The Ariki then sat on the ground while he invited me to sit down beside him.
I floated towards him and sat down.
He seemed pensive for a moment while I took my time looking at the lake.
It's so beautiful and peaceful here.
I glanced towards the moons and noticed that they seemed to be more brilliant than usual.
Um.
This isn't mating time, isn't it?
The Ariki seemed to read my thoughts as he began to laugh.
He looked towards the lake as he asked me why I didn't go to the afterlife. I told him that a voice asked me that same question in which I don't want to go yet as I don't want to leave everyone, especially my Lion as I have something I wanted to do for him.
He smiled at me and told me that I reminded him of someone that is very precious to him.
Oh.
I asked him if he was talking about his mate. He shook his head and told me that he never had a mate. He had someone he wanted to become his mate but died before mating.
She was a warrior in the island. And she got killed by a monster.
I knew it.
I asked him if it was Karkinos. The look on his face confirmed my suspicion.
He told me that he wasn't allowed to attack the monster as they were forbidden to go to another monster's territory. He was stuck here, never leaving the island.
Wait.
Just wait.
No way.
I almost screamed with excitement when I realized who I was talking to.
He looked amused seeing me as I kept floating around in circles around him.
He asked me if I know his true identity in which I excitedly nodded.
Ahuizotl.
One of the guardian monsters guarding the shard.
....
But he looks.... normal.
He laughed as he tried to explain to me that if he were to use his true form, then he would have spent several millennia by himself, never meeting her.
And no, it is only him that can transform to a regular creature.
And yes, the shard is located underneath the lake in which he had been guarding for several millennia.
And no, he doesn't know why. He said that he had been staying for so long at this place that he had forgotten how he came to exist.
Ahuizotl had a soft look in his eyes in which he told me all about her and how he had spent more than a couple of centuries, millennia in longing for her.
So, she's been dead for a long time.
I asked him why he hasn't forgotten about her in which he explained to me that there are creatures who stick to one mate for eternity. They are not just mates but both of them are pieces that become whole when they are together.
But they didn't mate yet.
Ahuizotl told me that sometimes mating isn't needed in knowing that. Also, time won't really heal you, it would just prolonged your yearning.
Lion.
I remembered him telling me how he already decided that I would be his mate even if we hadn't bonded yet.
They don't speak about love here but somehow, that words are not needed as they showed it through their actions. No lip service at all.
The creatures here are really different from humans.
Tears fell down on my cheeks as I cried, while Ahuizotl began to sob also.
We spent some time crying our hearts out before he suddenly stopped.
He asked me if I am genuine with my decision in not going to the afterlife in which I yelled at him that I don't want to be stuck as a spirit here, watching my Lion suffering from my absence.
He smiled at me and stood up, telling me that I helped him made his decision.
What decision?
He slowly went back towards the main hut as I hesitantly followed him.
He's not going to transform now, is he?
....
Inside the main hall, everything is in chaos. A lot of the warriors are very much drunk in which a lot of the sirens took advantage of as they are nearly naked while trying to coax them into having intercourse. Thankfully, the pack seems not to engage in the silliness as they just spent their time staring at the table. Bahar seems amused at their actions as he kept taunting them in which the pack ignored.
When Ahuizotl went inside, everyone became quiet. He ignored them while calling one of the warriors towards him as he signaled for Lion, Bahar and the pack to follow him.
They followed Ahuizotl as he went towards the hut in which my body was staying.
He told Lion to carry me and to follow him.
Lion immediately took my body and embraced it, nuzzling at my neck and cheeks as he gently carried it in his arms.
Then they all went outside the hut, following Ahuizotl as he went back to the meadow near the lake.
Ahuizotl told Lion to place my body on the ground in which Lion tried to protest. Bahar went towards Lion, took my body and placed it on the ground as the rest of the pack held Lion back.
Then Ahuizotl closed his eyes, murmuring about something unintelligible as a light glowed around my body and my body disappeared.
I heard everyone gasping in which Lion yelled with dismay, kneeled down on the ground suddenly as his eyes widened in shock. He looked at Ahuizotl with hatred in his eyes, panting as he is about to transform into his ultimate form.
