Chương 105: Chapter 104: In Case You Change Your Mind

Monday morning came at a rapid pace. The alarm went off at six, but I was already awake. This time, when I swung my legs off the bed and stood, the cottage didn't feel as empty as before. I went through my workout routine, followed by a shower and a great, black coffee; my usual morning ritual. The sky outside was grey, the pavement damp from the night's rain, but the weather didn't affect my mood at all; I was humming a melody throughout the morning, excited about what the day might bring.

It took me a few seconds to recognize the music in my head. It was the song I danced to with Kara the previous evening. I didn't know the name, I wasn't sure it had one, but it was definitely the same song. I stopped humming, then started again moments later, strolling back into the kitchen. I made eggs and toast, and this time I sat at the table, eating slowly, tasting the food, watching the light change through the window as the clouds shifted.

There was no rush, and for the first time in quite a while, I felt like Scotland deserved a couple more hours of my time. I enjoyed the ambience of my home and the cool air on the porch all the way until my pod was ready to be used again. I opened my eyes in Tidemark's harbor district, exactly where I'd logged out the night before. The city looked different in the Monday morning light. The damage was being repaired, and the scars were periodically disappearing.

The rubble from the western gate had been fully cleared overnight, and the wooden barricades serving as temporary defenses were further fortified. Shopkeepers were sweeping their doorsteps. A fisherman was mending nets on the dock, his hands moving like the hands of a man who'd done this ten thousand times before. The banners were blue and silver again, and the air smelled like salt and fresh bread, just like the first time I'd arrived at Tidemark.

I summoned Lune, and she appeared at my feet, her bronze fur reflecting the light of the morning sun. She looked up at me and yawned.

"Yeah," I said.

"I know." The others were waiting at the harbor. We'd agreed on this the night before: one last meeting at the docks, where we'd first arrived in Tidemark as strangers assembled by the call of a Count. Lothras stood at the end of the longest pier, his armor catching the light, his shield on his back, looking out at the sea with an expression I couldn't quite understand. Athos had just spawned in, judging by the golden light around him.

His navy coat was once again replaced by his usual set of armor, and his trusted sword was at his hip. He walked with the easy confidence of someone who knew exactly where he was going and why. Starting today, his sole focus would be Second Wind. Kara came last, her red hair catching the wind off the harbor. She'd changed back into her adventuring gear as well, the blue dress from the feast packed away, and she carried her lute on her back like usual.

The four of us met up at the end of the pier, and for a while we just watched the water lapping against the pilings. Lothras broke the silence first.

"It was an honor," he said. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Four words. He still wasn't very talkative, but compared to his past self, the difference was night and day. He extended his hand to all of us, and I shook it when it was my turn. His grip was firm, brief, and said more than an hour of conversation could have.

"Salt Throne?" I asked.

"For now." He looked troubled, but this was the moment of goodbyes, and I didn't want to pry.

"Take care of yourself, Lothras." He nodded once, turned, and walked down the pier without looking back. His armor caught the sunlight as he went, gold against the grey stone, until he disappeared into the crowd. Athos stepped forward.

"I'd better get going as well." He hugged me.

"You know what I'm going to say."

"You're going to invite me to join Second Wind."

"I'm going to tell you there's a place for you. Whenever, wherever, no conditions. Not as a recruit. As a partner." He held out his hand.

"Take your time." I shook his hand.

"You'll be a great leader, Athos. Second Wind will be a menace to its rivals, that I'm sure about. Take good care of your members," I added, nodding toward Kara.

"Will do," he grinned, then turned toward Kara.

"You coming?"

"I'll catch up," she nodded. He turned and walked toward Blue and Cyrus, who had just gotten to the pier. The three of them headed toward the gate, talking about future plans, shaping the guild that would certainly move mountains in the future. Kara waited until they were gone and then turned towards me, looking at me for a long moment.

"You still owe me a date."

"I could never forget about it," I nodded, smiling. She laughed and hugged me.

"See you soon, Orion." She said it simply. No jokes, no innuendo, no teasing. Just a promise.

"See you soon, Kara." She smiled back, then she turned and followed Athos. Her red hair was the last thing I saw before the crowd swallowed her, and just like that, I was alone, standing at the end of the pier. Lune sat beside me, her tail curled around her paws, watching the ships in the harbor with the patient curiosity of an animal who had all the time in the world. The city rose behind me. Tidemark: the Jewel of the Coast, in all its post-battle glory.

The Knight's Tower on its hill, the Lord's Hall with its stained glass windows, the Church, once again a holy place instead of a prison, Elindra's Tower, the Craftsmen's Quarters, the Marketplace, the Harbor; an architectural beauty and a city that stood tall despite the hardships it had experienced. Ahead of me, the sea stretched to the horizon, blue and endless. I opened the map, the very first one I was given by Cindral, the Association Official. The one that showed all the counties in Silverwing's region.

Eight counties. Cities, dungeons, questlines I hadn't had the chance, nor the time, to complete. And beyond these counties, the rest of the Kingdom of Ravenloft sprawled westward in a tapestry of forests, mountains, plains, and coastlines that would take months to explore. Somewhere in Ravencrown, Ryder was building an empire, and eventually, our paths would cross again. Somewhere in Ironholt, Ace was building a guild and waiting for me to come home.

Somewhere in the shadows, Calian walked with a smile on his face and plans that none of us understood. And here I was. Level 24. The Black Ranger of Carpa. Tidemark's Champion. Friend of the Count, acknowledged by the Elder Stag, winner of Oakenlight's tournament, vanquisher of the Woe. But more than that, I knew people I could rely on. Friends that I could trust, that I could call if needed. And also friends with a fox who was currently trying to eat a seagull.

"Leave it, Lune." She didn't leave it. I closed the map and looked at the teleport gate, visible from the harbor, its blue light pulsing gently against the morning sky. Through that gate, the rest of my journey awaited. New lands, new enemies, new alliances. A Grand Alchemist in the capital who could unlock the Echo's potential, and a conspiracy that stretched from a fragment in a chapel to a whole city put under enchanted sleep. And somewhere on the road, a reckoning with the people who'd taken Avalon from me.

Two weeks ago, I'd been sitting in a cottage in Scotland, staring at a capsule I'd never asked for, attached to a note that read six words. In case you change your mind. I slung the Emberwood Longbow onto my back, scratched Lune behind the ears, and started walking toward the teleport gate. The morning sun was warm on my face. The harbor was alive with the sounds of a city that had survived the worst and was already reaching for what came next.

Players passed me on the street, some I recognized from the battle, some I didn't, all of them moving with the restless energy of people who'd tasted something extraordinary and wanted more. The teleport gate grew larger as I approached, its light steady and inviting, a doorway to everywhere. It is safe to say, I thought, that I changed my mind.