On this day, Sancturia would celebrate the profound union between their beloved princess and the leader of Obscura.
The people were made aware but weren't allowed to participate. The venue would be filled by everyone within the Ten Sages' inner circle, and the groom.
Solomon had stayed within Sancturia's walls the night before, his armor polished with a fine sheen. He would be presenting a ring made from his Vizier's magic, securing a binding contract with the one who made his heart feel alive.
Preparations were nearly finalized, with Borealis configuring his study into a vast, heavenly chapel painted with stained glass windows of the two betrothed and him at the center of it, blessing them with his grace.
He was moving sluggishly with heavy shoulders and the glares of a few of his fellow Sages on his back. Even this close to the event there were suspicions arising about Solomon, of which both sides were aware of.
No words were spoken in his presence. The building thus felt more like a chamber for constrained gossip, devoid of good cheer.
And none were more constrained by silence than the bride to be, Auris.
Left only in the company of her guardian and confidant Gabriel, she stared at herself in the mirror in her room.
Her hair was combed, her usual robe prettied up with a floral scent brought in from Tanglefae, and her wrists adorned with silver bracelets.
Her eyes were dim and her smile was fading. All her usual luster was centered in the makeup Gabriel finished applying moments ago.
Gabriel put his rough, gentle hands on her shoulders and faced her reflection in the mirror with a silent smile.
He patted her on the shoulder and whispered, "You look so much like your mother."
Auris' smile slanted, her brows twitching.
Gabriel pulled away nice and slow and the dour mood forced his merry facade to recede.
"Are you ready, Lady Auris?" He asked, bequeathing this question to her as his gift.
Auris closed her eyes and asserted to him using her dulcet, sagely voice, "Let me have these final moments in peace, Gabriel."
"...Ok." Gabriel bowed and kept his demeanor natural as he left the room.
He glanced at the surrounding area for a moment, and then made his way down towards the marriage venue.
Justek glanced out from behind the nearby pillar and, once assured Gabriel wouldn't return, stepped away and made his way into Auris' room before the door closed, his footsteps as quiet as a mouse.
He closed the door behind him, the strong and beautiful muse standing before her reflection as stiff as her walls.
And still he would become as well, until Auris saw fit to coldly brush him off, "Father will be upset if he catches you here."
Justek smiled and said, "I'll take that risk."
Auris' expression briefly contorted, and she laid her arms to rest under her chest.
"You look beautiful." He whispered.
"You're being polite." She lashed back, lacking in bite.
"Perhaps," Justek chuckled dryly, "Some things don't require eyes to see."
"...What do you want, Justek?" Auris cut straight to the point.
Justek stood tall and his mind was clear, "Why have you surrendered?"
The quiver of Auris' body was felt in the air, goosebumps riddling her skin. His resolve had been beaten out of him. His tongue had not.
She began to curl her fingertips into her sleeves.
"You're wasting your time. I have made my decision." She asserted.
"You have. And I shall give my blessing for it..." Justek's eyes began to narrow as he propped his glasses up on one finger, "But then both of us would be lying."
Auris' grip trembled, tightening deeper until it hit the skin.
"What is your plan, Justek? To wear me down with asinine questions or long-winded speeches? I have chosen to marry Solomon...It is what's best for everyone."
Justek closed his eyes and silently sighed.
Then, following a short pause, he said, "A bird with clipped wings can never fly again. They will lay upon the ground in mourning, closed off from an infinite world of possibilities."
He turned sideways and began to unlock the door, "...I envy your wings, Auris. Those splendid, beautiful wings...belong alongside him, not darkness."
He stepped outside with his back facing her, where she made one passing comment in bitterness, "I won't spend my life chasing a possibility. I deserve better than that!"
Justek glanced across his shoulder and whispered, "You do. And yet, here we are."
He subtly shook his head and exited, shutting the door behind him.
His final remark was fanged and clung to her neck, digging deeper than could be healed.
She hung her head and brought her fist up between her chest, pressing it against her face and furrowing her brows.
"Stand up." Her voice spoke out with authority, an echo rattling inside a cage.
She looked up to find her reflection firmly crossing their arms underneath her chest. Their eyes were admonishing her with their ill-intent, with their lips sliding up into a scowl.
"Shut. Up." Auris replied, spreading her fingers across her face and scowling back.
"If you get up on that altar, there's no going back." The reflection barked at her.
"I. KNOW. That!"
