Nothing could’ve prepared Aurora for the sight that she was allowed to witness, for the moment they exited the tower at the highest point, she found herself on a small, windy platform overlooking parts of a veritable behemoth of spires, domes, roofs and even some bridges that connected the upper portions of some of the sky-high towers.
By comparison, the one tower she stood atop on was truly small and insignificant, but even up here, the winds were notable.
Her champion, ever prepared, had already pulled her into his cloak’s embrace, shielding her from the worst of it.
So considerate. He was always so considerate with her.
Her golden hair did flutter notably while the cold winds helped her rather warm face cool down, so it wasn’t bad at all.
Down below, she saw streets of all sizes and little tiny dots moved about in some of them – that had to be other people… right? There were even some larger, differently colored dots that moved about much quicker.
Arakiel brought her attention to a hill on the side, one that had one major amalgamation of buildings taking up a larger portion of the hill while several smaller ones were kind of circling around it. The castle – at least that’s how Aurora decided to call it – had one spire that seemed to pierce the clouded sky, but she could just barely make out a skywalk connecting its spire to another grand tower that lay in not too far a distance at the backward slope. She presumed it to be a slope, but it was impossible to tell from here.
And then she noticed that most of the tiled roofs and domes in that part of the city had the same color – a soft green in this case. On a closer look, the very castle or keep shared this greenish hue. Someone had either painted it, or the stones had that color naturally.
It puzzled her a little, for stone was either white, grey or black… at least those had been the predominant colors in the Maidenhold. Her theory got seemingly confirmed as on another hill to the far left, the tiles of the buildings – including the castle atop – were more or less thoroughly black or at least very dark in color.
Just a few moments later, Aurora caught sight of what appeared to be a massive golden-tiled basilica that lay more more or less in the central location. Judging by a quick glance, seven larger lines – streets perhaps – cut through the city, each leading towards each of the seven hills which were roughly spread out all around it. One might be able to draw a very lopsided circle if one connected all of them, with this large basilica roughly in the middle.
“The seven hills of Kalanaar, each one a seat of a Councilor and its corresponding House,” Arakiel explained before he once again returned her attention towards the district with the light greenish tiles.
“And this over there is the seat of my House, the House of Alexandrite, the color-changing gem named after my mother,” he went on and when Aurora briefly looked at his eyes, she saw them having turned green from the natural light of the sun above, even if it was currently hiding behind a sea of white-greyish clouds.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself,” he went on and proudly gestured towards the green-tiled, multi-leveled keep in the far distance. “Arakiel il Kalanaar, future Archon and penultimate heir to the Throne of Alexandrite, one of the three founding seats of the current Heptarchy.”
It sounded impressive at least, even if she couldn’t say whether it was truly or not. So instead of offering something tangible like a comment or compliment, she came up with a question instead, one that made her feel silly immediately afterwards. “How will we get there?”
What was wrong with her? Why did she always do or say such stupid things when she was around him?
“We won’t walk there, don’t worry. We’d maybe get there by late afternoon,” he alleviated, thoroughly ignoring the embarrassment on her part which in turn made her feel better. And then he flippantly added right as he picked her up, causing a surprised yelp to escape her lips.
“Well… you won’t walk, because I’ll carry you.”
The next moment, he jumped off of the tower and Aurora began to scream frantically as she held onto her champion for her dear life while he laughed out loud, obviously taking great glee in her plight – or maybe he was just really enjoying the free fall.
The winds beat harshly against her clothes, her ears and really her entire body.
Aurora dared not look down, instead opting to close her eyes while she sent a prayer to the Transcended so that he might deliver her.
He must’ve heard her prayer for the roaring sounds suddenly ceased and only a little gust of air blew by, playfully sighing past her hair.
Somewhere down below, someone was shouting something she couldn’t understand and when she opened her eyes, she beheld a house’s wall and windows of colored glass, the brown curtains having been drawn shut behind them.
They were up high, but on a steady level and when she looked around, she noticed that he stood on a little bay while high, high above, she could make out the remnants of the grey tower that they had just jumped off of.
