Chicago Union Station, Chicago, Illinois - 7:58 AM

I stepped off of the train with the other bleary eyed travelers, a big smile plastered on my face. Stopping a few feet from the exit, off to the side so I wasn’t in anyone’s path, I breathed in and reread the text box I had received not too long ago. Since I felt safe, I didn’t want to get rid of it.

<<<>>>

[[Notice]]

An unknown Patron proclaims that she knew you were going to be okay, but is glad to see it.

<<<>>>

Before she became a Patron, Sara had been able to see anywhere in the world from the Hall of the End. If she wanted to observe something, nothing could escape her sight. Unfortunately, the people she chose to watch only amounted to a few dozen at the best of times.

I was not one of them. Not until near the end, anyway.

Now, her sight had been heavily limited based on where her avatar, Kayla, was. I had asked her not to abandon my friend yet. She was no doubt already out and about with Jeff and Corwin and I didn’t want to mess up whatever they were doing. For the same reason, I didn’t send out a message in the guild chat.

That didn’t seem to matter much, because it didn’t take long for her to tattle on me. Messages started appearing in a text box in the corner of my vision, beeping with each arrival.

<<<>>>

[[Guild Chat]]

Kayla: Sara just told me that Anthony arrived in Chicago, so, welcome back, psychic boy!

Jeff: Hey, boss! We’re coming back to the train right now. We’ll see you soon.

Jamie: What took you so long?

Mercury: Warmonger! With his triumphant return, a new age of peace and prosperity has been ushered in!

Jamie: I’m not coming back to see you. You should have been faster, I’ve already left the city on my mission.

Mercury: I shall return to greet the liege, as I am much faster than the Goddess of War.

Jamie: … I’ll make it back before he does.

Anthony: Y’all don’t have to come back just for me. There’s work to be done.

Kayla: There’s time.

Jeff: Of course we do!

Mercury: Speak not such nonsense!

Jamie: As if you could stop us.

Ashley: Will you all stop that ******* beeping! I’m trying to finish this before I go to bed and you are all making a racket.

Ashley: Also, good to have you back, or whatever. Better have brought me some nice things to work with.

<<<>>>

The guild chat immediately went silent at Ashley’s outburst, but my smile remained. Interacting with them in the Golden Dream had been nice and certainly one of the highlights of my various runs, but now that I knew the truth of what that was, it didn’t feel real. This definitely did.

Once the crowd thinned and I didn’t have to worry about the Union Station pickpockets anymore, the kind that could pilfer things straight from your inventory, I walked around the train and onto the tracks. There weren’t any guards, and no one tried to stop me as I jumped off of the platform.

Thanks to Absolute Awareness, I could pick up details much farther away than I could have before, and I immediately spotted the silver shack hiding in the shadows. The train tunnel went under both the old post office and the new one that was in use before the system dropped, and it was the latter building where Kayla had been instructed to stop.

I took a moment to revel in the feeling returning home before opening the door to the Subspace Depot, revealing the Angel Express in all its glory. I walked inside, taking it in. The first thing I noticed was that there were new cars attached to it.

Before, it was the engine, luxury sleeper, dining car, sleeper, vault, greenhouse, and then the workshop. This was a fairly standard setup for the Angel Express at this point.

Now, there was an open air car with lowered walls between the vault and the greenhouse and a half-length car between the engine and the luxury sleeper. I recognized both of them.

The first was meant for training and operated similar to Pittsburgh’s Fieldhouse. There was plenty of room when the walls and ceiling unfolded into an arena, though it couldn’t be used like that while the Angel Express was in motion. People could use the closed car if they wanted to practice during that time.

My eyes locked onto the half-length car in the front once I was done assessing the training car. This was what I had been planning on purchasing once I arrived: the Patron's car. It was 45,000 points with the Sol Ligatus guildhall discount, which was still pricey.

Most Patrons who had an avatar that ran a guild or safe zone would specifically ask them to work towards being able to purchase one. This usually came from the more social of their kind, or those who wanted to be able to put on an intimidating show, or even those who just wanted the novelty of speaking with a player face to face.

I remembered that, back when we first arrived in Atlanta, I mentioned wanting to buy it. Kayla had teased me about it being a booty call train car, and Sara called humans degenerate. That had been a fairly fun moment.

My attention was drawn to the food truck that was parked in the Subspace Depot. I turned in time to see the Dealer emerge from a manhole behind a green, brown, and black food truck. It had a swamp theme and was labeled Tail-gator’s Gator Tails. I raised my hand in greeting.

“Sure took your sweet time,” the Dealer complained as he brushed off his overalls. “I expected you back hours ago.”

“You didn’t tell them I was coming?” I asked. I had pulled back my Absolute Awareness as much as I could in respect for Ashley and Bethany. They wouldn’t know that I’d be able to see their auras unless I told them, but snooping was beneath me.

“Nah. I didn’t see you here, so I went back home. They left in the meantime,” the Dealer answered as he made his way to me.

