Book 2: Chapter 9: Farewells

  The apothecary shop still smelled like steel and stories. Incense hung in the rafters, soft and lazy, curling like forgotten thoughts. The grind of a pestle and mortar filled in the background, slow, methodical, as Celeste finished the last of her preparation work for some kind of concoction that Alex did not understand in the least.

  Alex stood near the table, arms crossed, watching her work. He wasn’t in a rush to break the quiet. Not yet.

  “You’re stalling,” Celeste said without looking up.

  “Maybe,” he admitted.

  She plopped the mortar’s contents on to the table with a Splat!. A handful of dust from a glass container was thrown on to the substance. Steam hissed up from the combination, turning her hair to a silver blur in the low light.

  “You’ve got everything packed. Weapons balanced. Armor fitted. Ingredients and supplies all purchased. So why are you still here?”

  Alex exhaled. “Because it’s not just me anymore. I’ve got people relying on me. They’ve all got potential and I figure it’s my job to help them unlock it. But I don’t know this Heavenly System and I don’t even have a mage core like they do anymore. I don’t know how to help them, but you do and I need advice.”

  Celeste didn’t respond right away. She scraped her sludge from the table and into a jar where she added various herbs and a liquid which looked like, and smelled suspiciously close to, urine. Only then did she turn to face him, arms folded, herb paste still smeared across her jawline.

  “You keep pouring into everyone else’s cup,” she said quietly, “you’re gonna run out of water, Alex.”

  He met her gaze. “I know.”

  “Do you?”

  “I’m not trying to carry them. Just guide them a bit. If they’re stronger, we all survive, together.” Celeste studied him a moment longer, then gave a low grunt that could have meant agreement… or resignation. It was rather hard to tell with her.

  “Everyone does things their own way,” she said finally. “Just don’t forget your path while you’re building theirs.”

  Alex gave a small nod. “I won’t.”

  Outside, the others were finishing up their prep. Lance was oiling a blade. Peter examined a small, folded up piece of parchment that gave off a small glow of light-scribed runes. Henry sat cross-legged near the garden, in apparent meditation to harmonize with the nature around him, even his breath synced with the sway of the tall grass behind his back.

  Alex exited the shop first, Celeste joined them a few moments after as she wiped her hands on a stained cloth. “You three,” she called. “Come here.”

  They did so without question.

  She pointed at Lance. “You’re earth-touched. Earth is an element that is resilient, heavy and patient. You need to train with weight, I mean real weight. Carry your armor everywhere. Sleep in it if you must. Practice your footwork on unsteady ground. Learn to be immovable without planting your feet frimly.”

  Lance nodded slowly. “I can do that.”

  “Peter,” she continued. “Your light affinity’s naive, but smart. If seen your buffs, and your spellwork’s too clever for most rune arrays, you’ll be stuck in a rut if you overthink patterns and aether formulas for your spells. Start using mental patterns like Alex does. Learn to cast with simple means instead of using written symbols and item focuses. Also, you’re going to find that helping others will increase your potential faster.”

  Peter’s eyes lit up. “I do have two buff spells, so I should be casting it on my team and not myself? I can be a buff supporter.”

  Celeste shrugged. “Call it whatever you want. Just do it. And don't buff Garret's head, it's already too large.”

  He grinned. “No promises.”

  Her gaze turned to Henry last. “You… are a pain in the ass.”

  Henry raised an eyebrow.

  “You’ve got water affinity. But not the kind used just for damage and combat. Its also healing and nurture you're working with. You’ve got growth, roots, strength and conviction. Your power wants to nurture as a natural urge, so feed that for now. Learn to use it on your enemies and your environment. Grow your garden, Henry. Then weaponize it.”

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  Henry’s mouth twitched into something approaching a gleeful smirk.

  Celeste squinted. “And stop standing like a damn statue all the time, it s fucking creepy.”

  Henry shrugged. Everyone chuckled softly.

  “Allie,” she turned to the medic with a soft smile. Something she didn’t show the others. “Keep yourself steady. It’s going to be a painful road. And always remember to filter twice with Novice Tier potions.”

  “You,” she pointed at Cole this time. “Stop being afraid of running out of aether. Efficiency is great for defensive and offensive spells. Healing and utility spells need potency. Stop being stingy.”

  She turned to Kate and Zach now, both of the them stared back at her. Kate with mock anticipation, Zach with a visage of resting-asshole-face. “You both know your paths at this point. Don’t steer away, and don’t rely on each other too much, it will stifle both your growth.”

