Ch 18: Victory, Destiny, and Love's Resolve

Grey has come to his senses and Alastor has fled. Despite this victory, everyone is worn out, and Grey is bedridden. Alexander decides to warn Amy of her destiny, but will that stop her now?

            “Um, how do we get out of here Amy?” Grey asked as they were now alone in the dark room. Smiling with relief and joy that it was finally over, Amy said, “I don’t really know, but I have a feeling. Something tells me all it’ll take is for you to will it to happen. This is a kind of dream within your own mind. Just wake up… wake up…wake up…” Wondering why she was saying it over and over, Grey suddenly realized that somehow his eyes were now closed. Slowly he opened them, finding himself lying outside on the ground, with his head in Amy’s lap. He could see Amy, Scott, and Alexander all smiling down at him. Smiling back, Grey weakly said, “Hey guys…” Giggling, Amy said, “See, he’s really back!” Grey slowly attempted to get up, but quickly realized his entire body badly ached. Scott, crouched beside him, quickly put a hand on his shoulder to hold him down, saying, “Whoa there buddy, just take it easy.” Also crouched beside him on the other side, Alexander laughed quietly and said, “It’s rather ironic. After everything that’s happened, Grey’s body will probably take the longest to heal out of anyone’s.” Over to the side Grey heard Serius, who stood leaning against a fragment of a stone crypt destroyed in the battle, say, “Now that you’ve shown the ability to use your Void Energy, you’ll need to learn some control over it.” As Alexander removed his shades to look at him properly, Grey could see a deeply relieved look in his eyes as he said, “We really thought we’d lost you there, Grey. Welcome back.” With a relieved look as well, Scott said, “Welcome back!” Beaming down at him, Amy also said, “Welcome back Grey.” All of them suddenly heard the whine of repulsion engines, as the Audentia sailed slowly over the ruined graveyard. Over the ship’s loudspeaker, Schmitt’s voice rang out, “Whoa boy, I saw some serious explosions from the ship! That musta been one hell of a battle, but it looks like everyone’s safe and sound! Let’s get y’all onboard! I’m betting it won’t be long before someone from Aerennis comes to check things out, now that this place ain’t blowing up no more!”

            In the crew’s quarters aboard the Audentia, Grey laid upon a bed resting, Amy by his side. In the hold rested the air cycle Grey had used to escape Castrum, since Scott had said as they were leaving, “Why not take it with us? No sense throwing it away, it could come in handy.” On the bridge, Schmitt and Scott sat in their respective posts, Alexander sat in one of the passenger seats, and Serius stood looking out the right window. The four of them were just starting to discuss their next move. As he lifted his shades and rubbed his eyes, Alexander said, “Now that we have managed to bring Grey back, we need a place for all of us to recover. Grey especially is going to need quite a bit of rest.” Serius nodded, saying, “Yes. Without the Nameless One regulating the massive power Grey’s body had generated using his Void Energy, his reaction was devastating. It’s a miracle it did not kill him. Even more of a miracle is the fact that all of that EDE dispersed so quickly after he regained himself. It must have been held there by the Nameless One’s power as well. Once he has learned to harness his Void Energy on his own, he will need to train to learn how to control greater amounts of EDE and how to limit how much he generates.” Thinking a moment, Scott said, “Well, I know there’s some danger the Special Forces might come poking around since it’s so close to where we just fought that battle, but Aerennis would be a great place to take a breather I think. Pretty much all the residents still hold the Greyson family in the highest regard for all they did for the town. I’m sure they’d welcome Grey with open arms.” Alexander mulled this over, saying, “Perhaps…” Schmitt, turning around to look at Serius, asked, “So then… just who is the new guy here anyway Alexander? Ya gonna introduce us or what?” Scott, who’d been wondering as well, chimed in, “Yeah, I remember seeing him with you guys back in Celestis, but then he just disappeared after we met up in Abnoct, and now he just shows up in the middle of the battle.” With a mischievous grin on his face, Alexander replied, “You probably won’t believe me even if I do tell you who he is, but very well. Schmitt, Scott, meet Serius the Unbound. Ever since using a dangerous ability to save Grey’s life one year ago, he’s been resting within me, recovering.” Schmitt laughed heartily, saying, “Oh boy, Alexander come on now, quit it with your jokes already. Who is he really?” Scott however recalled what Alexander had said before in Abnoct, thinking to himself, “I’m starting to get the feeling there’s something to his story. He mentioned this Serius character in Abnoct when he stormed out of the diner. Can it really be coincidence that he hasn’t aged a day since we met all those years ago? I met him when I was like five years old, yet here I am twenty! He hasn’t changed in fifteen years!” In an uncertain tone, Scott said, “Alexander, suppose I believe your story. What were you, a member of Angelorum Lux, doing watching over Grey all these years? I mean, I even heard that you were the one who brought Grey to the Greysons when he was just three years old. You also said Altera Veritas can’t break the seals completely without Grey. Just what is Grey, Alexander? A Sage like Amy?”

