To grow with those we love is a thing to be treasured.
Lia and I had spent the almost five years since that night, in relative peace and without much change in our routines, we ourselves however had changed considerably in the midst of adolescence. I had opened myself up to others considerably, not emotionally, I still didn't have much fondness for individuals, but I had begun to talk more openly, largely because most who live in our district call on me for my service as a handyman, though I was repeatedly told the things I done went well beyond a handyman.
I had also grown quite tall after my last growth spurt three years prior brought me to the six-foot mark. Though my stature remained almost skeletal, my physique was deceptively muscular, and my power had skyrocketed. I had still had no mind for fashion or grooming beyond basic hygiene, so my hair remained a shoulder length unkempt mop of mahogany, my green eyes were still contrasted by dark circles, but they were no longer persistently bloodshot
Lia had grown into a refined young lady, one whom would change into a childish tomboy at the drop of a hat. Her beauty continued to grow as well, whilst I certainly had no room to talk, her once sickly-looking frame had filled out with toned muscle. Training outside had coloured her fair skin to a light bronze and spotted her face with freckles. She had grown taller as well, but now stood nearly a head shorter than me compared to how she used to be slightly taller. Thankfully her golden eyes still shone brightly, but her shoulder length ponytail now ran the length of her back.
Our physical growth was being augmented by something, we trained hard, ate well and rested yes, but what we were becoming weighed on us. We were well aware that our abilities had surpassed the limits of not just humans our age, but humans in general and showed no signs of stopping or slowing down. I harboured guilt, wondering if her determination to be with me was the catalyst for her sudden change. I wondered if my refusal to accept her, my inability to return her feelings, had robbed her of normality and if it would one day rob her of her humanity. Ideas for which she punched me so hard a normal man would have been crippled. I will always be grateful for her willingness to beat sense into me, rather than tiptoe around my trauma and allow me to remain ignorant, or wallow in my own head.
Aside from our physical growth we had plenty of people supporting our development in other areas. Master honed our combat skills alongside the Lords Knight commander who was ordered to teach us swordcraft, strategy, and other things typically apart of formal military education, though we quickly discovered I was too strong for common swords and broke too many, we also discovered Lia had an otherworldly talent for strategy and would point out gaps in patrols and ways to improve efficiency with supply chains, resulting in several career knights being reprimanded.
Storyteller and Lord educated us in the world and academia together, they helped plot a path for us to follow after we leave. Lia's dad taught us how to hunt, forage and camp, whilst her mum taught us cooking, how to stitch repairs to fabrics, and basic household chores which we both really should have been better at, at our age. Lia was definitely better at stitching, whilst I was better at cooking.
It wasn't just them either, Lia's extended family also piled on the education and preparations after hearing of our engagement, they taught us stuff like medicine making and first aid. We appreciated the thought, and learned what they had to teach, neither of us wanted to tell them I could just ask Magic to regenerate skin, limbs, organs, and whatever other medical attention someone required; besides it was good for Lia to learn those things since she lacked my relationship with magic.
Lord summoned us to the manor one day and introduced us to the head butler and maid, telling us that we would also be taking obligatory etiquette lessons, as well as an education similar to what noble children receive. We learned about different noble families, their lands, and values. We learned about their genealogy, allegiances, tensions. I found it very tedious, humans were not my concern, not when I was still branded a heretic, and the devout northern kingdoms had declared my heresy had been formerly acknowledged by the gods themselves, only remaining docile since the gods supposedly intend to deal with me personally.
The town blacksmith taught us metal work after finding out how many blades I broke in training, whilst I repaired his forge with magic after a bad storm. Thanks to learning what qualities make good work I was able to develop creation spells to materialise something from nothing.
Times were hectic and the future uncertain, but with Lia as my guide I was finding my way, even if what others considered normal was out of my reach, I was gradually making my own and creating the groundwork for us to be happy. We were even able to find the time for us to enjoy days of leisure, whether we went shopping, fishing, to see theatre troupes or travelling bards. Lia also tended to sneak off and leave me under watch of Storyteller, I assumed at first, she was planning a birthday celebration, but my birthday passed and no celebration, so I decided it was probably something she was embarrassed by, and I had long since learnt that embarrassing Lia was a bad idea.
