Okies part 16 of Escape to Antoria dedicated to MRS_SAL whose really great comments made me want to write more. So here we go hope you enjoy it. Happy Xmas! Remember to comment, vote or become a fan to let me know what you guys think :) xx

Chapter 15

Ari's POV

All I could see was darkness and all I could hear was silence. Damn was I dead. Oh god I am dead. I could feel myself start to panic so I took a few breaths to calm myself. OK the arrow, dart thing; bastards probably drugged me. I hope they got rid of those horrible people, I hope Ingrid is alright. Those people bet hope she is alright or I will break their legs when I wake up...if I wake up. I seriously gotta stop being so pessimistic.

Nate's POV

Ari was just laid there on the ground, her chest slowly rising and falling. She looked so peaceful I was just anxious for her to wake up. One of the guys in the camp, a doctor I think he said he was, told me she'd wake up soon but from the looks of it she wasn't going anywhere fast. I walked over to her and then crouched down beside her picking up her small delicate hands in my own and gently rubbing my thumb in circles over her hand.

Ari's breathing suddenly changed as if the haze of drugs had worn off. She groaned and shifted before her whole shifted and fire passed through the hand that was connected to mine. I let go of her hand to find that it was still connected by a string of light and power. Now most people would have been freaking out but for some reason it just felt ...right. I grasped her hand tightly in mine again, I was frozen in amazement as I saw the tattoos spreading across her visible flesh even spreading across her hands. I watched as the same seem to happen to mine and the tattoo stretched down my arms and across my chest.

The fire I felt in out connection became even more powerful and I felt myself being pulled into unconsciousness.

Ryan's POV

I watched as Nate leant over Arianna and kissed her on the forehead. Suddenly I felt a wave of power brush over me, I glanced around to see everyone else had confused expressions on their faces except the old man who simply nodded towards where Ari and Nate were. Where I looked over I saw the most amazing sight ever. Ari and Nate's bodies were intertwined with each other in a somewhat loving embrace yet neither seemed to be conscious. They were both floating a few feet of the ground and were surrounded by a weird bubble or force field that was made up of the all the different colours of the rainbow. I've never seen anything like it.

I cautiously walked over to the pair and I gasped when I saw the tattoos; the intricate tribal designs that now completely covered their entire bodies . Wow, they looked incredible. I reached my hand forward towards the force field cautiously but it was if my hand was moving through thin air nothing blocking it but it never got any closer to the pair. Whoa this is some strange stuff. I wonder what the hell is going on, bet old man knows.

"Hey Graham, what the hell is going on?"

The old man just laughed. "Don't worry you'll see. This is a once in the lifetime thing, it's not often mystics find their other half." Yeah like that helps.

I turned back to the pair and then sat down on a log a few feet away and watched entranced as the two bodies slowly revolved and every few seconds sparks of lights would flow through the weird bubble.

Ari's POV

I kept this nonstop mumbling in my head for hours until the darkness disappeared and I could finally I could hear the faint murmurs of people around me. I felt the faint touch of someone caressing my hand and then slight pressure before fire shot through my veins and my skins felt like it was electrified with tingles shooting across the surface. The darkness disappeared and I appeared on some strange cliff top. What the heck. I turned and faintly recognised the area below. I was on top of the white witches cliffs in Northern Antoria, the rumoured home of the ancient mystic temple, but why would my dream bring me here I've never been here before so there's got to be another reason.

I heard the sound of rubble crunch under someone's foot behind me and was shocked to see a completely naked Nate. What the hell? I know he's meant to be my soul mate or whatever but I just met him I shouldn't be seeing him naked. I quickly covered my hand with my hands.

"Nate? Why the hell are you naked?"I shouted at him.

"What-Oh my god. Doesn't matter anyway I'm not the only one naked." He said his voice full of amusement. I looked down at myself through my fingers and saw that yes I was completely naked. God this is soo stupid, I'm on a cliff completely naked with my supposed soul mate that is also naked. You can't get much better than this.

I didn't bother to cover myself up no point he's seen everything and I've seen everything. He seemed to be missing something though. "Nate your tattoos are gone."I said my eyes flickering to the places where they should be.

"Yeah yours are gone too. But I'm guessing this is just a dream anyways so they'll probably still be on our bodies." He replied.

