, he handed a piece to me, the other he kept for himself. "You are far from horrible, little warrior." Kratos simply stated, looking at me with a teasing gaze.
I watched as he placed the plant between his teeth, sinking them in, and closing his lips over them. Doing the same, I followed behind him as we wadded into the cool, crystal water. The bubble around the kingdom was closer to me now, more than ever. I could see it ripple slightly from the movement of marine life as it passed by, moving the water with each flick of a fin or tail. The further we moved towards the exit, the more I felt my heart start to pound in my ears, and the anxiety of not being able to breath start to come to my attention.
Stopping in my tracks, I removed the plant from my teeth, looking at the sides of it. I could see the fine film of air as it formed a barrier between the holes and the outside air. Looking from it to Kratos, I didn't see what this small, slender plant could do to help.
"It comes from the guardians." He said a moment later, removing the plant from his lips, the indentions of his bite clear to me now. "Their lips are connected to the water outside of the kingdom, and they inhale like that of a fish, removing the water through their body, but transferring the air into the kingdom, allowing us to breath. This is a way for us to do the same. It will take the air from the water around us," he said before placing it between his teeth once again.
"How is it possible?" I asked, looking from the plant to the guardians. How was any of this possible? Looking at him, I watched as his trousers soaked in the water, allowing them to cling to his body, though the leather that covered my body kept me warm from the cold bite of the water. Placing the plant between my teeth once again, I took a breath through it, feeling the air fill my lungs once again.
Nodding my head at him, I watched as we moved forward, the water coming over my hips and onto the mid section of my belly. Inhaling quickly, the cold started to sink into my skin, but no my stomach. Our fingers were intertwined as he moved us forward, the kingdom starting to sink away from us, along with the rocks below our feet. Soon, we were floating in the water, swimming side by side as the chill left my body. A smile came on my lips as he moved forward, the bubble close to us now.
He gave me a look that asked if I was ready, and I nodded my head with excitement. With one swift motion, he sunk below the surface of the water, disappearing from my view. Taking in a deep breath, I sunk below as well, the surface gone. My eyes widened as I could see the life of the water come before me. Bright colors of blues, greens, reds, purples, yellows, pinks, all before me shown under the water as they swayed from the soft current. Kratos was before me, gliding through the water with ease, his crystal scales shinning in the water, seeming to give us light. I followed behind him, taking slow breaths through the plant, filling the air fill my lungs, leaving the water behind.
The further we swam, the more excited I became. Above me, I could see the light shine over the water, moving in patterns that lit up the plantation and marine life around us. My arms stretched out before me as I pulled myself through the water, seeing that I was not as comfortable with this as I had imagined that I would be. But, it didn't bother me as Kratos offered me his hand, his eyes kind and warm. Placing my hand in his, he guided us towards the cave at the bottom of the large pool, where the colorful fish and crawling stars were huddled around, along with weed that swayed softly around us. The soft and slick surface of the plants tickled my thighs and calves as we swam through, the mouth of the cave bringing a stronger current that pulled us towards it.
Holding onto his hand with all my might, I kicked my legs in time with his, using my free hand to keep my body away from the sharp edges of the rocks around us. The space was small, though it was large enough for us to move through it side by side. The current started to weaken after a few minutes of swimming, moving through the small schools of fish that followed us, and those that met us, coming into the pool of the kingdom. Kratos released my hand then, the opening of cave growing the closer we came to the exit. He nodded his head, motioning for me to move forward first. I didn't give it a moments thought, only placed my hands on the rocks below me and above me, helping push my body forward.
Grabbing the lip of the cave, I pulled myself forward, only to stop once my head left the opening. My eyes widened as I looked before me. Creatures of bright and vibrant colors swam around, come around coral reefs that looks like that of the palace, and others were in packs, tribes even, swimming with its own kind. Songs of the life around us filled my ears as I looked around us. Different shapes and sizes flowed around us, some as large as a palace, and others as small as my fingers. But, what truly captured my attention, was the large, scaled fin that was below us, resting on the sea bed, covered in coral and marine life.
Kratos moved from the cave then, offering his hand to me. Taking it once again, I took a breath, following behind him. We moved downwards, towards the fin that was as large as my bed chambers, perhaps two of my chambers.
