"Oh, to be young and in love in a kingdom ravaged by war. How wonderfully tragic.”
-Ascendant Az’marthon Ranok.
-1847.
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By the time evening came around, Aodhán had managed to come up with a better date plan than his previous idea, and after parting ways with Andrew and Daruk, he made his way to his room to begin preparations and take a shower.
He was a little nervous about the whole thing, as this was his first ever date with anyone, and his stomach was cramped, fluttering with nerves at irregular intervals.
As he walked to the bathroom, he replayed the plan in his mind, making sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. Lupin Cavanaugh was smart, beautiful, and funny, but most importantly, she was a noble, and he couldn’t afford to bring anything less than his best to this date.
During their celebration in the cafeteria, Aodhán had settled on a much better location for their date, one he’d found by accident the last time he and Varéc had taken to the skies.
It was a small, wild garden located behind the residential area that emanated a sense of serenity and stagnant time. He’d been hesitant to check it out at first, but now it was the only place he could think of.
He scrubbed his body until it was raw, and fifteen minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom. After drying himself, he spent the next few minutes styling his hair until it fell in that slightly unkempt way girls usually love.
He picked out the second outfit he’d bought in the 8th sector, a black t-shirt and jeans, flicked his fingers, and a new storm scarf materialized before him. It was much thicker than the one he’d first created, and after wrapping it around his shoulders, he turned to stare at himself in the mirror.
Pleased, he checked the time and smiled when he saw that it was exactly six thirty. He was right on time. After another glance at the mirror, he stepped out of his room and made his way to house 7, where Lupin lived.
A few people stared at him curiously as he passed by them, but their awe and curiosity seemed to have died down, and many soon dismissed him. Aodhán was grateful for the reprieve, and he snatched a rose stalk from a bush not too far from house 7.
He trimmed away the thorns with a storm knife as he climbed up the stairs to the front door, but the door opened before he could knock, and Lupin was pushed out by a duo of giggling girls, Scarlett and the other girl whose name he still couldn’t remember.
Lupin had always been beautiful with her silvery-white hair and piercing silver-ringed eyes, but now she was even more so. Transformed by a delicate application of beauty magic that he suspected was Scarlett’s handwork, Lupin glowed.
She wore a beautiful black gown that accentuated her curves and contrasted perfectly with her hair, but it was her eyes that blew him away; they shone with an intrinsic glow, almost cat-like in the light of dusk, and when she smiled at him, his heart skipped multiple beats.
“You look amazing.” He smiled and handed her the rose, which she accepted with a giggle. “You clean up nice as well.”
“Just nice?” he teased, and she chuckled. “Okay, I’ll confess. You look amazing in black.”
“Why, thank you.” He bent an arm, and she clasped it. “Black’s my favorite color, by the way.”
“I know.” She replied with an embarrassed smile. “I asked Daruk.”
“Did you now?” Aodhán's smile widened, and she glared at him. “It’s not a big deal; don’t fuss.”
Aodhán laughed and raised his hand in surrender. “As you wish; after all, I’m a perfect gentleman.”
She shook her head and clasped his arms once again. “So, where are we going?”
A storm platform appeared before them, and he stepped into it, pulling Lupin along. “You’ll find out soon enough.” She laughed as she clung tightly to him to maintain her balance. “Oh, mysterious; I like it.”
They zoomed off in the direction of the garden, and when they arrived, even Aodhán was wide-eyed. Being within the garden was vastly different from seeing it from the sky.
Red roses and blue Salinger vines filled the garden, but it was the dense amount of serenity essence in the air that surprised him. There was no doubt that this had been a sort of cultivation area in the past, but from the look of things, it hadn’t been visited in a long time.
“Raol’s breath.” Lupin whispered, wide-eyed, as the platform lowered to the ground. She removed her hands from his and slowly moved to the center of the garden. “By ascendants, this is beautiful. How did you even find it?”
Aodhán blinked and smiled. “I have my ways.”
She shook her head in amazement, and while she ogled the garden, Aodhán created a storm blanket that he placed on the ground and took out the food he’d gotten from the cafeteria.
Lupin turned at the sound, and he gestured for her to sit. Aodhán had gathered a small tray of fruits, a stack of steaming toast breads, and juice. It hadn’t been free, of course, as it was outside his daily allocation, and after paying for it, Aodhán was flat broke, but the look on her face when she took a bite of the toast bread made it all worth it.
“You like it?” he asked, and she groaned. “Are you kidding me? This is divine.”
She took another bite and shook her head. “It’s been a while since I ate toast; in fact, I haven't eaten it since my father bought his noble title.”
