Keirah blinked as the spell finally faded.  A blue light floated in the air next to Ryder, it rapidly expanded.and disappeared.  In its place stood a white horse, which what looked to be dried blood coating its sides.

“Really Avondale, dramatic much, I know I took your wings, but there was no blood.”  Ryder was unimpressed.

“Ignorant boy it is a custom amongst my kind.”’  The horse spoke, for some reason this did not surprise Keirah.

“No it's not.”  Ryder rebutted, still unimpressed.

“How do you know?  Hmm?  Do you know the intricate ways of the Pegasus?”

“Yes.  Mind meld, during the spell.”

“Damn I forgot about that.”

Angel, yes Keirah decided she liked it when he called her that, yes, she liked it a lot.  Introduce yourself formally, as you would in court, his name is Avondale his title is Second Lord of the Aether.  Oh, and when you bow be sure to extend your wings back and out, so you do not eat floor.

It took great effort not to laugh at the latter comment but she was trained in the ways of composure.  “I Keirah Annalise Elizabeth Oa, Princess if the Sol Empire, and heir to the throne, am honored to meet you. Second Lord of the Aether Avondale.”  Keirah bowed low moving her wings as instructed, it was that unfortunate time that KC came to.  He was immediately put under again.

“I Second Lord of the Aether, and Guidemaster of Man, Avondale, am honored to meet you. Process of the Sol Empire, and Seraph of Healing, Keirah Annalise Elizabeth Oa.”  Avondale then bent at the knees  and bowed low.  Wings of blue light stretched out from his back.  Avondale rose and turned to Ryder.  “Thank you Magus, you do me great honor.”

Keirah looked at Ryder expectantly, so did the Pegasus.  Ryder looked between the two, “Oh, ahem… I am Ryder Roarke Bayman, Magus of the Aether and Master Traveler, am honored to be in your presence.”

“Now that our formalities are over with, Keirah, I dare say your wings look better on you than they do on me!  Don't give him that angry look, it was a mutual arrangement, his end of the bargain is far more difficult.”

Ryder's eyes went wide for a second, “Sorry guys I gotta go, I have to start my task.”

Ryder left the three beings in his house and flew into space, he gently nudged each of the four planets to move, it would take four years for them to get into proper position and by then his plan would come together all on its own.

Ryder then headed for a different system, this was one time he could effectively use his teleport ability, he focused on the star zooming his vision as far as he could and teleported.  He reappeared in the system and began his search, there were many planets but only one that fit his needs,  it was twice as large as earth but it had no core.  With flight and super speed active, he dug through the crust and the mantle, he pulled energy from the system star, turning it into magical energy. He used this energy to create a hollow sphere of Aetherium.

He expanded the sphere creating immense pressure, in the mantle.  He then fed the magical energy into the sphere.  He then created thousands much smaller spheres, about the size of earth's moon.  They connected to the core and then to each other then shot out to the planet's crust.  This created a ley matrix under the planet's crust filling it with magical energy.

He then erected stones and enchanted them to create an atmosphere, forests, plants, and oceans.  The only thing he restricted was the creation of magical creatures and intelligent life, this planet was spoken for.

Ryder flew back into space, pausing for a moment, and set the planet on a course to the sol system.  In four years the Sol system would have five planets.  And Avondale would have his request.

Ryder teleported back to Sol by memory.  He flew back to his house, Keirah and Avondale had moved to the backyard, Keirah was combing the Pegasus.  It appeared to them they had been talking.  Ryder was still very far away so he decided to listen in on the conversation, he knew it was wrong but he was curious.

“Your transformation was not just physical, it also showed you the heart, what few pairs will discover for themselves, and not for a long time.  The downside is it only happens once, you will never get the opportunity again,  If he is killed you will never find another.”  Avondale was speaking.

“But what if it is not reciprocated?”  Keirah sounded worried

“That’s the thing with things like this, it always is.”

Ryder started approaching after “if he dies.”  When he landed he asked, “if who dies?”

“Ryder!”  Keirah said surprised, then became pensive, “How much of that did you hear?”

“Just at ‘your transformation was not just physical,’ sorry for eavesdropping.  Though it is no excuse, I was just curious to hear what you might say about me if you did not think I was there.”  Ryder delivered honestly, unaware of Keirah’s blush.  “What about Angel’s transformation?”  Ryder asked Avondale.  

“That is her business, if she wishes to share it, on the mean time, show me what you’ve started.”

“You mean what I have finished.”  Ryder was pleased to see the shock on Avondale’s face.

