Arakiel il Kalanaar awoke in the arms of his seraphine when the sun was already up and although a part of him wouldn’t mind a bit of immediate intimacy, another part reminded him of the current circumstances. There would be a time for such mischief, but not right now.

  So instead of showering her body with kisses, he stealthily snuck out of bed in order to rapidly go through the morning motions. Given the commotion he noticed around the building, Rakim and the others – alongside a sizable portion of the other citizens – had already started the day.

  It looked to be another sunny day with barely any clouds and scorching heat – so really, the usual for the Great Duality.

  Given the easy access to fresh, cold water because of the plane’s Sites, he didn’t mind it in the slightest. If anything, he welcomed the heat.

  Arakiel eventually snuck back into his room where he planted a jaunty kiss right onto Aurora’s slim lips and as she slowly roused from slumber, he gently tickled her nape and cheeks in order to give her a very special awakening. It earned him a pleasantly drowsy girl that he then carried off to the bathroom where he got the other kind of intimacy that involved more gentle warmth than anything else after which she informed him that she couldn’t greet the dawn while on Rakim’s premise which was why she had overslept it.

  Whether that was the real reason or not, he couldn’t quite say – but he didn’t mind it too much even if he made a mental note to discuss the issue with Rakim.

  While Arakiel had no need for her dawnshards at the moment, he was quite aware that Aurora benefited from the ritual either way.

  One of the passing argents informed them that breakfast had been served on the second floor where he and Aurora then met his little sister.

  Mellia had changed into a local akh attire that was surprisingly translucent – not enough to conceal but enough to veil. Her overall change in dress puzzled him a little since she had been so reserved in the beginning – admittedly, such topics hadn’t really been addressed during their evening walks and more importantly, these kinds of issues weren’t exactly first-in-line during a conversation with one’s sibling.

  Nonetheless, if he was certain one thing about his sister, then that she was a Kalanite through and through – one who would undoubtedly become a pillar for his House; and that she liked sweets, hated cruelty and preferred to remain in the background. She also heavily disliked the sight of blood… something he hadn’t always been able to consider.

  What Mellia most definitely seemed to love on the contrary were the auburn pancakes on her silver platter. Their topping was some sort of bizarrely looking azure syrup.

  Given how Mellia had notable difficulty keeping her urge to devour them at bay, he concluded that they had to be quite delicious – odd, considering the pastry looked barely edible in Arakiel’s eyes. Upon query, she called it sublime.

  To each their own.

  Mellia begged to differ.

  She quite adamantly urged him to have a taste and before long, Arakiel gave up when Aurora joined in, both praising the aptly-named azureberry jam.

  The compromise he negotiated saw Aurora feed him a piece, but Arakiel bit the spoon because it was so damn sweet. It made him wonder whether the fairer sex had some sort of damaged or deranged taste buds, considering neither seemed to mind the atrocious sweetness. On the contrary, they devoured the jam with such gusto that he winced from the mere sight.

  Breakfast became a joyous affair with little tidbits of playful nags alongside minor battles of wit, taste and composure and when it was over some decent time later, Arakiel felt more than ready to tackle the day’s main topic.

  Without further ado, he, Aurora and Mellia sought out the Godsbinder who stayed in his residential chamber alongside Aktaie. Both were reading some kind of magazine while a little white earthenware cup of steaming tea had been left on the low, wooden table.

  Rakim did not bother to look up, although the subtle shift in his posture showed Arakiel that he had not only noticed their entry, but that he was expecting his answer to the prior question.

  Arakiel did just that, informing the smith that he wished for his soulsparked link to take the shape of a dagger’s hilt, one that he could comfortably wear or conceal on his body.

  The Godsbinder then closed the magazine, put it aside and got up before turning towards him. He briefly-but-intensely focused Arakiel and when he found no hesitation, nodded once before announcing that Rakim the Smith had heard and accepted the request of the Lady Alexandrite’s son, Arakiel ni Alexandria.

  Rakim addressed his Divine Offering with a short list of instructions before calling upon one of his slaves, ordering them to close the shop for the time being.

  Unlike yesterday, Arakiel just kind of accepted the akh woman appearing and disappearing in a matter of seconds, although it did make him wonder just how she did it, albeit only briefly. A mere flash of a thought.