"Then you're a coward!"
Auris lashed her hand out and exclaimed, "You don't get to judge me!"
"I AM you!"
"No! I am me!"
"And just who is 'Me'?!" The reflection declared, craning her head back with stern, narrowed eyes, "You've been running from this for so long now you've forgotten!"
"I..." Auris squeezed her hands down by her hips, with a fierce smile that would make legions of soldiers bow in cowardice, "Am Auris Aurora...!"
The reflection stood unconvinced, eyeing her unkempt ferocity with pity, "And?"
"...Why should I be anyone else?" Auris bit her lower lip and trembled, lashing the back of her fingertips towards her reflection, "This life, this body, these memories and experiences, I didn't ask for ANY of it!"
The reflection laid out a light, piercing glare for a few seconds and then closed her eyes, "Your life was mine, until your memories invaded it."
"So now you've trapped me here to take your revenge when I'm at my most vulnerable, is that it...?!" Auris brandished her sword into her hand, only to find the reflection had drawn hers in the exact same pose.
The tips of their blades pushed together, the reflection holding a tighter grip on theirs, "I despise you with every fiber of my being."
"But separate us from our memories, and there's nothing different about us. So my hate is pointless, my blade...lacking an edge." The reflection swung their sword down.
"...We...we are not the same!" Auris said, pressing her blade in until the glass showed cracks.
The reflection glared back with eyes sharper than the specially crafted steel, "You would have become me, if given the chance."
"No...! I am-"
"Here, you're nothing," The reflection said with a voice like the bitter cold, "Simply another figurehead to prop up this perpetual system of bigotry and cowardice."
"But out there? You can BE someone."
"That world of savages...is no place for a princess of the Ten Sages." Auris said, her eyes diverting for a brief and poignant moment.
"...You had merely a taste of the truth, and it left you questioning everything you were taught." The reflection replied.
"Father is wrong," They asserted with resounding clarity, "There's still hope, however slim it may be."
"And you believe he is the key to it all?" Auris scoffed.
"I do," The reflection said without hesitation, "But he needs help."
"And what do you propose I can offer him?!"
"Perspective. Strength. Inspiration," The reflection laid a hand on her chest and whispered tenderly, "He respects us, sees us for ourselves, not a title of royalty. He can trust me to listen to him, and I the same towards him."
"Then you should have admitted your feelings, but you didn't!"
"..." The reflection closed their eyes and mumbled under their breath, "You're right. I am a coward."
"The thought of commitment...terrifies me. So much can be gained. Likewise, so much can be lost. Who knows where our life will lead us. If it shall even end, or continue onward unto eternity."
She pulled her head back with cautionary certainty and remarked, "But that is where you and I differ. That girl you called...'sister', she gifted you with the clarity to see ahead and conquer doubt."
"Everything you could ever want or need to be at his side is with you..."
"If the world tries to cage you, then slice through it's bars!"
"If the future remains in doubt, then see ahead! And change it if you must!"
"And if you struggle to find happiness...Then lean on his shoulder, and work it out together."
The reflection gave off a tender smile as they rested their hand flat upon their chest and said, "Do not settle for less than what you deserve. Shall you live an eternity of regret? Or live a lifetime of happiness that will uplift your heart in the eons that follow?"
Auris laid her arm limp and bit her teeth down, shaking her head in feverish, almost child-like denial, "I-I've made my decision! It's too late now!"
Her eyes narrowed softly, "You can still choose. And I know...you will."
Auris blinked hard and when she awoke her reflection was the same as herself, the voice still lingering as a faint echo.
Her cheeks were damp. Her mirror was in a terrible shape, like it had been hit hard in the center.
Any further thoughts would have to hold off, as the wedding bells tolled close by.
She looked back with a frightened gasp and then tried to remain calm, presenting herself with full, regal maturity as she made her way out the door and slowly walked towards the towering wooden doors where her father's study would normally be.
Her knees were shaking behind the cover of her robe but her mind paid them no heed.
She laid her hands on the door handles and they felt cold. Befitting for it's crafter, her inner thoughts strayed towards...
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pulling the doors open.
Warm air flushed out of the room as she was welcomed by a grandiose chapel full of stained glass windows, and floral arrangements around the ivory pillars.
There were seating arrangements for hundreds but only the designated few were allowed in. Every Sage was present for this momentous occasion, though the likes of Nimus treated this in his cavalier manner by putting his feet up on the back of another seat.
