Private Tales Bad Stakes

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak smiled once he heard the positive response to his question, relieved that Eilerias hadn't shunned away from training, even if violence would go against her every belief. It was not something to be proud of, but in a place like Alliria, everyone had to be prepared to fight for their lives, even priestesses. He could see her curiosity showing as soon as he mentioned that he had something to show her tomorrow, which just made it easier for Isak to tease her, adamant about not giving her even the tiniest of details.

"A very old and beautiful place." It was all he said, a confident smirk on his face before he said he'd put guards to escort her the next night, much to Eilerias' discontent. He knew she didn't like being followed around, but Isak couldn't live with himself if something happened to her and that he didn't take every possible precaution to avoid that.

She tried to convince him that everything would be alright and extra guards to follow her around wouldn't be a necessity, but Isak could never budge, not when her safety was involved, not when even the smallest thoughts of Eilerias being hurt or in danger again could break him down entirely, extinguinshing any hopes of a light inside him that could drive away the darkness. He looked at her, staring at her awkward and focused face that she tried to put on as if she was mad at him, but it only lasted a few seconds before they started giggling like idiots, her small fists hitting his arm a few times.

Even her laugh was so intoxicating... How could Isak not fall in love with that woman every hour of every day? He would do anything to see her laughing every day for the rest of his life. Isak thanked her again, for all the good things she's done for him, for believing him to be something more than a monster, and for the love and trust she put into him. Once he saw how her mouth opened slightly in surprise, it was hard to fight back the urge to touch those lips, putting his body on top of her as he kissed her. "I love you too."

Eilerias put her legs around him, forcing him closer, and that was all he needed to know about what she wanted. "It's not very ideal to have fun in training, but I believe we can work something out." He said with a cheeky smile before kissing her again, going all the way to her neck. They spent the next hours in their passionate dances, their hot and sweaty bodies entangling with each other as they looked to enjoy every bit of pleasure that they had to offer.

Isak knew he had slept far too much the moment he opened his eyes and moved his arm, not finding Eilerias. Still a bit sleepy, both his head and body heavy, he scanned the room for her from his bed, finding only their ragged clothes scattered all across the floor. He opened a short smile before letting his head fall back to the pillow, enjoying a couple more minutes of peaceful rest before he got dressed and went downstairs, finding a humming Ogden still cleaning a few tables and giving instructions to a few workers that came in early to help him.

"Morning, boss! Miss Eilerias told me ya was sleepin' like a rock, eh!" Isak tried his best to shoot him a glaring look of disdain, but he couldn't quite hide the smile he had on the corner of his mouth, recalling what happened last night, their hours of passion and Eilerias' words of love that brightened his heart. Isak took a seat on one of the clean tables, and Ogden came up to speak to him too. His gaze was soft and hardly focused as he kept watching the sunny streets outside, looking at the movement from people coming and going near the entrance of his club.

Things were so different now, from what they were months ago, or even years ago. He had his freedom, he had met people he could now call friends, he had accumulated power and wealth beyond his wildest dreams back when he was enslaved in Atreon's gilded cage of empty promises, but the most important thing... He found Eilerias, or rather, they found each other. Saved each other, even.

Their lives were at constant motion, saving each other so many times that they stopped counting, and a part of him didn't feel as attached to his vendetta as he had once been. He had the syndicate, his associates, his infuence, and even if their work was mostly criminal and out of the kindness of their hearts, their goal was more or like the same as Isak's - to fight against the men in charge. The merchants, politicians, dirty nobles... They made their fortune by taking from them, and he could live with that. He could dream of a quiet and happy life with Eilerias, a few years from there, away from all that ruckus and adventure.

"A letter came in, shortly after Miss Eilerias and Lidia left." Ogden took the letter out of his pocket and gave it to Isak, who grabbed it and quickly went on to read it. "Smith's said yar ring is ready. Are ya about to do what I think ya doing? Women can be a real pain in the arse sometimes, from experience!" He let out a lousy laugh before taking a seat at the table too, his expression falling into something more serious as Isak shot him another one of his menacing glares. "Ya know boss, I had a wife once. Well, I still do but she probably hates me!"

Isak put the letter away, his curiosity getting the better of him. "I wonder how could that be possible..." His voice was heavy with sarcasm, and Ogden laughed again. He waited for the dwarf to continue with his story. "Ya always asked me what drove me out of soddin' Belgrath and well... Love did. Or rather, betrayal." He could see a hint of sadness in Ogden's voice and in his eyes, but refrained from saying anything, preferring to just listen. "A childhood friend of mine, a fuckin' bastard, we fought for her love when we were young, and clear as soddin' day, I won it! Took her hand the next day, and we married a week later." Ogden took out a broken piece of silver from his pockets, it looked like a pendant but the images on it were all but erased. "We lived happy for many years, then I was hired for a job, a escort of sorts. I'll spare ya the details but it involved some important bastard and that friend of mine set me up, making me look like I was responsible for their deaths. They exiled me to the woods with nothing but me clothes, so that I could die a coward's death, all alone and with no weapon in me hands. I never saw me wife again, and I decided to become a mercenary. It was all that I could do, after all."

"Have you never wanted to go back and find her? To take revenge on that man?" Isak asked, genuinely interested and somewhat sad upon hearing his closest's friend story. Ogden simply shook his head and grunted, putting the pendant back in his pockets. "To what point, boss? She's probably living with that soddin' bastard and I would be executed if they saw me there again." They stood in silence for some time, until Isak opened that confident smile of his, and Ogden already knew he had one of his crazy ideas in mind. "I've never known you to give up so easily, dear friend. We shall visit Belgrath, in time. I've always wanted to see the intricacies of the dwarven kingdom, and I would like to see you reunited with your loving wife." Ogden had to fight back a few tears and the urge to jump from his chair and hug Isak, knowing very well that the young man hated showings of affection, unless it was with Eilerias.

They spent a few more moments reminiscing about the past before Isak left to collect his piece from the smith in the Inner City. It was supposed to be a quick trip, but when he left the smith's shop, night had already fallen, which meant Eilerias would soon be headed to the Eastern Gate to meet him. He walked as fast as he could to reach it before her, and sighed in relief when he saw nothing but city guards and a few merchants walking around the premises. He took out his pocket watch and waited for her, and half an hour later, she arrived.

"You didn't." He said, after Eilerias feared she had surprised him. But once his eyes fell down to her dress, he was left out of words for a long minute, unable to take his eyes off her. It was one of the dresses he had gotten for her, and she chose to wear it without even knowing what Isak would show her. "You're... You're beautiful." He whispered those words, still staggered by her beauty.

Isak extended his gloved hand to her and waited for her to take it. "Shall we go? It's not far, and the roads will be safe."

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias smiled as Isak responded to her and began laughing. "I knew you were expecting me, I was apologizing to your guards!" She quickly found herself out of breath again. "I don't think they were expecting me to be so quick with heels on." She bit her lip as he complimented her and grabbed onto his gloved hand. "Yes, my dear. Let us go to this mysterious location." She responded as he led the two of them through the Eastern Gate.

The walk wasn't long, but they managed to have enough time to converse about anything and everything. "Lidia did well today." She started, deciding she would tell him all about their lesson. "It took nearly all day and Beatrice nearly bled out after I cut her wrists- don't worry, she didn't feel a thing and I would have taken over if I didn't think Lidia could have done it." She chuckled, talking all about the brutal lesson. "Thank you for the dress by the way, my robes got absolutely ruined from all the blood."

The landscape became unrecognizable to Eilerias as they walked. It didn't look like Alliria. It looked like Falwood, a place she hadn't set foot in for years. "Wow." She whispered as they continued off the main paths they had previously been walking on. For a while, she wasn't sure Isak knew where he was going, but after some time they approached a clearing. Within were what appeared to be elven ruins. Like the classical architecture style, the trees and other plants seemingly grew into the ruins rather than them being built by man.

Though the entire clearing was overtaken by overgrown plants, Eilerias was still marveled by its beauty. There were statues scattered outside the ruins, some concealed by leaves and bushes. "How did you find this place?" She turned toward Isak as they approached the ruins. "It's so beautiful. It reminds me of my childhood." Her eyes appeared to be wet with tears as she was overcome with nostalgia. Though her childhood wasn't one to be proud of, she had found joy many times exploring the forests alone.

In her moment of amazement, Eilerias tripped over a large root that was protruding from the ground and caught herself on one of the statues that were spread around. Curiously, she brushed away the leaves and dirt and revealed a strange rune. She lightly traced her finger along the elven artifact and it began to glow a bright aquamarine. "Oh no." She said, getting off the ground in a panic. "I did something!" She called Isak over who seemed to be in his own world of thought. "Look!" She pointed at the rune. Strangely, the other runes began to glow in similar shades of blue and green.

The pair watched as the lights made their way to the ruins, lighting it up softly. It looked like they were trying to lead them somewhere, so Eilerias and Isak followed the strange lights until they were led to a solid door that would not budge.

"Hmm..." She curiously pushed at the door, expecting another magical experience. "That was a little disappointing." She laughed. "There must be something in there!"

She was stubborn and she was hell bent on finding a way to get past that door. She held onto Isak's gloved hand as they continued around the ruins.

The wall.

Eilerias looked behind her after hearing a strange voice. It was one of the shadows...helping her? She made her way up to the wall and continued circling around the building until they found a broken wall, hidden behind a large vine. Isak helped her over first and managed to get over the rubble on his own soon after.

She was speechless as she landed on her feet. In front of them was a pool, glowing that same aquamarine that the runes were. "What the..." She said approaching the steamy pool. It was so out of place for Alliria. It was...magical. "Did you know this was here?" She asked Isak, as she dipped her hand in the glowing water, expecting her hand to be the same luminous color when she pulled it out. Unfortunately, nothing but clear water dripped off her hand.

"Do you reckon it's safe to go in?" She asked, hypnotized by the beauty of the water.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

The walk had been as tranquil as Isak had anticipated, even if they were travelling through the countryside roads of Alliria at night. He knew that most bandits avoided that region, afraid of what they could encounter in such a uncharted area of those woods, holding many legends and dangers.

Isak and Eilerias talked a bit, taking advantage of the beautiful vicinity and the quietness. They started speaking of their day, Eilerias teasing Isak for sleeping too much and eventually telling him about her training with Lidia, making him gasp in surprise once he heard what she had done to teach the girl how to heal. He tried to hide his smug look, but it was inevitable once he laid his eyes on her. "Am I turning the beautiful and pure priestess into a bloodlusted cultist?" He knew Eilerias would never harm or draw blood from someone else willingly, unless her life was in danger, but he always loved to rile and tease her with such things, ever since they first met.

It felt like ages ago, and truly the years had passed by so quickly after Gwendolyn first brought her to the Raven Club, asking protection for her. Isak felt something about that small but incredibly beautiful woman with many elven features, but he never knew what to make of her, only that she was far too good and sometimes naive about the horrors of life in a place like Alliria. But as the time passed, he came to know how truly strong she was, and that even facing such evils, her heart never blackened, like his own heart did. It was thanks to her that Isak could allow himself to... feel. To feel good things, not only vengeance, carnage and cold schemes, but happiness, friendship and love.

It was all thanks to Eilerias, who stood by his side and never gave up on him. And as she took his hand to pull him closer so she could embrace his arm, he put that entire happiness into a pure and genuine smile, bigger than any he ever let out before. "You look astonishing in that dress, and I suppose I have the blood to thank for that." Isak said, followed by a short laugh.

It didn't take long after that for them to reach their destination, with both of them admiring how the trees looked entirely different before they reached a beautiful clearing. They could spot the ruins from afar, and even the courtyard was already breathtakingly wonderful, with many statues all around. Everything was taken by the nature, overgrown plants reaching at every stone, but the elven architecture was still remarkable, and they could see it on every structure, scattered all over that clearing, the ground still filled with water that Isak presumed must've come from some nearby waterfall or river.

Eilerias bolted ahead, her feet lifting some of the water as she ran to inspect some of the statues, asking him about that place. "Dalanar... It's elven for peaceful retreat." He answered while inspecting one of the statues, trying to take some of the vines off it. Isak found that place after he momentarily escaped from Alliria following the murder of his former master, seeking some kind of solace. He ran into the woods, never looking back, and he just wanted to keep running until he found some hole to fall into, but instead, he found those ruins. After he went back to Alliria with all the plans on his mind to lead a new life, Isak started searching for books that had lore on that place, eventually finding one that detailed many of the resting grounds of the old elves, back when they were at war with humans.