Aurora began to laugh carefully at first, thinking that she might be hallucinating. But when her mind caught up and she she realized what had just happened, she burst into laughter, shouting that this might be the most amazing thing she had ever done.
And when Master Arakiel took that as a challenge to jump from rooftop to balcony to little bay and then up some walls, she soon squealed with a mixture of fear, joy and delight while he occasionally chuckled, noting that she was the loudest passenger he had ever carried across the rooftops of Kalanaar.
She didn’t know how he did it, but her champion was fast and he could jump so very high and sometimes, it appeared as though they were skipping brief distances when the world around them turned to a blur, only to clear up at a slightly different place.
It was awesome, incredible… absolutely amazing!
She felt so free, soaring through the winds above while down below in the streets people occasionally shouted something – perhaps it was directed at them, but they were moving at such a fast pace that it really didn’t matter.
Aurora lost track of time, for it seemed to have no meaning when one was enjoying oneself. The green tiles of the keep came a little closer with each jump that Arakiel performed and at some point, she noticed that he wasn’t the only one that moved from rooftop to rooftop and given how some of these abodes had been angled and tiled, it almost seemed like a second street of some kind.
And then, when a pair of winged beings flew above them towards the keep or perhaps the high tower behind, Aurora admitted that she had no idea how the outside world worked, for she had never been a part of it.
Yet now… now that might just happen – and she couldn’t wait to find out what the world had in store for her.
This city, Kalanaar, was so massive and sprawling, she hadn’t even seen the tiniest fraction so far and oh she hoped that she could visit these streets soon alongside Master Arakiel.
Maybe on the rooftops, or perhaps just casually strolling through the streets – or maybe both?
When he jumped up several balconies and alcoves in order to climb a particularly high tower and from up here, Aurora wondered whether Arakiel might one day take her beyond the very skies where she started to make out an increasing number of tiny, moving dots.
The next moment, she found herself falling once more as he had just jumped off of the tower, causing her to scream in delight like she had never done before.
They arrived at the Alexandrite Keep several hours later and although the ensemble of buildings was so much taller and more majestic than it had appeared from the distance, Aurora could do little but try to keep herself on foot for her knees were so very wobbly while Master Arakiel appeared thoroughly unfazed. If anything, he seemed to have taken great pleasure in performing ever more risky jumps, letting the ground come particularly close just to scare her witless.
But even though the blood ran hot in her veins and she had trouble catching her breath, she felt terrific, felt alive – although that feeling took a notable dent when she realized just how messy her hair must’ve gotten given the disheveled strands of hair that partially obstructed her view.
And while she still tried to get a grip on her bearing, one of the two men wearing a red-green tabard alongside a similarly colored cloak approached them. He held a long, silvery weapon in his hand, one that looked like the combination of a spear and an axe.
She briefly felt something cold touch her forehead and for the tiniest split-second, the entire world around her vanished, leaving her in a sea of nothing but blackness.
And then everything was back to normal except a brief, lingering sense of confusion. A few seconds later, she wondered whether she had just imagined it.
“Fear the Void, Lord Arakiel! Shall we announce your return?” The man queried respectfully and then thumped his right fist onto his chest.
“May His Light deliver us!” Her Master returned at first before he answered the man’s questions. “I’m being expected. You may continue your duty, good man!”
“As you order, my Lord,” the guardsman returned and then lifted his free hand, drawing a small circle with his pointing finger.
The next moment, the heavy gates leading up to the keep swung wide open, revealing a decently sized ramp that led further into the complex, but Aurora had another concern to contend with as she tried to tame her hair with increasing frustration.
Why did she suddenly understand what these people said? It was as though she had always known the language – and then she realized that she had begun to think in an entirely different set of words altogether. With a bit of effort, she managed to unearth her old tongue in the depths of her mind, the one that the abbess and the other Elysians had spoken.
Arakiel’s hand entered Aurora’s field of vision, who still had trouble keeping her racing heart under control, yet his actions demanded an immediate reaction and she hastily reached for his hand which he then grabbed quite decisively.