  The Godsbinder beckoned them to follow and just a few moments later, they entered the workshop once more. There, Rakim swiftly drafted up several designs and although Arakiel liked all of them, he ended up choosing the straight, slightly ornamental design. If what the Godsbinder had claimed was true, then he’d be able to mold the link’s appearance in the years to come.

  In this way, it’d keep representing his growing self-esteem alongside the power he could publicly display. This, at least, served as a nice allegory of his current situation.

  Let there be physical proof of the bond with his seraphine, but let it be concealable for the time being. He didn’t want to paint a target on his back for Arakiel had little doubt that the mislead people of the pro-immortal cities would consider him a terrorist of sorts. Granted, it was highly possible those of the opposite faction did as well.

  No, until he was able to properly wield this power, he’d need to keep an overall low profile – as much as that was still possible. He was – as far as he was aware – still a wanted criminal in Kalanaar.

  Arakiel outlined his thought process to Rakim and the others. Judging by the man’s and Mellia’s reaction, they were in agreement while Aurora looked him over with a mixture of surprise and fondness. He exploited it with a brief but intense kiss after which he held onto her hand once again.

  His little sister cleared her throat to show a smidgen of displeasure.

  The Godsbinder had a few more details to go over and by the time lunch came around, he deemed the first phase of his project concluded.

  There, he outlined the path forward: he’d forge the link’s vessel over the remaining day and come tomorrow morning, Aurora and Arakiel would need to be present in order to participate and contribute in its creation.

  Up to that point, they were free to do as they pleased, although he raised the issue of Aurora’s current public perception.

  To Arakiel’s surprise, the matter was settled near instantly and quickly, with Aurora once more accepting to wear a thin golden collar made of interlinked coins and although he didn’t say it out loud, he preferred this.

  He did not regret his decision, but this sent a much stronger message.

  Aurora was his and his alone.

  With the matter settled and free time to spare, he made good of his promise to visit the Great Duality’s oasis once more. There were about as many people in the streets as yesterday and while a part of him was overly worried about someone reporting Aurora to an Elysian authority, he was also cognizant of the fact that not only his family backed him, but one of the legendary Godsbinders.

  And even if the Elysians intended to harm him, they would not do so on Karabean soil, for he found it nigh impossible that someone would attempt to break the long-lasting mutual agreement because of him.

  A tiny part doubted, but he’d not allow it to grow stronger.

  In this new version of him that he aspired to, there was little if any place for self doubts.

  No, from hereon out, he’d fly straight and true.

  This, Arakiel promised himself, vowed to Aurora in thought.

  He had hesitated long enough; nay, he could not afford to hesitate any longer.

  Nyanna was out there and inside her…

  There was a lot of time to think and ponder as they strolled past other planeswalkers, strode past locals and stores and benches, shores and whatnot. The last time he had been here, it had been with Mari. Right now, he did not wish for these memories to surface.

  He had grieved for his first aurea, his first love. Had come to accept it, but not nearly in a fashion that he truly wanted to and it’d be a long, long time before he considered himself worthy of actually being able to.

  Arakiel had failed his aurea in so many ways and it was because of him that – he cut the thoughts short lest they run rampant, instead choosing to focus on his seraphine: his affection and his love for her.

  It might be cowardly way to tackle the underlying issue, but it was an effective and honestly necessary affair.

  Aurora, Mellia and Arakiel ended up wandering through the streets of the both the Akh and Karabean Duality for a good few hours, visiting all kinds of shops, parks, plazas and little alleys until they eventually relaxed on the shores of the oasis in the Akh part of the Great Duality alongside many other planeswalkers.

  And although there were none comparable to Aurora in Arakiel’s mind, there were enough exotic specimen scattered along the shores to not make her stand out as much, even at a time like this.

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  In the end, most people here just wanted to enjoy their vacation and although a good and proper planeswalker was always on the lookout for opportunities, none seemed to take an immediate action against him.

  After having spent a good leisurely hour, he concluded that there was no immediate need to be so paranoid for the time being at which point he just enjoyed the company of Aurora, the soft wind brushing across his skin alongside the dry, warm sun from up above.

  Admittedly, the happy noises of children playing nearby kind of… soothed him. Here, the plane was in its proper place with little to no disharmony to be found.

  Here, one could rest for a moment.

