6 Years Later

� � � "Ava! Come on! Slow down!" Hilarid whined while Ries laughed out loud. The three were currently zooming about in the air. Ava had her wings, Ries had also discovered his wings during his initiation ceremony while Hilarid could only fly by manipulating the wind so Ava had created a magical cord and tied it to her foot, using it to help Hilarid fly. The only problem was that he had no precedence over his pace, he was completely at the mercy of Ava. Exhilarated as he had been, he now found himself in a mild panic at Ava's speed and tricks while she flew. He threw a glare at the laughing Ries who was somehow able to keep up with Ava. "This isn't funny! Can you tell your girlfriend to slow down a little?" He called out to Ries. Before Ries could respond, Hilarid was hanging upside down in the air as Ava glided in front of him with a scathing look on her face. "First of all, I am not Ries's girlfriend and even if I was, he couldn't tell me what to do," she started, waving her finger in his face. "Second of all, you're the one who kept whining about flying with us. I thought you'd be having fun!" She added as she gave him a wicked smile that terrified him but seemed to be amusing to Ries given the fact that he could barely contain his chuckles. Ava stared at him silently for a good minute before shifting him right side up with her magic as she laughed. "You should've seen your face!" She laughed as she took off flying again.

� � �� Ava had gone through her initiation ceremony a year ago when she'd turned eighteen. Ries had gone through his initiation ceremony around the same time even though he was three years Ava's elder. Hilarid, on the other hand, was just about to go through his ceremony since he'd been behind them in training even though he was the same age as Ries. Often it was customary for the children in Ortus to go through an initiation ceremony called Decens when they turned eighteen to mark their transition to adulthood with regard to their magic as a form of graduation. Ava had been glad to complete her training on every level. She'd had to keep her training, which had intensified greatly, a secret since the night Florian had first visited her. Ries had noticed the changes in her, in how she moved when they played using their abilities and when she trained with them but he knew better than to push. He wanted her to talk about it when she was ready.

When the three landed back in the backyard of the home they shared, Ries couldn't get Hilarid's words out of his head when he'd referred to Ava as his girlfriend. He and Ava had grown remarkably closer over the years but they'd never talked about their romantic feelings. He couldn't help but keep stealing glances at her while they cooked. He was so distracted that he ended up burning his hand on the stove. "Excuse me, I need to go do something," he said wincing as he walked out of the kitchen. He went into the barn looking for Janan only to find him behind the barn pruning in the garden there. "Sir, could I have a word with you please?" He asked as politely as he could, doing his best to keep his voice steady. "Sure thing, son. Just give me a moment," Janan said as he placed his tools aside and walked out of the garden towards Ries. "Sir, I know by now you know how I feel about your daughter. I'm planning on telling her how I feel and hopefully, if she accepts, courting her. I came to ask for your blessing," Ries said surprising himself at the fact that he didn't completely stumble over his words. Janan was silent for a moment, his eyes looking into Ries's as if he was looking into his soul, searching. "It's about time!" Janan said suddenly with a broad smile, clasping Ries's shoulders. "I'm sure you know by now but I'll just say it for courtesy's sake. If you hurt her I will kill you," he added, his voice deadly but his broad grin still firmly in place. Ries wasn't sure whether to be happy or run for the hills but he was relieved. That went better than he'd thought. "Now, go talk to her mother and get her blessing before you do," Janan added clapping his hands and turning back to get into the garden to complete his work. Ries went off to find Eva sitting by one of the willow trees near the mansion looking into the sky. Eva cut him off before he could speak, "I know what you're here to talk about, son. You have my blessing. However I must reiterate that I will kill you before my husband has the chance to if you hurt my daughter." Her voice was sweet but laced with a deadliness that sent shivers down Ries's spine. "Now, go tell my girl how you feel about her before you both suffocate," Eva added with a light chuckle. "Thank you, ma'am," he said with a small smile and a sweeping bow before going back into the mansion.

