Axium

CHAPTER 4

An eternity later XRenia blinked her eyes open everything was still white but the pain was gone. Then she realized she was floating weightlessly in the air and she looked down. To her horror, she was completely n***d and she became acutely aware of another presence floating in front of her. She glanced up and there was Verin completely n***d as well floating within arm's reach.

The boy looked at her and his cheeks turned cherry red. He quickly turned away. "I think my magic was going to kill you, but I stopped it."

"How you do that?" XRenia asked as she tried to turn her body so he could not look at her straight on but other than him there was nothing to grab on to, to help her. She tried to use her magic but it was gone. . . No not gone out of reach hers and Verin's magic had formed this white weightlessness cocoon around them.

"By accepting your proposal to marry me."

The reality of what had happened struck her. Verin was right his magic was trying to kill her. By forcing the pack she had violated him. If he hadn't accepted she'd be dead right now. She swallowed hard. "Thank you for not letting me die."

He tried to keep his eyes off her. "You're um. Ya."

"Sorry for trying to force you," She apologized lamely.

He didn't answer.

She had thought the silence between them had been awkward before but this was a thousand times more so.

Minute after minute crawled by and finally he asked, "So what are we supposed to do?"

Why did he have to ask that? Of all the things he could've asked he had to ask that. XRenia's mind screamed

His eyes widened as if he had read her mind. And somehow XRenia clearly read his ; "Were supposed to consummate it!!!???"

Try as she might XRenia couldn't stop herself from thinking. "It is a marriage packet."

Verin's face turned pale pink and his ears burn bright red.

Okay so he was definitely able to read her thoughts

"I am?" She heard him think.

"You are," XRenia said out loud

"I didn't know such a thing was even possible."

"With my family line it is."

"Just who are you?"

"XRenia." She answered and without even meaning to she pushed a memory of her royal heritage at him.

She thought she had seen all possible stages of surprise throughout her lifetime however Verin at that moment top them all.

As the memory's touched his mind and the revelation of who she was downed on him his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You're thee XRenia!? XRenia the most powerful mage born to date?!! Thee XRenia that is said to have enough power in her pinky to wipe out an entire Army!?! XRenia The daughter of Malthus the son of Mathis the supreme ruler over Terra the ninth nation!!? Thee XRe. . ."

"Yes! Yes! That's me. Please no more shouting you're hurting my ears."

"Oh, I am sorry."

She felt him start to berate himself for his reaction and quickly reached out to him catching him by his arm. "Don't, I would react much the same myself it had been the other way around."

He smiled happily back at her and they floated closer together. She found herself stealing glances at him and she started to contemplate allowing him fully into her life but then his mind latched on to a question and she felt her own heart sink.

"Why? Why choose me. You could've had any guy in the world. Kings would even divorce their wives for a chance to be with you. But, you chose me why?"

"Because I like you." She lied feebly.

Verin knew instantly it was a lie and he reached out with his mind and burrowed deep into hers trying to find the true answer to his question.

"No stop!" She protested and tried to close her mind off to him but it was of no use. He could see her now just as clearly as he could see her physical n***d body.

In seconds he found his answer and when he did all the life drain from his face. "You didn't want a King. You wanted and nobody a servant. A nothing. A mindless puppet to do your bidding."

Verin's head drooped and he gazed lifelessly down at the rounded cocoon around them.

She couldn't help but notice how he shrunk and as he shrunk the cocoon around them dimmed until they were spat out of the dimensional rift onto a pile of their clothes where they had been earlier that day.

He silently picked up his tunic and pulled it over himself. She wanted to say something but there was nothing she could say. What he had said earlier was the truth. She did want a mindless puppet to do her bidding. But now as she thought about it felt so hollow.

"You should get dressed," he said keeping his back turned to her.

She waved her hand at her clothes, they sprung to life and dress themselves on her. She had always loved the sensation of getting dressed like this but even this didn't make her feel better.

As she floated into the air to let her shoes on she felt her parents desperately searching for her.

