I can't believe we're sixty chapters in, this is wild… Also, sorry for this being late, between seeing a movie and a severe panic attack (on top of spending most of the day away from home) I ended up having very little time to finish up this chapter. I'm going to be trying to get another one out within the next 1-3 days to make up for it.
Milthren- I'll try, but that's all I can promise. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
GrnDrgnzrd and muhammad avdul- I'm glad you liked that part of the chapter. And you're more right than you know, GrnDrgnzrd.
Bookah and FrozenButterfly- I'm glad you guys like Aurelius as a character. The next few chapters will probably give a bit more insight into him.
LocusOfControl- I'll try to keep info about the story itself to a minimum in the opening AN, but I prefer to have it for letting people know what's going on that might impact my writing speed or cause me to slow down. Anything related to the content of the chapter will be at the end.
Chapter 60: First Encounters and Contemplation
Ancient Draconys
A regal, white-haired woman let out a sigh as she looked over the fields. Fourteen others wandered around, talking to each other as they waited for Helios and Thanatos to return. Isolda was the youngest of her "family" and had yet to properly meet the rest quite yet. As she glanced around, a dark-skinned man with brown hair and brown eyes walked up. "So, you're Isolda, correct?" he asked, getting a nod from the woman. He smiled and gave a slight bow. "I am Julius. Helios and Thanatos have requested that I ensure you meet all of our brothers and sisters."
"That is quite thoughtful," she said with a nervous smile. Truth be told, she wasn't quite sure what was expected of her. She followed along quietly, listening as Julius introduced her to each one before going into a long, drawn out conversation. After a while, she started to realize that the rest of the individuals seemed to be more respectful when talking to Julius than when conversing with others. "They seem to hold you in high regard," she commented, not noticing the smug smile on his face.
"It's only natural. I'm in charge when the gods are gone, so they've come to respect me," he said, a touch of arrogance in his voice. The woman paid it no mind as she continued listening to the discussions. Eventually, she grew bored with the others in the clearing and let her gaze wander along the trees. She stopped when she noticed a small, overgrown path leading into the tree line. She glanced at the rest of the group before heading into the woods. She followed the path before she noticed a white-cloaked figure walking quietly along the trail ahead. "Hello?" she called out, causing the figure to glance back briefly, giving her a view of his blue eyes and black hair with white tips. He hesitated before turning to face her.
"Hello? Did you need help?" he said, his voice slightly subdued and quiet.
Isolda took a moment to look over the man, quickly realizing that he was probably taller than anyone she'd met today. She glanced up, looking in his eyes and noticed that they were softer and warmer than those of the people in the clearing, full of curiosity with a small amount of pain in them. "He has a gentle, trusting soul," she thought to herself. "But what could happen to hurt him emotionally?" She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized he was shifting uneasily, leaving her embarrassed by her lack of thought. "Forgive me, I just wasn't expecting to see anyone. I was just exploring and wasn't expecting to see anyone out here."
The man let out a tired sigh. "It seems like nobody ever does…"
Isolda frowned. "I apologize. I am Isolda," she said, holding out her hand.
The man hesitated for a moment before taking it. "I'm Marcus," he said simply.
She smiled at the man. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Marcus… Forgive me if it's inappropriate to ask, but are you… human?" she asked, wincing internally as the question immediately caused the man to step back, expression and posture suddenly guarded.
"No, and the fact that you think to ask that means you aren't either. What brings you out beyond their clearing?" he said, distrust in his voice.
She hesitated before speaking up. "If you are one of my brothers, why didn't Julius introduce us?"
Marcus let out a sigh. "He most likely decided that nobody would care to know about me. How many of us are there now? Five? Six?" he asked, causing the woman to wince.
"Counting you and myself, sixteen," she watched the man run a hand through his hair. "How do you not know how many of us there are?"
Marcus' shoulders sagged. "For the same reason Julius wouldn't introduce you to me. Not a single member of our number has had an interest in speaking with me. Simply being around them was too difficult since they insist on acting as though I don't even exist. It was easier to just return to where the gods made me and live alone than it was to stay near our brothers and sisters."
Isolda looked back down the path in the direction she came from, a frown on her face. "I don't understand why they would have anything against him… There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him," she thought before turning to face him. "Perhaps you could tell me a bit about yourself?" she asked, causing him to hesitate.
"Alright…" he said with a sigh before he started walking down the trail, causing Isolda to follow. "As far as I'm aware, I'm the oldest of our number. After the gods created Julius, I spent most of my time being ignored and chose to live out here once they decided to move into the larger clearing. I guess it's just… I enjoy the quiet, I guess."
She frowned. "It must get lonely occasionally…" she mused, getting an empty laugh from her newfound companion.
"You have no idea…" he muttered. Before Isolda could respond, a voice called out from the direction she came from.
"Isolda! Helios and Thanatos are back! They wish to meet with all of us," Julius called out.
"I'll be back in a minute!" she called out before turning to face the cloaked man. "I'll see if it's possible for me to return to speak with you another time. Is that acceptable?"
He looked at her in surprise, a small amount of hope in his eyes. "I'd like some company, actually…" he said, causing Isolda to smile. She turned away, heading down the path. Marcus watched for a moment before turning away, heading back along his journey.
As she came around a bend, she found Julius leaning against a tree, arms crossed. "Wandering away from the clearing is ill advised, Isolda," he scolded. "There's creatures in the woods that would be a threat even for you considering how inexperienced you are."
She let out a sigh. "I'm certain that there wasn't anything that would threaten me in this forest," she stated, earning a scoff from Julius.
"It's my duty to ensure everyone is following the rules, Isolda. You would do well to remember that," he said before walking down the path, leaving the woman confused behind him.
