Goodbye

Sleep eluded me. My mind was running a marathon. I tried to lie still in my bed! But just couldn’t. The excitement of having a body was too much. Alternating between laying and sitting, soon, I found myself on the corner of my bed, stretching my limbs.
We had requested a new room right after I got my membership. Restless as I was, I stood up and started pacing around the room. Looking through the drawers of the desks, just so I could use my hands. Feeling all these sensations, like the cold, rough wood of the furniture, made me happy. 

There was nothing in those drawers, but it didn’t matter to me. With glee, I tried to jump, feeling the air rush around me, forgetting that I eventually had to come back down. I fell on my face. 

“Tepin! Please go to bed!” Olgore growled from his bed. Cupping his ears with his hands. 

“Sorry, I will.” Oops, I looked over to Dust, who slept through it all, without a care in the world. I had to calm down; tomorrow would be just as exciting as today. Climbing back into my bed, I rested my head against the cold glass of the window beside it. Peeking outside, I let my hand glide over the soft blanket while observing the lamps bathing the street below in a warm light. Surrounded by tiny insects that are attracted to the glow, just like my eyes are. Who knows what this world had in store, now that it opened up for me? My thoughts started wandering as I gazed outside. In time, the first rays of light climbed across the buildings as sleep caught up to me.

Without warning, my world turned upside down when someone threw me over their shoulder. My eyes opened wide. Am I under attack? Rota quickly formed from nothing as mana flowed out of my hand, with a buzzing sound. I released the spell right into the one assaulting me. Purple lighting ripping through them. As they fell to the ground with a loud thud, I rolled to the side, still dizzy from the whole ordeal. Looking up, I saw Dust standing a few meters away, head in his hands.

“It seems we really won’t have to worry about you being defenceless.” He said. Realizing the one who had picked me up was Olgore. Who was already in the process of waking up again. 

“You know, this isn’t the first time we’ve had trouble waking you up,” Dust said.

“Sorry.” I again had slept like a dead person. The number of times I had been late to work…

“You got me there! Good reflexes!” Said Olgore with a groan as he sat up on the floor. 

“I realized something, all that training we did. You cannot fly anymore, do you? I am not sure if I feel comfortable just letting you go like this.” 

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I can easily just leave this body behind if I need to flee. It might even make for a good distraction.” 

“That’s good, then,” Olgore said, getting back to his feet. He bounced back from that pretty quickly. 

“Now that everyone is awake, let’s get you some armor.” Said Dust. I didn’t need to prepare myself, I had slept in my new clothes. It’s not like I had sleepwear, plus this body isn’t able to sweat, so who cares? My reflection looked back at me through the window, the hair on my head was a tangled mess, but that didn’t bother me. 

Soon, I was on a busy street. It was full of people going about their day, just like last time. With one key difference, this time I got to experience it on my own two feet. Our surroundings changed as we walked into the market district. Homes gave way to little storefronts. Signs of all sizes telling the world what they sold. Dust was walking in a straight line towards a small shop. The wooden sign above it said, “Rayfin, the leather expert.” We entered the small shop, and the smell of cured leather assaulted me. There were mannequins everywhere displaying various kinds of armor. A small man walked towards us, maneuvering around all the clutter and displays. With hands on his hips, he stood before us, a white beard reaching down to his chest, tinted round glasses on his nose. He was a good two heads smaller than I, and I barely reached 165 centimeters. 

“Ah, Dust! Long time no see, how can I help a youngling like ya?” He said in a voice that sounded like nails scratching on a chalkboard. I shuddered, what a voice! 

“I am not young by any means. I told you that before, Rayfin. I am here to..” 

“Oh, and Olgore, good to see ya, too!” The shop owner said.

“Right back at you, old man!” Olgore said with a chuckle.

“To answer your question, I would like to buy some leather armor for Tepin here.” Dust said, pointing at me. I waved, not knowing what else to do. He looked me up and down while moving his glasses up, squinting his eyes. 

“You in need of some good old armor are ya, youngling? That should be doable!” The small man started to move around the different mannequins in the room, taking a good look at each. He stopped in front of a mannequin that displayed dark-colored armor. There was a jacket made of black cloth with purple highlights. Two leather belts went around the waist, with hip protection hanging from them. Two pads of leather were fixed on top of the shoulders. Before the armor was laid, padded gloves. 

My mouth stood open. It looked wonderful, I loved the purple details on the jacket. 

“What do ya think, youngling, want to try it on?” Rayfin said. 

“Yes, please!” I said. 

He started unbuckling the armor from the mannequin and showed me how to put the light armor on. Minutes later, I was wearing it. The shopkeeper had managed to find fitting armor on his first try. Looking into the only mirror available, I had to bend down slightly so I could see myself in it. I looked great, but my smile faltered as I looked at Dust and Olgore. 

“Isn’t this too expensive?”

Olgore shook his head, and Dust said.

“Don’t worry about the price, it is worth it, plus there is a guild discount. That said, Rayfin, we have a deal!”

