Ascension - (Alarian Warriors)

Aveyon was outside her room, packed and ready with the minimum items she owned. Which was just the small amount of clothing that had been gifted to her.

She set off walking toward the front of the complex using the horse-ridden track as a guide, the same she had used on her arrival.

She placed her bags outside the doors of the main entrance and waited a few minutes. Her eyes widened as she felt a wave of anger wash through her. Not her own, but Vincent’s. She could feel him grow heated and she wondered what he was talking about.

Before she knew what she was doing, she was inside and half jogging through the halls, an unknown force guiding her in the right direction. Coming to a stop she looked around; she didn’t know this side of the Sanctuary.

“Princess Ava, nice to see you, what can I do for you?” Erosvent greeted her in the hall as he exited his room. He bowed his head slightly in respect.

“Eros, it’s nice to see you too. I was looking for Vincent, he has left me waiting it seems.” She forced a smile and returned the gesture with a little bow.

“Please come in. Ah yes, we were all to meet at the gate soon.” He stepped aside so she could see Vincent lying asleep half on the bed, his legs dangled off the end. “Your hair looks lovely like that.” His hand brushed away the hair covering the glass eye so he could see it. She had tied it up in a ponytail to make travelling easier.

When he reached for her, she had wanted to pull away, but in her mind, she knew he meant no harm. She stood her ground feeling a little uneasy but also trying not to tense up.

He continued. “As does your eye, the scar...”

She cringed at the mention of it.

“...should be worn like a battle scar, be proud of the fact that you are now free.” He added.

She nodded, but it was still hard not to pull away again as he adjusted her hair. Something deep inside told her, she needed to become stronger than this. This was only something small to deal with. Don’t move, don’t give in, just bear with it!

“Awe! Much better. Beautiful.” He concluded.

“Thank you.” She still didn’t understand why they fused over her so much.

Her eyes widened and she couldn’t stop herself from stiffing under his touch when he lifted her chin. Her head high, she awkwardly looked at him, wanting nothing more than for him to let go.

He was shaking his head at her. “Be proud.” He repeated before letting her go.

“How long have you known each other?” She changed the subject, no longer wishing to speak of herself.

Erosvent’s smile widened. “Oh, for only five or six decades, though it feels a lot longer than that.”

“Wait...” She looked between the two again, slightly shaking her head. “How old is he? I would hazard a guess that he was crafted as an Alarian, he even has our curse. So, he would age like us...” She trailed off. “He looks to be much older than only around 60 years.” She herself was close to double that.

“I suspect his growth was highly accelerated, I found him as a fully grown man wandering the woods. He had no idea of where he was, how to speak, or even function. And the energy around him... it was... unbelievable.” He sighed, seeming frustrated with the lack of answers himself. “It’s hard to guess how long he had been wondering before I found him. He learnt quickly, much too fast for someone that was basically brain dead.”

Aveyon’s eyes narrowed, Erosvent had taught the boy about this world and the Alarian’s? But it still didn’t explain his vast knowledge. It was as if he had lived in another time and place, in someone else’s life even. “He’s been created using the lives of others...” she muttered. It was the only explanation.

“As time passed, the boy wanted to be of help to me for as long as I could remember, so I raised him, taught him. He’s Family.” Eros continued. “The boy is more Alarian than human, that much I know, but his abilities come from somewhere or something else. He has never had an aura, and the curse is still present. But it doesn’t affect him, not like the rest of us.”

“Like me...” Aveyon appeared deep in thought and Erosvent laughed softly. It was true that the curse wasn’t anywhere known as strong with her, but she believed that was because she was a half-breed. Could Vincent be the same?

“Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. He has a very, and I mean a very big soft heart and a huge sense of justice. He helps anyone that needs it, not just you, my lady.”

“Yes, I can tell, he was also rather blunt about that fact last night as well.” Her eyes glanced over at Vincent’s sleeping form as she saw and felt him stir.

“I wouldn’t say blunt, realistic is more like it.” Vincent sat up and rubbed his face yawning.

Eros scuffed Vincent’s hair. “You’re up!”

“And just how am I meant to sleep with you lot yapping so much!?” Vincent swiped at Eros’s hand to push it away, but Eros Attacked him again with his other hand.