“You work fast, can, can I see it? Can you take me?”

“It is not ready yet it will be here in four years.”  Ryder looked to Keirah, “Angel, can you tell your father that there is an incoming planet, it will be here in four years which will balance the gravitational orbits of the other four.  I do not want someone to blow it up.”

Keirah just nodded dumbly.

“Here I will show you both.”  He sent them a compressed telepathic message of all he had done.

Avondale, took  the message and was amazed, he then sent it to the other Nine Lords, who promptly appeared then lined up according to order.

They all spoke as one, “We are the Ten Lords of The Aether, we have seen your actions and judge you worthy.  By our right as Lords of the Aether, we unlock your CHAINS, and grant you the title of Grand Master Magus.”

Ryder velt his access to the Aether change as if he no longer had a single source of power inside of him, but instead he could tap directly into the Aether.

Still in unison, “At the end of this Atherwinter, you shall take the mantle of the Tenth Lord of the Aether, but unlike Merlin, your will be predecessor, your title is not Grandmaster of Learning, it shal be Rexius of the Aether, Ruler of the Lords.”

This time only Avondale spoke, “My true name is Avon, all upon it if you have need of it my Lord.”

“Avon, when the planet arrives, you shall be the first to step foot on its surface, and you shall be the one to name it.”  Ryder tried to be as regal as possible, but he was far to overwhelmed.

“I cannot, it is not my place.”

“You listened to me, you agreed to my request, it was your request that spurred me to act, it was you who gave up your wings.  It will be you who makes this history.  And it is you who has the title of Master of the New Home”

The First Lord stepped forward, “My, my, two seconds initiated and you are already making big changes.  You aren't even a Lord yet, though that is more of a formality.  So far none of us disagree, but there must be a Guidemaster of Man.”

Ryder panicked, but he kept his outward exposure, he looked to Keirah, “We have Ten Lords, I think it is time for a Lady.  “Angel, Keirah Oa, I grant you the title of First Lady of the Aether,  representative of the Celestial beings, Healer and Guidemaster of Man.”

This time a Gryphen spoke, “Great now we have to find nine more Ladies, and she has to get at least acquainted with the Seraphim.”

Just as they appeared they all vanished, along with Avon.

“You know you did not even ask if I wanted to be this Lady.”  Keirah did not look angry, Ryder tok that a good sign.

“I am sorry I panicked.”  Ryder watched her nod, sigh ad sit down.  Or try to rather, her wings were in the way.  “You know you can put those away.”

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“Really!  How?”

“Just think about absorbing them or something, I do not know.  I’m kidding meditate for a bit, the wings will show you how to use them.”

Keirah closed her eyes, Ryder was impressed, she was already meditating, she had done this before.  A few minutes later she smiled and pulled her wings in.  She also, unknowingly, retracted her armor to just the belt.  This time though, Ryder was caught staring.  Oddly though, Keirah made no move to cover herself.  She just waited a few moments, then  casually reactivated her armor.

When Ryder eye returned to hers, they had a mischievous glint in them.  Had not retracted the armor on purpose, but she definitely took it in stride.  It was then Ryder knew something had changed.  Keirah, sat down on the grass, and turned west, the day was coming to a close.  Ryder sat down next to her.  She leaned into him and let out a long breath.

“What are you thinking about?”  Ryder asked.

“How much my life will change, probably the same thing you are.”

“No, I was thinking about how nice your hair smells.”

Keirah was surprised, she peered up at him.  She knew there was nothing he could have said, now different answer given, that would have meant more to her than that one.  “You think about me Ryder?”

“Of course Angel, why would I not?”

Keirah stayed quiet for a moment.

“You know, they will not force you to do anything, at least not yet, they will wait till we are ready.”

“How do you know?

“It is what I would do, it is the right thing.  They are not the hands of fate, and they know it.  They have operated for this long without us, they will wait till we are ready.”

You say we.”

“Well, I would like to think we could help each other out.  I got you into it, so if you wanted to start now, I would follow you.  Otherwise I will wait till you are ready.  I have things I still want to do.”

Ryder unconsciously put his arm around her, and squeezed a little.  Keirah closed her eyes, thankful for the moment.  She waited a while, staring into the sunset.  She finally looked up at Ryder, glad to find he was staring at her.  “Ryder, why do you call me Angel?”

“Well originally, I just thought it would be a more fitting name for you.  Archon suggested power, authority, and sometimes even cruelty, whereas Angel suggests, well actually, better encapsulates your beauty grace, and kindness.  After that, one of my family members suggested that I should always call you that.  And since such matters are her Path of Wisdom, I took her advice.”

