Aqila sighed. She hadn't felt this level of relief in several days. It was early afternoon as she laid her beloved mentor, Zeroun, to rest. A wave of peace and purpose finally claimed her. After hearing a blaring screech, she looked up to the sky. The large wings of a dasher cast a shadow upon her.

Upon landing, she was pleased with the presence of who had arrived.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm feeling a lot better now, thanks Kavi," the pair briefly embraced before she gently brushed her fingers against Talon's feathery face. "I appreciate you making sure Talon was alright. He looks a lot better now."

"Anything for you," he sat in the lush green grass of the valley and ran his hands across the young green blades. Aqila sat down beside him and stared into the distance. "Are you really okay?"

"I'm trying to be. I miss Zeroun immensely, and it hasn't even been a full day. I feel a little lost about everything I am now."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not just a seer. I'm a legend too. Zeroun knew the whole time about my vision, and he told me that I had to go through that ordeal in Avala to see my true potential. He said I was so focused on being a seer that I was not open to my destiny. If this was just about becoming a seer, I would feel ready. I feel ready to be a seer, but I'm unsure if I have what it takes to be a legend. In school and in my training, I've learned a lot about the previous legends, and the truth is it is not an easy role. It's a lot of responsibility."

"It is a lot of responsibility, and I can't imagine a better suitor for this destiny than you," he laid his head on her lap, looking straight into her silver eyes. "The Universe chose you for this, they wouldn't choose you if you couldn't do it, and that is what I believe. I feel like you are also worried about what the future may bring. And I want you to know that I'm here for you, supporting you every step. Your destiny as a seer and a legend makes me love you even more and makes me want to fight to secure our future." Aqila looked away and wiped her eyes. Kavi slowly sat up and reached out for her hand.

"I wasn't sure if you would be okay with me being a legend too. I'm not sure if your parents will still allow us to get married," she sobbed.

Kavi embraced her, "It's alright, love, let me take your fears away. Nothing is going to happen to us. I have already talked to my parents. When I left, I requested a leave of absence to get you, and I had to report to them when I returned. Zeroun had already written to them explaining that he was about to pass the sight to you and make you a full seer. He also told them about you being the legend and that your role would be different than any other seer before you. When they told me this, I was preparing myself to fight for our marriage and future, but to my surprise, they told me of their specific requests for our wedding. Aqila, the wedding is still on. There will be a plethora of things that will leave you worried, but you don't ever have to worry about us."

Kavi ran his fingers through her hair and wiped away her tears, "Thank you, I feel so much better now," she sniffled.

"Now, we have one last quest before we can officially start our wedding arrangements."

"What's that?"

"Aqila, my dear, what kind of man would I be if I didn't receive your father's permission to wed you?"

"You're going to meet my parents?"

"No, we're going to your parents today, if you're up to it," Kavi smiled.

"Of course I am! Are we leaving now?"

"If you have wrapped things up here, we can go."

Aqila looked back to the beautiful green valley. All the seers of the past were buried here. Once she passed on from the physical world, she would be buried here. Emet was right. She did find peace after burying Zeroun. She would forever miss his physical presence. However, he died so she could live. And for that, she was thankful.

"I'm finished here. I'm ready," she replied.

The pair mounted their respective dashers and gracefully took flight into the Kashmalan skies.

"Do you know where my parents live?"

"In an isolated mountain on the border of Kashmala and Wyndhm," he replied, the breeze weaving through his stone gray hair. The pair flew in silence. Quiet is not necessarily a bad thing, but this was an awkward silence. Kavi and Aqila would periodically glance at each other from the corner of their eye, only to look away. The truth of the matter was they were both nervous about the meeting.

"Are you okay," she asked Kavi.

"Yeah, I guess I'm a little uneasy. I don't really know them. I barely remember them. I was like three when you were born. I want to make a good impression. I don't want to be the reason this relationship falls through."

"Trust me, I don't believe anything will fall through. I think they'll like you just as much as I do."

"Is that so? Then what are you so nervous about?"

"I don't know. I want them to like me for what I am. I don't want to disappoint them. They may have other children by now, and at this point, it may be impossible to create a bond with them. I've gone through so many firsts without them and want to experience things with them; however, realistically, that may not even be possible."

