“I can’t believe I’m this nervous,” she said, leaning against the headboard. Kenda held up a quivering hand. “Can’t stop shaking.”

“You’re going to be great. Margen is way nicer than you think,” Joe consoled, carrying juice, fruit, and slices of raw fish from the kitchen on one of those trays with legs so you could eat in bed. Today was going to be a huge day for Kendell. She was going to formally be made the deputy chief of the Adventurers Guild. To top it off, she would be receiving that honor from the OG founder of the guild itself.

In the days after the fall of the Erlking, Kenda hadn’t had any time to spend with the ancient general. Without that humanizing interaction, he was still a figure of legend to her. She could not understand how Joe just thought of him as that guy who was coming back today. Not wanting to burst her bubble by explaining that once you’ve thrown up a couple dozen times from expunging somebody’s necrotic pus, the hero-shine gets pretty dulled. In this case, familiarity bred nonchalance.

He settled the tray around her legs and grabbed one of the bunches of the grape-like squabba fruits. They tasted like green grapes but were yellow and bumpy, like raspberries. Popping one into his mouth, Joe looked to see if there was any lingering tension from their discussion the night before.

Joe had come to the Abaaka House after Kenda had finished her shift at the guild house. Excitedly, he announced he had a lead on Finn’s curse while simultaneously, she burst out with the news of her promotion. They were both overjoyed for the other until they realized this meant they were about to be separated, likely for months.

They talked long into the night, but it was clear there was no way around this impasse. Neither one of them wanted any form of separation, but Kenda had to stay, and he had to go if he was going to have any chance of breaking the curse.

Joe was happy here in Fort Coral, so it had not occurred to him that he might need to leave. He had accepted that one day, Hah’roo might come to him and state she was heading off to some unknown shore. He was surprised her wandering nature had not already kicked in, especially considering how miserable she had been through this sweltering summer. It never occurred to him that he would be the one departing this friendly city by the sea. Ironically, Joe was the one taking Hah’roo from Fort Coral instead of her following her own call of the winds.

While neither Joe nor Kendell was happy about their upcoming divergence, they both were overjoyed for the other. Kenda had worked very hard for years to rise to a formal position within the guild. She had done so under stiff opposition from her family. The Bracey clan had been glassworkers for generations and had expected Kenda to follow the family calling. The fact she had a calling of her own was discounted as a mere idle hobby, a childhood whim that had been overly indulged.

That all changed when they started receiving numerous lucrative commissions after the first set of galas held in honor of Margen’s return. Wooing the rising star of the guild had prompted many of the trading-houses and sea-barons to suddenly consider refurbishing the ornate windows in their lavish halls or need for blown art pieces to grace their homes. This significant influx of wealth allowed the Bracey Glassworks to purchase the very best climate enchantments, something the shop had needed for quite some time.

As luck would have it, these upgrades were completed just before the onset of the summer’s heatwave. The timing could not have been more perfect. Within a week, everyone of means in the city was seeking to improve their cooling modifications, causing the enchantment prices to soar and depleting the resources needed to make them. For the last two months, when most of the city was endeavoring to bear the blazing heat, Kendell’s kin were hard at work, comfortable beside their furnaces and making a small fortune in the process.

Any discussion of Kendell abandoning her “hobby” in the guild had been thoroughly squashed at that point.

Joe would have rather the Braceys supported her for her dedication to the city and the guild that helped protect it or for her incredible talents with classes and skills. Still, if money was the salve that worked, Joe was glad for it. Kendell no longer had to try and juggle the conflicting responsibilities of her chosen profession and her family occupation while trying to find some space for her own life and spending time with him.

They both avoided the topic of Joe’s impending departure as they prepared for the day ahead. Joe dressed in his nicest outfit. Since blue had become a trademark for him, he wore a sapphire-hued hemp vest over a sleeveless, off-white silk shirt. His black [Dreadstalker Leggings] looked better on him than any other pants he had found. Shoes mainly had fallen to the wayside for Joe. His furry feet were as heavily reinforced as his hairy hands, meaning he could step on glass and barely notice. Aboard the Haven, foot gear just didn’t make much sense. He only wore sandals in the cabin to protect the floors and rugs from his taloned toenails more than for any deference to his feet. Still, since the bohemian look would have been frowned on, Joe purchased a formal set of sandals for this occasion.