  And despite the many things that occupied his mind, rest he did in the arms of his seraphine who – quite surprisingly – kept up her conversations with Mellia about their surroundings: whether it be the humanoid bull across the oasis, the mysterious thoroughly-white manor to the left or the reddish upside pyramid in the back.

  Earlier, Aurora had commented upon people’s attires, upon the shops’ goods or just the overall feeling of this resort and from what he glimpsed, her impressions were mixed, leaning on the positive.

  For now, he was content with listening as he mentally prepared himself for the days to come.

  But for today, Arakiel could rest easy.

  And that’s exactly what he did.

  Tomorrow came soon enough.

  He was the first to rise once more and just like yesterday, he went through the morning routine alone at first, together later on.

  After breakfast, one of the akh informed Arakiel and Aurora to seek out Rakim in his workshop on the highest floor. There, they found the Godsbinder alongside Aktaie who was currently preparing a myriad of tools and materials and while that should’ve drawn Arakiel’s attention, something else did.

  The living legend had his upper body exposed and while Arakiel had to admit that the man had an impressively chiseled torso, it were the night-uncountable amounts of crimson lines that covered parts of his body like an intricate web of sorts – most of these had to have been hidden beneath the man’s usual attire.

  Those were Blood Runes, the highest and most potent form of bodily enhancement as far as he was aware. And yet, Arakiel couldn’t recall ever seeing multiple runes form a single pattern.

  Still, there were crimson lines in places where there shouldn’t be any.

  Aurora squeezed his hand a little tighter when the Godsbinder looked up, a crimson hue covering his eyes’ irises.

  “Fear the Void,” Rakim the Smith greeted, his mere voice brimming with power given the little shiver that ran down Arakiel’s back.

  The man’s words caused Aktaie to look over towards them as well, her eyes holding a thin, golden sheen. The Divine Offering offered them a slight smile before returning her attention towards the assortment of what had to be craftsman tools: pliers, tongs, chisels, hammers and such.

  “May His Light deliver us.” Arakiel responded instinctively.

  The Godsbinder gestured towards two chairs without a backrest that were located right opposite of him. “Have a seat.”

  Aurora and Arakiel followed suit while the glow in Rakim’s red eyes began to turn golden as his thirteen divine sparks escaped from inside, coiling around the smith’s right arm.

  He then held out his hand, causing one of these tiny golden motes to coil up his arm until it floated right above his palm.

  “This shall become the anchor for your link, Arakiel ni Alexandria.” Rakim explained in a firm voice.

  Arakiel found his gaze fixated upon the spark.

  The little golden speck of light was tiny, like a very small pebble – and yet every single one of these held the potential for untold power.

  It’d become his potential.

  He nodded in understanding.

  Rakim let the spark wander atop his right pointing finger’s tip while he explained the procedure. “I will spare you the specifics, but in order to soulspark it, your immortal here will infuse it with her soul. Then, your soul will seal it.”

  The Godsbinder looked over towards Aurora. “Sounds easy enough for a first step, right?”

  “I take it it’s not that easy?” Arakiel queried straight away while trying to discern what his seraphine was thinking. Oddly enough, he found it difficult.

  She seemed almost… skeptical?

  He squeezed her hand in an attempt to affirm her. The glance he noticed from the corner of his eye made it worth it.

  “It is but the first step,” Rakim affirmed. “The next one involves fashioning the link’s anchor.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Leave that to me. However, your immortal will have house the soulspark in the meantime so it doesn’t lose potency. It is an arduous task, but I’m certain her nature will prove most beneficial.” The smith went on to say, having turned his attention to Aurora.

  “What will I need to do, Master Rakim?” Aurora asked in a both soft and confident manner.

  “Keep your own soul from assailing the soulspark,” Rakim answered, adding. “Let it circulate, distract it somehow – just let the spark rest inside you without interacting with it. It’ll be difficult, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

  The Godsbinder then turned his attention towards Arakiel while the twelve other sparks of divinity began to circulate around his arms, upper body and neck. “And you will need to remain calm so that you can align your covenant’s nature with the anchor the moment it is established.”

  “I understand,” Arakiel confirmed without a shred of hesitation. On this particular issue, he had no doubts, only confidence.

  Rakim the Smith nodded contently before asking whether they had any further inquiries and after some very minor details, he concluded the introduction and turned towards Aktaie.

  “I’ve set aside several materials near the drafting canvas. Please fetch them while we begin with the first step.”

