CHAPTER 8

It had almost been ten minutes later since daren watched over terra and jason still in the trance they were. He studied them closely and smiled,

They actually fit! He thought,

The only problem was neither wanted to accept, it was like they felt guilty for it, he knew the magnetic feeling they had for each other since the beginning,

Aratia enhanced the feelings, it was like a driving force between them, he at least hoped they would realise they were meant for each other before it was too late.

His head snapped towards the direction of vulpix, smoke rose from the distance, the smell of burning wood slowly saturating the air, his keen shifter nose catching it as it came, it didn't look like a festival fire..no, more like things were burning.

Realisation seeped into him, he looked frantically at his friends, whatever they were doing, they better hurry, they were in danger...

C'mon terra......

**†**†**†**

She appeared in a vast area of land, the memory looked hazy, it meant it was either moved to the rear of his memory by a mage or a very crappy elemental, either way she had been able to access it which meant she had grown strong,

A figure appeared out of the mist, it formed a bewildered jason, she stood in awe, how had he been able to access his own thoughts like that?,

"Er.. Terra?, how am I here?" He asked looking around,

"I don't know, its impossible, unless-" she said cutting it off as a little version of them ran across the field,

Little terra dragged little jason down the hill, he was shouting about where he was, she didn't reply and kept going,

"Is that?-"

"We have to move now!" She said dragging a shocked Jason with her,

The memory was too sharp for her to forget, instead she allowed it to play by itself,

******

Little terra kept on running, she looked over her shoulder to see if the prince followed.

His life was the last thing her mama told her to protect, he was the reason her parents were killed, accidentally coming back to this realm and her parents the last of allies to the house elixtu, had paid with their souls to protect him.

She wiped a tear from her face, at eight she had been training to go to this world her parents were to put her with the queen, all they said were to protect the prince with her life and she would.

The sound of horse riders thundering down resonated in the distance as she got to the cave, it was the right one, she sighed in relief,

"Where are we and what happened to your parents" Prince jason asked,

"Later ikir, my mame is terrena and I'll explain when we get to your w-home" she corrected herself,

Prince jason nodded in pure obliviousness, he thought he was still at his backyard,

She moved to the stone statues, one depicted a man and woman held together in a tight embrace, the goddess of marriage frera stood beside her husband the god of portals metron.

She was told to specifically use the other cave but she knew this one was closer and faster, for once she would do things her way. She motioned for the prince to move forward and he did, she removed the chain necklace on her neck and tied it around her hand and his as a link to help the both of them not lose each other when they switched dimensions. She could see the yetrons a bird with the head of a bird and the back of scorpion, the warriors were getting closer,

She turned her attention back at the Prince and saw he was playing with the orb of frera, fear went through her, a wrong turn could-

FLASH!!

She fell to the ground as the light was blinding, she felt a surge of energy pass through her, she opened her eye to see the chain glowing, her eyes enlarged, he had linked them!, what had he done?!!!,

She didn't have time to think as she touched the portal and dragged jason in in time to watch the first shadow riders appear......

************

Jason watched as the little Prince touched the orb, he felt like a fool. A part of him scolded that he was young but he ignored it, terrena was suffering because of the little mistake he caused. There was only one answer to this problem and he was going to solve it..

*

Terra drew him to the entrance of the cave, she had hated him at first for what he did but knew better now, if he hadn't appeared in the realm, she would've died with her parents. A glance at jason wrote guilt all over his face, terra desperately wanted to tell him how she felt but kept quiet, she’d better leave him to his thoughts,

"We have to get to the alter" she said as he moved voluntarily, the memory had finished and it felt like time paused,

A blue orb shone at the chest of frera, terra stretched my hand at it as it held her tight, she felt what he felt and cringed, he indeed felt for her at first but he’d let his guilt cover it up.

She motioned for him to stretch his hand at the orb and he nodded,

"Terra, before we do this, I have to tell you something," he said,

She turned to him, his golden iris swirling in a distant look,

"I will find a way to break it terra, I promise" he said,

All at once terra felt her insides turn, her heart fell, for a while she thought he'd admit it and we could move on. A quick smile to her face stopped any suspicion he might have had,

What if I don't want it broken?, what if I told you I loved you?, she thought,

He stretched his hand as it enveloped him, a shock went through both our bodies as a bright light radiated out....

