AXIUM

CHAPTER 3

XRenia appeared a good distance away from the boy and walk towards him. When she reached about twenty feet away from him she purposely stepped on a twig snapping it.

The lad or young man rather dropped his harp and sprung to his feet. As he spun around though his eyes met hers and he froze mid-motion.

For some reason she paused as well and just looked at him. He was of average height and build though a tad malnourished and his eyes were a nice shade of blue but it wasn't the color of his eyes that stood out to XRenia it was how bright and clear they were as if he had never seen a single act of evil in his life.

"Who.. Who are you?" he finally managed to demanded.

She shrugged, "I'm no one really. I was just out for a hike and I heard your beautiful music and thought I come check out who it was."

"Well you really shouldn't be here. This is Duke Ireland's private properly."

Oh man she was trespassing yet again. She hadn't bothered to even think about where she was going. She gave the boy her best smile. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't know that. Though I won't tell him if you don't."

He blushed and looked down. "Ya, I guess you're not hurting anything."

The two stood there in awkward silence until he said, "You look like you lost a fight with a fire."

XRenia eyed the mostly gray burnt remains of her garb and mentally berated herself for not remembering to change her clothes. "Yeah, they're my training clothes."

"Bad at magic, huh?"

She nodded.

"I guess that explains why you're out here. Not much you can damage. Though I'd be grateful if you didn't try practicing around the sheep."

"I won't."

Yet another awkward silence filled the air.

"Uh... You play the harp well."

"Thank you."

"May I ask who taught you?"

The young man sat back down by his harp. "No one really, the former shepherd left it here and I just kind of learned it on my own over the years."

XRenia walked over to a soft spot in the grass and sat down besides one of the sheep. As she petted it, it tried to nibble on the white bag containing the bean buns "Oh ya I have some bean buns if you want to have some."

"Bean buns?"

She pulled a pastry out of the bag and tossed it to the boy. "Here try one."

The round fluffy bun landed in his hand and he cautiously bit into it. "Oh it's warmer. Thank you."

"Yeah I heated it myself," she lied yet again.

The boy tried to eat slowly but she could tell he was ravenous. She smiled "Here have the rest. I'm full." she said and tossed him the bag.

He caught it and stared at her with wide eyes. "You sure?"

"Ya, like I said I'm full. Besides there can't be that many places out here to get anything good to eat."

The lad frowned. "There's not," he agreed as he reached into the bag and pulled out a pastry. He held it up and closed his eyes for a moment as if he was saying thanks to some unknown deity.

"Thank you," He said to XRenia and took a bite.

As he ate she casually asked, "So what's your name?"

"Vifctif what's yours?"

Ew what a horrible name. She thought. "Renia." I'm definitely not calling him that.

"Renia? That's a nice name."

"Thanks." Yours on the other hand needs a complete rewrite. I think something like Ver or Var hum. . maybe Verin. She stared at the boy. Ya definitely a Verin.

He seen her looking at him and blushed. She smiled at him. "So tell me about yourself Verin."

"Vifctif. And I'm sad to say there's not much to tell."

She let her hair down letting it fall over her shoulder as she combed it with her fingers. "You're a shepherd?"

"Ya I've watched over Duke Ireland's sheep since I was nine years old."

"Since you were nine years old?" she asked as she gently pushed away a lamb trying to nip at her hair

He nodded.

"Wasn't it dangers for someone so young?" The Lamb brayed loudly and stomped over to Verin

He absentmindedly petted it as he shook his head. "My master's magic keeps this land free of predators and there's no dangerous to speak of so I was fine. Besides if there is ever any trouble all I'd have to do is pushed the enchanted knob on my staff and one of my master's mages would come."

"Master?"

The lad kicked at the dirt with his foot scaring away the lamb. "Duke Ireland bought me for two gold coins when I was six and I have been in his service ever since."

"Do you have any plans or dreams?" She tenderly asked as she leaned back on her arms.

"I had hoped to one day buy my freedom. But my Master is a crook. Every time I take the sheep in he makes one disappear then blames it on me so he can take it from my lawful pay. Because of this I actually owe him."

XRenia stood up and dusted her pants off. She had found her man. He was of sufficient magic power even if he didn't know it yet and he had taught himself how to play an instrument so he at least had a brain. But most importantly he had no ambitions of his own, would willingly obey any command she gave and had no backbone whatsoever to speak of. And as an added bonus he was pleasant to look at. With a little bit of magical training he could be a staunch protector and well-suited to menial task.

Verin stood up as well but didn't bother to brush himself off.

She walked over to him and held out her hand. "It's been a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. I'm sorry if I board you wit. . ."

As he took her hand she forced the packed. Normally such a thing would be impossible but with his magic locked away inside him he had no way of stopping her.

Her golden magic raced up her arm coiled around his hand and down into his arm. "What. . What are you doing!?" Verin gasped

"I'm making you my spouse." Her magic flowed across his chest permeating his skin.

"You're what?"

Like a tidal wave it washed up his neck and poured into his eyes. As it touched his brain memories that were not hers flooded into her and for a moment she was lost in a sea of them but then she felt her magic dive deep into his body searching for his. And it found it locked away in his core. With ravenous power it ripped away the natural barriers holding it in place and like a glorious Dawn his white colored magic burst forth.

His white mingled with her gold performing a brilliant dance throughout his entire body and then it raced up his arm and careened into her hand.

Instantly a scolding hot pain burned deep into her hand and she screamed in pain. Desperately she tried to pull away but his magic held her there as it crawled up her arm burning and tearing at her.

"What's wrong?" Verin screamed.

"I don't know," she moaned through clenched teeth as the white liquid fire of his magic reached her shoulder.

The pain was so intense now it drove her to her knees and yet it still kept coming raking across her chest as if it was the very fires of hell itself. It burrowed into her brain latching onto her memories and thoughts. And then everything went white and all consciousness faded away.

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