Verin turned around and said, "They're worried about you. We should go to them and tell them what you've done."

Before she could answer he waved his hand and a rift opened.

She stared at him in shock. "How did you. . ."

"Our magic is one now what you can do I can do. And if I had been able to do anything at all," he said with a bitter tone. "You would be able to do it now to."

Once again she felt that she needed to say something but there was nothing she could. She was desperately searching for something when she saw her mother's furious face on the other side of the rift.

Oh, heavens what had she done.

Verin put the palm of his hand on her back and motion towards the rift.

He was right it was better to pay the Pied Piper now instead of later. She took the few steps and stepped through the rift.

And was instantly greeted by her grandfather's livid shout. "What in the seven hills have you done!"

Verin followed her through the rift and answered for her. "She didn't understand the significance of the marriage pact and try to use it to gain a new servant."

"I know that boy! I don't need some slave to tell me that! I want to hear it for my own granddaughter's mouth."

Verin shrank back from the visceral might of XRenia's grandfather's shout.

At seeing Verin cower, rage burned in XRenia. "How dare you shout at him like that he saved my life!"

Her grandfather turned the full might of his anger on her and his magic power drove her to her knees. "I know full well that he saved your life but only after you try to force him into a marriage pact. You better thank God Almighty that he gave you voluptuous curves girl or you be dead right now!"

XRenia's grandmother put her hand on her husband's shoulder and some of his anger faded away.

In the small lull her grandmother said. "Verin, why don't you go up to XRenia's bedroom and freshen up."

He nodded produced a rift and disappeared through it.

XRenia's father knelt on one knee beside her and placed his hand on her back. "Sweetie, what were you thinking?"

"I don't know. I was just trying to do what mom told me to."

"You did not do at all what your mother had wanted you to do!" Her grandfather barked angrily. He pulled her father back and took his place. "She wanted you to find a helpmate. Someone who could help you eek out your own kingdom. This, this boy adds nothing to you!" He shouted shaking his hands vigorously. "And he can't possibly help you in Thaxium. He knows nothing about ley lines much less how to fix them. You had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to gain new spells and ability's from another ancient and powerful bloodline and you blew it on this slave. All so you could have an eternal servant!"

She had never drawn her grandfather's ire like this before. He was genuinely enraged with her and without even realizing it he had let his magic squash her; forcing her face to the floor.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?!"

The pressure on her chest made it almost impossible for her to speak but she managed to squeak out, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Mathis the supreme ruler over Terra the ninth nation stood to his feet and clenched his fist. "I'm of a good mind to slay this boy and be done with the matter."

"Father!" XRenia's father protested.

"It'll solve this problem and the magical backlash will be a good lesson to her."

The magical power in the room was so thick she could actually feel her father draw himself to his full height and stare directly into her grandfather's eyes. "And I as her father am telling you no. Don't lay a finger on the boy. This is her mistake, not his."

She thought the Castle around them was going to be torn off its foundation as her grandfather's and father's powers collided but instead, her grandfather's magic dissipated.

"Fine. I love her just as much as you do. But you're right she's your daughter, you do with the situation as you see fit." She heard his heavy footsteps as he turned and left the room.

Her mother's long dress rustled as she walked over beside her daughter and knelt down. With loving arms, she pulled XRenia's head into her lap.

XRenia looked up at her mother with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I should have looked for someone more magically able."

Her mother shook her head and her father leaned down and lovingly stroked her arm. "No sweetie. Your grandfather does bring up some valid points that's not at all why we're upset with you."

"Oh. I'm sorry I almost got myself killed. I didn'. . ."

"That's not it in either. Though that was foolish," her father said interrupting her.

XRenia reached up and wiped a tear away from her eye as she furled her eyebrows.

Her mother spoke up this time, "Honey this boy a .." Her mother raised her eyebrows in a questioning motion.

"Verin," She answered.