It was on her return from one of these secretive escapades on the 1st kealon in the fifteenth year, arriving at the lake where she had left Storyteller and myself fishing a couple of hours prior, she asked me if I had realised, I loved her yet. Storyteller laughed at my typical dead pan expression to such questions before standing and leaving with our rods and catches.
Now alone, still sitting as though oblivious to the fact my fishing rod had be taken, I fall back in the same way I did that day on the hill where we got engaged. I groaned and just asked how I was supposed to know, then asked what love was anyway.
She knelt next to me and moved my head from the floor to her lap, stroking my hair and apologising as she looked down at me. I lifted an arm and put a hand on her face, telling her that I knew she was beautiful, and I found myself thinking about her a lot and that I always felt more relaxed when she was with me. I intended to ask if that was love but she reminded me why it was dumb to embarrass her and threw me by my shirt into the river, without so much as moving.
I pulled myself from the water and began taking off my shirt, asking magic to create something for me to hang it on, and to shape the earth into a screen so I could remove my trousers. As I used magic to extract the water from the fabric of my clothes, Lia spoke from the other side of the wall.
"You can't quantify love. You feel it or you don't, you recognise it, or you don't. I don't know I love you, but I have believed it long enough now I think I'm safe to keep believing, and if it ever does change, you'll be the first to know."
The words cut deep, and I found tears running over my face, her deciding she doesn't love me anymore wounding me in a way I didn't understand, but I did know why it hurt even if I didn't understand the phantom pain. I told her it hurt and asked if it was worth wasting her time on such fickle feelings as I pulled my trousers on.
Her response was to ask me if I was dressed and when I told her I was just putting my shirt on, I was barraged by dirt and stone fragments. Not strong enough to pierce my skin, but ripping my clothes in several places before a wild tempered Lia burst through and kicked me through the wall adjacent to the one she obliterated. Her eyes were both ablaze and teary, as she demanded I never call her feelings fickle or a waste of time again.
Instead, I kicked the ground with all my might as well as some enhancement, breaking the ground apart and sending lose chucks of ground into the air along with Lia. She was caught off guard, I'd never used a tactic like this before and I rarely exhibited new moves and before she could even balance herself, I was already in mid-air heading toward her.
I saw a flash of uncertainty and fear as she saw me, but I wasn't attacking. As I reached her, I wrapped my arms around her and twisted my back to the floor as we began to fall. As we impacted the ground dust was thrown into the air, magic already breaking down the airborne chunks and reconstituting the destroyed riverbank. Lia had been squirming in my arms, telling me to let go and apologise until she asked out loud why she couldn't slip through my arms.
My reply was simple "I'm not restraining you; I'm hugging the girl I love." She went still, resting her head on my chest, telling me she hoped the moment would be more romantic before returning my embrace. I remind her she gave me permission to be selfish with her and whilst she tried to think of a retort, the ground started to vibrate gently, Lia lifted her head from my chest and cupped her ear.
Grumbling about how whoever it was, was going to pay for disturbing 'this precious moment' she told me there was a group of soldiers en route and she could make out roughly thirty cavalrymen. When they finally arrived, I was sat cross legged, fruitlessly trying to calm her down as Lia paced back and forth.
When Captain came to a stop however, so did she, and the shouting started until she had dazed the poor man, and it didn't stop until he was barely able to stay on his mount. At that point his second in command informed us they were dispatched to investigate an explosion, or in other words, how I used brute force to destroy half of the riverbank and making Lia and I share a glance that may as well have been a signed confession.
Now certain we were to blame for the disturbance, Captain began lecturing us on using our power responsibly, telling us that we can't go unexpectedly causing such pandemonium. I shouldn't have been able to reply, but being me has advantages, I simply told him pandemonium was overkill.
Going on to say that in fairness after five years they should have known something like a love confession would go this way for me. Captain gave up his lecture, the second in command told Lia he was glad her patience paid off and then we were asked to accompany them back to explain what happened.
