The last of the sun shrink over the horizon as XRenia and the four women who went shopping with her walked out of a portal and into court yard in front of her palace.

"Good evening," her grandfather said as he nodded at them took the last step down into the courtyard, opened his own rift and disappeared through it.

She reached out for Verin and found him somewhere underneath the palace. "Verin?"

"Not my name," he moaned back semi-unconscious.

She empties the food seeds and other random paraphernalia they had bought out of her dimensional inventory and placed it on the ground for the men to take care of and shot off into her palace.

She dashed through her throne room into the long hall and down the hole in the floor she had made that morning.

The make shift training ground looked like a category five hurricane had ravaged it; quite a few of the pillars had chunks taken out of them, her whipped together war room had been obliterated and where the eastern wall of the underground chamber had been a massive cavern now replaced it. She raised her hand forming a light and flew into the cavern that had been crafted by some forum of explosive.

Verin lay siting against the circular wall at the far end of it.

She floated down to him and sat beside him as she asked, "How do you feel?"

He looked up at her and with a half-smile and said, "Like your Grandpa summoned a herd of elephants and trampled me with them."

She laughed and scooted closer.

He laid his head on her shoulder as he said, "You know at one point he teleported us to the sun and tossed me in, Just so I learn to forum a proper shield."

"No, he didn't!" she laughed

"Well it felt like it. And that solar flare was close enough."

"Wait, What?"

Verin waved his hand and the dirt at his feet fell away revealing a small sphere shining so bright it forced her to turn away as it light up the entire cavern. Verin motioned with his fingers lifting it up and thickening the shield around it so it was not so eye burning bright.

The small sphere floated through the air till it was in arms reach as he said, "It's a fragment of the sun. Your grandfather said you can use it to power your palace just like he uses his own to power his."

She stared at the small sun blazing in front of her in dumb shock then turned and wrapped her arms around Verin. "Thank you," she whispered. It was the nicest thing anyone is ever given her.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

His skin was cool to the touch and he had been sweating but he smelled nice something like freshly plowed earth, it was a weird smell but somehow it instantly became her favorite smell and she breathe deep pulling herself even closer to him.

After some time said, "It's too bad that we won't get to use it here."

She uncoiled and sat back down beside him. "So you know about us having to take over our own regions after the war."

He nodded. "It was hard not to listen in, though your Grandfather let me have it bad every time I lost focus. That's kinda how this cavern happened," he said with a sheepish smile glancing around at the rock and dirt then continued, "But to be honest with you the whole ruling thing isn't what bothers me most with your grandma's plan. It's the wiping every one else out that makes my skin crawl, I mean most of those people in her scryins were either every day security guards or politicians, almost every one of them is a noncombatant!"

She leaned her head against the wall and gazed up at the scorch marks on the roof of the cavern as she said, "I know. But what are we supposed to do? Let them kill us? I mean my Dad already tried everything he could to avoid this and I messed it up royally."

He placed his hand on hers and slowly entwined his fingers with hers as he said, "Maybe we could do what Archlend did."

She brought her eyes down from the ceiling and looked at him. "What? Leave for space?"

"Ya. I learned this one way deep space rift spell while you slept in my arms this morning. Maybe if we–?"

She shook her head cutting him off. "No, my Grandfather would never allow it and without his help we could never amass the type of resources we need to survive. It'd be a death sentence."

"Oh, ya I hadn't thought about that," Verin said his enthusiasm draining away.

"Not only that," she continued. "If I was forced to leave the planet it only incite the war now."

He frowned. "Why do you say that?

"Something about the way Father was acting," she answered. "I think if I up and left with things as they are now the citizens of Terra would tear down Dad's wall and throw them self's against Brokon's army in pure rage."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Terra's people have always been very nationalistic even before it was the Badlands."

"I see," he said as he sighed and leaned his head back and they both stared up at the ceiling together in silence.

"So... Just what did King Brokon say?" he asked as he absentmindedly played with the small fragment of the sun swishing it back and forth so it cast long oblong shadows of the pillars on the far other end of the wall.

"Beats me. But it had my Dad more mad or upset rather then I have ever seen him."

"Hello?" a tiny female voice called bouncing around the cavernous space. "Your highnesses suppers ready."

XRenia gazed off in the distance to see a women's head sticking down through the hole in the ceiling.

