[center][h2][color=f7941d]Binding[/color][/h2]
[color=fff79a]Day 2, morning[/color]

[i]Grin, themerlinhawk[/i]

Raven, Shard[/center]

There was a familiar blonde who was in a particular study. Not her own, of course. She lay across the desk of her beloved, face buried inside a particular book about stygian history. Raven didn’t particularly like reading in her human years, but as her divine blood kept her heart beating over the years she found ancient pleasure with eyeing the pages and devouring their sustenance. It’s not a bad idea to read about the history of her previous business partners, after all. Wars, confusion in leadership, peace, politics, it was all there. The way the stygian were, and the stygian empire is now are two completely different things. Raven didn’t really love stygian leadership to begin with, even when she was woven inside it, but they sure gave her some hell of an adventure in her human years. Her thoughts dance back to the day she stood on Christian’s back as he reined electric spit over an entire army of druids. A quiet mouth cascades a warm chuckle from her memory. 

Warm hands found Raven’s back as she laughed. Christian had slid into the study quietly and crept up on her. Everytime he saw her his heart skipped a beat. It was hard to adjust to this after so long of never seeing her, now he saw her everyday without fail. “What’s this? I never figured that you would be the kind to read anything and yet here you are?” Christian slid into the chair behind the desk and leaned back in it a little as he ran his eyes over her again. “And might I ask what you are laughing at?” 

Raven’s smile didn’t waver. She knew the dragon would have come in here sooner or later. Her eyes didn’t wander from her book, but to acknowledge his presence she leaned back into his hands a little, like a cat brushing up against its companion. “A lot of things change,” Her mellow voice rumbled in her throat. “After all the years I’ve come to like reading. Reminds me of the old days.” Her small grin blossomed. “I was thinking back to when we basically obliterated the druids.”

The Dragon smiled as he settled a bit. “Yeah, I remember that. You know weirdly, the Dark Druids haven’t been a problem since we won that first war. I haven’t seen them in all the years that you’ve been gone.” Shard pursed his lips as he continued to stroke her back lovingly. “Infact a lot of things went quiet over the years.” His eyes were a thousand miles away as he absently stroked her back.

She turned to face him. “But you’ve just gotten louder, huh? building something so noticeable…” She lifted a hand to cup his cheek and gently caress it with her watery touch.

Christian caught her hand against his face. “Well I had to be noticeable with you gone that way you could come find me when you got back. “ His eyes finally came back to the present as he looked at her. “So this might be a bit forward but did you have any thoughts on a wedding?” Christian twisted her ring a little to remind her.

Raven’s smile faded a little. “I’ve never really gave it much thought, to be honest.” And she was right. Throughout all the years of running around in the stars she’d never thought of the adventure proceeding the one on her finger. It was foreign to her,traditions for ceremony. Raven’s eyes wandered around the room, as if an idea would be held elsewhere from Shard’s features.
“We could do it here. Things have settled down and most of the Knights have returned. I’m sure there are plenty of women here that would flock to you to help you prepare if you wanted. Ralrisk would never admit it but I’m sure she’d be happy to help and Eve would for sure.” Christian settled his arms on the desk next to her and leaned his head on his arms. “Or we can always put it off a little. I have all the time in the world, lucky for me.”

Raven’s focused frown turned back to its usual warm uplift as she entwined her fingers in Christians and squeezed. “Why don’t we give it a little time, then, when we get a particular idea for it we can capitalize on that.” Raven chuckled. “I’m sure all my men on my crew would love to see me all dressed up and happy, anyway.” She paused. “Akira, too, and all the others. They should come and celebrate as well.” 

Christian nodded “That sounds excellent to me.” He squeezed her hand gently as he sat with her. Christian’s eyes suddenly narrowed as something rippled through the Tower. “That...was odd..” Sitting up Christian’s eyes clouded over with liquid bronze. “What..was that?”

Raven felt a strange shiver down her back. She quickly stood up and put a hand on one of her sheathed weapons. “I sensed that too.” She clenched her teeth.

Christian rose and the air crackled around him. “Someone opened a Way, that’s not possible. That requires an Avatar...And Lazarus is still in the Library and you are here with me..” Christian looked at her and flicked his hand. The Ace of Storms sprung from it and unfolded in his left hand. “Care to come on an adventure?”

Raven smiled grimly. “Let’s suit up on blackwing.”