Dalanar was one of those resting places, a peaceful retreat, far from the reach of the humans, where the elves could live with whatever dignity they had left, building statues and monuments to their once forgotten history, so that their former glory would always be remembered. "I found it many years ago, and ever since, I came here when I needed peace to... think. It calls to my elven blood as well." He managed to clear the statue of the vines but was taken away by Eilerias calling for him, watching her activate some kind of rune that was encrusted in the statue she was looking into.

Isak ran over to help her up, and suddenly a few lights appeared, several runes glowing in the statues around them and forming a light that filled the ground in a pathway, almost as if pointing to some place deep inside the ruins. Even after going there so many times, Isak had never seen a opening to go inside, and he always wanted to explore more of that place. Eilerias took his hand and they started to follow the glowing path towards the ruins, eventually finding a door that simply wouldn't budge, despite their best efforts.

Eilerias pulled him as they kept searching for a way inside, eventually finding a broken wall hidden amongst the vines. Isak checked to see if it wasn't dangerous to climb before helping Eilerias up and following her shortly after it, and they soon found a hole that they used to get inside a enormous and beautiful room, with many old mosaics filled with elven lore, artifacts and a crystal clear pool that seemed to take half the space of that room. Isak looked just as speechless as her, shaking his head in denial to answer her question.

He saw Eilerias reaching inside the pool to touch its waters, and suddenly a devilish smile sprouted on his face as he quickly tossed his coat to the ground, careful enough with what he had inside it, and took out his gloves and boots before approaching Eilerias and sweeping her off her feet, carrying her in his arms with little to no effort. "There's only one way to find out, priestess." He spoke with his usual confidence before jumping into the pool while holding Eilerias in his arms.

Those waters felt more relaxing than anything he had ever felt before, not too warm or too cold, just perfect and almost revitalizing, like it was healing their bodies and minds of all their troubles and giving them strength. He didn't know if it was something to do with their elven blood and how the other artifacts and runes in those ruins seemed to react to their presence, but he didn't want to worry about those things now.

Eilerias looked even more beautiful than before, her soft and pale skin drenched in those waters, making her more and more irresistable. Biting his lip, Isak quickly closed their distance in the pool and took her face in his hands, slowly kissing her. "I could get used to these baths of ours." He said between breaths after they kissed, their foreheads touching and with a short smirk on his lips.

"Let's make this our own peaceful retreat, at least for this night, Eile."

His head was still filled with thoughts about the gift he'd present to her later, but right now, Isak just wanted to enjoy those pure waters with her.

 

[Eilerias]

Isak calling her a bloodlusted cultist stuck in her mind for a while as they made their way around the ruins. She worried he really thought he was corrupting her and it was upsetting when she had thoughts like that. "I'm not a cultist. But there's no point in learning something if you aren't going to do it." She said out of the blue as she leaned over the pool, mesmerized by its appearance.

Eilerias stared at her reflection in the water for a moment after asking if it was safe to swim. The was caught off guard as Isak picked her up like she weighed nothing and jumped in, soaking her dress. She coughed and spit some of the water out as her head came up from the water. It was a lot deeper than she previously assumed and she was a little nervous as she never learned how to swim.

For a few moments the two of them were silent, taking in how perfectly unreal the water felt. For once, the perpetually tired young half elf felt energized. "Dalanar..." Her voice trailed off as she stared around the glowing room. Some of the overgrown plants were creeping in through the broken wall and she could see the tiniest glimpse of the strange lights that seemed to dance across the sky. She pointed them out to Isak and noted how the colors matched the ones glowing in those very ruins.

The ruins...

The power she felt...

She felt like she couldn't control her own body as Isak held her in the pool. "Do you feel that?" She asked quietly not really knowing how to explain what 'that' meant to Isak. It was just a feeling, an overwhelming feeling of powerful energy flowing into the two of them. It was a dazed feeling like they were drunk on the ancient powers flowing through these old ruins.

Isak broke her train of thought as he began to kiss her. She closed her eyes, taking everything in as she kissed him back. She smiled as he made the comment about their baths, unable to respond as she tried to undo the dress. Isak ended up having to help her get it off and out of the water because the fabrics were so heavy.

"Our Dalanar."

Her voice was low as she pulled him close to her begging him to kiss her again and love her as she always asked of him. Those hours in the magical waters felt like slow motion and she wished they would never end. At the Raven Club, things were more on the experimental side, but here...in Dalanar...it was as though someone else was pulling the strings and they moved as one without thinking about it.

There were no shadowy disembodied voices in that crumbling room, only theirs as they whispered each other's names into the air. Their moans were drowned out by the sound of the waters which splashed around them and the leaves rustling high above them. Their declarations of love for one another were lost in the winds as they became lost in their passion.

"Isak?" She whispered as she lay catching her breath in his arms. "You're a beautiful person." She didn't elaborate aloud as she shut her eyes and leaned her head on his chest. She truly meant it. He was kind to her for seemingly no reason ever since she arrived in Alliria. He took care of her. He loved her, and she loved him back.

"Can we just stay here forever?"

 

[Isak Lavelle]

That water felt so... magical. They spent a few minutes looking at in awe, seeing their very reflections in the crystal pool, watching the water dripping through their fingers and fill them with some unknown strength that they couldn't quite understand. It was like that entire ruin called for them, and even as abandoned and broken as it was, it felt like home.

Their Dalanar.

And that place, the lights ushering forth through the crevices and reaching at the pool, it all made Eilerias even more beautiful. When Isak emerged from one of his dives in the pool, he passed his hands through his dark hair before turning to watch as she admired the paintings on the walls and played with the water. It was like she was shining throughout those ruins, illuminating every step of those ancient halls. Almost as if he couldn't control his own body, Isak approached Eilerias and held her in his arms, giving her a few soft kisses around her shoulder before carefully washing her hair with water.

"It's beautiful, your hair." He said, his cheeks blushing and timid smile on his face while his fingers slowly passed through her white strands. Isak slowly traced her face with his fingers, his eyes unable to tear away from her as he just looked mesmerized by how wonderful she looked, so blissful and rejuvenated in those waters. He heard her asking him something but Isak could barely understand a word, his mind clouded by the sensations that seemed amplified by that place, all his thoughts just focused on the woman in front of him, her big golden eyes looking at him with all the love in the world.

He closed his eyes, taking in all that feeling before locking his lips to hers, his arms moving around her waist tightly and bringing her closer. He couldn't stop those movements, but he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it, the way their soaked bodies started clinging to each other, their moans and staggered breaths between their kisses until they stopped for a moment, just admiring each other's eyes. Eilerias started removing her dress and Isak joined in to help her get rid of it after chuckling a bit at her efforts, with the two of them resuming their kisses after Eilerias got rid of Isak's shirt as well.

He felt a relaxing sensation once she started tracing his scars with her soothing fingers, as well as the cold water from the pool, throwing his head back slightly and biting his lip as she drove him towards one of the pool's borders, kissing him all over from his face to his abdomen. She looked even more excited than usual, and Isak started suspecting that those waters were truly magical, although they didn't need any magic to feel more desperate for each other's touches.

After another kiss, Eilerias asked him to love her, and that was yet another one of her requests that Isak could never refuse, and so they did. Hungrily, intense and filled with love, their bodies made waves all over those waters for hours, their echoes roaming throughout the entire room, reaching for the mosaics on the walls, and even lighting up a few of the artifacts scattered across the hall, like they were reacting to their strong moments of passion. The hours passed so slowly, and feelings they experienced were unlike anything they felt before, like their bodies were taken by a unknown force.

Isak was holding Eilerias in his arms again, leaning against one of the borders again and carefully pouring some water on her bare shoulders as they both struggled to collect their breaths after those intense hours of passion. Even though they were both exhausted, it felt like those waters were keeping him them up, giving them strength. He didn't want to leave that pool, and with the way Eilerias hanged on to him and smiled once he poured a few drops of water on her shoulders, he could tell that she wanted to stay there a while longer too.

Her words broke the long minutes of silence, taking Isak by surprise. Hearing her compliments always made him feel strange since he couldn't possibly believe that someone as good as Eilerias could think of him that way. He couldn't even think of anything to say to her, to thank her for always seeing the good in him, and all he could was let a few tears fall freely down his face, reaching Eilerias' head as she leaned on his chest, as Isak silently thanked that they were both soaked enough that she'd never notice that he cried, that he felt comfortable enough letting those tears appear. He hugged her tightly, chuckling a bit against the top of her head as she asked him if they could stay there forever.

Forever... If there was such thing, he wanted it to be next to her, always. Be it in Alliria, or Dalanar or any other place, he wished he could spend eternity close to her.

Careful enough not to disturb her, Isak reached for his coat nearby, taking something small from one of the pockets. He quickly hid his hand in the water before using his other hand to slowly lift her face up, his eyes fluttering nervously as he searched for the right words to say. "I... I have something to show you." He finally spoke, his cheeks blushing slightly as he raised his hand between them and showed her a ring - purely made of silver, adorned with many golden traces and rare, tiny jewels. It cost him a fortune, along with the time to search for all the materials and the smith with enough skill to craft such a beautiful piece, but it was the best money he ever spent.

"It's a... gift. Something to remind you that I'll always be close to you." He sighed heavily, too focused on what he would say so as not to sound like a complete fool. Bravely, Isak snapped out of it and focused on her eyes now, his gaze determined and passionate. "You showed me so many wonderful things, Eilerias. And more important, you taught me so many things. To see the good in life, to look for the light in the darkness and..." He paused a bit, smiling at her before continuing. "You taught me how to love, how to care for others. You taught me how to feel things that I never imagined I would feel."

Carefully, Isak took one of her hands and put it on his chest, so she could feel his racing heartbeats. "It's always belonged to you. I could never be of anyone if not yours."

She waited for her to grant him permission to slide the ring on her finger, and he did it so slowly, savoring every second of that moment as it sent waves of happiness all over him, the ring seemingly filling with light as it touched her skin, shining against the water.

"I want to be with you, Eile. Now and forever, here or in any other place, I want to be with you. Will you have me?"

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias shut her eyes as Isak gently poured the water over he shoulders. She smiled feeling completely at peace for the first time in a long time. She didn't feel like she had to worry or fear their surroundings. In fact their surroundings almost seemed to have been activated just for the two of them. Perhaps it was something in the elven blood that ran through their veins that this dormant ruin had been waiting for.

She let Isak pull her to his chest after she told him what was on her mind. She smiled in his embrace, listening to his heartbeat as he held her there. She knew he had a hard time believing what she said was true, but though the shadows tried their hardest to lead her astray, she wouldn't lie to Isak. She took slow breaths, wondering why he was so quiet- worrying he wasn't going to believe her until he started chuckling about her question.

"What are you laughing at? This place is perfect!"

She meant what she had asked. She really did want to stay there in that ruin. Forever. Preserved in this moment in time for eternity.

"Our Dalanar." She sighed comfortably as he carried her towards the edge of the pool.

She leaned her head back to rest it on the stone border that surrounded the pool, shutting her eyes again as he pushed her up to the side of the pool. She could hear Isak moving his arms behind her head, grabbing at something but she didn't move from her position until she felt his hand slipping behind her head and slowly lifting her head up.

She opened her eyes and looked deep into his light brown eyes, raising an eyebrow curiously as he nervously spoke. "What do you mean?" She asked quietly, noticing his blushing skin. Of course she began to blush as well as his other hand emerged from the water brandishing a beautiful ring.

She stared at it silently as he showed her up close all the details that were fit into the petite band just for her. It was so perfect. She felt her eyes starting to water as he continued speaking. She smiled as tears began to stream down her face and she began to sob loudly.

Was this really about to happen? She wondered, using the moments between tears to fully take in the surroundings. How long had he been planning this?

She watched as he pulled her hand to his chest, feeling his heart beating faster than it had been just a short while ago. She could tell he was nervous but completely honest with her. He really did think she was a wonderful person who taught him how to feel. "I..." She nodded, unable to get words out between her tears of happiness, watching him slowly slip the ring onto her finger.

She wanted to respond, but she found no words could escape her mouth. She wanted to tell him how happy she was the day they met just a few years ago when Gwendolyn brought her to Alliria. She had to admit she was intimidated by how powerful she could feel he was, but she knew he was a good person deep down. The day Gwendolyn brought her to the Raven Club for the first time was the day she knew they were destined for each other. She tried to fight it, to preserve a reputation which didn't matter, but when Isak told her how their fates were intertwined by some higher power she knew they were meant to be together.

She wanted to tell him how happy he made her. How protected he made her feel. How beautiful he made her feel. The more she tried to say, the harder the tears came.

