Hao grumbled as he looked out the carriage window.
“That is if we can leave the academy during the week,” Gregory said, bringing the topic back on point. “We don’t know if it’ll be allowed. We’ll ask Dia tomorrow and find out, but that is our plan for now.”
“Hmm,” Hao grunted. “We’ll be here tomorrow. We had planned on leaving the following morning. We should meet for lunch at Stabled Hunger and you can tell us then what your final plans are.”
“That is fair, Father.”
The carriage came to a stop in front of Gin’s manor. Gregory caught scraps of laughter and music coming from the courtyard that was surrounded by the building.
Indara opened the door for them, “Please, honored guests, come in.”
“That is a very good color for you,” Yoo-jin told Indara. “It brings out your eyes wonderfully.”
“Thank you,” Indara bowed. “The guests are gathered in the courtyard and open ballroom, awaiting your appearance.”
“There should be five more arriving late,” Yukiko told her.
“I’m aware. The five who work in the mess hall of the academy. Their spouses are already here and asked if it was really okay for them to be late.”
“Well, if everything is ready, let’s proceed,” Hao smiled. “Please, lead us to our guests.”
Indara bowed to him, then led them into the house. She walked at a steady, sedate pace so everyone could stay in sync as they headed for the event. She paused just outside a closed set of double doors, looking back to make sure everyone was there before she opened them wide and proceeded into the room.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the stars of tonight’s dinner and the parents of the eventual bride,” Indara announced, her voice cutting over the music and bringing all eyes to the doorway.
The musicians stopped immediately, so the room was nearly silent as Hao escorted Yoo-jin into the room. The couple stopped a few feet in and bowed to the crowd, then moved aside so Gregory and Yukiko became the center of attention. Swallowing hard, Gregory escorted Yukiko into the room like Hao had and bowed to the room, Yukiko bowing with him.
“Now that the guests of honor have arrived,” Gin’s voice filled the silence, “let us pray to Aether and Vera that their life is full of love and prosperity.”
All heads bowed, the room silent again as everyone prayed for the couple. After a few moments, Gin announced, “Now, let’s greet the couple and wish them well ourselves.”
The guests lined up to pay their respects to Gregory and Yukiko. Yukiko smiled, greeting each person warmly as they came forward. Gregory’s smile was awkward, which made some of the guests feel more at ease, having been nervous themselves.
Yukiko placed her hand over her heart and spoke. “We thank our friends and family for coming to our betrothal dinner. We are honored and blessed to have you with us on this first step of combining our lives.”
Gregory cleared his throat, feeling out of place as he mirrored Yukiko, “Thank you, all of you. Yukiko and I have never had a lot of friends, so we are honored and blessed that each of you considers us so. We hope to keep the bonds of friendship strong with you as we move forward with our lives together.”
Applause and whistles were the enthusiastic response to the short speeches. Hao cleared his throat, turning all eyes to him.
“Honored guests, thank you for coming. We regret that Gregory’s family could not be here in body, but we are sure they are here in spirit to witness this great day in his life. I was hesitant to accept my daughter’s proposal that she marry him, but love will not be denied. After recent events, I know that Gregory loves Yukiko as deeply as I do my beloved wife. In six months, after the next tournament, Gregory will wed Yukiko. Then, we will celebrate two great events.”
Yoo-jin waited for the cheers to die away again before she spoke, “This betrothal is unusual in our family. We never thought that our daughter would be a magi, nor that she would find her love during her first year. We have only asked that they do their best to grow, learn, and prosper together, while letting their love lead them. We hope that you will all be our guests again in six months.”
Before the cheering could start again, Gin interrupted, “Hold a moment, I have something of import to say.” Everyone stared at him, wondering why he had interrupted. “This home will not do for the wedding. I will find a suitable location, one that will honor both the bride and groom. My star pupils deserve to be shown to the world when they wed, and I will make sure the venue is perfect for them both.”
Yukiko shook her head, “Gin, you are too kind.”
“Nonsense! I have been waiting to see you married from the day of your birth,” Gin replied. “Now let us drink, dance, and await the final guests. Once they arrive, dinner will be served.”
~*~*~
The party lasted well into the night. The workers from the academy left one-by-one as the pressing need for sleep finally called them away. After the last guests were gone, Gin walked them to the door.
“You could stay the night here if you wish,” he told Yukiko.
“We are returning to the academy for the night,” Yukiko replied. “We need to find out if we will be allowed to train with you every day.”
