After the first meal the next night, Goliath quite literally whisked Elisa away.
"Where are we going?" she asked as he scooped her up in his arms.
"Tenzin told me there are hot springs on the other side of the valley.
"Hot springs?" Elisa said. "And here I didn't bring my bathing suit."
"Pity, neither did I," Goliath replied as he climbed the stairs to a platform designed specifically for launching off of to glide away. He was really going to miss living in a place where all of the furniture and architecture was designed to accommodate gargoyles.
He held Elisa in his arms the way he always had before, but it felt different now. He used to sustain himself with these brief, chaste moments when she was in his arms, but now she was his...for the time being, he thought sadly. Tomorrow, they will be friends again instead of lovers.
"Are you sure we won't be bothered here?" Elisa asked, worrying a little about privacy once they had reached the hot springs.
"The clan frequents these pools during the winter and not much in the summer. I think we'll be ok," Goliath replied.
Elisa cautiously began to disrobe, and Goliath tried not to make it too obvious that he was watching her every move as he quickly removed his loincloth and tested out the water of the hot spring. Tenzin had been kind enough to explain which ones were too hot for this time of year, and he had managed to pick one that was pleasantly warm as he sunk into it. It was shallow enough that the water only came up to his chest. He offered a hand to Elisa who was busy pinning up her hair, and helped her in when she was ready.
"Oh god...why didn't I know about this place a week ago?" she moaned as she sank into the hot water.
Goliath smiled affectionately at her.
He stretched his arms out along the natural edge of the pool and closed his eyes briefly as he relaxed into the soothing heat of the water.
He felt something brush against his thighs and opened his eyes as Elisa slid onto his lap.
"Hi," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hi," he replied with a soft smile as he put his hands on her hips and drew her in closer.
She leaned forward and kissed him, her breasts pressed against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her as they embraced.
"A girl could get used to this," she sighed as he kissed her neck.
"There are some things I hope I never get used to," he said as he slipped his hand between her legs and caressed her. She gasped loudly.
"Like the look on your face when I touch you," he growled in response.
Elisa made a needy little sound and kissed him hungrily. She moved her hips against his, wanting him, but he blocked her.
"I just want to watch you. I want to remember the look on your face as I pleasure you. Maybe I won't forget what it's like to hold you...touch you...taste you," he said softly.
Elisa ran her fingers lightly over his brow and kissed him.
As he continued to touch her, she tipped her head back, and he watched her face, her needy sighs and moans, the shape her mouth made, the way her brows knit together. The flush in her cheeks.
His heart ached with every second that passed. He wished he could freeze time. Every moment that slipped away was a moment closer to losing her. He still had her, but he already missed her. In another day he wouldn't even know how much he would miss her, and he would go back to not-so-secretly pining for her like before without knowing for one fleeting moment in time she had been his and he had been hers.
She cried out with release, her hands gripped his shoulders, her nails digging into the thick muscles of his back. His nostrils flared with a quick exhale of breath, and his eyes flashed at the sight and sound of her reaching completion.
She pressed her mouth to his and kissed him hungrily.
"Can I have you now?" she moaned against him, and she stroked the base of his wings.
In reply, Goliath shifted her hips and brought her down upon him.
She sighed as he released a groan, her cheek pressed against his. He rocked her hips back and forth against him, his hands on her backside, guiding her.
He let his head fall back and he closed his eyes briefly as he focused on the sensation of Elisa moving upon him. The ache and tension in his loins grew, building towards the moment of release. He looked back at her, she wasn't as close as he was, so he slipped his tail between them and helped her. Her hands moved from his wings up into his hair, and she tightened her hands into fists, gripping tightly, almost painfully, but at this point it only added to the pleasure. He looked into her eyes and she looked back. He felt the first twinge as he approached the edge. Elisa's movements became more urgent and desperate, her moans turning into cries. He thrust into her once more, twice, and came into her with a ferocious roar of release. Elisa's own cries of completion mingled with his own providing a higher counterpoint to his bass roar.
She rested her head on his chest afterwards. Her hair had come loose and he dragged his talons through it absentmindedly.
"I feel like I'm losing you," Elisa said, her voice mournful
"Maybe temporarily...but you are my mate, the other half of my heart, I have faith we will be together again," he said comforting her.
Elisa held him tighter and he clung to her just as fiercely. Despite his words, there was no comfort in the unknown ahead of them.
...
...
When they eventually returned to the village, there was no sign of anyone. They looked at each other with uncertainty, wondering where everyone had gone off to. As they got closer, they heard Tenzin's voice speaking loudly from the dining hall. They moved towards it and heard other voices shouting. As they entered the building, they saw the entire clan gathered with Tenzin at the front addressing them. The air was thick with tension.
"But it is not done! You would break from centuries of tradition?!" someone shouted.
"Some traditions need to end if we are to move forward," Tenzin said calmly in response.