“Come,” he ordered authoritatively and then dragged her past the guards who spared them no further attention. As soon as the two had crossed the threshold, the gates closed once more at which point he let go of her.
“I will need to keep up appearances until you’re behaving properly, Aurora.” Arakiel reminded and then softly took hold of her hand once more.
“Of course, Master! Forgive me!” She apologized, realizing that she might’ve just put him in a bad light in front of his staff which in turn caused her earlier happiness to take an even more sizable hit.
Now in addition to looking like a mess, she had embarrassed him.
She didn’t want to embarrass him… quite the opposite!
He gave her another minute in order to catch her breath after which they ascended the slight slope of the thoroughly paved, greyish ramp. It was such good work that it almost felt like a flat surface and when the initial walls gave way to a wider space, she beheld long rows of flowers and trees that bloomed in predominately light green and red colors, colors that were much more vibrant than the stonework background. The flowers further spread a wondrous, most-pleasing scent.
High on the surrounding inner walls which were mostly covered by all sorts of decorative ivy, she occasionally glimpsed someone walking by and after some more time, they arrived in the first proper inner courtyard. Its centerpiece was a sizeable well of brick and wood that was flanked by a combined row of several multi-storied buildings that were very pretty to behold.
The timber-framed facade of the complex had been painted to show a stylized, almost mythical gathering of three people who had differently colored gems floating above their head. The two men and one woman met in the middle of a moonlit pond, discussing matters of utmost importance under the shroud of night.
That’s the impression she got at least.
Arakiel explained that it depicted the fateful evening before the Transcended’s appearance, when the three leaders of the mortal tribes conspired to overthrow the immortals’ rule. The current leaders of the Houses of Alexandrite, Ruby and Sapphire had been present, the three houses that still held the most influence in the Bejeweled Council of Seven, the ruling body of the Heptarchy.
A pair of young women wearing black dresses beneath white aprons left one of the houses out of which Aurora heard muffled people’s chatter. Whatever happened inside, someone must be having a good time given the hearty laughs. When the two women came closer, they made a deep curtsy towards the ‘Lordling Alexandrite’, wishing him a bountiful harvest on his next reaping. The pair of presumably servants then walked over towards the well while stealing glances at mostly Arakiel… some very few where directed at her.
Not knowing how to respond, Aurora pretended that they didn’t exist.
“This section of the keep is reserved for the families of high servants…” Arakiel began to explain as they walked past the quietly chatting women and the houses, right towards another sloped ramp that led further into the keep.
She soon learned that the Alexandrite Keep had five layers, each with its own district so to speak.
The lowest district was reserved for the high servants and their families while the layer above was reserved for the administrative branch that kept the House of Alexandrite running on vellum and paper. The third layer was dedicated to distinguished planeswalker parties in service of the House. Unlike the two layers beneath, this one was separated from the rest of the keep to give the planeswalkers the privacy and space that they needed to perform their duties for House Alexandrite.
The second layer, which was publicly accessible, was reserved for the lower members of the house’s main branch as well as higher ranking, visiting members of the cadet branches.
Lastly, the first and highest layer was entirely dedicated to the leaders of House Alexandrite as well as the three direct heirs and much to Aurora’s surprise, Arakiel was not one of them.
Instead, his own abode lay among many other small-but-pretty houses in the second layer, even if his part of the residential district was the one reserved for the members directly related to the Lady and Lord-Consort Alexandrite, the undisputed rulers of the House.
In Arakiel’s case, he was the seventh son and eleventh heir in total.
His house was charming, though. It lay right in the shadow of the overgrown walls that separated the first and second layer, its timber-frame impeccably green while the plaster had been painted with a charming soft red and the designer had added several golden flourishes to the windowsills in order to make them stand out a little more. Even the gutter had been refined with snippets of gold while the tiled, sloped roof showed a mixture of green, red and gold.
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“Young Master Arakiel!” A female voice resounded from inside the house as they arrived in front of a small wooden porch and before Aurora could even raise a question, the door was flung open and a young, slender woman rushed outside like a tempest incarnate. She wore a curious expression that showed increasingly irritated, even angry flashes that were constantly undermined by plain relief and a healthy dose of joy… but that was not what drew Aurora’s attention.