  As soon as the Divine Offering left the partitioned room, the Godsbinder let the little mote of light atop his finger’s tip float in-between the three of them.

  “Guide your soul into it, immortal.” Rakim instructed calmly. “I allow you to wield it.”

  Aurora nodded and looked over towards Arakiel. She gave him a smile and then closed her eyes.

  A moment later, her outline began to take on a golden shimmer that rapidly turned into a fiery aura of golden flames. His seraphine’s irises gained a golden gleam and Arakiel had trouble not taking on her aspect right away. It felt right and proper to do it, but he subdued the urge for now.

  “How do I do it?” Aurora queried, yet Rakim merely tilted his head lightly.

  Her face gained a slight crimson flush and for a moment, she seemed nervous – but the notion lasted only for a split-second. Then, with regained control, Aurora formed a golden flame above her palm and with a light motion, she tossed the flame towards the floating mote of golden light.

  Arakiel followed the string of flames with bated breath, curious to see what would happen and when the mote simply swallowed the flames without anything ‘special’ happening, he felt somewhat disappointed.

  “Keep feeding it until you’re nearly empty, immortal.” The smith instructed while his entire body had tensed up, something Arakiel only noticed now. He could only assume that the Godsbinder kept the divine spark in check.

  Aurora continued to pour golden flames into the divine spark which kept absorbing it without actually gaining in size – it was almost like a bottomless void. The longer it went on, the more Arakiel grew restless until he recalled Rakim’s earlier instruction.

  He closed his eyes and collected his thoughts and when Rakim suddenly instructed him to now seal the spark, Arakiel called upon Aurora’s aspect.

  His outline burst into faint golden flames and from one moment to another, he briefly felt the distinctive connection to Aurora which became almost immediately overshadowed by a strong tug coming from the golden mote of light that floated in the air right in front of him.

  He fixated the tiny speck of light, blurring out everything else.

  This thing would enable his potential in full, the potential that he had seized from her, that Aurora had acknowledged in him.

  Their covenant had been made, had been bound in blood.

  Arakiel the Monarch, Aurora his willing consort eternal – a true and proper victory of mortals over immortals: a mortal Lord and his devoted immortal Servant.

  A seraphim and her champion – a joint future.

  Arakiel felt the urge to fashion a rune of golden flames, a promise to keep their promise for one another. His right hand began to move instinctively, drawing a continuous streak of gilded flame. Not once did he cut the connection, instead continuing as his subconscious instructed.

  The surroundings around him lost any and all contours, turning into nothing but a hazy blur – even the sounds vanished.

  There was shallow and strained breathing, there was a soft vanilla scent with the faintest hint of rose and above all, a gentle warmth permeated his everything.

  Perhaps this was what guided his hand?

  He let it happen, for this had to be his wish, his true feelings.

  And then, sometime later, when he felt all but empty, he fashioned the rune, cutting off the flow.

  The divine spark swallowed it whole in a split-moment, right after which Rakim’s voice urged. “Arakiel, guide the spark into your seraphim. Hurry!”

  Conscious once more, Arakiel reached for the mote without hesitation.

  He had expected something to happen as soon as he touched it, but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, all it did was stick to his finger that he then swiftly guided right towards his seraphine.

  Aurora’s cheeks were flushed and her breathing seemed agitated, but her eyes showed genuine love and deeper still, devotion.

  And to him, a downright satisfactory sense of fulfillment.

  “Aurora, my love…” he whispered affectionately as the hand guided the spark to its destination.

  “Arakiel, my love… my Monarch,” she returned in a lovely, softly quivering voice while her arms and wings started to coil around him.

  He returned the gesture, pulling her close with one hand while feeding her the mote with the other. And then he sealed her lips with his own.

  The gentle warmth, the soft scent, the slight haze in her eyes, the subtle shake in her body and of course, the increasing flutter of her wings – all actions meant to convey one thing and one thing only.

  He kept her gaze as they kissed… slightly reluctant at first, but the longer they looked at each other, the more their feelings began to surface and eventually overwhelm them.

  She had grown into such a wondrous girl and although it had never been part of the plan, he was perfectly fine with having fallen for her.

  The light of his life – his very own dawn after the longest night.

  Aurora tightened the embrace and he did, too.

  Right now, nothing else mattered.

  He was hers and she was his.

  And no seelie could take that from them.