This was the third time we had been *arrested*. The first was when Lia started getting freckles and got insecure, attempting to use make up to cover them before a training session and was less than pleased when I laughed, creating a unity sized crater in the town wall. The second time was when we went to the area, I was born in to help get the rejuvenation project started the previous year and I asked her to leave the demolition to me and the workers, so she didn't get in the way, resulting in my quickly becoming the most effective sledgehammer ever used. This time the Lord had Storyteller and Lia's parents waiting with him as we were escorted in by Captain and sat at the conference table opposite them, at that point Lord thanked the captain for escorting us and Storyteller for the warning then silenced me when I putted out that technically if they were warned our disturbance wasn't technically unexpected.
"You destroyed a riverbank. Unity, will you ever learn that you don't have to flex your power just to get your point across? Lia I'm beginning to think that you're the less reasonable of the two of you and honestly having known Unity so long, that terrifies me." Our appeal that the damage didn't matter since we fixed it was denied. My appeal that Lia over reacted was denied. Lia's appeal that I was mean and deserved 'a good hit' was denied. Our punishment was the usual, community service in opposite directions mine taking me to the old town rejuvenation project, Lia's was to help at the orphanage.
These punishments weren't arbitrary, shrewd as ever, Lord done this for a reason, he sent me to the slums so that I could think about where I started and how far I've come, as well as save him a small fortune in labour since things always moved so quickly with my brute strength. Lia was sent to the orphanage to remind her just how troubled children from the slums were, though I didn't like it since one of my siblings resided there. Lia never talked about her with me, but it was no secret they were friends, and I had no right to tell her otherwise, so I simply asked her not to mention her around me. I had to admit she was doing good work there and her presence also had the benefit of meaning there would always be guards near the orphanage to, a result of the promise made to me those five years ago.
With our sentences being passed Lord turned the conversation in another direction, asking if my confession will affect their schedule at all, leaving me confused and asking for permission to leave, which was denied faster than my appeal. I then learned that all of Lia's secret outings were bringing her to the manor and various other places as she arranged our wedding, which was apparently scheduled for six months' time, three months after I turn sixteen, amd five months before I'm due to wipe the town off the map.
I tell them I'm glad we are engaged now, but still don't really know what that actually entails, so for now I think their existing schedule will be best, then grit my teeth and ask magic to bring me paper, a quill and ink:
Dear Inaya,
As I have said before, I have no interest in being a brother or even acquaintance. However, you have proven a friend to Lia, and a good person. It would be wrong for me to deny Lia her friends' presence at her wedding, so don't let me stop you. Just keep your distance from me. This is a dangerous time, don't make me regret this.
Unity
I slid the note to Lia and excused myself so I could begin my community service, which was far more preferable than dwelling on what felt like a self-betrayal. I was confused about why I felt that way when I was so certain I had done the right thing, then I found myself overcome with weariness, I used magic to send Lia a message so she can tell everyone I was heading home instead.
Before I knew it though, I found myself in a familiar nothingness, a true black figure sitting on his obsidian throne.
I asked aloud if I'm having the same dream and the figure told me it wasn't one. They asked me how I had returned, and I told them if I knew I would be leaving the same way, asking where I even was, if not a dream. I was told it was a place called 'The hall of creators' though it had only ever had the one resident. I asked them if they were the god sent to get revenge on me but to my surprise, they sounded even less pleased with me likening them to the gods than I would have been. The harsh voice of one whose pride had been wounded pierces me 'Do not liken one thing beyond your comprehension to another, simply to make your ignorance less numerous.' I prepare myself for a fight, but they simply tell me to begone, that I had more pressing matters to deal with than a fight I stood no chance of winning. I would have liked the right to be offended but I could tell they weren't wrong, nor were they lying I had something else to deal with.
I awoke on the hill, the ground bubbling, a forewarning of Floria presence. Monster with a semi human form composed of gnarled oak roots, arms and legs ending in thorny spikes rather than hands or feet, and a twisting tail that ends with a flower, except it possess a stinger rather than a stamen. Not particularly dangerous in a straight one on one, particularly if you have fire to hand, the trouble with them is they never move alone, and they can use trees to cover great distances.
I linked with Lia, captain and Lord to appraise them if the situation, as my head throbs with a dull pain being the first time I had used a multi-link. I could tell they were experiencing the same, so I dropped the link, as they asked me how I got myself into the situation after telling them I was going home to rest.
I then prepared a virulent poison using matter creation magic, I was furious for reasons I didn't understand aside from my ignorance reminding me of the true black figures insult, I had fond memories of this hill, but I didn't think myself sentimental enough to get this angry over a hill and a tree.