"Don't stress about it. Stressing about things is not the Windmaster way. We address things for what they are. I know it may be a little challenging. Yes, that's possible, but what if that's not the case? What if they see you and immediately want to bring you into the fold of their lives? That's possible too," he chuckled, "I guess we both have been getting a little worked up without a good reason. Why don't we focus on the present, do our best, and see how things go," Kavi suggested.

"That's a great idea. By the way, how are your parents doing?"

"Busy as usual. They were heated about what happened to you in Avala. I rarely see my father angry, so it was unbelievable to see him upset. Things have been peaceful in Kashmala and Wyndhm. Still, they are considering adding a university to Wyndhm because Kashmala's university is nearing max capacity. Wyndhm is on the fence about it. They seem to enjoy being the creative capital of the world. So they have been busy with that. My mother is over the moon about the wedding, so she was borderline threatening me to make sure this goes well."

Aqila laughed, "You know how much she loves weddings."

"Yeah, she does. Look up ahead. We're almost there," Kavi pointed to the mountain that was lightly covered in snow.

"Is this where all seer parents go?"

"Yeah, this is where they all go. It's actually a nice place. It is huge with plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms, in case they have more children. And they are not confined here completely, they can travel to the first few towns in Wyndhm, but that's all." The pair landed their dashers on the mountain cliff. After dismounting, they slowly approached the off-white door of the mountainside home.

"You want to knock," Kavi asked.

Aqila slowly nodded and proceeded to knock on the door. They heard footsteps hurry to the door, and it slowly opened. A teenage boy stood in the doorframe. He had warm brown skin and light gray eyes. His ash gray hair was short with loose curls, "Who are you?"

"I'm Kavi, Son of Akash and Sufa of Kashmala. Are Cirocco and Brisa of Kashmala available? We are here on state business," Kavi jumped to the point.

"The teenager eyed them carefully, "Yes, come inside." Aqila and Kavi walked inside, taking in the cozy living area. "They are in the kitchen, wait here, and I'll get them."

The house interior was lovely, and the walls were light gray. The furniture was soft, off-white, and downy. The windows were large enough to allow substantial light in without a lamp. As they were observing the details of the decor, a man and woman entered. The man's complexion was rich golden brown. He looked about seven feet and six inches, with long dark gray hair and silver eyes. The woman was a little shorter than six feet, but an inch or two. Her skin was warm, soft brown, likened to sugar cubes. Her ash gray hair was pulled into a tight bun with a gold hairpin with an orange drop. They saw Kavi first, but when their eyes fell upon Aqila, they quickly rushed towards her.

"Aqila? Is it really you, "Cirocco asked.

"Of course, I would know these eyes anywhere. My baby girl," her mother cooed, gently caressing Aqila's face, her ash-gray eyes lovingly gazing at her daughter. They both embraced her. "Look at her. Isn't she just wonderful?"

Her father looked around, "Athens, come here," he called.

The teenage boy entered, "Yes, father?"

"Meet your sister, Aqila," Brisa beamed.

Aqila waved at Athens. He awkwardly waved back, "Nice to meet you, sis. So, being here means you've finished that seer training?"

"Yes, my training is complete, and I am a full seer."

Her mother wiped her teary eyes. Cirocco looked Kavi up and down, "So you're Kavi, you take after your father a lot."

"Thank you, I get that a lot. My father and mother sent their love and warm regards. Tomorrow evening they are hosting a private dinner for you to discuss your current and future living arrangements."

"That's incredible. I haven't spent time with your father and mother in such a long time. It would be our pleasure," Cirocco replied.

"Awe love, look, Aqila has a hairpin. Who's the special man?"

Kavi coughed abruptly. Aqila patted his back, "Are you okay," she whispered.

He nodded, "Why the special man would be me. That was the state business that I needed to discuss with you."

Cirocco and Brisa looked at each other with raised eyebrows and looked back at Kavi and Aqila, looking them up and down. There was a slight frown on their faces. She instinctively intertwined her hand with Kavi's, and he gently squeezed her hand. It seemed like the pair had stopped breathing for several moments. Had they done something wrong? Made a bad impression?

Aqila's parents burst into laughter. "Did you see their face? They looked like they could have passed out on the spot," Cirocco bellowed.

