Aurora li Arakiel awoke to the faint sounds of people talking somewhere below her. In addition, a tender breeze of air closed by, softly murmuring as it went past strands of golden hair that were softly swaying in the wind.
Something bright shone onto her and when she opened her eyes, she saw a small part of the rising sun, its golden rays beginning to herald the dawning of a new day.
To her left, she saw a greenly painted wall with a rough surface and when she looked around a bit in confusion, she noticed that she had been laid to rest in a small crevice somewhere higher up, for she could only make out a few rooftops on a similar elevation to her, although many buildings rose even higher. The predominant color showed green, be it painted timber, tiles of clay or brickwork.
Nonetheless, a wooden scaffolding was close by and when she moved a bit, a thick dark blanket slipped off of her.
To her right, she saw Arakiel leaning against the wall, eyes closed and his dark hair grimy and greasy. A part of his face was swollen, but it was much, much less than the day before. Her beloved wore a white buttoned shirt underneath a dark vest but both were rather dirty, just like the trousers. The fabric seemed smooth and sturdy, but she couldn’t tell what it was.
Next to her on the ground, Aurora discovered a set of plain white panties and a dark, low-backed dress whose cutout would certainly offer enough space for her wings. It was rather modest on the front, with a relatively high, round neckline and the fabric felt smooth and comfy, but it wasn’t lightweight enough to be silk, nor was it particularly glossy.
Before she put on her clothes, Aurora briefly wandered around in search of a more private space and although this might be the single most shameful thing she had ever done, it needed to happen and thankfully, some construction workers had left some items lying about in a small storage, including some rags.
She couldn’t wait to return home for a long and proper bath, but for now, this had to suffice.
On her way back over the scaffold to the little crevice that had served as a temporary hideout, Aurora looked down and saw that many people were already awake and well underway to start the day, although the skies seemed more or less clear and the overall temperature was mild still. It’d grow hot over the course of the day.
But more importantly, the rising sun drew her gaze, for it felt as though the golden fire inside her became not only excited, but utterly ecstatic at the view and when she called upon it, it rushed out of her, fully covering her frame in a sizable, soft fiery aura of gold. Her beloved had left her with lots of soul.
A breeze of air wafted by and although her hair moved alongside it, she did not feel cold in the slightest.
More importantly, however, Aurora felt entranced by the golden rays of the sun that seemed so similar to her own fire. The sun itself held a yellow color with a deeply orange tinge, but the rays it sent to herald the upcoming day were of a pure golden color, just like her hair, eyes and her flame.
She didn’t know why she did it, but she found herself reaching out to the beams, her palms pointing towards the cloudless, blue sky above.
Unknowingly, Aurora felt her wings spread wide as well and then, when she made a few steps forward to quite literally catch the rays of the sun, she realized that she stood on the edge, nearly having fallen off.
But Aurora did not feel afraid, quite the opposite. She felt entranced, mesmerized, bewitched… and a sense of longing began to grip her.
She longed for the rising sun, longed for its rays of golden light and as she blinked, she suddenly saw little twirls of golden light beginning to converge on her left, outstretched hand.
It was like a little vortex of tiny golden motes that spiraled downwards right into her hand and, unsure what to do, Aurora just froze in place, utterly enchanted by the spectacle that played out before her. One by one, the tiny specks of light materialized out of thin air, or maybe she was beckoning them, calling them over to heed her call, her wish – for she wanted to catch the dawn’s light, bottle it up and then present it to her champion as a token of apology.
This, she wished with all her heart at the sight, but then a few new motes began to join the spiraling vortex, specks of white and red, mixing with the predominantly golden ones and ere long, she saw three-differently colored swirls of light converge right in her palm.
The spectacle didn’t even last for five minutes, but when she beheld the wondrous amalgamation of white, red and gold light in her hands, she felt like enclosing it, guiding it towards her chest, right above her heart. An indescribable sense of warmth began to blossom inside her and Aurora involuntarily closed her eyes for a brief moment while a particularly mischievous gust of wind blew by – this time, she felt it playfully stroking her entire body from head to toe… but Aurora didn’t mind.
Right in this moment, she felt like she was doing something special, something only someone like her could do, something a seraphim should do, for she was a…
A what?
Her thoughts cut off for no discernible reason while the warm feeling faded and from one moment to another, she realized that she was indeed standing stark-naked at the edge of a scaffolding with people buzzing around down below. Color rushed to her face in an instant and she backed away from the edge as her hands began to grip something very tight.
