Ambient Mage

I didn't want to see his face for a little bit so I went downstairs for a little bit.

"Mia, did you talk to him at all?"

"No, but I did tell him to wash up, since dinner needs to be warm to be enjoyable."

"You really wasted Tosho's and my efforts?"

"You brought Tosho into this?"

"Of cour-"

"You're starting to be like Mom and Dad, don't use Tosho's marking for such things."

"Gosh, you sound like grandpa."

"You don't even speak to him that much."

"Well, you do."

"He's right in any case, don't disrespect the Giants, and don't use Tosho as a tool."

"Fine, fine."

"Did you know what Tosho saw about Lucas though?"

She sneered at me.

"No."

I turned away from her and started towards the dinner table.

"Come on."

She pulled ahead of me.

"Aren't you the least bit interested?"

"Fine."

I said, mashing the word like I was angry at it.

"He said, 'He's unfathomable, not like dad. He is endless, dad is just distant. We can't provoke him, mom is terrifying, but there's something more terrifying than what's backing mom inside of him.' "

"Really?"

"Well, you know Tosho is mature for his age, and has probably seen the 'Giant' mom stores in her marking, so when he said Lucas was unfathomable, not to be provoked, not gonna lie, I was a little freaked out."

"So you're telling me this why?"

"Because you get that existence to marry you."

"Huh?"

"Tosho told me he saw a future with 'big sis' marrying Lucas."

"So he did, did he?"

Mother interrupted our conversation.

"Gah!"

"Ah!"

Tosho walked out into hall, as Mom scared us.

"Tosho, sweety, come here."

He smiled before running over.

Sometimes I forget he's the youngest in our family, but it's times like these I'm reminded he's just 7.

"What did you see about big sis and Lucas?"

"I saw big sis getting married."

"What do you mean big sis Tosho?"

"Well I saw big sis in a big white gown and big brother in a suit, they had flowers and, and there was grandpas there too."

There were village elders at the ceremony?

"Which sis Tosho?"

Mom asked.

She already knew why was she trying to embarrass me?

Tosho pointed at the both of us.

Huh?

"Tosho didn't you say it was Mia-nee?"

"Mhm."

"Then why did you point at me?"

"Because I saw you too."

"In the same-"

Tosho shook his head no.

"Then?"

Kimoria asked.

"I saw her in a different one."

"What happened there?"

"I saw sissy get married with the white dress again."

"But there was no grass, or flowers, it was a canyon."

"Canyon?"

Tosho nodded his head vigorously.

"Have you had one where we both?"

"Yes, sissy, I had one, but this time, no canyon or flowers."

He stopped talking.

"What else?"

Kimoria looked increasingly nervous.

"No grandpas, or Mom or Dad."

"No sky."

What the hell?

"Sissies were wearing black dresses, and you were walking down the wedding path."

"I heard the bell ring."

He looked about ready to cry.

I picked him up and carried him to the table.

As I put him in his seat I asked for his cooperation.

"Sorry Tosho, but don't look into Lucas anymore okay?"

He turned his face towards me, ready to cry.

"Nee-"

"Hey sorry I took so long, I-, what's going on here?"

***

*Lucas' Pov*

Um sorry what?

Everyone was crowded around the boy.

Armoria seemed to be saying something, that is setting the boy off.

Yraham and Kimoria seem to be coaxing the child.

Kieru and the girl are already sitting at the table.

This was quite the confusing image.

"Hey, I'm sorry- what's going on here?"

"Hi Lucas, not much, everyone is just getting ready for the food."

"Come on sit."

It felt like an invitation to death for a second, but I accepted.

"So Lucas what do you like most about Armoria?"

"Huh?"

The dinner for the most part had been quiet until now.

The occasional clinking of spoon against plate, and drinking from a cup, had been all on tonights menu for table talk.

Despite this silence, Kimoria broke it with a serious question straight out of the gates.

