The Ties That Bind

Darian stood by his house, waiting for his friends. It was late in the morning, almost noon even, and he was in a gloomy mood. As if reflecting his emotions, the weather was cloudy and blustery today. The wind tore at Darian's clothes, even from his sheltered location.

Today had been a busy one for Darian so far. First, he had gone to the clan repository to pick up all the supplies he needed. Darian had also picked up his stipend, which had built up over the months he had been gone. There had been some confusion, since the clerk at the repository had given him silver coins instead of the spirit stones the rest of the clan received. With everything going on, Darian had forgotten to make the necessary changes. Sorting that out had been a headache.

Afterwards, Darian had sent Elliot ahead, to help prepare the secret realm for their arrival, before meeting with his grandmother. While he had hoped that she had forgotten about his punishment, and the quiz she promised him, he had no such luck. While he had been at the repository, she had sent him a telepathic message, telling him to come see her and his grandfather at their home.

When he had arrived, Darian had to endure one of the most grueling tests of his life. His grandmother had shown him no mercy, quizzing him on the scroll she had given him. By the time she was satisfied, he felt drained of energy. To his surprise, the ordeal had only lasted one hour. It had felt like an eternity to him.

Darian thought back to the conversation that followed.

"I hope you learned your lesson," Grandmother Astoria said to him.

"Yes, Grandmother," Darian replied, not daring to say anything else. His grandmother was scary when angry.

At that moment, his grandfather arrived. After that, the situation turned awkward as all three of them stood there, with none of them saying a word.

"I know you and your friends are leaving for the inheritance your mother left for you," Grandfather Darin said, breaking the silence. "I just wanted to wish you well."

"Yes," Grandmother Astoria said, picking up the thread. "Don't forget to visit. And tell Darren to come see us. It has been far too long since he last visited."

That was when Darian realized that his grandparents were saying goodbye, and that they had assumed Darian was leaving Mt. Wind Dance for good. He was even more surprised when he searched his feelings, and realized that they were right. Mt. Wind Dance was no longer his home. It hadn't been for a while now. The secret realm was. He was a Wind Dance, and would always be a Wind Dance despite his feelings for his clan, but he was also separate from them.

That thought made him a little sad.

"I will, Grandmother," Darian said.

Another awkward silence followed that statement. That was when Darian decided to throw caution to the wind.

"Listen," he said. "I…I understand why you did what you did." He gestured to them. "Both of you. Your son's life was in danger, and you had to make a choice. In your shoes, I would have done the same."

Both of his grandparents gave him stone faced looks.

"That said, it created a distance between us. You're my grandparents. I'm your grandson. We're family, yet the both of you are strangers to me, and I'm a stranger to you."

His grandmother looked sad at that. Darian even detected a hint of sorrow in his grandfather's eyes. Or maybe it was just his imagination. It was hard to tell with the man.

"It doesn't have to be like that, however," Darian continued. "Distances can be bridged, and relationships can be mended. I don't want us to be strangers."

That statement caught them off guard. It lasted a fraction of a second, but Darian saw their eyes widen for just a bit. He supposed they had expected him to hate them. Maybe he should have. They stood by while the rest of the clan mistreated him. Yet, he didn't want to.

Hate took up too much time and energy that was better spent elsewhere, like cultivating.

"To that end, I forgive you. Both of you. For everything."

"Oh, Darian," his grandmother said. She then surprised him by pulling him into a hug. For a moment he tried to resist, but she was much stronger than him, and he couldn't escape. After that, he just gave up and returned the embrace. "We'll do better, I promise."

"Yes," his grandfather said. "While we can't change the past, the future is another matter."

Grandfather Darin then patted his shoulder. Did that count as a hug from the man? Darian didn't know.

After that, Darian left before things could become awkward again. It was one thing to want to mend a relationship, and another to actually make that happen. Darian wasn't sure how the three of them would accomplish that, but he had hope for the future. They would find a way somehow, one step at a time.

The door to his house opened, interrupting his wool gathering. He glanced back to find Stella approaching him. In one hand she carried a cloth bag with a drawstring. In the other, she carried a package wrapped in thick brown paper. The latter looked familiar to Darian, though he couldn't place it.

