Arakiel followed Rakim through a small series of typical Akh’Karabean corridors and rooms towards the second floor, where they entered what appeared to be a second leisure room which was fairly similar to the prior one. The main difference lay in the inventory alongside a small wooden stage in the corner, where a scantily-clad black-haired, bronze-skinned woman played soft tunes on a string instrument.

She, just like her sibling, was another testament to Rakim’s power given their heritage, especially on Akh’Karab. Just like her sister, she thoroughly disregarded Arakiel’s presence which suited him quite well. He had no interest in them.

Rakim signaled him to sit down after which he took a seat opposite of Arakiel, the man’s red eyes scanning him for something he couldn’t decipher. He put on a calm, neutral expression… as much as he was able to. Arakiel certainly wasn’t able to relax around this member of the Godsbinders, a planeswalking party of nigh-legendary renown among many circles of the Eternal Cities. They had been crucial in the cities’ establishment and were rumored to have helped countless planes from immortal oppression back when the New Order was still young and fragile.

To be in the presence of a living legend that seemed to act so casually… he felt tense and had to constantly control his own poise to not give away too much. He didn’t want this man to think him a coward – and yet cowardly he behaved.

After what felt like half an eternity when it had been nothing but a few short moments, his opposite finally saw it fit to speak up, his voice bearing the faintest trace of inquisitiveness.

“Let’s get straight to the point, Ascendant. How did you manage to enter a Covenant with your immortal? Who set you on her trail?”

A brief flash of shock surged throughout Arakiel, but he caught himself just in time to keep his face and posture straight. He should’ve expected it, and yet it stung nonetheless.

“Does this relate to the task my mother has for you?” Arakiel returned instead, realizing that he walked on very thin ice here. This man could end his existence with a snap of his fingers. He could only hope that whatever debt he owed to his mother was enough to shield him even if the mere thought felt almost comical to him.

His own mother could direct one of the Transcended-be-damned Godsbinders! It was ludicrous.

The demigod’s expression turned serious and he lightly shook his head. “Only slightly… but there’s a reason Alexandria sent you to me with her in tow… and that reason has to be your winged immortal girl.”

“How so?” Arakiel queried carefully, not having expected the discussion to go into this direction right from the get-go.

But then again… he wasn’t sure where this discussion was supposed to head either way.

“If I didn’t know any better, then I’d take a gamble that she’s related to the current Seraphim of Dawn, Aurore ay Elysia, the Seat of the Golden Chrysanthemum and – if Elysian propaganda would have you believe – only immortal capable of participating in the Class System.” Rakim went on, leaving no doubt that he didn’t believe in said telling.

Arakiel wondered whether Aurora being recognized by the Class System counted or not. He chose to believe the former, for it served to reinforce his belief of common Elysian deceit.

The Godsbinder cleared his throat and then began to speak. “The issue is… Aurore has undoubtedly undergone a true succession ceremony through which she inherited the Seraphim of Dawn’s soul and her mastery over the sparks of divinity is second to none. She is the Seraphim of Dawn and everyone who carries a spark of divinity can tell.”

The statement puzzled Arakiel, but he refrained from asking for now. Still, how could they tell?

Rakim briefly paused and then suggested further. “Although it is definitely possible that her parents bequeathed their souls to two or more individuals, there has basically been no evidence to suggest such an action may have happened… and yet I can tell that your immortal is undoubtedly a seraphim and judging by her physique, she has to be related to the Golden Chrysanthemum, even if she lacks a pair of wings.”

“In my communion, she was called a ‘sister of demigoddess Aurore ay Elysia.’” Arakiel recalled out loud and confirmed, feeling as though he should be frank and open with the Godsbinder. Furthermore, he was fairly certain he couldn’t keep many secrets from the man anyway.

Rakim raised an eyebrow, asking doubtfully. “A sister? How old is she?”

“I don’t know… but she hadn’t awakened as an immortal when I rescued her from an Elysian Maidenhold.” Arakiel replied, veiling his ulterior motive thus far.

Either way, he’d need to have a serious talk with Shemyaza if he ever saw her again. Leaving aside the fact that it was apparently common knowledge that Aurore ay Elysia was the Seraphim of Dawn, how had a former courtesan or entertainer managed to track down her sibling, much less enable him to means to raid it?

And why hadn’t the demigoddess retaliated already?

So many questions arose in him, and he had no answers to give thus far.

Vexing.

“A Maidenhold? Curious. But how did you manage to become her Mortal Ascendant? It’s not a class one can simply pick during a communion.” Rakim queried further and at that point, Arakiel was fairly certain that it’d only be a matter of time before he needed to reveal the entire tale.

Arakiel took a deep breath and then let it out. “Fine… it’s rather simple actually. I was part of a small group that sought out the Seraphim’s prepubescent, meaning pre-awakened descendants in order to attain divinity through a ritual linked to their awakening.”

“Elaborate,” The Godsbinder merely stated and it didn’t sound like a suggestion.