"But we will outgrow the valley in just a few generations!" a gargoyle Goliath knew as Kunga said. "We already had to consider extending the rookery because of an unexpected egg last season!"
There were a few murmurs and pointed looks in Tsering and Rinchen's direction. They were standing closely together, off to the side of the group, the backs of their hands touching, but that was as close as they got.
Goliath and Elisa found Angela standing in the back with Bronx by her side. Goliath had commanded him before to not leave her unguarded, and he hadn't; he was a very loyal beast. She looked disgruntled and she glared disapprovingly at no one in particular with her arms folded across her chest.
"What's going on?" Goliath asked her.
Angela glanced over at them, she smiled briefly before her face slid back into a scowl.
"They're discussing Tsering and Rinchen. Tenzin wants to allow monks to be able to continue their work, but abolish the celibacy requirement. He also wants to implement a voluntary system of isolation during the final season."
"So he did take my advice, then," Goliath said astonished.
"I guess so, but it doesn't seem everyone is keen on the idea."
"We should take lessons from other clans. We have all this knowledge from them, and yet we do not heed any of it," Tenzin said. "There are other clans who use these methods to control their populations. It works, and it does not force anyone to have to choose between two things they love. An occasional extra egg every now and then is not going to adversely affect our population that much."
Rinchen took Tsering's hand in his, and she leaned into him.
There were a few murmurs of agreement with that statement.
"What will change next? Will Lobsang be allowed to mate with his yaks because he happens to 'fall in love' with one of them?" Kunga continued. Someone shouted out in protest, likely Lobsang himself.
Kunga appeared to be the ringleader of the dissenting voice. There were several who muttered in agreement with him, but to Goliath it sounded like most did not.
"That is a poor argument, Kunga," Tenzin scolded. "Just because one thing changes, it does not mean it will result in a spiral of deplorable behavior. It sounds more to me like you are projecting."
There were a few laughs and Kunga's face went redder than it already was naturally, but he did not offer a rebuttal.
"We will take it to a vote," Tenzin continued. "Those in favor of abolishing the practice of forced celibacy for monks in exchange for implementing a system of separation during the final season, raise your hand."
There was some hesitation and then slowly, about two thirds of the crowd raised their hands.
"All opposed?" Tenzin said.
Everyone who hadn't raised their hands before did so now.
"The vote is two to one in favor of," Tenzin said. "Monks will no longer be forced to remain celibate, unless they choose to."
There were a few cheers but no greater than Tsering and Rinchen who clung happily to each other in a fierce embrace.
Shortly after the hubbub of the evening had resolved, with some celebrating and some arguing a little over the outcome, Norbu approached Angela and pulled her aside.
Bronx growled at him and that caught Goliath and Elisa's attention.
Goliath took a step forward, his eyes blazing white, but Elisa put a hand on him and stopped him.
"Give Angela a chance. She needs this," she said. "We'll step in if she needs us to."
"I know you are leaving, but...perhaps you would consider staying?" he said, taking her hand.
Angela noticed he no longer wore the robes of a monk. She had heard that he had been removed from his position, and she was glad of it.
She vehemently pulled her hand away.
"Perhaps you should consider remaining celibate, Norbu. Your clan would be better off if you didn't breed," Angela spat.
"Hey!" Norbu said indignantly.
"Asshole," she growled, stealing one of Elisa's favorite words, and then she turned and walked away with her chin up.
A few other gargoyles nearby who had overheard the conversation, sniggered at Norbu who slunk off embarrassed in the opposite direction.
Elisa bumped Goliath with her hip.
"See?"
Goliath put his arm around her gratefully.
...
...
When dawn came, Elisa leaned against Goliath's stone form. It had been a long night, but she was sad to see it end.
"You three sure have shaken up the place since you got here," Pema said warmly to her.
"We tend to do that," Elisa said with a light laugh, and then she yawned.
"You should get some rest. You look…worn out," Pema said with a knowing smile.
Elisa laughed.
"I am a bit, she said.
They both walked back to the dormitory together.
"Elisa, might I borrow your dress for the day? I realized I forgot to finish some of the embroidery on it."
"Are you sure? It looked fine to me, and we're leaving tonight," Elisa protested.
"I am a bit of a perfectionist. It is your wedding dress after all," she teased. "Please, allow me to correct my error or it will bother me. I will have it done before you go."
Elisa retrieved the dress and handed it to Pema. She took it graciously from her, then they said goodnight, and Elisa fell upon her bed. She was tired and she thought sleep would come quickly, but she lay there thinking about Goliath and what the next night would bring.
She eventually cried herself to sleep.
...
...
The next night, they attempted to slip away with little fanfare. Goodbyes were hard, and they'd already said them the night before.
Angela waited down by the skiff with Bronx as Goliath and Elisa walked together down to the lake, but before they reached the shore and Angela's line of sight, Elisa stopped walking. Goliath was holding her hand, and he paused and looked back at her when he felt the pull on his arm.
