Dating someone akin to a god wasn't all it cracked up to be.
Viren committed to sulking until Aaravos returned from his horde of admirers. It was difficult to do in a room that rivaled Katolis Castle in luxury, but he managed. Evenere wasn't accustomed to many guests, but they kept what few rooms were ready for foreign dignitaries tempting to live in permanently.
They were a few minute's walk from the Royal Library. Aaravos and Viren had been given a room with a huge canopied bed, a private bath that could hold two people, and shelves of books to peruse between two wardrobes. Had they brought more clothes (and maybe their hosts would provide some too), they could make full use of the room and stay there indefinitely. The decor was warm and inviting, fashionable in any season. He should have no complaints.
It was odd to be Aaravos's partner, what the general public around them seemed to see as a position of the highest honor, and yet there he was, sitting on the edge of the bed.
His fingers curled into the bedding, trying to banish the hot, reflexive fury he had at the fresh memory of that group of Evenereans half his age eager to get Aaravos's garments off.
Viren laid back with a dramatic thump, staring at the ceiling.
To make matters worse, every time he felt a bump in the road of their relationship, his mind shot right back to Lissa as a point of reference. Couldn't that goodbye in his dream have brought closure? She'd left his life, but not his mind despite his best efforts.
The horror on Soren and Lissa's faces after he'd performed the healing spell was seared into his memory.
Lissa was gone.
Soren was gone.
Claudia… saw what she needed to see.
Aaravos was many things. Viren told himself that he wasn't the type to suffer a relationship he didn't want. He'd even given Viren years off his own life to restore him. Aaravos was always affectionate to him. He shouldn't need further commitment from Aaravos. Aaravos had done for him what no other person could ever have done.
Despite walking the same mental loop for the tenth time, the self pitying, jealous, bitter sludge that was heavy in his chest stubbornly didn't clear itself when faced with reasoning.
Viren was still lying there, expression blank, when Aaravos arrived.
It was like a divine vision. Aaravos had always been beautiful, radiating flawlessness, yet he was somehow even more refreshed and stunning as he entered Viren's vision from above, leaning over him with a smile. "You haven't even taken your boots off," remarked Aaravos, offering Viren a hand to help him sit up.
Viren let himself be pulled up, caught by Aaravos's arm around his shoulders. Now that they were close, he could smell a mix of rich and floral scents on Aaravos's skin.
Aaravos really did glow slightly brighter when he was happy and cared for.
"I'm glad you had a nice time," said Viren, and he wanted to mean it.
"You were welcome to come with me." Aaravos sat next to Viren on their bed, arm still around him.
The core of the conversation was going to come out sooner or later, but Viren wasn't eager to talk about it.
"I don't feel comfortable with strangers being so close to me," Viren admitted.
"That's alright." Aaravos kissed Viren's cheek and lingered close by his ear. "I hope you'll let me spoil you instead. I've had thousands of years to perfect giving back rubs."
It'd be nice to forget the rest, but Viren hesitated.
Aaravos sensed it, scooting closer. "Viren, look at me."
"You've missed centuries of life. Of course you need more than one person to be there for you." Viren's shoulders sagged. "Eventually I'll quit moping."
"Hmm. I think time shouldn't be the only factor in your moping." Aaravos stood in front of Viren, taking both of his hands in his own, giving them a light squeeze. "I'm unpredictable to you. Difficult to trust."
"No," said Viren truthfully. "I can trust you to be dramatic and loud."
Aaravos knelt, still holding Viren's hands, amused smile giving way to something more serious and earnest. "This is about you as much as it's about me. I get the feeling you wouldn't take reassurances about your true appearance to heart." Words wouldn't change what Viren was. His head only hung lower. "Perhaps you'll still flare with jealousy when you see me surrounded by a crowd of adoring mages and miracle seekers."
Viren couldn't deny it, only sighing.
Before he could get a word in, Aaravos surprised him.
"Good," said Aaravos, intense gaze fixed on Viren.
"Good?" Viren repeated, confused.
"Haven't I told you you're exactly my type?" Aaravos laid his head against Viren's knee, eyes fixed on Viren's. "I like that you're jealous over me. I crave it," he murmured, low voice seductive. "Is it so wrong to want to be desired? To come back after being apart and know you'll want to command all of my attention?"
