Chapter 19: Eternity
"What's that?" Bracken asked, approaching Kendra from the kitchen.
Kendra froze. The letter in her hands held information of great importance to her; she'd been unable to resist opening it, even though she'd wanted to wait until after she'd read its contents before sharing the news with her fiancée. He'd been in the living room with her brother and her mom, talking about wedding stuff and whatever else they were talking about, when Raxtus had dropped by at the back door with an envelope and a leather satchel for Kendra. She'd been rummaging through the fridge looking for a soda at the time and had spoken to the dragon in hushed whispers at the door before he nodded in understanding and quietly flew off so as not to attract anyone's attention, leaving the items behind.
She knew Bracken wouldn't approve. They'd had this discussion before, just once, and he'd made his opinion clear on the subject.
But she had her own opinion as well.
"It's… a letter from Agad," Kendra stated, deciding to own up to it right away instead of have him discover it himself. "Raxtus just dropped it off, along with the bag on the table."
"Oh," he replied. He studied her face intently, then asked, "What does he say?"
"He sends his best wishes and the knapsack is a gift for us, since Navarog torched the backpack I used to have." Kendra looked up thoughtfully and then opened the knapsack she'd laid on top of the dining room table and peered inside. It was too dark to see anything, so she reached her arm inside – sure enough, she couldn't feel the bottom of the bag. A smile graced her features as she said happily, "It's an extra-dimensional storage space!"
Bracken smiled as well and remarked, "That was generous of him. The magic involved with the creation of such items is not simple." He paused and then asked, "What else is in the letter?"
"I haven't finished reading it yet," Kendra said.
"Why not just read it out loud?"
Kendra nodded her head and gritted her teeth. "Alright then," she said, obviously not wanting to read it to him.
"'Regarding other matters we have spoken of previously – Kendra, I am honored to have received your request,'" she began.
"What request was that?" Bracken interrupted.
Kendra stared pointedly at him. "I think you already know the answer to that one."
Bracken rubbed the back of his neck with his hand as his face became serious. "I thought we'd already talked about this."
"Not really. You made your opinion clear, but you didn't even listen to me," she said, immediately on the defensive.
"Kendra, becoming an Eternal is not healthy," he stated. "Your life would have to be lived while constantly on the run. Don't you remember how lonely Mark and Civia were?"
Kendra's mouth dropped open. "What are you saying? If I become an Eternal, then you won't stick around?"
"That's not at all what I meant," Bracken said, shaking his head and raising his hands in front of him in a placating gesture. "I want you to be happy. Happy and safe," he emphasized.
"So… you just don't want to be with me for longer than my natural lifespan," she challenged.
"That's not what I said either," he responded.
"Then what are you saying, Bracken?" she said. "I want to be with you forever, or as close to forever as I can get. I'm alright with being an obstacle someone has to overcome before they can re-open Zzyzx if it means that I will have you with me for my life." She didn't quite slam the letter onto the tabletop, however she didn't gently place it there either. "But if you're not even willing to listen to me –"
"Wait, Kendra—" Bracken began, grabbing hold of her wrist as she tried to turn away from him.
Seth walked into the room right then and looked at them questioningly. "Are you two alright?" he asked.
Bracken let go of Kendra's wrist and she folded her arms across her chest. "Fine and dandy," she responded unconvincingly.
"Right," Seth's voice dripped with skepticism. "So what is it that has everyone's favorite couple all up in arms with each other?"
Kendra pursed her lips and after a moment of silence, Bracken answered, "She wants to become an Eternal."
Seth looked at his sister significantly. "So you finally asked Agad, then?"
"Wait – you knew?" she asked, clearly surprised.
"Duh. That one was pretty obvious," he responded, waving his hand dismissively. "For what my opinion is worth, I'm with Bracken on this one."
"You don't even know why I want to become an Eternal—"
"That one is pretty obvious, too," he interrupted. "Bracken is immortal, you want to be immortal with him and live, quote unquote, 'happily ever after.' The option of him becoming mortal for you would probably be perceived as a proverbial slap in the face to the Fairy Queen and the rest of her family, not to mention all of fairydom. There. Easy peasy."
"You make it sound like my points are trivial," Kendra stated. "They're not."
"No, they're not," Bracken agreed.