The ring was so beautiful. It almost looked as though it was glowing as well in the ancient pool as she brought it up close to her face to inspect it.

It was magical.

His last words stunned Eilerias into silence that was broken by her cries of happiness until she was finally able to squeak out a quiet "Yes of course I will!" and pull him in to a big hug for a few minutes. She pulled herself away, trying to catch her breath again as Isak wiped the tears away from her face and kissed her on the forehead.

She was His and He was Hers.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak always thought that peace was a flawed concept. When he remembered some of the things he had seen in his past, when he saw some of the people that walk the land, doing all kinds of mischief and evil deeds, he never believed peace to be truly possible, or that someone could reach it. There was always some battle to be fought, and he lived on the edge ever since he came upon this realization, after he freed himself from his old shackles.

But now, looking back at everything that's happened in the last few months, in the last year, and where all those things lead him to, he could only think of one thing.

Isak Lavelle was wrong. No one has ever uttered such words, his legend was respected in the streets of Alliria - the young mastermind with a tact for business, be it legal or otherwise, and someone who was never wrong, his plans and schemes always perfect to the last detail.

But someone proved him wrong - a priestess, of all people. He despised religion, and he hated the notion that such beliefs could rule over people, driving them to extremes sometimes, instead of trusting their own guts and live a life that only themselves would see fit. But now, he understood the meaning of seeing a divine light in his life, and it was thanks to the woman on his arms, a beautiful smile on her face as she hugged him tightly.

Isak recalled feeling something, on the night that Gwendolyn brought Eilerias before him, in the Raven Club. He had a night off that day, the lobby was empty and he was left alone to his plans, thinking of some way he could add to his fortunes, of other jobs he could do in order to gain a tiny piece of leverage, some bit of power to his advantage, that was how he lived. And then Gwendolyn walked in, stormed inside his office with that imposing gaze of hers, and soon after a short and white haired girl followed her, her golden eyes heavy with curiosity as she looked at him like he was some sort of impossible puzzle to be solved. She was beautiful then, and she was even more wonderful now, her soft skin and tender features that made him linger his gaze for a moment longer than he should've.

Isak felt Eileras slowly breaking their embrace, her breathing still uneven from crying and her cheeks filled with tears, which prompted the young man to gently wipe some of those tears away, smiling tenderly. "Let's stay here, at least for a bit longer. We can deal with the troubles of the world tomorrow, but now..." His voice was low and rasp, but heavy with a love that burned inside him, his face getting closer to her and his fingers now slowly caressing the side of her face. "Just me and you."

He leaned in closer, touching her lips slightly before taking them on a slow and passionate kiss, his hands now grabbing hold of her tiny waist and pulling her tightly as she felt her arms around his face. They spent a few more minutes enjoying each other between kisses and hugs, and often a few dives in the water as they explored more of the magical details of that pool, until they eventually left it, their clothes still scattered across the grey floor. Only when they started getting dressed again, did Isak notice something unusual going around in a few tiles and mosaics, some kind of energy surging through them, and almost beckoning the pair to get closer.

"Eile, are you hearing that too?" He asked her, intrigued about the voice he was hearing, scratching the back of his mind. He wondered if it was the demon trying to talk to him again, but this felt different. It wasn't intrusive and raging, more like soothing and comfortably warm, relaxing him as he looked around to see if he could find any clues. Eilerias called to him then, and they stumbled upon a crumbled pillar, lit with a strong energy that started pulsing towards them. They looked at each other before putting their hands on the pillar, and a strong light now flashed throughout the room, before the ground started shaking and a great pair of doors slowly opened in the distance, across the pool.

Smiling curiously, Eilerias took his hand and they both dashed towards the door, that seemed to open even more as they got closer, like it reacted to their presence. The whole started to light up with the same energy of the broken pillar, and a few moments later the door was fully opened, and only darkness awaited ahead. Isak brought Eilerias close to him, squeezing her hand gently as if trying to comfort her, aware of the fear she had for the shadows. "Nothing can happens to us, as long as we're together." He said firmly, his eyes confidently looking ahead to the dark corridor, before Isak snapped his fingers and a ball of fire appeared on his hand.

The fire was a bit darker and its form slightly different to normal fire, thanks to the powers given to him by the demon, but it could still give them some kind of light to traverse across the darkness. After checking on Eilerias again, they started making their way across the corridor, eventually reaching a enormous set of stairs that seemed to lead downward into the ruins. They stopped in front of it, hesitant as to whether they should explore those ruins further.

"Something is calling to us..."

Isak was curious about what secrets those ruins were hiding, but same as Eilerias, he was wary of the dangers it could bring to them. Still, he waited for her to have the final word on that matter, their hands still entwined, a bond that could never be severed, even in the dark.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias held onto Isak as he wiped away the tears running down her cheeks and suggested they stay the night. Just the two of them in these magical ruins. Of course, she agreed, though she was a bit concerned with their sleeping arrangements. Sure the place was stunning and the pool was something else, but they couldn't sleep in the water and Eilerias wasn't too thrilled about spending the night on the mosaics that covered the stone flooring.

She left her concerns to be a problem for later as they kissed and played in the waters. It was a sweet moment as Isak tried to teach her how to swim and then dive into the pool. She was terrible, but it was fun and she was eager to try again in the future.

Eventually, they had to get out of the pool and get dressed. Eilerias' silver dress was still heavy and soaking from when Isak brought the two of them in the water, so he lent her the white shirt that he always wore underneath his jacket. She buttoned it up and laughed as she realized how silly she looked. The shirt went to her thighs and the sleeves went way past her hands. Her laughter was cut short as Isak noticed something going on a few feet away.

Then she noticed it too.

"Yeah...I do hear it." She said, absentmindedly walking around in search of the origin of the strange voice. It wasn't one she had heard before, nor was it in a language she was familiar with. She recognized it as Elvish, but could not make out the words. "I don't suppose you speak Elvish?" She raised an eyebrow as the pair walked into one of the crumbled pillars that was hidden in the room.

The light began to pulsate as they put their hands together onto the pillar. Eilerias pulled her hand away and backed up a bit as the ruins began to shake. The lights that had been dull earlier grew so much brighter and lit up a huge pair of doors. Slowly, the doors creaked open, beckoning them to enter.

After the initial shock wore off, Eilerias stepped back to Isak's side, "Should we go?" She asked. She grabbed his hand and the two of them quickly went to explore the oddity. She stopped at the door, watching as the lights that led them there disappear into the room.

It was completely dark.

Eilerias was hesitant to enter, though her curiousity was gnawing at her. She needed to go inside. Something was calling to her....to them.

Isak reassured her, the darkness wouldn't hurt them, as he pulled her close to his side. She stood there, lingering between the light and dark for a few moments before accepting that what he said was true. "Okay..." She whispered, unable to hide her fear as she did so. Thankfully Isak snapped, spawning a dark flame on his hand. Eilerias watched in amazement as he did so. "Woah" was all she was able to make out.

She had a light of her own she could spawn in similarly, though not as bright as Isak's. All she could bring as a soft golden glow that could illuminate nothing more than a few inches around it's origin.

As they made their way through the ruins, she stared into the flames, trying to avoid the darkness that lingered outside the reach of his light. She feared if her gaze strayed to take in the details of her ancient surroundings, she would see the shadows.

It wasn't a long walk, but there were many twists and turns as they eventually approached a gorgeous staircase, leading down. "I know what you mean. I hear it too." She responded, gripping his hand tighter as she decided they should continue.

Nothing can happen to us, as long as we're together.

Isak's words repeated over and over in her mind as they continued, eventually coming to a corridor with a closed door. The lights game back as Eilerias reached a hand out to open the door, and the doors opened on their own. Green blue and orange lights the size of lightening bugs flew along with them, guiding them further along until the reached what appeared to be a bedroom of a former inhabitant.

The lights settled along the walls and Isak lit the old candles that we scattered about. The room was soon engulfed in a beautiful warm light and the pair could finally see the details of the enormous room built for royalty. "I wonder who stayed here...." She said as she approached a wardrobe that had many traces of gold on it. She opened it up, surprised to see some of the ancient nobles clothing. "It's so beautiful!" She exclaimed, pulling the dress out and taking Isak's shirt off.

She slipped the navy blue velvet dress on her, admiring how long it was on her in the dusty mirror next to the wardrobe. She turned toward Isak and modeled for him. "Makes me look more Elven than I already do." She smiled before her attention was drawn toward the massive bed. The frame was made entirely of gold and luxurious red silk blankets covered it.

She was shocked at how clean it was as she approached, running a hand along the smooth blankets. "It's clean..." She lifter her palm to show Isak it didn't have a single speck of dirt on it. "How is that possible?" She asked, her voice full of confusion. "The mirror and wardrobe have dust on them but the bed is...pristine...like it knew we were coming here."

She thought for a moment. "I think this might be fate. This place, the lights, the magic...all of it."

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak had started to feel like there was more to those ruins than his eyes could see. The sudden change in his energies, the voices calling to them, whispers in a tongue unknown to him, that he only could assume it was Elven, and even the soothing waters of the pool, never too cold or too hot, just enough to ease their bodies and minds, to make them feel like they were in some sort of secluded paradise.

He's always been a very skeptic man, always looking beyond his shoulders and thinking of a thousand ways that he could avoid falling into a trap, but even as bizarre as that place looked like, the crumbling ruins hiding a place much greater than he could've imagined inside, Isak didn't feel like they were in any danger. The voices coming from the walls, although he couldn't understand a word, didn't sound like some sort of malicious monster luring them to their deaths in some dark room down below.

When Isak called her to look upon the broken pillar, marked with traces that were filling with light, slowly creeping on the ground and the walls, Eilerias asked him if he knew any Elvish. Silently, Isak shook his head in response. He could never find a suitable teacher or even books about old Elvish back in Alliria, and he didn't have much time to parade around like a student trying to learn a new language, evne if it was important to his past, to his people's past. Isak and Eilerias followed the path of light appearing in the mosaics and scribblings on the ground and walls until they reached a great door, that slowly opened when it sensed their presence. They could see only a corridor taken by dark, and Isak knew how those shadows frightened Eilerias. He conjured flames on his hand, strong enough that could light the way forward to them, as they began to cross the corridor until they came to a halt at the start of a great set of stairs, leading downwards into the ruins.

He looked at Eilerias from the corner of his eye, trying to gage any signs of hesitation coming from her, but she seemed determined to go to the bottom of that mystery - quite literally. He felt her gripping his hand a bit tighter, and he took that as a cue to proceed onwards. He focused back on the flames as to not let them quench and they began a long walk down those stairs, eventually reaching another corridor, although he could see some other openings to paths beyond that room. Eilerias took him to a door and touched the grey stone, and suddenly a loud thud could be heard coming from afar, shaking the ground a bit before the door started to open, revealing many flashes of light that went past them in various colors, illuminating the whole corridor and even going as far as the stairs in the room from before.

Once Isak regained his sight, he marvelled upon the beauty of that place before they started exploring again, eventually reaching what looked like a abandoned bedroom, mostly intact and well kept, with candles lying around that Isak quickly lit up using his fire powers, revealing the true magnificence of the room. The bits of royal gold and dark green contrasted with the white stones of the rest of the structure, making it easy on the eye along with the warm light that filled the entire place, so they could glimpse upon many of the old arts that decorated the walls. The furniture was also quite unique, different from anything he had ever seen, and they had features that made them look as if it belonged to very powerful people - the previous inhabitants of that place.

Isak recalled reading about the elves of old in some of the books he found in Alliria, tales of their grand and advanced architecture and technology that was lost to the ages, thanks to warfare and destruction. What they were seeing now looked like the remnants of that past glory, small details that revealed a bit about their ancestors, and it now made sense that the ruins were somewhat reacting to their presence, since Isak and Eilerias both possess elven blood in their veins.

He started admiring a few of the decorations on the walls, golden tiles with unknown inscriptions and a few images, which looked like recordings of lost history. He wondered how much of the old lore they could discover in a place like that, and Isak turned around to see himself stunned as Eilerias now donned a dress that she found in a wardrobe, his eyes trembling and his mouth opening slightly although no words came out. She looked simply majestical.

She looked adorable with his long white shirt before, covering most of her body, but that dress was unlike anything he had ever seen. Eilerias approached him with a excited smile, tugging his hands a bit before performing a short spin in front of him, displaying the entire dress for Isak to see. It was like laying eyes upon a goddess. "I truly am the luckiest man in Arethil..." He didn't mean to whisper it out loud, but seeing the slight blush in her cheeks, it seemed that Eilerias heard him very clearly, grabbing his hands and playfully leading him across the room until they stopped by a large bed, made of stone but with a comfortable material that looked a lot like foam, covered with beautiful and large red silks and adorned with golden details that resembled what he had seen on the walls.

