I only made it about three city blocks before I ran into Arden.

  The middle-aged scholar was leisurely strolling up an alleyway with Ushai hooked to his arm. One of the harpy's long talons, which hooked out of the top of each of her wings, was gently resting in his palm, and she was smiling and nodding as Arden chattered at her, his voice laced with his usual excitement and passion.

  Listening closer, I realized the scholar was speaking in Skysong.

  There really wasn't anything the man didn't know, huh?

  After watching a moment longer, something struck me. They sure were walking close to one another... And their body language... I knew that body language! She was being all giggly and expressive. He was strutting around, looking and acting all handsome and confident. Their conversation was clearly easy and comfortable, laced with the soft smiles and easy laughs and lingering glances that people did when they were vibing.

  Wait.

  Were Arden and Ushai on a date?

  No way.

  "Hey, you two!" I waved at the couple and made my way toward them.

  When they heard me, both jumped away from one another and pretended like they totally hadn't just been arm in arm.

  They were definitely on a date.

  After coughing into his fist, Arden waved back and said, "Alex, my boy! What brings you to this part of the city?" As he spoke, his eyes flicked over to Ushai. At his glance, Ushai covered her face with her feathers and looked away.

  She was totally blushing!

  Walking up to him, I took his hand in mine and said, "Oh, you know, I've been out and about helping out where I can." Pulling him into a hug, I gave a small nod toward Ushai and whispered, "You and Ushai, huh? Why didn't you tell me?"

  He tensed. "It's not what you think." Despite his words, he refused to look me in the eye, and his voice wavered. "I've simply been, uh, picking her brain regarding the history of this place. What I've learned so far has been fascinating."

  That little waver told me everything I needed to know. "Mhmm." From previous conversations with the scholar, I knew that he hadn't dated much since he arrived in Reial thirty-or-so years before. While he did admit that he and his wife had had an oopsie when they were barely adults, which led to him joining the military to support her and their unborn child, by the time he got snatched up to Reial, he'd been a soldier fully dedicated to his growing family. After getting sent here, the loss of his wife and especially his two kids took a toll on him.

  Still, he was a great guy, and he deserved love. Maybe this was his time?

  When he tried to squirm out of my grip, I asked, "Be real with me. Are you two a thing?"

  "Um..." He hesitated. "You could say that some bridges have been built between us."

  Slapping his shoulder, I said, "Good man," before backing away.

  Love really was blossoming under the Dreaming Crown these days!

  Thinking back on it, I realized that Ushai really hadn't been around all that much ever since Arden asked for her help with something. I vaguely remembered him asking if he could interview her a month before, but so much had happened since then that I'd mostly forgotten about it. I wondered if she was the instigator? Probably. She seemed like a woman who knew what she wanted.

  Nodding to her, I asked in Skysong, "Are you enjoying all the new faces in the city these days, Ushai?"

  Her eyes flicked to Arden before returning to me. "I-I am, yes." Her face smoothed, returning to its usual, more placid affect. "It warms my heart seeing old and new faces populating these streets once again." With a chuckle, she added, "I've even come to enjoy the presence of the stained..." She shook her head. "The little green ones. They make me laugh, and they've worked so hard. I believe they have earned their place at our sides."

  "I agree." My smile grew. "So, does anyone in particular stand out to you?"

  She covered her face again. "If they come in peace, I love all who come to this place."

  "I see." I inclined my head to her. "You've been quite the inspiration, Ushai. Thank you for all of your help." Then, glancing back at Arden, I added, "Especially the help you've given our scholar here."

  Bowing, Ushai's feathers bristled as her face turned red. "Thank you for your kind words, and thank you for asking for my thoughts, my lord."

  I chuckled. "Anytime." Looking at them both, I got the feeling they didn't need me right then. If anything, they probably wanted their alone time. Still, I ought to ask before taking off. "You two don't happen to have any jobs you need help with, do you?"

  The pair looked at one another and shook their heads.

  "Not as such," Arden answered first.

  "We are perfectly well," Ushai said next. "So, please, if you are needed elsewhere, do not allow us to intrude on your duties."

  "Okay." Grabbing Arden's hand and Ushai's wing, I placed her talon back into the scholar's hand and said, "Well, don't let me intrude on your date. It's a beautiful evening for a stroll." When they both started sputtering, I added, "Just because you're both old doesn't mean you don't deserve love. Enjoy yourselves, and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

  "Old?!" Arden swatted at me with a book he'd had under his elbow. "What do you mean, old?!"

