The jagged cliffs stood tall above the horse as the pair neared the temple. The Sunken Temple of Inferno had been carved into the cliffs centuries before any of their kingdoms existed. It hadn't been touched in years, and nobody truly knew where it was. Many had sought to find it to overthrow past royalty, but were killed in the process. To possess the scythe, both dark and light magic need to be used in the bonding ritual.
The ritual had been attempted when Elysium was a child years ago and ended in tragedy. Elysium remembered the day her parents died; she always replayed that day in her head. Nanny had told her that the ritual between her parents and Alastor's parents would bond the kingdoms, making them more powerful together rather than enemies. However, when the ritual was performed, something had gone wrong. All that Elysium knew was that her parents were killed and Alastor's walked out alive; that was all she needed to know. Since then, the Kingdoms had been in a never-ending war, initiated by the Alarians to avenge the death of their leaders. Alastor's mother had been moved away for her safety, and his father had been assassinated later. Alastor always believed deep down that an Alarian was responsible for his father's death. With the knowledge of their family history, the two had grown to loathe each other, blaming the other for the tragedies that followed. The root of Elysium's fears was that this would repeat the same as it had. If Elysium and Alastor failed, the realm would be in ruins.
Elysium watched as the horse trotted near the cliffs. She looked over the side to see how far the drop was, and it plummeted into the freezing ocean. Elysium swallowed and dismounted, swinging her legs around the horse and hopping onto the grass. Alastor followed, walking near the edge to examine the cliffs. Elysium pulled the map from the horse's saddle and unrolled it. The sides had been withered from travel, the black-lettered pages fading. She squinted at the X where the scythe was supposed to be. It was hidden in a collapsed sea cavern beneath the cliffs. Elysium peeked over the edge to see the waves hurling into the rocks. Alastor pointed to a rock that stuck out as a platform a few feet below them.
"We'll climb there and work our way down." He said, thinking.
Elysium realized there wasn't any time left to hesitate; they had to act fast. Alastor hopped down first, his boots hitting the hard surface. He reached his arms out, prepared to catch her if she fell. Closing her eyes, Elysium slid down the rock and caught herself on the platform. They looked down below them and saw the water sloshing against the mouth of the cavern. Tide pools and sharp rocks surrounded the entrance. Elysium brushed past him, more confident in herself. Alastor grabbed her by the elbow before she neared the edge.
"Wait," he said, leaning over the edge. "Let me check it."
Alastor found a rock near the tide pools they could climb to, but it was slick with water. Elysium nervously watched Alastor climb off the platform, his legs hanging below him. He carefully landed, and his boots hit the rock. He looked up at Elysium, shielding his eyes from the ocean sprays. Elysium leaned over the edge, her heart racing. She slowly pulled herself down from the platform and swung her legs to give her some leeway before she dropped down. Her feet hit nearly an inch from the edge of the rock. Her body weight pulled her back, and she gasped before Alastor grabbed her arm, pulling her back up. Elysium could feel her heart racing, and she leaned over to catch her breath, panting. They looked beside them at the mouth of the cavern. In front of them sat old stone statues half-eroded by salt water. Carved into the entrance were symbols of both light and dark magic. Elysium turned to Alastor, her body trembling
Alastor placed his hand on the handle of his sword and peered inside the cave. The cave ceiling was lined with torches. Alastor nodded his head towards the inside of Elysium and led them into the humid, ominous cave. The cave ceiling was enormous and cathedral-like, with broken pillars at different angles. Parts of the floor were flooded by shallow sea water, and bioluminescent algae finally glowed on the walls. The sound of waves echoed through the chamber.
"Well. This looks like the sort of place people die in." Alastor said dryly, looking around.
"Encouraging," Elysium replied, shooting him a look.
"I try."
They kept walking, their eyes scanning for any sign of the scythe. The cavern opened into a massive chamber, surrounded by circular runes carved into the floor. The scythe was embedded in the center of the chamber in a black stone altar, surrounded by runes that had been carved into the floor. The blade was still clean, untouched by rust, while the small cracks in the rocks above illuminated the shiny handle.
"That's it," Elysium breathed, pointing towards the altar.
Alastor remained at the mouth of the cave, his eyes narrowing.
"Hm." He rubbed his chin.
"Hm?" Elysium spun her head back to Alastor.
"Just," Alastor took a step closer to Elysium. "I expected something bigger."
Elysium shot him a look. "It's a weapon that can kill immortals."
Alastor stretched his arms above his head and pushed past her.
"Anticlimactic if you ask me." He shrugged.
Elysium loomed over the glowing altar, inches away from the blade's handle. The light reflected into her eyes as her fingers inched closer to the scythe. Just as she was about to touch it, Alastor grabbed her wrist.
"Wait." He ordered.
"This is why we came," Elysium looked up at Alastor, confused. "Has impulsivity left your list of qualities?" She raised a brow.
"That should tell you how bad an idea this is." Alastor's face grew serious.
"I'm taking it." Elysium straightened, facing Alastor.