No, she wore a golden collar around her bare neck and while her black dress did not expose her shoulders, it was tight enough to reveal a decent feminine curvature.
And then there were her pointed ears that protruded out from underneath her long, straight blonde hair, but it was the size of her eyes that truly caught Aurora off-guard. Her deep, green irises were so much larger than they should be, leaving almost no white – and the way her eyes were slanted slightly gave her an odd appearance. At least her skin shared a similar fair tone just like Arakiel or Aurora herself.
“Look at what you’ve done again, Young Master! Your hairdo! Your clothes! Your… everything is all messed up and…!” The melodious-sounding woman just burst into a series of words that seemed to complain about every aspect of Arakiel’s appearance, yet the underlying tone was one of affection and nigh endless worry.
But then she suddenly broke off mid-sentence as her eyes fell onto Aurora and her neck respectively. She briefly shut up, only to add in the flattest possible tone. “Oh.”
The two locked eyes and although Aurora knew nothing about this woman, she didn’t like her one bit.
“Ah, I knew I forgot something!” Arakiel exclaimed in what should be mild amusement. “Marianka… this is Aurora,” he began to introduce. “Aurora, this is Marianka.”
The exotic-eyed woman with pointy ears looked Aurora over once more and then turned towards Arakiel, her face betraying some kind of inner turmoil as though she didn’t know what to think. For now, relief paired with confusion seemed to triumph over anger. “Young Master… should I be concerned?” She asked somewhat worriedly with barely any trace of politeness remaining. That rude woman addressed him so casually, reinforcing Aurora’s bad first impression.
“Huh?” Master Arakiel returned, seemingly not very upset by her tone. “Why?”
Marianka put on a slight frown while staring into Arakiel’s eyes. “I realize that I hadn’t hit puberty when you took me in… but neither had you.”
Her concern caused Arakiel to burst into laughter while Aurora could do nothing but observe dumbfounded. They acted so casual with one another… how long had they been together?
“Oh Mari, ever the worrywart!” Arakiel exclaimed while his silhouette blurred for a moment only to reappear right in front of Marianka. He skillfully slid one of his hands around her waist while interlocking the other hand with one of hers – and then he put his lips onto hers right as she tried to protest.
Aurora observed the woman melting away in real time which only furthered Aurora’s dislike for her. It should’ve been her that went limp in his embrace while having a taste of his lips!
And Arakiel… he was so very gentle in the way he held Marianka.
This had to be jealousy… this irritating feeling that rapidly spread inside Aurora.
It did not feel good, not good at all.
When their lips eventually parted, the pointy-eared woman’s cheeks were ripe as an apple and she looked down abashedly, unable to face Arakiel who wore a satisfied smile that held a dash of a grin.
And then, when she hadn’t even remotely recovered, he closed in again and aimed right at her temples, causing a loud smooch which, judging by the sound that escaped Marianka’s lips alongside the way her hands squeezed his, made her a very happy woman indeed.
This burning feeling inside Aurora made her restless, so restless that she found herself approaching Master Arakiel.
“Idiot…! That’s enough now…!” the pointed-eared woman panted with bated breath. “We’re in public!”
“And…?” Arakiel challenged bemusedly.
“It’s embarrassing!”
“You know I like…” He returned and stopped when Aurora pulled at his doublet’s sleeve with as much force as she could muster, after which she glared at him with a look that demanded he noticed her plight.
He frowned while Marianka began to chuckle heartily. “I think,” she started as she slipped from Arakiel’s embrace and straightened her dress’s skirt.
Master Arakiel briefly pondered, and then patted Aurora on the head while offering her a slight smile. “Don’t worry, Aurora. I haven’t forgotten you.”
She doubted it, but that wasn’t even the worst part. She got a pat on the head as consolation while Marianka had been embraced and then kissed – twice!
“I’m already starting to like her.” The green-eyed woman finished and chuckled. She held out one of her delicate hands towards Aurora. Her nails were red. “Marianka li Arakiel, pleased to meet you, little golden one.”
