One evening, after dinner, he walked downstairs and knocked on Aleksei's room. He walked in and Aleksei asked him to sit. He sat on the other side of the table, Aleksei was making talisman while Maks was arranging some freshly dried flowers into earthern pots behind him.

"I suppose you are here with a purpose?" Aleksei asked.

"I would like to leave,"
"What?" Aleksei kept his brush on a cleaning cloth, "But why? Do you not like it here? Is Maks not a good familiar? Is the food not up to your appetite?" He looked at Maks.

"No, he is very apt at whatever he does. I am comfortable. But I feel that..." Aleksei looked at Ariel, "This is not my element. I am not meant for this tranquillity. I feel like it's making me insane. I can't live here for the rest of my life. I must leave and find my purpose. Because this is not my purpose. I have desires and all of this you have created around me, it feels safe...But it also feels infertile,"
"You could go with Maks for the exorcisms. That would help break that tranquillity. We live in complete chaos of spirits, ghouls and demons. Which is why, our abode shall bring us that balance of peace,"

"I love Jevelene, Mr Aleksei. That is the simplest way I put it to tell you that I won't be able to live here, with her, anymore. I wouldn't be right,"
Aleksei smiled, "I see. So, that is how it is,"
He picked up a piece of paper, dipped his brush into the ink and began writing something in another foreign language. As the ink dried, he folded it and gave it to Maks, "Post it,"

As Maks went away, Ariel looked first at Maks and then at Alekei, "What was that? A letter?"
"Yes,"
"To whom?"
"To another friend who could perhaps be happy to find you a new home,"
"But that wasn't Chinese,"
"It was Russian,"

"Are you sending me to another country?"
"I am coming with you. I had to leave for Russia next week, I told you. I have another home in Russia. Jevelene could stay there with Maks and I,"
"You'd leave China for me? Why?"
"Because, in the two years that you and Jevelene have lived at Xuán Qī, my humble abode, I have grown very attached to you. I cannot let you go to a foreign land all by yourself, you are too young and too sheltered now to help yourself like you used to when we first met. Perhaps I am wrong, perhaps you'll be just fine... Maybe I am doing this because I am worried that something bad might happen, so I shall stay there for a while, before I leave for China again," He handed a box of talismans to Ariel, "Keep them, and be ready. We shall leave by the this full moon,"

They were getting dressed in their plain European clothes again. Jevelene in a plain green raw cotton dress and Ariel in a white shirt and brown breaches, boots and an overcoat. The journey would be very long and very cold. As they packed their things, which weren't many,  he came across the water lily that Jevelene had given him once. He pressed it against his lips and closed his eyes. For the first time in two years, they were to be parted. 

. . .

"We have crossed the border, we should be in Moscow in five days," Aleksei told them. Aleksei lived close to the Russian border. He told them how his ancestors were migrants from Russia that settled in the land as exorcists and exorcism has been a continued tradition in his family. And his family had harnessed generations of star spirit familiars under a boon from a god who they are carefully pleased. 

"Why do you not marry and produce a child who can carry your family's rich legacy," Ariel asked as Aleksei seemed of the age, "What would happen to the villagers after you die? They have no exorcist in the North of China anymore,"

"We live in a cursed timeline where the world has already passed through the golden age of human society. What's left behind is a corrupting world... A world that's dying...There's little love and even meagre hope,"

"That is quite a pessimistic view you hold," Ariel said. 
"True nonetheless. I have seen it. I know people who are killing it," Aleksei told him and Jevelene looked confused, "Then," She asked, "Why don't we stop them?"
"We can't. I've spent myself away fighting corruption, but it only grows. But I am not yet hopeless," Aleksei looked at the stars above, "Someday, I would have children... when I can create a world that lives, breathes and loves, I would have children. Because if I can't do that, then I'm just creating more monsters to be,"

The cart was quiet as the gentle wind blew through it.

"Have you never fallen in love, sir?" Jevelene asked.
"I haven't. People usually do not intrigue me"

"What about beautiful women?" Ariel asked.
"I admire them,"
"You have never wanted to be with one?"
"No," Aleksei looked outside the cart, at the golden fields that now looked like the colour of concentrated urine in the darkness, "I would not be a good husband,"
"Why do you think that?" Jevelene asked.
"Because I am always travelling. Womenkind, they like security, stability, peace. I do everything to bring chaos and danger to myself,"
Ariel nodded, "So, you have made your mind? You will never fall in love?"