"I feel competent for the job," Kendra said. "I'll have years to learn how to tap into my abilities and use them to help protect the world. Tell me how that's a bad thing."
Bracken approached Kendra from behind and placed his hands gently on both of her upper arms. "You'll be a target," he said softly. "'Eternal' is a misnomer. No prison remains closed forever – and when it reopens again, even if it's three million years from now, that means you will have to have been murdered first. Kendra, I… You're right, you'll be a formidable opponent for anyone to overcome, but I don't know how I'll be able to live with myself when I fail to protect you. It's not a matter of if, but when."
Kendra remained quiet, so Bracken continued speaking. He could tell that she was listening intently.
"Besides, I had rather hoped that you might want a family with me at some point," he stated, still using the same quiet tone of voice. "Do you really want our children to be subjected to the lifestyle an Eternal would demand? Constantly in motion, avoiding close calls, not being able to have friends? What if our children became collateral damage in a skirmish between opposing forces? Can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't blame yourself or me, or that you would be able to move on without issue afterward?"
Her shoulders slumped as the reality of what he was saying was hitting home. "I… I hadn't really thought of that," she answered quietly. She turned her head to try and look at him. "What else can I do, though?" she asked. "I can't ask you to give up your immortality for me. I couldn't… I mean, your mother—"
"She would understand, believe it or not," Bracken said, releasing her arms and moving a little so he could talk with her face-to-face. "I have discussed it with her before and while she wasn't happy about the idea, she recognized that it was my decision to make. As far as the rest of fairydom… Well, to be honest, I really don't care what they think."
"Whoa, so you're really going to give up your immortality?" Seth piped up. When Bracken and Kendra both turned to look at him with glances that seemed to question why he was still there, he said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to add my two cents that Kendra, as your apparently over-protective taller brother, I don't want to see you hurt and living your life in fear or instability. Plus, I'm obligated to interject Dad's opinion on the matter, and that one is a huge N-O, for all of the above reasons. Now that I've said that, I think I'll leave." He then walked back into the living room and left Kendra and Bracken alone.
"He's so weird sometimes," Kendra muttered as he left, although Bracken could tell through the expression on her face that she was feeling affection for her brother as she spoke.
Bracken pulled Kendra into a close embrace as he said, "I know the idea of me retaining my immortality and simply living with you while you age bothers you. It doesn't bother me, but it bothers you."
"That would be a 'yes, definitely,'" she responded.
"And I must admit, after your lifespan was over, I would be in a dismal place." He kissed the top of her head and held her tighter. "Now that I've found you, I don't ever want to lose you… which is why I have an alternate solution to propose."
Kendra pulled away from him until she was able to see his face again while still remaining in his embrace. "What?" she asked simply, her eyes full of eager anticipation mixed with confusion.
"When I was with your brother in Malaysia," he began, "I found a few seeds in the same room as the amulet. There were other magical items as well, but we left those there. I couldn't resist the seeds – Kendra, they will grow into a tree that will produce golden apples."
"You mean like the ones in European mythology?" she asked. Kendra had studied mythology from several different cultures when she was taking university courses, primarily because most of it had turned out to actually be real and she figured she'd be able to make great use out of learning more about the magical world.
"Yes," he answered simply.
"The stories say that golden apples were eaten by the gods, and were the source of their immortality…" she said. "They actually exist?"
"One apple alone won't grant you immortality. You'd have to consistently eat the apples – once every couple of weeks, similar to if you were sipping from the Font of Immortality. But I'm not a novice when it comes to magic, even if my abilities are small in comparison to Mother's." He paused before continuing. "I wasn't going to tell you this next part. Promise me that you won't feel guilty," he said.
"Guilty about what?" she asked.
"I melded the seeds with my first horn before I buried them and prompted the plant to grow," he stated. "The sapling will grow under the influence of my first horn, until the horn has been fully absorbed by the tree."
"What? But won't that destroy your horn? Why would you do that?" Kendra asked, obviously shocked.
Bracken kissed her sweetly and then said, "If I am correct – Mother believes I am correct – whoever eats the apples will share my natural lifespan. It'd also be a one-time requirement, not a regular one, although the apples hold healing properties and could be used for other purposes as well."
"So… you're saying that you found a way for me to live as long as you do?"