“There was this entertainer who called herself Shemyaza. She was convinced that she was the chosen wife of the Transcended whom she called Azazel. A bit crazy in the head, but she could be extremely convincing and more importantly, she had some sort of network through which she operated. I became a Wanderer and then Traveler through her guidance…”

Rakim raised his hand, urging him to stop. “So what happened?”

“We gathered three seraphim children… one from Elysia, one from Selenya. The last one was from Solarius. Shem said we needed four, but we ran out of time, so we performed the ritual that should’ve seen us ascend to godhood with three… and, well. Things didn’t go quite as planned. One of the seraphim died while the Selenyean handler and I turned into different types of Mortal Ascendants.”

A continuous shiver ran down Arakiel’s spine. That one night… so much pain and the disappointment. He’d rather just forget about it… and yet it had been the day when he and Aurora had formed their initial covenant through rather gruesome means.

Nowadays, he felt almost disgusted at what they had planned – a thought that surprised him.

“Was the ‘Selenyean handler’ a Traveler as well?” Rakim inquired further, not holding any judgment thus far.

“A Wanderer,” Arakiel corrected, causing the Godsbinder to nod slowly.

“I see. That’s plausible,” he commented then.

“How so?”

“From what I understand, it is just as the Transcended intended. Those who follow in his footsteps can mingle with immortals in a way that’s quite different from other classes and only those who stay true to his ideals eventually become actual Planeswalkers.”

“So…?”

“You failed to follow the Transcended’s footsteps. You fell to the immortals’ temptations.” Rakim summarized quite harshly, causing Arakiel to shake his head fervently as emotion arose inside him.

“Why would that be the case!? That cannot be true!” He objected quite adamantly, but a little voice deep down told him it was true. And he had fallen again just a little later.

The Godsbinder raised his hands once again, shaking it. “Let it go, son of Alexandria.”

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“You’re saying I failed in the Transcended’s eyes and became an affiliate of the immortals! How am I supposed to let that just ‘go’?!” Arakiel cried out as turmoil spread throughout him.

This piece of news… he’d rather not have known.

That was false. He had known it all along, hadn’t he?

“You failed to follow in his footsteps… You did not fail him.” Rakim corrected, adding straight away. “It happens quite often – the temptations for Wanderers and Travelers are everywhere… most often seen as a quick path to power when they usually do something quite different.”

For a moment, Arakiel barely listened as he held onto that one statement Rakim made. It helped, he just had to internalize it.

He might’ve been a failure, might’ve erred – but he was not a traitor that colluded with immortals. He had been used, but not willingly. Beneath the table, his hands clasped to fists as he sought to regain his poise for he knew this statement to be only partially correct.

“The fact that you’re angry is all I needed to see, son of Alexandria.” Rakim then said, causing Arakiel to look up and straight into his eyes. “If I thought you a traitor, I would’ve executed you myself, your mother be damned.”

“As expected of a Godsbinder.” Arakiel noted with a voice steeped in respect.

Rakim made a dismissive gesture. “Those days are long gone. We all went our separate ways. Nowadays, I’m just a humble smith.”

“Who just happens to hold a mere humble thirteen sparks of divinity.” Arakiel pointed out rather sardonically. The man’s ‘humblebragging’ irritated him.

A wry smile formed on Rakim’s lips. “Like mother, like son. You’re as much of a brat as she used to be… which is why I preferred to deal with your father.”

He then cleared his throat and put on the serious expression once again, noting. “Either way… I’m glad you had the acumen to remove your immortal’s collar. Walking around here with shackled Elysian royalty will attract the kind of attention you cannot afford.”

Arakiel merely nodded, not wanting to admit that he didn’t just remove the collar… he watched her shatter it… and that such thoughts had paid absolutely no impact in his decision.

“So what am I supposed to do about it? I’m bound to Aurora just as she’s bound to me.” Arakiel queried a little dejectedly.

“Do about it?” Rakim repeated in a way that left little doubt about his feelings on the issue. “Haven’t you been doing that already? You formed a covenant with one of the seraphim, even if she’s just a fledgling right now… that’s something to be exploited and used.”

“Is that the reason I am here?” Arakiel deduced even if it wasn’t hard to figure out at this point.

The Godsbinder nodded. “Given your reactions, I can only assume that Alexandria is playing some kind of game I cannot fathom… which is just like her. Either way… before we speak about what I can do for you, we need to define a few axioms.”

Arakiel straightened his back while trying to discern whether or not he could fully trust this man. He had let slip quite a bit and the Godsbinder didn’t show any inclination of ill will thus far. But he was no Kalanite, nor was he a true ally of House Alexandrite.

Caution.

A voice somewhere inside him reminded him to be cautious.

“First of all,” Rakim began. “You claimed to be a lord-type?”

Arakiel affirmed.

“Noted. How deep is your covenant?” Rakim asked on, elaborating. “How firm do you exert control over her?”

“Well underway and manageable.” Arakiel replied while wondering how true that statement rang still. Did he even want to?

“Are you certain?” The Godsbinder asked once again.

