My parents house, I have not seen this view since long ago. Perhaps I should say ‘My house’ seeing as I have been living in the church dorm for the past several years.

Through the window I can see my mother busy with her cooking, it’s the old noodle soup she learned long ago, I can tell by the smell.

With every step I feel a slight nerve, as if this would be a task even more boring than tending to the mountain of forms and regulations I need to take care of in my everyday life.

Still, I am not afraid, I knock on the door.

“Who might that be? And at this hour. Sidra, do you need a spoon of honey baking? Just enter, please, I am too busy mixing the pot.” I guess I will enter.

“Actually it’s-” before I could finish the sentence, My father from the chair in the living room sees me and stands up.

“Rita! we have a guest, leave that cooking for later and come say hello!” He looks shocked, we did not see each other in a long time.

“If I do that the miso will just sink and you will have hot water instead of soup!” We hear from the kitchen.

“It’s Alright, we can go to the kitchen.” I say, but he urges me to stay and let her come here. Just like my old man, the only way to take him somewhere is to go yourself and hope he follows.

Just as I walk past the doorway my mother dries her hands and turns around. “Oh!" She squeals in surprise "How we missed you!” tears start at her eyes and she hugs me.

“He never sends letters, at least he visits once every ten years.” Luckily my dad followed me.

“I don’t care, I missed you so much. As long as you’re here right now.” My mother holds me tightly. “I will finish here, and we can all have a big dinner later. Go to the living room with you’re dad, won’t you?”

She finally let’s go of the hug but still reaches to grab my face. “We will, you can let go now.”

“So, how are these paladin business going for you?” He always asks me this, and then he says “Where can you advance? I hear the pope is getting well payed, can’t you be the next one?”

Every time he used to talk to me about a job it’s something like this, at least that means he hasn’t changed in ten years. “Dad, I have a pretty important job already.”

I’m sure he knows what my position is, but it will never stop him from saying something like “Yes, Drow, but you always need to think of how to advance in life. I have a friend who’s an adventurer, he can set you up to be one if you want. Do you want me to speak with him?” I guess he still doesn’t understand.

“I’m doing what I want to do, my purpose is to help people, and I do just that."

I guess talking about my job is not enough for him, maybe you could even say ‘talking about my job is a secondary objective’.

The first objective being: “What about a wife? you are no longer too young, you know?” of course, his first objective is grandchildren.

“I have plenty on my mind as it is, I cannot associate myself with anyone at this point in time.” it sounds like a shallow excuse, but actually “I actually came here on my way back from a meeting I had in Mizran. No woman should wait for me to return from such long affairs.”

“Daria sure couldn’t wait” He hit a nerve there. “She loved you, you know that?” his face is sour as if he lost her himself.

“Yes, I know.” I reply.

“Did you know back then? She came by almost everyday, but you didn’t care.”

“I cared, Dad, I had a lot of fun with her back then. And I loved her too, In my way.” I know he won’t be able to understand, for him we were supposed to end up together.

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“You didn’t need to go to the guard to impress her, you just needed to-”

But I interrupt him.”I did not go there to impress her, dad, I went because I wanted to. Because I wanted to help people. Like I do right now.”

“But this life is so lonely. Living like this isn’t good for you, Drow!” His tones are raised, I understand how he feels, but I feel strong about this too!

“Living like this isn’t good for you! I am living up to my purpose in life!” I say with my voice raised and realize it was a little too loud.

After a bit of silence, he changes the subject, knowing he can’t get his way. “You should talk with your grandfather, he’s in his room.”

My grandfather is a unique… character, even more so than I am. My father used to joke that because I was named after him I take after him in my uniqueness, but to be honest, we are very much apart in many things.

“How is he? the last time I was here was in grandma’s funeral and then he was…” not well. It’s like he was broken.

“He is better, but he hasn’t made peace with death. He made an alter for her in his room and prays everyday… He feels closer to her this way.”

I look at the window, very soon it will be dusk.