When the guard captain and Lia finally arrived, I was at boiling point and needed to leave, I told them how to deal with the monsters as well as their abilities. Deciding to leave the actual handling of the situation to the others to figure out, knowing I'd received a request for assistance if needed, but as I turned my legs gave out and I caught myself on something, but when I realised it was obsidian I snarled like a dog as I destroyed it and pushed myself up. Having startled the others, I ignored their enquiries on my health and mood, storming off in the direction for home.
An hour or so later I was in bed, slightly fevered and dripping a cold sweat. Storyteller had left a bowl of water for me to clean myself as needed, but I was more concerned with trying to rest, until Lia entered to check on me. Moving the bowl from the chair near my bed, she sat and asked me to explain everything, which I did. Holding my hand she listened, asking my opinion of the strange realm known as the hall of creators, the figure who had greeted me there twice now and the displacement of me always coming to not where I was before.
Questions I couldn't begin to answer, questions I couldn't even scape together a hypothesis for. She then commented on my current state, pointing out I had never been sick, nor had I ever had issue with infection which was remarkable in and of itself given the frequency and severity of wounds I received.
It was easy to see she was worried about me, and I didn't have the ability to reassure her honestly. Then she pulled a shard of obsidian, from her pocket, asking me if I created it because it was on my mind, why I didn't choose something softer. I respond honestly again saying I didn't know I just asked magic, stopping when magic tells me I didn't, neither did it act on its own that apparently, I created it without magic.
Lia eyed me suspiciously, and I told her that she can leave before accusing me of not being me. She relaxed and insisted I couldn't blame her, that my confession was suspicious enough on its own, exhausting the last of my patience and I rolled to face the other way.
She kissed me on the cheek and whispered that I was definitely her Unity before leaving, but promised she would return to check on me later. My mood was shifting, I knew I overreacted, she was right to be suspicious, I had only just told my damn sister it was a dangerous time, and I was playing the wounded animal. I closed my eyes and begged the void to take me, to let me rest for real, but the wish remained unfulfilled as I lay there too tired to move and growing more feverish.
It was hours before Lia returned as the light of day grew orange and dim with the setting sun. She entered with her back to me, then asked if I managed to sleep at all as she put the tray she carried on the chair, sliding it closer to me before she retrieved the tray and rested it on her lap as she sat down. I told her I hadn't and apologised for my temper, but she told me to pay it no mind as she was happy to at least be able to play nurse for me since she doubted the opportunity would come around very often.
She told me to sit up, then spoon fed me the soup, alternating between feeding me and herself. She then told me I stank, and she would wipe me down after, telling me I wasn't strong enough to stop her when I tried to argue. After we finished eating, true to her word she washed down my torso with cloth, the experience as comfortable as it would be to scrape bark from a tree with bare fingers. The cloth ripping with the force she exerted on it and when I complained she simply told me not to ruin it for her, then replacing my complaints with an appraisal on the situation.
There hadn't been any outbreaks yet, all trees inside the town had been removed, all those immediately outside, either cleared or under observation. I nodded with the news and said to call me at the first sign if it kills me and Lia told me she was sure they will call us and took her boots and armoured greaves and gauntlets off before climbing onto my bed and forcing me to rest my head on her chest. "Stop blushing, we both know you have more chance of sleeping if I'm here, now count yourself lucky you have a fiancé like me and get some sleep."
I barely even heard the end to that order before I drifted off. Peaceful oblivion, true rest, no monsters or shadowy figures. Just much needed rest and the comforting warmth of the girl I love, doing her best to care for the undeserving fool she fell for.
My peace was usually short lived at best but when I came to it was morning and Lia was in the middle of a very quiet argument with Storyteller and her father about their claim it was inappropriate for an unmarried couple to share a bed. I could tell it was beginning to anger her, me seeking space was one thing, but others trying to pull us apart was not something she tolerated.
I knew as I sat up she would blame the two men for it, so I told her they were only repeating what I said yesterday during my protests. When she tried to argue, I thanked her for staying with me but explained I didn't blame them for their reaction when they found us under the covers together, suggesting that dressed or not she should have grabbed a second blanket from the cupboard instead.