  "You heard me!" Laughing, I dodged the strike and watched as several loose pages fell from the leatherbound tome. "Neither of you is exactly a spring chicken!"

  "I can't believe you would... a king ought to... to..." The sound of Ushai's feathers fluttering filled the alleyway, along with a deep, animalistic growl.

  Time to go.

  Without looking back, I darted down a side street. My laughter echoed off the old stone walls as I sprinted as fast as my legs could take me toward the temple.

  ***

  Around twenty minutes later, I finally reached the wall separating the old temple grounds from the rest of the city just as the sky was turning reddish-purple. Walking through the temple's large front gate, I found that, much like the rest of the city, the old temple had been largely reclaimed by nature. A high, crumbling stone wall, covered in moss and vines, enclosed the entire compound. At least a dozen satellite buildings dotted the grounds, but all but one had collapsed years ago. The temple itself wasn't in terrible shape, if you didn't count the rotting roof, or the crumbling walls, or the pitted floor, or the flooded basement...

  Yeah, it would take a while to get up and running again.

  Still, the old temple was incredible. While the grounds were more compressed, the structure itself was far larger than Light's Hope Temple. Judging from its size and location, which was relatively close to the city center and also near one of the more obviously affluent areas of the city, the place had to have been important back in the day. Also, considering the structure was still as intact as it was and the many, many relics and magical items still housed within its walls, it was clear that the temple had more sway back in the past than Light's Hope did now.

  After inspecting it with him a few weeks back, I'd asked Arden to tell me what he knew about the temple's history. He told me that the temple as an organization had once been a major faction throughout the three duchies of Istaera all through the fourth era. Back then, nearly every city and town had a temple, and most villages had a hermit or priest, too. However, after the Scion's War started, most of the priests and Templars joined the soldiers in their fight against the Dark Lord's children. After fifteen years of fighting, nearly all of the priests either died or fled.

  When the war ended, and due to the massive rise in monster attacks in the far east, the higher-ups in Denier pulled most of the remaining priests to the east, taking basically everyone with aptitude in their form of magic with them. That left only the main temple in Llyn and a small temple somewhere in Theroven active in western Reial. Things stayed like that for over a hundred years.

  If it weren't for Renard and Varga retiring from adventuring and deciding to create a temple in the area, there would be basically no healing or protection available to the people of the southern and central Calvareth. Not that the region was very populated since the end of the fourth era, but still. People lived here, and the temple was their source of solace in dark times.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  That's where I hoped this temple would come in.Once it was rebuilt, hallowed, and had Templars and priests living in it, I hoped it could be another source of comfort to the people who lived in this region, and I hoped it could become a sister temple to Light's Hope. Then, as the city grew, maybe it could become what it had been to the people of the fourth era? A source of protection and security for the people of Istaera.

  Pulling myself out of my thoughts as I walked up to the Temple's massive front doors, I walked through the gap between them, which was caused by one of them being stuck ajar, and nearly slipped as I hit a slick, algae-covered strip of stone floor. Tightening my gait, I waded through the algae and mildew-infused air until I entered the massive main hall, where a massive statue of the Goddess still stood on the far side. A thin beam of light trickled from above through a small skylight, and in front of Her statue, Tristan and Lady Varga were both chanting in strong, passionate voices... while floating in the air. And glowing.

  Goddess, they were incredible.

  Sitting on one of the only pews that wasn't sawdust, I watched and waited as the women performed their miracles. Lady Varga had spent nearly every day hallowing the temple, and Tristan had basically been with her the entire time, both as a source of support and also because, ever since she'd shared her body with her grandmother, her magic had been pretty erratic. That being the case, the old priestess had been helping her gain control over her new abilities, which I was grateful for, since I knew shit about shit regarding magic and couldn't really help.

  After about ten more minutes of glowing and floating and chanting, Tristan and Varga slowly drifted to the floor, their feet making contact with the stone floor without so much as a sound. Embracing one another, the elder priestess whispered to my partner, stroking her long black hair as she did. Finally, once they'd disentangled themselves, Tristan looked my way and, with a little squeak, smiled brightly as she ran down the chamber toward me.

  "Love!" She smiled brightly as she padded across the room, her new white robe rustling with every step. "You came!"

