Chapter Twenty-One:

Marium and Altaire’s Date

 

          The Priest and Priestess were awakened by the chirping of the birds and the bright morning sun. Marium looked up and smiled at Altaire from the bottom of her heart.

          His brown, unkempt bangs were out of his eyes, and he bent his head down to kiss her lips tenderly. They sat there for awhile, just gazing into one another’s eyes, as if they’d been searching for each other forever, and had finally been reunited.

          Altaire’s bright, green eyes shone with a strange passion and love, and Marium’s reddish brown eyes were open and trusting. Finally, they knew that the others would be waking up very soon, and they had to separate.

          Marium saw that Faede was in a strict and serious mood as soon as he’d woken up. He didn’t look her straight in the eye, and tended to avoid her all together. She knew that was to be expected, she had really said some terrible things to him.

          Cadillac was in a serious mood too, but he wasn’t as gloomy as Faede. Jonah tried to keep the mood from getting too grave, and Placid was completely falling apart from nervousness. He checked his herb pouch every five minutes, making sure he had plenty of cure potions and spells-in-a-bottle.

          Marium was as set for this whole death and decay scene as she would ever be. “Hey, my goal is to go in as a team, and come out as a team.”

          Faede smirked, an old, evil Faede kind of smirk. Marium felt her real emotions for him. It was a weird, alien type of feeling. She’d never felt it for anyone but Faede, though. That was for sure.

 

          Once everyone was ready, Marium told Cadillac about her and Altaire’s plans. “Is that alright? Or do you think we have more important things to do?”

          The squirrel mage shook his head. “No, you two go have fun. Try to be back before it’s dark, though. We have to get to bed early tonight.”

          “Got it, Cad.” Marium smiled, and turned to leave. She collided instantly with a familiar man. He was wearing a baggy, silky, white shirt, long sleeved and loosely buttoned down the front. His pants were made from a material that looked like denim, but it was red, and it clung to the man’s legs like it was made especially for him.

          The man was tall, he had long legs, nice shoulders, and cute, little, pointy tipped ears. His brown hair was short, and his bangs were pulled back behind his ears, showing his bright, heavenly green eyes to the world…

          “Altaire…?” Marium’s voice caught in her throat. She was so used to the modest, heavily cloaked Altaire, that he looked like an entirely different person dressed normally.

          “Is it too much? I just wanted to look normal, so that no one would stop me and beg me to place my blessing on them.” He fidgeted tugging at the sleeves of his shirt. Marium smiled warmly, and wound an arm through one of his.

          “You look great. I didn’t even recognize you. You should really come out of your cloak more often.” She giggled, and the walked out of the inn, arm in arm. Cadillac smiled after them.

          “That’s the way it should be.”

 

          Altaire took Marium to the neighboring town of Gendith to just drift around the shops. “I’ve met a guy that actually likes to shop. This is so perfect.”

          They went to a cookie shop, and Marium instantly thought of Cadillac. She bought a dozen chocolate chips, which she had to tell them the exact recipe, and a cream cheese pie, which went under a completely different name on Pallas.

          He took her to a charm shop, to look at the strange wards and talisman that the people of Pallas created. Power emanated from each one, and Marium couldn’t bring herself to even touch them.

          The most memorable moment was when they went to a jewelry shop and Marium saw a beautiful red jeweled pendant, which she fell in love with instantly. “Oh look, isn’t it divine?”

          Altaire glanced over her shoulder at the stone and nodded. “It’s beautiful. Do you want it?”

          Marium blushed. “Aw, things like this I could never afford. Besides, I only have some bits stored up, not even enough to buy this.”

          The laughter that shone in Altaire’s eyes sparkled and made Marium wonder what he was planning.

          Later, Marium was searching a clothing store, and she suddenly lost track of Altaire. She started to look around for him, and suddenly, he was right were he used to be.

          He was carrying a small box, which made Marium wonder what was in it. “Where’d you go? Why didn’t you take me with you?”

          Altaire just smiled at her, and put the box in his pocket. “You’ll see. There are some things that must be kept private.”

          “Oh, I see.” Marium said, half heartedly. Altaire just nodded and led her into the next shop.