The boys began to flail around like idiots and Aveyon couldn’t help but laugh at their outburst. Both stopped dead and looked at her in surprise.

She stopped and felt strangely out of place standing there. “What is it?” She asked.

“You laughed.” Vincent was shocked.

“You actually laughed!” Eros continued with his own laugh. “I’d never thought I’d see the day where you would actually laugh as though you were enjoining yourself.”

“I-I am sorry -.” Aveyon began.

“No, don’t be.” Vincent cut her off as he stood and began to walk toward her. “Don’t ever be sorry for enjoying your life.” He walked right past her and out the door.

Aveyon turned around in a slight panic. “Wait, where are you going?”

Vincent turned. “I’m going to pack my clothes, haven’t had a chance to yet. I’ve already made you wait too long.”

He bent low and swept his hand across his body in a bow. “Your majesty.” His tone was sarcastic and his actions over-exaggerated. He looked up with a smirk, knowing all too well what he was doing.

She stifled another laugh, and raised her head high. “Do not keep me waiting any longer than I must, soldier.” She replied playing along.

He rounded the corner and she felt separated, distanced. She tried to shake the feeling, but the further he seemed to be from her the more uneasy she grew. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she shimmied it off. She didn’t panic when he touched her now, but she still didn’t like the feeling.

“You want to go with him, don’t you?” Eros’s voice was soft and understanding.

Aveyon realized at that moment that she hadn’t wanted him to leave.

“You’re now bonded, that bond draws you to one another. Though you already had a sense of ease around him before. It is not something to be taken lightly, it will be hard for both of you especially if you’re separated by a long distance for a great deal of time.”

Aveyon sighed as a sense of relief washed through her, she wasn’t the only one battling these strange feelings. “So, he feels the same way?”

Eros laughed. “I think he’s more aware of it than you are, in my eyes, you two are destined for something special.”

Erosvent’s head slightly tilted, and she could tell that he was talking with Elaina. He gently pushed Aveyon down the hall causing her to gasp. “Elaina is waiting for you downstairs; you better go before he’s done.” He winked at her as she shook her head at him.

“She is not seeing us at the gate?” She asked and Eros shook his head.

“It’s cold out if there’s any chance for the babe... I’ve asked her to stay inside. She was wondering where everyone was as it was time.” He answered.

Grateful not to stay on the topic of the child, she quickly thanked Erosvent for his time and headed down to meet Elaina. The women had done a lot for her, it was the least she could do.

“In here.” Her footsteps on the stairs must have been fairly loud as Elaina called out to her as she reached the bottom.

She entered to see Elaina sitting on a wooden stool, her gaze down seeming to look at her own body. She didn’t appear as happy as most would be, given the prospect of a new life on the way.

She had a small bowl of food in front of her that she wasn’t paying attention to. There was no baby bump or visible sign that she was pregnant, but Aveyon would hear Elaina’s and the child’s heartbeat, it was faint, but she knew the baby was healthy, for now.

Aveyon made her way over. Elaina looked up and patted the chair next to hers. Elaina handed her a spoon and put the huge bowl of what looked like porridge between them.

“You need to help me; I don’t want to eat it all myself. Eros is being a pain in the backside about me eating properly now.” Elaina sighed and took a mouthful of the porridge.

Aveyon looked at it curiously, she’d never had it before, all the foods she’d been given while staying here had been a new and interesting experience. Aveyon used the spoon and scooped up a small amount of the white gooey slop, putting the spoon in her mouth she gasped almost dropping the spoon and tried to fan her mouth not wanting to spit out the food.

Swallowing she took a deep breath. “It is really hot!” She exclaimed.

Elaina laughed. “Sorry, I should have warned you; I tend to forget you’re not used to all the stuff in this world yet.”

Elaina put down her spoon and smiled. “It’s nice to be able to see that face of yours. You’re beautiful and you don’t even know it, Vincent is a lucky man.”

Aveyon gave her a confused look. If anything, Vincent had doomed his life to death because of her. She wouldn’t call that lucky, the women must be deranged, did pregnancy do that to people?

Elaina giggled at her reaction. “You’re ready to go?”

Aveyon nodded, letting Elaina talk. “I’m a little jealous, I wish I could go with you. You two get to sleep under the stars, go on an adventure and learn new things.” Elaina slams her fist against the table, causing Aveyon to jump a little in her seat. “No more outdoors for me, Mr. overprotective is in the house.” She ends with a sigh.