  "You know it!" Standing, I held my arms out wide and took my fiancée in as she ran to me. She was as beautiful as she'd always been, with her beautiful smile and deep sapphire eyes sparkling as she crossed the distance between us. But there was something about her that was different now, and it wasn't just how long her hair had gotten. It was something in her eyes... something ancient and deep and wise. It made me feel incredibly proud, but also a little bit intimidated.

  Despite everything that had happened, I still felt like just a guy who was pretending to be important. Meanwhile, I was pretty sure she was important now.

  When she was a stride away from me, she leapt. Arms wide, she collided with me, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled me into a deep kiss. Her tongue found mine, and she let out a little moan as we explored one another.

  "I've missed you," she breathed after finally breaking away.

  "I've missed you, too," I replied, gently lowering her to the ground.

  Her eyes sparkled as she took me in. "Have you worked hard today?"

  I knew that look. "Not too hard."

  She bit her lip. "Good."

  Lady Varga's footsteps echoed toward us. "My child, it is good to see you." When she reached me, the elder priestess grabbed my jaw and pulled my head down so she could kiss my forehead. "We don't get to see one another that often, so it fills my heart with joy when we do."

  Usually, I was nothing but decorum with the priestess. But today? I pulled her into a big hug and kissed her cheek. "One day, we'll have all the time in the world, I promise."

  Lady Varga patted my back before letting go, smoothing her robes as she stepped back. "Sometimes, I remember that, not so long ago, you were just a boy lying in one of my beds, injured and in need of healing and guidance." Turning to Tristan, she said, "And you were a lost lamb looking for a path in this life, wishing for more and not knowing how to find it." She placed a hand on each of our cheeks. "Now, look at you, my children. You've grown so much."

  Tristan and I both looked at one another and smiled sheepishly.

  "Thank you, mother." Tristan pressed her hand to Lady Varga's. "But please. I'll always need you to guide me."

  I nodded. "Yeah. And I get busted up a lot, and you're the best healer around." Even if she was merciless about it.

  The priestess inclined her head. "I promise to be there for you until the end of my days."

  Despite how sweet her words were, something in my gut twisted. No death flags, lovely mentor figure! "So," I pushed the feeling away. "How's the temple coming along?"

  Tristan beamed as she pointed to the room. "We're nearly done! It will only be another week or so before the Goddess's light will infuse this place once again."

  Looking past her, I saw that there was a large crystal placed between the Goddess's feet. That was new. Pointing at the glowing thing, I asked, "What does that do?"

  Clearly proud, Tristan said, "It was my idea to try it! It gathers the energy we've been putting into the structure and enhances it."

  Varga shook her head. "It normally takes a year before a place can be hallowed. However, with dragonvein, it can be done in..." She started counting her fingers. "Twenty-seven days?"

  Tristan nodded. "That sounds about right."

  I pulled Tristan into a side hug. "You two are incredible."

  "You haven't seen anything yet!" Lifting her hand, she whispered words of power under her breath. When the final word left her lips, a golden globe of light appeared in her palm. "I've been working on this spell that I learned from Grandma's memories. I call it [Sunburst]

  Stepping in front of Tristan to protect her before the wave of light hit us, I closed my eyes and waited for the pain. However, when the magic struck me, instead of pain, all I felt was soothing relief as her light sank into my bones. When the magic faded, I felt amazing! I was so relaxed, in fact, that I could feel everywhere that I'd been carrying tension. Who clenched their pinky toes?

  "Impressive, huh?" Tristan asked.

  I half-nodded, half-shook my head at her. "That was wild. Why didn't it hurt us?"

  Placing her hands on her hips like a super heroine, she said, "It heals us mortals and hurts monsters."

  "Huh. That'll be useful."

  She stepped into me and kissed my jaw. "That's just one spell. You should see some of the spells Grandma knew!" Practically bouncing, she continued, "I can only cast a fraction of them right now, but Lady Varga has been helping me so much!" As she spoke, she turned to Varga. "I couldn't do it without you."

  Lady Varga clasped her hands over her chest. "I have never met anyone with such a strong connection to the Light. Not in all my years." She gave Tristan a little bow. "I am humbled to guide you."

  Tristan turned back to me and grinned. "You hear that? It's not just you and Vral who are incredible and talented anymore." She booped my nose. "I can help now, too. I won't be a burden anymore."

