" This cannot be good!" Nobos exclaimed, walking on the cliff that overlooked his domain.
" What is happening?" Ian bearly stumbled to the cliff and slumped against a wall, breathless.
" Whatever is happening to you is affecting the realm !" Nobos scratched his hairless head.
" Fuck!" Ian cursed and slid down the wall.
" What do I need to do?" Ian panted and hissed in pain.
" That woman of yours is troublesome!" Nobos turned to him, frowning.
" Ettrick said something like that!" Ian chuckled and grunted. For a Hollow Guardian to suffer in pain was quite a sight. He hadn't seen one cower in pain like Ian, mainly because they couldn't feel pain.
" When she birthed Azra ", Ian uttered a pain-stricken scream," this is so much worse!" Ian chuckled, leaning his head against the wall.
" You were able to feel her pain?" Nobos asked in disbelief and lowered himself on his heels.
Ian swallowed and grunted " Yes!" he said, breathing heavily.
Nobos pursed his purple lips " Then we are in trouble. You're bound to her body and soul!" Nobos grumbled, rubbing his chin.
" Whatever she is going through, you are too! The bond must be broken at all costs! Nobos sat down and crossed his legs.
" How do I do that?" Ian grimaced, hugging his knees.
" She must die!" Nobos coldly said without taking his eyes off him.
" A bond like yours and hers can only be broken by death! Both of death! You didn't exactly die, but she is why you're still tethered to the realm of living!"
" You're crazy if you think I will kill her!" Ian huffed.
" If you don't, I will! " Nobos quickly offered to get the job done without the slightest trace of remorse.
" Then you're out of your mind if you think I'll let you do it!" Ian chuckled, pushed himself off the obsidian floor and stumbled back into the throne room.
" What if I get her out of Zandar? Maybe that will help!" Ian suggested and plopped himself on his throne.
" We are not allowed to meddle!" Nobos brooked, walking inside the throne hall.
" You just offered to end her life! Isn't that meddling?" Ian asked, grunting.
" Yes, but it would be me that would do it and not you! You shouldn't even think about it! Remember, whatever you do, it affects the Hollow! I'm not curious to find out what will happen if you commit such an act in the realm of the living!" Nobos said and plopped himself on a chair.
" Didn't Ettrick try to kill Iris to gain control over the source?" Ian suspiciously questioned.
" Yes! He wouldn't have succeeded! We were just waiting for the right moment to end him, but you stepped in, and well, you know the rest!" Nobos rubbed his face with his hands.
" Wait! So you're telling me that none of this would've happened if I had waited long enough?" Ian asked in disbelief.
Nobos nodded " Why do you think a soul collector was with him? It was because he wanted the witch out of the way, but he couldn't do it himself. Not in the realm of living anyway!" Nobos let out a frustrated sigh.
" Ettrick wanted to regain his soul and believed that Arkathira was the key! The damn thing holds so much power that once one has full control. It can become a god himself. In truth, nobody had truly used it to its full potential. Not the A'Khina nor sithrians. They thought they did, but they didn't. Helm likes to play tricks on his creations." Nobos leaned in his chair.
" Huh! How does one gain control over it?" Ian curiously asked and let out a sigh of relief.
Nobos shrugged " Nobody truly knows! There has been chatter in the underworld, but nothing relevant—just rumours. I'm sure you boy down in the pit must know! If only he would bloody talk ." Nobos tapped his fingers on the table.
A cloud of smoke appeared in the centre of the throne hall, and in the mist, the Hollow Lords made their presence known, shouting outraged.
Ian turned to look at Nobos " You still owe me a cloak" Ian chuckled and grunted, displeased with the intrusion.
One of the Lords stepped forward, " You must leave this realm! We will perish if you don't leave!".
He had no clue who he was. Up until then, Ian had only dealt with Nobos and Huriath.
" And who might you be?" Ian asked, waving his hand at him to step forward and speak.
" I'm Lord Rhoose!" the Lord introduced himself.
Ian stood up from his throne " You'll have to forgive me, Lord Rhoose, but unfortunately for all of you, I'm here to stay! So, please make yourselves comfortable so that we can talk this through! If not, " Ian raised his hand, pinching his two fingers ", I'm more than happy to put you down for another nap!" Ian wickedly grinned, tipping his chin, challenging the Lords to defy him.
" You're an abomination! You are not worthy of the Hollow Guardian!" One of the Lords shouted from amidst the group of Lords, and again, he had no clue who it was but was not interested in the least finding out.
" So everyone keeps telling me! I'm either scum or not worthy of this and that. I've had enough! Leave!" Ian thundered and clapped his hands, and the Lords vanished from the throne room.
" They will be back." Nobos amusedly said with a sigh.
" I know! I'll be ready!" Ian sat back on his throne and heaved a heavy sigh.
He raised his eyes, and Hollow flames had calmed down, and so did his pain. He waved his hand at the obsidian wall, and Iris appeared on the wall. She was in a carriage with the man she had been married to upon her arrival in Zandar.
" She is beautiful!" Nobos admitted as he stared at Iris.
" No wonder she had found a replacement for you so quickly!" Nobos jabbed with a grin.
" It wasn't her. It was her long-lost father. King Lund.The ruler of Zandar." Ian bitterly said as he stared at the wall.
" She would have never agreed with such nonsense! I'm guessing she had no other choice!" Ian tried to comfort himself.
Nobos hummed " What do you think he has on her?" he asked with a frown.
Ian shrugged " I can only see. I can't hear what they are saying! I know she isn't happy. I know that smile." Ian said with a sigh.
" I need a favour from you! I need you to get her out of Zandar since the rules state I can't interfere. You'll have to do it for me.' Ian stood up from his throne and stopped in front of Nobos.