"I love you," Elisa said. "I just…wanted to tell you that one last time."
Goliath took both her hands in his.
"It won't be the last time. We may be losing the memories of this place, but our feelings for each other will still be there. Those aren't going to change."
Elisa wrapped her arms around him.
"We'll find our way to each other again," Goliath said as she clung to him. "I know we will."
Elisa wrapped her arms around his neck as he leaned down and kissed her. A few tears spilled from her eyes, and when their lips parted, Goliath tenderly wiped her tears away.
Then he led her down to the shore and was about to help her into the skiff when Tenzin, Pema, Rinchen, and Tsering emerged from the footpath and walked towards them.
"We wanted to see you off," Tenzin said. "You will be greatly missed here in Shambahla."
"We will miss you as well," Goliath said as he held out his arm to Tenzin.
Tenzin grasped it in the way of Goliath's people and shook it.
"Except...you won't," he said sadly.
Elisa felt a hitch in her throat and barely kept the tears at bay.
Pema stepped forward and handed Elisa a neat bundle.
"I finished it just in time. I couldn't let you leave without it," she smiled sadly. "Perhaps you will get to wear it again on another special occasion."
Elisa took the silk bundle that had been neatly folded and tied with a silk ribbon.
"Oh, Pema…" Elisa said, her voice breaking, and she clutched the dress to her chest. Then she pulled Pema in for a tight hug, and they both held onto each other as the tears fell freely on both their faces.
"If you all had not come to Shambahla, we would have lost our entire rookery, and probably Pema, too, and...Rinchen and I would likely have never been brave enough to challenge the ways of our people," Tsering said. "I thank you, from the bottom of my heart for the happiness I have, and mourn as you lose your own."
She and Rinchen bowed deeply to them, their palms pressed together.
"Shambahla thanks you for all you have done," Tenzin added as he and Pema also bowed to them. "And though you will forget us, we won't forget you."
Goliath took Elisa's hand in his and held it so fiercely it hurt a little, but she didn't want him to let go. She wanted him to hold on as long as possible. Maybe then her heart wouldn't break apart like it threatened to.
They bowed back to Tenzin and the others, then they reluctantly climbed into the skiff.
As Goliath pushed them away from the shore with the quant pole, Elisa waved mournfully to the four who waved back to them.
Then Goliath began to recite the incantation that would transport them to Avalon.
"Vocate venti fortunate…ex ricae Oberonis, et hic navis frugum regate…"
He paused, and his voice broke before he finished.
"Ad orae...Avalonis."
Two things happened at once.
The mists of Avalon surrounded them, obscuring their view of everything around them except for the dense fog, and then they all stumbled as if they had been struck.
Elisa nearly pitched overboard before Goliath reached out and caught her.
"What the hell was that?" Elisa asked.
"I have no idea," Goliath said, then he looked at Elisa and was startled by the look on her face.
"Elisa...you've been crying. Are you alright?"
"What?" Elisa said surprised. She touched her cheek with one hand and looked at her moistened finger tips.
"I don't know. That's really weird. I feel fine," she said and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
"Angela? Are you alright?" Goliath asked his daughter.
"Yeah...just confused. What happened?" she replied.
"Last thing I remember, we were fighting Coldstone..." Elisa said.
"Yes...you're right," Goliath said pensively. "I don't remember anything after that…"
"Neither do I," Angela confirmed.
"Does anyone know where we are?" Elisa asked as she moved to the front of the skiff.
The others shook their heads.
Goliath watched Elisa and felt a familiar strong tug at his heart. Their journey together had made his feelings for her stronger than ever before, but as he looked at her...his instincts practically screamed at him.
She is yours.
He firmly reminded himself that was not true.
She was not his.
She never could be.
But that insistent pull wouldn't go away.
It was as if his body and his mind were at war with each other. One said one thing and the other said another, and he wasn't sure which to listen to.
It left him very confused.
And very weary.
Elisa felt Goliath looking at her and turned to see the most despondent look she had ever seen upon his face.
"Goliath?" she said his name, breaking him out of his thoughts.
"Hmm?" he intoned.
"Are you alright?" she asked gently.
Goliath looked at her, searched her for any sign of his suspicions upon her features, but there was nothing there.
"Yes...I am alright," he lied.
She turned back to look ahead of them, and he reluctantly began to push them through the water once more, and as he did, the mist parted and Avalon's beacons and shoreline came into view.
Elisa sighed.
"Back in Avalon."
"I'm beginning to think this Manhattan we search for is a myth," Angela said petulantly after Goliath pulled the skiff onto shore and they all disembarked.
"At least we have safe haven for a time," he rumbled in response.
They heard Boudicca bark from the path leading down to the shore, and she, Ophelia, Gabriel, Tom, and Princess Katharine came into view.
They took rest and refuge there one last time, and even defeated a faerie king before they finally found their way home.