Chapter 371

371 Familiar Chaos

“I see ye two seem ta have made up quite quickly,” Amara commented with a mischievous grin.

Skye beamed at her while Tidas flashed her a thankful expression. He knew that Amara had helped Skye talk through her frustrations, and was a main cause of their swift reconciliation. And if he were being completely honest; the dress had been a nice touch, too.

After a bit of good-natured picking, Tidas grabbed the clothes, and went inside the bunker to change. When he came out, Skye’s eyes took in every inch of him..

The clothes that Gavin and Amara had picked for him was nearly a perfect fit. His pants and vest were black, but his shirt matched Skye’s dress and his eyes. The tie was solid black with a green and gold clip, and the jacket that went with it was black.

The tan tone of his skin, and light-chestnut color of hair stood out, making Tidas look incredibly handsome. He had wet down his hair, and brushed it back with a comb that Gavin had provided. It was getting long, and he was due for a cut, but Skye had to admit that it gave him a suave appearance.

When he walked up to Skye and offered her his arm with a smile, Amara said; “I dinna think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful couple. Yer just like the celebrities of old! People are gonna be linin’ the streets ta see ya!”

Tidas shot her a deflated expression; “Tis not like we don’t get enough of that at home.. You should see how everyone flocks to her.”

Skye looked at her husband in disbelief; “Says the man that had women screamin’ indecent proposals at him durin’ the Mage Trials..”

Tidas smirked; “I wasn’t the only one..”

.....

Skye quirked an eyebrow at him; “Really? I didna hear anythin’.”

Tidas chuckled; “That’s because you were too busy kicking everyone’s arses to hear it.”

The two couples talked about the specifics of the Mage Trials as they headed for the amphitheater on the north-western side of the city. It was the first time that they had been allowed on that side of the city because a lot of their military installations were there.

While Murdoc and Amara trusted Skye and Tidas, the Highlander Council thought that it was best to limit their access to such things. At least until Magnus and Murdoc had signed the official copy of the treaty. Once it was signed, the Highlanders intended to show the Southerners enough to deter them from breaking the treaty easily..

The amphitheater wasn’t as big as the training grounds back home, but it definitely qualified to rival it. The seats were padded, and looked like chairs verses the bench-like seats back home. There were also wider aisles, and concession stands within the building, right outside of the entrances.

The crowds outside were organized, and streamed into the arena steadily. It was nothing like the chaos of the Mage Trials in Alcon, and had Tidas asking all kinds of questions about the rules and regulations that they implemented to keep everyone organized.

Skye was too busy smiling and waving with Amara to the crowds to pay much attention to the discussion. Since the Bout, the two woman had developed a kind of fan base, as well as Tidas. Being the Highlander King, Murdoc already had a fan base that stretched to every corner of the kingdom.

His title aside, the people loved Murdoc because he was just like them. His father had acted more like a typical noble; barely interacting with his own people, but Murdoc was completely different..

He led raiding parties, and helped work the fields during planting and harvesting times. Murdoc also frequently visited the hospitals and schools to see if the doctors and nurses had everything they needed, and to make sure that the children were being taken care of in every way needed. He got his hands dirty along side his people, and they adored him for it.

Their love was apparent as the five of them walked into the amphitheater. Many screamed their love and appreciation for him, and reached out for hand shakes, fist bumps, and high fives as he passed. Murdoc happily obliged, as did the other four as the spectators around them started to thicken..

People started to push at each other to get a chance to interact with them, and chaos soon broke out..

“This is more familiar,” Skye stated as she started to funnel her power into the ground.

Amara’s eyes went wide as Gavin started to hold people back from grabbing at her and Skye. She wanted to use her magic to get them to back off, but using fire with so many people around could only end badly.

Tidas and Murdoc weren’t fairing much better. Their voices were lost in the roar of the hordes. Murdoc’s face was red from yelling so much, but it was a drop of water in a sea of voices.

Tidas reached out for Skye, but there were too many people between them. He couldn’t figure out how they had turned so unruly. Feeling Skye’s Earth magic spreading out under his feet, Tidas decided to focus on the cause of the riotous mobs.

The Highlanders, based off of what Murdoc had said, didn’t usually turn uncontrollable. They were, generally speaking; very laid back, so Tidas figured that there must be instigators.. And they were doing it for a reason.

Closing his eyes, Tidas amplified his hearing, and listened for any suspicious talk. The amount of control he needed to nitpick through hundreds of voices was staggering, and could only be done when he was still and focused.