“Lunch tomorrow at Stabled Hunger,” Hao reminded her. “I’ll send the carriage to pick you up.”
“Yes, Father,” Yukiko replied.
“I thought you might want to return to the academy. I have another carriage waiting to take you back,” Gin chuckled when he opened the door. “I will see you all at lunch, as well.”
“I’ll be happy to see you there,” Yukiko smiled.
“Sleep well, dear,” Yoo-jin said, giving her daughter a hug. “And you, Gregory.”
“We’ll do our best, but we’ve trained ourselves to wake before the sun, so it might be hard to sleep in,” Gregory replied.
“We’ll be fine, Mother,” Yukiko said. “Take care of Father.”
With the two couples separating into different carriages, the goodbyes took a little longer, but they were soon heading in opposite directions. Gregory yawned as the lateness of the hour finally caught up to him.
Yukiko yawned a second later, “Those are contagious.”
“Sorry, Yuki. First one awake wakes the other?”
“Yes. We’ll sleep later than normal, but I doubt it’ll be later than the other novices.”
“Do you think the clan recruiters are still waiting for us?”
“Doubtful, though I expect them to do their best to find us tomorrow,” Yukiko replied, trying to stifle another yawn.
Gregory shifted to sit beside her instead of across from her. “You can rest against me if you want.”
“Very kind,” Yukiko replied as she rested her head on his shoulder.
Gregory put his arm around her shoulders and held her. “I’ll wake you when we get there if you drop off.”
“Dear one, thank you,” Yukiko murmured sleepily.
~*~*~
The driver rapped on the front wall of the carriage, jolting Gregory and Yukiko awake. “We’re here,” the driver said loudly.
“Thank you,” Gregory said, climbing out and helping Yukiko down.
The gates were shut and the guards on the walls watched as the two novices walked up to the postern door. The magi on duty there glared at them as she checked their medallions, then grudgingly let them through.
The path to the dormitory was silent and shrouded in shadows. “It’s beautiful at night,” Yukiko murmured as they walked beside each other.
“Peaceful,” Gregory agreed.
As they got closer to the dormitory, they were surprised to see the front brightly illuminated and a dozen people sitting on the benches beside the door.
“So much for peaceful,” Gregory sighed “Think we can slip around the back?”
“Yes, follow me,” Yukiko whispered as she gathered her aether, thickening the shadows around them. “Just watch your step.”
The people waiting were unaware
that the pair they were there for had evaded them. Happy to find the back door unsecured, they slipped inside and went up the stairs to their rooms.
“Goodnight, dear one,” Yukiko murmured, leaning over to kiss his cheek.
“Goodnight, Yuki,” Gregory replied, returning the chaste kiss. “See you in a few hours.”
Chapter Sixty-four
Darkness enveloped him and a soft hand gently stroked his hair. He blinked, frowning, and the darkness jerked away from him to fill the far side of the opulent bedroom. “You are growing so fast, dear one. Champion Novice and betrothed to Yuki. The rest of this year will certainly be exciting.”
Gregory shook his head, wondering if he imagined the hand on his hair, extracting himself from the overly large bed. “I’ve been reminded by Yuki—”
“That you’ve never asked my name? That’s true, but I wouldn’t have given it to you before now, anyway. I’ll answer to any name you wish to give me. It’s easier that way.”
“I’ll call you Darkness, then, for you seem at home in it. Though I wonder why you hide yourself from me.”
“Because you aren’t ready yet, dear one. When you are ready, I shall reveal myself to you. I long for that day, for you to truly know me…” The voice trailed off with a heartfelt sigh of longing.
“You hear everything I do?” Gregory asked.
“I am part of you, so yes. I can perceive much more than you, though.”
“And you knew what Yukiko had planned before, too,” Gregory said slowly, thinking.
“I have my ways. All women do, dear one.”
“I doubt there is another woman who has ways like you do.”
Delighted laughter came from Darkness, “Flatterer, but you aren’t wrong.”
“You know the other questions I have for you,” Gregory said as he looked around for a chair. One appeared behind him and he sat. “Will you answer them for me?”
“Yuki is correct— it’s not just raw belief that makes it possible to tread three paths at once. The best magi in the world can touch two, and even fewer can walk them both. Of those, a fraction can truly combine them as you and she have. There have been less than a handful of people who touched all three, only one of which is still alive.”
“The emperor.”
“Toja,” Darkness agreed.
“You say his name like you know him personally,” Gregory said.