“What title?” Aodhán asked, and when she frowned, he apologized. “I’m sorry if that was rude, but I’m unfamiliar with the dealings of the nobility."
“No, you don’t need to apologize.” Lupin responded. “It is a slightly rude question, because I expected you to have made your findings before asking me out, but I appreciate that it was a spontaneous decision on your part, and you aren’t trying to woo me for my title.”
Aodhán opened his mouth and shut it without saying anything. What could he say? She was right; he should have known or at least found out what title her father held, but with everything that was going on, he’d forgotten, but that wasn’t a good excuse.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Lupin laughed at his expression. “Don’t beat yourself up too much about it.” She took a sip of juice and continued. “Anyway, my father is a baron; no land, just title.”
Aodhán sighed, forgiving himself of his blunder, and asked. “Okay, how does that affect toast?”
“It doesn't, actually.” She replied, slightly embarrassed. “But my father said it’s a common dish, one not quite befitting of nobility, so he ordered our cook to stop preparing it.”
“And here, I thought nobles had all the best things in life.” He quipped, and Lupin scoffed. “You’d be surprised.”
Her expression grew wistful, and she muttered. “It has its advantages, but sometimes I wish for my old life back. The freedom of simplicity and the joy that comes with the simple things in life.” She chuckled sadly. “You won’t understand.”
“True, I don’t.” Aodhán agreed. “But I can imagine some of your struggles. The pressure to meet expectations, to maintain reputations... It cannot be easy.”
She nodded. “Maybe you do understand.”
Their conversation flowed to lighter topics, and Aodhán asked. “So, what are your hobbies?”
“Oh, I love dancing, and I’ve been called a talented singer before.”
“By who?” Aodhán teased. “Don’t tell me it’s your father.”
Lupin threw an apple at him and glared. “I’ll have you know that my father is a talented singer himself.”
“Okay fine.” Aodhán chuckled and bit into the apple she had thrown. “So,—”
“No, you haven’t told me yours.” She interrupted, and Aodhán shrugged. “I’m a terrible dancer, and my new voice has ruined any chance I once had at a music career.”
Lupin laughed, and he continued. “I love to decorate, though, but mostly, I love to take pictures and capture memories on film so people never have to lose them.”
His expression sobered, and Lupin hesitantly asked. “Did you lose your memory?”
“Oh no,” Aodhán lied. “I’m speaking in a conceptual sense.”
“Ah.” She hummed. “You should get a snapper though; it’s this slightly new technology from the 8th sector my father once brought home. It’s supposedly made from light, time, and some other essence I can’t currently remember, but I’m not really into all that geeky stuff.”
Aodhán laughed. “Perhaps I will, when next I get to the 8th sector.”
Lupin laughed, and their conversation flowed once more. They discussed their classes and the issues they were having in each class. It turned out she was having problems with runic theory and was contemplating dropping the course.
“But you did so well in class.” Aodhán frowned, and she shrugged. “I’ll attend the next one to see how things go. If I make no progress, though, I’ll drop the course and take on something simpler.”
Aodhán thought for a moment and replied. “Perhaps we could learn it together. I haven’t gotten it yet, so I can’t exactly teach you, but I’m making decent progress; maybe that can help you.”
“I would like that very much.”
They moved on to other topics, and before they knew it, two hours had passed. They both stood up, and Aodhán returned everything to his spatial storage. The weather was cool and serene, and although he didn’t want the date to end, it was already late.
As he created another storm platform to take them back, an idea suddenly came to mind, and he asked. “Say, have you ever seen the night sky?”
Lupin paused and smiled. “A few times. Once when my family traveled to the 6th sector to see my grandparents, and the other when I went to the capital.”
“And you prefer this—he gestured towards the golden clouds of dusk—to the original sky?”
Lupin stuttered. “I don’t know, actually, but the nexus of sunsets is beautiful.”
“I think so too, but sometimes I wish for the darkness of night—to see the stars in all their glory, to see the moon, to feel its luminescence. Don’t you?”
Lupin turned her gaze to the sky, her eyes slightly wide as the image Aodhán painted with his words manifested in her mind.
“I can show it to you.” Aodhán added after a moment of silence.
She shook her head, dispelling the thoughts, and said. “You can’t penetrate the veil of the nexus with a simple construct. It’s too high, and we’re too weak.”
“Who said anything about a construct?” Aodhán grinned, and her eyes widened when she realized his intentions. “Surely, you don't—you mean your familiar?”