Viren could barely believe he was hearing not only permission, but encouragement.
He wasn't sure he wanted encouragement on this.
"I…"
"It's funny, really. All of them are so jealous of you, who are in my arms, in my bed. You've already won the game they won't even get to play. I think you can be as firm in reminding them, and especially me, of that as you want."
Viren didn't think he'd ever blushed so hard in his life.
But there was an even better feeling.
Viren's chest lightened, the guilt that had been eating at him from inside vanishing, relieved that Aaravos didn't think he'd try to control him or blame him for how he felt. "I see," said Viren. He reached out and smoothed Aaravos's hair back.
"The thing I don't want," continued Aaravos, voice soft, pressing into Viren's touch, "-is you feeling concerned. I like you being possessive, not worried."
"I don't think I'm possessive." Viren hadn't ever been like that with Lissa. She was charming, beautiful, popular, and a talented musician, but he couldn't remember a single instance of feeling jealous or this irrational during their relationship. "A lot of this is my own problems. I appreciate that you don't flirt with others after we talked about it."
"Is there anything else that would help?" Aaravos winked. "I'm afraid I will be going back to the spa as often as I need. You reap the benefits too, as you can see."
Aaravos's soft hair in his fingers was proof of that, so silky and perfectly wavy as it flowed down his back that Viren would be content to toy with it for far too long.
Viren found he didn't mind Aaravos taking advantage of his publicity as much anymore. "No, nothing else that I can think of. As long as you're mine once you get home."
Aaravos nodded. He rose again, bringing Viren up with him, the two standing close. Aaravos laid a hand on Viren's cheek. "I can't help being the most beautiful creature alive." Viren rolled his eyes. Aaravos kept talking, touching his forehead to Viren's, other hand pulling Viren even closer, resting on the curve of his back. "I'm a loyal lover, Viren.
"I hate betrayers more than anyone."
That Viren believed.
The rest of what he'd been trying to tamp down fizzled out, trusting that aspect of Aaravos's character above all else.
Aaravos hugged him and Viren relaxed against his chest, eyes closed as he melted into the warmth of the hug. It would never have occurred to him to just ask for reassurance. He was so used to hiding away any part of himself that he deemed ugly that he was still baffled that Aaravos was embracing it. "Thank you," mumbled Viren.
"I haven't gotten started." Aaravos stepped back, hands on Viren's shoulders. "I need to speak with Callum about earlier, but I meant it about giving you my undivided attention." Another kiss on Viren's cheek. "Get a hot bath, relax, and I'll be back with some wine."
Aaravos was an expert at coming up with propositions too good to refuse.
"And some cheeses to taste with it?" pressed Viren, as if he needed to drive a harder bargain. "Imported from Duren, perhaps?"
"By the heavens, my lover makes every demand and more of me," Aaravos teased, grinning. "Yes, of course."
"Okay." Viren let Aaravos go, allowing himself a smile. "I have high expectations for your return."
He could get used to the benefits, actually.
-BREAK-
Callum still hadn't gone to bed.
He ran through every Moon spell he'd ever heard of, conjuring any rune he'd ever seen. Thus far, only one was working perfectly as it should, but he'd used it before with the assistance of an opal.
"Historia viventem!"
Callum's spell floated out over the waters of the dock he was standing on, watching as random scenes of the past floated out in front of him. He wasn't sure what he wanted to see, or even what he was seeing. The ghosts of boats passing by with mages and other Evenereans could have been from yesterday or a hundred years ago for all he knew.
"You should get some rest."
Aaravos stood next to Callum, watching as his spell dissipated. Callum sighed, pushing his hair back up off his forehead, insisting on staying up. "This is huge! I can't sleep- I'm so excited that I finally connected to the Moon! Isn't nighttime the best time to practice this?"
"Yes, and it's impressive that you can already use runes after making the connection mere hours ago."
"Well, yeah. I've always been able to do that when I learn magic." He missed Aaravos's eyebrows raising. Callum turned his attention towards Aaravos and stifled a yawn. "I- I'm not tired."
"Hmmhmm." Aaravos draped his cloak around Callum's shoulders, the hem dragging on the ground due to their height difference. "Moon mages need sleep too, Callum."
He remembered how much of a night owl Rayla was, wishing for the hundredth time that night that she'd been there with him. Callum pushed the hood back on Aaravos's cloak but wrapped the length of it around him better, letting the warmth sink in. "I guess so."