Brisa was trying to catch her breath, "That was a classic. Remember how my parents did us? Don't worry, my dear, Aqila, go spend time with Athens while we converse with Kavi." Athens proceeded to the door and motioned for her to follow him, and he looked at her and Kavi's dashers.

"Nice, you have Great Gray owls. My dasher is a Snowy owl, and her name is Winter. What's their name?"

"Talon is mine, Sterling is Kavi's," Aqila replied, "Are you going to school?"

"Yeah, I'm finishing my Associates in Horticulture Science, then I will resume my apprenticeship before going on to Advanced studies. How about you?"

"Well, I started my seer training at ten, but I had finished Applied Astronomy by that time. I skipped a grade early on and finished the Applied program in a year."

"So my sister is a seer and crazy smart. I like it. How old are you?"

"Twenty, and you?"

"Sixteen, but I'm turning seventeen soon in May."

Aqila giggled to hear how excited he was for his upcoming birthday, "How do you like it out here?"

"It's nice, really. We don't get as much interaction, but I go to school in Kashmala, so that's nice. The state financially takes care of us. It's not like a complete exile or anything. So we never needed anything. It was awesome. We just didn't know how long it would take for you to finish. I heard it could take a really long time."

"Well, it varies depending on teacher and student," Aqila replied, reflecting on Zeroun.

"Who's the fiance? You know you have to give me the details. He's not that tall, though."

"Please, he's the average height, and you are literally only like an inch taller," she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Taller is taller, and besides, I still have time to grow," Athens joked, "You think he's the one?"

"Without a shadow of a doubt."

"What makes you say that?"

"We have gone through so much together. We started school together. He's supported me through all the phases of my apprenticeship, the ups and downs. Actually, deciding to get married was a little scary. Kavi is in line to become the next ruler, so his parents, reasonably so, really wanted to make sure we were serious. And prepared in case I could not finish my training within a reasonable timeframe. It was a lot of pressure, but he worked just as hard as I did for us to have a future together."

"That's nice. I could tell he was trying to protect you when I opened the door. I just didn't know why at the time. Well, this is a nice change of events. Mom and dad always talked about you. In their hearts and minds, you were very much alive and a part of the family. They will be happy to get back in the swing of things in Kashmala. I think they liked it here but are ready to return home."

"I want that for them too," Aqila smiled. "Hey, Athens, are you a Storm?"

"No, are you?"

"Yeah, I was just wondering."

"I know, but no father is a Storm. So you're smart, a Seer, a Storm, anything else," Athens joked.

"Well, actually, there is. I'm also a Legend," Aqila said.

Athens stopped in his tracks, "What? Is that even possible? You're a --- the Legend of the Windmasters?"

"Yeah, I just found out, but that's our family secret." Athens' eyes beamed.

"The family secret is safe with me. Even though we just met, you're really awesome," Athen smiled.

"Aww, that means a lot to me. I really like you too. I was scared that I wouldn't fit in after all of this time. I wasn't sure if my parents had forgotten about me or if they had many other children and wouldn't have time for me. Seeing that I matter to you really means a lot."

"You know mom and dad were worried too. They said that a lot of times, Seers don't seek out their families after training. Their parents would just get a notice from the state that they are welcome to return. I thought that was horrible, but father said that your child doesn't know you at all. Depending on the state of things, they must fight to perform their duty to the best of their ability. It means a lot to us that you even made time to make the trip."

Aqila felt pressure behind her eyes and immediately began to see images flash before her eyes. Never before had the sight come so easily, and it stopped her in her tracks. She saw her paralysis in Avala, and then she saw a syringe before the images flashed to Jai at Tora's house. Emet's voice was likened to a whisper, "Your experience could be helpful here."

The images ceased, and Aqila looked around to see Athens staring at her in disbelief, "You just had a vision! Your eyes got all bright and flashy. You were so still! What did you see, what did you see?"

"I can't tell you, Athens, but I need to prepare to leave," Aqila gently replied.

"Yes, ma'am! Duty calls!"

The siblings hurried back to the mountain house. They were met by Kavi, "Are you okay? I heard you talking."

"You heard us?"

"Kavi has stellar hearing, Athens. Have you finished already?"

Cirocco and Brisa appeared, "Kavi sensed that something was up, and we decided to continue our discussion when we come to visit for dinner," her father replied.