She paused and felt a little confused for a moment, but then her mind caught up and she carefully peeked towards her hands while opening it. Upon her palm lay a small, almost crystallized object of predominantly golden color, but there were clear specks of white and red inside it.
Had she just crystallized the rising sun’s light?
The object felt exceedingly light in her hands, but it was solid, its surface crystalline. It fit inside her palm, which meant that it wasn’t very big given how small her hands were.
She picked it up with thumb and pointing finger, holding it right before her eyes as if she might be able to tell what it was when she only looked a little closer.
Alas, nothing of the sort happened. Its surface was mostly smooth, the edges like that of a cut gem, but the overall uneven shape appeared a little jagged and drawn-out, almost like a shard of something larger.
And then, in the blurry part of her cone of view, she saw someone approach and when she looked past the shard, an idea sprung to her mind. No, it had been there already, it had been her wish – a wish that had been granted.
He stopped and looked at her, at the shard in her hands and a brief moment of confusion set in, but also apparent relief.
Again, he had been worried about her.
This had to be fate, for this type of chance encounter was impossible.
Here, on this scaffolding atop some random building, she went on her knees as she held out the crystallized light on her palms, but this was not yet the message she wished to relay.
Leaning slightly forward, Aurora lowered her head while presenting the shard as best as she could to Arakiel, who watched her action in silence, The last image of him had been one of surprise, but he had not tried to stop her.
“Master Arakiel,” Aurora began in a meek tone while guiding all the golden flame towards her hands. “You have claimed my life, you have conquered my heart and you have taken my virginity… I have but one more thing to give, but I give it gladly, for you have more need of it than I.”
Aurora did not feel ashamed as she spoke those words. If anything, she felt relieved, for this was the way it was supposed to be. “Take my flame, my soul… take my all, for I only feel safe and sheltered when you are with me!”
And then, she grew a little nervous, but she had to voice it anyway. She just had to. “Arakiel… my champion, my master… my love. Please, accept this shard of light as a token of my love, my loyalty and… my devotion.” Aurora offered and then cleared her throat, the words escaping her lips all by her own. “But please… please grant me one single wish! I will strive to become worthy of you, strive to become worthy so that your hate may turn to love, but please grant me this one wish!”
At first, silence. Aurora dared not look up.
It was important to her, more important than anything else.
This one thing, he had to promise and in this one regard, she would be selfish. No matter what it took.
“Let’s hear it, then. But I will decide whether or not it is a wish I can – or will – grant.” Arakiel returned with a relatively calm undertone and Aurora’s lips moved on their own, for if one thing had become apparent over this last day, then it was this.
“Don’t leave me ever again, Arakiel. Wherever you go, take me with you!”
“Silly girl,” Arakiel answered right away, causing Aurora’s heart to sink into a well of bottomless despair and when she was about to retract her hand, he snatched the shard of golden, white-red light from her hands.
“I am your champion,” he began, softly stroking her hair and when she looked up, she saw her beloved looking down at her, the edges of his green irises glistening promisingly.
“Huh?” She gasped, unsure what he was implying, but a spark of hope began to pull her from the well.
“And you are my aurea, my golden light, Aurora. I won’t ever let you leave my side again, for this world is too cruel for one as innocent as you.”
Aurora’s heart began to beat faster at his words and the momentary shadow that had fallen over her vanished in favor of a bright, golden light. As if directed by fate itself, the rising sun aligned with his position and shone right on his back. It made him appear even more radiant than he already was.
He then grabbed her left arm at the wrist and Aurora felt her wings flutter nervously on their own, her new limbs once again acting on their own. They perfectly mirrored her abashed, excited and nervous state and when her beloved put the crystallized shard of light onto her palms, she briefly felt like she was taking off. And then he covered the shard with his own hands, putting his palms above hers, causing the flames around their hands to mingle and then merge, becoming one – something he concluded with a gesture that Aurora wouldn’t have guessed in her wildest dreams.
“On your body, I vow to protect you.”
“On your love, I vow to cherish you.”
“On your soul, I vow to honor you.”
“And on this token of your affection, I vow to make you mine, now and forevermore.”
With each sentence, Aurora felt a different string of her self being plucked away and taken in to safeguard, to shelter, to possess. It left her nothing, yet it also left her everything.
For a moment, she froze in place.