Keirah was elated by his compliments, and awed by his honesty, he did not have to tell the truth, true she could detect a lie, but she was more like a polygraph.  Someone with enough skill could beat it, and he had enough skill.

She looked up at Ryder again, and again Ryder was staring at her.  “Why are you staring at me?”

“Well, I wa…”  Keira's did not care, whatever Ryder was about to say was interrupted by her tongue in his mouth.  Keira felt Ryder become tense, but it quickly evaporated.  She was impressed, he was a natural at this.  Her mood darkened, when the thought occurred to her that this may not be Ryder's first time.  It was a cruel double standard for it was not her first time, but love is never fair.

She pulled away from him, breaking the kiss.  “Have you ever.. kissed someone before?”

“Who would I have kissed?  I never left the house till just a few weeks ago.  Why do you ask?”

Keira was embarrassed, she did not want to answer his question but he had answered all of hers, without reservations.  “I was worried you might have had experience, that was the best kiss I have ever had!”

“So you were to judge me by standards of which you yourself had not held?”  Though his tone was even, Keira he could tell he was angry, she knew it was her fault.  It was not fair!  He did not know how she felt, he did not love her, not yet.

The worst of was, Avon had made it clear that though the attraction was there, it was not a sure thing.  Though we were partners, Aetherially speaking, it was not guaranteed to happen.  She felt tears begin to well up, but she bit them back.  She would not cry in front of him.  It was not until Ryder had gotten up and went into the house that she let them out.

An hour later a woman came out to her, she had bright auburn hair and eyes like a forest.  Green, and impossibly vast.  “Hi Cherie, I am Rose.  Ryder told me about your quarrel.  I am what you might call an expert on matters of the heart.  I told him it was your fault, but he should give you the chance to make it up to him.”

“What baffles me is why a girl like yourself, would be worried about such a thing.  Ryder is a both a vastly wise and naive man.”

Keirah was confused, and a little peeved.  “You call him a man he is only seventeen, four years my junior, yet you call me the girl?”

Rose snapped “To be a woman has little to do with age, and everything to do with wisdom.  Your actions were childish.”  Rose softened her voice.  “I apologize, I have known Ryder for a long time, and in that time I have never seen him angry.  Your actions were not childish, but ones of love.  Which leads me to my question.  How does one, such as yourself fall in love with a man in three hours.”

Keirah  thought you could trust Rose, so she told her of everything that it happened, leaving nothing out, and how she came to love Ryder.

“He saw you unclothed, twice?!!”  Rose asked rhetorically when Keirah finished her story.

Keirah gave a sly smile and said, “I was wearing a belt.”

“Be still my heart.  I will tell you this, so you don't make this mistake again.  He has seen the naked form of a woman before, but not as you are thinking.  He is friends with many magical creatures, most of whom feel clothing hinders the Aether.”

“What you need to do is make it up to him.”  Rose noted Keira's intense blush.  “Lying with him is not the course of action I would suggest, a relationship built like that is sure to crumble.  You must do something that comes from your thoughts of him, made with your effort, and given with your heart.”

“How about a gift?”  Keirah asked.  She paused in thought, what would she give him.  It struck her like lightning.  “Rose what kind of weapons has Ryder trained with?”

“He has mastered many weapons, he has told me guns are the most fun.”

“No a gun does not suit him.”

Rose smiled, she was glad Keirah seemed to actually know Ryder's character, actually care about who he is.  What She said was true, Ryder had told her guns were the most fun.

“He is most skilled in the stave and dual blades.”

Keirah was lost in thought, she quickly calmed her mind and meditated.  The answer was there.  She opened her eyes to see Rose still sitting there, the moonlight.

“Rose is there a magical forge I can use?”

“Yes.”  Was all Rose said she got up, she led Keirah to a room in the house that was an actual blacksmith forge.  At the far end of the room was a wall with strange markings to Keirah.  Rose held her hand out to one of the symbols and doorway appeared.  “The magical forge is through this door, I will be interested to see what you come back with.”

“My idea comes from my thoughts of him, now I shall make it with my effort.”  Keirah declared this more for herself than Rose, but it felt good to say.  After taking a deep breath she stepped through the door.

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Another one down!  So I changed my mind, I have decided to go in a different direction with the story.  So no backstories, at least not yet.  I think you will enjoy the turn of events over the next couple chapters.  There is a twist coming up, and I guarantee you will not see it coming.  ^,..,^