The words caused Aurora to look towards her given that Master Arakiel had no further interest in consoling her, which should’ve made her upset, but something else took a hold of her.
“Li Arakiel?” She queried in a far-too curious manner. It was rude, but she didn’t mind being rude towards the woman. “Are you married?”
The pointy-eared woman chuckled again which irritated Aurora even further. She didn’t want the woman to find amusement because of her.
“If by married you mean that I’m considered the Young Master’s property with no rights in the eyes of the Transcended, then yes, we’re married.” Marianka returned with obvious merriment in her voice.
“Legally, you do in fact have some rights, Mari. You’re an aurea.” Arakiel corrected matter-of-factly, causing the woman to roll her eyes.
“Of course, Young Master. I’m sure that’ll make all the difference.” She went on say, obviously not believing it in the slightest.
Aurora only half-listened. Instead, she turned towards Arakiel, asking. “So I’m Aurora li Arakiel?”
He shook his head, causing her irritation to flare up again. “Why not!?” She exclaimed angrily, or maybe it was just frustration.
Some distance away, someone was chuckling heartily and when Aurora turned to the side to find the source of noise, she saw two petite women, one of whom was dark-haired and dressed in green-red set of… Aurora rubbed her eyes, thinking she had seen wrong, but that was not the case. She had to be a woman given her silhouette, but why was she wearing men’s clothes?
The other woman standing right next to the accident did wear a proper white dress with a proper long skirt and judging by the silver collar around her neck and her overall demure posture, she belonged to the one that had just laughed animatedly. That one’s most exotic feature was the scarlet-red hair.
“Arakiel! You’re back!” The woman in men’s clothes exclaimed across the paved road at which point Aurora realized that they were indeed still standing in front of Arakiel’s house – and given that the woman was on the precipice of the nearby house that had mainly white and green in its facade…
“A good day to you as well, sister dearest!” Arakiel returned loudly and straightened his back as he made a slight bow towards her.
Aurora rubbed her eyes once again. This woman over there was Arakiel’s sister…? From the corner of her eyes, she then noticed how Marianka had already assumed a proper stance with eyes lowered and hands clasped neatly… a posture that Aurora hurried to imitate while feeling terrible. Hopefully she hadn’t embarrassed her champion again.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Arakiel’s kin approaching while the other woman walked two steps behind her. She stopped in some close distance and then spoke up once more, sounding a little inquisitive this time around. “You were gone for quite a while, little brother. Some even whispered that you might’ve died – well, those that didn’t forget about you.”
“I’ll not die so easily, elder sister Chryse,” Arakiel answered assuredly, seemingly uncaring for her dismissive undertone.
“You were gone for over nine months,” the woman objected with some worry before her tone turned reproachful. “And you left Mari behind – again.”
“I…” Master Arakiel began, but didn’t manage to speak any further as his sister continued to dress him down.
“You’re not a child anymore, Arakiel. In fact, you’re approaching your thirties… and what do you have to show for? No party, no plane, not even a wife or a concubine! Even Sophos, who is five years younger than you I might add, has already conquered his first plane; even caught himself some bronze and even a silver.”
“There’s no need to lecture me, Chryse. I have a plan and I’ll stick to it.” Arakiel objected with mild irritation, but there was a trace of defiance in it as well.
“What happened?” His sister went on, suddenly sounding worried. “Where did you go so wrong, Arakiel? You’ve been away so often these past years – and not once did you take Mari with you. She’s been your aurea for nearly two decades… and not once.”
“Chryse!” Arakiel yelled in an outraged manner, repeating himself again. “I’m not a child anymore – stop meddling in my business!”
“I sometimes wonder about that, Arakiel.” His sister noted worriedly before her eyes seemingly fell on Aurora. Her tone turned to one of disbelief. “Wait, is that…?”
“Chryse, this is Aurora ay Elysia. I don’t think I need to say more?” Master Arakiel returned, his tone having switched to one of smugness.