"What do you mean Kimoria?"

"Coul you not respond with a question? And I mean exactly what I said."

"I doubt you would've stayed the night here with us, if you cared any less for Armoria."

Well technically she was right, but currently I felt more camraderie than anything.

Love and other feelings were secondary in consideration of Armoria.

So, if I had to choose something I like most about her, it would be her straightforwardness.

Or unintentional straightforwardness.

"I guess the way she's honest and straightforward."

"But I want to know something in return."

"Okay..."

"Why is everyone okay with me after just trying to kill me a few hours ago?"

***

*Armoria's Pov*

He dropped a bombshell on us.

It's true that no one showed hostilityh towards him, but to him, we all suddenly just dropped all anger towards him.

For the kids the words of Tosho were enough to satisfy their fears, and give up fighting.

But for mother and father, Ria and I, we decided that for the sake of not angering the unfathomable, a neutral stance had to be taken if not favorable.

It wasn't a great solution, but the other option was in Tosho's words 'face oblivion'.

I don't know what that entails, but I assume it means the destruction of my family.

"Well, Tosho has an ability, Lucas."

"It's a prophetic one."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"And that pacified everyone?"

"Pacified isn't the right word, more like persuaded."

"So what swayed everyone's mind?"

"The vision of our marriage."

***

*Lucas' Pov*

Well that certainly wasn't the worst thing I've ever heard.

On the other hand, who drops something so earth shattering like that so easily.

"Wait, what?"

"Don't make me say it again."

"Big brother, when will you marry big sis?"

Is that why he started calling me that?

"Did he get the vision after the sparring match?"

"How did you know?"

"Gut feeling."

After that the rest of dinner actually opened up.

The rest of the family joined in and we got to know each other outside of the marriage talk.

Dinner also ended smoothly too, with Yraham and KIeru sending the kids to bed, and doing the dishes.

Kimoria went to her room, and I was dragged by Armoria to hers.

"Lucas, just come with me for a second."

"Sure."

She shut and locked the door.

What was going on?

"Do you know of any places in the capital lands that have a canyon?"

"I know of exactly one."

"What about a place full of flowers?"

"A few."

"Then what about a place without any flowers, canyon, or sky?"

"Like a cave you mean?"

"Um, I guess?"

"There is one I believe, but that's inside a gate, not really in the capital lands."

"I see."

"Why do you ask?"

"Those are wedding venues."

"What?"

"Those were the wedding venues for our weddings."

"Skyless, canyonless, flowerless?"

"That doesn't seem right."

"No, you're right it doesn't"

*Knock Knock*

"Armoria it's time to let Lucas out, so we Tosho can sleep."

"Just put him to bed, let Lucas stay in my room tonight."

"Oho, bold."

"Nothing like that, I'll just sleep with Kimoria tonight."

"Oh, I see. Okay then, goodnight."

Yraham left, without so much as a word to me.

With that, Armoria continued to talk long into the night.

***

*???'s Pov*

A ruined world.

That was all that was left really.

Almost all I had loved perished.

I held in my hands the hands of the lucky few who hadn't.

A field of blackened ground.

Ash and soot filled the dark grey skies.

What was once vibrant and full of life, was now an empty dry cracking scene.

Demons had done this.

They had taken away that peace, that life.

A mourner's wedding.

Three people, having nearly everything dear to them.

Married to each other, in hope for a semblance of the life they once knew.

But just like the ground, there were cracks.

The people had no hope.

The world was on fire.

It was a gloomy dark mess, where happiness didn't belong.

And eventually the two I had married died too.

There was no won battle, just a life that hadn't ended.

I journeyed to the lands beyond.

I searched for the impossible, and I found it.

Or her.

The dragon of power.

There was no need for words.

With the two strongest beings pitted against one another, there was only slaughter.

However, something changed in both.

Hate and self reproach turned into love for each other, and eventually gave way to a child.

