Egg World

Chapter 3 - A Different Past

Illustration credit goes to Konomi at https://www.instagram.com/konomidrawz/

SYLVIE POV:

A distant rumbling broke the tranquility of floating in the light, as the brightness gradually began to dim. What sounded like shouts began to grow louder and louder as my new surroundings came into view.

Another battle? I wondered to myself. But this time, I was prepared to face whatever memory I was shown.

I didn't understand how I had heard him, but I was certain that what I had heard before being pulled into the light again was Arthur's voice. It had not been my imagination; the purple light flashing through the sky and my bond's words were still fresh in my mind. I wasn't sure what had happened to me, but he was working hard to get me back to him.

So, no matter what I had to face from now on, I would face it with courage and confidence. I was Arthur's bond, and if he was giving his all to get me out of here, I would give my all to overcome the trials in this world.

The light faded completely, and I blinked as my eyes adjusted to a different environment.

People were in a frenzy around me, shouting and waving their arms. Their clothing was different from the ones worn in Dicathen.

Am I in Alacrya?

Wherever this was, it was evident that this was not a war. The people around me weren't fighting; instead, they seemed to be cheering as spectators. Long benches of metal separated the rows of people that were standing. Jumping onto one of the benches, I stood on my toes to get a better look at what everyone was watching.

We were in what looked like a massive arena, with huge lights shining down on the center. The arena sloped upwards on all sides, forming a bowl-like shape, and in the middle was a large stage. Although it was hard to see from this distance, I could make out the figure of a bulky, muscular man, dressed in a sleeveless, black tunic with pants that matched the tunic's color.

"—and his opponent, on the other side..." A voice boomed, catching me off guard. The crowd began to cheer louder, and I was unable to make out where the voice had come from. The lights around us honed in on a stone door to the side of the stage, which began slowly sliding up.

"...King Grey!" Shouts and applause filled the ginormous stadium, as a tall man in a full set of armor stepped onto the stage, his pale blonde hair highlighted by the glare.

I froze at the name, and the thunderous noise around me dulled, as if I were hearing it underwater.

Grey? Is this...Arthur's past life?

I flew down the stadium, as whoever was speaking continued to rile up the crowd. I reached the bottom of the spectator stands just as the fight broke out, my hands gripping the railing separating me from the stage.

The opponent held a spear and a shield that seemed to be made of some sort of electric energy. Art...Grey dove and dodged around the other fighter's attacks, not counterattacking, but not looking pressured either.

"Quit dodging! Fight!" someone shouted behind me.

"No, that's not it..." I whispered under my breath.

I couldn't see his face, and I couldn't hear his voice. At this distance, there was no trace of Arthur that I could see in his previous self; even if I got up close, I wasn't sure if I would be able to see much of my bond in this warrior. But the moves that Grey made were all-too familiar to me. He wasn't dodging because his opponent was stronger; he was just waiting for the right moment.

Grey's opponent momentarily paused his onslaught, appearing to take a break, and then lunged forward with a thrust of his spear. Grey ducked underneath the spear, but a smile broke out on his opponent's face at the move. He had expected the dodge. The shield on his other arm formed into a second spear, and he plunged it downwards towards Grey.