            The bridge was silent for a moment. Alexander glanced at Serius as though he was looking for his opinion on how he should answer, but Serius simply closed his eyes. Schmitt suddenly laughed, saying, “Aww come on now Admiral, ya can’t seriously tell me you’re startin to buy into all this?” Ignoring Schmitt, Alexander finally said, “To be honest, I’m not sure it’s right of me to tell you that, considering I haven’t told Grey himself. I can only tell you that Grey may be our only hope against Altera Veritas. That is why I have watched over him all these years.” Eyeing Alexander appraisingly, Schmitt said, “Well now, one thing bout that’s buggin me. If that kid’s so important, and you’re s’posed to have been watchin him, how is it that he got kidnapped and all? You sleepin on the job or what?” Alexander laughed in spite of himself, saying, “I’m ashamed to admit Schmitt, I indeed failed at my duty. I was caught off guard, nearly killed when Alastor suddenly made his move. I spent twelve peaceful years living in that village… I can only assume I’d gotten soft. After Grey’s kidnapping, I searched and searched for him in the hopes of rescuing him, and finally I lucked out, arriving in Luminosa just in time. I believe you all know the rest.” Schmitt still had a skeptical look on his face, but after a moment he said, “Well… I guess stranger things have happened! Thirty years ago folks could suddenly run around blowing stuff up with some mysterious energy that just appeared outta nowhere, so who am I to say what’s possible?” Turning back to look out the front window, Schmitt continued, “So gettin back on topic here, where we headed now? Shouldn’t hang around here in the air, we run into any Guild ship that comes close enough to see us on radar and we’re gonna have a fight on our hands. They’ve had more than enough time to spread the word that the Audentia’s been lifted.” Alexander nodded, saying, “You have a point. Though even if we land somewhere, I don’t know where we’d hide the ship. It wouldn’t be hard to see from the air… or the ground for that matter…” Eagerly putting in his suggestion, Scott chimed in, “Why don’t we land over in the Alcedon Forest? We wouldn’t be far from Aerennis. Like I said, I’m positive they’d take good care of us. It’s not just Grey’s hometown, it’s mine as well. They’re good people, I’m sure they’d listen to our side of the story.” After a moment’s consideration, Alexander said, “Hmm, it’s probably our best option. Being your hometown, I doubt the townspeople would feel inclined to turn us in. Even the normal townspeople in Aerennis are mostly in support of Scott and his work for equality. No doubt thanks to both the efforts of Jonathan and Scott himself. Not to mention the forest is the best cover we could ask for.” Schmitt, turning to look at Scott, let loose his hearty laugh and said, “Good call Admiral! Let’s get this show on the road!”

            In the crew’s quarters, Amy sat in a chair next to Grey’s bed, watching over him. Sweating and moaning in his sleep, it was apparent to her he was rather ill. Dabbing his head with a cloth, she whispered, “Grey please hang in there…” Removing the cloth, she thought to herself, “I wish we could do more for him. Alexander said this is his body’s reaction to having gone past the limits of EDE he could handle though. There’s really nothing we can do but wait for him to recover…” Wringing out the cloth, she thought about what had happened when she was in Grey’s mind, something she was thinking about a lot lately. She wondered to herself, “I wonder if he… actually remembers what I said back there. Part of me is so embarrassed that I feel like I’d rather he didn’t, but the other part of me wants to know how he feels too…” As she continued to think about the subject, the door to the crew’s quarter suddenly opened, and even though she hadn’t said anything out loud, Amy still turned red and dropped the cloth in surprise as she stammered, “Y-yes what is it?” Alexander stepped into the room, and having noticed Amy’s reaction, he decided not to mention it and simply said, “How’s he doing?” Walking over to stand by Grey’s bed, he looked down at his pained, sweating face. Amy, regaining her composure, said “Um, I really don’t know if he’s getting better or not. He’s just been lying there asleep like this since we got him into bed.” Turning his attention to Amy, Alexander said, “Well, we can only do what little we can for him while he recovers. We’ll be landing in a little bit, we’re going to have to find some way to transport Grey to Aerennis once we’ve hidden the ship in the forest. You must be tired as well, with everything that’s happened. Once we reach the village you should get some rest.” Amy looked rather surprised, saying, “I’m fine really, but you said we’re going to Aerennis? That’s Grey’s hometown right?” Alexander nodded, and said, “Although the Special Forces could come looking for us there, being a Sanctuary I’d imagine there are few who would side with The Guild over the son of the prestigious Greyson family.”