“I am yours already, my love,” she eventually whispered abashedly, thinking back to the vow she had made in front of the Transcended. As she got up, she tried to guide her soul over towards him and when no reaction returned, she quietly sighed in relief while beaming a smile at him. She was not meant to become a conqueror like in the novels, but none would be closer to one than her, for she had been his first victim, the first to be conquered.
Holding hands, he kissed her. For a brief moment, Aurora noticed a golden sheen on the edge of his green irises, almost like a halo of sorts. It lasted only for a short moment, but it might be one of the most beautiful things she had ever had the honor of witnessing and his eyes were full of so much affection and pride, oh so much pride.
“I was wrong,” he then whispered as their lips parted for the briefest moment. “I didn’t waste the last decade of my life… they were just the trial to led me to you… my aurea, my seraphim.”
She melted away at his kisses first, and then his embrace later and when he led her back into the crevice, they made passionate love to one another. As Aurora eventually returned from the clouds he sent her to, he handed the crystallized shard of light back to her, telling her to hold on to it tightly.
And then, about half an hour after dawn, the two set out towards an uncertain future for both of them, but one thing was certain and although Aurora couldn’t say why she knew, but she knew it for a fact.
They would be together, now and forevermore, for a covenant always required two oaths.
* * *
Even with clothes and one weapon, the streets of Kalanaar were treacherous for the ignorant and the weak, especially when they were exotic and alluring. It drew attention and one did not want to draw attention unless one was in friendly territory or near the Gateway of Divinity or the Bejeweled Council in Kalanaar’s center. Even there, it would serve as a double-edged sword, for fame did bring amenities, but it also painted a target on one’s back.
Alas, the Emerald District was neither and although the Houses of Alexandrite and Emerald weren’t hostile, they also weren’t exactly allied. The relation between the Heptarchy’s rulers might perhaps be best summarized by a relatively old saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Kalanaar had no shortage of enemies or challengers – this and their pride as an Eternal City kept the Kalanites united on the surface – but underneath, conflict was a means to sharpen one another and the weak could expect little mercy.
He and Aurora kept in the relative middle of the large cobbled roads that were filled with citizens, most of whom were commoners for planeswalkers rarely needed to wander about – they usually had a goal in mind, most often the artisans or traders. Here, in the more residential districts, the commonfolk of Kalanaar lived and although they were generally frowned upon, they were by far the largest group and these people were necessary. A city had many tasks that needed to be done each and every day and someone had to do them lest everything fall apart, from sewage over food and produce to basically any kind of goods for daily necessities or amenities. In light of this, commoners were usually kept out of conflicts with planeswalkers and in the same vein, planeswalkers who crossed that line were frowned upon, especially if they belonged to one of the ruling Houses.
All citizens – especially the commoners – of Kalanaar were under the protection of the Heptarchy. Any foreigner that broke this law was hunted down ruthlessly, if someone witnessed the crime. It happened, but it also often didn't.
Arakiel bet on this to keep most potential culprits away, for thievery and robbery in broad daylight could get messy quickly and although both Aurora and him had notable traits that made them stand out, they might be able to slip through unnoticed if only they kept moving while occasionally crossing streets.
News on the street in the district, as proclaimed by the parchments and their strategically placed soundeaters right next to a vendor, were about a fire close to the Emerald Keep alongside a citywide hunt for Selene ast Rhea, for witnesses swore that they had seen the missing Selenyean princess.
Arakiel kind of felt sorry for Ezekiel, for he wasn’t a Kalanite and given his companion, it was truly just a matter of time before his tale came to an end. Alas, he had his own worries for now and he owed Ezekiel nothing. Well, maybe a little bit but he really had his own problems to tackle for now.
Around them, many people were watching, some even giving them a wide berth – yet none approached so far and although he expected someone to jump them at any moment, nothing of the sort happened. Sometimes, some particularly curious person followed them for a bit, but never too long or skillful enough to be considered a potential threat or scout.
By midday, the Gateway’s golden tiles became deceptively close despite Arakiel never having stepped onto the Emerald Boulevard which led directly from the Emerald Keep to the Gateway of Divinity. Instead, they had taken one of the many smaller streets that led towards it and the cathedral’s glistening golden roof and domes promised safety.
Just a bit further and they’d be out of imminent danger and Arakiel started to believe that they might make it out unscathed.