  "Burden?" Was that how she'd been feeling? I mean, I knew after we went into Copperhill that she'd been insecure about being weaker than us. And she also idolized Vral for a long time and constantly compared herself to our girlfriend. That had only actually stopped when we entered the road down in the Depths and lived in that alternate reality Earth. But I thought it was all in the past. Had she been feeling that way this whole time? "Tristan, you've always been incredible."

  Her sapphire eyes wavered. "I know that's what you think, but..." Her eyes dropped to the floor. "I'm actually starting to believe it, now."

  Grabbing her chin, I pulled her head back up. "I've never thought of you as a burden, Tris. Not for a single second. Not even once."

  "I know, but—" She tried to say something, but I cut her off by pressing my lips to hers.

  As we kissed, Lady Varga placed a hand on our shoulders, whispered a soft prayer, then exited the temple.

  Once we were alone, I broke the kiss, took Tristan's hands in mine, and brought them to my lips. "Tristan," I started, not sure what I was going to say. "I don't care how strong you are. I don't care how many spells you know. I don't care if you can't cast a single one."

  "But I—"

  "You are my best friend and my partner." I squeezed her hands. "Since the day we met, you've always been my partner, and you'll always be my partner." I pressed my forehead to hers. "Even if you were completely and utterly powerless, I'd still want you by my side." I pulled her close. "I'm glad you're feeling strong and confident, but being strong and knowing magic and all that stuff aren't conditions for my love. They never were. I've only ever wanted you." Looking up, I saw that tears were dripping down her cheeks.

  "I love you so much." She pressed her face into my neck and squeezed me tight.

  For a long time, we stood like that, heart pressed to heart in the center of the crumbling, ancient temple. For the first time, I was pretty sure I knew exactly what those roots of hers felt like.

  A long while later, once we'd had our fill, I stepped backward. Waiting until she wiped her cheeks, I finally said, "So, enough of this burden stuff, okay?"

  She sniffed. "Okay." Then, she smiled softly. "It's pretty neat, though, right?"

  I laughed. "It's fucking incredible, are you kidding?!"

  Two tears fell from her eyes as she giggled. "Right?!"

  Our eyes met, and we laughed. Hard.

  When the moment eventually passed, I asked, "So, what'd you call me down here for, anyway?" I looked around. "Is there something I can help with?"

  She wiped her nose and gave me a watery smile. "Well..." She shuffled. "I kind of wanted to show off my magic to you. Then, uh..." She chewed her lip. "We haven't had enough time together lately, so I figured if I sent a letter, you'd actually make the time to come by."

  Had I been that hard to pin down? "We really need to guard our time a little better, huh?"

  She giggled. "Yeah, we really do."

  "Hey!" Vral's voice echoed behind us. "I'm glad I'm not late!"

  Turning, I watched as Vral bounced across the temple toward us. She'd changed since I'd last seen her. Instead of work clothes, she was wearing a nice vest and tight leather pants, and she was wearing some kind of exotic white makeup that highlighted the curves of her face.

  "She's beautiful," Tristan whispered beside me.

  "Yeah, no kidding." She really was.

  When she reached us, she jumped up, wrapped her arms around us, and kissed us one after the other. "I'm so fucking ready for tonight. Thanks for making it happen, Tris."

  "Me too!" Tristan breathed.

  I looked down at Tristan, who was grinning mischievously. "You set this up?"

  She nodded. "If I didn't do it, who would?"

  Vral and I both looked at one another.

  Tristan was so right.

  Dropping to the ground, Vral pulled a sack off her shoulder and handed it to Tristan. "Here are your clothes, beautiful." Poking me with a finger, she added, "And you always carry clothes in that magic inventory of yours, so go get changed, boy. We're going on a damn date, you need to be looking !"

  Tristan nodded. "That's right. I expect handsome Alex tonight, not tired, grumpy, frumpy Alex."

  With a laugh, I said, "Sounds good to me. I can handle that." I reached into my inventory and pulled out one of the nice sets of clothes I kept in there for just these occasions. "Meet in ten?"

  Vral opened her belt pouch and started pulling out a variety of vials and items that looked like... makeup? "Nah uh. Entertain yourself for a while, big guy. We're getting all dolled up." With that, Vral brushed past me, following Tristan farther into the old temple.

  With a laugh, I found a place to change, slipped into my nicer clothes, and sat back down on my pew.

  I didn't mind the girls taking their time getting pretty.

  Not one bit.