The world continued to thrive around us as I looked down at the creature, trying to see any eyes, a nose, something that would indicate of how large it was. But, as we dove downwards, the harder the pressure that came on my bones, causing me to breath slower. I swam beside him, our fingers tangled as my knuckles turned white. Was this the god that he had spoken of?
Looking behind me after we had been swimming for some time, I could the kingdom above us, far above us, with the guardians holding the bubble. When I had come here, I had been looking at the kingdom, not the thing that was holding it. But, as I looked from the kingdom above me, and the land below us, the more I started to realize just how large this creature was. What where we going to see?
I lost myself in thought as I allowed Kratos to guide, my breathing slow and even, my heart pounding in my chest, and the sounds of the life around us constantly singing a melodious tune.
Kratos tugged on my hand, pulling me back into the now, and I was met with the face of a large sea turtle, it's eyes closed, and a steady stream of bubbles leaving the slits for its nose. My eyes widened as I saw how small we were compared to the mountain of a creature. Its eyes were larger than the two of us, but yet, it was gentle looking. Letting go of Kratos hand, I swam forward, getting a closer look at the sea turtle before me.
With scaled skin of a soft blue and green, it dipped and dived in a pattern that reminded of a shell that you would see at the shore of the ocean. Patterns swirled and swam across its skin, and I found myself swimming closer to place my hand on it. Why was it sleeping?
Has something happened to this god?
Looking at Kratos, I could see that he was watching me closely, his hair moving around him as he watched me, his hands moving up, allowing his body to stay where he was. Giving him a confused look, I turned back to the god, looking at the head that lay on the edge of a coral reef. He was attached, connected to the land, just as I had seen that Kratos was. Vines of weeds ran across his skin, seeming to have been here for such a long period, that they had taken root. Fish swam around the head and neck, seeming to have made their move in the coral that now lay on the skin.
Placing my hand on the face, I could feel the smooth scales on the pads of my fingers. Moving it slightly, I pushed the weeds that grew across the bridge of what could be a nose, giving a quick tug, releasing them, allowing the weeds to float into the water. Kratos came to swim beside, and we soon pulled away the coral that had grown around the eyes and nose, along with the weeds. Fish swam away, frightened, but yet there was a sense of joy at trying to make him more comfortable.
After some time, I just watched the god sleep, the stream of bubbles that left his nose was soft and constant. Placing my hand on him, I watched as it seemed to stir, but only to go back to sleep. My eyes widened as I removed my hand, seeing the slumber seep back. Placing my hand once more on the god, I could see its eyes start to flutter slightly, but it just wasn't enough. Turning to look at Kratos, he offered his hand to me. Removing it from the face, I placed mine in his. He took some weed that flowed around us, using it as a rope, trying our wrists and hands together. Motioning for us to place our hands on the turtle, I felt him move us forward.
The pounding in my heart seemed to stop as we placed our hands on the gods face once again, a sense of expectation for him to fall asleep consuming me once again. But, he didn't sleep, his eyes opened quickly, looking around, and then to us. A gasp left me, only to not make a sound as a large sum of bubbles came from my mouth, the piece of plant removed from my lips. The eyes were large, a vibrant crystal, looking straight at me. A rumbling came from the god then, seeming to be of joy and confussion. But, the moment that I snapped the weed that held us together, allowing my hand and body to be free, his eyes closed, and the slumber started to seep back to him.
There was no air in my lungs, and panic started to sink in.
It had shocked me, terrified me even, and now I had lost the plant that would help me breath as I swam. Looking around me frantically, I was not able to set my eyes on it. But, when Kratos touched me, seeming to try to calm me, I could see that he held the plant. Helping me place it in my mouth, I watched as he wrapped his arms around me, taking in deep breaths, showing me how to breath and calm down. After a few minutes of that, our bodies slowly floating to the surface, I was able to feel the calm sink into me.
Kratos simply watched me as he guided us to the surface, seeming to not just head upwards, but forwards towards a dark mass that was now starting to come to my attention. The sounds of the oracles singing started to come to my attention as we neared the surface, along with how the god had reacted to our connected touch. Was there more to this than a simple shocking touch? Or... were we connected? Is this what the oracles had sung about so long ago? But, it wasn't that long ago at all. Yet, it felt like a lifetime ago.
Breaking through the surface, I filled my lungs with crisp and clean air. My ears sang, full of water, but I could hear the soft sound of the waves rolling, along with the feeling of wind brushing against my wet skin. Treading water, I looked behind us, seeing the dark outline of the land mass that I had once called home. But now? Where was my home?