At that point she apologised and admitted her fault, though she made sure to hug me before removing herself from my bed. Luckily the fever had passed, though I still felt weak I managed to stand. Though Lia told me to rest more and that she would bring me breakfast in a moment. When she left, the two men came in and asked me flatly if anything happened between us. I replied bluntly that I only realised I loved her the day before and asked them how quickly they expect me to grasp relationships or if they had noticed my frailty.
I wasn't surprised Lia was angry, if awoken with this line of questioning and I ended up snapping at them myself. Asking them if they really believed me to have a mind for such things, it was then that I told them I had yet to even enter puberty. Out of anger more than anything and it led to an embarrassing conversation to say the least, one that lasted far longer than needed.
Satisfied that nothing beyond our years had happened between us however, they were willing to let it slide. Which was lucky since Lia returned with a face of thunder and called them both fools for not realising my lack of hair growth, voice change or the mood swings that accompany that point in a person's life. The men were embarrassed, and that included myself, knowing Lia had noticed was uncomfortable knowledge and I knew she had noticed that as well as.
She sat next to me on the bed just to spite them, happy to make them as uncomfortable as I was a moment ago. It was clear that they wanted to be angry at her, but they knew now they wasn't taking who we were into account. We weren't normal, but we were human, which made the normal lines even more unclear than usual, they knew that the only reason they could reprimand us at all was because we allowed them to.
They left and shut the door for us, a clear gesture of good faith. I apologised for not talking to her about it and she told me not to be stupid. Then I made to kiss her on the cheek and unsure of what I was doing she turned, and it ended up being our first true kiss. She playfully sulked about how I keep messing up these firsts, as I ate my porridge in silence, then when she regained composure told me she was glad I felt better. Then when my porridge was finished, I promptly passed out to prove she spoke too soon.
No peace this time, neither was it the hall of creators, just the usual flashbacks from my past that I usually experienced when sleeping without Lia's influence. Then I awoke to sounds of alarm bells.
Lia was already armouring herself, and it didn't take long for me to get ready as well. Just as a guard hammered on the front door we went into action, charging down the stairs to hear the report. We told the guard to catch his breath here, then made to leave until halted by a hesitant sound from Storyteller. I understood I could see pain in his expression, he didn't want to risk our last words being ill tempered.
"Why don't we all have dinner at Lia's tonight dad." My words left Lia and Storyteller shocked but, as soon as he nodded, holding back tears all the while, we left. I told Lia to take care of the hill, as my emotions may be too imbalanced, then broke away from her to head to the south-western breach that got reported. I was inadvertently breaking the cobblestone path with every step, but I didn't have time to worry.
As I got close to the wall, I enhanced my strength and jumped over it, more than a hundred of the Floria were waiting and the guards had been pushed back. I ask magic to create a flame shield around the guards and smash into the ground, though not with as much force at the riverbank. The moment I land, I activate unity trying to gauge their plan or purpose, and for only the second time unity proved unable read them. I knew full well unity didn't struggle reading monsters, there was only one thing it couldn't read, something not acting of its own volition.
Hatred builds and I roared to the guards to get to safety, unsure if I'd have been able to control myself, I sent a link message to Lia to make her aware then set to work. I began by coating my hands with the poison I created previously and started punching through them.
I succeed in drawing the attention of the Floria, but it wasn't enough and more were clawing their way from the tree that they had appeared from. I grew worried about Lia and how she was fairing and gave up restraint, deciding it would be better to ask forgiveness for any damage I cause and immolated the entire area, the flames ceased after I ask magic to quell them leaving charred remains of dozens of monsters.
The ground there had ceased to bubble for any reason other than it reaching melting point and I made my way towards Lia when weariness fell upon me again, but I didn't fall victim to it again. Just a nudge from a familiar voice telling me to do as I wished if I had so little faith in Lia, continuing to suggest my efforts would be better served at the orphanage.
I froze as the weariness lifted, the choice before me should have been easy, but that damn figure hadn't lied to me yet that I could tell. So, I launched myself towards the orphanage, finding a dozen of Floria entering the building, I crashed into the ground and stealing their attention from my sister who was shielding the orphans.