Eilerias ran her fingers through the blankets to find that they were perfectly kept, without a single sign of dirt on them, unlike some of the other furniture and objects in the room. "The voices calling to us... They wanted us to find this place."

He looked over at Eilerias as she stood beside him. "Our ancestors lived here, Eile. And they left all of this behind, in the hopes that other elves would find it." He pointed to one of the walls, with images that seemed to form a past story, one that Isak had read many times. Dalanar, the peaceful retreat, a forgotten bastion of a old civilization.

"What should we do with this?"

His question was genuine. He was at a loss, for the first time in a long time, Isak didn't know what they could do with that place. Leave it to be taken by the vines? Transform it into a safe hideout for the syndicate, like an alternative to the Raven Club if things in Alliria ever went bad?

Or simply... turn that place into somewhere they could live in happiness and peace, many years from there, once they had enough of that vagrant and dangerous life they led. When they could be just Isak and Eilerias, and nothing else.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias made her way back over to Isak and watched as he pointed over a mural that covered one of the walls. She walked up to it, eager to get a closer view of her ancestors. "Well they were right, we did find it." She carefully placed her palm against the cold wall, almost hoping for another light show with even more secrets to be revealed to the two of them....but nothing happened.

The wall revealed the past, the story behind these ancient ruins. The point of interest that caught her eye was the pair of elves that seemed to be of some significance. Side by side, a husband and wife that looked eerily similar to Isak and Eilerias. It was as though the ruins were telling them it was theirs. They belonged there.

"They look like us, don't you think?" She asked Isak, pointing at the pair she observed. "It is a little spooky...all of this..." She was honest. She was scared, but something was keeping them there. He was right, the voices wanted them to find this place. Perhaps the spirits that rest here were upset at the state and wanted them to bring it back to its former glory.

That was a good question...what should they do with this.

Eilerias walked back over to Isak as he asked her. "It sounds strange, but I think the spirits of the old elves are talking to us. That's why we can't understand. Neither of us speak any Elvish." She grabbed his hand. "But, I think they want us to fix this place. I just feel that they are upset at the state of things. They want this to be the Dalanar it once was. A place for them to retreat to.

"I don't know what we should do with this." She admitted to him. "But I know we can't just leave it to rot. I think we should try to fix it up. It would be a nice place to stay if we need to leave Alliria, or if our friends are in danger." She led him over to the bed, a little hesitant to sit on such a strangely pristine and tall artifact from many years ago, but eventually hopped up onto it.

"Out of all the elven thing's I could inherit..."She laughed, "height wasn't one of them."

She spread out on the gigantic bed, admiring the luxurious decorations that spanned the entire ceiling, as though the elves brought the stars down underground. She waited for Isak to join her. "Isak..." She grabbed his hand. "Thank you." She went quiet for a moment, trying to figure out what to say as she fidgeted with the ring on her other hand.

"I wanted a family ever since I can remember. You know that, right?" She looked over at him. "You are the closest thing I've ever had to that and I've never been happier." Her eyes started to water again. "Thank you for giving me that."

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak and Eilerias were standing side by side in front of one of the images on the walls, images that told them of a distant past, a story long since buried as the ages went on. She pointed out that a pair of silhouettes were drawn as a centerpiece of that art, which led them to believe that they were both important, husband and wife, their bond connecting many things along the mosaic. And now that Eilerias had said it, the pair in the painting looked awfully familiar to Isak and Eilerias, which brought a smile to the young man's face.

Perhaps the demon had truly been right, and Isak and Eilerias had been destined for each other, their wheels of life connected in the spectrum of the universe, a bond so powerful that saved them from their worst fears, and gave them hope of a better future.

"I didn't think a few paintings would scare you, priestess." He joked, earning her glare for a moment before she playfully pulled him aside again, grabbing his hand and dragging him from the wall. Isak would be lying if he said that whole place didn't have him on edge as well, but that's how he's always been. The only place he felt truly safe was his office back in the Raven Club, and that's after he spent a lot of money on hidden mechanisms for defense and hired muscle to always watch over his expensive investment. Isak and Eilerias had grown so close now that they could almost feel and know what the other was thinking, and that had been a pleasant surprise for him.

When she led him to the huge bed at the other side of the room, Isak could already imagine what she was thinking and what she was about to say, and he was of a similar mind on that matter. They couldn't simply leave those ruins to be forgotten, a place so filled with lore and secrets of old, of a race that had once been a mighty force across the land, their magic and infrastructure long since forsaken. And also, as a man who always sought to gain leverage over anything, Isak could appreciate the value of having a fortress of his own, deep in the forests and in a perfect spot for defense, from sturdy and somewhat magic walls to a underground lair... Dalanar had a bit of everything.

It could also be their home. A quiet and safe place, just for them. "I'll talk to Ogden, see if we can pull some resources from the Cherry Rose discreetly. No one would need to know of this place until we decide. It could be our own little secret." He spoke with a slight excitement as his eyes scanned the surroundings of that beautiful room, his brain already working on all cylinders on creating plans for what they could do with that place. He came back from his mental schemes once he heard Eilerias giggling softly, and seeing her that happy made it impossible for Isak not to follow suit and have a couple laughs of his own, looking at her struggle to reach over the bed.

He was almost like a giant next to her, and that bed was a little too tall for her. Isak helped her up just as she managed to safely climb the bed and fall over the wonderful blankets. Isak joined her shortly after, and they enjoyed a few minutes of silence, just admiring the decorated ceiling before Eilerias called to him, holding his hand and beckoning his attention. Her words were low but he heard her perfectly when she thanked him, fidgeting with the ring he had given to her just moments ago. He smiled, his fingers slowly tracing the side of her face, fixing a few stubbornly loose strands of her white hair.

Isak knew exactly the meaning of her words. He never had a family, being taken from his mother at such an early age and having never met his father. What he had was a poor imitation, a cruel joke, of a guardian figure that turned him into a monster, to live a lonely and sad life until vengeance consumed his last breaths. But then... He found Eilerias, and she found him.

"I should be the one thanking you, my love." He called her attention now, his fingers caressing her jaw carefully. He gazed upon her beautiful golden eyes, looking at her passionately, like she was the most precious thing he had ever seen. "You saved me, and I don't mean that you healed my wounds. You did much more than that... You showed me a new path, a life that wouldn't lead me into a neverending darkness, to suffer alone."

He sighed, searching for something in the pockets of his dark coat. He showed her a necklace, very similar in its design to the ring he had given to her. When the two pieces of jewelry got near each other, the light coming from the diamonds emanated strongly, and it even lit up some of the scribblings on the room, as if the elven magic was reacting to that power. Isak smiled at her again, wiping away a lonely tear that had fallen from her eyes. "We'll always be together now. You'll always know when I'm close by." He said, referring to the magic of those jewelrys that seemed to react to the presence of each other.

"I'll always love and protect you, Eilerias. Until my last breath." His look was much fiercer but still heavy with love, and he decided to give in to his urges and jump at her lips, kissing her with hunger and positioning himself over her, feeling the comfortable embrace of her soft skin along with those blankets. "Gwendolyn would have my head if I failed to do so." He spoke with a short laugh after breaking their kiss, his breathing still uneven but still finding room to make a joke just so he could see her beautiful smile.

They started kissing again, and it was like the entire room was starting to get warmer, the colored lights flashing across the air, as if it begged them to enjoy that moment of passion and pleasure. It was a special place, for a special moment.

She was his family now, and Isak didn't feel alone anymore. She was his, and he was hers.

 

[Eilerias]

"I don't think you should steal from the syndicate Isak" Eilerias said quietly, with concern in her voice. "I would be worried about what the father or worse...Gwendolyn would do to us." She giggled quietly. She really wanted to keep this place. She wanted to restore it to its former glory, but she did worry about taking funds for the group.

They were quiet after she thanked him for a few moments until he turned and put his hand on her jaw. He was so gentle with her. It was probably a strange sight to see for an outsider- the quiet priestess and the scary business man together how they were now. Embraced in each other's arms.

She smiled as he thanked her. "You saved me too, Isak." She responded, looking deep into his eyes. "I know it sounds morbid, but you taught me that not everyone is good. Some people, like that guy with the docks, are just vile. But you ....you are good. I know you think you are dark and evil, but trust me." She squeezed his hand. "You are a good person."

It was hard for Eilerias to not just automatically assume the good in everyone. Gwendolyn and Charity lectured her time and time again, telling her she can't trust anyone in Alliria. Telling her people will always have other motives. Telling her this wasn't a place for someone like her. They told her never to go in the streets after sunset, never go alone into a tavern, always watch your back. She would never admit it, but she appreciated the security that Isak had placed all around for her. Because of him, she could do things like that.

She tilted her head, as he sighed, worried she had said something to offend him. When he brought out the necklace and watched them light up, she smiled. "You really do think of everything." She laughed as she observed some other strange things lighting up in the room.

She turned to face him, putting her forehead against his as he professed his love for her. She cracked a smile at his comments about Gwendolyn. "I will always love you too. And I'm not going to let you die." She laughed.

She noticed as they began kissing again, the strange lights were back all around them as things got more intense. It was as though they weren't controlling themselves in this moment of passion. She enjoyed his kisses all over her neck, laughing as he did so from how ticklish he knew she was.

The lights began to look blurry, engulfing them in their warm embrace as Eilerias frantically pushed the velvet dress off of her and Isak followed suit. She climbed on top of him, eyes full of hunger, and took control. She loved when he let her lead the two of them. The power he gave her was intoxicating and she knew he loved every moment of it.

Similar to how it was in the pool, everything seemed to go in slow motion as the lights danced around them and they moved with each other as if some Elven gods were making sure they did this. Someone had given them the strength or stamina to continue for hours in this magical ruin.

Eventually the lights died down and Eilerias was laying on top of Isak, trying to catch her breath. Her head was fuzzy as the magic seemed to be beginning to wear off. Her sleepiness had begun to creep up on her, after being pushed away for what felt like days.

Had they been there for days?

Hours?

She opened her sleepy eyes to look at Isak, "How long have we been here?" She asked, sounding confused. Time felt distorted during all of this. The pool and the dancing lights made everything feel like slow motion, and all concept of time was lost during those moments full of pleasure.

Isak didn't respond right away, no doubt feeling exhausted himself, but Eilerias nudged him. "Isak" she tried to get his attention. "Where is your watch? What time is it?"

 

[Isak Lavelle]

He could feel the concern in her voice as she advised him against taking money from the syndicate. Isak couldn't help but chuckle a bit, softly looking at her while his fingers slowly traced her cheeks. She always worried about him, but Isak would go through anyone and anything if it meant giving Eilerias what she wanted, and he imagined how much she wanted to see those ruins restored. "I wouldn't be here now if I didn't take risks, my dear. It's business, after all." He quickly nudged the tip of her nose with his finger, laughing afterwards.

Of course, with all the money and advantages he was about to give to the syndicate if his latest exploits had success, they wouldn't even notice a few funds going missing while he worked on renovating Dalanar with Eilerias. He could just put the blame on Charity buying too many expensive beers too.

Isak enjoyed the peaceful silence that reigned over them now, with the two of them just looking at each other, cheeks slightly blushed and their eyes locked between them as if they sought to guess what the other was thinking. The whole time he gently caressed her face, hair and shoulders, addicted to touch her soft skin. The bed was so big but they still preferred to stay close in each other's arms, never wanting to let go of that moment.

When Eilerias started to thank him for changing a few of her views about the world, Isak felt slightly guilty. He always wanted her to be a little more aware of the evils all around her, especially in a place like Alliria. Being reminded about that poor meeting with Tanner got him a bit too uncomfortable as well, recalling the words that bastard used when talking about her. Like she was a common whore and Isak her propriator, ready to hand over her leash whenever he saw fit. He had made a silent vow to himself, after leaving Tanner's mansion, that some day soon he wouldn't have need of the man's influence and riches, and he would return to that manor, to burn it all down to a crisp.

He would set free all his servants and watch as the burning wood and stone crumbled on top of such a vile being, a fitting retribution, very similar to the one they had done in Cerak.

"I'm not a good man to people who seek to harm you." His eyes met hers again, and Isak looked much more serious, even his voice going a bit deeper. Isak had a lot of enemies, mostly due to his own exploits and bargains, competitors of his same branch of business, and also due to his allegiance to the crime syndicate that now slowly took over Alliria. He'd go to whatever lengths necessary to protect himself, Ogden, Charity, Gwendolyn, Sirius and any other ally. But Eilerias... He would burn that whole city down if it meant keeping her safe.

