-Callen-

  Working our way out of the estate, a familiar sight came into view. It was the servant quarters where Mom had raised us growing up. Further down the path I saw the shed that we had been locked in. It felt almost ironic that the same people who drove us out of this place had, in a convoluted manner, saved us from this disaster. Assuming that the butterflies of cause and effect hadn’t been responsible for this disaster in the first place. I let go of the grudge that I hadn’t even known was resting in my heart as we left the manor and made our way through the deserted streets.

  Soon we stood at the western gate, and I felt a faint anticipation as I realized this would be the farthest from Port Town we had ever been. The others didn’t notice, but me and Callia both silently felt like we had just popped some kind of bubble that had isolated us from the greater world.

  The path ahead was overgrown even more so than the road between Eldraine and Portten. Merchant travel between domains required approval from the nobility in the form of soft power and control that enabled nobles to pressure their neighbors but also maintain control over the flow of people. This kind of regulation didn’t apply to groups like ours, which consisted of only combat personnel, but the resettlement of fallen cities and villages was often something that was mandated by a region's overlord. In our case it would be the duke who would eventually authorize the resettlement of Eldraine City. Though the name will likely change in accordance with whoever takes power.

  To clear the way for the less acrobatically inclined guards, Callia and I tried experimenting. Using her ability to pass along affinity energy with the bond affinity channel skill and a careful application of mana control to form strings feeding decay energy into the plants. It was a bit slower than I would’ve liked, but it wasn’t particularly taxing. We kept a pace similar to the one we had earlier. The only issue was Callia having to try splitting her focus between walking and channeling energy. Which eventually got her one of my favorite skills: dual concentration. In the meantime Lexia and Freema took over the scouting work.

  With how well most predators on the roads tend to hide, I’m not sure how helpful she was going so far ahead—we could barely see her. I suspected she had another reason for distancing from the group. However, whatever the reason was, she would have to deal with it because, just as I suspected, we were attacked by monsters waiting in ambush along the road.

  Massive rats the size of a golden retriever with a variety of strange skills that would help them blend like a chameleon or disappear in shadows. Killing them wasn’t the hard part, but it did slow our group, and one of the younger guards even got a nasty bite to the leg. With how quickly his wound festered and rotted, if I wasn’t a healer, amputation would’ve been the only means of saving him.

  Whatever Lexia’s problem, she would have to deal with it while scouting and clearing from a more effective distance than the horizon. Her expression seemed upset but also strangely excited. The chill in my instincts softly returned, but I ignored it in favor of pushing on. As the day grew late, I finally saw the edge of the lake. A small stone platform was next to the path, clearly intended to function as a rest point that wouldn’t overgrow like the paths themselves.

  While a night shift likely would’ve sufficed to keep away any threats through the night, I couldn’t help but make use of my latest addition to the void space. A full-size stone shelter complete with roof access for whoever is on guard duty and a runic door. Inside I had a dozen cots and a small fireplace. I probably could’ve made it more luxurious, but I only had so much time to spare between this, restocking my weapons, and governing a city that was tugging at its leash, testing for weaknesses.

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  The next two days passed much the same, and eventually the walls of a small town came into sight. I couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Lexia had been gradually becoming more and more strung up. I suspected that she took regular breaks in the woods to hunt because she was uncomfortable near people. I was even beginning to regret making her stick closer to the team while scouting. The long, intense stares she gave when she thought I wasn’t paying attention were more than unsettling enough to need a break.

  As we got closer to the town, I called out to the group, announcing a three-day break since the constant vigilance on the road was taking a toll. It was a bit of an awkward explanation, and if Lexia hadn’t been tense lately, I wouldn’t have planned it. We did, however, have more than enough money after our visit to Eldraine. The gate inspectors came out to greet us, and seeing Lexia, they immediately let out a cheer. While checking us over, they shared the story of Lexia coming to their town right as a beast tide struck and threatened to overwhelm them. She saved the town and encouraged all the youth to aspire to greatness after. A town-wide trial to seek any talents in town after she saved it. After declaring everyone a failure, she left, which had invigorated the youth to try harder.

  Looking at Lexia, I think for perhaps the first time I saw her blushing awkwardly while the man sang all sorts of praises for her. They had been worried when news of the Hive Worm reached them, and they feared the worst when she didn’t return in the following weeks. With the town's hero returning, we soon settled in one of the nicest inns in the town. Lexia bolted away at the first chance she got while we got acquainted with the town. Hearing we were Lexia’s travelling companions sparked a massive competition in which all the people who had trained rigorously since our departure wanted to know what made us worthy of travelling with their hero.

  I wish I could be more gentle about it, but the poor souls didn’t stand a chance after Callia eagerly accepted their challenges. At the very least I got more practice on emergency healing. Neither the kids nor the adults lasted long, and it even escalated to the point where the knight charged with protection of the town stood up to challenge Callia. The man was a swordsman who followed the typical path of mastering sword aura, but his twist was an unusual focus on vitality to forcefully pin an attacker by sacrificing his body. Sadly that was a very poor matchup for Callia, who easily put arrows in every joint in his armor. Thankfully the odd man didn’t mind losing the fight, instead opting to reward Callia with a small feast.

  News of a dangerous migratory monster known as the Thunder Stag near the path to the west cancelled our original plan. The Thunder Stag was a monster similar in status to the Great Bear and typically deemed not a direct threat, as it avoided settlements. However, the people who crossed paths with it would have to turn back or be killed for threatening its herd. Therefore, we had to make a potentially several week-long detour through the northern roads.

  Quiet Home

  Ela hummed softly as she cleaned the corners of Callia’s room. Now that they were away, it was the perfect opportunity to go through all the niche corners that the twins always insisted they cleaned. Callen had given her all kinds of reminders regarding which runes to use and the alternatives available that he couldn’t maintain while gone. For instance, his toilet rune involved dumping waste into his space, but the runes for that wore out much faster. The alternative had been added after the town sewage system was constructed, so it was more of a luxury to erase the waste instead of flushing it.

  Ela eventually slowed down and stopped at a small photo Callen had made of the family hugging after Marek’s hands had been replaced by Callen’s prosthetics. It was made with runes and memories so the accuracy matched the work of some professional painters. Gently she caressed the photo as she sat down in reminiscence. The quiet of the house was almost deafening, but a small innocent voice broke that silence.

  “MAMA,” Little Rylin called out to her from the playpen that Callia and Callen had carefully designed. Ela’s concerns flew away as she went over and picked up the now much heavier Rylin. He giggled while she held him close.

  “Ungry,” Together Ela and Rylin went to the kitchen, where she got him soup. Her sorrow and loneliness were forgotten as she cared for him. So many years of living with Callen and Callia made the quiet something difficult to adjust to. Still, the twins would soon be old enough to move out, and with how Crescent and Callen's relationship was progressing, it might be sooner than later. It was a sour feeling of a mix of joy and sorrow.