"This boy Verin. He's going to be with you the rest of your life, which could very well be for thousands of years. He should be your closest friend your confidant. You should be able to rely on each other for everything. I didn't mention it before because the bond our family is capable of achieving makes this very easy. But the way you started your relationship with Verin is deplorable sweetie. And I wouldn't blame him if he despises you."

She sat up. "Oh."

"Sugarplums you need to make it right with him before it's too late," her father told her.

She wiped away the rest of her tears. "But I have made such a mess of this whole thing how am I supposed to do that."

Her grandmother walked over and leaned down. For the first time, XRenia realized just how young her grandmother looked. She had to be at least twice her mother's age but if possible she actually looked younger. Her grandfather's magic hadn't just sustained her it had rejuvenated her. Would it be the same for Verin?

Her grandmother reached out and pushed one of XRenia's stray hairs behind her ear. "Take him out for a flight. Show him the kingdom then apologize. And make sure it's sincere or he will know it's not."

She nodded and rubbed at her nose. "I'll try."

"Go to him, sweetie. If I were him I'd probably pretty upset after being yelled at like that by your grandfather." Her mother told her.

She stood up and hugged her father and then her mother and grandmother. "Thank you."

"Good luck and remember be sincere." Her grandmother encouraged.

CHAPTER 5

She walked out of the room and up the stairs to her bedroom. She fully expected to find Verin moping on the bed but instead he was pulling on a black muscle shirt as she walked in.

His brown hair was also a bit longer and hanged in loose locks around his ears. He had also changed into white shorts with cargo pockets along with back jogging shoes. XRenia's eyebrows furled in puzzlement. Where had he got the new clothes?

"I fabricated them using the standard resource catch inside your dimensional inventory."

Wow that was quite the feet. XRenia thought. She had tried her hand at magical fabrication a few times but had never turned out right much less as good as what he had produced. As she looked at the new clothes she realized there was something familiar about them.

Verin blushed and shyly and looked down at the ground. "When our bond formed, I kinda seen your memory of when you put together your fantasy boyfriend."

Her eyes widened, her own face flushed and her breath caught in her chest. He had seen that!? She felt like curling up and hiding inside a dimensional rift. Of all the memories he could've seen, how come he seen that one!

They both stood there looking down at the floor for their umpteenth awkward moment they had shared together since they met. Less than two or three hours ago. She thought.

"So what do you think?" He asked.

She pushed away her embarrassment and looked him over. The clothes looked okay on him but they didn't look quite right. He just didn't have the muscle mass to pull the look off.

His smile faded, "Oh. I'll put back on my cloak."

Blast it, him being able to read her thoughts was making things difficult. "No. Don't! They look good." She feebly lied.

He felt her frustration and stopped.

More awkward silence. XRenia thought in agitation as she let her eyes float across the room. With a start realized that they were actually standing inside her bedroom and she wasn't at all comfortable with him being there. "Ah how about we go for a flight, you know get to know each other better."

She didn't wait for him to answer she just ran to her bedroom's balcony and jumped.

A few seconds later he followed her and she slowed down so he could catch up.

They had just flown out past the Royal grounds when he asked, "What did your family say to you."

The memory of her being forced flat by the intensity of her grandfather's magic flashed in her mind and she quickly push it away as she said, "nothing really."

But it was too late he had perceived the memory and now he really wanted to know what had happened. XRenia felt his presence fully enter her mind. Immediately she tried to push him out but she couldn't and he watched the memory of her grandfather shouting at her then he watched it again and again.

But the worst part of all was that she knew the part that had the most impact on him was the split-second after her grandfather had talked about killing him she had thought "it would fix her mistake."

He grabbed her arm and pulled them to a stop. "He's right, you have your own kingdom to build. You need to fix Thaxium just like your family has fixed this land. And I can't help you with that. I'm not a warrior and have no special abilities. You should kill me."

"What!"

"I don't know much about the world. But I do know that your family has helped millions by fixing the Badlands. You are the only one capable of fixing Thaxium but to do it you need a real bond." XRenia watched Verin's throat bob as he swallowed hard. "Kill me."