Aaravos leaned against the railing of the dock, eyes on the stars above. "Magic wasn't the only thing we needed to discuss."
Callum had been so absorbed in his new discovery that he'd almost forgotten what musings had led him there. "Yeah."
"Are you angry? Betrayed, perhaps?" asked Aaravos. "I didn't mean to keep it from you- it seemed quite obvious to me that people would want to worship me upon my arrival."
"I don't know," Callum admitted.
He really didn't. It was a shock, to be sure, to see how many sides one person could have, so many different masks needed for every role. Aaravos could command a crowd with ease. Callum realized that not many people could go from total isolation to trying to crowd surf upon seeing people again. This seemed to be Aaravos's goal all along.
Callum hugged the cloak around himself, arms folded inside. "I guess it feels like you were always expecting this. I thought I understood you and who you were, what you wanted. There's a lot more to it. I get the feeling there's still more I don't know." Gaze up, back to the moon. "As frustrated as I felt, I understood the Moon arcanum through trying to understand you. I understood that there is no knowing all of everything."
"I'm here for these people and for you." Aaravos peered at Callum's face. "Even if you rarely use your own influence, surely you understand, as a prince."
The thing was… Callum barely did.
"What if you had to choose?" Callum asked. "Between a few of us who you know, or a big crowd you don't?"
"I intend to never have to choose." Aaravos's expression softened, a hint of sorrow pushing his eyelids down. "I need it all. Someday, all of you will be dead. I shall remain. You see why having a legacy, a following of my own to span time, means I'll never be alone again?"
Callum blinked. "You're thinking about that now? I'm seventeen."
Aaravos chuckled, pulling Callum close to him, arm around him. "I told you, it must sound absurd. I've lived thousands of years. I've lost many generations. I can't help thinking like this."
That was a good point, but…
"The dragons live as long as you do, don't they?"
Aaravos's jaw clenched. "Yes. That's part of why their betrayal stings deeper than anyone else's. Aside from my fellow Startouch Elves who also cast me away, the archdragons were the only thing I had close to a lifelong family. I'll never forgive them."
Wait…
"Okay but, isn't that more reason to try and forgive them?" asked Callum. "If they're who you could keep as friends?"
Aaravos shook his head. "They put me in that prison to kill me, Callum. If I wasn't so in love with myself, they may have succeeded. However, it would have been an unforgivable crime to rid the world of my beauty prematurely."
Callum hadn't considered how indefinite eternity seemed to someone like Aaravos who could live for thousands of years. Centuries of imprisonment, never knowing when he may get a chance to escape, and he'd only had a small glimmer of hope in the mirror amidst a sea of wrath and despair. He could've been in there for another three hundred years, for all Aaravos had known. It must've taken more mental fortitude than any human could imagine to withstand it all. The weight of it was so depressing it made Callum's head spin for a moment. What could make him sit there after a hundred years and still decide to keep breathing?
Wrath alone had been enough fuel to weather it.
Wrath that Callum still prayed Aaravos would let go of.
He stood closer to Aaravos, leaning his head against Aaravos's chest, letting Aaravos hug him from the side.
There wasn't anything to say that could fix that.
"I'm sorry," said Callum.
"I'm here now," said Aaravos. He rested his temple against the top of Callum's head.
"You aren't going to be alone," insisted Callum.
Aaravos was quiet for a moment, eyes off on nothing in particular. "You'd do anything for Rayla, wouldn't you? It's possible to spend your entire life with her. You'd make sure you stay together."
"That isn't a bad thing," insisted Callum.
"I didn't say it was." Aaravos stepped back. "Enough heavy talk." He conjured his own set of wings from his arms, the top part of his plumage such a rich purple it seemed black in the night. "Let's burn off some of your extra energy."
Callum grinned.
Aaravos took off straight into the air and Callum followed, riding an updraft high into the sky.
Evenere glowed at night, islands lit up by fires and lanterns. It seemed to be clustered sections of warmth, the darkness highlighting inhabited islands or the waters that ran through it. The Royal Library stood taller than everything else around it. Callum realized that he liked it better at night than in the day, when it was able to shine, literally.
Callum wondered what sort of lesson it was going to be.