� � � Ries could barely contain himself for the rest of the day. He'd planned to talk to Ava later that night when she went for her usual night flies. He'd spent the day whispering to Lyra and the nature spirits, making plans. He'd wanted to surprise Ava and he wanted it to be memorable. When Ava finally settled into her room after dinner, she heard Bella pecking at her window and went to investigate. When she opened her window, Bella chirped excitedly urging her to follow her but refusing to give any more details. Ava shook her head and chuckled before finally deciding to fly out after Bella who led her to one of the willow trees near the mansion. The scene was beautiful. There were lit, tall candles in a circle that burned with flames of different colors, the nature spirits and the elementals, including the sylph were floating around the circle of candles. Eva, Janan and Hilarid were watching from a distance, hidden in the shadows so Ava couldn't see them. In the middle of the circle of beautiful candles though stood Ries with his hand held out towards her. Ava's heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat as she took Ries's hand, landing on the grass beneath her softly. "Ava, when we met I was in a bad way. I'd just lost my home, my family and my best friend. You showed me kindness and compassion that I didn't expect. I wasn't looking for a friend but I found more than just a friend in you. I've fancied you for a long time and I never said anything because I wanted to make sure it was real and I wanted to get to know you better and give you the chance to know me just as well. From the moment we met I was entranced by you and the more time we spent together the more I was in awe of you. The more I got to know you the deeper I fell in love with you," Ries spoke, his eyes welling with tears as he held Ava's hand. Ava could barely breathe. "So I wanted to tell you that I'm deeply in love with you. And I wanted to know if you feel the same way about me," He added, his eyes searching Ava's in quiet inquiry. Ava took a deep shaky breath and placed her hand on his cheek, staring into his eyes for a moment before she leaned forward and kissed him gently. "Yes... Yes I do," her voice echoed softly in his mind. Ries couldn't explain how it felt to know that she felt the same way about him as he did her. He held her face in his hands and just drank in her face before he spoke again, "Will you let me court you? I already asked your parents for their blessing so the only blessing I need now is yours." Ava smiled broadly and nodded, her words seemingly stuck in her throat, lost somewhere in transit. The two love birds kissed again, embracing each other. The nature spirits and elementals around them cheered and even Hilarid and Ava's parents came out of the shadows to join the celebration.

� � �� That night, Ava introduced Ries to her magical family; the sylph, aqua spirituum, angelum, ignis spiritus, nympha, terra spirituum and her ancestors. Ries was awe struck by all the magic around him. Once introductions were done, Eva pulled her daughter aside. "Ava, I'm glad you two have finally made things official. There are just a few things we need to talk about," Eva started. "Mom! You already gave me the birds and bees talk a while ago! Severally, might I add," Ava groaned her face flushing. "No, honey, not the sex talk. It's about Lumen," Eva said laughing loudly at her daughter's facial expressions. "Soon, when Lucia comes to you, it'll be time to take Ries down to the sacred river. You'll know what to do. You two are destined for greatness, don't forget that," Eva explained. "And you better make sure he appreciates just how marvelous you are," she added with a light giggle. Once the celebrations were over, Ava and Ries took to the skies to have some alone time. "I have never received as many warm death threats as I've received today," Ries laughed while they glided through the air. Ava couldn't help it, she let out a loud chuckle and almost choked on her laughter. "What can I say? I have a very loving and fiercely protective family," she laughed. Ava and Ries spent the night mostly in the skies, playing around, sharing playful banter and flying over different lands surrounding Ortus before they finally settled in her room. They kissed and held each other like they were making up for lost time but not going any further because they both wanted to take their time with each other.

� � � Ava stirred awake to the sound of Bella pecking at her window. She was in Ries's arms just as she'd slept when they finally fell asleep. She looked up to find him already awake, staring intensely at her with an unbridled affection. "Ave," he greeted her, his deep husky voice massaging her ears. "Ave," she greeted him, her voice still heavy with sleep. Ava had fantasized about being with Ries for a long time but to actually be in his arms, their hearts finally laid bare to each other, was another matter completely. Her insides felt warm and fuzzy, her heart picking up the pace as he leaned down and gently kissed her lips and then her forehead.

Ava had been highly sought after by most of the boys in her town but she'd turned them down. Ries had been her first and only crush. Looking back now she was glad neither Ries nor her had rushed anything between them. She was glad they'd taken time to know each other and build a real solid friendship between them. Ries had grown into an attractive young man and regardless of the girls who sought him out and threw themselves at him, his focus was firmly and solely on Ava. Ava sighed settling into Ries's arms and breathing in his rich sweet myrrh and minty scent. Ries was overjoyed to finally have Ava in his arms. He still could hardly believe that she felt for him as he did for her. I mean, sure, she always did favor him and spent more time with him than any of her other peers. Matter of fact, she hadn't really had much time for friends and peers but she always seemed to make time for him even when they started training separately. It was clear that she cared about him, but he hadn't fully grasped just how much. Now, laying in her bed with her in his arms, he couldn't stop reflecting back on their friendship and noticing all the tell tale signs, all the special treatment she'd given him.