"Are you alright?" Kratos asked as he moved forwards slightly, his large arms easily slicing through the crystal water, causing me to simple stay and watch. But, since I did not follow his movements, he soon stopped and turned around. Brushing back the hair that had fallen over his forehead, he looked at me with a concerned look, one that caused my stomach to twist with unease. "Vixas?" He asked softly, moving towards me slightly.
Nodding my head at him, I looked over my shoulder once more at the land. It would take hours to swim to shore, and the island seemed to be only a few minutes away.
"I have several questions that are in need of answers." I whispered as I turned back to him, still moving my arms and legs slowly to keep my head above the water.
"I'd be concerned if you did not. Come, we're almost there." He said with a soft smile, seeming to be trying to give me encouragement. It helped, slightly. But, I refrained from showing. Simply nodding my head, I moved my body forward, my hands cupped to help push the water away, and move my body forward. Kratos slowed his constant and steady rhythm that allowed him to glide through the water, watching me as we moved towards the land. The closer we came to it, the more I felt my heart start to slid into my throat.
The dark outline of the island soon started to become clear with light. My eyes widened as I could see the lush shore, animals of all kinds crawling around, some heading into the trees that held thick vines, while others seemed to be enjoying the cool breeze that flowed across the water. Kratos looked from the island to me, seeming to be testing the waters on what my reaction would be.
Refusing to give away any thought, I pushed forward, quickly passing him with a slight smirk. He soon let out a chuckle that ran across the water, easily heading into the trees of the island.
With my feet on solid ground, I took a few moments to breath. My legs were burning slightly, my lungs felt like there was fire in them, and my heart was racing like a stead against the ground. Yet, even as tired as I had become, there was a rush and a sense of joy that was there as well. We had swam to the surface, and here we stood, on an island that was beautiful, green, and full of potential. And, if the small churning in my stomach was an indicator of the hunger that started to sink in, we would also need to look for food. Perhaps he hadn't thought of that when we had left?
"Are you alright?" He asked as he slipped his arms around my waist. Looking up at him, I nodded my head, feeling his bare chest against my shoulders and back. "Would you like to explore?" He asked before the groan in his stomach came to my attention. Letting a soft laugh, I moved away from his hold, looking around the trees. I could see a tree that held a branch which was thick enough to not break under pressure, and above it was a limb that looked like it had broke during a storm. Around us, the ground was littered with shells, rocks, and dry leaves.
"We'll need to make a fire to keep warm, and you need to eat." I said as I moved forward, looking around again. "Gather some sticks and twigs, I'll go and make a spear to catch us something to eat."
"Catch something to eat?" He asked, looking at me with a raised brow, seeming to be disgusted by the idea. "Nonsense! I'll call the servants and let them fetch us-" Kratos cut himself off then, his face blank of any expression. I let out a chuckle at him, bending down to gather a few sticks and leaves. They were dry and good for kindling.
"We're not in the palace, and unlike you, I would catch my food." He rose a brow at me. "Animals don't just show up on a silver platter with wine. My people hunt, fetch what we need from the land, and nothing more."
"Forgive me, but how is a female as small as yourself going to catch us our supper?" He asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. I rose a brow at him, walking over with my arms full of kindling.
Dropping it at the bottom of his feet, I dusted my hands off.
"The smaller the build, the faster that one can run." I said back to him, crossing my arms over my chest. "Now, do you wish to catch a cold because of your wet trousers, or are you going to gather the things that we need for a fire?" He rose a brow at me, seeming to be taken back by my demands. "You're not a king now, you're a man that needs to keep warm so you don't become ill. Now," I waved my hand towards the rocks to our left. "Get two sharp rocks and bring them over here, and strike them together to create a spark over the kindling."
Rolling his eyes at me, I watched as he walked towards the rocks, seeming to try to be collected and calm. Turning my back to him, I moved around, trying to find a slim and strong vine, along with a shell that I could break to make an arrow. The sound of grumbling and complaining came to my ears as Kratos bent over to find rocks that would work for what I needed. Surly he wasn't completely useless and could make a simple fire? But, he was a king, and had grown to have his servants do everything for him. Shaking my head, I went back to my task at hand.