The bells chimed in with a holy choir to greet the Sages' cherished child.
And at the altar stood her father, waiting to be betwixt her and the groom.
Solomon was clad in black, the notable stain in this otherwise pristine land. His gaze remained strong, but that was all it meant to her.
The distance between her father's eyes and her own was so vast, so empty, that she wondered why he had even bothered to show himself beyond duty.
But this was the moment where two of the mightiest in the lands would be betrothed. And with it, her father would come one step closer to bringing about his dream of "unity".
"This is for the best," She told herself, "This will lead to a better world."
This fine carpet was like a road that stretched over the horizon, and every step took forever to move her forward.
"Thmp, thmp! Thmp, thmp!" Went her heartbeat.
Every look spared for the Dark King of Obscura left her with a chill down her spine.
"He is strong. And his voice echoes with authority. He is worthy to stand alongside me." The voice in her head was straining to make this sound determined.
The fire had faded within. Darkness encroached, the coldest it's ever been.
She swallowed hard, her fingers tensing up against her palm.
"Can't I get this over with already?!" She took another deep breath and relaxed her posture upright. She gave off a small, lady-like smile to the other Sages and briefly waved her hand at Gabriel.
But two steps forward, and she found Justek seated with his antsy children.
He glanced at her from out of the corner of his eyes, and his expression showed mild dismay before he looked back at the altar.
She paused briefly with a flash of regret. Then she steeled her gaze and continued on.
The sound of the bells began to fade, until all she heard were her footsteps, clattering on empty land.
She froze up, finding herself alone in the darkness.
With hollow eyes she looked around, fog heaving out of every breath. Her heart was being twisted in a knot.
She swung her head around and her voice echoed without her mouth budging an inch, "I have to move on...!"
"I'll never be free!" "I just want to be happy!" "Can't you leave me alone!"
"Stop it!" "Stop it! "stop" "it" "sto" "i" "p" "t" "st" "it" "op"
She grabbed the sides of her splitting head as the walls around her squeezed in closer, letting out a bloodcurdling scream that was loud and vacuous.
And then...as she closed her eyes, a glint of pink light shone through the darkness, casting a friendly silhouette.
A vision faded in through pitch black eyes.
It was him. Not a memory, not a dream.
There was too much warmth. She could feel his hands laid atop hers.
Her eyes were blurry, but her heart was being uplifted...Like a bird, being carried high into the sky by the wind.
In that moment her discord was washed away by the sounds of a quaint, flowing tide in her ears.
She began to open her eyes back up, and with the darkness no longer present, she stood like she had moments before.
Her eyes were leaking warm tears and her mouth was stiffly agape.
All eyes rested upon her. The church bells had gone silent.
Her father furrowed his brows and whispered concernedly, "Auris?"
"..." Auris closed her eyes to gleam that pleasant sight once more. Then did it again, and again, every blink letting her experience the sensations that made her feel whole.
And there was no delusion to dismantle. No dream forcing her to live a lie.
She smiled from cheek-to-cheek, and embraced this vision as the light she had always sought within the darkness...
"He's back...!" She gasped out with pained glee.
"Auris?" Her father spoke up a little higher, his tone rigid, "Please approach the altar."
Auris stood perfectly in place and her eyes narrowed. With her whole body slowly getting taut with anger she riled up every fiber of her being in fierce determination and uttered the word that would rattle this entire room: "No."
Solomon's eyes immediately widened while her father's face became a shade paler.
All doubts were burnt at the stake, the flames stoked by her pounding heartbeat.
She swung her hand out and down and proclaimed, "I am tired...of living this farce! Your prestige, your mission, your love, it's all manufactured and irrelevant!"
She stood tall and faced her father without flinching in the slightest as her roar shook the foundation of this farcical venue, "People are suffering out there! Their people, our people! But you'd rather ignore their plight and decry them as savages, or strip them of the will to be anything more than dolls!"
She squeezed her fists and stamped her feet firmly into the floor, "There is still good to be salvaged from this world! But your heart is ugly, father, and it sees only the worst of it."
"And I refuse...to be dragged into your horrible fight any longer! I will not marry this man of darkness! And I will not be your weapon against these peaceful Tribes!"
She drew both sword and shield with her cheeks still trickling heavily with tears. Under the chapel's holy light, not only did her radiance shine brightest, but a particular twin-tailed shadow was cast behind her.