  The two of them looked at each other, then back at Celeste with raised brows before they each gave a curt nod.

  “Garret,” she snapped to look at the man who was currently arm wrestling Tom-Tom. “Learn to shut up.”

  He looked at her in mock shock, as if he the woman had just insulted his mother.

  “Holly, you’re a wind mage, stop being so stuck up. Loosen yourself and your mentality, or the Heavenly System will loosen your soul from your body sooner rather than later.” Celeste received a frown for that one.

  “Devon,” she looked at the pale slender guy for a long moment… then turned away.

  “Eric,” her eyes bore into the captain. “Stop worrying about everyone else and get into the fray. Unlike Alex, you haven’t the head-start, specialized training, nor the natural talent to be worrying so much about anyone except yourself.”

  “Hey,” Devon called out, realizing he had been skipped over.

  “That’s it,” Celeste clicked her tongue and waved her hands in a shooing motion. “Get off my property now, I have a business to run. Go.”

  Just how closely had she been watching us? And for how long? Alex was surprised, Celeste seemed to know so much about everyone in just a single day’s time. Sure, she spent some time teaching Allie and Cole about alchemy and healing. She even talked to Devon about some glyphcraft even. But the others? They barely talked. So Celeste must have been watching and listening as everyone else practiced, sparred and training last night. Watching them, and assessing.

  “Maybe she wants to change her student as a Worldteacher. Find a better prospect for that sweet quest reward she wants?” Obby’s slender abomination body appeared over Alex’s shoulder. He shuddered looking at it. He knew that he was the only one that could see or hear the little sentient rock’s projection, but it still made him panic for a moment every time Obby insisted on using it.

  I doubt it. Like she said, I have natural talent. Alex smiled and swatted at Obby’s projection by pretending to run a hand through his hair. The energy illusion burst into particles and then swiftly reformed.

  “Talent? In this meat sack of a body? You’re barely held together. I’d rather be bonded to Kate, or Allie. Those two have confidence, and no family issues.” Obby tapped on his head with one of his weird appendages. He couldn’t touch Alex for real, but some mental nudges on Obby’s behalf certainly made the action feel real enough. It was slimy and cold.

  None that you know of. Be careful what you wish for you damn pebble. Alex pushed inside his soulspace, forcing Obby’s consciousness away. Not severing it, but muting it slightly. It was a nice trick he had learned since refining his wisdom to Tier II.

  The goodbyes came quickly after that.

  Gear was slung, packs were tightened and final last-second trades made. Tom-Tom even needed to buy his own bag as he had apparently convinced three separate vendors to give him snacks.

  Celeste didn’t hug anyone. But she punched Alex in the shoulder hard enough to bruise.

  “You come back stronger,” she said.

  “You’ll be proud.”

  “I’m already annoyed. Don’t push it.”

  The road back to the kobold village was long but relatively easy. Birds chirped. The trees were mostly quiet. At one point, as they neared the bend where the forest grew thicker trees and the air felt heavier in their lungs, Alex slowed his pace.

  The trees here had a look to them, older, taller, whispering in ways most didn’t try to listen, and even if they did, most couldn’t hear. The area shimmered with an aether aura that only Alex could faintly see because of his aether sight ability. Alex knew why this was. It was the same direction Sylvaris had vanished into after their first meeting, not too so long ago. Most likely, it was also the direction that would lead them back to the elf village hidden somewhere in this very forest.

  Alex had found the elf village beautiful and fascinating. He wished he had gotten the chance to explore it. Walk among the tree-grown huts. Speak with the elves themselves. Learn more of their culture, tales. Many probably would not have talked to him at all, but that would have been okay.

  He also thought of his training with Sylvaris. If the others could all go through that raining, or one customized to their own paths and elements, how strong would they all become? Would each of them be able to clear the Dark Den by themselves like Alex had?

  The amount of Dungeon Points and thus, items, they could gather in their push to for more power would be enormous. None of them would have to settle for basic potions, aether gathering techniques or low tier Martial Styles. They could truly thrive.

  Could he find the village then, if he trusted his aether sight and had just a bit of luck? Could he beg Sylvaris to train them all like he had trained him?

  He stood still for a long minute as everyone else walked by, his eyes glued to those tree.

  The elf’s words drifted back in his mind. “You will return when your path carries you here, not before.” Alex sighed, and turned away. Some doors weren’t meant to be forced open.

  Not yet.