Elysium's fingers trembled while she faced the scythe again. Alastor nervously grabbed Elysium back by her arm, pulling her away. Elysium stamped her foot on the ground, angry. She pushed both of her hands against his chest, trying to shove him away from her. Instead, he held her tighter, keeping her from moving at all.
"We have made it this far," Elysium's eyes were welling. "And now you want to hesitate?" She pressed one hand on Alastor's chest and reached for the handle; her fingers barely grazed the top when the wind rushed through the cavern, and the water began to ripple. As the runes began to glow slowly, the scythe sank deeper into the altar. Elysium's eyes shot around, feeling the magic surge through the cavern. The wind echoed through the rocks, barking into Elysium's ears. She pressed her hands against her ears, trying to quiet the sound. Alastor planted himself sturdily on the ground and let his fingers hang on his sword handle. Dust began to fall from the ceiling, and the scythe vibrated in the stone. Juliet's eyes squinted, and she steadied her hand on the handle.
"It's.. reacting to me." Elysium whispered.
"Take your hand off of it." Alastor sharply said, uneasy.
While Elysium grabbed the handle, the runes flared bright, and her grip tightened. She began to pull at the scythe, but it wouldn't budge. She mustered all of her strength for her second attempt, and failed again. Magic lashed outward, flinging violet sparks flying in the air; the ritual recognized that both magics were present. Elysium suddenly felt a burning sensation on her wrist. The agonizing pain sent her to her knees, while her hand wrapped around her other wrist. She yelped in pain, tossing her head backwards. Alastor rushed over to her side, wincing in the same pain. A small rune began to form into their burned skin, rising to the surface. The wind picked up in the chamber, and their shadows cast across the walls began to stretch unnaturally, reaching towards the ceiling.
"Something's wrong," Elysium choked out, still in pain.
"Don't move-" Alastor said through his gritted teeth.
Elysium's body tensed while she gripped her forearm, rocking back and forth; the ritual had begun.
Runes began to climb up the stone walls while the scythe began to pulse. Elysium desperately looked around the chamber for any sort of sign. That was when Alastor realized what was happening.
"It's a binding ritual." He murmured.
Elysium blinked, snapping her head towards Alastor.
"A binding what?"
"Us," Alastor replied, his eyes falling towards the floor.
Elysium took a few steps back and shook her head.
"Absolutely not."
If they completed the binding ritual, then they'd be connected forever. If one died, so did the other. Their lives were interlinked; their kingdoms would merge. Vivid colors of black and gold began to sift through the air as they planned. Alastor stood up, his eyes scanning the circle that formed around the altar. He rubbed the back of his head, contemplating.
"Do something!" Elysium yelled, weakly pulling herself to her feet.
"If I step in there-" Alastor clenched his fists.
"There's no time!" Elysium cut him off.
"You'll be tied to me, Elysium, for good." His voice trailed off.
Caught in the heat of the moment, Juliet spoke before she could even think.
"Then stop talking and help!" She yelled, pushing past him to the circle's edge.
Elysium wrapped her fingers tightly around the scythe's handle, sending sparks across the ground. The runes began to blaze white-hot. Alastor slowly followed and wrapped his large hands around Elysium's fingers. They both squeezed the handle and lifted with all their might. The cave began to tremble while they pulled, and vivid colors swirled around them. Elysium refused to move her eyes from the handle. She mustered all the magic she could summon, and her hands began to illuminate a golden color. Alastor clenched his jaw while he did the same, black and deep-red surrounding him.
Elysium realized she and Alastor's hands were stuck together. She tried to pull away, but she couldn't. Their bodies growing weak, the pair began to shake from the energy. The metal from the scythe began to sharpen and pierced the pair's palms. Elysium gritted her teeth together, fighting through the pain. Once their blood had both touched the handle, it began to loosen in the rocks. Finally, the handle lifted, and the scythe pulled up from the stone, shared between their hands.
"Did it work?" Elysium asked, heaving.
Alastor looked down at the rune on his wrist. "Unfortunately." He mumbled.
Elysium's face shot up to Alastor, a startled look on her face.
"Unfortunately?"
"We're bound now." Alastor's expression was cold.
Alastor faced the shadows, looking away from Elysium. A tinge of hurt hit her, and she gripped the handle with her fingers, starting towards the mouth of the cave.
"Let's see if it's worth the trouble," Alastor muttered while they exited the cave.
Waves struck against the slick rocks, while Elysium strategized her pathway back to the top. Elysium hoisted herself up the first stone, steadying herself before she used her boot to push herself to the next platform. When she looked down behind her, Alastor still stood at the mouth, a vacant expression on his face. Elysium trekked forward, using the rest of her strength to pull herself every stone up towards the top. Finally, her palms touched the grassy valley, and she pulled herself up to the edge, falling onto the soft ground. Alastor slowly began to follow, reaching her shortly after. He didn't utter a word while he mounted his horse; they had a long journey back to their kingdoms. The only thing more terrifying than the binding ritual was that she had no idea what they were walking back to. She lifted her leg over the horse's flank, and Alastor snapped the reins. The scythe was wound tightly around Elysium's back, faintly glowing. Whatever they were going back to, she would be ready.