Bastion, Modern Day, with Weiss
Weiss let out a sigh as she continued walking down a street. "Why did I think this was a good idea… Now I have to carry all this stuff back home… I hope Ruby enjoys this at least…" she thought. She glanced up at the simulated sky as she thought about the girl. "I wonder what she's making for dinner. I can't believe I was so lucky to get someone like her as my mate and girlfriend…"
The White Rose stopped, a frown on her face. "Girlfriend… The word almost doesn't feel right any more. We're so much closer than that now. We've fought together, I've seen her almost die, she's seen me at my weakest… She's given me a much better purpose in life than sitting in an office. On top of that, we're mates, so while it might not be official, we're practically married already," she thought before a smile crossed her face. "I mean… from how Aurelius responded to us being mates, it would be safe to assume it's not illegal in Sanctuary, which is good considering I've never stopped to look into the legality in any of the kingdoms." She nodded with a smile before her Scroll went off, causing her to pull it out of her pocket. She smiled gently at the picture of Ruby, eyes closed in a bright grin with her head tilted to the side, appeared on the screen. Weiss answered the call. "Hey Ruby."
"Weiss! Did you get the um…" Ruby started, causing Weiss to blush.
"Yeah… Most of it. There's some stuff you need to go there for us to get," Weiss started as she noticed a nearby jewelry store. "That reminds me, there's one more thing I need before I can come home. I'll see you in a bit, alright?"
Ruby let out a quiet sigh. "Alright, I'll wait for you to get back, okay?"
"Thanks, Ruby. I love you," Weiss said, enjoying the feeling of joy that filled her every time she said those words to Ruby.
"I love you too, Weiss. I'll see you in a bit," Ruby said before Weiss hesitantly ended the call.
She looked up before heading into the jewelry store, stepping up to the counter and waiting for the woman to notice her. "Can you help me pick out an engagement ring, please?" she asked meekly, getting a smile from the woman.
"Sure, we have a few that are quite popular or, if you want, I could help you make a custom ring," the woman said.
Weiss hummed and glanced at the rings, not finding any that really fit. "I suppose a custom ordered one would be best," she muttered.
"I have to say, it's not every day that the girl's the one who proposes."
Weiss laughed. "No matter which of us proposes, it's still going to be that way."
The woman's eyes lit up. "Oh, right, you're Weiss, aren't you? I remember your concert a few weeks back!"
The fox faunus scratched the back of her neck, tail moving meekly behind her. "I see… I hope you're a fan then and not someone that's just going to criticize me for who I pick to be with?"
The woman smiled. "You don't get to pick who you fall in love with. The only thing you have control over is if you act on that love or not." She clapped her hands together. "Alright, let me just get a few things and we can start designing your engagement ring!" Weiss nodded and set her bags down, waiting for the woman to return.
Citadel Grounds, with Winter and Aurelius
Winter let out a sigh as she looked around, admiring the forests around them. "There's something peaceful about this place," she said as they headed towards the nearest entrance to the interior of Bastion.
"When I was much younger, I used to find peace in wandering the forests of Draconys. Now, they just bring up memories of the distant past and people I'll never see again," Aurelius said grimly. "While I might not be able to walk through here without a heavy heart, there's still good memories in the forest this grove was meant to replicate."
Winter smiled sadly. "I suppose that's the issue with immortality, isn't it?" she asked.
"I suppose so. These trees are a reminder of what's been lost and my first failure, but also of my first years of existence," he said as he walked, each step holding confidence.
As they continued walking, Winter decided to speak up. "What was your early existence like, exactly?" she asked.
"It's much easier if I don't think about it. The man that wandered those forests… Everything he cared about died in them and, as far as I'm concerned, he died with them on the same day," Aurelius said calmly.
Winter looked at him in surprise. "I never expected you to sound so cold, Aurelius," she said quietly.
"That's just how it is sometimes. Who I was before doesn't affect anyone alive today. As far as anyone is concerned I've always been Aurelius." Winter went to speak up when they heard a dog whimper and a boy speak up somewhere ahead.
"Come on, Jasper. Dad's going to get help and you'll be fine, alright?" the boy said meekly as the dog whimpered.
Aurelius let out a sigh as he moved forward, tail moving behind him as he walked over, kneeling down next to the boy. "Hello. Do you need help?" he asked, causing the boy to look at him.
"My dog broke his leg," he said with a sniffle. "My dad went to go see if he could find anyone that could help."
"Here, let me see," Aurelius said. The boy looked at him hesitantly before moving to the side, giving the wolf a chance to examine the small pup. The dog let out a whimper before he held up his hand. "I won't hurt you, just relax…" Once the dog was calmed down, Aurelius gently lifted the limb, looking it over. He hummed quietly as his hand started glowing, carefully using his aura to mend the bone and muscle. The dog let out a quiet whine and Aurelius sighed. "Why must you suffer so?" he asked, a hint of sadness in his voice before he let go. "There, good as new." The dog hopped up, walking around a bit before running over to the boy.
Winter squirmed in unease, a sense of déjà vu going through her at the scene. She saw a man approach out of the corner of her eye, forcing her to file it away for later. She glanced at the Blue Rose as he stood up, heading back down the trail without another word to the boy or his father.
And this chapter's done for now. The next few chapters will have scenes detailing major events in Aurelius' life prior to the founding of Point Refuge and the Kingdom of Sanctuary, basically "Pre-Sanctuary" Aurelius when the name Marcus could still be used when referring to him. This is mainly because he seems to be a popular character and I felt it would be a good chance to show how he became who he is.
As always, let me know what you think. All input is appreciated.
