Coralia heard the word escape the young man’s lips. The light from the open door to Kel’s Place behind them showed them in silhouette and details couldn’t be easily seen. She had even muted her mana sense in the city so as to avoid the nauseating over-stimulation of sensing every person near her.
Coralia opened her mouth to say something else, but suddenly something hit her in the face hard. The feeling of it took her nearly back to childhood. One didn’t forget that particular hand.
“Fool!” Agitha screamed from suddenly in front of her. Tears were streaming down her master’s dark face and her shoulders were trembling. “I told you to wait for me.” Agitha said weakly, drawing back as though she might deliver another blow. She instead reached out and yanked Coralia to her in a crushing hug.
Suddenly Agitha broke the embrace and stepped back, turning away from Coralia towards the still stunned trio at the door.
“What are you all waiting for?” The elf growled. “A woman clawed her way back from hell to see you, and you’re just gonna stand around?”
The scene was too big for Zell. His father rushed by him, his sister took a few weak steps in his mother’s direction, but Zell’s feet would not budge. A long fingered, strong hand slipped into his own then. His soul’s anchor and the girl he loved was with him, a gentle squeeze from her was all it took to reach him through his shock.
Zell turned his head slowly to Rin.
“I don’t want to wake up.” He pleaded with her. “Please don’t wake me up.”
“You won’t wake up because you aren’t asleep my love.” Rin whispered to him, gently tugging him toward the unfolding reunion.
There in the dirt before Kel’s Place with the first chill breeze of fall rustling around them, Zell’s family including Agitha collided into a desperate embrace that healed their scarred souls like nothing else could. Tears flowed and few words were spoken for a long while.
Kel, Birna, Rin, and Nin watched the moment with misty eyes of their own. When they seemed to have settled a bit, Birna spoke up.
“Come on back inside. That woman clearly needs a good meal.” She said, pointing at the thin and road worn Coralia.
Coralia pulled her lips away from Arlim’s just long enough to answer.
“I want whatever my husband was eating.” She said with a coy smile, and Arlim who had almost recovered burst into a fresh set of happy tears.
As a group they went back inside, where Kel went behind the bar to begin filling mugs while Birna hustled back into the kitchen to prepare more food.
“SO GOOD!” Coralia shouted a while later with a mouth full of the masterfully prepared lamb chop. She bounced in her seat like a toddler and her hands shook with excitement.
They all resolved to spend the rest of that evening simply basking in the reunion. Serious topics and grim tales from their time apart could wait. Arlim invited Agitha to stay at their newly renovated home in the city but she declined. She didn’t want to be too far from Kel’s mead at any time.
As the newly reunited family of four said their evening farewells, Rin pulled Zell aside.
“Will you come see me tomorrow?” She asked him with a hopeful look.
“I have some business setting up the people I helped in Axis and I’m sure catching up with my mom, but I’ll hurry over after that.” Zell promised, sliding his hands around her waist to pull her to him.
“You have the day off tomorrow, don’t you Rin?” Nin said with a sly wink. “Why don’t you see if he wants company on his errands?”
Rin in fact did not have the following day off, but her sister was saying that she would cover for her. She gave Nin a thankful smile and nodded.
“You can!?” Zell exclaimed, squeezing her tighter. “I can introduce you to everyone then.”
“Wait, you’ve been to Axis!?” Coralia chimed in a surprised tone, her eyes going from Zell to Agitha and back.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“We have alot to talk about.” Agitha said before draining the last bit of mead from her mug. “Tomorrow.”
Their home was a ten minute walk from Kel’s place. Arlim and Coralia were arm in arm like teenagers and Zell walked close to his sister a few paces behind them. When their new home loomed ahead, Zell couldn’t help but gasp.
He had only ever seen it once from the overgrown rear courtyard what seemed like a lifetime ago. It was a large three story mansion of precisely cut granite blocks with elaborate wood and copper trim throughout. Mature apple trees lined the long smooth gravel road which looped around a beautiful garden to provide an unloading area for carriages before the heavy, brass embellished double doors.
“It’s like a dream.” Zell mused to himself. “All of us together walking up to our mansion. How can it be real?” He finished as Arlim unlocked the door with a long and elaborate silver key.
“This is nothing!” Cora said, excited to show off the results of their long summer of labor. She took Zell’s hand and led him into the reception room. A high arched ceiling supported a huge chandelier that was enchanted with high level light magic that would last several months. The floor was polished stone, decorated with dark blue and gold rugs.
Twin sweeping staircases with elegant iron railing led to the second floor. A doorway on the left led to the kitchens, larder, and dining room. The opposite doorway to the right led to the library, study, and a meeting room. Directly ahead between the staircases was a large hallway that led to a ball room and seven bedrooms which were meant as staff quarters or guest rooms. Upstairs was a master suite and four large bedrooms.
Cora led the family through each room. It was still missing a great deal of furniture and decoration but structurally the home was complete. She ended the tour at Zell’s bedroom after their parents had excused themselves for the night.
“It’s all my stuff from home.” Zell said, barely even recognizing the toys and furniture from his old room at the farmhouse.
“I set it all up just like it was.” Cora said. “You’ll probably need a bigger bed soon though.” She finished with a sly wink that made Zell’s cheeks flush.