The guild sent Isais to turn Kenda into a regal battle queen. The egocentric elf could be unbelievably irritating at times, but there was no questioning her sense of style. The breastplate had been changed to a fine mithril scale shirt. On her wrists were a pair of garnet-colored bracers, which complemented her deep red tooled leather war-kilt. Actual garnets hung around her neck and from her ears. The elven archer had transformed her long brown hair into a work of art. While most of her chestnut tresses were worked into a series of varying braids, the remaining strands were curled in such a way that they added elegance instead of looking in any way untamed.

Looking at her took Joe's breath away. Even better, no one would be looking at him while she was anywhere near him. He had managed to disengage himself from most of the pomp and ceremony. Not all, but even the bits he had to attend, Myllo promised not to let Septumus Silver single him out.

He would still have to be part of the city’s recognition for discovering and destroying the corruption that was seeping out of the lost valley of Glen Cumha. At least for that award, Joe would be standing up on stage with the members of all three guild teams. They would not be named, though Joe was almost certain that this concession was not for his benefit but Taylyn’s. The tiny bombardier was one of Fort Coral’s strategic assets. As she was literally as timid as a mouse, lauding her heroism in front of the whole town would be terrorizing for her and potentially dangerous if she panicked.

With Kendell finished, Isais cast a series of glamors on herself that instantly made her look equally as stunning as the guild trainer. Were it not for the smug smile, that is. If Isais could just get over herself, she really would be a gorgeous woman. Her catty demeanor is what destroyed the allure she so desperately craved.

Now ready, the three of them left the Abaaka House and hit the street, heading for Midtown Square. As they crossed the first street, the group was joined by an unobtrusive young man. The lad was so unassuming the narcissistic elf and preoccupied trainer did not even notice him at Joe’s side.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Wow. Kenda looks amazing!”

“I know, “ Joe replied through the telepathic connection. “That spell is perfect for you. I know you’re there, but you make zero impression.”

One of the spells Yuk had taken after their leveling in Glen Cumha was called [Lusterless Shroud], an uncommon Spectral spell that prevented Yuk from being seen as a mass of writhing insects. When activated, they appeared to be an average person, typically male, but no person in particular, just some forgettable fellow. They were unremarkable but not unnoticeable. This spell meant the discorporated entity did not need cloaks or wraps to form a body-shaped pile inside the cloth.

Carrying stuff around had always been a problem for Yuk, which is why they typically wore rags. It was easier to carry scraps than full garments, especially through the cracks in walls and under doors they frequently used to get around. They had tried dimensional items, but even those were awkward when, at any point, Yuk might want to leave the bugs carrying the item behind. Another spell selected after leveling, called [Murk-Locker], fixed this problem for Joe’s friend. [Murk-Locker] was like an extra-dimensional bag or ring, but it was fixed to Yuk’s pattern, not a tangible item. It just needed a small shadow to manifest the opening in, and Yuk could pull stored items out of their mini-dimensional pocket.

“It’s so nice not to have to use misdirection spells when we’re in public anymore. The good ones are too expensive, and the cheap ones mean we get completely ignored. It got tiring having people plow right through us.”

“And since it’s not Beguilement or Illusion, it’s pretty unlikely that anything short of truthsight is likely to see through it.” That had been Joe’s contribution. From his days playing tabletop RPGs, he had learned that clever GM’s equipped their guards and merchants with spells to lessen their ability to be mentally manipulated or fooled by illusions. When he asked around, Joe learned spells like [Glamor Ward] and [Mirage Breaker] were commonplace defenses against these types of abilities. Since Yuk had a Superior affinity with Darkness, Joe asked Kenda to help them find an unusual masking spell among the murk-based magics. The Spectral affinity had just the thing.

“Thanks. We almost just took [Mask]; every trader in town would have looked right through it.”

“Happy to, Bud,” Joe sent as they reached the central plaza of Fort Coral. “You ready to see the big guy again? He should be with Mercy Suku now.” Yuk had been non-stop giddy about Margen all day yesterday.

“You bet! How long will it take her to clear the Erlking’s rot?”