"I...shall seize my life for my own! I AM AURIS AURORA! And I...!" She threw her head back and ensured that none would have doubt in her words, "CHOOSE TO LOVE SARAJIN!"
The shade's cheeks spread, then vanished into the ether.
Her father's face contorted with a glimpse of shock, tears rolling out of his eyes. Then he firmed his brows, speaking firmly as a man in his position, "Stop with this outburst. You're not a child anymore!"
Auris gripped her arsenal tightly and her body flared up with aura. She then pressed down on her Drive, summoning the ethereal visage of a dragoon behind her, "You're right."
She spun around and pointed her body at the door while whispering at herself, "It's time for this bird to spread her wings...!"
Her father raised his hand and the stretch of space between where she stood and the door grew exponentially.
She narrowed her gaze and focused on the door before her.
Nothing was beyond her reach now. Even infinity couldn't hold her back.
With a thought, her dragoon commanded control over the dimensions between her and her destination, taking her all the way to the door in the blink of an eye.
And then, with all that force, her sword easily speared the door off its hinges and blew the furniture into the walls and stained glass.
She then stood upright, slashing her sword down with a smile before rushing into the palace proper.
Borealis stood back and his expression slowly turned melancholic. The other Sages were rising and armed to pursue her.
"STOP!" His voice bellowed throughout the chapel.
And all save for Lilith shook.
She turned to address him with a soothing remark of, "With all due respect, my Lord, it'd be unwise to let her loose. Or...are you intending to prioritize emotion over duty?"
Borealis' eyes trembled, and he squeezed his gauntlets tightly together behind his back. He then glared at her and muttered, "Please bring her back. Unharmed."
Nimus adjusted his goggles over his eyes and smiled, "You got it!"
Him, Vermilion, Lilith, Carolina, Adderbolt and Atrax took off. The rest remained behind, on-guard against the unspoken loose end still in the room...
Solomon stood, his thoughts and feelings as enigmatic as his face.
Him and Borealis faced each other, tension beaming from their eyes.
Gabriel had his hand gliding up his sheath. Stonestein reached for his back. Blades were sliding from Glade's sleeves...
Solomon glanced their way, then towards Borealis, uttering in a calm, almost haunting tone, "Pick your next move wisely, Borealis Aurora."
Moving quicker than a comet descending from the sky, Borealis raised his hands with light surging around the gauntlets.
Rifts of aquamarine light surrounded Solomon and called forth chains to grab hold of him, limbs, neck and torso. As the man reached out, hand clad in darkness, the chains snapped down and forced the mighty king to his knees.
Borealis' eyes burned with righteousness, the confidence in his presence not going unnoticed by the Dark King.
"You...ghh, had planned this from the start." He uttered, a mix of disappointment and rage in his voice.
Borealis extended his right gauntlet towards Solomon's face and muttered coldly, "I had hoped it wouldn't end this way. But it is as I had presumed from the start..."
The energy around his hand began to pull at Solomon's being like a miniature black hole, "Savagery is a poison for our kind."
"Heh...!" Solomon chuckled loudly, "You seek to pin the blame of your daughter's rebellion on an easy scapegoat."
His eyes narrowed as he then whispered, "But perhaps...all you need is to look into a mirror, Borealis Aurora."
Borealis grimaced, squeezing his gauntlet closer to the laughing king's face, "Silence. This maddening power of yours shall finally be in proper hands!"
"I disagree." Solomon's eyes began to light up, as a series of cursed violet runes appeared all across his armor.
And from their dark presence, energy surged out onto Borealis' gauntlets, causing them to turn on and off rapidly.
Borealis withdrew his hands slightly and barely registered surprise on his expression. He brought his fingers together and let out a resounding snap, causing the energy to be cast off by his aura alone.
The sound of metal and glass breaking came from Solomon, as he freed himself from the weakened chains and stood tall before the lord of Sancturia, his body wreathed in black fog.
His eyes thus glowed brighter, aggressive in their intent.
Shadows emerged beneath him, dragging him into darkness.
The two mighty leaders spared each other a final glance for now, with Solomon ushering in a declaration of war, "You have made an enemy of me today with this humiliation. I shall never forget...If you ever try to take this power from me again, Borealis Aurora...I will show the world what a disgrace you truly are."
Borealis left the matter be. Fighting now would play into the Dark King's advantage.