Looking over at Aveyon as the silence grew between them, she finally said. “I was going to plan a girl’s night out, play some games all that fun stuff.”

Aveyon blinked her eyes a few times and frowned.

Elaina burst out laughing. “What did you want me to say? I’m not going to beg you to stay, silly girl.” Giggling, she shakes her head. “But thank you for coming to see me. I wanted to give you a few things before you went. And since I’m not allowed at the gate...” She rolls her eyes.

Elaina pulled out a backpack from under the table and winked at Aveyon. “I knew before you did, that you were leaving.”

Aveyon smirked, Erosvent was clearly to blame here. She and Erosvent really were the perfect fit. Elaina may be joking about Erosvent’s manner right now, but there was a love between the two. Something she couldn’t comprehend, something she’d never felt.

Pushing the porridge bowl out of the way, Elaina heaved the bag onto the table and unzipped it. Pulling out a box the full length of the bag she placed it in front of Aveyon.

“Eros’s wanted you to have these, go on open it.” She insisted.

Was this another gift? Taking the lid off the box her breath caught, inside were a pair of daggers. No ordinary daggers either, the shape of them was so beautiful, magical. They looked like glass, they were lightweight and extremely sharp. They looked fragile but were as strong as diamonds. Aveyon picked one up to study it, she noticed the inscriptions on the edge of the blade and recognized it, her eyes widened. “This is- how did he get these?”

Elaina smiled. “They were Eros’s, back when he finished his training, they were given to him as a reward by his sister.”

“These are incredible!” she exclaimed excitedly. Alarian daggers were designed to work with the welder’s essence, they were powerful and deadly in the right hands. Infusing your essence with them would mean your reach could be extended in the blink of an eye. Often Wind users would weld such weapons.

“To think that someone still has these blades, it’s extraordinary, the makers were hunted and exterminated even before I was born, they are legends in my eyes.” Aveyon’s mother had told her many stories of warriors who wielded such weapons.

Elaina nodded. “They are legend, these weapons are the last that we know of, there is still so much we don’t know about them or what they can do. Eros and I think it best that you be the one to find out. Since your training will be with the elves, they might just know how to unlock their secrets.”

Aveyon bows her head, carefully placing the blade back in its box, and putting the lid on.

Elaina cleared her throat and smirked. “And I’ve packed a load of clothes for you, some nice figure-hugging dresses, and gorgeous tops, skirts, and shoes! And essentials as well, like undergarments.”

The whole thing went in one ear and out the other, Aveyon wasn’t really fussed about clothes, but she’d take them. She couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that once she left this room, she would never see Elaina again.

Though she had not spent a lot of time awake with the women, it had been many of weeks with Elaina caring for her and feeding her. Treating her with nothing but kindness, she almost felt kin to the women now.

“Elaina...” Aveyon cut her off mid-sentence. “I just wanted to say, how very grateful I am for your care. I am sorry I was so cold to you when I first arrived.”

Had she grown attached to the women? She did consider her a friend of sorts, nothing like Emerald of course, but there was something there. It may be small and almost non-existent, but something pulled at her heart.

“May I hug you?” She asked which seemed to shock Elaina.

“Yes, of course!” The women responded.

Aveyon had never expressed herself with anyone besides Emerald, Vincent being the weird exception. She very slowly approached Elaina and wrapped her arms around the woman.

From an outsider’s point of view, it may have seemed like an awkward exchange. Aveyon didn’t flinch or recoil as Elaina returned the embrace, she melted into the woman and savoured the moment.

She whispered a promise to Elaina, she didn’t know why or where it came from. “I will do my best to figure out what has stopped the cycle of life before my journey comes to an end.”

She felt Elaina begin to tremble in her arms and Aveyon lightly patted her on the back. It was a promise to help her child live before she laid herself to rest.

“Look after yourself and have a safe trip.” Elaina choked on her words, trying not to let her sadness show.

“You are going to make a wonderful mother,” Aveyon responded, and it was true. The woman cared for those around her with a warmth that she would greatly miss. A mother’s warmth.

She finished saying her goodbyes and headed once more for the front of the buildings, where this time, Vincent was waiting for her.