That hope died when two tall, partially cloaked men in silver mail suddenly crossed their path from an alley. They wore wide hooded capes of predominantly silver with flashes of white. Both men – at least judging by their frame – immediately reached for baton-like weapons.
In a split-decision, Arakiel squeezed Aurora’s hand in order to stealthily draw her flame. He left her about a quarter and although he doubted that the remaining three-quarters he now held were enough, he had to make due.
He did not stop to move, but slowed down a little, whispering. “Wait, then run across the street over there where the pavement is white and the houses are fancy – none can touch you there.”
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“What, why?” Aurora returned perplexed at first, but when she became aware of how the two men began to slowly move towards them, she nodded, replying in a hushed tone. “I understand.”
“Good, I’ll meet you there,” Arakiel promised as he looked the two people over who undoubtedly had eyes for him first and foremost.
The hooded men’s cloaks and mail marked them Selenyean and given their outright hostility, he could only assume they somehow recognized him – and had drawn a connection to the raid a while ago. He didn’t know how, but it mattered not.
Arakiel cursed his own luck as tension set in, yet he would not give in to panic again even if the odds looked bleak. Instead, he guessed their classes to be an Air Evoker given the sizzling lightning that had begun to surround the left man’s arm while the other guy could be anything really. He didn't notice any signs of elemental or sorcerous magic, but especially Alterators were hard to judge until they suddenly performed supermortal feats.
Regardless, there was no way for Arakiel to fight them; He just needed to reach the Gateway to Divinity’s district, for it was a zone of absolute nonaggression and none, not even demigods, dared to oppose the god-in-grey’s spheres of influence.
Sadly, it was roughly half a kilometer away and the street was broad, paved and the few people on it were hurrying to get out of the way, having been trained to just make a run for it as soon as planeswalkers might clash. Very few voices resounded and those that did warned of an imminent fight.
Arakiel only half-noticed it, but he was glad either way. He’d rather not involve commoners. Meanwhile, he slowly approached his opponents-to-be for every step he took now was one less he’d need to take later on.
“Arakil il Kalanaar?” One of the two people asked, but his deep, muffled voice from underneath the hood left no doubt that he recognized Arakiel. “You are accused of anti-immortal terrorism in addition to being implicated in the rape of Selene ast Rhea, seventh daughter of the Selenyean god-empress.”
“The Heptarchy has given us free reign to bring you in but please, do resist… we’ll beat you to a pulp anyways!” The other man added, his voice perhaps an octave higher. Might be younger.
The two men didn’t even allow him to respond before the Air Evoker motioned the black-colored stick at him, causing an immediate bolt of lightning to strike at Arakiel who dashed to the side to draw the attention away from Aurora, shouting.
“I denounce any and all involvement! You can’t prove anything!”
“We have testimony. Denial is futile,” one of the enforcers returned and all of a sudden, Arakiel felt a pocket of air exploding underneath him, throwing him off balance so that the second lighting bolt hit him straight in the chest.
He cried out, cursing his judgment. One could only ever cast one spell, so the other guy had to be another Air Evoker!
His muscles cramped and hurt terribly as the lightning’s power wracked his body, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Aurora dashing past him and the Selenyeans, not looking back once.
It brought him great relief, but when the third lightning struck him, he nearly bit off his own tongue from the convulsion that followed. With a grunting pant, Arakiel forced a battle’s mindset on himself, perceiving only the most necessary things, be it emotions, movements or thoughts.
Every second counted with no time to ponder one's moves. Imminent fighting was based on instinct and experience – something he possessed a bit of, but not much. Much less a man his age should have.
Arakiel fell to the ground before another shot of air hit him in the front, flinging him away like a ragdoll. He crashed into a wall and was robbed of his breath, becoming dazed in the process.
If the Selenyeans said anything, he didn’t hear it. A high pitch rang in his ears, but he forced himself to calm down. He didn’t need to fight them, he just needed to get past to reach safety.
Two Air Evokers, one focused on lightning and the other guy on wind. Evokers, especially lower level ones, usually focused on one aspect of a Path, meaning they shouldn't be too high a level or he would’ve been knocked out already. It’d also have allowed them to stay under the radar – only people level 15 plus had to register upon arrival in Kalanaar.
He ordered Aurora’s fire to spread to his head and legs first and foremost, but it was still a toll on his mind as he couldn’t do it instinctively unlike in his previous fight. At the same time, her fire having been spread evenly might’ve somehow softened the blows he received. Granted, he was just grasping at straws since he hadn’t tested any of it over the course of the day, his entire focus being to reach his home.