He shut his eyes as Eilerias pressed her forehead against his, their breaths mingling with each other as they got closer. Even with his eyes closed, he could still feel her blissful smile, after the loving words he had said to her. They started kissing not long after that, after Eilerias had some loving words of her for Isak, and the whole ambience felt shifty, the lights glowing brighter and the place going warmer as their kisses got more lustful, and Isak quickly moved to her neck, knowing it to be her weak spot and earning a few moans and giggles out of her.

"I'm all yours, now and forever." He whispered to her ear just before Eilerias grabbed him tighter. They both felt different, like back in the pool, as if something inside that place was driving their senses to the edge, making them even more hungry for each. They were quick to get out of their clothes just as she turned Isak over, standing on top of him with her eyes heavy with desire. For a moment, he had even seen one of the lights of the room almost flying around behind her, and even looking at her blushed face now made his skin hotter.

Isak let her take control of those long hours filled with passion and desire, melting under her touch many times, just as she did with him. Their voices filled the air far beyond the corridors and even the marvelous red blankets were stained with their sweat now. It almost felt like they were there for days, but eventually Eilerias laid down on his chest as they both collected their breaths, Isak kissing the top of her head a few times, as his senses slowly returned to their normal self. His mind was still a haze and he had started to feel the tolls of exhaustion on his bed, which led him to believe that some of the magic of that place had been affecting them, granting them more strength and vigor.

His attention wandered towards Eilerias after she called him a few times, nudging him. He looked at her confused, his vision still slightly blurred as his eyes scanned the room, to find that most of the lights were gone, leaving them only with the candles that seemed to never go out.

Both of them were wondering how much time had passed, but Isak still couldn't find his coat. After a few more moments of search, he found it laying next to Eilerias' dress, at the edge of the bed, almost falling to the ground. Tired and clumsly, he turned over each pocket while searching for his watch before eventually finding it, pressing the tiny rounded mechanism at the top of the silver frame, opening the watch to reveal its pointers. His eyes went wide in shock.

"It's... almost noon." His voice was low and surprised, as if he couldn't believe that they spent almost a whole day in that place, and it barely felt like a couple hours since they arrived. It all felt so peaceful down those ruins that he hadn't even given any thoughts about the time before that, having assumed that they would only be spending an hour, showing Eilerias the wonders of those ruins before they went back to Alliria. But now... he didn't even want to leave.

Isak let his head fall back to the pillow and started laughing suddenly, earning a puzzled look from Eilerias. "Ogden would kill me for this but..." He took her face in his hands, feeling her warmth. "I'd stay here for another week."

He wanted to enjoy that peace for a bit longer, to enjoy that precious time with her, but Isak would let Eilerias decide when they should return to their 'normal' lives in Alliria.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias shot up in bed as he mentioned the time. Noon? She stared at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean it's noon? We only got here like a few hours ago, I swear." Her voice full of confusion and shock contrasted his calm, yet surprised response.

As Isak started laughing she began to panic, wondering if Lidia and Ogden knew they were okay. The poor girl was probably worried sick about the two of them disappearing on her. She stared at Isak before he mentioned staying there for a week.

"I missed my lessons with Lidia." She put her hand up to her head. "She's going to kill me..." She laid back down on the bed and sighed. "This place is so strange. I'd love to stay, but we do have work that needs to be done."

She began twisting the ring on her finger again, not completely comfortable wearing jewelry. She had never owned a piece of jewelry, so it was a strange sensation to have it on her and she felt a little guilty for now being the owner of something so expensive. "That reminds me," she held up her hand, "Does Ogden know about this?" She rolled over on her stomach and admired the way the diamond sparkled in the candlelight.

"You realize Gwendolyn is going to kill both of us, right? She doesn't like things being hidden from her, but I don't know what she'd kill me for first: breaking my vows or getting engaged." She started to laugh. "Not that it's a bad thing. I don't regret breaking my vows, truly. At first, I was afraid something bad would happen, but I think the only thing that could happen is that I would disappoint others." She sighed. "I guess I need a way to break the news that I'm not as innocent as everyone treats me."

The two of them were quiet for a while, trying to decide what to do next. There were so many options- they could stay, let others worry about there whereabouts or they could go share the good news with those closest to them.

"I think we should go back to Alliria." She broke the silence. "I would love to stay here forever. I mean it. But, I need to get back to Lidia. She's probably scared to death that we've been kidnapped or something." She started to get out of the bed and put Isak's shirt back on. "My dress is still by the pool, we should probably grab that...I don't think it would look very appropriate if I was wearing your shirt as a dress on the way home." She laughed as she buttoned it up.

She waited for him to get ready as well before they could make there way back through the dark ruins, illuminated by Isak's flames.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak watched her fit of desperation with a cheeky smile on her face, unable to think of anything else other than how beautiful she looked, even if she was red with worry now. He let out a short laugh as Eilerias spoke of her lessons with Lidia, remembering that he had his own appointments to fulfill, meetings that he was supposed to attend with Ogden, but now he'd have to clear that ledger and think of his latest undertaking - renovating those ruins.

He wanted it to be a gift to Eilerias, one that would be fitting of her gentle heart and great beauty. It would probably be the work of years, especially since he'd have to worry about discretion and not alerting anyone about the nature of his latest work.

Eilerias brought him back from his thoughts as she asked him about Ogden, if the dwarf knew about them, their love and now their engagement. He never imagined being in such a position, but now that he looked at her fidgeting with the ring on her finger, nothing but happiness and joy filled his heart. "Don't let that long beard and the stench of beer fool you, my love. Ogden is perhaps the brightest mind in the continent." He replied, chuckling a bit. He had never told Ogden about his relationship with Eilerias, but once he approached him with questions about a smith capable enough of forging something small and precious with rare stones, it was like the dwarf already knew his intentions. He deduced then that it would be a ring, and also spoke of the importance and symbolism of such gift, once given to a loved person.

Ogden knew that Isak had a good heart, and that the changes shown by him in the last months were all down to Eilerias.

But also, Isak couldn't shake off the guilt he felt for plucking her away from the purity of her vows. He still recalled the night they first laid together, in their room, and even though he wanted her more than anything in the world, he still felt guilty about what that would cost her. Of course, Isak had his own reputation to protect and people would think him soft for being with someone, disregarding all the street legends that talked about how cruel and cold he was, but it all paled in comparison to what risks Eilerias was taking for loving him. The heart couldn't always be controlled, but it didn't make him less sad whenever he thought about the disappointment he could bring to her life.

"I'm sorry, Eile. I've been selfish, and because of that..." Isak was looking at her when he started to speak, but once their eyes met, he couldn't help but look away, ashamed and disappointed in himself. He could never deny that he loved her, no matter how selfish it was. "You may lose everything, because of me." His voice started breaking down as he gripped his necklace, closing his eyes in the hope that it would help him feel less like the selfish bastard that he was.

The air was feeling heavier now, and they were quiet for a while, thinking about many things. He knew Eilerias would try to comfort him, and he'd never back down from loving her or trying to lead a happy life with him, but he could never bear the thought of being the reason she'd lose the most precious things in her life. He didn't want to cost her her faith, and the respect she fought so hard for.

She talked about returning to Alliria, to face all their problems again, and Isak silently complied, accompanying her to the pool, to grab her dress. He watched in awe as she undressed of his long shirt, and Isak couldn't help but throw at her one of his witty remarks. "I think I like you better without that dress or my shirt." He could see her blushing as she dressed herself up again, and Isak quickly seized her waist from behind, filling her neck with small kisses. "I can't help but love you. Maybe I really am selfish, but I'll never stop loving you, Eilerias." He had turned her to face him, and he tried his best not to look away from her now, his arms holding her tightly as he spoke, his voice strong and determined.

He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, silently begging for her not to leave him. He was selfish, but he was in love with her, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Once they were ready, Isak and Eilerias left the ruins, hearing the doors close when they looked behind to glimpse upon its beauty again. It would be a monumental task, but Isak was sure they would return it to its former glory some day. They returned to Alliria just as evening fell, safely reaching the Raven Club without much trouble since the streets were just getting emptier after a full day of work at the markets, finding Ogden drunk and tossed over one of the tables, holding a bottle of ale, with no one else in sight, not even one of the workers. Isak wondered why the club wasn't getting ready to receive its usual clients at night, and he wanted a good explanation from his associate.

"Congratulations, boss and Miss Priestess! A soddin' merry life with a bunch o' kids to ya!" Ogden raised his bottle to them, which made Isak look to his side, to Eilerias, with a sharp smile on his face. That dwarf really was one of the brightest people in that city. "But where the soddin' hells have ya two been off to?!"

"I told you he was too clever for his own good." Isak said, gently squeezing Eilerias' hand and passing his finger over her ring.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias laughed at Isak's comments about Ogden. "How could he be so brilliant if his brains always fogged up from the ale?" She knew there was no way Ogden didn't know what the two of them were up to. They had been attached to each other for months, not to mention all the noise coming from Isak's room in the Raven Club.

"You are not selfish Isak." She responded, forcing him to look in her eyes. "Nothing is your fault. These were mutual choices. It's alright, I promise." She smiled at him, trying to use her magic to force him from this sad mood. "I've been run out of one church, but I'm not going to run this time. Lidia definitely knows how I feel about you...and the other ladies you met.." She smiled, "They're a little scared of you, to be honest...but I don't think they would abandon me for doing something completely normal for anyone else to do."

Her hand softly glowed as she held onto his. "Please don't feel like you are hurting me for choices we both made. I told you I do not regret any of them." She was firm with the delivery of her words. She thought back to the night they first got together. Technically she, or rather her shadows, made the first moves. She initiated the sex and everything that came after. It wasn't anyone's fault.

She didn't regret any of it. She would do it again for Isak. She loved him.

Isak was mostly silent as they made their way back through the dark ruins. She talked his ear off, trying to make him feel better at first, but then trailing off into what they needed to accomplish with their business in Alliria. She needed to apologize to Lidia for leaving her suddenly after such a traumatic and brutal lesson.

Eventually they made it back to the pools, which were still glowing though not as brightly as before. She undressed, facing away from Isak as she tossed his shirt behind her, hoping he caught it. She blushed as he commented on her actions. "Isak..." She smiled and bit her lip. "Don't make comments like that, we really do need to get home soon." She laughed as she pulled her dress on. It was still a little damp, but it wasn't too uncomfortable. "We can't stay here naked forever. They'll send a search party after us and then we will be in big trouble with Gwendolyn." She wriggled as he kissed her neck.

They looked back to watch the doors shut behind them. The beauty vanishing as they made their way back into the overgrown forest that surrounded them. She was sad to be leaving, but excited for the future restoration of Dalanar.

The walk home was peaceful. Eilerias felt different after all the magic they experienced, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. "Is there such thing as a magic hangover?" She asked Isak as they approached the Raven Club. She didn't get an answer before they entered the strangely empty club to be ambushed by a very merry Ogden.

She smiled and blushed as he congratulated the two of them. She looked up at Isak, "You were right, he is a genius." She laughed. "Thank you Ogden!" She showed off the ring to him. Lidia began to make her way down the stairs, looking like she hadn't slept. Eilerias pulled her hand back to rush over to her, not mentioning their whereabouts for the past day.

"Oh you poor thing, I'm sorry I left so suddenly." Eilerias said to her. "We went to these cool ruins and it was just...magical. I can't explain it. Time felt so distorted around us." She would have to take Lidia there when they finally had the opportunity to restore it.

"It's alright Miss Eilerias!" She yawned, "I'm just glad you're home now. I can finally sleep!"

The two girls talked for a little while, Eilerias showing off thing ring to the surprised Lidia. Eilerias apologized for the barbaric lesson, but it seemed like Lidia understood. She even showed her that she had been practicing for the past day.

Eilerias dragged the sleepy girl back over to Isak and Ogden. "I know this sounds crazy, but I think we should have a drink together. A celebration!" She smiled and wrapped her arms around Isak's waist.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

It didn't feel as bad as he would've thought to be back at Alliria, to glance upon those tall stone walls, to watch the people hurrying from their stalls, pocketing their hard earned money and setting their wares aside before market hours were over. A few patrols could be seen around the most crowded areas of the Outer City in order to keep the peace, but Isak knew that some of other boroughs weren't so lucky to get such protection. Luckily, him and Eilerias took the long road towards the Raven Club, arriving without a fuss.

They entered the club with their hands entwined, to find Ogden drunk over one of the tables, and Isak was shocked to see that the club wouldn't be opening that night. But before he could interrogate Ogden, the dwarf congratulated them on their engagement, as if he already knew what would happen once they left the city last night.