"Yes," Bracken answered. "This particular issue has been on my mind since Zzyzx. I couldn't believe my fortune when I found the seeds. I had been planning a separate quest to search the Andes Mountains, following other leads that would hopefully have helped me meet the same goal."
"You gave up your first horn," she reiterated.
"Correct."
"Bracken, I'm so sorry—"
"I told you not to feel guilty."
"That was a huge sacrifice on your part!"
"It was my decision to make."
Kendra's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "Why would you ever do something like that for me?"
"Well now, that's a stupid question coming from a very smart woman," he answered, smiling at her. "I love you, and I want you by my side for as long as I live. If I hadn't been able to find a solution like this, Kendra, I would have gladly forfeited my immortality for you."
She smiled back at him and kissed him in response. How she'd ever done anything good enough to deserve him was beyond her.
"Do you know what you can do to repay me?" he asked playfully.
"What do you have in mind?" she asked, looking at him questioningly.
"Promise me that you'll have one when they're ready," he stated. "Don't let my sacrifice have been in vain."
"Without hesitation," she answered. "When do you think they will be ready?"
"They need some time – it's only been a few months. I planted the seeds almost as soon as you consented to marry me. Trees always take longer to grow than flowers, even with magical assistance." She gave him a significant look and he said, "Right. To answer your question, it will probably be another five years or so before the apples will be sufficiently ripe. As it is, the tree is only barely a sapling at this point."
"Hey guys, did you read the whole letter?" Seth suddenly spoke up, appearing at the table seemingly out of nowhere when he moved to pick the paper up off of the table. Kendra froze up in surprise and remarked, "Don't you ever get tired of sneaking up on people!? I hate it when you do that!"
Seth shrugged his shoulders. "Not really," he responded nonchalantly. "Especially when I keep getting reactions like that one. Anyway – the letter. Did you finish it?"
"No," Bracken said. "We were… a little distracted."
Seth waggled his eyebrows at them. "I can see that."
Kendra blushed and Bracken released her from their embrace while clearing his throat. "What does the rest of the letter say, Seth?" he asked, redirecting the conversation.
"Basically that Kendra is out of the running for Eternal contestants since Agad has already found all of the new ones, hidden the artifacts and completely sealed off Zzyzx. Sorry, Kendra. Except, you know, he said it in his ancient wizard-like language and tone of voice. He also asked for an invitation to your wedding – which, if you'll remember, you were in the middle of planning before your forever-long detour into the dining room of all places. You left Mom and I alone to plan your wedding? Really? Do you want black drapes and zombie skulls everywhere for décor?"
"Mom would never let something like that happen," Kendra said, rolling her eyes.
"You're right. She'd probably decorate everything with zillions of butterflies. Butterflies here, butterflies there, butterflies everywhere."
"Butterflies?" Bracken asked.
"He's joking," she said. "Just trying to make us think we won't end up with the elegant wedding we want."
"You'd deserve it for leaving everything to other people," Seth said. "I've had enough of this wedding planning stuff, not that any of my suggestions were taken seriously anyway. You two can have fun with the rest of it. Mom's acting like she's on a high; she won't put the magazines or laptop down for anything. Be careful, you might wind up with ten different invitation patterns and a multicolored wedding."
"We haven't left everything up to other people," Kendra said.
"Right. But you haven't made any decisions yet, either."
"Well then, let's go make some," Bracken said, placing his hand on the small of Kendra's back and leading her into the living room. When Seth was out of sight, Bracken kissed Kendra and said, "For the record, I agree with whatever you want."
Kendra rolled her eyes and said, "With that kind of helpful attitude, you're going to have to wear a tacky purple tux with a blue polka dot tie," and proceeded forward to sit on the floor at the coffee table with her mother, who instantly started showing Kendra a hundred different pictures of table settings. This wedding planning thing was going to take forever.
"I look good in purple," Bracken grinned as he sat down beside his fiancée.
Everything was falling into place. In a few short months, he would have his life mate to spent eternity with. As he looked at Kendra, her eyebrows furrowed as she consulted over various pictures with her mother, he couldn't think of anything that would make him happier.
Next chapter will probably be a wedding. ;) Let me know what you thought about this one! A few of you came very close in your guesses about the plant at the end of the last chapter.
I'm estimating 3 or 4 more chapters before this particular story is considered complete. We'll see what happens. Thank you, everyone, for your reviews, favorites and follows. Your support means a lot! :)