TBATE: A Hero's Return

Back To The Beginning

ARTHUR LEYWIN

When we arrived at the destination Tessia had in mind, the only word I could use to describe the scene we were in was picturesque. It was as if the scene from a fairy tale leaped from the pages and manifested itself just for this particular moment.

The forest around us was a symphony of light and color, a mesmerizing tapestry woven from the stars overhead and the delicate sparks of fireflies below. An aurora borealis danced across the sky, ribbons of emerald and sapphire unfurling and twirling in a mesmerizing display. The trees were tall sentinels, their branches reaching towards the heavens, their twigs that would hold leaves in the springtime aglow with the soft, flickering light of fireflies. The air was cool, tinged with the sweet scent of pine and wildflowers, and filled with the soft hum of the insects buzzing around us.

I was awestruck, caught in the spell of the shimmering lights and the beauty of the surrounding wilderness. The aurora borealis was like a curtain of fire, a reminder of the grandeur and mystery of the universe. The fireflies were like a million tiny stars, a reminder of the beauty and fragility of life.

The combination of the starry aurora borealis above and the light of the fireflies bathed the area around us in a wondrously magical light. We were completely alone, save for the creatures of the woods, but I couldn't help but feel an innate connection to the world around us. It was as if we were the sole spectators of a large cosmic dance. I had never seen such a sight in my entire life, and I knew immediately that this was a moment I would never experience again, a moment of pure wonder and joy, a moment that would change us forever.

Tessia dragged me to a particular position in the clearing we were in before turning towards me with a bright smile on her face. "Do you know what is special about this place, Art?"

I guessed what she meant, considering she mentioned earlier about going back to the beginning. I knew we met in the forest of Elshire, but due to my low core level at the time as well as not being an elf, I had no way of knowing where we had been as the fog manipulated my senses and skewed my view back then. "This is the location we first met, right?"

She smiled with a nod. "The exact location where you peered through the flap and let me know that I was going to be safe and alright."

My eyes widened. I didn't expect her to even want to ever come back here. But not only did she do just that, but she also planned for us to come to the very spot she had been bound and gagged.

She continued, explaining herself. "So many years ago, when I was just a little girl, my whole life flashed right before my eyes. I thought I would never see my family again, and I deeply regretted ever running away from home. My whole life was going to turn around for the worse. There is very little of my childhood before I met you that I remember, but I distinctly remember being grabbed by those disgusting men, stripped of my clothes, and losing all hope in life. It was one of the worst moments of my life."

She smiled as she took hold of my hands. "But then, I met you. Not only did you rescue me from those bandits and the terrible path my life was on, but you also came and filled it with so much happiness and cheerfulness since. You were the first person to believe in me, the first person to like me as a person rather than chase me for status. You are my first friend, my only crush, and my only love. If I have to go through that terrible experience again in order to find my way to you, I would do it a million times over in a heartbeat."

She continued on, a bright smile on her face as her eyes shined in the starlight. She looked gorgeous, like a divine being that has come down to grace me with her presence. No, that isn't quite right. No deity or any higher form could hope to compare to the beauty, both inside and outside, that Tessia has.

"Art. My light. My love. My everything. We've been through so much together and so much apart. And that time apart is more than I ever want to think about. You are the center of my universe and my constant happiness, and with this ring, I give you the answer I wanted to give you last night had I not been planning all of this for the last six months. Which is yes."

She slowly opened the box in the palm of her hand to reveal a breathtaking engagement ring.

The band itself was a work of art, fashioned from the finest platinum to create a smooth, sinuous curve that would encircle my finger with a gentle embrace. The metal was polished to a high sheen that reflected the light around us in a thousand directions, casting a radiance that drew the eye and captivated the imagination.

But it was the diamonds that truly set this ring apart, for they were a glittering testament to the artistry and skill of the jeweler who had crafted it. It was abundantly clear that each diamond was selected for its clarity, its color, and its cut, and then carefully set into the band with a precision that bordered on the miraculous. The stones sparkled and glinted in the starlight, catching the eye and drawing the gaze to the exquisite design that they created together.

"My answer is yes, Arthur Leywin." She leaned over and kissed the ring she placed on my finger, before turning my hand over and kissing my palm. Then she looked up, meeting my eyes. "If you'll have me."

My vision blurred, and tears formed in my eyes after hearing the answer to the question I posed yesterday. All the nervousness within me from the anxiety of not hearing a response was immediately washed away, a surge of happiness taking its place. I leaned in to kiss her, pouring as much love into the action as I could.

Butterflies floated in my stomach when the woman before me, the most amazing, the most perfect person that I do not deserve whatsoever kissed me back with as much passion as I did.

As we part for breath, I place my forehead against hers, unable to keep the smile from forming on my face. "You know Tess, this all started because you had a crush on me that started so many long years ago. But now, I can safely say that I have a bigger crush on you than you ever had on me. I don't know what caused me to be so lucky in life that you chose to be with me."

I pulled out the ring I had chosen for her and placed it onto her ring finger, barely able to still my hand as they trembled from the sheer excitement that flowed through me like water in a raging river. I huffed out a hysterical laugh. "Of course, I'll have you. You could have saved yourself six months of trouble. There was never gonna be a time when I wouldn't have you, Tess. There is nothing I would want more than that, nothing more than to simply spend the rest of my life in your loving embrace."

I looked into her loving eyes, her tears falling from her face making those gorgeous emeralds within look more polished than what the finest jewelry maker could possibly hope to achieve. Tessia never looked more beautiful than she did at that moment.

I kissed my childhood friend, my best friend, the love of my life, and now my fiance passionately. We hugged each other in the midst of the dancing fireflies as the phenomenon above us painted us in a prepossessing arrangement of colors. It came together to form the most beautiful backdrop to the most beautiful moment in my entire life. I knew immediately that I would remember it for as long as I lived.

Together with the woman that stole my heart and never let go.