But that child didn't last long, the demons made sure of it.

The man once human, sacrificed his emotions, his anger and pain, and became a dragon.

His life made a beeline for immortality, which the demons couldn't allow.

But the man had been no human.

Not anymore.

He tore through a broken world.

One where disease, pain, suffering, infested every corner.

And at the end returned to his once lover, devoid of emotions.

A dragon whose entire lifeline was power was unable to save their husbands emotions.

Unable to bring them back, or make new ones.

The love that had once been, died just like the two who had been married to me.

And the one before that.

And the one before that.

And the one before that.

And so the man, struck by the tragedy of his own life, asked for it to end.

Not out of a profound sense of sadness or pity that managed to make it into his heart through the power, but something else.

Fate.

It had bound him in misery, and one so powerful would not stand in the face of fate.

And so he asked the dragon, kill me, like we had tried so long ago to do.

But the dragon refused, instead it ascended to another dimension.

It escaped the suffering, and left for the dragon's dimension.

And so the man sought an enemy greater than himself, fate.

But fate was cruel and he sat alone, at the top, no mortal or immortal alive could withstand him.

There were very few of either left anyway.

The world sacrifice in the name of the demon god was already destroyed, so the man forsook his own life.

But even that was not allowed.

Of course, he had failed to see in that lifetime, what he could have achieved.

This lifetime was a failure, and so was the next, and so was the previous.

But he couldn't know that.

And so fate rewound itself, time turned back, space warped, and the cosmic beings watching sat in silence.

The happiness would be attained for this man, so that he would live, would come not from his death.

And so a living man, now dragon, emotionless, was returned to the past, with no memories, no power, no death, not until the outcome had been achieved.

The One who shall fall, is to fall by his lover's hand.

But the One who shall fall, was unable to make the world his, at least for the time being.

***

*Lucas' Pov*

I swear I had the strangest-

What.

I somehow found myself with both arms pinned to the bed.

I turned over to see Armoria on one side.

Oh, right I guess we had fallen asleep like this.

But who?

Kimoria on the other?

And the blanket here is put up?

Okay, someone was in here.

I looked around the room for obvious signs of entry.

None.

Ruling out the children, that left only the parents.

Kieru wouldn't bother to hide his tracks, so Yraham.

As I tried to stand up, I realized my arms were truly pinned down.

I didn't want to wake them.

So I sat for a while.

Then I looked at them with my eyes infused with magic.

Armoria seemed fine.

Kimoria....

Wasn't human.

Not like a oh she's a cyborg, or she's half dead.

She was partially elvish.

Yraham had no strong indicators of this, and I wasn't aware of any elvish in Kieru's blood, but that would be for another time.

Yraham walked into the room.

"And here I thought, if I gave you enough time, you would pounce on my daughters."

"Not at all, I respect their consent."

"Are you saying I don't?"

"I never said anything like that, but I never resort to this."

I looked down at the two.

Kimoria looked like she had no idea she was even in this room, and Armoria well, she looked like she found a good pillow, I feel like her and Aura were about to get along very well.

"Well, it was both a test to see how you would restrain yourself, and to see how you would treat her."

"Seeing as we gave you an extra helping of confusion magic, I'm inclined to believe in your good nature."

"Also, you aren't quick to enrage, Mr. Unfathomable."

"Yraham, since you probably listened to Armoria and my conversation, you know I can't stand that right?"

"Yes, yes, what was it when she told you?"

"Ah, yes, 'that's not terrifying at all'."

"So are these two under sleep spells willingly?"

"Yes, of course, they are my daughters and I wouldn't do anything unruly to them without their consent."

"I'm sure."

"Anyways prospective husband, take care of my daughters, and if you decide you only want one, or decide they're too much of a hassle, well, good luck."

"What does that mean?"

"Unless a Karodan gives up of their own accord, usually they never stop pursuing something until death."

Gulp.

What had I gotten myself into.