“Fairly.” Arakiel returned, realizing that it wasn’t as strong as a statement as the other man would’ve liked. But lying right now would be plain stupid, pride be damned.

“Which schools do you specialize in?”

“Evocation and alteration. Aurora leans more into enchantments.”

“Which paths do you use?”

“Mostly fire and air with a bit of astral. Aurora mainly uses astral.”

The Godsbinder kept asking Arakiel questions that concerned the way he fought, the way he perceived combat or even just how he would act or react in hypothetical scenarios and at some point, he was almost certain that they weren’t stating axioms anymore. If anything, the demigod tried to get a full picture on how Arakiel used his abilities as a Mortal Ascendant, how his person and intimate relationship with Aurora progressed and how he sought to form his weaves and how he applied his sigils – all of which were terms that the legendary planeswalker seemed fairly familiar with.

And while Arakiel truly answered any and all questions to the best of his ability, even those that irritated or upset him, he couldn’t bring himself to speak about the time when Nyanna had furthered his magic to previously unattainable heights. The shame he felt for giving in to an immortal’s temptations lay too deep and even now, he struggled with the idea of getting his House’s help, even if had intended to threaten the seelie with it.

When he had more or less laid everything but that bare, the ‘humble’ Godsbinder smith nodded quite contently, commenting.

“Given the circumstances, I’d say you have done quite decently, son of Alexandria.” Rakim noted and nearly praised. “Your progress in this short amount of time is notable, although I would suggest you remain humble and grounded. Your age is advanced, but not yet to a point where it’s becoming a detriment. Furthermore, there are things you are keeping from me, which is understandable… but know that doing so will lessen my ability to assist you.”

After having smothered another brief moment of shock, Arakiel cleared his throat and responded with as firm a voice as he could have. “I still don’t quite understand what we’re doing here, Master Rakim. I get that you’re screening me to best fashion gear… but what’s with the rather intrusive questions about Aurora and I?”

“Do you know what a Mortal Ascendant is, boy?” Rakim asked in a fairly loaded voice.

“I do not,” Arakiel admitted.

“Simply put, it’s a mortal that uses immortal magic… except it’s much more than that. Until the covenant is broken, you quite literally tied and linked your soul to the seraphim’s. I do not know the intricate specifics, but the sole deciding factor is how both of you perceive and treat that link or bond and whether the axioms you established in the covenant’s foundation still apply.”

The Godsbinder’s expression darkened a bit as he ambiguously proclaimed. “Depending on how true that statement holds, you benefit or suffer.”

Never minding the last parts, it certainly helped to put many past happenings in perspective. If Nyanna knew even a fraction about such dealings, it’d explain why she hadn’t killed Aurora outright as she would become just another source of strength for the accursed seelie.

Arakiel briefly pondered on the subject and then summarized it, asking.“So you’re telling me that my relationship will never be able to change?”

He vehemently opposed this interpretation, but he had to ask nonetheless.

Rakim shrugged. “I cannot say for certain. I am no Mortal Ascendant and although there are some renowned individuals, I haven’t had the pleasure of asking them on the intricacies. All I can say on that subject is that you are both dependent on one another, although you much more so than her.”

“Can she break the covenant?” Arakiel asked, never having truly thought about the possibility.

The Godsbinder briefly scratched his beard and then answered, admitting. “I do not know, but I suspect not. Quite ironically, the mortals’ long subservience has caused many kinds of immortals to develop some kind of dependency on their slaves, whether to act as a sort of anchor or as a means of storage.”

Storage.

Nyanna and her descendants came to mind as it did so often to him.

People born and raised as a means to strengthen the seelie.

Disgust arose inside him.

No matter how often he tried, he could not forget the seelie… something she had made quite sure of.

Rakim noticed it, obviously.

“Aye. You are a proper Kalanite in this regard… which I support. Elysia, Selenya and even Solarius – they’ve all forgotten.”

The man shook his head a little dejectedly, as if he was in part tired and angered at the same time. Then, his expression focused onto Arakiel once more, his gaze adamant yet somehow impervious. “Be sure to never forget that immortals are different from us… that also applies to your seraphim. Immortals can be shackled and used to great effect, but there’s an innate danger whenever you deal with their kind. Their mind works different from ours.”

Ezekiel sprang to mind… and how he seemingly forwent all of his earlier caution for another quick path to power by thoroughly abiding by Alanna’s rule.

A certain sense of disappointment followed. He should’ve expected it… or should he?

He quickly banished those thoughts from his mind and focused onto the Godsbinder once more. “So… how exactly can you assist me, Master Rakim?”

Right in that moment, as if the demigod had planned it, one of the two doors opened and the soft, subtle music around him ceased.

Arakiel turned around, facing a very beautiful fair-skinned, blonde, woman with golden eyes. She wore a fairly nondescript outfit consisting of a shirt, vest and puffy trousers hat really did her exterior not a smidgen of justice.

From the side, he heard Rakim raising his voice. “Allow me to introduce you to my Divine Offering, Aktaie.”