Seeing Tidas’ eyes shut and feeling his magic rise, Murdoc started to block people from touching him. One couldn’t think straight if they were being yanked in different directions every two seconds from attention-seeking assholes.

As Tidas listened, Skye finished her groundwork, and activated her magic..

The cement broke apart on the sides of them, and created a strip going nearly the entire way to the entrance. As the ground shook, the strip rose up, making the people around them back up. Dust and rocks crumbled and fell as Skye, Amara, Gavin, Tidas, and Murdoc were raised above the heads of the flabbergasted spectators.

Finding a small moment of silence, Murdoc bellowed out; “What the blood hell is Wrong wit you people?! Since when did ye lose yer sense of Respect?! That was Shameful! Prince Tidas and Princess Skye are our guests! Would ye have them believe we truly be Savages?!”

As the crowds murmured amongst themselves, Murdoc continued; “Ye have never rushed me like that in all these years! How can ye claim ta love me, but be fine wit makin’ me so uncomfortable?! Someone coulda gotten hurt, ye ken?! Get yer shit together, people!”

Everyone close looked abashed, but a few mixed in looked angry. They moved slowly, not drawing the attention of their king until they were close enough to strike..

“Amara! Look out!” Gavin screamed as he jumped in front of her.

The first blade stuck in Gavin’s back, making him fall forward onto a shocked Amara. The second blade was blocked by a rock wall made by Skye. She saw where the two blades had come from, and hiked up her skirt..

As she jumped off of the edge of the raised pathway, Skye saw Tidas leap, too.

She darted to the left as Tidas went right; both going head-to-head in their formalwear. As soon as Skye’s feet touched the ground, she blocked off the man in front of her with four rock walls. He tried to use his Manic trait to get over the wall, but failed miserably when Murdoc lept from the pathway, and punched him down.

Tidas was dealing with a female Tank user, and had her pinned to the ground after about three seconds. She wasn’t as strong or broad as he was, and had been initially surprised by him coming after her. As the crowds shoved at each other and screamed at the perpetrators, Amara built her magic..

She made a massive fireball, and had it explode above the crowds. People yelped and cried out in fear, then immediately shut up as Amara called out in the light lull if the sea of panic; “The next person that shoves or yells gets a fireball shoved up their arse! Be Quiet! Skye tis Gavin! Get up here!”

With the temporary stun washing over the crowds, the Highlander guards started to make their way to the King and the Southern Representatives. As they slapped sealing stone cuffs on them, Murdoc ordered them taken away until after the ceremony.

As soon as the man was restrained, Skye immediately went to the panicked Amara and bleeding Gavin. She was in the middle of yelling at him for taking the knife for her, but Skye was grateful he had..

As she kneeled down to tend to Gavin, Skye looked at Amara with an utterly serious expression; “Ye should be thankin’ him fer savin’ yer life..”

“Ya were facin’ the direction of the knife, Amara. If it would’ve hit ye, it would’ve pierced yer heart then and there. I can heal most wounds, but I canna bring people back from the dead..”

Amara’s eyes bulged as she turned back to a grinning Gavin as he said; “I just got me dreamgirl. Like hell Ima gonna lose ye any time soon.”

Smiling, Amara wiped the tears from under her eyes as she replied; “Aye.. Ima sorry fer hollarin’ at ye. Can ye forgive me, love?”

Gavin cupped her cheek as he replied; “Aye, so long as ye reward a hero properly later..”

Amara blushed prettily as she replied; “Aye, love.. Good and proper..”

“Ima right here, ye two! Save yer sweet talkin’ fer after the ceremony. I got the blood out of yer jacket, but I couldna do it wit yer white shirt, sorry,” Skye said as she stood up.

Tidas and Murdoc joined them, then turned to walk towards the amphitheater. Skye called out to them, then pointed to a staircase on the side of the pathway that she’d made to get back up to Gavin. It was better to not risk the same situation twice, especially since Skye didn’t think that they were the only two instigators in the crowds.

Gavin beamed at her as they slowed in pace; “Ima truly thankful fer yer help, Skye. Ye do a lot fer me: fer all of us.. Ima sorry ye had ta see the bad side, but I swear that the good outweighs the bad, by far.”

“Oh, I ken. I’ve met more than enough good and bad people ta tell the difference; most of the time. And I know that the majority of people wanna be good, deep down,” Skye replied as she looped her arm through Tidas’.

As Gavin nodded in agreement, Murdoc yelled to them all; “Oy! Get yer arses in gear! We’ve got a feast ta get to after this, and Ima already starvin’!”

The four shared a grin between them, then followed after the Highlander King into the amphitheater to make history...