The Married Life Of Immortals

As Bane and Lysia walked into the town hall, a feeling of nostalgia washed over him. The time in his head made it feel like countless years had passed since the last time he was in this place.

"While you still look the same, physically, you have aged, boy," Bilgarth said from the desk he was sitting at.

Bane could only shrug, with his hands to the side. "50 years will do that to a soul."

Bilgarth laughed and then gestured for the two of them to sit. "Mizuage and Wei Nam Lee have informed me about your plan, but we still have to talk to a few more people. Tomorrow we will have a schedule made for you that should get you through the next month. By then, we should have everyone on board with teaching you."

Lysia frowned, and then her face took on a dangerous look. "Who said they won't teach him?"

Bilgarth shook his head. "You are not part of this. You will not be going around and bullying everyone into teaching Bane their secrets, you hear? It is the people's choice if they want to teach him or not."

Lysia stood up in fury, but she was forced to sit back down because she could barely see over the desk. "Are you telling me that you are just going to let these people hold onto their secrets when the world is at risk?!"

Bane reached over and put his hand over Lysia's, and she calmed. Bilgarth's eyebrows shot up into his hairline but didn't say anything as Bane spoke. "We can't force them. We may be able to push some people around but sugar catches more flies than vinegar, right? We need to trust that I can prove that I am worth the knowledge they have to teach, right?"

Lysia growled, but then sighed, looking up at Bilgarth, who still looked startled. "What is your problem? What is that stupid look on your face?"

"Who? Me?" Bilgarth asked, looking at Bane, and then his hand.

Bane followed the old man's eyes to his hand, then his blood ran cold as a cold sweat formed on his back. He hadn't even noticed he had taken Lysia's hand, and they were anything but alone right now. Slowly, Bane tried to pull his hand back, but then she grabbed it with her own and turned to glare at him.

"Why are you trying to let go of my hand?" Lysia growled, and Bane winced despite himself not wanting to.

Suddenly, Bilgarth burst out laughing. He doubled over and was forced to take a drink before he could speak. "So it is really true! You have tamed her!"

Bane's eyes nearly popped out of his head as Lysia crushed his hand, breaking a few bones. Thankfully, Bane could use healing magic within his body, but it still hurt him like crazy. Turning to the old man with his own glare, Bane narrowed his eyes even more.

"Choose your words better next time, old man, or I will let you play with my new pet dragon! Just how stupid are you to say something like that?!" Bane snapped, but then Lysia spoke up, making Bane's eyes bug out of his head again, but for a completely different reason.

"I want you to proceed with our Heart Ceremony since you are the only one who knows the customs of my people," Lysia said in a plain and casual tone, making Bilgarth spit out his drink all over Bane.

"Hey! What the hell, old man!" Bane shouted as he wiped his face off, but then turned to Lysia, who was still holding his hand, but not looking at him. "Hey! You too! I don't need to be an elf to know that this sounds a lot like marriage, right? Isn't this something that we talk about first?"

Lysia turned with a red and frustrated face. "Do you not want me?"

Bane resisted pushing the silly girl in front of him off the chair. "Of course I do, but a little bit of warning would be nice every once in a while, woman! You have a real bad habit of making choices all on your own!"

Lysia's face calmed, and then she shrugged, then turned to Bilgarth, who looked just as startled as Bane. "You heard him. So, will you do it?"

Bilgarth sat back in his chair and thought back to when Lysia first came to the village. It had been so long ago, and people had been born and lived entire lives, and their children the same. The only thing that had never changed was Lysia's hate for others and her inability to connect with anyone she came in contact with. The elf had always kept everyone at arm's reach, bullying anyone who got close till they left.

Then this strange child appeared. Lysia had not gone any easier on Bane than anyone else who had tried to get close to her. If anything, she had treated him even worse, but the resilient boy was like a sponge for punishment.

When Bilgarth had heard Lysia had forced Bane to develop mana veins, he was going to punish her, but Morgana had stopped him. She had come to him, and told him everything, but asked that Bilgarth not interfere because Bane had been willing to pick a fight with Ezio to defend Lysia. None of it made sense to him at the time, but now this little girl he had known, like his own daughter, was asking for him to conduct a ceremony of the utmost importance. How could he refuse?

Bilgarth finally sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as he gathered his thoughts. “Lysia, you’re really something. I’ll do it. We’ll arrange for the Heart Ceremony. But Bane,” he looked seriously at the young man, “this is not something to take lightly. The bond formed in this ceremony is for life. It’s a commitment beyond anything else you’ve faced.”

Bane nodded, still somewhat bewildered by the turn of events, but he met Bilgarth’s gaze with determination. “If I am going to live forever," Bane said and then turned to Lysia. "I want to do it with you, but I have one request!"

Lysia frowned. "What?"

"Can we wait till our bodies get older?" Bane asked, and Lysia rolled her eyes, and Bilgarth laughed. "We are going to look silly as shit all done up in these tiny bodies!"

"Are you sure that is the reason? Or is that man brain of yours thinking about something else?" Lysia asked with narrowed eyes, but a slight smirk.

"Oh? And you don't want that?" Bane teased but squeezed her hand with a grin. "We are only going to do this once, and it is going to be a precious memory in the future that I will fondly look back at. I want all my memories with you to be ones that I cherish while I am away from you."

Lysia blushed so hard that even the tips of her ears went red. "W-Well, if y-you say it like that... I g-guess we can w-wait," She stuttered, and Bane looked up to Bilgarth, who had a warm expression on his face.

"I never knew who you would turn out to be when we met, Bane, but I am glad we gave you a chance. I will get things set up, and when the time comes, I will do as Lysia has requested. The rest of the day the two of you should just relax because Bane will start having busy days starting tomorrow," Bilgarth said, and then stood up, and reached over to offer Bane his hand. "I am glad that you didn't turn out to be bad."

Bane took the massive hand with a snort. "I am just me, old man. I'm doing what needs to be done, and I have a goal now," He said and looked at Lysia, her face still red. "I just need to get stronger so I can protect everything that I care about. Just basic guy stuff."

Lysia squeezed Bane's hand, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions. "Then let's make sure you reach that goal," she said softly, her usual fiery demeanor tempered by a rare moment of vulnerability.

Bilgarth nodded, releasing Bane's hand. "I’ll make the necessary preparations. For now, enjoy your time together. You’ve both earned it."