A giant smile spread across Verin's face. "You know we should probably make some stairs and a proper entrance to this place instead of just a hole in the floor."

She laughed, stood up, dusted her hands off and reached down to help him up, but as he tried to stand his legs gave out from underneath him.

She raised an eyebrow. "To tired to even stand up?"

"I guess so," he said staring at his disobedient legs.

She laughed again. "Your soo going to be sore in the morning."

"I hope not. Your Grandpa stuffed half a ton of vile tasting herb concoction down my throat, just so I won't be. I hate to have going through that horrible torture for nothing."

"O he didn't!" she exclaimed. Her Grandfather had tried to make her drink his concoction once and she had nearly threw-up in his face it tasted so bad.

He shook his head. "He did," he said pushing the memory at her.

She pulled back in revulsion. "Hey don't push that on me I want nothing to do with something so vile."

He laughed and lovingly ran his thumb along her hand he was still holding as he smiled up at her.

She blushed.

"Hello?" The voice called again. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," XRenia called back as she used her magic to lift Verin. "And we're coming."

***

XRenia woke with a start the next morning as she felt some one portal right into the middle of her domain, then she realized it was her Grandfather coming to continue Verin's training and she laid her head back down. However a few minute latter her grandfather knocked on her oversized door and commanded. "Get up!"

"What? Why?" she called back.

Her Grandfather opened her door and strolled in Verin trudging behind him looking like he was half asleep. "Because you will be joining us in today's training session."

"What? Why?" she said again.

"Because the first of the coalition's army has already started to gather and it is imperative both of you know how to fully connect properly. Normally you should have a year to get use to your bond before you try to see and feel through each other's senses but we don't have the luxury of such time. Now get up, get dressed and meet us under your palace," Her grandfather replied and left the room with Verin in tow.

She floated out of her bed and waved her hand at the door slamming it behind them as they left.

"I'm sorry," Verin told her. But as he spoke to her through their connection she felt his nervousness.

"That's alight," She replied wandering why he was so nervous as she glided over to were one of the woman had placed her cloths after cleaning them.

Verin followed her Granddad down the hole she had made into the palaces underground and shifted in uneasiness. "So what exactly is he going to have us do?"

Try as he might he couldn't stop the memory of them both floating naked in the cocoon from surfacing. Her cheeks flushed and she pulled her cloths tight to herself as they dressed them self's about her.

"No!" she exclaimed out load. "My grandpa is not that type of man he wouldn't make us do something like... that.." her words trailed off at least she didn't think he would. Truth was she didn't have a clue what this training was going to entail neither her father nor her mother ever talked about it.

She tried to push the thought and Verin from her mind as she finished dressing but when she went to open the door her hand froze.

No, he wouldn't have them do anything embarrassing. She reassured herself and left the room.

She flew down the hall and into the underground chamber where Verin and her Grandfather were waiting.

And the wide open space seemed to close in about her as her Grandfather motioned for her to stand a few feet in front of Verin and face him.

He fidgeted nervously trying not to look at her or let her see what he was thinking.

Her Grandfather nodded at them then raised his hand and formed a circular shield around the three of them.

"Wait what are you doing?" XRenia blurted as the spherical shield turned creamy white then solidified becoming completely opaque reminding her entirely too much of the bonding ceremony's cocoon.

"Its best if you two have as little distractions as possible," he said as he stepped back through his shield leaving them alone in the awkwardly familiar surroundings.

"Both of you stop that fidgeting, and walk closer to each other," his voice commanded from outside the shield

Her heart ponded in her chest as she slowly took a step closer to Verin.

"Stop being shy and get closer to each other," her Grandfather barked in agitation.

Verin swallowed hard and stepped closer till his legs were against her legs and she could feel his shaky breath on her neck and feel his heart ponding in his chest.

"Now Vifctif you take her hands and both of you look each other in the eyes."

Verin rubbed his hands along her fingers and her breath caught in her lungs as she looked into his eyes.

They both stared into each other's eyes and XRenia heard her heart beating in her ears as her blood raced through her system and her hands felt like they were suddenly on fire. All five of her senses flared to life and she could feel his ever touch, smell his sweet breath, hear his own heart pounding away, and taste his desire to kiss her.

She pressed herself even closer to him but as she did so his lower regain brushed up against her and he started to pull away.

