Chapter One Hundred And Forty Nine - Love And Life

Leif and Wulfgar said their official vows during a spring sunset, with the warmth of the day still lingering in the air and with similar hues from the sky reflected in the misty dome turning the normally silvery atmosphere red and pink. Music from Saewulf's flute floated about them as the Villagers came forward to offer their congratulations and blessings and even the sleepy trees seemed to indicate approval as they swayed and scattered their blossoms over the proceedings.

Elyas entertained the children with a festival of colourful flames bursting from his palms, while other magi toyed with creating sculptures of ice and stone or toyed with each other in mock battles. The warriors also sought to show off their prowess, causing giddy cries from several girls and the odd boy all coming of age.

Jasper shared in much of the joy of his new parents, basking in the attention as if it was solely his own, before running off to play with his friends under warnings not to stray too far. If ever anything was endlessly repeated and often tested, it would be the adults telling the children to stay in the borders of the village and the children ignoring them and falling a foul of the warriors who guarded them.

Watching the children play and dance as Saewulf began to serenade them, Elyas found himself in the company of Lewin. He and Jenefer had not taken vows as they had decided their relationship was far better as friends than of lovers. Jenefer was now wed to a warrior named Kennitz and Lewin did not appear in any rush to form a new attachment to anyone. "Never thought of having one of your own?" Lewin asked as he saw that Elyas was observing the children.

"What?" Elyas asked, not expecting company or the question.

"I wondered if you and Sae would one day have a child," Lewin said. "It is possible for you to produce one between you, remember."

Elyas nodded and in all honesty, having a child with the love of his life would be amazing, were it not for two tiny details. The first would be that they would eventually leave the child behind, they would leave this world, but would continue to exist elsewhere. This hadn't felt as if it were much of a problem when they had adopted their daughter in their previous life, but as much as they loved her and as much as it hurt to leave her, he could never imagine doing that to a child born from Sae's body. Charlotte had been as much Emma's child as theirs, it made all the difference in his mind.

The second lie in the fertility potion itself.

*The potion is the corruption in this world, a product that was not meant to exist and causes men to be able to give birth, something that also should not occur in this world. However, in saying that, the children born of a dual Male pairing are actually returning the world to its balance, preventing the corruption from spiralling, so the Master is content to leave this world alone.* That had been Yin's analyse of the potion. It also went on to say that they should not take the potion as it did not know how it would effect their connections to the systems and that they should try to prevent Wulfgar and Leif from drinking it as well. The two men were confirmed to be the people that they were looking for in this world, the ones who needed to return to the universe outside the archive.

"I am happy with the way things are now," Elyas told Lewin, who shared his smile. "What about you? How long will you be able to safeguard your single status?" He covertly pointed at the numerous girls glancing their way and watched satisfied as Lewin's face began to glow. "And of course if you are not into girls anymore..." as if on cue, a pretty boy appeared and was caught looking at them.

"You...!" Lewin said, flustered, as Elyas burst into laughter. Lewin's single status would end a couple of years later, after his twenty first birthday, when he was snagged by two rather stunning twin girls.

Sae skipped over to Elyas and helped him to his feet, waving at Lewin as he stole his man away. They passed Fleur, who was surrounded by her husbands as they cooed and coddled their small daughter. They also passed Eulalia, who was still very much committed to her campaign of wearing Herebert down until he agreed to be her husband. Oswyn was somewhere in the trees, Fulke was blushing as an retiring Magi sought to begin his own harem (he would fail this after wedding Fulke) and Samuel's warrior husband was rubbing his swollen ankles as he caressed his growing tummy and the little one safely within.

Finally, the husband pair stopped before the newlyweds and gave them their gifts, matching bracelets made of semi-precious stones and both adorning a black and white symbol carved of wood. Leif hugged them warmly and set about placing his immediately upon his wrist and a red face Wulfgar sought to follow suit. Leif admired them for several moments, placing his wrist next to his husbands, overly enjoying the fact that they were a pair.

"Thank you, thank you," Leif said again, "They are so amazing! I didn't know that either of you could craft!" Although this happened to be one of Sae's many talents from his previous lives, the bracelets were not made by them, so they said nothing about the origins of them.

"Glad you like them," Saewulf said.

"I do," Leif replied. "I won't ever take it off! Right Wulfgar?" He looked up into his husbands eyes and an unexpected exchange happened when their eyes met, a million memories flashed before them right at that moment. Leif stepped back, massaging his temple and noticed Wulfgar doing much the same. "Er... what just happened?"

Saewulf and Elyas shared a stunned glance, before peering down at Yang, who balanced upon Elyas' arm.

*hee hee hee*

*****

Philip stretched his neck as he leaned back from his desk, the mountain of paperwork finally finished. There was a quiet knock upon the wooden door of his office and he called out for the person to enter. Lucil peered around the door with a sunny smile upon his face, Philip instantly returned the gesture feeling lighter of heart instantly.

"How are the new students settling in?" Philip asked as his eyes follow Lucil's path as he made his way to him.

Lucil wrapped his arms about his husband's shoulders and placed a kiss upon his aging cheek. "Not too badly," Lucil replied. "There were a few tears when their parents finally left their dormitories, but they were happy to know that most will return on the weekend to visit them."

"Ah, it's a pity the children of the Villages need to wait until the break to see their parents," Philip said, patting Lucil's arm warmly.

"Most understand it," Lucil replied. The Mage Halls had changed a great deal since they had been students. Now parents were encouraged to maintain contact with their children as much as possible and Teachers would arrange to take village children home during breaks in their schooling. Students still had to board at the Halls, but this was for their and their families protection. Teenagers were no longer forced into arranged marriages in the fruitless attempt at creating stronger mages, talent seldom followed lineage after all. Graduating students, while encouraged to stay in the city, were able to follow their own paths, whether that is returning to their childhoods villages, becoming part of the surface expedition teams or becoming Teachers themselves.

Philip had risen to become the Headmaster of the Halls and Lucil had continued to stay faithfully by his side and teach new students. They often wondered about the two odd men that had made this possible for them, rescuing them following the Mage Hall's defeat in the civil war all those years ago. They had come from no where. One using a mix of ice magic and swordsman skills that could barely be seen he was so fast and precise as he sliced through those who opposed him. The other had simply waved his hand from the rooftop on which he sat, tiny specks had littered the ground and burst into a mass of plants and vines, ropes that wrapped around the Council Magi and stunning flowers that burst into powder, which settled over everyone in the area and knocked them unconscious after a single breath. Lucil and Philip had awoken to find that their Teachers were now the ones back in control, the Council Magi and the surviving soldiers thwarted.

"Are you done here?" Lucil asked, glancing over the paperwork upon the desk.

"Hmmm," Philip responded, rising to his feet, wincing at the stiffness of his spine, before taking the offered hand of his beloved. They were both older, both had lines upon skin that once was smooth, both had a little extra weight around the middle and were neither as spry as they once were. But they were satisfied with their lot and each time Philip looked into Lucil's bright eyes, he knew he would not exchange their time together for any fountain of eternal youth.

"Come to bed then?" Lucil's eyes twinkled, mischievously.

Philip's thin lips stretched into a broad smile. "Definitely."

Author's note; I believe that this is pretty much the end of this arc.  I have an extra planned and then I will begin work on the next arc.  Toodles for now!