Right then and there, I could have given them both another hug.  Keeping the armor on, we left the store and soon found ourselves sitting before the bakery. 

“What do you mean you cannot eat?” Olgore said. He and Dust giving me a guilty look 

“Shh, don’t say that out loud! That would have been too complex for the spell.” I said, whispering. 

“We should have asked.” Dust said. There were a bunch of delicious-looking baked goods lying on the table, their sweet smell torturing me. 

“So, Tepin, tell us what your plan is going forward?” Dust asked. Not having been able to shut-eye, that was one of the things I had thought about.

“I think I will do some easy assignments, some of those related to helping artificers with their magic devices. That way, I can save up some coins. Visiting some libraries after? Maybe I can find information about my people there.” I said.

“Maybe the Academy of Windbreak might be a good goal for you? If there is any institution that would know something like what you seek, it is them.” He said. 

“Windbreak, you say? Where is it?”

“That’s the thing, it is built right on top of a nexus point.” Dust said.

“Oh! They built a city right on top of a nexus point, smart! But why is that a problem?” I frowned. Many of our cities on Eriphynia were built on these points. If you wanted an endless supply of mana for a city, easy, build it right where ley lines converge and break through the surface. 

“The nexus point is creating a permanent storm around the city, spanning hundreds of kilometers. Which makes the journey there expensive and difficult. But at least the port here offers a direct ship route.” The elf said.

“Traveling by ship. I don’t know.” I answered, my eyes downcast. 

“Oh, it’s not that bad, I traveled across the entire ocean from Hafphyr. It just gets a bit boring, is all.” Olgore said. 

“I will think about it, it does sound promising, but I will see what I can find around here first.” I said. 

Midday was approaching when we found ourselves back at Eventyr. Olgore and Dust had bought some equipment for their journey. As we entered, they asked me to wait for a second as they went to one of the receptionists. I looked at them from behind, a sinking feeling spreading through my chest. Soon they would leave me. They had grown on me over the last month, no even before that. The two of them were the wall keeping me safe from the beasts out there. 

I had no choice, but I didn’t feel ready to leave them behind. Someone poked me on my shoulder. I had missed that they were standing right before me again. Dust picked up my hand and dropped something heavy in it. I blinked a few times, it was a small leather-bound bag. Small something’s rattled around within as I squeezed it. Meanwhile, he took my other hand and put a key in it. 

“This is for you, so you have a good start. We also paid for a room for a few days, since your rank isn’t high enough yet to get it for free.” Dust said.

I looked up into his eyes. Those were a good number of coils in that bag!

“You didn’t have to. You already did so much for me, you both did!” I said, water overflowing from my eyes. I hugged both of them. This time, they answered my embrace. 

“It’s okay, we want you to have a good start.” Olgore said. I nodded as I stepped back from them. 

“Thank you!” 

“It is time, though. We need to get our belongings from the room and check out, okay, Tepin.” Dust said.
Sniffing, I answered.

“Okay”

Too fast, I was surrounded by the salty smell of the sea. We were standing in front of a large wooden ship. Two giant masts were holding their sails. I looked up, mouth open. This is something I had only seen in museums before. Large crystals were being filled with mana by multiple mages on the deck. Did they use those for storing energy? My thoughts were interrupted by a rough voice. 

“The mages are almost done, everybody who is on their way to Guild’s Rest, board now! If you are not on deck by the time they are done, you stay behind.”

I looked at the two beside me, both wearing large backpacks. With a shaky voice, I said.

“So it’s time, huh?”

“Yes, but we will send you letters through the guild! No matter where you are, as long as you check into the guild, they will reach you.” Dust said. Olgore was looking away to the sea. 

“That is possible? Then I will write to you too!”

“Olgore, come on, say your goodbye, it’s our turn to board.” Before he turned around, he wiped something away from his face.

“This better not be the last time we see you. Promise me! If you find a way home, meet up with us first, okay, Tepin.” Olgore said, his voice stable. I was sure he just shed some tears. Nodding, I said.

“Yes, I will. I promise.”

I wrapped them in a tight embrace for a final time. Not wanting to let go, Olgore had to gently pry me off the two of them.
“We have to go, don’t be sad this won’t be the last time we see each other, okay,” He said.
I nodded. 

“Until next time!” I said, tears again flowing down my cheeks. 

With each step, they took up the ramp toward the ship, my heart grew heavier. Remaining in place, I observed the dockworkers readying the ship. With the sails raised, the ship soon started gliding across the waves. Olgore and Dust were standing on the quarter deck, eyes locked with mine, waving. I reflected their movements, with a shacking body. The tears had never stopped flowing. Unmoving, I stood there until they sailed beyond the horizon. 

As the light grew weaker, I turned around. For the first time in my life, I felt truly alone. 

Even when I had been reduced to a mute soul in a bottle, they had been there. Before that, family, friends, and colleagues had always surrounded me. But now? I had no one to lean on. If I spoke, no one would respond.

I began my journey back to the guild, marking the beginning of a new life.