Suddenly the spherical shield flooded with her Grandfathers magic and he pushed them together. "Good now open your self's up to each other," he told them.

"What!?" she blurted not believing her own ears.

"Your minds girl, open your minds to each other."

"Oh," she muttered and looked back up into Verin's eyes

She opened her mind and mentally poked at the barrier Verin had got so good at putting between them.

She felt a flux of slight fear then he dropped the barrier, at once she felt his joy and all-encompassing passion for her and the heart pounding nervousness he felt from being so close and intimate with her. Then his love washed over her and his absolute desire to wrap her in his arms and to never let her go.

She stared up into his eyes in wonderment. "You.. you love me?"

He fidgeted. "I ah... kinda have since the moment I meant you," He said letting his memories of their meeting touch her.

They rushed through her and she felt how his breath had caught in his lungs the moment he seen her how his heart had thumbed and his hands became clammy. She smiled to herself as he struggled to find something to talk to her about and she felt her own heart ache as his did when she got up to leave and then the amazing joy he felt when they had bonded.

"See," he said with a shaky smile.

Her heart swelled within her and it felt like they left their bodies behind as their minds mingled his memories becoming hers and hers his.

Then she felt his lips meet hers as they kissed.

"Ahh Kids.." Her Grandfather cursed, his magic pulling away. "I'll be waiting up stairs. Let me know when you two are done wasting time."

She smiled as she wrapped her arms around Verin and her Granddads presence vanished.

His hands slid up her side and one caressed her cheek as the other softly held the back of her neck. She leaned her head to the side and breathed deep of his earthen smell letting the rest of the world away.

But as they kissed she felt something nagging at that back of Verin's mind something he couldn't push away, there was someone he desperately wanted her to meet someone just as important to him as she was.

She slowly pulled back and looked up into his eyes. "Who?" she asked her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Jesus," he answered.

Her mind did a double take as she scrambled to understand. "The mage that died thousands of years ago?"

"He wasn't a mage he was the son of God. And he came to earth and died on the cross and rose from the dead so that we may have a personal relationship with him and his father. And one day he's coming back again."

Verin sounded like he lost his mind but she could feel he believed what he just said with every fiber of his being.

"I.. ah.. I don't understand," she muttered.

"O Father please help me tell her about you," He said in his mind, his heart quacking, as if he was talking to her even though he obviously wasn't.

Suddenly she felt an outside force touch his mind and coax him on giving him peace and confidence.

She pulled away and stared at him in disbelief, "WHAT! Was that!"

He smiled at her. "That was God. I talk with him just as I talk with you and he talks to me to though I can't always hear him so clearly."

She took another step back, "You're bonded with another mage?"

His eyebrows scrunched together, "I guess so of sorts. I asked him into my heart years ago and he had been with me ever since. Though as I said he's not a mage he's God almighty the one who created everything."

If she hadn't felt it herself she would have thought Verin had lost his mind but there was no denying it now her bond mate had a connection with another being and from the little bit she felt he was unimaginably powerful; like obliterate her with a single thought powerful.

Verin stepped forward and took her hand as he said, "And I want you to know him as I know him."

Her heart stuttered and her hands became clammy at the thought of meeting or knowing some one that powerful much less having him in her head.

"God's not like that he not like you or me, hes... well the best way to describe him is love an all-powerful loving father."

She looked down at the sandy reddish floor. "I don't know," she muttered. "I'm just not ready for something like that yet."

He nodded and took her in his arms once again pulling her close. She leaned into him and laid her head against his chest.

After a few moments he placed his finger under her chin and lifted her head. He stared lovingly into her eyes and softly leaned down and kissed her again.

She closed her eye and–

"All right you two," her Grandma said as she stepped into spherical shield. "If you two want to play patsy you can do it after we defeat the coalition and take over the world."

XRenia nearly jumped out of her skin as she pulled away from Verin and blurted, "Grandma? What are you doing here?"

"I am here because you two were making your Grandfather very uncomfortable. He was trying to teach you how to use each other's five senses without losing control of your own body but all you two love birds want do is stick your mouths all over each there."

XRenia blushed and quickly said, "I am sorry Grandma."

"I a... I'm sorry too," Verin said belatedly.

"Don't get me wrong were all happy to see that you two have made up, but now's not the time for lovemaking. The world's armies are upon us and we have much to prepare, you two especially."