"Here," Stella said, handing him the cloth bag. "Something for the road."

Darian almost didn't take the bag. He hadn't forgiven Master Nova, and likely wouldn't for a long time to come, but he still loved Stella. It was a strange situation. Hating one person, loving another, only for them both to be one and the same.

It had been easy to forgive his grandparents, even though he wasn't that close to them. Maybe it was because he wasn't close to his grandparents that it was easy to forgive them. It was much harder with Master Nova. Of all the people he had expected to cause him pain, Stella had been the last one on that list.

Stella.

In the end, Darian took the bag and checked it. It was filled with all of his favorite foods, at least the ones that traveled well.

"As for this," Stella said, handing him the package wrapped in brown paper. "I think it's time that you gave this to Young Mistress Vera."

That was when it clicked for Darian. It was the dress he had bought for her, but never gave her. The one that was supposed to be an early birthday gift. Wait a moment. He made some mental calculations, before letting out a sigh of relief. Okay, good. He hadn't missed Vera's birthday. That was still one month off.

"Thank you, Stella," he said. "For both."

"Of course, Young Master," she said. "It is my duty to look after you."

Darian detected the double meaning in her words.

"I still haven't forgiven Master Nova," he said in a quiet voice. "Whenever I think about what she did to me, what she put me through, it's all I can do not to fall into a rage."

Something pulsed within Darian as his anger flared up. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. The pulse faded away.

"I understand," Stella said, her voice quiet as well.

Darian nodded.

"I'm surprised that you didn't want to come," he said, changing the topic. "I won't be coming back to Mt. Wind Dance for a long time. Are you sure you'll be all right by yourself?"

Stella shook her head.

"That wouldn't be a good idea. You aren't the only one angry at your Master Nova." She shrugged. "Besides, I have a project in mind that will keep me busy."

Darian narrowed his eyes at her.

"What project?" he demanded.

Stella gave him a faux innocent expression.

"Remodeling and rebuilding," she said, her eyes wide and innocent.

Darian didn't buy it for a second, but before he could say anything, a servant approached.

"A message for you, Young Master Darian," the servant said, giving him a respectful bow while holding out a piece of paper.

Darian took the paper.

"Thank you," he said to the servant. "You may go now."

The servant bowed again and left. Darian read the message.

"Huh," he said. "Stella, there's something I need to do. If the others arrive before I get back, tell them that I'll be back soon."

As he spoke, Darian placed his bags and the brown paper package on the ground. Stella gave him an amused look, as if she knew where he was going. She probably did.

"Very well, Young Master."

With that, Darian ran. Despite his low cultivation level, his running speed was much higher than any mortal creature could match, and he made good time. He even managed to do so without bumping into anyone, though there were a few close calls. It didn't take him long to reach his destination, the Goodwins' shop. Thanks to his physique, he wasn't even winded.

When he arrived, Darian saw several servants at work, packing luggage into two carriages. Elena stood nearby. Today she wore a blue dress that made Darian think of the shimmering waters of the Silver River. Her maid, Meredith, stood next to her. They both turned to him and their eyes widened.

"Young Master Darian?" Elena asked, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"I received your message," Darian said. "I came to say goodbye."

The message had been from Elena, informing him that she was leaving Valeheart to join the Gold Weaver Sect in Crescent Moon City. It also said that she didn't know when she would be able to see him again, but that she hoped it would be soon.

Darian found it interesting that they were both leaving on the same day. It had a sort of symmetry to it.

"Young Master Darian, that message was my goodbye," Elena said. "I didn't expect you to run all the way here."

Despite her words, Elena didn't look displeased by his actions. She gave him a bright smile.

"I know, but you're my friend and you're leaving Silverwood Vale. Some things are better said face to face. We don't know when we'll next see each other, after all." He frowned. "Why didn't you come to Mt. Wind Dance to say goodbye?"

Elena shook her head.

"I wouldn't dare try," she said. "The best I could do was send a message to you."