“Gotcha. Well, in my defense, I was attacked by a Wandering Inquisitor for being half the Angel he was,” I said. I received a strange look from the alligator, and shrugged. “He thought I was a Nephilim. Clearly, I’m a Half-Angel.”

“There’s a difference?” he asked, looking me up and down.

“According to Sara? Yes. According to everyone else? Apparently not,” I said with a shake of my head.

The Dealer grunted and shrugged. “Well, they get shoved back into Heaven when they die, so it’s not that big a deal. Points are points, right?”

“Some points are more socially acceptable than others, but, yeah. That’s the gist of it,” I agreed. “Want to take this inside?”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Sure. Your dining car serves an assortment of teas now thanks to the kid. Wouldn’t mind a cup.”

“How’d Bethany take your arrival?” I asked as we walked onto the platform towards the train.

“She had plenty of warning about the big, bad alligator man, so she wasn’t too scared,” the Dealer said, opening the door and walking in. I followed behind him, careful of his tail. “Still didn’t say anything to me, though, signing or otherwise.”

“Yeah, she’s like that. You shouldn’t take it personally,” I replied, taking a seat at the bar. Snapping open the menu, I started going through the new options. There were only a few, but I selected the one labeled Earl Grey-ish. It appeared in front of me at the perfect temperature, and I took a sip before nodding my head. “That’s a damn fine cup of tea.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. She’s just a child,” the alligator snorted. He eyed me for a moment before going through the menu as well. A cup of iced tea appeared in front of him. “I’m a bit surprised you’re not rushing into the Patron's car. Was hoping to use it to discuss our next steps. I’ll need you there when I go to retrieve it.”

“You found something out?” I asked.

“Yeah, something big,” he admitted with a grin. “You’re going to really like it.”

I nodded before pausing. “Wait, doesn’t our contract put you under the effects of an Administrator Black-out when you’re with me? Why do you want the privacy of a Patron's car on top of it?”

“What I’m going to propose will blow your mind,” he said, causing me to arch an eyebrow. “Yes, even yours. I want the extra protection, just in case.”

His answer confused me and I wondered what he had up his sleeve. Before I could try and pressure more answers out of him, I saw a trio of people walk into the depot and Corwin bounding towards the train. I set my teacup down and knelt next to my chair.

The yellow labradoodle was a blur as he ran through the door, skidded on the floor, and practically flew into my arms. His tail wagged so much that his entire back half was moving along with it, and he started trying to lick my face.

“Hey, little buddy,” I cooed, pushing his head away and letting him lick my hand instead. “I’m excited to see you, too.”

Kayla, Jeff, and Mercury entered the dining car together. Despite Corwin making for a fairly spectacular barrier, the Queen’s Knight reached over him and picked me up to pull into an almost crushing hug. Given my high Constitution and the Anchored passive boosting it by half, this was no small feat.

“We missed you, Ant,” he said, spinning so he could set me down between the other two. Kayla was the next to hug me while Corwin returned to my side.

Neither of them wore their Twinned Rings of Gareth and Lyonesse, wearing a different matching set instead. It appeared as though that talk I had with Jeff had actually changed something.

Mercury placed a hand over his chest and bowed. “The noble Warmonger, welcome back.”

“Alright, enough of that, Merc,” I laughed, reaching out and tapping the ninja on his headband. “You comfortable enough around the group to be yourself yet?”

I couldn’t see his face because of his ninja outfit, but his eyes flicked to the Dealer, who was busy greeting Jeff now that his wife had a hold of me. “Mostly,” he admitted.

Kayla backed up and Corwin took her spot in front of me, leaning against my legs. Just as I was about to greet her, she raised her hand and flicked my nose. I recoiled. “You’ll be gone for a week or so, huh?” she asked, crossing her arms. “Do you know how worried sick some of us were? Some more than others.”

With that line, she glanced up towards the ceiling before looking back down at me.

I gave her a sheepish grin as I understood. “Well, that’s my bad,” I said. “Something came up. Did you two get along?”

“Famously,” Kayla answered before leaning in close to whisper. “And she no longer calls us degenerates. Why didn’t you clear that up before?”

My attempt to hide my laughter failed, and I did so right in the Double Agent’s face. “Sorry. I just thought it was funny at the time.”

“Should flick your nose again,” Kayla muttered before smiling and shaking her head. “We’ve only had the Patron's car for a day and Ares wanted first dibs, so I haven’t met her yet. She insisted that you be the one to introduce her. Why did you tell her not to become your Patron when she saw you?”

“Because we have a few things to discuss with the Dealer first about what happened when I was asleep,” I told her honestly. “A Patron that jumps between avatars can rack up a heavy bill if it’s done enough times, so until all of our cards are laid on the table, this is fine.”

“That’s a good level of caution,” the Dealer said, nodding approvingly. “Especially with what I’ve got in store. You trust Kayla, Ant?”

“Yeah? Of course I do,” I answered, trying not to make it sound like I thought it was a stupid question.

He nodded again and turned to look at the Double Agent. “Can you keep a secret to your grave?”