“Will he want to talk to me?” I ask.

“He asked specifically for you, he doesn’t talk often to your brothers or sisters but when he does he mentions you. I think he misses you since you left.”

I get off my chair. I hope he does well. Ten years to mourn is a lot. “I will talk to him.”

Past the door I hear him saying something in the language of dark elves. I knock on the door “I am busy, Just leave the food out there.” an old voice growls.

“Jiji, It’s me.” A second later the door opens, inside is complete darkness, The window is sealed completely and the the door is now the only thing letting light in.

“Drow… you’re here.” He says with amazment. “Please, interrupt me.”

I walk inside. It’s very dim but I can make out what I see. A shrine for grandma, a bed, a bowl of rice and insence.

“Jiji, how have you been?” He looks elated, I thought he would be much more sad.

“Drow, I am so happy to see you.”

I wonder why he’s so happy to see me. “Actually, Jiji, it’s Sorteiva now. I found a purpose, and a name for myself.” But his face is frozen with a big smile.

“I know, I have heard all about the great paladin, my leader of the inner circle. For me you might be the same little Drow of mine, but for my world you are Sorteiva.”

Jiji normally adds the word ‘me’ or ‘I’ to his sentances when he is unsure when to use them.

He grew up in a different place. His parents died in some way and let a dark elf ninja take care of him, he was told that the last thing they said was ‘drow, take care of him’ which the ninja only later learned was a call of him and not really my grandfathers name.

He grew up learning dark elf language, only when he was mature he left their Island to the mainland, so this is his second language.

I sit with him, on the floor as he likes to do. “I wasn’t here since grandma… I’m a little worried about you, Jiji.”

He fiddles with something in his hands, hard to tell what that is. “I know, everyone has. But I was talking with your grandmother everyday. It appears that we should be more concerned for you than for ourselves.” He lights what seems to be incense in a bowl of rice.

“I have a very important thing to tell you, Sorteiva.” He takes the bowl and gets up to put it in front of the alter.

“A dangerous time is upon us. Sooner or later, it will come to use, even if we cannot protect ourselves it will show no mercy.” Why is he telling me this? what is he even telling me? I recall the meeting I had in Mizran.

“Joan wanted me to tell you this.” He walks farther into the darkness. “I waited for very long for me to tell you this, Sorteiva, protector of human kind, destroyer of evil.”

I cannot stop but thinking about the meeting. Does he know? Was it not just a Mizar vazir looking to gain political power? “Why are you telling me this? Grandfather?”

“Drow-… Sorteiva. I waited long to live up to my promise of my beloved. Now I wish to return.” before I ask him where he walks out of the darkness.

He walks out of the darkness but all I can see are his eyes. The rest is a black cloth covering him completely. “You’re going… to the Dark elven island?” He nods.

“But only dark elves are permitted to go there. You will be prosecuted even if you make it in.” He nods again. “Why are you doing this?”

“Sorteiva, I do not expect you to understand me. fifty of my years I spent away. I wish me to die in my home, with my beloved, thinking of her with me in home.” The eyes are the only thing I see, swollen wet eyes.

“What about father? and everyone else?” With a cracked voice he replies “They are old enough to take care of themselves. And they have you too.”

“Jiji, before you leave… tell me more about your life. I want to remember them once again, with you, for what will likely be the last time.”

I sit and listen to him talk, he tells me of all his adventures as a ninja, how he came to Uesteroza, How he met his friends, and my Grandma, his struggles, how he raised his children, how he raised me. In the end I could only see his mask, but I knew he was smiling.

At the meal I met my younger brothers, and my sisters too.

Like my father, my mother poked me about Daria, at least my brothers and sisters were there to back me up for that conversation.

When my sister went to give Jiji his meal and she didn’t hear anything she went in and found him missing, as well as the shrine for grandma he had.

I told them he went back home, none of us saw him in his ninja uniform so some had a hard time believing it.

He left no note, I guess he just left me to take care of them now.