Minutes ticked by as I moved into the trees, using the vines to help my body move upwards, all the while looking for a branch that I could snap and use. Kratos moved the kindling around, cracking the rocks together. From the high limb that I stood in, I could see a few red and orange sparks bite the air, only to fad. An aggravated groan filled the air, becoming louder and louder with each failure.
I simply watched from the branch as I made the spear, tying the shell to the end, making sure that it was secure. Using the left over vine, I wrapped it around my shoulder and torso, making a sling to hold it against my back as I moved around. Kratos had now given up, tossing the rocks down onto the ground in frustration. Shaking my head at him, I moved down the branches, my body gliding through the openings.
My feet connected with the ground once more, spear in hand, and a frustrated man ahead of me.
"This is impossible. Surly it's witchcraft to create a flame!" He yelled as he motioned towards the stones that now lay in the sand, useless to him, but a world of possibilities to me. Shaking my head at him with a slight chuckle, I moved towards the stones. Picking them up, I examined them, seeing the flat bottoms, and the sharp edges.
Placing them in his hands once again, I simply placed one sharp edge of the other, moving his hands down to where they were only a short distance from the kindling.
Kratos let out a sigh, striking them together, but seeming to grind them more than strike. Shaking my head, I grabbed his wrists, moving one quickly across the other, showing him how quickly it needed to be done. Turning back towards the tree line, I scanned to see any potential prey, only to see a few lizards that slithered across the sand and brush.
With seven lizards dead and on a large leaf that I used to carry them towards Kratos, I could see that he was still working on the fire. Moving to his side, I removed the shell from the spear, picking up a lizard, making quick work to skin and gut each one.
And, as I finished skinning the last one, I heard a cry of victory as the kindling caught fire. Looking at Kratos, I could see the large smile on his face, illuminated by the soft glow of the growing fire. Making quick work, I moved the stones around and placed a few logs that he had gathered, giving the fire something to eat.
"And no servants to do it for you," I asked as I looked up at him. He gave me a large, face splitting smile. "Hungry?" I asked, motioning towards the lizards.
Raising a brow, seeming to be trying to test the waters, he looking from them to me.
"Starving." He said with a slight smirk. I smiled back at him, only to take a stick and pears two lizards.
Instantly was the smirk and smile gone, and in its place was large eyes, and a disgusted look of horror. A laugh left me then, surprising him and myself. But, I just laughed, glad to know that he hadn't changed a bit, even with his small victory.
_______
Kratos picked up his final lizard, having consumed three others. He seemed happy, content, as we sat by the seaside, the waves crashing and crawling up to meet our outstretched feet. No words were spoken as we ate, just silence as we ate and looking out at the world around us.
"And to think that all of this is yours..." I whispered as I placed the ribcage bone into the fire, allowing it to burn with the others. Our clothing had dried slightly, and the heat was enough to keep Kratos warm to where he wouldn't become ill. But, I could still see a sense of discomfort each time he moved his legs. Perhaps the material wasn't that forgiving?
"It could be yours as well." He whispered back, looking at me with large blue eyes. I shook my head as I held back a laugh. "I've made a joke?"
"No... it's not that. I'm just...." I stopped as I couldn't seem to find the right words to describe how I felt. All of this had been so much, and in such a short time. And there was still so many questions that I wished to ask. Mostly revolving around the turtle that was the god of the sea. I had been foolish enough to place my hand on him, let alone do it multiple times. If my people knew of this, it would be my hand. "Overwhelming." I finally whispered around as I pulled my knees up to my chest. "It doesn't make sense to me. Why is he sleeping?" Turning my head, I looked at Kratos as he finished his last lizard.
"Would you like the complicated answer, or one that sums everything up quickly and completely?" He asked as a joke, raising a brow at me. I felt my lips curls up in a smile at his attempt to try and sooth my rapidly beating heart.
"Perhaps the quicker of the two. We will be needing to head back soon. It won't be long before the guardsman know of your absence. Or my own..."
Standing up, Kratos offered my his hand. I looked from it to him, a brow raised at him, and his brow raised at me. Placing my hand in his, I felt him pull me up quickly, my body slightly jumping into the air at the sudden motion. A gasp left me as he pulled me towards him, wrapping his arms around my waist, locking his fingers together, keeping me close.
"He sleeps because the cycle isn't complete." Kratos simply stated. I looked at him with a confussed expression. Perhaps my common tongue was not as good as I had once thought. Cycle isn't complete? What does that even mean? Which cycle?!