Either way, he only had one chance, so when the next lightning came, he dashed sideways and then burst into a sprint, only to step on another pocket of air that the other guy must’ve called forth.
They were moving their batons like wands, a common way for Evokers to quickly direct the raw magic of their Path, albeit with lessened potency.
When the pocket of air went up underneath Arakiel, he was swirled around and it was only by a sheer miracle that he landed on his back, but it still hurt a lot given the paved stone. At least he hadn’t broken any limbs… yet.
Arakiel immediately rolled to the side and when an explosion resounded right next to him, he felt bits of dust and splintered stone crash against him, some of it even entered his mouth and it tasted dry, far too dry.
He scrambled to his feet and made a dash for an alley to the side, but when he suddenly spotted a barely-notable swirl in his way, he identified it as another trap that the wind Evoker had placed.
The distance to the alley wasn’t far, but when he noticed faint dust being swirled up right at the alley’s entrance, he changed his direction, barely evading a loud, sizzling crack of lightning that crashed down from above, once again splintering parts of the road.
That cast had had a lot more force, but seemed to come with a slight windup. Dangerous, nonetheless.
It had served to throw him off and now that the alley lay behind him, he had a problem, for the two men kept at range and when he suddenly felt his hair on edge, he dashed forward as another bolt of lightning struck from above.
Judging by the sounds, it splintered the road right where he had just been.
The next attack, Arakiel saw coming, for the Air Evoker that focused on lightning had raised his wand charged with faint arcs of white. When he thrust it downwards, the elemental energy faded, right after which the evocation came through.
Arakiel couldn’t tell where the guy had aimed right until the spell was cast, but his instincts did not fail him. He dodged the next attack with a sudden change in direction from which point on he kept his eyes on the enemies’ weapons.
It was harder to tell for his foe who used wind, but even his motions always had a windup and a finish.
Observing them and his surroundings, he managed to evade several more lightning casts as well as pockets of air, but when he was suddenly thrown off of his feet by a sudden tempestuous gust that the Evoker had snuck in, Arakiel realized that he might not make it.
The next moment, he saw a flash above him and then his entire body convulsed yet again as he let out a groan, the lightning bolt having struck him in full.
The pain wasn’t as bad as the day before, but it was enough to make him go numb nonetheless. More importantly, it stunned him; long enough to let his opponents weave two more spells; One flung his limp body in the air and the other hammered into his side, causing him to crash into a nearby stone wall that sent a sharp jolt of pain through his shoulders. Given the unhealthy crunching sound that resounded in his ears, something must’ve just cracked.
His senses scrambled and the mind jumbled. Fear began to creep in as he realized again that the might not make it. He unwillingly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
He was too weak, far too weak.
When two bolts of lightning struck him as he lay there, Arakiel began to despair as the two Selenyeans were probably much, much more experienced than he had anticipated. No, he had hoped for something that seemed ridiculous. One did not send low level people on a major plane in order to bring someone in, especially not Selenya that had to make a show of force against Kalanaar.
Most of his muscles cramped again at the sudden influx of lightning, causing him to thresh about several times as the devastating energy coursed through him.
His vision began to fade, yet he saw the two Selenyeans approaching him, wands at the ready, both charged with lightning.
From the corner of his eyes, Arakiel suddenly became aware of the golden-haired girl not too far in the distance, having stopped just shy behind the border. Aurora stood there, hands clasped together in worry or perhaps prayer – she was watching his every move and he ground his teeth in frustration.
He could not let her down!
Arakiel had sworn an oath! He had to fulfill it!
Newfound conviction crushed the despair, fear and doubts, reigniting his fighting spirit.
Inside him, Aurora’s fire rushed out in part, forming a thin golden layer of flames above his skin and with it, he felt his muscles and nerves soothe while the overall amount of flame lessened.
He didn’t know what he was doing, but whatever it was, it healed him at a rapid, honestly unheard-of rate.
“Are we sure we got the right guy? This one’s pathetically weak.” One of the two men began to question with the other returning.
“I’m not certain. This guy looks close enough and the Diviner that interpreted her highness’s mind did lead us here.” The other Selenyean returned doubtfully.
“But he’s supposed to be a Traveler – this guy hasn’t even…”
“I know, but a winged aurea with golden hair and eyes? Has to be him!”