The moment she saw me however, fear exploded from her. I dashed passed the monsters and stopped in front of her, telling her she'd be dead already if she had reason to fear me. Then I grabbed the root like tail of one of the monsters and set it ablaze as weariness half fell on me again. I turned to face them. "I promised my siblings their safety. You would try to make a liar me?" An obsidian blade formed in my hand, and slashed them all down, typically physical attacks can only slow them down, but something was wrong with them.
The blade turned to dust, but the Floria were slowly being petrified, their gnarled oak bodies becoming black glass, then I collapsed and the last thing I did before I blacked out was tell my sister to tell Lia and not to touch me.
I came to with Lia calling me an idiot over and over again, crying over me as she rocked me back and forth. she had shattered the obsidian statues that decorated the orphanage but beyond that, had done nothing but cry and talk to me, she told me that next time I fall like that I accept help from anyone nearby even if it's a god.
I started to argue, but she slapped me with all her strength, but I continued regardless, not realising that that would typically have injured even me. I told her if I wasn't willing to die to oppose the gods, she wouldn't be alive right now, that I will only ever do what I think is right in that moment. She called me an idiot again, and told me she knew that already, but it wouldn't stop her being angry when she didn't Ike my choice.
After that I told her everything that happened, I told her we should be going, before the adults start to worry, that she should check on her friend first and that I would wait outside. When Lia finally emerged, a guard was giving me the final report, structural and environmental damage was plenty but no loss of life or major injuries, to which I replied that I was not a guard nor noble and he should be reporting that to somebody else. Lia apologised on my behalf and heard him out which seemed more suitable since she had worked so closely with the guard these past few years.
I felt fine now, not feverish or otherwise out of sort. Lia was nervous and I knew why, so I just told her that weariness is the key, she was confused considering how much rest I had. I told her it wasn't tiredness, and I wasn't sure, but more to do with the weariness with which I view the world.
Even as I said it, I doubted myself, but it made sense, every time that feeling descended, I was exhausted not physically but with the world. So much so I wanted to create a new one where I could live peacefully with those I cared about. I told Lia I intended to test it when I recovered, she just told me to be careful, I could tell she was worried, but she knew this development could be dangerous if I don't understand it.
I stopped walking and told Lia there was something else, and as she turned, I dropped to one knee and asked her to marry me, she called me an idiot and said 5 years into our engagement was a bit late for a proposal, but it didn't stop her crying and jumping on me before saying yes five times. When we stood, she asked if I thought we could afford to wait any longer with everything that happened, and I shook my head, telling her the gods purposely targeted the town to gauge my reaction and got more than they bargained for.
As we discussed things and made our way back to Lia's home, concluding it was unlikely that the gods would make a move any time soon, they seemed to have a poor sense of time given that they gave us five years to prepare and grow stronger.
On top of that sending such week monsters was borderline insulting, even without us the guards would have repelled them with few casualties. All the ordeal had done was demonstrate a total lack of ability when it comes to evaluating mortals, to top things off they definitely saw me use the weariness to create the obsidian blade, and they won't have any frame of reference for a human creating something from nothing especially without magic.
Finally, and most importantly we determined they wouldn't try to bring others into it like my sister. Having seen that the only reason she still drew breath was a faint sense of obligation, targeting others could only serve to rile me into an even more trying adversary. In conclusion, we decided that staying on the move was the best way to draw them out, prevent collateral damage and gain the information required to counterattack.
Our discussion made it hard to open the door as we arrived home, so hard in fact Lia's mother had to do it for us, when they realised, and as it opened we were standing outside as though we had forgotten how to use them.
As we entered, we could see a look of relief mixed with concern on their faces, so we asked them to gather at the table, dreading to tell our parents that we had to leave, but robbed of all rational choice to the contrary. They took the news about as well as you would expect, the gods robbing Lia of her parents for a second time, myself stripped of the belongings I had earned for myself and both of us robbed of what little childhood remained.
After that we had dinner, a solemn affair to begin with, Lia's mother uplifted the mood with talks of the wedding, which according to her and Lia had taken a development like this into account and can be put together in full within two days, but I stretched it to two weeks saying that we would be leaving the morning after and I needed to experiment with the weariness first. The last thing we needed was for me to leave a trail of black glass, or worse yet, disappear one day in trance and face Lia's wrath when she found me.