“Elysia?” His sister repeated and when Aurora dared to look up a little, she saw a thin smile having formed on the woman’s small but full lips. “So you were part of the raid? But how…? You’re so weak.”
The last sentence was a statement, one that she seemed to believe wholeheartedly.
“I was indeed, yes. A supportive role if you will, but as you can see…” He confirmed, yet his sister talked over him again, undoubtedly assessing Aurora in some way.
“She’s definitely aurea material, but…”
Aurora cursed internally. Her breast had already begun to swell with pride at the woman’s words but now she just had to say that damned word. But what? How was she lacking again!? It had to be her age, didn’t it? What even was her age!?
“Is she the one…? You know, what you told me about eight years ago? The reason you…” Chryse went on to ask in an oddly-sounding tone, trailing off near the end.
“Aye, sister dearest. Just you wait… I will become an Archon,” he announced with audible determination. It seemed very important to Arakiel, but then his voice turned lower, almost to a growl. “And then I’ll find…”
“You still haven’t let go?” Chryse asked, sounding surprised. “It’s been over two decades at this point, Arakiel.”
“Don’t tell me you just want to leave her in that immortal’s…!” Master Arakiel practically shouted at first, but when he noticed, he quickly dialed it down.
His sister let out an audible sigh. “It’s been twenty-one years, Arakiel. If our sibling is still alive, she’s already well-integrated into whatever household ended up taking her in. Given her ancestry, she’s probably a mother thrice over if not more.”
“Don’t you say that!” Arakiel objected angrily.
“I’ve become a mother twice in that time, Arakiel.” His sister pointed out, her words having turned affectionately. Momentarily, her gaze seemed to trail off. “In fact, I hope tonight might be the third for me… I still want a girl and Lyktos should return from a two-week planeswalk in the Akh Karabean desert today. He’s always very thirsty after such journeys – and not the watery kind.”
“So you’ve given up on planeswalking for good, Chryse?” Arakiel asked with some disapproval in his voice.
Aurora saw her champion’s sister shrugging nonchalantly. “I’d be nothing but a liability at this point. Our ancestry easily carries us to the higher planes, but my body’s too feeble for runes and this whole cybermancy nonsense thing is nothing short of disgusting. A hype built to trick desperate people out of their money.”
“But that was clear from the start, wasn’t it?” Arakiel noted, having gained the initiative in their talk. Aurora didn’t understand a lot, but she found it fascinating to listen anyway. Especially the part about him searching for her… that had been great. Surely she must be important somehow.
Meanwhile, Master Arakiel went on. “Why did you choose a combat profession in the first place? You had already roped Lyktos in before you even picked a class and given his stats, he was bound to become a great asset to the House.”
“You mean to say I should’ve picked a supporter class instead, yes?” Chryse went on to ask, adding with a chuckle. “How was I supposed to bully you as a dancer or a musician? You were strong back then, after all.” She then shook her head and went on in a more serious tone. “No, swordmistress fit me just fine and I enjoyed my time out in the planes, but although I managed to capture Sophie here in the end, I would’ve died or worse by her father’s hand had Lyktos not known about my antics.”
“Your antics of dragging innocent maidens in his bed?” Arakiel poked, yet Chryse answered in a flat tone.
“No one is innocent, Arakiel… and forgive me for saying that, but I doubt that you can match even a fraction of Lyktos’s vigor and as much as I love him, I’m not fond of getting mounted several hours each night, nor would I want him to abstain because of my lack of stamina.”
“Here we go again,” Arakiel then said bemusedly. “I do wonder why we always end up on this topic whenever we talk – and in public, no less.”
“The Alexandrite Keep can hardly be considered public, brother dearest.” Chryse responded dryly. Her voice then turned impish. “Besides, desire is not only necessary for procreation, it is also fun – very much so. Not that you would know.”
“Hey!”
The woman in the men’s clothing chuckled loudly. “You’re the only planeswalker I know that isn’t constantly looking for new toys to collect. It’s probably the most widespread hobby.”
“So how many do you and Lyktos have? Toys, as you call them?” Arakiel asked tight-lipped and if Aurora had to take a guess, he seemed to grow irritated again.