He saw Lidia coming from one of the room upstairs, with Eilerias quickly taking the girl in her arms, apologizing for leaving so suddenly and without warning, and also excitedly showing her the ring she had received from Isak. He could hear them talking about the ruins, and it had been the first time that he had seen Lidia truly happy and at east among people he had only met a few weeks ago, finally realizing that there could be life after her captivity.

It brought warmth to his heart, a feeling familiar to him. Isak opened a smile as he watched them, recalling that it was the same sensation that he felt when he first accepted his feelings for Eilerias, to know that there could be a happy life after all his suffering, a life that wasn't filled with blood and vengeance, with petty crimes and money. Of course, he wouldn't leave all that behind just yet, but it brought comfort to him that he now had more important things to see each day, the white haired priestess that had taken over his heart.

"Aye, I'm happy for ya, boss! I didn't like that broodin' mood of ya from before ya met Miss Eilerias!" The dwarf laughed after approaching him, sipping down more of his ale before loudly belching, filling the air with his foul breath. Isak slowly put his gloved hand on his trusted dwarf's shoulder, gripping it a bit tighter before a smirk formed on his lips. "Do be careful with that large mouth of yours, Ogden." The dwarf laughed again, nodding in response before drinking again.

He almost failed to notice when Eilerias dragged Lidia along with her, her arms wrapping around his waist in a warm embrace before she gave the idea of having a small celebration that night, and since the club wouldn't be taking clients, it didn't feel like a bad idea at all. Isak gently caressed her arms while nodding at Ogden, the dwarf setting out to talk to a few guards, ordering them to help him take a few crates of wine from the storage room and prepare some food for the night.

Isak, Eilerias and Lidia talking for a few minutes while Ogden was away, sobbering up before preparing dinner. They talked more about the ruins of Dalanar, the beautiful magic of that place, and also about Isak and Eilerias' relationship, which made the both of them blush many times. "Dad told me that you wanted to sacrifice yourself to save us, back in Cerak! You're really a good man, Mister Isak!" Lidia said, a innocent smile on her face as Isak was left stunned.

First Eilerias and now her, people telling him that he was a good man, when he believed himself to be nothing but a monster, cold and ruthless. He couldn't think of proper words of gratitude to the girl, so Isak simply let out a small smile as Eilerias squeezed his hand gently, feeling proud of him. "I... Thank you, Lidia. And thank you for being a good friend to Eilerias." Isak looked at the white haired woman now, his smile growing larger and more passionate, his eyes almost glittering with love.

Ogden and a couple guards arrived with a few plates of food and drinks shortly after that, filling their glasses with some expensive wine while Lidia looked anxious to jump at the slices of pork. Isak let the ladies serve themselves first before taking some food for himself, looking at Ogden a few times with a cheeky smile on his face.

"My love." He called Eilerias, trying his best to hide his smug. "Ogden told me a very interesting story about his wife, back in Belgrath. Would you like to see the glory of the last dwarven city in one of our travels?"

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias was elated that Isak agreed with her. Getting engaged was a good reason to celebrate with her loved ones! She felt a huge smile creep on her face every time she thought of them. They were her friends. Her loved ones. She wasn't the same lonely priestess she had been for the past few years. Even after arriving in Alliria, she was shy. She was afraid to get to know Isak, Charity, and even Gwendolyn to a degree.

Now, she was given a best friend to go along with her family. She and Lidia had grown incredibly close over the past few weeks. They shared bonds even Isak had no knowledge of and it made them close despite being such a short amount of time since they met.

She looked curiously at Isak as Lidia mentioned him sacrificing himself, but calmed as she felt Isak's emotions change to an awkward yet happy mood. She squeezed his hand, proud of his actions. He was a very good person if he was willing to sacrifice himself for all of them to get to safety. She looked back at Lidia as Isak thanked her for being a good friend and corrected him, "A best friend." She smiled at the girl.

The private moment shared by the three of them was cut short as Ogden and some guards arrived with food and drinks. "Wow they work fast." She winked at Ogden. She knew he knew was what up the moment Isak asked her to meet him somewhere private. He'd probably been preparing since the day they met for them to get engaged.

Eilerias and Lidia served themselves before Ogden, Isak, and some of the guards. Eilerias made sure to grab more food than she would probably eat so Isak and Ogden wouldn't make a fuss over her. The two of them watched her like a hawk when she ate with them after they found out she was giving her food to others.

She filled both of their glasses with her favorite deep red wine and led them to a table they could fit at, waiting for the boys to join them for dinner. She smiled as Isak called out to her, talking about Ogden and his wife. "He has a wife?" She asked, unaware the Dwarf had such a secretive past. "Belgrath...Where is that?" She asked, trying to picture the large map on Isak's wall. "I'd love to see it! Can we meet Mrs. Ogden?" She asked, smiling ear to ear.

After the others settled down with their plates, Eilerias raised her glass. She didn't know what to say, but she wanted to toast to them all. "Thank you all for coming into my life." She started, "I really mean it. I never had anyone close to me before I was brought her by Gwendolyn. I was pretty lonely actually....Regardless, you have all become such good friends, I would even say family to me and I can't thank you enough for that. I don't know where either of us would be without you especially, Ogden." She smiled at the dwarf who looked like he was tearing up at her horrible speech. "And you, Lidia, I've only known you a short time, but you are incredibly gifted and kind. I already feel like I can call you my best friend."

She turned to Isak and stared at him for a few seconds. "Isak...I don't know how I can thank you enough for everything you have given me. I know I tell you all the time, but you really saved me. Everything you do just proves to me how good of a person you truly are. I know you don't believe it yourself, but I wouldn't lie about something like that. I know you don't believe in the Light God, but he definitely has blessed me with someone like you ." She felt her eyes watering. If she said anymore, she would probably start sobbing, so she turned towards the guards in the room.

"And you guys," She held up her glass of wine. "I am thankful Isak has posted you everywhere in Alliria. I know you don't know how obvious you all are, but thank you. You make us feel safe. And thank you Isak for making sure we are always protected. I really can't thank you all enough for being there." She sat back down and took a big sip of the wine, watching as others followed suit.

They spent hours enjoying each other's company. All of them. Even the guards joined in as Ogden proposed some fun card games they could enjoy with some wine related punishments for those who lost. They were happy as they spent these precious moments together as a close group of friends drinking until they all passed out.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak was no stranger big banquets, important meetings and other events of that nature, but he had never experienced something like that small celebration, honoring his engagement with Eilerias. He could see it in her eyes how happy she was, overflowing with joy, and he wasn't much different, Isak could barely hide his smile from the guards who would surely be surprised to see that the man could actually smile and be happy instead of always cold and distant, focused on his business.

He saw Eilerias take her glass filled with wine and raised it a bit, starting to deliver a speech in gratitude for everyone there - Isak, Lidia, Ogden and even the guards. She thanked each one of the people there personally, grateful for changing her once lonely life, which had been very similar to Isak. Even though he wasn't fond of speeches, as eloquent as he was, he felt the same thing as she did.

Gratitude, to the people who changed him, and especially, the woman who saved him. The woman he loved, and would love to his very last breath.

Before they could properly toast and enjoy their drinks, Isak took a step forward, approaching Eilerias and softly wrapping his arm around her waist, bringing her closer as he took a deep breath, preparing himself for the words he was about to say. He raised his glass now, a confident smile on his face as he gazed upon each person there, who anxiously awaited for him to speak. "To friendship. And to the woman who saved me, saved us... The woman that I love, now and always." He turned to face her, pressing his wine filled glass against her slightly, before everyone started cheering, and they finally drank their wine.

Ogden led a few of the guards in some of his dwarven chants, teaching them a few of the lyrics as the songs went by, surprising Isak, Eilerias and Lidia with his hidden talent for singing. Lidia even started dancing with the dwaf, a bit clumsy, but enough to draw a few smiles and laughs from Isak and Eilerias who watched them from their table, before the other guards joined the fray and started dancing awkwardly, while taking their wine. Isak could feel the weight of Eilerias' excited gaze upon him, already imagining what she was thinking while giggling uncontrollably. He tried to refuse even before she spoke, but the white haired woman simply whiskered him away by his hand, leading him to the large open spot between the tables at the lobby where everyone else was dancing and singing.

"I'm a terrible dancer, Eile." He said with a short laugh as he carefully spun her before taking her in his arms again, their faces now merely a breath away. Eilerias brushed him off playfully before they resumed their awkward moves, trying their best not to step on each other's toes while Isak felt desperate not to let her fall from his grip.

A couple hours later, and after hearing many of Ogden's exciting tales, some of the tables were filled with empty bottles, pieces of food and beer staining the hardwood floor and also a few guards who drank too much and were also out cold in the ground. Ogden ended up falling with his chair backwards but didn't even wake up, while Lidia excused herself to try and get some sleep, having said that she felt her head too dizzy after all those drinks. Isak was a strong drinker but after so many glasses, his otherwise pale face was a bit red, much like Eilerias who was sitting beside him.

"I believe we should rest too, love." He said, a large smile on his face. He waited for Eilerias to grab his hand before he helped her walk towards the stairs and up to their room, as they both struggled not to fall over each other. They had made quite the mess at the Raven Club.

Isak carefully led Eilerias to their bed before he closed the door, taking out his shirt and coat and falling to the comfort of the blankets, next to Eilerias. He had never felt so happy, it felt like his life had a new meaning, and that there was more to him than simply being another pawn in the crime world, or dealing with horrible people for the sake of coin. He still worried for the dangers Eilerias and her reputation would go through by being with him, but he now recalled something that made him feel more at ease.

As long as they were together, they would be safe. They could do anything they wanted. And he would do anything to protect her and see her dreams come true.

He spent a few silent minutes just admiring her as she laid on his bed, carefully touching her hand with his bare fingers, never wanting to stay far from her soft touch. Isak knew that no words would ever be enough to tell Eilerias of his gratitude, but he could and would try and make her feel loved, to make her feel like she belonged there, with him, and the rest of their friends. Ogden, Lidia, the syndicate... They wouldn't be alone anymore, and they had each other.

With that realization also came a rather strange idea, but something that he felt he owed to her, to at least try. Isak ran his fingers through her white hair, gently caressing the petite lines of her face afterwards, which prompted her to look at him, to glance upon his bright and passionate eyes.

"I want to see you, Eile. At the church." He could feel her shock and surprise, but Isak was adamant about that request, as weird as it sounded. His focused brown eyes kept looking at hers, not even once looking away. He wanted her to know that he was really trying, to see the world through different lenses, to be more of a man, a good man, like she's been telling him. "I want to learn more about your work, and your god. I want to be a part of your life, with no reservations."

He gently pressed the palm of his hand against her face, enjoying her warmth in that peaceful moment. He didn't know if he would ever find religion or truly believe in gods, but he wanted to try and see the world like Eilerias did, not like he was taught to.

"Will you accept me?"

 

[Eilerias]

The night was wonderful and full of so many memories that Isak and Eilerias would cherish dearly for the rest of their lives. The hours were filled with games, singing, and dancing. Eilerias became acquainted with some of the guards that Isak had hired to watch over her, and she was no longer as reluctant to have them around her constantly.

Thing began to wind down when the dwarf was passed out in a drunken slumber. Eilerias was surprised neither her nor Lidia was passed out before him, but after Lidia took her leave, Isak decided it was probably time for them to get rest as well. "Poor Lid'ya she's gonna need some of that sugar stuff you guys brought me last time." She slurred as the two of them ascended the stairs.

She quickly snuggled up under the blankets, watching as the ceiling appeared to be spinning above her. She laughed, watching the distorted world around her. It wasn't just the alcohol, she was genuinely happy. She was overjoyed to have a future with Isak.

He was silent as she lay there giggling at the ceiling, feeling his warm touch against her hand. She grabbed back, lacing her fingers with his as he stared at her. She moved closer to him, pulling his arm around her shoulders so she could cuddle with him. She yawned loudly and shut her eyes as he ran his fingers through her hair.

His words caused her to open her eyes, staring at him a little surprised. He wanted to go to the church? She thought, waiting for him to laugh and tell her he was kidding. Less than a year ago he would tike the time to rile her up about her god and her beliefs. Now he wanted to see what it was all about?

She smiled, shocked at his words. "You? You really want to learn about Sol'Nityr?" She laughed softly, but accepted. "Of course you're welcome to come with, Isak. It might be a nice way to introduce you to the ladies who worship and have been living there." She grabbed both of his hands and held them tight. "Do be kind to them, smile or something. I can tell they fear you. I presume they know of your...reputation..." She trailed off momentarily. "But I am sure the one who witnessed training Lidia is more afraid of me at the moment. Perhaps you can witness such a barbaric event now that she is more acquainted to my method of teaching." She laughed again.