� � � That day, when Ava went to the Fanum to see Angelina, her godmother had teased her about Ries. It would have been awkward for anyone else to have the kind of connection Ava had with her parents, her godmother and the rest of her magical family. The kind of connection where words were seldom needed and nothing was hidden. Ava, however, was grateful for it. She was truly blessed to have a family that saw her, understood her and heard her so clearly even in her silence. Even when they weren't physically around she'd never felt alone because their presence was always with her. Ava spent the better part of her afternoon with her godmother, learning all the different upgrades Angelina had done on the wards that protected Ortus from invaders and those who meant them harm which had become a custom. Ries had gone with Hilarid to help Janan with the construction of homes for the refugees. Thankfully Ortus had more than enough land and they could easily use their abilities when it came to completing some of the hard tasks like construction. Ries enthusiastically did his work motivated by the thought of going home to his newly claimed love. Janan and Hilarid couldn't help but notice, the result being the endless teasing they put him through while they worked. When the boys finally came back home, Ava and her mother were in the kitchen finishing up on dinner. "Well I guess we're on wash duty now that we missed the cooking!" Janan's deep voice echoed through the kitchen as he made his way to greet his wife and daughter warmly. Truth be told he hated it when he missed the cooking session with his girls, it was one of the special loves they shared. Meanwhile, Hilarid was busy making kissy noises behind Ries as Ries entered the kitchen heading straight for Ava, evoking a series of laughs from everyone in the kitchen. "Alright boys! Out of my kitchen. Go clean up and settle down at the dining table, dinner's almost ready," Eva said firmly with a warm smile on her face. "Yes, ma'am!" Janan said kissing her cheek and saluting her as he back out of the kitchen with Ries and Hilarid following suit.

The next few weeks were a blur for everyone. They'd each been busy with their respective duties, sparing any and all free time to spend with each other. Hilarid had met someone special within that time, a sister to one of his friends, Favian. The girl was twenty-one just like him and their chemistry was palpable. Her name was Myla and she was the most beautiful girl to Hilarid. She had sapphire blue eyes just like her brother but unlike her brother's long golden curls, hers matched the color of her eyes. Her caramel skin was covered scattered tattoos from her Decens ceremony and she had a slightly muscular yet curvy build from her training. She was only an inch shorter than Hilarid but somehow that small difference seemed to make it that much easier for her to beat Hilarid every time they trained together. That and the fact that she was highly skilled and agile. At first, Myla disguised her attraction to Hilarid with humor and teasing which was usually Hilarid's demeanor while Hilarid, on the other hand, always seemed uncharacteristically quiet and shy whenever he was around her. It didn't take long for the two to hit it off, much to Favian's chagrin who didn't seem quite sure of Hilarid's intentions given that he was a jokester for the better part of the time that they spent together. Favian, being that he was two years older than his sister and their parents had passed away, had a tendency to be fiercely protective when it came to her. He made sure to keep a close eye on Hilarid, he even used his telepathy to sneak a peek into Hilarid's mind at one point while he slept. Unfortunately for Favian, while he was looking for anything suspicious what he found broke his heart instead. He had always dismissed Hilarid as a jokester for the longest time but had never realized why Hilarid was that way until the day he sifted through his mind. The darkness Hilarid had gone through was enough to give him pause and soften his heart towards Hilarid. Favian and Myla themselves had once come into Ortus as refugees, having lost their home and their parents and while Favian hadn't gone through the kind of cruelty he saw in Hilarid's past, he understood most of his pain. He found Hilarid's intentions with his sister to be pure, even adorable. He had made the effort to ask Favian for his blessing to officially court Myla, which Favian eventually gave after the third time Hilarid asked. Myla was the first girl he had ever had any kind of romantic feelings for and he was utterly smitten. From the looks of things, Myla seemed to be equally as smitten, regardless of the shoddy job she did trying to hide it especially when Favian was around.