          By the end of their excursion, Marium had purchased something for each one of her friends. Content as she’d ever be, Marium began to walk back to the Burmingham’s inn with Altaire.

          “Hehe! Look everyone! I got stuff for you!” she burst into the inn’s room, chipper and bright. She handed Cadillac the bag of cookies, Jonah got some magic dust that would enchant his smithy hammer with any elemental attribute he desired, and Placid got a special talisman to make him calm and alert. Marium looked down at the last two items she bore.

          “This is for Faede.” She put it in his hand. “I couldn’t help it, I saw it and knew it was for you.”

          Slowly, Faede opened the box and peered into it. He closed it without showing anyone else. “I see. Thank you, it will be very helpful to me.”

          Marium smiled her joyous smile, and held up her last box. “This is for Altaire, but I’ll give it to him later.”

          Placid pulled the talisman necklace around his neck and took a deep breath. “Oh, this is great, I don’t have to be so jumpy anymore. You’re a lifesaver, little one.”

          “I try!” she exclaimed, then looked outside. “It’s getting dark already. I wonder if there’s anything I forgot to do.”

          “I think that I’ll go take LW for a walk.” Marium scooped up her furry friend from his place on the ground. “Thank you so much for watching him, Placid. Hope he didn’t bug you too much.”

          “Nope, he was an angel. But he wouldn’t eat anything, so he might be hungry.” The bluish-green haired medic told her, snapping his medicine bag up. Marium eyed the weasel creature.

          “Okay. I suppose I’ll feed him too, then.” Upon hearing the word ‘feed’, LW scurried up her arm and climbed up to rest on her head. There he sat, like the king of the world, from his throne on Marium’s head. “I guess I’ll be back in awhile.”

          Altaire followed her out, since he couldn’t possibly let her walk around Burmingham alone this close to night.

 

          The walk was uneventful, but Marium was just happy to have Altaire nearby. At the end of the journey, they paused outside the inn. “We’ve spent quite awhile in this town.”

          “Yes.” Was Altaire’s verbal reply. “I don’t think I’ll miss it, though. I liked the temple better. Marium… tomorrow, we might not…”

          “Sh, I know.” Marium leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. She rested her head comfortably on his chest, letting his strength flow into her.

          Altaire wasn’t going to be quieted so easily. “No, Marium, there’s some thing I have to ask you now, because there might not be another chance.”

          “Sounds important. What is it, Altaire?” Marium’s eyes were wide and questioning. Altaire gulped back his nervousness and continued.

          “Marium, when we were apart, I had a lot of time to think. And I thought, may be, the reason you stayed with Faede wasn’t because of the tie. Maybe you really loved him, and wanted to stay with him. And may be what you felt for me was just a natural attraction since we are the embodiments of the gods.”

          “I was worried that you didn’t love me of your own free will. I was beginning to believe that I had dreamt the whole thing up, and that you weren’t real. It was very unsettling.” Altaire reached into his pant pockets and withdrew the small box. Marium was growing more and more mystified by the circumstances being laid before her.

          “When Jonah said that you have to weigh out your choices, I don’t want you to have to chose between me and your world. I want to be where ever you are. No matter what.” Altaire commented, then he opened the box, carefully. He stared, mesmerized by the sparkling object that was held within.

          “That’s impossible, isn’t it?” Marium asked, taken aback. “You have people here that need you…”

          Altaire gave her a helpless look. “No one ever asks what I want. I’ve been giving myself to everyone else, without asking, without thinking, of ever receiving anything back. When I’m with you, I don’t feel obligated to give anything. We’re content with just having each other.”

          The priestess sighed, and closed her eyes, trying to understand what he was saying. “I know, but we still end up giving each other everything we have.”

          “You know what I’m talking about then?” Altaire seemed eased by this discovery. “On Pallas, in one culture, my people’s culture, when two people love each other enough, they aren’t afraid to share their entire selves. There’s nothing for them to hide.”

          “Sounds a lot like us, only we didn’t really have a choice to begin with.”

          Altaire nodded. “Well, in that culture, they didn’t have much choice either. I think, somehow, you are one of my people… or have the blood of one of the people in my race.”

          “Fascinating.”

