Welcome everyone to chapter 8!
I hope you enjoy and let's get right into this!
Makayla frowned in irritation as she wandered through the large cave Amira lived in.
After Visarus left to go hunting, Makayla had decided to look for the purple-haired Rider but unfortunately for her, the labyrinth of stone walls and magic-made tunnels continued deeper into the mountain than the redhead had originally thought and it didn't take long for her to lose track of where she was. She had originally tried to keep a mental log but had ended up losing track after the seventh turn. There were dozens of room-like caverns along the main tunnel and a couple of the first few held a couple of things that Makayla assumed belonged to Amira. Those few rooms were behind the wandering demigod though.
Makayla groaned as she faced yet another empty space. She had been going for almost fifteen minutes now and had gotten nowhere. Still, she sighed and continued to try and backtrack.
She walked in what she hoped was the right direction for another three minutes before pausing. There was a low rumbling sound in the air that she hadn't noticed previously and following the sound led her to discover a new cavern that she hadn't before, the low rumble now a roar. She frowned and entered the room only to have her breath stolen.
The cavern was breathtaking: there wasn't any other way Makayla could think to describe it. The room was huge, close to the size of an airplane hanger, with several large openings in the ceiling that allowed the sun's dimming light to fill the cavern with a soft glow. The walls were covered with millions of crystal-like gems that reflected the light of the setting sun, sparkling along the rocky and uneven surface. It gave the cavern a brighter and more natural light.
From one of the openings near the far wall flowed a large stream of water that tumbled down several mossy flowstones into a large cenote, the water so clear and clean that Makayla felt as though she could see the bottom of the deep pool. Several huge stalactites jutted from the ceiling far above and gave the chamber a more natural feeling.
The redhead felt a bead of sweat on her forehead and realized that the large cavern was considerably warmer and more humid than the other rooms Makayla had explored, a warm mist filling the air. She found herself unable to tear her eyes from the beautiful and breathtaking sight.
As if in a trance, she stepped further into the room and slowly turned in circles as she tried to take it all in. The chamber reminded her of the ones she used to see on the documentaries she watched at Ashlyn's house as a kid. It was absolutely beautiful, the embedded crystals making the room shine almost magically.
"Makayla?"
Makayla's hand dropped to the hilt of her sword and she spun around when she heard her name. She saw Amira walking towards her from where she had previously stood out of sight and relaxed.
"What are you doing here?" Amira wondered as she walked closer. Makayla noticed that Amira's purple hair was wet and figured she must use the cavern's pool as a means to bathe.
"I was looking for you," Makayla explained. She gestured around then. "What is this place? It's beautiful!"
"Indeed." Amira agreed with a small smile, running a large square cloth through her amethyst-purple hair. "I discovered it the day I decided to make this cave my home. As soon as I laid my eyes on this place, I knew that this was made to be the place I live. I mean, what man-built house could compare to a wonder of nature such as this?"
Amira smiled as she gestured to the entirety of the room. Makayla nodded in agreement.
"For real though. I'd choose this place over some old building any day." She agreed, sweeping her multicolored eyes throughout the cavern once more. The rumble and echo of the water flowing sounded so… so natural and so peaceful that Makayla had no doubt that she would fall asleep to the sound if she laid down. "It's almost like the place is trying to put a spell on me; it's like it's trying to make me go to sleep."
"I agree." Amira nodded in understanding. "I sometimes find it hard to concentrate while I am here, there is such a peacefulness. I sometimes come here when stressed as I find that it helps to calm me." She turned back to the redhead. "But I assure you that there are no spells cast upon or from this room. The only magic in my cave is that which I cast myself."
"'Magic you cast yourself?'" Makayla repeated, her voice telling Amira her disbelief. "Look, I know that I don't know a lot about this world or what the rules are here but I do know that there is no such thing as "magic." Any power that people have comes from themselves."
Amira's brows raised at the demigod's lack of belief. Being a daughter of an Olympian god(s), she had thought that Makayla at least believed in some sort of magic. But seeing her disbelief, she then decided to show Makayla the rules her world had.
She held out her hand towards Makayla, her Gedwëy Ignasia facing the demigod.
"Atra du garjzla eitha nosu." Amira spoke, the Ancient Language spell slipping easily past her lips.
Immediately the cavern was thrown into darkness, the only light coming from the glow on Amira's hand. Makayla naturally gave a startled yelp when the room suddenly lost all light and she spun around in surprised confusion.
Makayla frowned. Reaching inside herself, she felt her power deep inside herself and grabbed hold of it.
She would never admit it out loud but Makayla was still scared of that power. Even after a year, she still had close to no idea of its capabilities. From what Ganabranth had taught her (and what she discovered on her own) she knew that she had the ability to summon light to her hands and Snake Scar, could create powerful blasts as an attack, was able to move smaller objects with just her thoughts (like picking locks), and could enter and control another's mind. She also knew that her power could erase a being from existence as she had done so to Ganabranth.
That ability terrified her.