“Yes.” Aodhán answered, his voice a whisper. “I’ve soared among the clouds before; I want to share the experience with you.”
“Yes.” Lupin agreed immediately, and the next moment, Varéc emerged from his spirit, already brimming with anticipation. Lupin staggered back, eyes wide, as this was the first time she’d been this close to the fury.
Varéc growled, urging them to go, and Aodhán chuckled. He placed a hand on Varéc and said, “Lupin, this is Varéc. Varéc, Lupin.”
Varéc growled again, but this time it was in greeting. Lupin sensed the change, and after a glance in Aodhán’s direction to know if he was okay with it, she stretched her hand and placed it on Verac's sinuous neck.
Lightning rippled around the spot she touched, too weak to hurt her but enough to jolt her. She withdrew her hands instantly, and Varéc growled in amusement.
She sighed in amazement and glanced at him once more, as if she couldn’t quite believe he was letting her touch Varéc, but after another nod, gesturing for her to go ahead, she placed a hand on Varéc’s head and gently traced his horns.
Varéc shuddered from the sensation, and Aodhán chuckled. He created a saddle large enough for two, and when he was done securing it in place, he muttered. “Ready when you both are.”
Varéc jerked, embarrassed to be caught simpering, and growled again, prompting another crackle of lightning to run across his scales. This time, when it jolted Lupin, she giggled and turned to him. “I’m ready.”
Gone were her composure and seriousness; instead, her face was flushed with childlike excitement, and before he knew it, she hopped onto the saddle and held tightly to the edge he’d created. Aodhán grinned, and after a moment to make sure the saddle was firmly in place, he joined her on the saddle.
Things got a little awkward for him when he realized just how close they were. Her body was flush against his, and when he stretched his hands to grip the edge, it melded with his, like two pieces of a puzzle.
He ignored the feeling and patted Varéc softly. “Ready when you—”
Varéc shot towards the sky like a bullet, and Lupin squealed in excitement, but the sound died a second later, stolen by the wind, and it wasn’t until Varéc slowed down that Aodhán was able to hear anything again.
“By the ascendants, damn!” Lupin laughed, her entire body shuddering with exhilaration, but she froze as Varéc tore through the golden veil of dusk and into the darkness of night. The real sky revealed itself in all its glory, and they both gasped in awe and amazement.
For Aodhán, the sight never got old. Stars littered the night sky like grains of sand, and a crescent moon shone brightly. Varéc slowed, soaring effortlessly among the dark clouds, and a feeling of contentment washed over him.
Lupin was too stunned to speak or even utter a word, her gaze fixed on the billions of stars above them. She stretched out a hand, and it trailed across the surface of a small cloud.
Aodhán copied her motion, humbled by the vastness of the sky above them. He sagged as the now familiar feeling of freedom filled him. His worries fell away, and his fears disappeared.
“Do you know why they created the veil?” Lupin whispered after several moments of awed silence.
“No.” He whispered back, and she shook her head. “The sector head and several other ministers are solar awakeneds. Did you know they lose a considerable amount of power whenever the sun goes down?”
Aodhán blinked. He'd once read up on the topic but hadn't quite realized that was the reason for the nexus veil.
“It must suck for the lady of moonlight, though,” he replied, and Lupin laughed, her smile even more radiant under the moonlight. “Yeah, it must suck.”
They soared for almost an hour before Varéc descended to the top of Lupin’s house, only giving them time to alight before rushing towards the sky once again.
Lupin giggled as she watched him disappear, her face flushed and her eyes alight with excitement. Her hair was a mess, scattered by the wind, but her smile was absolutely radiant, and he said the first words that came to his mind.
“You are beautiful.”
She blushed, her smile widened, and the next moment, she pressed her lips to his. A shiver raced down his spine. Lightning crackled across his skin, and he let himself drown in the sensation of utter pleasure she provided.
When she pulled back, Aodhán had to stop himself from taking her lips once more and kissing them until they were swollen. What would the monks think of him if he did that, after all their lectures on the subject of lust?
Instead, he smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“You’ll see me tomorrow, then.” Lupin replied with a wide smile as she pushed the door open, turned, and smiled at him once again before shutting the door.
Aodhán grinned like a fool as he began making his way to his house, glad that the date had gone perfectly. He mentally reached out to Varéc, wanting to call him back, but he was safe, and there was no harm in giving him a certain degree of freedom and independence, so Aodhán decided to let him be.
When he got into his room, he collapsed on the bed, his grin still fixed in place as he replayed the date and the kiss that had followed. Before long, sleep took him, and this time, no nightmares hunted his sleep.