She didn't expect his thoughts on the divine to change in one day, but perhaps he would believe there is something more than wheels turning and strings binding them together.

With that last thought she fell asleep in his arms, snoring softly as night became morning and they had to wake up to complete their duties for the day. "Good morning!" Eilerias shoved Isak, forcing him to wake up. She got out of bed, surprisingly not hungover like last time. Perhaps she was still drunk, she didn't know.

"Get up, get up we have work to do! People to see! Lessons to teach!" Her voice was cheery as she got out of bed and ran over to their wardrobe. Unfortunately, her last proper priestess robe was still stained with blood, so she had to settle for yet another outfit that felt too scandalous for the church. It wasn't extremely revealing, just a little too tight for her comfort.

She quickly threw her hair up into a tight bun, showing off her little pointy Elven ears. Before she came to Alliria, she did her best to hide any elven feature she had. She was embarrassed of her race, especially due to the hate she received in Vel'Anir. She had finally begun to embrace herself as the person she truly was.

She went to wake Lidia as Isak got ready, only to find her in the lobby cleaning up with Ogden. She could feel the poor girl's sickness and placed her hand on her to at least soothe some of it while she got her some sugar cubes and water. "Good morning, I hope you're ready for some more lessons today Lidia!" She smiled as the poor girl popped sugar cubes in her mouth.

Eventually Isak made his way to the lobby as well and the little group departed to the church. Fortunately Eilerias didn't have to give the tour again, so she had more time to work with Lidia and teach Isak about her god.

"Morning ladies!" She hollered to the two who always seemed to be there. She approached Beatrice to see how she had been healing after the previous lesson. Eilerias was delighted to show off to Lidia the good work she had done. There wasn't even a scar where Eilerias cut her. "Excellent work!" she praised the girl.

"Ladies, I would like to formally introduce you to Mr. Isak Lavelle..." She gestured for him to step forward. "I apologize for not introducing you to him last time. He is the proprietor of the Raven Club just a short walk here. You would be wise to thank him for his protection. Though he doesn't protect us with light like Sol'Nityr does, he does provide some pretty strong guards that will ensure anyone who stays here the safety they should have in a church."

She wanted to speak a little more to Lidia and Isak about why she did what she did and introduce them more to becoming a Follower of the Light before she would teach Lidia some more healing spells. She told them about the Light God Sol'Nityr, and his fight to rid Arethil of the void of darkness. She spoke of the light sword he used and broke down the different paths one could take should they devote their lives to his holiness. She spoke of being a priestess, how she could heal people and how they were used in battle. They were very beneficial for barriers and their high level healing spells, but were extremely weak unlike those who became paladins. She made no mention that she had never quite figured out how to use shields or barriers though.

After a while, her speech concluded and she beckoned Isak over, instructing him to lay on the pew. She felt he might be nervous, but she was confident. "You are going to be our 'patient' today." She smiled, making sure he knew she wouldn't let anything happen to him. "Beatrice can attest to what I'm about to say. You won't feel a thing I promise. I'm going to put you into a little sleep and I want Lidia to practice on you." She didn't give him the time to respond as she put her lips to his forehead and her hand to his temple. "I love you." She whispered, watching as he fell into a deep slumber.

Similar to her last instruction, she ordered Ana to get her a sharp knife from the kitchen and she watched the queasy looking apprentice prepare to heal what Eilerias was about to cause. Carefully Eilerias took the knife and walked up close to Isak, feeling a little bad for what she was about to inflict upon him. Though he couldn't feel it, she felt horrible seeing him look so terrible as she put the knife to his throat and made a clean cut, ensuring she severed the artery that resided there. She watched, a little horrified at the velocity at which blood was shooting out of his neck, but she knew the only way to learn was to do.

"Okay Lidia," She pulled her up close. She counted in her head, waiting for the moment she could begin her healing to bring him back. "three....two...one! Lidia, begin."

She watched as the apprentice placed her hands over Isak's neck, spouting blood all over her hands. Her hands glowed a soft yellow gold for a few seconds before the glowing died. Eilerias watched as Lidia sprinted away, putting bloody hands over her mouth. She left through the front door and began to throw up in the bushes just outside.

Eilerias froze in place watching her run out but than began to get to work, placing her hands over Isak's neck. The blood began to slow and stop eventually, but he stayed looking pale and...unwell. Eilerias swore quietly, frantically trying to get the color back in Isak's skin. She placed her hand over his wrist, feeling for anything under his cold skin.

Nothing....

She put her hand up to his face, looking for signs of breathing.

Nothing....

She could hear the disembodied laughter of the shadows as she tried to heal the man. She was failing at her only job and they laughed at her misery.

"Leave." She demanded the girls to go. They stayed frozen in fear as the tiny priestess continued to try to heal the man who appeared to be nothing more than a corpse.

"LEAVE." She shouted, hearing the girls scurry after Lidia, shutting the heavy door behind them.

Eilerias continued with her spell, praying for any sign of life, but was horrified to see no improvement over several minutes. "Please Sol'Nityr." She begged her god. "Please save him." She begged and prayed, her eyes spilling tears over Isak as she tried to use a higher level healing spell than she had ever done.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

As expected, Eilerias was very surprised upon hearing Isak's request. From the moment they met, the man made sure to tell her that he wasn't a believer in gods and miracles, and often riled her about her religion and her unwavering faith in the goodness of other people, as if her god could influence them to be better, as long as they followed his light. Isak only believed in cold hard truths, dreams and miracles were taken from him many years before, carved from his chest while the darkness was driven inside. But still, one of his most prominent traits was curiosity, and as a man of business, Isak had plenty of it.

It was this curiosity that drove him to ask Eilerias about her faith, to keep learning from her, hopeful that one day he would understand more of her ways, of why she would never give up on trying to heal other people, not only phisically, but also their soul. Funnily enough, Isak thought that his soul had already been damned for a long time, after everything he did, but maybe there could some be sort of salvation waiting for him.

And also, it was perfect to spend some more time with Eilerias, keeping up with her work just as she did with him, when she accompanied him to his meetings or stood awake for a few extra hours, helping him deal with accounts and other complicated numbers of his routine.

He was happy to see that she had accepted, but before they could talk much longer, she trailed off to her sleep, which left Isak already missing the sweet sound of her voice. It was only natural though, their night had been very eventful and full of alcohol, and the sooner they went to sleep, the better the chances that they wouldn't wake up to a terrible hangover in the next morning. Isak kept his arms around her, cuddling to her before he also let himself wander off to his sleep, hoping that his head wouldn't be heavy with pain in the morning.

Isak woke up with a few less gentle pushes from Eilerias, who seemed very excited and energetic, which made him question if that woman wasn't really turning into a expert drinker like he had said months ago, when he first offered her wine, in that very same room. He smiled softly at her, bidding her good morning before he reluctantly got out of bed, admiring her as she got dressed in one of the tight dressed he had bought for her, wishing that he could just grab her by her waist and have his way with her for the rest of the morning. It was a very delicious and risky thought, but Isak knew the importance of her presence at the church this morning, so he just pushed those thoughts aside and started getting dressed as well, while Eilerias went out to check on Lidia.

He arrived at the club's lobby fit with his white shirt, the sleeves folded up revealing some of the pale skin of his arms, but also keeping his gloves. It was unusual for Isak to wander Alliria without his coat, but he wanted to look a bit less... normal, and perhaps less intimidating as well, to the worshippers of Eilerias' church. He wanted her people to respect him, without thinking of him as Isak Lavelle, the crime boss. They left for her church shortly afterwards, with Ogden staying behind to clean last night's mess and prepare the club for a full house, expecting a lot of patrons for the night. He ignored a few curious looks thrown their way as Isak walked closely by Eilerias, with Lidia following behind them, and soon they arrived at her church, the young man once again admiring the beauty of the walls and paintings there.

Eilerias grabbed his hand and pulled him towards a few ladies that were praying nearby, introducing him as a protector of that area. He did his best to hide his confident smile, appreaciting how Eilerias went out of her way to try and pass him on as a good man. "Greetings. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He spoke in his usual rough but charming voice, happy to see that the women didn't seem to fear him after his showing of etiquette, and also with how Eilerias spoke of him. She spoke to them of her faith, details about the different uses of the Light, and also tales about her god, called Sol'Nityr. Isak was very interested in how his followers could bend those powers at will, to not only heal, but also to protect and fight, like warriors. The lessons were cut short as Eilerias took them all to practice, leading them to a more secluded room, with a pew in the middle.

Isak looked a bit confused as she spoke about him being their patient in that practice, but went out to lay on the pew nonetheless, unafraid. He knew he could trust her with his life, and he'd do anything to see her happy and satisfied. But before he could ask any questions of what that practice entailed, Eilerias pressed a short kiss to his forehead, and he felt the soft touch of her hand on his head before everything got blurred and he felt himself going weaker, until his vision became darkness. He could feel something stirring his body, but he never seemed to be able to wake up, left alone in the void of the darkness inside him.

Isak...

Something called to him, a familiar voice, sending shivers down his spine, but he couldn't move or speak. It was then that he felt a blistering pain on the side of his neck, and suddenly blood started bursting out, prompting him to move his hand towards the wound. He could see the blood gushing and falling all around him, but it soon evaporated into dark flames, similar to the ones he wielded when he conjured his powers. He could no longer feel his heart beating, and it was like his soul was beginning to fade away, until the voice called out to him again, shaking his entire being.

He moved his body then, turning towards the sound of that voice and noticing that the wound on his neck had closed, but he still felt weak. The voice called to him a third time, and suddenly he was back in Eilerias' church, laying on the pew, his cold hand reaching out to her face to wipe away some of her tears. When she looked at him, Isak's eyes were still closed and his heart was barely beating, as if he was walking on a very thin line between life and death. Darkness suddenly coursed through his veins, and it pulled Eilerias' soul towards him, with Isak shocked to see her next to him, in some sort of desert.

They were alone in those sands, a starry night above them and some logs burning next to them. "How... What's happening, Eile? How can I see you here?" He was almost showering her with questions, until a man walked past them, his face covered with cloth, taking a seat by the fire. The stranger laughed, and Isak gulped, immediately recognizing that laugh, and realizing that it was the same voice from before.

"Welcome to my little domain, Isak. And his little priestess... Eilerias, isn't it?"

The man looked at them, and now his eyes were bursting in flames, his voice sounding more and more demonic, but he still retained the apperance of a human.

"Ah, pardon my manners! You may call me Bhéron!" He rose up from the sand, performing a short bow while introducing himself. "I am most interested in you two, little creatures. May you indulge my curiosity for a bit? Or should I let Sol'Nityr pluck Isak from the realm of the living?"

Bhéron was the name of the creature inside Isak, the one that grant him his powers, and also the burden of having to live with a demon.

 

[Eilerias]

"Isak please wake up!" Eilerias whispered, the light from her hands growing dull as the time went on. Eventually her energy reserves died out and the light followed. She fought to stay conscious, praying for Isak to awaken, but her vision soon went black and she fell to the floor, laying in the pool of blood that had formed below.

Darkness.

There was nothing but darkness as it pulled her soul into some other realm. She heard Isak's voice before she could see him. She felt...sand...on her feet and cool air from the night blowing past them, yet there was warmth in front of her. Her vision began to fade back into existence, her eyes completely dark purple.

Slowly, she turned her head towards Isak, extremely confused as he bombarded her with questions she had no answers to. Before she could respond, she was startled by a stranger laughing at them.

He knew her name...

"Yes, that is I." She responded quietly, but politely in an attempt to stay in this stranger's good graces. She stared at him, trying to figure out what exactly this person was doing to them and what he was. He looked human, but had strange features in his voice and eyes that said otherwise.

She was brought from her thoughts as he mentioned Sol'Nityr. "What do you want Bhéron?" She started to panic as the demon threatened Isak's life. "Please, sir...Bhéron...what can I do for you?" She asked the demon, looking back towards Isak as she stood and walked closer to the creature. "How do you know of Sol'Nityr?" She demanded to know, refusing to believe a creature that would threaten lives would have some relationship with her God of Light.

"Please don't keep Isak here." Her voice was low, though she was terrified. "This was my doing."