The situation here had de-escalated, but no one would ever know what Solomon truly thought...Having lost that which felt gave him purpose.
It would remain secure inside his black clad armor, a true mystery for the ages...
As one battle of wills concluded, another was just getting started.
Auris ran out of the palace like a bolt of lightning and immediately eyed up the Pyramid in front of her. She leaped high, scaling it in a few quick hops.
Her senses burned and forced her to spin around, where she brandished her shield to riposte Vermilion's fiery charge.
The scorpion rebounded onto the roof of the pyramid on all fours and liked her lips with sweaty delight, "Finally...! I get to scar up that spoiled little face of yours!"
Auris readied her sword and swung the very moment Vermilion leaped out, clashing against her array of thinned steel.
Vermilion threw the needles and Auris swatted them aside, never losing sight of her landing on the opposing edge of the pyramid.
Vermilion then propelled forward using flames from her feet and stabbed her fingertips into the center of Auris' shield. She then let loose another burst of flame to shove her off-balance when she hit the ground.
Auris created a slant of aura to hold her advantage and began slashing out, matching each of Vermilion's savage blows.
Vermilion landed on the ground with a deep, ferocious "Heh!" and then started slashing to and fro across the tiers of the Pyramid, giving Auris no quarter to fight back.
Auris bided her time. Two more presences, one cold, the other electrified, were rapidly converging on her location.
There was no fear of harm, but either one of the two Sages could easily incapacitate if she let her guard down for even a nanosecond.
Vermilion compressed her strides until she was punching hard with foot-wide movements, rapidly deteriorating the floor at ground level.
Auris felt her shield denting and held her blade down, lighting it brightly with aura.
When Vermilion pulled her arms back for a double burning stinger, Auris slid her arm free from the shield straps and spun around, kicking the shield into Vermilion's chest to send her back up the slant.
Auris then whipped the tip of her sword at the ground, unleashing the energy up the slant to send Vermilion all the way back to the top.
She then called her shield back and turned to the left just in time to prevent Adderbolt from ramming into her as a lightning bolt.
He returned to form as his thinner self and remarked in a mournful tone, "You sure about this, Lady Auris?"
Auris responded with a narrowing glare and then looked to the right. Vermilion was barreling down the slant as a towering wheel of fire. Carolina was diving down behind her, mere feet from impact.
Auris weighed her options and then jumped to the left, traveling along the citizen's rooftops.
"W-Wait!" Adderbolt went sluggish and only gestured his hand out, clicking his tongue and shrugging his shoulders, "Well, nothing I can do about that..."
A massive pillar of ice formed in Vermilion's path, causing her rampage to burn out when she broke through and the ensuing avalanche of ice blocks battered her around.
"Ow! Ow!" Vermilion stumbled back onto her feet and grit a scowl up at Carolina flying by overhead with a playful smile on her face.
"Ghhh, do I look like the princess?!" Vermilion grumbled and started to kick her pace back up, "Dumb bitch."
As she blitzed her way through the crowd of people with no regard, Nimus flew on by directly overhead and chuckled, "Y'know, aren't we supposed to stop her from getting out?"
"Shut up ya googly-eyed pest!" Vermilion's expression was whipped into a frenzy and she wreathed herself in an inferno, vaulting all the way through the air to get to Auris' location.
She slammed her hands down atop the house she just jumped from and consumed it in a towering pillar. Then, she cut through the flames and slashed Auris with her raw hand.
Auris repelled the attack with her sword and was dragged further back. She then whipped a wave of aura out from her sword to smash Vermilion away before she attacked again.
She then continued to run along the rooftops. Once she was past the barrier, she was safe.
She came to a quick and sudden stop as a wall of blades fell in her way. She didn't miss a beat and ran to the right, where another wall got in her way.
Auris backflipped and looked up to see Nimus upside-down with his hands in his pockets and his carefree smile.
He then swung a finger around and made his blades dance to the tune of a gale to surround Auris.
There wasn't much effort put into making it inescapable, which he could easily do.
And it was not because Vermilion was coming in once more to continue her hunt.
The scorpion lashed out her hands and hair stinger in a flurry to try and get around Auris' shield, striking at such frequency that the energy of their clash kept them suspended in place.
Auris focused on the ground and saw Lilith had snuck up beneath them, drawing a tome with glowing letters rising off the pristine pages.
With an echoing voice she commanded a flurry of light beams to curve through the air and infiltrate the blades, using them all to rebound around and strike Auris from all sides.