          “Yes, it is. And since you’re from another world, I wonder how that’s possible. Maybe one of your ancestors came from Pallas, and that’s how you were tied to this world.” Altaire shook himself out of his thoughts. “But, to us Anglicans, when the two that are naturally tied come of age, they pick a stone to have made into pendants. To show they are united in soul.”

          There was a stillness in Marium’s heart, and a quiver in her voice. “How do they know they are of age?”

          The priest smiled. “Well, let’s see. My coming of age was when I was training with Cadillac… I’d bet he would know. In any event, I think you’ve reached that age. But we are not completely joined in souls. We can’t be, not until we revive the god and goddess.”

          Marium was slightly disturbed by this. “If we aren’t completely united in souls now, then when we are, how close will we be? We can already tell what we’re thinking. I don’t know what comes after that step.”

          “It depends on the strength of will between those two people. Marium, your will is stronger than anyone else’s on this planet by itself. Mine is pretty big as well, since I am the priest of Yang. We will be unimaginably close by the time we are fully tied.”

          “I get it.” She spoke, breaking the silence as soon as she could. Her voice had continuously failed her since the being of their talk, and she had no idea why.

          “Then, my asking this is only natural, since we are both of age, and undoubtedly purely attached in spirit.” He took a deep breath and tried to summon up the strength he needed to perform his task.

          Right in front of the inn, Altaire dropped to his knees before Marium. Even on his knees, he was still quite tall compared to her, but she didn’t notice that. She was too busy wondering what he was doing.

          It sort of resembled when a man proposed to a woman back on earth.  Only, Altaire wasn’t on one knee. He was on both, almost like he was about to receive her blessing. And he didn’t reach for her hand, he opened the box instead.

          “This is to seal my oath to you, as your natural,” he put an obvious emphasize on the natural part, “soul mate. It is to symbolize our bond and confirm our future. Together, as one soul separated in two bodies.”

          Marium’s confusion melted away when she heard his little speech. It was a proposal, plain and simple. This was the way Altaire’s kind… the Anglicans, proposed to the girls they loved; their soul mates.

          “I… dunno what to say, exactly.” Marium wrung her hands together, timidly. “I haven’t really had many proposals in my life, Altaire. And I’m not from your land. I don’t know what to do.”

          His eyes, which were very visible as of the moment, glittered with hope, and hesitation. “I’ll shut my eyes, this way it will be easier for you to decide. If you accept, then… kneel down right where you are, in front of me. If you cannot accept, then go into the inn, and I won’t put you through this again.”

          Marium watched as he closed his eyes. Oh, dear goddess, what should I do? I love him, oh I love him with all my heart and soul,  and he knows it, too. But will it change my relationships with everyone else? And what about when I have to go back to earth?

          She almost walked into the inn just to think it over, but then realized how stupid she was being. Altaire was still kneeling in his place, and he had begun to tremble from waiting and anxiety. Without another thought, Marium fell to her knees in front of him.

          He obviously didn’t know she had chosen, and Marium couldn’t find her voice any where. So she soothingly reached down and intertwined her hands with his. “How’s that?”

          Altaire’s eyes snapped open. He truly hadn’t expected her to accept, since he knew everything she was working for went against it. How would she go home with him there to burden her? And what about her two friends, how would they react to their friend suddenly appearing with a fiancée?

          “You don’t look entirely thrilled, Altaire.” She said, unsteadily. Altaire was pulled out of his reverent amazement to find Marium gazing into his eyes, a slightly uneasy expression plastered on her face.

          “Marium, my one and only love, there isn’t anything in Pallas that I wouldn’t do to stay like this with you eternally.” Altaire took the two tear shaped, red jeweled pendants out of the box and placed one in Marium’s hand.

          “Am I supposed to put this one on you?” she asked, unclasping the hinge. Altaire smiled approvingly at his fiancée by free will. “Alright, I think I’m getting the hang of this.”

          Altaire bent his head for her to place the pendant around his neck. As soon as he managed to clasp the hinge on Marium’s necklace, he was caught off guard by the force of another surprise. Marium threw her arms around his shoulders and planted a kiss, firmly and overwhelmingly, on his lips.

          Altaire caught on quickly, and slipped his two strong arms around her waist to make the embrace complete.

 

Tifmonk@chichiri.com