“Thanks Cora. I really missed you.” Zell said, throwing an arm around her.
“You too, now get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big catch up day.” Cora said, returning the hug before walking down the hall to her own room.
Very little sleep was had that night in the newly named Balfonse estate, where the entire family was under the same roof for the first time in ten years.
The following morning dawned bright but chill. Zell was up before anyone else, getting acquainted with the beautiful kitchen and food storage areas. The familiar motions of cooking breakfast calmed his heart and by the time his sleepy eyed family found their way downstairs he had cooked enough for ten people.
Platters of steaming seasoned potatoes, fluffy scrambled eggs, spicy sausages, hot fragrant tea, and freshly baked biscuits greeted Coralia and Arlim as the smell pulled them into the dining room where Cora and Zell already sat. The long table could accommodate a score of people.
Coralia wore a fluffy clean robe, which after ten years in her uncured hide garments was more valuable to her than any priceless suit of armor. They kept conversation light and happy through breakfast, but as they were finishing their cleanup the sound of the heavy brass door knocker sounded. Agitha had come at the appointed time. She was clearly hungover from indulging in too much mead but she was ready for their meeting.
They gathered in the study, where Coralia lit a fire in the hearth with a simple spell before they sat in the comfortable stuffed leather chairs.
“Who wants to go first?” Arlim asked, holding a cup of tea in one hand and Coralia’s calloused hand in the other.
“Our story is probably the shortest.” Zell said, looking from his parents to his sister and back. “Do you want to tell it, Teacher?” He asked Agitha who was sitting sideways with her muscular legs slung over one arm of her chair.
“You go ahead. I can chime in if needed.” Agitha replied, covering her mouth as she continued to burp stale mead.
“Okay. Guess I’ll start from when I left the farm for mom’s sake.” Zell began, after a moment of thought. He told the tale of his adventures in Vinia City including the encounters with the gorger demon and mana lamprey. Arlim filled in a few details, and Coralia’s face darkened with anger at the news that her old enemy had tormented her children in her absence. Zell told her of his long days of toiling and training. Coralia beamed with pride as he spoke, and was enthralled along with Arlim and Cora as the story of The Tear unfolded. The mood rose and fell as Zell told them of Axis and the death of the boy named Roshi. Coralia’s mouth was hanging open in shock as he spoke of his exploits in the arena and of claiming his prize of gold and servants. As soon as his story concluded with arriving back in Vinia, questions erupted from all around him.
“Giant spider pet!?” Cora spouted looking around as though it might suddenly appear. “Where is it?”
“He did all that!?” Coralia gasped as she looked at a nodding Agitha.
“Where are the people you saved?” Arlim asked, looking at his son in a brand new light with sincere admiration.
“Goggles is in one of our carriages at the stables with a bunch of food until I pick him up later. The kids I saved should be at Merissa’s orphanage, and Alis’ former slaves are all staying at the The River’s Arms. I’d like to offer a few of them work here if that’s alright.” Zell answered.
“We could use the help keeping everything in order here.” Arlim agreed, I’d be happy to split the cost of their salary with you if that’s what you want.
“I don’t think we need to worry about splitting the cost.” Zell said with a mischievous smile.
“Oh?” Arlim prodded. “Why would that be?”
“Eleven thousand gold.” Zell replied. “That’s what I claimed after defeating Alis’ champion.”
“Eleven...?” Cora trailed off as her eyes widened in shock.
“That makes you around the fifth wealthiest person in the kingdom right now.” Arlim said, leaning his head back and closing his eyes to digest the information. “This is going to take a few more talks I think.” He said, temporarily dismissing the massive ramifications of his son’s absurd wealth. “Would you like to start now, dear?” He turned to his wife and Coralia nodded.
“After I confronted and believed I had defeated the mana lamprey, his final spell hurled me through a portal to the forbidden lands. I survived as well as I could. I honestly do not know how many monsters I killed in those first few years. Over time the monsters grew to fear me as a devil and retreated to the deeper ranges. I wandered and killed for nearly a decade until I encountered a village of kobolds under attack by ogres...” Coralia began her great tale.
The story was so epic and harrowing that the gathered listeners could scarcely breathe or remember to blink. Coralia related the story of her alliance with the demons and red dragon, and her single handed annihilation of a demon army. Most shocking of all was the fact that her allies were even now assembling a base of operations just outside Vinia’s walls.
“Incredible.” Agitha said, her eyes sparkling. “The world is exciting again and my little apprentice is right at the center of it!”
“There is so much to do, and so many consequences for all of it.” Coralia said, a hint of exhaustion clouding her face at the thought.
“You won’t be carrying it alone anymore.” Arlim assured her, squeezing her hand. “Come whatever may, we will see this through with you.”
Agitha and Zell nodded in firm agreement, but Cora was quiet, staring into her still full cup of now cold tea.
“Are you alright?” Coralia asked her troubled daughter gently.
“Of course.” Cora said, putting a smile on her face that seemed sincere. “I just need some time to process all of this.”
Her words were placating, but Coralia could see she was holding something back. Anger? Resentment? She couldn’t be sure but knew something was gnawing at Cora and vowed internally to get through to her.