 

[Isak Lavelle]

The man laughed from under his hood, picking up a small wooden stick to stir the fire as he switched his gaze between Isak and Eilerias, seemingly thrilled about their presence there. Isak was still confused about the place they were in, it looked like a desert at night, the sky full of stars and a soft and chilly breeze blowing past them a few times, but he was certain they were in Alliria just moments ago, with him laying around in Eilerias' church as she spoke about using him as a experiment for Lidia's practice. As the time went by, Isak had more questions than answers, and he felt too weak to lash out against Bhéron or whatever that creature was.

He saw Eilerias take a few steps forward, her voice sounding firm as she demanded answers from the man, asking him about Sol'Nityr, her god of light. Isak remembered a strong light going past him a few moments after he felt the staggering pain on his neck, and ever since he felt so cold that even his gloves couldn't keep his hands warm anymore. Bhéron put his wooden stick away before turning his head towards the dark expanse of the desert.

"I know him by reputation, from the tales of my older brothers. The ones who decided to rise against this world, and were cut down for it." He answered in a rather melancholic tone, and for a moment Isak wondered if he had seen sorrow coming from that demon's strangely human eyes. "Do not worry, child. This is not a prison, merely a conversation. Your beloved Isak will be returned to life soon, but until then... I wished to have a few words with you both."

Struggling with pain, Isak approached Eilerias and let his fingers entwine with hers, taking her attention for himself for a moment as he tried to comfort her, to let her know that everything would be alright, even though his eyes were almost lifeless and his touch was as cold as corpse.

"Isak's powers come from the manifestation of my will, but yours are a bit... different. And intriguing." Bhéron said suddenly, his eyes now focused on Eilerias. They felt the fire getting bigger and stronger, though it didn't seem to faze that man as he playfully pushed some of the wooden logs with his stick again, his fingers dancing in the air as the blazes soon followed his movements, creating a few images in the air, images that Isak and Eilerias couldn't quite understand, until they saw what it looked like a man, surrounded by flames.

Or rather, surrounded by shadows.

The flames grew darker until they eventually disappeared, returning to their normal size and color as Bhéron chuckled. "You see, darkness can come from many places. It comes from intention, greed... blood. Your paths have merely begun, and they will stretch far longer than this horizon. Isak and Eilerias, as night and day... And yet, so taken with each other. So... in love."

The man got on his feet again, slowly passing his hand through the flames, and yet they didn't burn him. "Demons can love as well, deeply. It's what drives some of us to insanity, to endless carnage. My love though, is reserved for knowledge, wisdom." He put his hands behind his back, watching as a shooting star flew past them, until it disappeared amongst the stars in the night sky. "Do you desire knowledge, small creatures?" He now gazed upon Isak and Eilerias, eagerly waiting for their response with a smile underneath the cloth on his head. But before they could answer, Isak felt a wrecking pain coursing through his body, his hand immediately went towards his neck, as if trying to stop a invisible bleeding. "Ah, it seems we are running out of time. Your little experiment was dangerous Eilerias, but your search for knowledge is admirable. As a scholar, I appreciate such gesture."

Bhéron took a few steps backwards, and suddenly the whole place started to crumble, the desert being blown away by strong winds and the fire gradually fading away. "Hear me now. You shall find the answers you seek soon, in a place not too distant from Alliria. A place familiar to the both of you, remnants of your people's blood. But..." He stepped inside the fire, and his clothes started to burn now as the sand plains kept getting erased by a enormous wave of darkness. "Beware of the secrets of that place. And don't stray from each other, or the darkness will consume both of you, and even myself or Sol'Nityr would be able to change that fate."

A strong light came forth from Bhéron as he vanished in the fire, enveloping Isak and Eilerias just before the darkness could reach them.

"We shall see each other again..."

Isak woke up back in Eilerias' church, gasping for air before he put his hand on his neck, to find that there wasn't even a scar where the blade had cut. He looked to his side, to find Eilerias lying in a huge pool of blood, her eyes slowly opening as well. His heart skipped a beat as he screamed her name, worried what he may have done to leave her in such a state, and so he jumped from the pew and took her in his arms, laying her down on the pew and waiting for her to fully awaken. She looked shocked to see him, like she was looking at a ghost, and suddenly her arms were wrapped around his neck, gripping him tightly as Isak heard her sobbing against his chest, uttering several prayers of gratitude to her god.

"I'm alright, my love. What happened?" He asked over her shoulder, his face resting against the side of her neck and his fingers slowly tracing her back as he sought to calm her down a bit, still confused about the images he had seen a few moments ago. He didn't feel any pain or couldn't even understand how the ground, and his clothes, were so stained with blood, but he recalled talking to the creature inside him, and Eilerias had been there as well. He had many questions about it, but at least he now knew the name of the demon - Bhéron, the intruder.

Isak's eyes were scanning over Eilerias, worried about the blood on her clothes. Was that from the experiment she talked about? But Lidia was nowhere to be seen, and he remembered the other ladies being in the room as well, watching them practice, and they were also gone. He wiped some tears from Eilerias' cheeks, his hand gently cupping her face. "I hope I wasn't a terrible patient." He let out a small and soft smile, trying to brighten her mood before embracing her again, relieved that she was in his arms, safe.

"I had a... vision, when I was sleeping. You were there, Eile. Did you see it too? The fire, the darkness, the stars..." Isak wanted nothing more than the comfort of their bed now, so that they could figure out what exactly had happened in that strange day.

At least, going to the church had been a more enlightening experience than he had previously thought it would.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias was confused as the man responded to her by laughing. What was there to laugh about when they were quite literally between life and death. She turned to look at Isak as the man spoke, feeling the pain he was in. "I'm sorry." She mouthed the words, hoping he understood that this was not her intention.

She flinched from Isak's icy grip, but grabbed onto his hand. She tried to use a spell to soothe him or calm the pain, but she had no power in this realm. "What do mean they're different?" She questioned the man as he appeared to be playing with the images made in fire. "Who is that?" She demanded to know.

She was quiet as the man backed away, continuing to speak of desires of knowledge, but before she could answer he was speaking again, informing them that their time in his realm was coming to an end. She watched as the man vanished in the fire and soon after she was hearing Isak scream her name.

Her vision was blurry as she began to open her eyes and she felt uncomfortably sticky before a pair of hands were picking her up and placing her on the pew. She was confused when her vision came back and Isak was sitting over her.

He was alive.

She didn't kill him.

In a state of shock, she jumped up and hugged him around his neck, forgetting he was just previously in her place with his neck sliced open. "Bless you Lord Sol'Nityr. Thank you so much for bringing him back to me." She cried thank yous to her god over and over for several minutes. She couldn't even answer Isak's many questions as she sobbed, likely covering even more of him in blood.

Most of her hair was a bloody mess and this was yet another dress ruined by her overly intense teachings. "I don't know what happened. I saw it." She whispered to him. "I was there..."

They didn't get much more to say before Lidia and the worshippers reenter the building. They looked a little scared as they approached the bloody pair, but Lidia soon rushed to their aid, apologizing for being hungover. "I'm sorry Ms. Eilerias." She repeated over and over.

"It's alright. Things are alright." Eilerias responded, though she was very unsure if her words were true. "Please can you call some of Isak's men outside. I think we need to return home now. I'm quite tired." She made no acknowledgement to the fact that both of them were very messy.

"I don't know what happened." She said to Isak again as Lidia left and the other two went to find something to clean the blood. "Maybe it was just a dream. I've never used a spell that advanced. Maybe it backfired or maybe...." She didn't want to say it out loud. "Maybe I killed you and you weren't ready to die. I really don't know."

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Ever since they awakened and embraced each other, Eilerias hadn't let go of Isak, even if his clothes were drenched in blood, his white shirt turning into a soaked red cloth. She hugged him tightly, and even as they spoke a bit to understand what had happened, even with Lidia and her other acolytes appearing again, Eilerias didn't let go of him. He could feel in her tears, in the way she was crying and how she was clinging to him that she was desperate, that something terrible had happened, but he could barely remember what happened moments ago. Everything else was just... blank.

He recalled the pew, lying there, and Eilerias' sweet kiss that sent him to sleep, but nothing after that. He didn't have time before to question her about the nature of the practice they would be doing, but with that amount of blood now, some pieces of the puzzles had begun to fall in place. Still, he didn't want to interrogate her, he could never treat her like one of the people he usually questioned and coerced into giving him his desired answers. She was the most important part of her, and now she was sobbing and shaking in his arms, and he could do little to comfort her, save to try and wipe away her tears, only to stain her face with more blood, dripping through his fingers as it fell from his shirt.

They were a bloody mess, quite literally, and the thought ended up making Isak laugh a bit, much to her surprise. "You look beautiful, even covered in blood." He did his best to try and wriggle at least a few giggles out of her, feeling relieved to see her tears slowly ceasing and giving way to one of her precious smiles, the smile that Isak wanted to have it etched on one of his blank frames, to hang on the walls of their room back at the Raven Club.

Lidia looked desperate to apologize, and Isak only got more and more confused as to what had gone down in that church. Once Eilerias dismissed them, she began to try and explain to Isak what had transpired, as she went on, his suspicions had started to make sense. The blood, the pew, the blade on the ground and the cut he felt on his neck... Eilerias had done it, probably to try and heal him afterwards, as a lesson to Lidia, but something must've gone wrong, and he nearly died.

As if death could hold him back from having that woman in his arms again.

She had lowered his head, her eyes facing the ground as she looked to escape Isak's gaze, but his fingers reached all the way to her chin, gently pushing her head upwards to face him. He had a short but soft smile on his face, his heart beating faster and faster for her, his body as warm as it had ever been, unlike the coldness he felt while laying on that pew. "I'd murder death itself to hold you again, my love. And thank you, for saving me again." Slowly, he held her hand, holding it against his face as he took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

He felt her gradually easing under his touch, and opened his eyes again to see her smiling, which prompted Isak to press a small kiss against her forehead, before helping her down from the pew. The young man quickly inspected the room, surprised at the mess it had become. Still, he heard Eilerias before saying that she wanted to go back to the club, that she was tired, and they were in desperate need of a good bath. "We should go back. I just hope no one will find it strange to see us leaving a church while covered in blood." He said with a playful smile on his face, running his thumb over the back of her hand.

The other ladies arrived with buckets filled with water and mops to clean the room. They stayed behind as Isak and Eilerias left to search for Lidia, who was already waiting for them at the entrance, her hands still shaking as well. He thought about asking her what was wrong, but he figured it had been something related to their practice before, and Isak imagined that she wanted to forget that traumatic experience. He put his hand on his neck again, searching for any signs of injury but finding none. He looked to Eilerias now as she spoke with Lidia briefly, intrigued as to how she managed to heal such a wound and bring him back, even after losing so much blood.

He felt his life slowly slipping away before, but she brought him back. Her powers were growing, just as the demon had said they would. Isak only feared that with such power, her shadows would be looking to corrupt her even more. Eilerias had seen his darkness upclose, and now Isak wanted to help her face her own darkness.

Luckily for them, night had fallen just as they left the church, and the streets of the Outer City were more and more emptier, with people rushing to their homes as fast as possible, seeking to evade complaints and warnings from the guards, or the thieves that awaited for the hopeless at every alleyway. The trio managed to reach the Raven Club without any trouble, but with the loud patrons inside, Isak imagined their reaction wouldn't be the best upon seeing him and Eilerias covered in blood. They took one of the side entrances instead, entering the club through the underground passages that led to the storage rooms and straight to a hidden and narrow staircase that led them to the second floor, managing to avoid the curious looks of the patrons down at the lobby.

They looked too busy with their drinks and card games anyways.

Isak ordered a nearby guard to see to Lidia's needs, to give her one of Ogden's calming teas and to prepare some food for him and Eilerias, before the pair eventually made their way to their room, closing the door to that day with relief.

"I believe you'll need help getting out of that sticky dress, Eile." He said, a cheeky smile on his face as he approached her from behind and helping her unmake a few of the knots on the back of the dress. She turned to undo the buttons of his shirt now, quickly ripping it down and letting it fall on the floor as they stood there for a few more moments, just looking at each other's eyes.

Not even death could keep him from getting lost in those big and beautiful golden eyes.

Isak run his pale fingers over her shoulders for a few seconds before leaning in to kiss her, but Eilerias surprised him by slightly turning her face away, giggling and pushing him back before she made a run to the large bath across the room, already filled with warm water, courtesy of Ogden in case they needed a good rest after such a eventful day. That witty dwarf always thought of everything.

It didn't take long for Isak to join Eilerias in the bath, wrapping his arms around her waist as they cleaned each other's blood away, letting it mix with the water and the sweet bath soap.

"Visiting a church wasn't too bad. I may even be a bit more interested in your Sol'Nityr now."