Darian's frown deepened. She was right. Mortals, with a few exceptions, weren't allowed on Mt. Wind Dance. Then again, she wouldn't be a mortal for long. Soon, she would be a cultivator of the Gold Weaver Sect.

"Still, I am glad you came," Elena continued. "You're right. Some things are best done in person."

She stepped closer to him, a serious expression on her face. Meredith stepped away, giving them some semblance of privacy. They were in a public space, after all.

"What do you mean?" Darian asked.

Elena looked up at him. She wore her brown hair in a bun today. A few strands had escaped. They fluttered in the wind.

"Young Master-…May I call you Darian? You said we were friends after all."

"Sure," Darian said with a shrug.

Elena beamed at this. While he wouldn't consider Elena a close friend, like Lucius and Vera, she was still his friend. He didn't have many of those.

"Darian," she said, almost savoring the word. "Do you remember how I told you that my dream was to become an immortal seamstress the last time we met?"

Darian nodded.

"Do you also remember me saying that I had another goal as well, one that I kept secret at the time?"

Darian nodded again. He wondered where she was going with this.

"I…" Elena paused. "It'll be easier to show you. Close your eyes"

At that, Darian looked at her in confusion.

"How will you show me if I close my eyes?"

"Just do it," she said with an impatient huff. "Please."

Darian studied his friend. Elena fidgeted in place, and kept clenching and unclenching her hands. Clearly she was nervous about whatever she had to show him. He wouldn't make it worse by being obstinate.

Darian closed his eyes. He heard Elena move, before he felt her hands hold his face. She pulled him down towards her. Darian figured out her intentions a moment before he felt a pair of soft lips touch his own. The kiss lasted only for a second, but his heart still sped up.

Elena let go of his face, and he opened his eyes. Their faces were inches apart. She stared up at him, her cheeks red, fear and hope in her eyes.

"Elena," he said, his lips tingling. "I, uh…That was…"

"That was my first kiss," she said. Her blush deepened. Despite that, she didn't look away from him. "I wanted to give it to you before I left."

For some reason, that made him happy.

"It was my first kiss too," he blurted out before he could think better of it.

It was, at least as far as he could remember. While Darian had kissed before, he had never done so in a romantic sense. He knew that he was inexperienced compared to other young men his age. Cultivation had been his main focus for the last several years of his life, to the detriment of everything else. A fact that Astra had pointed out to him.

"Really?" Elena asked, giddy.

"Yes."

"Well, good," Elena said. "I had wanted to do that for a while now."

This surprised Darian.

"Really?" he asked. "I hadn't realized you felt like this."

"I know."

Elena sunk a world of meaning into those two words. For some reason, they caused Darian to blush. Elena giggled when she saw this.

"My goal, the one I didn't tell you about, was to become your wife. It's something I have wanted ever since we were children, when we first met."

If Darian had been surprised by the fact that Elena had feelings for him, he was even more so when he learned that she wanted to be his wife. He straightened up, putting a little distance between them.

"Elena, I-…" He paused. "Wait a moment. Since we were children? Elena, the first time that we met was when I walked into your family's shop to commission a dress for my friend, Vera."

At that, Elena gave him an enigmatic smile.

"We met as children, though you wouldn't remember it. For the longest time, I thought I had dreamed about what happened, especially the latter half. I had been almost unconscious by that point. It did happen, though."

At that, Darian had no response. What could he say? He felt bad, though. Their first meeting clearly had a big impact on her, if she remembered it to this day, but not on him. He racked his memories. No, he couldn't remember meeting her as a child.

"I'm sorry," he said, the words sounding lame even to his ears. "I don't remember."

"There's no need to apologize. As I said, you wouldn't. I expected as much." Her lips quirked up into a smile. "It just means I need to make sure you don't forget me, now that we're grown up."

Darian cleared his throat.

"Elena, I don't know if I can ever return your feelings," he said. He felt bad for saying so, but it was better to be honest with her than lead her on. "You're a beautiful young woman, and I consider you a friend, but my feelings don't go beyond that point."

The light in Elena's eyes dimmed a little, but it didn't go out.