The rest of the pack began to growl as they also tried to transform into their ultimate form.
As for Bahar, he looked genuinely astonished.
The warrior tried to stand beside Ahuizotl in which Ahuizotl simply held his hand up and told the warrior to go back to where he was standing before.
Then he raised his hand towards the pack and they all fell down on the ground in front of him.
He explained to everyone that my body was too decayed even if Lion was using a spell to prevent it from decaying. It won't bind my soul with the body as it is no longer compatible.
With his arm outstretched towards me, he looked at me.
Everyone began to tell him that he must've out of his mind with his actions in which Lion kept growling and looking towards him with intense hatred.
I slowly walked towards Ahuizotl and held his hand and faced everyone.
Slowly, a light began to glow around me as my spirit self revealed itself to them.
Lion's eyes widened in shock as tears fell down on his cheeks. He started to say something but stopped, sobbing instead while his eyes looked at me with tenderness.
The rest of the pack sat up and looked at me as they too began to sob.
I began to cry also in which Lion hurriedly stood up and ran towards me. He was about to hug me when his arms passed through my body.
I'm a spirit, Lion.
Lion looked like he is in anguish as he tried to grasp my body in which he failed to do so.
I slowly placed my hand on his cheek in which he closed his eyes and began to weep.
This time, I'm the one speaking words of comfort towards him.
Ahuizotl cleared his throat and I stepped back away from Lion in which his hands tried to pull me towards him.
He spoke to Ahuizotl with a furious voice, asking him what sort of nonsense is he planning.
Ahuizotl simply smiled and looked towards me in which I suddenly have an inkling in what he is about to do.
He transformed to his real self in front of us, surprising everyone especially the warrior, making me amazed at how humongous he is with his real form.
I went towards him and hugged him, thanking him in what he is about to do.
Lion seemed to get the grasp of the situation as he told everyone to get back.
Ahuizotl gave a grin towards Lion as he told him that he will be using a forbidden spell and that nobody should do it as it has severe consequences if being done incorrectly.
Lion nodded and told him that he will make sure that nobody else will know about the spell.
Ahuizotl bowed down his head with thanks and asked me if I am ready.
I asked him if he could lower his head in which he obliged as I caressed his head, telling him to hurry as someone is waiting for him for a long time.
He chuckled as he nuzzled my hair, telling me not to regret my decision.
Of course I won't regret it as I still have something to do.
I nodded in which both of us are surrounded by a bright light. A magic circle formed below us as we floated through the air.
....
I felt cold air against my skin as I slowly opened my eyes. Something is in my hand in which I saw a shard. I held it tightly as I floated down slowly towards the ground.
Lion immediately flew towards me and embraced me, sobbing as he kept nuzzling my face and my neck, telling me how much he missed me and how close he was in ending his life just to be with me.
Tears fell down on my cheeks as he slowly wiped it away, looking at me with so much love and yearning in his eyes.
He embraced me tightly towards his chest, slowly carrying me in his arms when he realized that I was naked.
I raised my eyebrow at him in which he looked towards the rest of the group with a threatening glare that they hurriedly averted their eyes. Only Bahar continued watching us as I saw a glimpse of ravenous look in his eyes that Lion didn't seem to notice.
His cloak suddenly materialized beside him and he took it with his hand, hurriedly covering my body with it.
I laughed at him while he grinned at me, giving me a soft kiss on my neck.
....
Lion landed on the ground just as Ahuizotl's spirit suddenly materialized beside us. A siren's spirit stood beside him and I tried my best to bite my lip as this siren looks absolutely hideous compared to the sirens I saw earlier. They glanced at each other with love as Ahuizotl placed his arm around the siren's shoulder as he told the warrior, who looked devastated, that he is going to be in charge from now on as he is going away to the afterlife along with her.
They both looked towards me in which the siren gave me a grin as I told them to be happy in the afterlife. They kissed each other as they slowly faded away.
I began sobbing uncontrollably as Lion tried his best to comfort me.
His hold towards me begin to tighten as he told Bahar and the pack to go back to the ship.
Then we kissed passionately.