Being able to enter someone else's mind, Makayla could do anything she wanted to the said person and make them do anything. But if she got annoyed or overwhelmed by the power or even distracted, what was stopping her from accidentally deleting them from all existence? Makayla knew she had very little control of her power and, despite her temptations, she knew she wasn't going to gain full control any time soon as she was too afraid to even try to see the extent of her abilities.
Makayla shook her head to clear her thoughts. She took hold of the small portion of the power she allowed herself and caused her hands to glow with a silvery light. She ground her teeth in annoyed irritation when summoning said light caused her eyes and Snake Scar and eyes to glow slightly as well, a side effect she had yet to figure out and turn off.
The light allowed her to see Amira more clearly and she mentally groaned when she saw the Rider staring at her scar in surprise. A sigh escaped her lips as she prepared herself for the many questions that were sure to come.
"How are you doing that?!" Amira close to demanded. Makayla could see the wary caution in her eyes and shrugged.
"It's just something I can do." She responded very vaguely. Amira frowned at the answer.
"That does nothing to me but voice what I can already see." She told the demigod bluntly. "It is obvious that you are capable of summoning light as you are doing so now. What I had asked was to know how you are able to summon your light?"
"And I responded in a way that said that I don't wanna tell you," Makayla responded evenly.
"If you refuse me the knowledge of your abilities then how can I be sure that my trust in you is not misplaced?"
Makayla was silent for a moment as she realized that the purple-haired teen had a point. Then she sighed.
"Tell you what: you get rid of this darkness and I'll tell you about my powers." She suggested. She saw Amira nod.
"Losna galdr." The Rider muttered. A second later the light returned to the cavern and Makayla released the glow of her hand, hence ending the light on her scar and eyes. The demigod sighed.
(Release spell)
"I'm gonna warn you now: my explanation is long and depressing and doesn't make a lot of sense at first," She warned her new friend, slipping off her boots and rolling up her pant legs, moving to sit by the edge of the pool to dip her feet in the warm water. Amira joined her a second later.
"I will try my best to understand," She assured, copying her action and placing her own feet in the water. Her new friend nodded and took a deep breath.
Going into little detail, Makayla began by telling Amira everything about her birth and the Shadow Creature. She explained how she had met Ganabranth. She told how she had been tortured and explained how she received her scar, how she had escaped after a year of torture and how she had run into her brother in Camp Half-Blood after years of looking. She explained how Ganabranth had arrived at camp, causing her to run and later be captured along with Leo and Percy. She said how he had captured Jakob, convincing her to offer herself in return he let him go.
She took a deep breath and paused before telling how she had become Ganabranth's surrogate daughter and how he taught her about her powers. Amira was really interested in Makayla's abilities but held most of her questions back while the demigod explained how she defeated Ganabranth with Lauren's help.
By the time she was done talking, she felt near exhausted as she spoke for nearly an hour. Amira got her a glass of water from who-knows-where and Makayla accepted it happily.
"Wow. That is… quite a story." The Rider finally spoke. She didn't seem sure how else to respond. Makayla gave a small, dry laugh.
"You're telling me. I can sum it all up in two words: Life. Sucks. I've almost died, like, twenty times and each time just got better." She agreed with a sigh. Amira frowned.
"Do you not mean worse?" She wondered confusedly. Makayla shook her head, multicolored eyes locked on the cavern's flowing stream.
"No. Every time I came close to dying it was because I was going through something bad or painful. Once that moment came, once I got close to death… it was a release and I swear it was blissful." Makayla closed her eyes, voice getting softer as she spoke, but the amount of sadness on her face made Amira want to embrace her tightly. "I'd be screaming in pain one moment then the next, there would be nothing: no pain, no knives being dragged across my body, no nightmares. It was like I wasn't anything anymore. I had no thoughts or feelings of pain or anything. I was just…"
"Being." Amira finished quietly. Makayla opened her multicolored eyes and turned to her.
"Yeah, exactly. How'd you know?"
"I have not only come close but embraced death myself," Amira reminded softly. "Twice in your world had I ceased to live for a time. First, I felt such anguish by my former dragon's death that I lost control of my magic. The strain of using magic so strongly killed me but because of Tartarus's control of your Underworld at the time, my life was returned only minutes after it was lost. The second is what you could call my "official death". Tartarus planned to use my body as his own and, believing he would do so successfully, destroyed his own embodiment. When he tried to gain control of me I drew my dagger and it was stabbed through my chest."
As Amira spoke, she lifted her shirt enough for Makayla to see the large and gagged scar on her upper abdomen. Makayla winced at the mark, knowing how much that must have hurt. She was totally absorbed by the purple girl's words as a connection of mutual understanding was formed.
"As my dagger pierced me and I felt my spirit leave my body, I drifted into nothingness." The Alagaesian continued. "I had no eyes so I could not see darkness, I had no ears so I could not hear silence. I was nothing yet... I was also something; something drifting among the eternal nothingness. It was almost peaceful." Amira breathed in, her breath shaking ever-so-slightly. "Time seemed to be irrelevant. It felt like years or simply minutes, I know not which, before I was pulled back into my body. I stood facing your gods and they told me that I was going to be returned home. I accepted but all the while, I kept thinking of that nothingness."