“You’re guess is as good as anyone’s, Bud. Her healing is so different from mine. Some ailments just vanish the moment she walks in the room, and others take a lot of ceremony. I’m thinking clearing up Margen will be more of the second category, but only she would really know for sure.”

“We have to go to get with the rest of the guild,” Kendell stated, unknowingly breaking into the silent conversation. “Are you sure about this? Without you and Yuk … wait, Yuk? When did you get here?”

“They just showed a minute ago,” Joe supplied for his friend. Without [Parasitic Connection], Yuk would have to speak aloud, and the sound of hundreds of tiny voices chattering in unison tended to unnerve people and annoy the sentient swarm.

“Oh, okay. Morning, Yuk,” she added warmly, turning so she could address them both. “As I was saying, without you two, Margen never would have been found. It should be you guys up there, not Myllo and I,” she asserted

“We’ve had this conversation ad nauseam, Kay. Neither of us cares who gets the credit, and both of us actively despise being stared at. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the one doing us a favor and taking one for the team, so we don’t have to.”

“You’re both impossible,” she huffed, though she was far too excited to actually be unhappy about anything. Joe received a peck on the cheek from her and a somewhat judgy look from Isais before the pair headed toward the guild house. The girls would be able to head around the crowd that way and reach the stage without passing through the throng of excited citizenry.

Joe and Yuk looked for a good spot but they eventually gave up on the street after a while. There were just too many people, too closely packed, for either of them to be comfortable. Seeing that there were plenty of rooftops with people on them, Joe picked a large, empty one and flew up to it in the shape of a seahawk before transforming back. Yuk skittered and buzzed his way up as well.

They could fly down when their turn to be on stage came around.

The two chilled next to an ice block as they waited through the city council speeches for almost an hour until the band struck up a rousing military march. Moments later, the massive warrior of days long gone strode up onto the raised platform. Margen looked better than Joe had ever seen him. Gone was ashen-looking skin and the tremors. He no longer appeared as if his skin and muscles were loosely attached to his bones. Not a single weeping wound anywhere Joe could see.

The only minor caveat was the ancient general really needed to get some sun. Centuries of being trapped underground left him looking pretty pale, but his movements radiated such a sense of strength and purpose that no one would associate his pallor with weakness.

Joe could feel Yuk’s elation through the link, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the joy bubbling off his friend. As Yuk rejoiced it felt like a filter had been lifted on the connection the two kept active almost constantly nowadays. He felt Yuk’s unadulterated feelings not just for Margen, but for Joe, too.

He was pretty sure his swarming pal was unaware his honest emotions were flooding through their bond. This was the greatest day of the outcast’s life, and, in Yuk’s mind, it was all on account of Joe: his unquestioning acceptance of them, his rescuing their hero in a way they never could have, for giving them a home.

Not knowing how to respond, Joe felt something shift inside himself. As much as he cared for Kenda, there was still a space between the two of them. That same distance Joe had been placing between himself and everyone else ever since his family had passed away. It wasn’t something he did consciously. It was an instinctive habit to keep himself from ever being that badly hurt again.

The only exception had been his dogs.

Yet suddenly, between him and Yuk, that moat was gone. His oddly impossible friend had opened up in a way Joe had not felt since cancer had torn apart his world, destroying those depthless connections he had with his parents and brothers.

Normally, Joe would have run away, but this time, he just couldn’t. Yuk’s truth wouldn’t let him. They had unstintingly adopted Joe and, at the same time, given themselves over for adoption as well.

Together, they sat on the roof, shouting with crowds as Margen was presented to the city, cheering for Kenda’s promotion and laughing at Myllo’s colorful rendition of the events of the previous spring. Only when they finally had to get up on stage did Yuk ride the albatross Joe formed himself into, and they flew straight to the stage, ceremonial choreography be damned.

Joe knew he’d get a scolding from Septimus later, but he didn’t really care. It was too good a day to sweat the small stuff. For him, even better than seeing Margen again and celebrating Kendell’s accomplishments was the realization he was once again part of a family.

An undoubtedly strange and self-appointed one, but families were allowed to defy definition. It was all about how they felt. And Joe and Yuk just worked.