A tall, young, lanky man sits on a sliced boulder upon a hilltop, overlooking a vast empty field surrounded by forest with a lush sparkling lake shimmering peacefully in the center.
His fingers rhythmically tap the pole of his twisted red spear, slow and methodical. The blue skin-tight suit he wears hugs his muscular back and chest, in contrast to his metal shoulder pads and steel boots which lay unstrapped and relaxed on his body. His suit matches the colour of his tied-up hair and, when left loose, reaches all the way down to his waist.
His ears are adorned with golden earrings, matching his confident face, though now it wears a relaxed and calm expression.
He is not alone. On the overgrown, lush, green grass sits an older man, in his late 40ies. His shorter build is matched with a more overall built physique. He has a scruffy brown beard and short brown hair, with hints of gray stricken through it. He wears a more simple outfit, a commoners shirt, and pants with a woolly farmer's jacket hanging off his shoulder.
“I missed this”, he says, breaking the serene silence.
“I missed you”, the tall lancer responds with a smile, both men not taking their eyes off the vast field.
“... I wish you had come sooner”, the older man says sentimentally.
“I told you I was busy”
“And I’m still salty about it”
“Tough talk coming from a peasant farmer”
“And yet you came back to me”
“Of course. You’re the only one who understands”
“I doubt it”
“You’re the only one that I like, who understands”
The farmer chuckles and silence returns. The setting sun beams across the land.
Birds scatter across the blowing air as they return to their nests.
“Its nice to be home.”, the lancer comments.
“Home? I thought Berford was your Home”
“It used to be. But since I’ve met you… actually not just you, rather everyone here in Emba, I’ve come to appreciate living each life I have.”
The older man looks over to his friend. “I’m happy to have met you too Nialuc.”
Nialuc looks back at the man with a hearty smile, though it slowly fades. “There’s actually something I need to tell you though”
“What’s wrong?”
“Well… I sense something coming”
“Already?!” The man springs up to his feet. “But it’s barely even been a decade!”
“Hold on, I said I sense something, it might not be him yet”
“So what is it then?”
“Something. Almost sure it's dangerous.”
“You can’t catch a break can you?”
“It seems the universe has decided to constantly challenge me since we met”
“Really though, that’s so true. I mean, you first were re-summoned for that tournament-”
“-The technical term is reborn”
“No, thats the religious term, if it WERE rebirth, you’d actually be born. Like, as a baby. Not a fully functioning adult”
“Well its like a magical birth I guess..”
“Exactly, religious. That god stuff”
“Magic isn’t strictly-”
“Anyways! You were resummoned-”
“-reborn”
“RESUMMONED for that tournament, in which you almost died, then you came here, met me, then you had to go on a FIVE-YEAR-long quest with Skaha-”
“-then I got to relax here for 3 years”
“-and finally you had to go off on another religious duty for another 2 years. After which you came back and have been staying with us for the last 3 weeks.”
“The better portion of a month really…”
“3 weeks!”
“Look… I'm sure it's fine, I just… don't want to endanger you or Emba in any way. I’ll go off somewhere, finish whatever business is coming, and then come back”
“What if it is Hiterito coming for you? You’ll die and we might never see each other again”
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“Well… you never know. My last rebirth only took 10 years.”
“First of all, it's resummoning, secondly, didn’t you say that was your fastest ever resummoning? It was for that tournament right?”
“... yeah, but it might not be Hiterito you know?”
“Nialuc… I'm getting old. If you die, or hell, if you’re gone for even a couple years, I might not be here for your return”
“Tabris, don't say that. You’re not that old. 41 is a good age.”
“No one in my family has ever lived passed 60”
“Jeez.. and I thought the Vemot family was one of the tough ones.”
“For this era, 60 is impressive. Not everyone has the godly gift of being resummoned at peak physical health whenever they die.”
“Look Tabris. I promise you, I’ll see you again.”
“...” The simple farmer stares back out into the distance. The sunlight has faded at this point, leaving a dark night sky with the stars slowly becoming visible.
“Tabris?”
“Will you be saying goodbye to Ester and the kids at least?”
“I'm leaving tonight. The longer I stay the more dangerous it is… Plus.. I dont think they’ll be happy to see me leave.”
“Better to just vanish?”
“It is what I do. What do you expect?”
“... Fair enough… I can't be asking so much from someone like you. You’ve got duties, threats and responsibilities I couldn’t even imagine. You’re up there on the world's highest stage. I'm just a Farmer.”
“Tabris. Without you, humanity would literally die out”
“What, because I provide all the food?” He chuckles
“And because the world needs better people now more than ever.”
“Ach.. Wet talk”
“I think you’d be wiser to accept the opinion of someone who has lived for over 200 years”
“Are you really 200 years old?”
“I don't know. Stopped counting after 80”
Tabris laughs at the face of God's chosen instrument.
“Gods be damned. I can’t believe people like you exist”
“Thanks friend”
They both stare up into the night sky, observing the increasing number of stars.
“Where are you going?”
“Haven’t thought it out fully yet, but I was thinking East, maybe visit the famous Wametat waterfall.”
“I heard it's pretty deadly”
“Well, I'm functionally immortal.”
“Not to me”
“I meant in a more, ‘Not dying’ sense and ‘I'm an ultra-powerful and masterly skilled fighter with magical powers and have never been killed by any regular thing or person’ kinda sense.”
“Yet somehow you lost in the tournament and had to be healed by your patron god to not die for real.”
“That's not fair. That fight was against Hiterito. He’s basically my only real weakness”
“I doubt that again.”
“You really do talk tough”
“I'm a farmer, my whole life is tough.”
“You’re right. You’ve probably struggled as much if not more than I have.”
The lancer rises to his feet.
“I should go.” He glances at his friend with eyes full of sorrow but admiration. “I promise, I will come back”
Tabris chuckles. “Yeah yeah..”
Nialuc helps him up. The two walk down the side of the hill together, walking the dirt path down toward the little community of farmhouses just beyond the forest. As they reach the rim of the forest line, they turn to each other, one staring down at the other.
They embrace without a word. The farmer heads back to his home, while the Lancer turns away from it, beginning his trek east with nothing but his reddened twisted lance strapped to his back. As he passes the hill which he now newly considers his new favourite place, he spots one of the few birds nests between the branches of a tree. A mother and her three children sleep peacefully curled up by each others sides. The lancer turns his head away, gaze fixed on the ground.