Darkness did not respond to his statement, instead shifting the topic, “As for Yuki’s heartfelt plea to share this space with you, I have heard it and will do what I can, but it won’t be often. It is very taxing for me, especially while you are still growing in power.”
“We’ll look forward to it,” Gregory said, “thank you.”
“And the last reason for your visit; I promised you answers about your magic.”
Gregory’s happy daydreams of having Yukiko with him in his dreams chopped off and his attention snapped to Darkness.
“Good to know I can still get your attention,” Darkness chuckled. “Your magic is not like that of the others. Everyone else spins threads of aether tied to their very being. Yuki, for instance, so wanted to be ignored by the people who despised her for her heritage that her soul picked up a resonance for shadow. Shun’s soul is tied to fire, as are the souls of most of his line.”
“I just yearned to be a magi, not for any specific magic, though,” Gregory murmured when she paused.
“Yes. Magic is also passed down through bloodlines. Bloodline magic can turn a small talent into potent magic. Shun, for instance, yearned for fire and his family has used fire magic for so long that it’s tied to their blood. This is why, even as a novice, he is able to wield so much fire.”
“So my magic is tied to my blood?”
“Indeed, dear one. Your mother’s line carried a specific magic that the empire knows nothing about. This is why they haven’t been able to discover anything about it. The few instances where it was recorded have been all but erased. On top of that, your soul has been tied to something even more primal than magic types. Gin was correct about his guess that your soul might be reborn.”
Gregory’s eyes widened as he considered the possibilities of what Darkness was telling him. “What do you mean more primal? Who was I before?”
“Both are very good questions,” Darkness purred happily.
“Before we delve into those answers, let’s focus on your mother’s bloodline. She loved you so much, and it hurt her to know she wasn’t going to be here for you. Your visions of possible futures comes from her. You recently saw a memory, when meditating, of her seeing the future.”
Gregory nodded slowly, recalling the memory that helped him so perfectly see her face. He had been so happy for that moment that he had not paid attention to what his mother had said, but now he did.
“That is why your father railed about your dreams and her dreams on your age day.”
That memory came back to the fore of his brain and he nodded. “That’s why he became so bitter. She told him about her dreams, of the futures she saw.”
“Yes. He knew what would happen and tried to deny it, but in the end, it came to be just as she foresaw.”
“Oh, Aether,” Gregory said, understanding just how his father had become so bitter.
“Those moments can be brought about intentionally if you can walk far enough down the spirit path, which you are doing, but to force them will drain your aether.”
“Okay. That’s also how I was able to hit Gin, right?”
“That is a passive side effect. You will get occasional glimpses of what is about to transpire. I was referring more to knowing your friends will have three children, or what would happen to Yukiko if she followed a single path, or if you had denied her proposal of a partnership.”
“I can force those moments, but it will drain me?”
“Yes, once you learn how.”
Nodding, Gregory thought about the glimpses he had had. “How and why did they happen before then?”
“You had help,” Darkness replied with a softer, more loving tone. “I’m always helping you as much as I can, dear one. Everything I’ve shown you has been to help you have a better life.”
“I would have argued with Yuki about being partners if not for that glimpse of the future,” Gregory said. “I can’t be mad at you for helping me see what would come of that. But do those snippets always come true?”
“No. They are just the most likely outcomes. The future is not set in stone. If it was, why would anyone strive?”
Snorting, Gregory had to agree with her. “Why, indeed.”
“It’s almost time for you to go.”
“You haven’t answered the other two questions,” Gregory said quickly.
“I haven’t,” Darkness said. “Your more primal side of magic, which triggered the ryuite, is to touch upon aether itself and is why you can see it being shaped. The few references of that magic have been all but erased from the empire. You’ll be catching more glimpses of it and in time, be able to touch upon the threads yourself, altering, changing, or stopping the magic from working.”
Gregory’s jaw dropped and he shook his head at the idea of being able to manipulate aether directly. “I’d be able to stop the fire from being cast?”
“That is but one of the things you’ll be able to do in time. It is also why Yuki can do what you can with the paths. You’ve wanted her with you, and because of that, your ability to touch upon all aether training has included her. She is right that it is because of you.”
“Seems the women in my life are smarter than I am.”
“That is as it should be, dear one,” Darkness said warmly. “As for who you once were… I’ve waited a long time to say this to you. Welcome home, Aether... welcome home.”
Author’s Note
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Aether's Blessing (Aether's Revival Book 1) Page 50