� � � It took Hilarid a good two months before he finally brought Myla home. Ava and Ries were ecstatic for him and welcomed Myla with open arms, as did Eva and Janan. Eva was especially happy for Hilarid, he truly deserved to be happy after everything he'd gone through. Favian was surprised when he accompanied his sister and Hilarid to Hilarid's home. He had never visited Hilarid before and they always met in town, the Fanum or the safehouse. He hadn't guessed that Hilarid's family was the Lucians. It was customary in Ortus for most families to use the name of the Goddess who brought them forth as their surname. Favian knew of the Lucians, they were kind of a big deal mostly because of their abilities, power and position of leadership but also because they were well known for their kindness and involvement in nurturing and taking care of their people. He should have guessed it when Hilarid often showed up in town with Janan whenever there was work to do. In no time, the newly acquainted families were spending more and more time together. Favian, Myla, Hilarid, Ries and Ava banded together more often than not. Favian even brought his partner Arrden into the group. The six of them often met up in the Lucian mansion and Eva and Janan were more than welcoming. Eva and Janan were proud of Ava and her friends. They'd been proud to watch Ries and Hilarid grow into wonderful young gentlemen who were eager to help whenever and wherever they could, following Ava's example. She had definitely rubbed off on them and it showed. The three couples often trained together and even worked around each other most of the time.

One night, while Ava was out flying around with Lyra and a group of other sylph Florian came to her. "It is time, young one," was all Florian had said before flying off into the night. That night while Ava slept soundly in Ries's arms, Lucia came to her. "It is time, my child. It is time to bring Ries down to Lumen," she said. Ava had known this time would come. She hoped Ries wouldn't be too scared once the proper introductions had been done. Ava stirred awake to find Ries already awake, watching her while she slept as was his habit. She felt like her insides tighten with nerves as she thought of what Lucia had told her. "Ave, amica mea," Ries greeted in that deliciously husky voice that Ava loved so much as he kissed her. He furrowed his brows as he searched her eyes, sensing that something was bothering her.�

� � �� "What's wrong?" He asked with concern. Ava closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths trying to gather her words as best she could. "Amica mea, there's something I must show you today," she said. She didn't even know why she was as nervous as she was. "Can you tell me what it is?" Ries asked, sitting up with his arms still firmly around her. "Not exactly. Come on, let's get ready for the day and I'll take you," Ava said, kissing his cheek and sliding out of bed. Ries went to his room to prepare while Ava prepared in her room. Even though they hadn't gone all the way in their intimacy, it had become tradition for them to sleep in each other's arms every night. Ava had often made sure things didn't go too far between them, she'd told Ries that she'd tell him when it was time. Ava had been waiting for this day, when she could finally let him in on the family secret and make a proper introduction to her ancestors. She hadn't wanted to take the next steps until her ancestors had had enough time to vet him and bring him into the circle. Only then could she have felt that it was safe to move forward. Ries hadn't questioned her, he knew she was waiting for something and even though he hadn't known what if was, he knew he wasn't going anywhere. He would take things as slow as was feasible for both of them, well mostly for Ava, because if it was up to him, they'd have already had their handfasting ceremony by now.

When Ries finally made it downstairs, Ava was already in the kitchen serving the breakfast that her parents had made. Eva and Janan were already at the dining table enjoying an early breakfast together, giggling like teenagers. Ries had always admired their partnership and the love they had for each other, in fact he was greatly inspired by it. He greeted them before joining Ava in the kitchen, taking the tray of cakes and eggs from her hands with a kiss to her cheek and turning to go set it on the dining table. Ava followed with tea for both of them. "So, Ava, big day, ey?" Eva said wiggling her eyebrows at Ava while she giggled. Ava's face flushed in response and she averted her gaze, pretending to focus on the cup of tea in her hands. Ries figured it had something to do with what Ava had to show him. Janan clasped his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, son. You'll be fine," as he walked out of the dining room carrying both his and his wife's dishes to the kitchen. Ries wondered if he needed to worry. Just then Angelina walked into the house. "I'm not too late, am I?" She called out. "Not at all darling!" Eva said getting up and going to welcome Angelina. The three elders were in the kitchen speaking in hushed tones while Ava and Ries ate their breakfast quietly. "It's time," Ava said as she gathered her now empty dishes. Ries had also just finished.�

� � � Once the dishes were taken care of, Eva, Janan and Angelina escorted the lovebirds down through the tunnels beneath the basement to River Lumen. Ries's jaw dropped as he saw Lumen for the first time in all its magical glory. Eva explained to him what the River Lumen was, its history and the ways in which it served their community. Once Eva finished explaining, it was Ava's turn to summon the ancestors. Ava closed her eyes and crouched down, dipping her hands into the glowing waters and mumbling under her breath in the same language Ries had often heard Angelina use. It didn't take long for Ava's ancestors to come forth. This time, they were more than the ones Ries had met the night he'd proposed to Ava.