“He does take the hits far too well, but…”
Great, now he was being mocked by his opponents as well. He deserved it, but their brief exchange had left Arakiel with enough time to make a more or less full recovery. There wasn’t a lot of flame left now, but what had happened just now was very promising, downright miraculous. It gave him much-needed hope and for the briefest moment, he wondered what else he might be able to achieve with the last bits of flame remaining. Alas, experimenting in a life-or-death situation was foolish beyond reason and he put the matter to rest. He was just too ignorant, but he vowed internally to study it in full if he got out of here.
Arakiel’s time to ponder came to an abrupt albeit not unexpected end when the two decided to bring him in even if he was not exactly like their memo mentioned.
Two white arcs of lightning zapped right towards him.
Arakiel, still on the ground, rolled to the side and used the momentum to more or less scramble up and about. Whatever boost the flame had given him when it was inside, it no longer applied in whatever state he was now, making his movements slower. As soon as he noticed, however, he ordered the flame to rush inside of him once more. It heeded his call, but the boost he felt had lessened notably.
He ordered the remaining traces to his legs and then made a mad dash at the two Evokers while unsheathing his sword.
His sudden recovery caught the two men off guard, enough to cover a bit of distance at which point he guided the flame to his arms and hurled the weapon right the guy on the left.
The Evoker on the right slashed horizontally across the air with his wand, calling out danger. Arakiel let himself fall onto the ground as a slice of wind cut above him while the other foe dropped his weapon to cross his arms which he then spread in a wide motion, causing a large-scale barrier of wind rush out in an attempt to block the flying hunk of metal.
Arakiel did not witness the immediate result as he rolled through a strong but brief gale, his own body’s weight and momentum proving too much for the wind to handle. He did hear a grunt, though.
When he then dashed into a flame-empowered sprint once more, he saw the sword lying at the guy’s feet. The enforcer held his chest while drawing in air with a pained grunt.
Evokers had no innate defenses to call on, they’d need to be Alterators or have an Enchanter buff them.
Using his foes momentary lapse, he charged straight at the remaining guy who brought his wand down with lightning and unlike last time, the evocation came out immediately and right in front of him.
Arakiel braved the lightning spell, powering through it with grit alone, but the damage to his senses and body was severe. In the last stretch of his movement, he forced the remaining golden flame to his right fist which he slammed into the surprised man’s face.
Arakiel’s skin met metal, causing his hand to send a jolt of sharp pain all throughout him. His opponent must’ve worn a metal mask beneath the hood and while that undoubtedly took the brunt of the force, the Evoker still staggered backwards.
A dazed Arakiel ordered the flames to surround his body, hoping for that to be the trigger to once again restore him.
It was not.
With no time to adjust, Arakiel staggered past the Selenyeans.
He had not too much of a distance to go, but he already heard the enforcers behind him curse. They’d be upon him in seconds and given his body still reeled from the point-blank strike, he wasn’t very fast.
Arakiel needed the rest of his flames to heal him like they had done before, but no matter how often he internally ordered the flame to move outside of his body, it would not happen. He could shift it around internally, but not towards the outside.
Nonetheless, he had no other option than to risk it all now. He could not fight these two Selenyeans and he was fairly certain they had airshards on them – and once they began casting with those, he’d be fried alive or blown against something solid so hard he would not be able to get back up.
But then he heard Aurora’s voice calling out to him, telling him to keep running, urging him to come to her. Such a wondrously sonorous, sweet voice, marred only by the fear and worry it conveyed.
He looked up towards his aurea, his seraphim that waited so close in the zone of safety. Her entire body, but not her clothes, were shimmering in a soft golden aura whose edges flickered like flames. Her hands were tightly pressed against her chest and from within, he saw radiant light emerge, rays of gold, red and white.
From one moment to another, the golden fire inside him began to cover his skin once again, rushing out to restore his battered body, near-fully consuming itself in the process but as it did, it burned away all the damage he had suffered.
It happened in the blink of an eye. Although only a wisp of flame remained, Arakiel felt at the height of his abilities and with it, he broke into a mad sprint.
Halfway there, he lunged forward on instinct alone, dodging a lightning bolt that had tried to snipe from above and in the last moment, he saw the pocket of wind that the other Selenyean had laid out as a trap.