There was a long minute of silence between the two girls.
"You nailed it." Makayla eventually chuckled. Amira gave her a strange look. "Basically you said it perfectly. I honestly can't think of a better way to describe it: something among eternal nothing."
Amira nodded in agreement. There were several minutes where the two girls sat without talking, just thinking about the other's words. It wasn't an awkward or friendly silence. It was just… silence.
"So what did Visarus say earlier that made you storm out like that?" Makayla suddenly asked, curious. Her curiosity grew even more when Amira's cheeks reddened and she looked away.
"Oh, um… It was nothing. He just- he left me flustered." She brushed it away quickly. Makayla raised an eyebrow.
"You seemed a bit more than just flustered from where I sat." She noted. Amira's cheeks darkened even more.
"Visarus is- he is still young and sometimes does not understand when he should keep his thoughts to himself." The older girl continued to stutter. But Makayla gave her a look and she gulped and relented. "I um, I had explained to you my feeling f- for your brother and he, uh, may have teased, um…"
"Yes...?" Makayla urged. Amira winced.
"He may pos- possibly have suggested, i-in a teasing manner that, um… bec- because Leo is- is not here and because y-you are his blood that I- uh- IcouldloveyouasIwouldlovehim…"
Amira's face was bright red when she quickly stuttered it out, refusing to even look at the redhead. There was a short moment of tense silence before Makayla broke into hysterical laughter. She laughed so hard that tears came to her eyes and she nearly fell into the water. Amira looked with wide eyes at the sudden action.
"S- so- sorry!" Makayla managed to gasp between her laughing. "It's jus- I mean it's hilarious how you're- so embarrassed!"
Amira frowned despite the deep pink of her cheeks.
"I fail to see the humor you so obviously have found." She stated bluntly. Makayla pushed her shoulder.
"Oh come on, it was a joke! Just laugh about it." The redhead teased. Amira frowned but could feel a smile threatening. Instead, she turned away with a small huff. It took a minute but Makayla's laughing managed to calm down to an occasional chuckle.
She looked up and saw through the roof of the cave that the sky was darkening and guessed it was near five o'clock. Her stomach grumbled silently and she then realized that she had no idea what she'd do for dinner.
"Uh, question. Um… when's dinner?" She asked and Amira turned back to her. A smile came to Amira's pink lips and she stood, gesturing for the redhead to do the same.
"Come, follow me." She invited. "I would like to show you something I feel as though you will like."
The two girls dried their feet and slipped their boots back on before following the purple-haired Rider as she led Makayla back to the entrance of the cavern. But instead of turning to go back down to her living area of the large cave, she instead went right to go further up the mountain's insides.
The two girls made casual conversation for several minutes as they walked before they reached what seemed like their destination. A small magic-carved doorway led to a large flat outcrop near the mountain's peak, the outcrop jutting out the mountain as though someone had stuck a giant plate into the mountain's side. Makayla's eyes widened however when she saw that the giant outcrop had been turned into a huge garden. Dozens upon dozens of different fruits, plants, and vegetables had been planted in a deep soil that covered the large slab of stone.
"But… How do these even grow here?" Makayla wondered in awe, walking through the rows of plants. Amira smiled and shrugged casually.
"Magic." Was her answer, a grin on her face.
Makayla rolled her purple eyes but smiled anyway, admiring the giant garden. There had to have been three or four dozen different types of plants, vegetables, fruits, and herbs all sorted and placed in perfect rows. She was surprised to see a lot of the same plants as on Earth but there was a decent amount that she didn't recognize.
"Would you like to help me cook supper?" Amira invited politely, bending down to pick several strawberries from a large bush. Makayla smiled and nodded enthusiastically.
Two hours later, Amira and Makayla sat in Amira's small kitchen area enjoying a delicious meal of berry soup, hazelnut-butter rolls, Mint tea, and honey cakes. The surprise Makayla felt at Alagaesia's food being so delicious was a shock to her and she finished her plate in mere minutes, knowing she just had to get the recipe for when she returned to Earth.
"Wow. I wasn't expecting non-Earth foods to be so good." Makayla joked, her plate empty for the second time. Amira chuckled.
"I will take your words as a compliment." She smiled, taking a bite of her roll.
"It definitely was." Her friend assured.
Night came quickly after that. The sky grew dark and once the stars began to show, Makayla and Amira bid each other goodnight before moving to their designated sleeping areas, Makayla moving to her small room while Amira curled up beside her dragon.
Despite feeling tired, Makayla laid awake for a long while thinking of and missing her brother and husband and children and friends. She silently prayed to the gods, knowing but not caring that they couldn't hear her, that she'd return home soon.
It was slowly but surely that the day finally caught up with her and Makayla drifted off to sleep.
And that concludes the eighth chapter of our crossover!
Thank you all for reading and I hope you continue.
Please leave a review because I love receiving your guys' criticism, advice, complaints, and/or compliments!
Have a good one and I'll see you soon!