She looked taken aback by the blunt question. “You think so little of me that you have to ask?”

“For this, I’ll think as little of anyone I want. Such are the stakes on the line,” he said somberly. “The only reason why I’m willing to let you in on it is because Ant and I need to talk to Sara, and you’re her avatar. I’d prefer that she switches over, but like he said, it’s a costly endeavor, especially if he leaves her here to help you.”

“Where do you think we’re going?” I asked, now more confused than ever.

“Why do you think I’m going to answer that out here after all I’ve said?” he scoffed, making it clear that I did ask a stupid question.

I shared a glance with Kayla before sighing. “Jeff, Merc, you guys okay waiting out here? As much as I’d love for everyone to meet her, she does like her privacy. Maybe it can happen a little later on, depending on the circumstances.”

“Yeah, no problem, boss,” Jeff said, snapping his fingers to get Corwin’s attention. The dog left me alone to be with his owner.

“That’s fine,” Mercury agreed before tilting his head. “Not sure why Jamie thought she could beat me here, though. I only had to come from O’Rabbit-“

“O’Hare,” Kayla quickly corrected.

The ninja nodded. “Right, the airport. I am faster than her, and I’m closer. Just doesn’t make sense.”

“She’s taking the tunnels,” I answered. “Saves some time, but mostly she likes the challenge.”

“I guess. Maybe I’ll hide when she gets here, let her save face,” he said with a shrug.

“Nah, rub her face in it,” Jeff responded.

“That’s the choice to go with if you want to turn on hard mode in training,” I chuckled, seeing that Jamie had entered the depot. She had made good time. “You manage to beat her yet, Jeff?”

The Queen’s Knight huffed, lowering his head. “Nah. She keeps pulling out the big guns. Including the big gun. I’m getting used to it, but I wonder if I’m ever actually going to catch up.”

“Catch up with what?” Jamie asked as she entered the dining car. She seemed intent on ignoring Mercury’s presence, focusing on me instead.

“Catch up with Sara,” I covered for Jeff. Looking at the Dealer, he shrugged and leaned against the bar. It seemed like the conversation would have to wait. “Since there’s a Patron Car and everything, I thought it’d be good to catch up with her while Kayla is still her avatar.”

“I get you,” she said, reaching a fist out towards me. “Good to have you back, Franklin.”

“Good to be back, Summers.” I reached out and bumped her fist with mine. My eyes lifted to the crown of bones on her head. It was similar to mine, but released an unpleasant energy that I knew the guild would have already gotten used to. “Congrats on getting Ares as a Patron, by the way. Are you used to it yet?”

“No. It’s just as bad as the Princess,” she snorted.

“You told her to leave you alone and she does,” Mercury defended.

Jamie wrinkled her nose, but didn’t respond. Her eyes skimmed a message in front of her. “Ares says thank you. He was very pleased that you helped the Dealer find the crown for him.”

“Could have told me he was watching your guild,” the Dealer muttered sullenly.

I shrugged. “Sorry, friend. We both got what we wanted with that deal, so don’t expect me to feel bad about it.” He snorted, but didn’t say anything. I knew he wouldn’t hold a grudge.

Jamie reached up and removed Conquest’s Crown from her head to put back into her inventory. The uneasy feeling disappeared immediately. “I’m going to go check in on Ashley while you’re doing that. She’s going to be more ornery than usual since she’ll want to go straight to sleep. Might let her get a nap in. When you’re out, we’ll catch up.”

“I’ll go with you,” Mercury offered as the Weapon Master started to leave. “To tell Bethany. She’ll probably want to leave immediately after saying hello, but it’ll be good for her. Plus, seeing the Warmonger again isn’t going to be like seeing Ares for the first time.”

That was an understatement. The Greek Patron’s chosen form was an olive skinned man half again as big as Jeff. He wore bronze armor modeled after what the Spartans wore in their Classical period with the iconic horsehair crest on his helmet. Like Jamie, he was a walking arsenal of swords, shields, and spears.

It made for an intimidating figure, especially for a ten year old.

“I won’t insist that she stay or anything,” I said. “There won’t be anything to worry about there.”

He nodded. “Alright, that’s good. I’ll let her know.”

Once they were gone, I looked at Jeff. “Since you know her secret identity and even seen her once, you want to come along?”

“Can I?” he asked, his eyes lighting up.

“Of course,” I replied.

“For the record, though, you can’t stay,” the Dealer reminded.

“No problem. I’m fine with a quick hello,” he said before kneeling down for Corwin. “Go watch Bethany, okay?” The dog looked at him for a moment before licking the man’s face and trotting off towards the back of the train, sniffing the ground.

“And by a quick hello, he means he’s fine doing that thing where you say goodbye, talk for five more minutes, say goodbye again, then talk for another ten minutes,” Kayla translated.

“We’ll get him out in a timely manner, Dealer,” I said, patting the alligator on the shoulder when he sighed. “Come on, let’s go meet the boss at the end of the world.”