"That just means I need to win your heart. Letting you know how I feel is the first step in that direction."

Darian opened his mouth to respond, but she silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"Just keep me in mind, while I'm gone," she said.

"I'll try," Darian said. "But I should warn you that I might end up in a marriage arranged by my clan. That's something you should be aware of."

He still hadn't made up his mind regarding the situation with Clan Stone Pillar. While he loved and cared for Lucius and Vera, marriage wasn't something to be taken lightly. The potential benefits to his clan didn't matter to him. They had already prospered from his existence, thanks to their deal with his mother. He wouldn't sacrifice more on their behalf, at least not without better reason.

At that, Elena blanched and didn't say a word for a long while. In the background, the servants finished packing the carriages. It looked like Elena would have to leave soon.

"While it isn't ideal," Elena said, her voice quiet. "Becoming your second wife isn't a problem for me."

Darian blinked at her. She was persistent, he had to give her that.

"Elena, I could never ask that of you."

The story of how Vera's mother suffered came to mind. While he would never stand by while his wife, or wives should he have more than one, suffered, the story still left its mark on him.

"You didn't," Elena said, in a heated voice. "I made that choice of my own will. If you marry for the sake of your clan, then I will just have to become your second wife. If you don't marry, then I will become your first wife." She glared at him. "Regardless, I will become your wife."

Darian had the feeling that she was telling him, not asking.

"Wait, what-…"

Elena reached up and pulled him in for another kiss, though this time, their eyes remained open.

"Goodbye, Darian," she said after pulling away. "I'll be sure to send you a message when I arrive at the Gold Weaver Sect. You better write back!"

Before he could say anything, Elena ran towards one of the carriages and entered. Meredith joined her. He could have easily caught up to them, but he was still a little stunned by the second kiss. In moments, both carriages pulled away and he was left standing there, alone. For a brief moment, he thought about catching up to her. The carriages were pulled by mortal horses. He was more than fast enough to catch up.

Instead, Darian just stood there and watched as the carriages turned a corner and disappeared from sight. With his emotions a jumbled mess, he turned around and headed back to Mt. Wind Dance.

***

"My, that was bold of you, my lady," Meredith said to Elena. "I didn't think you had it in you. Good job."

Elena sat next to her maid with her face buried in her hands. The both of them were in the carriage that would bring them to the Silver River, where a boat awaited. From there, they would travel down the river, leave Silverwood Vale, and journey towards Crescent Moon City where the Gold Weaver Sect awaited. While Elena was both nervous and excited at the idea of leaving her home, right now the kisses she had shared with Darian occupied all of her thoughts.

Her cheeks burned just remembering them.

"I can't believe I did that," she said, her voice muffled. "What if he thinks I'm some kind of hussy? I've never done anything like that before!"

Elena felt Meredith wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"I doubt that Young Master Darian thinks you're a hussy," Meredith said. Elena heard the grin in her voice. "You should have seen the look on his face when you kissed him the second time. Trust me, if he didn't have feelings for you before, he does now."

At that, Elena lowered her hands and shook her head.

"I don't know, Meredith," she said. "He said that his clan might arrange a marriage for him."

While Elena was fine with being Darian's second wife, maybe even his third one, his first wife would always have a higher position and more status.

"So what?" Meredith said with a snort. "Arranged marriages are almost always political in nature. Love often has little to do with it." She reached up to stroke Elena's hair. "What you did today planted a seed in Young Darian's heart. It'll take time, but I have a feeling that this seed will blossom into a beautiful flower."

Elena nodded at that. She could wait for Darian. She had waited years for him already, what was a few more? Besides, she still had her own life to live. As a disciple of the Gold Weaver Sect, she needed to focus on her cultivation. The thought excited her.

"If Young Master Darian doesn't end up returning your feelings," Meredith continued. "You can always tie him up and kidnap him. Doesn't the Gold Weaver Sect use magic threads to fight?"

"Meredith!"

"Speaking of magic threads, I imagine you two could have all sorts of fun in the bedroom with those."

Elena buried her face in her hands again while her maid cackled.