*†*

Daren saw a spark push the two of them apart, his eyes darted to the two of them as they slowly came out of their trance, a red vein moving through their hand caught his attention and he stared at it as it slowly stopped at their palm, it swirled and stopped it formed a twig and he opened my eyes wide in shock....

Jason felt the sunlight pour in through his eyes making him stumble backwards,

Ugh!, that hurts!! he heard in his head,

he snapped my head towards terra in surprise, she saw his expression,

"You heard that?" She asked,

"Yeah, guess it works" jason replied,

Daren just stared at their wrists in awe,

"Dude what's it again?" jason asked,

He pointed to the marks that pulsed with red life in them,

since when did he get a new tattoo? jason thought,

Terra stared at her wrists in panic and drew his hand closer forcefully, he shifted closer as she began to shake her head,

"What's wrong?, a side effect?" he said,

"You could say that" daren replied,

"Of ALL the things to HAPPEN!!" She screamed,

"Terra what is it?” jason asked holding her as he felt a tingle of electricity pass through him, he moved back in shock,

"That's what happened" terra said,

Jason shook my head clearly oblivious to what they were saying,

"We're not only bonded mentally but physically!" She screamed,

Let me say it took a minute for that to settle and fully understand, he shook his head in frustration,

Why?!, why must my life get more complicated by the minute?!!, he screamed inwardly,

"Hey!, not so loud in there!" Terra shouted,

he muttered an apology and stepped back, all he wanted was just to use the mind power for future cases and guess where that lands them, maybe he should stop making the choices and let them lead.

He felt a soft hand hold him and the jolt pass through his body, he stared into the eyes of terra,

"None of this I'd your fault Jason, stop blaming yourself for it" she said softly,

he nodded, forcing his gaze away from her,

Damn!, she's beautiful! He  thought and mentally slapped myself,

"Wait...you heard that?" I said as she nodded getting red,

He kicked at the innocent looking grass on the floor,

"I'd really love to watch the two of you go mushy but we've got to move" daren said pointing at Vulpix,

Jason turned towards the direction of Vulpix, smoke rose in great quantities,

"What the hell happened?" I ask,

"My guess?, marxis sent the veratus to eliminate any rumors of your return" terra said,

"Let's move, the earlier we get to the temples, the earlier we can get this bonding stuff over with" jason replied moving forward.

They maneuvered through the forests with ease, daren moved at jasons side with terra at his back, she thought him how to block the connection so he did it....for the betterment of them. Daren looked at him, he managed a smile back,

"So, how are you and terra?" He asked,

"Cool, the faster we cut the bond the better for both of us" jason reply,

He kept quiet for a minute, obviously thinking,

"And do you want the bond broken?" He asked,

No, no I don't, jason thought,

"Well it's definitely affecting her so I have to" he reply looking forwards,

"I asked you if you wanted it broken not her opinion" daren said,

To accept the fact that he loved her was disturbingly strange, they had been friends for so long and a lot of denials from his part had left him on the safe zone, to leave that safe zone was scary,

jason was about to reply when he felt a sharp pain in my head, he knelt,

"Jason help!!, detok!!" Terra screamed,

"Terra?!!, terra!!" jason screamed mentally,

He turned behind in a blur, realizing to some horrific fact that she was gone, his brain failing to understand how it had happened, he turned to daren frantically, he understood, he moved backwards sniffing the air and growled.

He called jason back and he dashed down, jason didn't care if he felt guilty of the bond, hell the bond just helped now, they moved through a corner till we saw terra moving towards a man playing a harp.

Jason moved to call her when daren held him back, glaring at him in anger, that was terra!!,

"Dude, that's the goddamed prince of the feys!!" He said,

"So?!, I'll rip him to shreds!!"  jason replied,

"If you move, she dies!" He said,

Jason calmed down, the thought of her dying brought me down,

"So, what's the plan?" I asked...