Aaravos made it simple. "You're it." He tapped Callum's shoulder with the tip of his wing and shot away before Callum could respond, visible by the moonlight on his impressive wingspan.
Well. Even Aaravos needed to play.
Callum chased after him, dropping low and then flaring his wings out, coasting on the currents around him. He didn't care much about actually winning, just the pleasure of flight. Aaravos was bigger and more powerful, not having to sacrifice speed for his bulk.
As he flew, trying to do the impossible by catching Aaravos with his smaller form, Callum's mind started working overtime.
Could he do the impossible?
Wind mages were attuned to air currents around them, but even if he wove through the sky slightly more efficiently than Aaravos, it still wouldn't be enough to catch him. Callum also didn't have his hands available to draw any runes to use magic.
He looked down at the cities far below them, thinking about how long it took to drop. If he did get rid of his wings, he'd have a few seconds to create a rune, and conjure them again…
Callum's wings vanished and he was already drawing a rune the moment he had a finger available, air rushing so hard in his ears he couldn't hear himself say, "Partum mysterium-" then, frantically, "-manusplumavolantus!"
He soared upwards again, new wings snapping as they caught the air from his freeform dive- but he was accompanied by a replicated illusion of himself. Both of them split off in opposite directions, intent on both following and flanking Aaravos.
Aaravos glanced over his shoulder, seeing two Callums. He looked proud. Was this the sort of thing he'd wanted me to do? Callum wondered.
Callum tried to not be too expressive, hoping he wouldn't give away which of him was real or not. Aaravos seemed to be avoiding the illusion Callum, which would put him in Callum's range soon-
Aaravos disappeared.
Callum blinked rapidly, trying to find him. There weren't many clouds. He'd seen a glimmer around Aaravos right before he vanished, which he'd assumed was just Aaravos's usual Startouch glimmering, but- Moon magic?
"That's cheating!" exclaimed Callum.
Aaravos replied from right behind him. "You started it."
Callum spun around, but Aaravos had stayed invisible, only a telltale rush of wind by him alerting him to the vague direction Aaravos had gone.
Hadn't Aaravos mentioned sensing without just his sight?
He tried to sense Aaravos in the air, or perhaps sense moon magic in the sky that wasn't his own. Callum frowned, unable to even hear Aaravos, which would make sense if he was gliding and not needing to flap his wings. Callum made sure there was no way he'd fly into anything and closed his eyes. He soared through the darkness, utmost focus on his face, wondering how Villads had done it-
"SURPRISE!"
Callum almost fell out of the sky, screaming as he flailed in the air.
Claudia snorted, laughing so hard she was doubling over in front of him, her bat wings keeping her afloat as Callum did an accidental flip. "You should see your face!" she gushed.
Callum wheezed, steadying himself. "That- nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Well, it didn't!" Claudia caught her breath, smirking at him. "It looked like you two were having so much fun up here! But I couldn't stand watching Aaravos win. I think we can get him if we both chase him."
Part of Callum was irritated that anyone else could get in on his time with Aaravos, but Claudia was his apprentice too.
If this was a real crisis, they'd have to work together.
"Any ideas?"
Claudia took her sun staff from her back. "I have that revealing spell to make something glow- I don't think it works on people, but it could work on an object he's wearing."
"Like his tunic thing?" asked Callum.
"Yeah! Lux revelare!"
Something glowed a ways away from them to Callum's right.
They raced away in unison to try and corner Aaravos, Callum's illusionary twin joining them from a third angle.
Callum wondered if Aaravos allowed himself to be caught- but it was still only by inches that he and Claudia tackled him midair from both sides, Aaravos's invisibility spell flickering out as he laughed between them. "Reinforcements?"
"I thought we'd agreed that mages cheat at games," said Claudia. "You had too much of an advantage."
Callum scowled at her, but she was right.
Aaravos flew in front of them, gradually circling down as he spoke. "You both did well. I can teach runes and language, but your resourcefulness is your most valuable asset."
Aaravos left Claudia and Callum once they landed, saying something Callum didn't quite catch about cheese.
Claudia turned to Callum, hands folded in front of her.
He realized it was the first time they'd been alone in a long time.
Years.
"Soooooooo." She rotated her upper body back and forth, as a way of fidgeting. Everything with Claudia felt so nostalgic, but enough had changed that it felt foreign, too. "Do you think we can call each other friends again? I mean, we're both his assistants now. Aaravos told me he plans on having a few separate classes- some for Dark Magic, some for Primal Magic."