"All?" XRenia asked trepidatiously.

Her grandmother smiled from ear to ear at her. "Yes your mother was overjoyed to hear that you made it right with Vifctif though my son was a little sour when your grandfather told him you two were kissing."

Her and Verin glanced at each other and she felt her face turn a rosy red as she blushed. Having seemingly omniscient grandparents and parents really did suck.

Her Grandmother chuckled to herself and said, "Alright then. Now I have seen you, Casara connect with Vifctif when he was in pain the other day but as these things usually go you lost control of your own body. The reason for that is because you mind even though it is capable of receiving and controlling multiple inputs it has grown use to only using one set of senses at a time so when it suddenly presented with two it chooses the one that is screaming more information at it."

Trying to regain some composure Verin said, "So you want us to try and connect slowly and coax are minds into receiving and understanding both of our senses at once?"

"I do," her grandmother said. "And please keep the googly eyes to a minimum. Unlike your Grandfather I won't hesitate to pull you two part if you don't."

XRenia took Verin's hand and turned towards him as she said, "You know if Gandfather would have explained what he wanted us to do before he shoved us to gather it wouldn't have been so awkward."

"Yes dear I know. And I love Mathis to death however he is always assuming others should naturally come to the same logical conclusion he has and so he often forget to explain things properly."

If that isn't the truth, Verin thought a couple of his memories surfacing from his training yesterday when XRenia's Grandfather had told him to do something without explain what he was actually supposed to do.

"No if you two would try and pleas keep it platonic."

They nodded and turned to look at each other in the eyes. Verin's mind opened to her and she felt all his joy of being with her once again but he pushed it aside and mentally prodded her towards his eyes. She took a deep breath and focused on them. Suddenly she could see her self-looking at him and at the same time see him then everything kind of rolled as her mind became disorientated and she started to fall to the ground.

Verin caught her with his magic.

"Thank you," she muttered as she rubbed at her eyes watching herself do it from his eyes.

She took a deep breath and closed her left eye trying to make things less confusing and that's when she noticed that everything was a lot brighter through Verin's view as if his eye's naturally absorbed more light.

"Hey did you know this?" she blurted

He shook his head causing his eyesight to swoosh back and forth making her dizzy. "No, I thought everyone else saw things the same way I do but you see better than I do your eyes are so sharp I can see the hairs on my none-existent beard."

She laughed.

"Good now try touch," her Grandma said.

***

For the rest of the day they practiced using each other's senses then the next morning her Grandfather woke them up bright and early and they helped him hollow out a massive space underground where, her, Verin and the rest of her family practiced her Grandma's plan endlessly for the next couple of days none stop.

XRenia barley had time to think much less be alone with Verin even though that's all she found herself wanting to do. He had some strange beliefs and ideals but he was without the best man she could ever know and every time they were able touch each other or just be beside one another her heart leapt. To her surprise her Mom and Dad seemed to like him too, she even found herself a bit jealous at how much they deferred to him and readily listened to his suggestions.

"Stop!" her grandmother barked as Verin and her Father flew right past the area that signified a rift to the next segment of her grandma's simulated enemy capital.

She glided over o them, "You two just flew off into the city reveling are presence to the whole world!"

"I'm sorry," Verin said landing on a large rock out cropping that currently had a holographic field around it denoting it as a skyscraper. "I was talking and distracted us."

Her grandmother didn't seem too pleased with his excuse and she was frowning at him when XRenia's Mom said something to her grandfather.

Her grandma look back at them and it seemed as if here grandparents were communicating but after a moment he grandfather said. "It's time to call it a day. It might be only noon here but it's getting late in Terra and we all need to rest up for the battle to come."

With that statement here granddad opened a rift and her mom dad and grandma nodded and flew through it.

"Get some rest you two," her grandfather said as he followed them.

XRenia frowned as the portal closed behind them. "That was a bit sudden."

"I think they have some things the need to get ready before the big fight tomorrow," Verin said as he floated over to her.

He kissed her on the top of her forehead as he landed besides her taking her hand. "We have some time before we have to hit the sack, how about we get washed up and we do something together?"

Her eyes twinkled as she looked at him, "Like what?"

He combed her hair with is left hand and his own eyes sparkled as he said, "I'll tell you after you get changed."

She leaned up and kissed him briefly. "Deal," she said as she pushed open a rift.