            As Alexander turned to walk out, Amy decided to ask him something that had been on her mind, saying, “Wait Alexander, there’s something I need to talk to you about.” Turning back to her with a curious look, he simply said, “Of course, what is it?” Steeling herself, Amy said, “You knew, didn’t you? That I had met Grey and Scott eight years ago in Aerennis? Grey knew too, right?” Alexander remained silent, turning his gaze away evasively as Amy continued, “You’ve both been hiding it from me… In Abnoct you and Grey quickly changed the subject when Scott asked if we had met before he saw me in Celestis. Even my father didn’t tell me we’d known Grey in the past. Why is everyone trying to hide it from me? Why couldn’t I remember until I stumbled into Alastor’s spell?” Alexander sighed, walking over to sit down on a bed next to Grey’s. Looking across the bed to where Amy sat in her chair, after a moment he said, “Amy, do you believe destiny is predetermined? That it is unchangeable no matter what? Or do you believe our fate is something we ourselves decide by the choices we make?” Taken aback by his sudden, seemingly off-topic question, Amy said, “I… I don’t know, I’ve never really seriously thought about it.” Adjusting his shades, Alexander continued, “Personally, I believe that our destiny is ours to decide. However, your parents feared that in this world our lives follow some grand design set in stone.” Still wondering where this was going, Amy listened intently as Alexander went on to say, “Whichever you believe, I suppose it is past time that someone had the decency to let you know what was done in an attempt to divert your supposed destiny.” Confused, Amy said, “My… destiny?” Alexander nodded, and said, “Amy, your mother was a talented soothsayer on top of her abilities as a descendant of the Sage of Memories. Eight years ago, when you lived in Aerennis spending your days happily playing with Grey and Scott, your mother had a vision in her dreams one night.” Alexander paused here, still debating whether he should reveal this to her. Amy, greatly interested in what this vision foretold, a vision seen by her mother, said insistently, “Alexander, please tell me, what was this vision she saw? What was it about?” After a moment, Alexander said, “It was a vision of the future. Your future Amy, one that foretold that if you remained by Grey’s side, you would meet your end protecting him.”

            Stunned, Amy turned down to look at her hands, which were folded in her lap. Slowly she said, “I’ll die… protecting Grey?” Alexander solemnly nodded and said, “That is what the vision foretold. In their panic, your parents did everything they could to ensure it did not come to pass. They packed up to leave Aerennis immediately, but…” Amy finished for him, saying, “But I wouldn’t leave. Right?” Alexander once again nodded, and after a moment he said, “Your mother, out of a desire to protect you, used her abilities and erased the time you spent in Aerennis from your mind. Unfortunately, it seems she made a mistake while doing it, as it seems you lost most of your other memories before coming to Celestis as well.” The room remained silent for a while, and finally Alexander said, “I’m sorry Amy, I know it’s a lot to accept. While I disagree with what they did, they did it for your sake.” Amy just repeated, “I’ll… die protecting Grey?” Alexander, thinking perhaps he shouldn’t have told her, said, “If you’re worried about it Amy, I’m sure we can find someone at the village to take you in. It all comes down to what you believe. Over the years though, I’ve come to the conclusion that no one can know how our future will turn out. Even the greatest soothsayers in history have made mistakes.” Amy slowly raised her head, and Alexander was somewhat surprised to see her smiling, a calm look on her face as she said to him, “I’m not going anywhere. Whether it happens or not, if I die protecting him, that’s fine with me. I know now, I’m right where I belong.” 

For a moment Alexander stared at her, and then he burst out laughing. After a moment he smiled and said, “I see, so that’s how it is. I was only joking back in Abnoct, but I suppose it’s not so surprising. You two were inseparable from the moment you met.” As he rose from his chair, Amy felt herself blush somewhat but continued smiling as she looked over at Grey. Walking to the door, Alexander said, “Very well then, I’m counting on you to take good care of him. With you by his side, I feel he has nothing to worry about.” Blushing more, Amy shouted, “Ok, ok, enough already! You better not start any rumors about this, we’re not g-going out yet or anything you know!” Alexander laughed, and flashing his mischievous grin he said, “Oh don’t worry, I’ll make sure everyone knows exactly how your relationship is going, down to every last detail!” He quickly walked out the door, and as Amy hurriedly got out of her chair, she shouted after him, “Y-you… You wouldn’t dare?! H-hey, come back here! ALEXANDEEEEER!”

Author's Note

A little late, but I'm beginning to see uploading this will take forever. Anyone interested in more can visit my blog, I might be a bit slow with this.

Reviews

[Ryan Henderson]

Ha ha! I LOVE the humor at the end here! Freaking GENIOUS! Making Alexander tease Amy like that, I laughed out loud. I also like Schmitt's character, as judging by the way he speaks in this chapter, and by his actions and way of speaking in previous chapters, I pictured him as the 'can cut loose and have fun' military officer, like in the movies. Also, when you make characters stutter, like when Amy said, “Y-you… You wouldn’t dare?! H-hey, come back here! ALEXANDEEEEER!” I love how you make the characters stutter to add dramatic effect, but you are not obnoxious about it and you use the technique in small amounts, but that is all you really need. This adds emotion (and in the case in the last paragraph) humor. Very great job on this chapter, you are truly a talented writer! Keep writing!

[KeithKVH]

I think you're probably going to like the character Mythra as well. I don't want to spoil anything, so despite my temptations I'll just have to hold back for now. Will get another review out for you in a moment my good sir. I'm also trying to pick up work on volume 4, I've been putting it off.

[Ryan Henderson]

I cannot wait to advance and read all of the books in this series!