Aleksei smiled, "I love you," He looked at Jevelene, "Both of you,"

https://youtu.be/mTavV67_j6M

As the cart stopped, their luggage unloaded, it was dark already. The servants appeared from the inns and helped the luggage in. Ariel fell on the dirty mattress and fell asleep. 

"To another friend who could perhaps be happy to find you a new home,"

I hope he isn't just another exorcist who would dim my fire, Ariel hoped, prayed. And in just a few hours, he could hear the snow on his window. He got up and looked out, it was still grey but now people were on the streets, walking their way through the ice and the snow. So, this was Moscow. Walking down those creaky stairs, he watched a carriage wait outside the door, "Mrs Winston has sent for both of you, Ariel and Jevelene," Maks told him as he looked ahead at Jevelene, her hair brushed clean and tied in a neat bun, her smile dazzling. 

"Did you sleep well?" She asked him.
"I suppose so," He smiled at her. As they reached the carriage, the coachman waiting at the door, held Jevelene by her hand and helped her in. Ariel was dressed in a navy blue long coat and black trousers with a black chemise. As he sat inside the carriage, he looked at her. She squirmed into her green dress, her freckles almost seemed like those little threads winding out of hibiscus flowers, white all over with pink little dots, like sprinkles of star dust. Even when all the world around them was grey, she brought colour in his eyes. For a moment, as they were alone in that carriage, Ariel was thrilled. 

She would be there, and he would not be uncouth. She hung between his irreconcilable yearnings for both an immediate intimacy and a simultaneous controlling detachment, between his desire to abandon and his watchful self-consciousness that wouldn't let him be someone who would hurt her eventually. This was a woman, he told himself, who deserved to be happy. And he knew he had the power to make her happy. And he told himself he would. And only he could.

Soon, Aleksei and Maks joined them in the carriage. Ariel was agitated, "Who is Mrs Winston?"
"A lady who would change your fates," With this vague explanation, the chariot would lead them to Escola Royal Academy. As they sat before the aforementioned lady, Aleksei sat on a chair on the side of the table, with Maks standing behind him, his hands crossed behind him. Mrs Winston offered them tea and biscuits, she then asked them to introduce themselves. 

"I'm Ajax, son of Aphrodite," .
Miss Winston smiled, "Your eyes are very bold, it's a beautiful shade of green,"
"It's turquoise blue," Ariel did not fancy her. He only knew she would change his fate, but would she be his benefactor, he was yet to access. 
"I'm Jevelene, daughter of Skadi," 

"Both of them, demigods?"
"Jevelene has not manifested her sila," Aleksei told her, "But Ariel, or Ajax as he calls himself, does have a strong sila that he can manipulate quite well,"
"So," Mrs Winston closed her legs, "The lady cannot fight, but the gentleman can,"
"It would seem so,"

Mrs Winston reached her drawer and pulled out a paper, "You both must be quite confused as to why you are here-"
"We're not," Ariel interrupted her, "I know exactly why I am here," He looked at Aleksei, "You told me you'd find me a new home, and you bring me to this little school that nobody cares about. You educated us at the monastery quite enough, I'm not falling for your traps any longer. I don't want to have an education, sir. Books irk me. Rather, as I told you before, I want to learn the art of using weapons, I want to fight. I do not have the time or the luxury for scholarly endeavors." He turned to Mrs Winston, "And I do not think there is anything worthwhile that a weak mortal like you can teach me, so if you pardon me, I'd like to take my leave," 

Jevelene was stunned. Finally, when she thought Ariel had calmed down and given up the idea of being a warrior, she was proven wrong. 

"Ariel, stop this instant!" Aleksei ordered him but he didn't listen. He opened the door and a tall, lanky man stood at the door. His hair was dark, his eyes a light shade of brown, "So, you want to be a warrior and you have told yourself that we aren't worthy of being your teachers?" He said.

Mrs Winston got up, "I didn't think you'd come here so early!" He looked at up at her, "Akagi!"

"Get out of my way," Ariel warned him.
"Sit down. I've been asked to talk to you,"
"Ha!" Ariel seemed angry, "Who are you to order me around? I shall do whatever I want!"
"You lack of manners is utterly deplorable," Akagi sighed, "Do it, then," He crossed his arms, "Reach me once," Ariel looked confused,  "What?"
"You can use any means possible. You just have to pluck a hair out of my head. You have three minutes, I won't attack you in that time. Don't hold back. You must act fast in those three minutes, because after that, I won't hold back,"

-To be continued