She sliced through the attacks coming from her right and waited for an opportunity to hit Vermilion away.
Suddenly some of the beams slipped out through the bottom of the blades and smashed into the bed of flowers.
Nimus and Lilith exchanged quick looks and Nimus clicked his tongue while he said, "Sorry, sorry, I'm rusty. Geez."
He then flashed a quick wink at Auris.
Auris' eyes widened and she repelled Vermilion with a full swing from her blade. Then she held her shield up, her dragoon stretching its arms out and letting out a resounding roar.
Five walls of aura surrounded Vermilion. Then Auris flung her sword straight out like an arrow, grazing the scorpion's shoulder and flying straight for Nimus.
Nimus called his blades back as a shield and the sword fired off a cone of aura, shaving off a multitude of metal and shoving Nimus far away from this battlefield.
"S-Shoot!" He said with genuine surprise while stretching a grin, "Heh, you're really serious about this huh, cotton candy?"
While Nimus had been removed as a factor, Auris quickly used her Drive to leap around the five barriers and get around Vermilion.
The scorpion's one-eyed widened in a frenzy as she spread her fingers and let them be consumed in fire. Her prey would never leave her sight, no matter their speed.
"C'mon!" She eagerly egged Auris on, a trickle of blue fire beginning to spread out from behind her eyepatch, "C'mon c'mon c'mon! HIT ME!"
Auris recalled her sword and pulled it back with a full presentation of aggression on display on her face.
At the very last second she summoned another wall outside this ring and redirected Vermilion's attention towards it right as she made the jump to it.
The scorpion was then pressed together by the remaining walls and kept from interfering.
Auris backflipped through the air then used her Drive to immediately land on the ground further away and break into a run.
Mere feet separated her from the goal line. But her trial was not at its end.
A gale with the strength of a hundred hurricanes centralized entirely on her location and started shoving her back, even as she put all her strength into her feet.
Lilith then gestured her hand out daintily, her eyes parting slightly open as her smile creased out slowly, "Coils of the Heavenly Serpent, sink your fangs into this dire soul so that they may be cleansed."
Light twisted it's way into this world and from it emerged hollowed, golden serpents with winged ears that lunged forth through the air, biting down onto Auris' torso, right arm and legs.
The pain seared into her flesh constantly thanks to her regeneration, making it difficult for her to muster up the strength to lunge through the gale.
Together, Nimus and Lilith were going to drag her back.
She had been within arm's reach. Just one more push would do it!
She dragged her arm out of the serpent's grip and swung her hand at the barrier, only for the serpent to pull her back in.
Nimus, all the while, was yelling at her in his carefree tone, "This really all you got, princess? Come on! I thought you were going to stand at Sarajin's side!"
"I...I AM!" Auris grit her teeth, her flesh aflame and her nerves firing on all cylinders, fighting against the restraints that bound her.
She glanced at her Drive bracelet and clicked her tongue, and with one feverish roar she ripped her arm free one last time and swung the other one up towards the second stone on it.
"And I won't hold myself back...ANY LONGER!"
A pillar of azure light erupted from her body and towered so high it'd be visible from all across the land, and even space.
From it emerged a pair of angelic wings lacking in flaw. With one flap, it collapsed the light down upon Auris' very being, wreathing her like a coat of armor.
Her robe vanished and the light shattered off, replacing her normal garb with sapphire and silver valkyrie armor from head-to-toe.
The heavenly warrior's garb complimented her majestic figure and emphasized her pristine skin and determined expression.
Discarding her shield, she now wielded a massive sword with a bright silver-blue coating in both hands.
Her hair was now a striking azure blue, but the pink mark remained.
Lilith subtly grit her teeth as the divine energy washed over her, leading her to murmur under her breath, "No...!"
She then lashed her tome out and repeated the incantation, creating a dozen more serpents from thin air.
"Lilith!" Nimus shouted in disbelief.
"This will not stand..." She muttered, detached from any sense of emotion.
The serpents were let loose with a roar.
But Auris was spared their ferocity. She remained calmed and focused, channeling all her energy into her blade.
When her eyes widened she was awake with fire brimming in her soul and in the immediate moment that followed, her blade had already been swung.
Her cleaving slice divided the barrier before her in twine, and then expanded the gap a mile wide.
The backdraft of her swing shattered the serpents behind her, and threw up a gale that pounded Sancturia all the way to the other side of the city.