"What! No I've never killed a single person in my life!"

He pushed the memory of XRenia obliterating the two giants at her. "That was not killing! They were monsters spawned by ancient out of control magic."

He closed his eyes and shoved another memory at her. It was of when she was no older than eight and an assassin came out of her closet. He tried to kill her but even then her magic was powerful and she had blasted him apart.

XRenia shrank, back that was the worst memory of her entire life. "That. . . that was different..."

"Yes. Your life depended upon it as it does now."

She didn't answer.

Without warning Verin rocketed skyward. She gasped and raced after him, but her mind was in shambles and she couldn't focus on flying. He steadily got farther and farther away. As he became a dot in the distant she felt the bitter cold of the upper atmosphere. With terrifying horror she realized what he was doing.

No! She wouldn't let him kill himself by entering space unprotected. She forced everything out of her mind and poured all of her power into chasing him. The air around her roared then exploded in flames. She instantly cast a shield around herself and poured on even more speed.

As he steadily came back into view she could see ice forming on his arms. She gritted her teeth and tried to cast a shield around him but his magic power fought her tearing apart the shield just as fast as she formed.

"I won't let you do this!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She stopped trying to form the shield and instead gathered her magic into a ball. As the ball of magic solidified she hauled back and punched, sending the ball of magic slamming into Verin's gut.

He crumpled over in pain and she used that moment to form the shield around him. With it fully formed try as he might he couldn't break it.

They punched through the last of the atmosphere and floated weightlessly out into space. She glided over to him. "I won't let you kill yourself. Even if I have to protect you flying through the sun to do it."

He stared through their shields at her wordlessly for a long time.

For the first time she reached out and actually tried to read his mind. But he wasn't really thinking anything he was just staring at her. Then without meaning to she started to look at his memories.

They were mostly of him guiding the sheep through the pastures or playing his harp. They were simple memories but they were also beautiful in a way, with the sun smiling down on him and the gentle wind whisking by. At night he gazed up at the stars and imagine stories. Then there was the occasional joy of when he was able to help a ewe give birth.

She couldn't help but smile as she watched him until she stumbled across his earliest memory. It was of war and death fires and flames. His mother being disintegrated in front of him with a spell. His sister or maid, the memory wasn't sure which, trying to run for her life with him in her arms only to be cut down. She had fallen on him pinning him as she died.

There he had remained unable to move and covered in her blood until the slavers came through later that night.

She pulled away only to discover that he too was going through her memories. But unlike her who had enjoyed his memories he was starting to become more and more appalled by her decisions and actions.

She felt this and try to push him away but just like all the times before she couldn't and he kept digging until at last he pulled away on his own. "You never even planned on try to help Thaxium did you?"

He didn't give her a chance to answer.

"You're just planning on making yourself a little castle and finding someone to serve you!"

"I thought we already established this." She sighed in exasperation.

He drew back at her complete acceptation of his accusation his shoulder smacking against inside of his shield. "But your grandfather mentioned forming your own kingdom and fixing lay lines."

"That's my family's idea not mine. Why in heaven sakes would I want the burden of ruling my own kingdom when the entire world is my oyster?"

Verin gaped at her, disappointment rolling off him in waves.

XRenia had enough of this. She had formed the pact so he could serve her not judge her decisions.

"No," he declared vehemently.

"No?" She furled her eyebrows. "No what?"

"I won't be your servant."

"What? Why not? You serve the Duke for years even though you knew he was cheating you."

"I didn't have a choice then but I have a choice now."

XRenia crossed her arms. "Well what are you going to do then?"

"What I believe I need to do."

"Oh ya? And what's that?"

Verin pushed a memory of a fat man dressed in flowing robes sitting at a table and putting a piece of lamb steak in his mouth as he said, "Another one of my sheep is missing this month, it too will come out of your pay."

A rift opened and Verin flew through it.

"By the nine nations! He's going to kill him," XRenia gasped and flew through the rift after him.