"What the young man says is true." Came and eerily sweet voice from behind Nate. I looked towards the voice and saw an elderly woman carrying a bundle slowly making her way towards us. "Greeting my children, I am Aurora the spirit guide to the mystics. As you know you two are soul mates and you've been brought here as its time for the final bonding ceremony where you two will become one... Follow me." She said chuicking a bundle at each of us and then backing away from the cliff edge. This is soo strange.

I unravelled the bundle to see that it was a long red cloak with a hood. I hastily threw it over my shoulders and brought the hood up over my head. I looked up at Nate who was wearing a similar cloak to mine but it was blue. I looked into his eyes then gave a shrug and followed the old woman away from the cliff top.

The old lady stopped after 5 minutes in an area that was rocky as the cliff but was also surrounded by a thin line of trees. In the centre there was a small fire that was surrounded by logs so it looked like a mini camp fire. As I got closer to the fire I saw that each log had a small stone on it with a different symbol on it. This must be a ritual site or something.

"Come over here dears." Aurora said stopping next to the fire and indicating to a large stone set before it that had a symbol that looked like two flowers intertwining. We both stood on it and stared at her expectantly. "Okay, join hands. This ceremony is kind of like a marriage except it is so much more powerful as it can never be broken because once bonded, if your other half dies, you die." I gulped and looked up at Nate.

"I can't believe this, what if I die? I don't want you to die because of me!" I whispered to Nate.

"Then don't die." He responded plainly as he gazed deep into my eyes and grabbed my hands in his. I nodded slowly then looked at Aurora who was standing on the other side on the fire on another stone.

"I call upon the powers of the ancient mystics to bond these two souls together, to make the two become one. Let the great Rosmardin look down upon these two souls and bless them with good fortune." Aurora held up her hands to the sky and shut her eyes. Her lips were moving as if she was chanting under her breath. Her head snapped up but her eyes remained closed and Aurora began to dance round the fire in a mesmerising fashion that left you feeling awestruck. When she got to Nate and I she danced around us 3 times before stopping and laying her hands over our entwined hands then kissing our foreheads. "I Aurora, spirit guide of the mystic do bless thy souls in the name of Rosmardin!"

I was startled as the fire behind Aurora roared up and the flames flickered and kept changing colours. wow!

Aurora snapped her head to the fire and her eyes widened in shock before she closed them as if she seemed to be listening. What the heck! When she opened them again she had a huge smile on her face. "You two have been especially gifted by the great Rosmardin and you will see this soon enough for yourselves young ones. To complete the ceremony and bond thy souls, you must seal it with a kiss."

I looked up at Nate who had a huge grin on his face that made his beautiful face glow. I couldn't help smiling myself at this. I looked up at Nate who smiled down at me and then used our still entwined hands to pull me closer and planted a not so chaste kiss on my lips sending fireworks through my body.

Something deeper happened as well leaving me feeling as though I was finally complete. When I pulled away I still saw the multi-coloured lights but I was no longer on the cliff top and I was no thankfully fully dressed. I felt strong arms around me and yet still felt my hands entwined in someone else's hands. I glanced at my hand and saw that round my wedding finder there was now an intricate design that looked as if I had a wedding band there. It was beautiful.

I looked up at the owner of the hand that was entwined in mine to see Nate's smiling face looking down at me roving all over my body before his eyebrows rose up into his hairline in shock. I followed his gaze and saw a small bump under my tunic. What the hell?

I quickly pulled up my tunic to see my stomach was swollen and the skin was covered with intricate tattoos. I heard gasps from all around by I was too distracted to care. "Do you think this is what she meant by Rosmardin has gifted us?" I asked him, I mean jeez I looked a good few months pregnant and damn this sucks; I'm a bloody virgin for Christ's sake. I'm like the freaking Virgin Mary and my god I'm 18 I don't want a baby. I was hyperventilating by this point but Nate calmly reached up one of his hands and brushed it down the side of my face.

"Don't worry Ari, I'm right here and I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He then leant down and placed a soft and tender kiss on my lips.

"Thank you Nate. " I whispered against his lips before breaking away at the sound of someone clearing their throats. I turned to look at Ryan.

"Care to explain what happened and how Ari suddenly looks about five months pregnant and how you both are now completely covered in tattoos?" Ryan burst out. Hmm where to start?

© Katherine Pocock 2009