The answer returned right away, as though she didn’t need to think on it. “Right now? With Sophie here… three domestic ones and seven chattel. All women except one.”
“That one for your personal use? The man, I mean.” Arakiel noted in a venomous tongue.
“Oh please, Lyktos is more man than I can handle… and what’s with the attitude, brother?” Chryse then inquired, sounding surprised, not offended. “Just because you barely give thought to your precious Marianka doesn’t mean that others have to abstain?”
“I just don’t like the term is all. They’re still people.” He objected with pursed lips, almost like he wanted to avoid the subject.
“Of course – it’s just that they lacked power,” Chryse pointed out and shrugged. “It’s just the way of things, Arakiel. Besides, look at Sophie here – she’s well-fed, happy… and is soon to become a mother if tonight plays out as I intend it to. She lives a perfectly happy and carefree life… something that not many among the planes can claim to do.”
“Do you think Arene is happy?” He asked, challenged flat-out.
“Immortals nowadays are rarely known for their cruelty and most of them are very handsome or beautiful.” His sister pointed out calmly, adding. “I imagine she’s just fine, little brother. We were too weak back then. Nowadays, the tables might as well have turned and perhaps I would’ve gotten myself a handsome phoenix but alas, I have to make do with a beautiful one instead.”
As she spoke those words, she affectionately stroked the blushing woman’s long strands of scarlet-red hair.
“Wait… she’s an immortal?” Arakiel asked, his voice turning sharp, apprehensive.
“Father’s a phoenix and the mother was an elf, the non-faery kind – but her soul is an immortal’s.” Chryse answered and sighed. Once again, her voice relayed a mixture of seriousness and worry. “Seriously, Arakiel. Let it go. Take some time with Marianka… enjoy yourself for a while. Life’s colors look a lot more vibrant after some intimate romance followed by intense passion. Believe me, you should see Lyktos after…”
“I’m not a child anymore,” Arakiel protested right away, having repeated himself thrice over at this point. Aurora found herself unable to look down any longer.
Her champion seemed restless, given the way he scratched at his neck while he swayed back and forth a little. He really didn’t like to talk about this topic, but Aurora found it fascinating. She had learned more about him in these few minutes than in the entire year prior.
“Which is exactly why you need to act and not sulk, Arakiel. You’re approaching thirty fast and if you really want to become an Archon, you need to stop chasing wild fantasies and get out there and conquer planes while advancing your levels. It’s the only way to eventually reach the Path of Gold,” Chryse elaborated, lectured and then added with a sigh of regret. “And take me as an example… just because our parents are demigods doesn’t mean that we’ll become some, too. But your stats are excellent when compared to mine. You can make it if only you tried for real. I know about your setbacks in your youth… but everyone has…”
“I’m a Traveler now, sister.” Arakiel let slip which caused his opposite to gasp and then clasp her hands in excitement, her soft green eyes lighting up with joyous emotion.
“A Traveler? You… switched classes!?” She exclaimed in disbelief, although it only took her a split-second to regain her composure. “Congratulations! It’s an arduous path, following the Transcended’s footsteps… how did it happen… and when?” She queried affectionately. Even the red-haired petite girl with the bright red eyes looked Arakiel over with a smidgen of awe. Only Marianka didn’t seem surprised.
Aurora hadn’t heard the term before, but given the women’s reaction, it had to be something significant. It only made sense – her champion was surely destined for great things.
“It certainly wasn’t easy and I must say, ‘fear the void’ is an accurate statement… but why don’t I tell you about it over a cup of tea? I think we’ve been standing here long enough and the evening is still hours away.” Arakiel suggested and gestured over towards the entrance of his house.
“Sure, why not. I might be the last of your siblings to accept such an invitation.” Chryse joked, yet the underlying message seemed bleak.
“In time, I will prove all of you wrong, sister dearest.” Arakiel stated full of conviction while suddenly pulling Aurora close and if the way he looked at her held any meaning it all, it had to involve her in some way.
This made her a happy girl indeed.