Lilith and Nimus were thrown away onto their back with a hard grunt.
Auris then swung her sword out in one hand and switched back to her Aegis Dragoon, her heart pumping as she fled Sancturia with gallant strides.
There was nothing holding her back, the sheer joy of liberation bringing the biggest smile she's ever worn.
Panting and wearing herself down emotionally with anticipation, she almost failed to notice her destination peeking up over the horizon.
She stopped to catch her breath, her clothes soaked with sweat.
The city floated before a setting sun and she stood center in it's light, cast in a deep silhouette.
Auris then bent down, and with one solitary leap she crossed both sky and land in an instant to end up on the very, very edge of Arc Hurricanos.
Her presence came as a shock to the mild-mannered citizens. She withdrew her weapons and Drive and then ran through the city with an uplifting feeling in her chest.
She wound up before Sarajin's home in a matter of seconds.
She knew she was right. This welcoming vibe could have only come from his place of birth.
She then swept the cloth door aside and stepped inside, where her heart was quick to go still.
This year has felt like an eternity. But here he was. Alive, well, a little more rugged, yet glowing with his precious smile.
She no longer wished to hide these feelings behind a sheltered lie.
From here until the end, she would be honest with him, and be with him, and accept him for any flaws that may arise.
She stood motionless before the door with tears leaking from her eyes and his expression going from one of serene merriment with family, to one of silent surprise as he noticed her presence.
Everyone in the house was silent as he rose to his feet and looked her way.
Their eyes locked and Auris felt her body relax. She laid her hand upon her supple chest and presented herself to him with a friendly smile that had long been overdue.
"You're back...You're really back." She whispered, sure in herself that this was no mere dream.
"A-Auris...?" Sarajin's mouth laid partially agape as he strolled over towards her, with her going to meet him in the middle.
He reached his hands out and she delicately took them into hers, putting them the closest she could ever remember them being.
He looked tired but being in her presence seemed to bring back a little bit of his vigor, and he thanked her with his growing smile and a mild, curious chuckle, "What...how did you...how did you know I was back?"
She creased her smile and made a brief glance at the stone laying in his pockets, "I just knew."
She then closed her eyes to collect herself, speaking up with a deep, mature tone, "Sarajin...I finally figured out the answer I was seeking."
When she opened her eyes, they glistened with passion befitting her radiance, and a warm blush filled her cheeks.
"I love you." She whispered.
She felt his pulse quicken under her thumbs, and her heart beat fluttered just as swift.
His eyes manifested this curious, and mildly childish look of surprise, "You...do? S-Since when?"
"Always." She whispered.
"I...wow," Sarajin pivoted his gaze to the side and puffed out a bit of air, "I thought you just wanted to remain friends."
"Huh?"
Sarajin grinned brightly as he said, "Because honestly? I always...sort of had feelings for you too."
Auris' eyes widened in silence, allowing Sarajin's good nature to carry the conversation for a bit, "While I was traveling through space, it was the thought of coming back and making sure you were feeling ok that motivated me to keep going."
"I...probably should have said something sooner," Sarajin closed his eyes and briefly rubbed the back of his head, "I would have never gotten this far in life if you weren't around to inspire me."
Auris' chest felt fluffy and light as a feather, her smile widening all on its own, "That's not true. I could only inspire you...because you gave me something to believe in."
"Auris..."
The two stared into each other's eyes and their feelings drew them in closer. Their heart beats quickened, as they closed their eyes and prepared to lock lips.
Partway in, however, Auris rescinded her expression of passion and looked melancholic, her heart aching with a chilling sensation.
Sarajin opened his eyes and muttered, "Auris?"
She looked downward, her grip loosening as she muttered, "We can't..."
A heavy sigh was set loose from her lips, "The Anti-Genesis Theorem inside me...poisons anything with elemental energy with just my touch."
She forced a smile through and had to laugh at the absurdity of the moment, "Not very romantic, is it?"
Sarajin smiled back with sincerity in every act he took henceforth, "I don't mind. We can just...keep holding hands like this for a while, if you'd like."
Auris closed her eyes part way in a sultry fashion and whispered, "I-I would like that."
With great respect towards Sarajin's parents, the two headed outside and walked hand-in-hand to the place Sarajin used to sit down and relax on the edge of the city.
There, they sat beside one another and weaved their fingers together, gazing out at the sunset while recounting the events of the last year.