"To put it in a way you can better understand, think of the rain." I nodded my head, showing him that I was following his example. "The rain comes from the clouds, which comes from the rivers, lakes, ponds, and the sea. The sea, rivers, lakes, and ponds offer themselves to the sky, creating clouds that fill with rain. When they are heavy with water, knowing they have taken too much from the land, the rain falls and starts the cycle once more. You cannot have the rain without the clouds, and you cannot have the clouds without the water. If you take one away, you break the cycle." I nodded my head, thinking of what he said carefully.
"Then how does the rain apply to the god?" I asked after a few minutes.
"You are the clouds, and I am the sea. He is the rain." Kratos simply stated. I shook my head, not really understanding. Letting out a breath, he stepped back, his arms still around me. "We are connected, you and I." I nodded my head, knowing this, but not knowing how. "If one is without the other, the cycle cannot continue, because it is broken.
"When we are one, connected, the cycle is able to continue. But, if you are not connected to me, then the cycle is broken, and He sleeps. He is connected to me as well, as well as you. But, if the two ends are not connected, the circle is broken and you are left with a gap that cannot be jumped. Understand?"
"He is asleep because we are not connected?" I asked. He nodded his head at me. "And when you tied our hands together... and we touched him as one... he woke."
"Because the cycle was able to continue." Stepping out of his arms, I turned towards the water, seeing the waves crash onto the sand, wrapping around each other. I simply stood there, watching at the water hugged the land, some flowing back to join the sea once again, while some sunk into the sand, connecting the two.
"What happens if he wakes?" I asked, looking back at him, my arms wrapped around myself. He stood by the fire, not making a move towards me, seeming cautious.
"If He wakes? Then the Kingdom returns to the surface, connects with the kingdoms again, and we flourish as a nation and Kingdom once again." I nodded my head, biting my bottom lip until I could taste the metallic tang of blood. "But it could only happen if we are one."
"Intimately?" I asked, my eyebrows crunching together as I tried to understand.
"No." He said with a chuckle. Walking towards me, Kratos gave me a small smile. And with each step that he took, the pull started to grow, making me move towards him. My body started to grow with heat, banishing the cold that licked against my skin. Offering his embrace to me, I didn't waste a moment, only stepped into his reach, wrapping my arms around him. "No, not intimately. But, I will not refuse a single moment to have you. If it be in my bed, the beach, or anywhere that you are. As long as I am with you, I could not be happier." He said before kissing the top of my head, his lips lingering a few moments more than I had expected. Closing my eyes, I placed my head against his chest, feeling the soft blades of his chest hair tickle the shell of my ear.
"Why do I feel this pull towards you? Why is it getting stronger with each passing moment?" I asked in a soft voice, squeezing my eyes shut as the fear started to wrap around my heart.
"At birth, the gods take a soul that is meant to be one, and split it into two. They then send the halves of the soul to two people that are destined to be together for all eternity. When the halves are close, they reach out to the other, wanting to become whole again." He lifted my head, causing my gaze to meet his. Giving a gentle smile to comfort me, I found myself doing the same. "The pull is our souls becoming one again. And when they do, He will awaken, and my people will return to the surface world once more."
I thought for a few moments, looking at him, only to bite my lip and look away from him. The next question that I wished to ask... terrified me. But, I needed to know the answer.
"Say that something happened... and we couldn't become one. What would happen?" I whispered, the fear dripping from my voice.
He wrapped his arms around me tightly, placing his chin on the top of my head.
"That won't happen, not if I can do anything about it." I smiled slightly, only to wrap around him tightly.
"Humor me, Kratos. What would happen...?"
Taking a breath, I felt his chest rise and fall, along with the quickening pace of his heart.
Moments, hours, days, cycles ticked by as I waited for his answer. The sounds of the waves crashing on the shore flowed around us. The soft kiss of the wind touching our skin, and the soft chirp of the night life starting to awaken caused my heart to calm from a frantic pace, but it seemed to do nothing for Kratos.
"Please tell me..." I whispered, tightening my hold on him.
Letting out a shaking breath, he placed one hand on my head, his fingers tangling in my damp hair.
"If we do not connect... then He shall not awake. And if he doesn't wake, then my people, my Kingdom, our way of life, the Kingdom and I -along with Him?... We'll all die. And from the wave that He has started to weaken... we don't have much time."