� � � "Hello, child," Lucia's voice echoed in his mind. "I'm Lucia, this is my husband Lucjan and these are our direct descendants," Lucia introduced gesturing to herself, her husband and the crowd behind them. Ries was absolutely star struck and all he could do was stare in awe. Lucia simply chuckled before turning to Ava. "Is he alright?" She asked playfully. Ries bowed deeply when he finally gathered his senses. "Come, child, you don't need to do that," Lucia said with a light chuckle, raising him by his shoulders. "Ava, we're going to have a little chat with Ries here for a few minutes," Lucia said to Ava as Lucjan came up to stand beside her in front of Ries. Ava, her godmother and her parents stood back as Lucia and Lucjan each placed a palm on Ries's temple and Ries's eyes glowed gold as he went into a trance. The deities showed Ries how they fell in love, their first children and their various incarnations throughout the millennia. They informed Ries that there was a great war looming that would force the supernatural realm to intervene and that Ava had a part to play. They showed him the role Ava would play in leading the people in Ortus and that she had a greater purpose which they would allow him to know later on. They tested his strength and fortitude in a series of questions and simulations. When they were done, they dropped their hands from his face and held his hands as he came out of his trance. "Congratulations! You have passed the test," Lucia said with a warm smile across her face. Ries was still reeling from the experience he'd just had as he swayed slightly on his feet. "I think it's best if you sit at the bank for this next part," Lucjan said, motioning for Ava to step forward and join them. Once Ava and Ries were seated next to the flowing river, Lucia instructed them to hold hands and dip their interlaced fingers into the river. Both Ava and Ries felt a series of shockwaves go through them as the water washed over their entwined hands. Ava looked up to see the deities and her ancestors smiling, nodding their heads in approval. "It's for the bond," Lucia's voice whispered in Ava's mind. Once they were done Lucjan and Lucia held out their hands helping Ava and Ries to their feet. "You have now been accepted into the family and bonded to us and the other ancestors. From now on, we will always be with you, our strength shall run through and whenever you need us, we'll be there," Lucjan spoke placing his hand on Ries's shoulder. "Well done sweetheart, you've got a keeper," Lucia said to Ava with a smile.

� � � "I think it's time we gave you some answers," Lucia said, speaking to the Lucians, Ries and Angelina. "This world was once ours. We and a few other dieties decided to settle here after we created the multi-realm multiverse. The realms all existed together without the severe separation there is now, it was easy to travel through the realms as it is now to travel from place to place. For a long time the Donatus and the magical beings were all that existed, living in different coexisting realms in harmony until some of them were consumed by greed for power and resources. They betrayed their own, killing them for power and resources, no matter how much they acquired, it was never enough for them. We intervened and stripped them of their power, completely cutting them off from the divine power and blocking them from taking anyone else's power as their own, which is how the mundanes came to be. We also restricted access to the other realms and the magic that previously flowed freely in the world and cut off their ability to access those realms because of the destruction they brought. The direct descendants of those whose power and magic were stripped later formed the Order of the Venator. They were envious of the other Donatus that still had their abilities and decided to hunt them out of spite. If they couldn't have the power they wanted, they were to determined to eliminate anyone who had that power," Lucia explained. "Over time the Donatus perfected the art of fitting in with the mundanes. Most magical beings fled to the other realms only allowing those who they found worthy to travel to those realms and relate with them. The Venator Order rewrote history and spread rumors among the mundanes to convince them that they were the original people and that the Donatus were cursed abominations. Soon enough, that was the common knowledge among most people and the mundanes were indoctrinated to fear and hate the Donatus," Lucjan added. They spoke for a while longer before Ries, Angelina and the Lucians went back up into the mansion in silence. A lot of things suddenly made sense for Ava that day.