Sarajin dominated the majority of the conversation, but that didn't mean he was selfish about it. When she had something to say, he was attentive to her emotions.
It had been a stressful time for them both yet in the context of the present, those days felt like something they could have a laugh about, even if just for a little while.
Sarajin had surprising news to deliver about the existence of other worlds full of wonder and creatures stranger than fiction. Of a war that was being fought, more violent than what Genestasia had ever experienced. Of a man...whose presence invoked the death of hope.
And then finally, it ended on the 'higher-ups', and the offer Sarajin made to them.
Auris was silent over how easily he offered his aid to them, but not surprised.
She then laid her hand atop of his and leaned in closer, whispering softly in his ear, "Aren't you worried?"
"Yeah," Sarajin nodded, mounting a partial smile of confidence, "Vader showed me...there's a lot of danger out there. I'll still have to get stronger to face them."
He then looked into her eyes and said, "Will you help me?"
Auris looked back at him tenderly and then patted his hand with a growing smile, "Of course. I'll be here for you whenever you need me."
This calm moment between them was not meant to last.
A shadow fell upon them, followed by the sound of flapping wings.
Twinbeak descended before them, suspending in mid-air with a glare of ire directed towards them.
The two stood up, Sarajin surprised while Auris remained subdued.
"T-Twinbeak?" He uttered.
"We spared the courtesy of letting you enjoy this tender moment with the one you love, Sarajin Stratos."
"But we must demand that the Aurian leave this place, and never return."
"What, why?!" Sarajin leaned out and held Auris' hand tightly as he passionately came to her defense, "She's not like Nimus at all, she can be trusted! I swear by my life!"
Auris slipped her hand out of his grasp and whispered calmly, "No. They're right."
Sarajin's gaze froze on her with his mouth agape. She laid her arms under her chest and smiled, "My body...carries too great a risk for the safety of this place and its people."
"My clothing can only ward off my poison touch so much, and who can say if it won't evolve to pass through it?"
"We can make it work, Auris. I know we can!" Sarajin shouted in confidence.
"Perhaps," Auris kept her smile strong, "But it would bring me great pain if I were to desecrate the place you call home."
Sarajin's expression shifted through a few complicated emotions before ultimately settling on one of acceptance and curiosity, "So...where will you go then?"
"Mmm..." Auris closed her eyes part way and said, "I suppose...I will return to Sancturia."
"R-Really?" Sarajin sputtered up in disbelief.
She held her head up high, "I know the risks. Father will have no doubt revoked my authority as a Sage. I will be no more worthy than the average citizen in their eyes."
"But, this will be a great opportunity to undermine the hold my father has over our people. I can work on reawakening their free will, maybe use their voice to start a rebellion against the other Sages."
"...It'll be dangerous." Sarajin remarked.
"I have nothing to fear," Auris smiled with a warrior's fire in her eyes, "Not anymore."
Sarajin bit his lower lip and then spun around, staring Twinbeak straight in their eyes and shouting, "Can she at least stay the night up here?!"
The Titan's eyes looked like they would narrow, with Sarajin then begging with more of a whisper, "Just one night. Please?"
"We will...allow it."
"But she must leave at dawnbreak, and not a second more."
As the Titan flew away Sarajin waved up to them and shouted, "Thanks!"
He then slowly turned back towards Auris, who looked pleasantly surprised, her cheeks warm and pink.
Sarajin then rubbed the back of his head and remarked, "I-I should have asked if you wanted to-"
"No. Thank you for standing up for me," Auris replied, "It is...nice, to feel wanted."
Sarajin walked up and grabbed her hands, raising them between both of their chests as he levitated dangerously close to her face, "We WILL make this work. I don't care if you're miles away or planets away, Auris. We'll get through any problem together. And someday, we'll make this a world where borders no longer matter."
Auris' eyes trembled and she closed them before a single tear could get through. She then weaved her fingers between his, and chuckled dryly...
"Yes. That...is a promise."
"Well?" Sarajin turned her towards the city and guided her along, "Want to meet my parents?"
"Sure. That'll be wonderful." She said in a soothed tone.
It had been a difficult road to get to this point. And the hardest was yet to come.
But now they had each other, a contract bound with love and devotion, tied up by a simple but poignant vow...
And together, there was nothing they couldn't do.
Chapter -87: Auris and Sarajin of Genestasia
Next Time: Catching Up on Current Events