This time, however, Arakiel crashed onto it with forward momentum and his entire body, causing him to be swirled around midair twice. He was flung towards his goal, towards Aurora, towards safety.
Once again, he got lucky and opened his eyes just in time to curl up and roll out some of the momentum. Given his proximity to the Gateway, the two Selenyeans began to curse, but stopped shooting straight ahead.
Any attack into the god-in-grey’s sphere of influence would be punished, harshly.
He once again burst into a sprint and did not look back, but when he suddenly saw dust swirling up in front of him all across the street, Arakiel braced for the worst as these people had most likely just cracked an airshard, drawing upon pure, condensed elemental power.
Above him, the sky darkened in a particular patch and a rolling thunder roiled dangerously close by.
The dust from the street began to swirl, slowly circling around the area that Arakiel had just entered – the last stretch before his safety.
Whatever happened now, he would need to endure it. He could only hope that he was quick enough to make it out.
Tapping or rather, consuming, a shard’s power did make the spell more complex which should mean a longer time before it happened, but when the lightning began to cackle and sizzle all around him, Arakiel realized that he had once again erred – these people were indeed very experienced.
Aurora was so close now, hope glistening in her wondrous golden eyes and Arakiel ran for his life, quite literally.
And then, on the last stretch, right as the air around him had darkened notably while thunder roared all around him, Arakiel jumped in a desperate, last attempt to reach safety.
He cried out, Aurora cried out as well.
The world around him exploded in a flash of white and he lost consciousness.
* * *
Aurora was thrown backwards as Arakiel quite literally crashed into her after having been struck by a lightning bolt so terrifying that everything had briefly turned white. The loud thunder had made her wince, but when she crashed backwards on the ground, her wings were very much protesting at this thoroughly improper conduct and it hurt so much that everything else kind of vanished for a moment.
She came to a still on the lukewarm bright marble plates that seemed to form the pavement in this district where there seemed to a faint golden glow in the air.
Arakiel was on top of her, his eyes having rolled up. His body jerked once, hard enough to fall off of her onto the ground nearby.
And then he remained still, unmoving. Smoke rose from his body and his clothes were singed, his skin highly reddish and blistered. Thin lines of crimson poured from his bloodshot eyes and mouth.
But, he was breathing.
Aurora still held onto to the jagged shard in her left hand, squeezing it tightly. It radiated less warmth now, and the formerly potent rays of gold had all but extinguished. Those of white and red still shone brightly, however.
Like she had done twice before, Aurora immediately wished with all her heart for Arakiel to make it through, but unlike the last two times, nothing appeared to happen, even though her worry and fear had only intensified.
But when she only felt a faint trace of flame remaining inside him, she began to understand why.
Around them, voices were being raised and from the corner of her eye, she saw brightly-dressed bystanders observe in the distance while the two mages rapidly approached, constantly uttering curses.
Yet that basically didn’t matter as far as she was concerned. Arakiel had claimed they were safe inside here, and she believed him. Even more urgently, he needed her.
Aurora got up to a sitting position and then knelt down beside Arakiel. Her body ached all over, her wings especially, but all of that didn’t matter right now. Her eyes were a little watery.
It did hurt quite a bit.
Focus. Arakiel. Her champion needed her.
From inside, Aurora guided everything but the tiniest wisp of flame to her palms, causing her aura and the last remaining bits inside her to condense into a bright golden flame. It only partially hid the shard’s rays from inside, with traces of white and red breaking through the gold.
A beautiful sight, yet it held no meaning to Aurora.
Instead, she gently and carefully guided the flame onto his chest.
She understood now, had understood the moment her own wishes were made manifest.
Aurora was no doll, had never been a doll when she was with Arakiel.
She was her own person and she had her own thoughts, her own emotions – just like it was her own soul that would now see him restored.
Arakiel might be her master, the one who guided her and maybe correct her if she lost her way, but he did so for both their sake, especially for hers. This world was vast and cruel, especially to a woman like her.
He had vowed to protect, cherish and honor her… and in the return, Aurora had sworn to serve him and only him.
Aurora was his servant, but not his slave. She had agency. Even now, as her wishes-made-manifest proved – as her own soul heeding her guidance proved.
She was his aurea, his servant, his seraphim – and right now, he needed succor.
And if providing that meant that she nearly gave her all, so be it.
In this world, he was far better suited to protecting her than she was by herself.
Then, she determinedly pushed the golden flame inside him.
Darkness closed in.
* * *