Aaravos hadn't told Callum that, but Callum didn't react well to reminders that the vast majority of the company he kept as of late were Dark Mages.
Callum had been trying to sort out how he felt about Aaravos and Viren for so long that he hadn't been able to handle thinking about Claudia as well.
He walked over to a bench by a dock and she followed. The words weren't easy to say.
"I used to look up to you, you know." Callum spoke to his knees rather than to her. He could barely believe the boy he was talking about had one been him. "Before I felt like I was really good at anything, I thought you were the coolest person in the world. You were funny, smart, and you got to learn magic. I think we both know I didn't hide my crush very well."
Claudia smiled. "Yeah. I thought it was pretty cute."
"You loved how it felt, didn't you? You had an older brother, not a little one, not someone who'd follow you around like a puppy."
She frowned. "Callum…"
"Now that I have my own powers, my own place, I can imagine how it felt for you. I must've seemed pathetic," he hissed.
Claudia abruptly stood up. "What are you even talking about?! We were friends! We grew up together! Nothing changes that!"
Callum stood up too, and this time there was no Aaravos or Terry or Viren to try and break their fight apart. "Don't try and pretend! You didn't really care about me, Claudia! Not like a person. You liked how I made you feel, but not me."
"Are you really getting on me about not crushing your crush, Callum?" Claudia could barely believe what she was hearing, not backing down as both of their voices stayed raised. "You act like it's so wrong of me that I let you follow me around, but you are younger! You were like that! And I was fine with it!"
"Yeah, you were fine with it all! Soren could leave bruises you know weren't necessary from training, and you pretended to not notice." Callum swung his arm out as he shouted. "I lost my mom, and I was alone! Any time I wanted to spend time with you, you'd just get whatever you needed from me and leave!"
Callum hadn't even realized he was still angry about that, of Claudia rushing off the second she got something on her mind, of Claudia being so engrossed in magic that she could take a friend for granted. He'd been both endeared and confused by it, but he hadn't clocked exactly the neglect he'd felt.
Before Rayla, he'd assumed it was just how everyone was.
Maybe that was unfair, but he was too mad to be fair about it.
Claudia spluttered, throwing her hands in the air. "As if I'm the only one between us who rushed places with my nose in a book! Do we need to compare who's lost more people? The only reason I have anyone left is because I didn't let my dad die for good! You have a home to go back to! Your brother will be happy to see again!"
Callum was in too deep to feel bad about his words.
"Right… the whole world is against you for noooooo reason at all!" Callum snapped. "Soren almost got killed and even Viren is glad Soren left him, but you can't stop making it about yourself."
"You don't get it! And you never will. Ezran is too nice." Claudia turned her back, about to storm off.
"I do get it."
No, he wasn't as hung up on it as he'd been at the time, and the wound had dissipated, but he was back at their breaking point, flying away from the Moon Nexus.
"For days, I convinced Rayla and Ezran that you and Soren could be trusted. I vouched for you. I told Rayla I could trust you when I couldn't trust her instincts about you. I was absolutely wrong."
Claudia stopped, but she didn't turn around to face him again.
"I hadn't wanted to hurt you, Callum. Soren and I had a job, and… you know the rest." She sighed. "I'm sorry."
Callum told himself he should reply, smooth it over.
He couldn't.
Claudia walked away, not stopping until she got to her room with Terry, throwing open the door with a bang, opening her greeting with, "Callum's a jerk!"
Callum stayed by the docks, alone, suddenly coming down from his high mood and feeling exhaustion down into his bones. He'd forgotten he was wearing Aaravos's cloak. It enveloped him as a lingering comfort, warm against the night air. He couldn't believe he was getting along with Viren better than Claudia.
He rubbed his head, wandering off to his room.
If Aaravos expected them to work together, should he know they'd just had a fight? Callum hesitated. He wanted to keep it to himself, but Aaravos was his anchor here. He could tell him.
Callum tugged on their mental connection, leaving a memo of his feelings, not diluting the bitterness he felt about Claudia.
Aaravos's response surprised him.
I assumed as much. You two demonstrating how to duel won't be boring at all.
"You've got to be kidding me," said Callum aloud.