Everything is different. I can barely remember the days when I had nothing to do around here but learn a few beating techniques from Blago. Instead of him being just a blacksmith… I find out he was a once a Hunter.

Julie is supposed to be unique in her healing ability and medicinal knowledge but it turns out that she is also unbelievably smart when it comes to implementations of magic.

It has barely been a day of training her and she has even picked up a few of the basic fighting techniques I showed her. A staff is the best fighting option for her, maybe a spear later if she has the time to learn how to use it.

Blago made a strong one with metal plates covering the ends of it, offering better fighting capabilities.

I already know most of the goblin’s fighting strategies, which means I also know the vital movements she needs to learn. Julie is also picking up on a few defensive maneuvers, meant to help her with all the goblin lunges, rather quickly. I think she has been studying my training schedules.

Now that I have some peace and quiet, I can stay here, at the southern gate, right where it all started. This is a nice place to rest.

The Sun moving past these mountains always gives the lighting a bit of a different color, in a way that soothes me. There is also a chill that makes my eyes ready to doze off, even though that usually happens after dark. Guess it is getting colder.

More importantly, I can think about me and everyone else with a bit more clarity here. I do not believe I gave myself enough time to breathe and calm down these last months. It does feel weird… Thinking about all these events. About my actions.

Meuko and Sylvar had plenty of things to say yesterday…

We cannot expose Julie to that kind of danger. Her magic is not made for fighting.

They were not real arguments. They were mumbling thoughts of two worried people, their way of showing how much they care for who is essentially my sister.

I did not respond. I merely walked over to Julie and apologized. All the times I left without saying proper goodbye. All the times I took her powers for granted, jumping around rooftops and learning how to roll around multiple crates and barrels.

I also thanked her. For the healing that kept me, Hollis, even Sylvar and Meuko alive. I realized yesterday that no matter how strong they are, they needed help a lot of the times out there. They simply decided to protect me. I thanked her for the books she read. The knowledge she brought us reminded everyone, other than Sylvar, that there is a world beyond the captivating mountains I see every day.

I thanked her for the sheer bravery it took her to go inside Alayne’s house, alone as well, just so she could bring that knowledge to us. The hours she must have spent reading books, trying her hardest to figure out which parts are the important ones, which ones should be brought to our attention.

How can I have any right to tell her whether or not she can fight with us outside? To tell her that my desire to keep her safe is what determines her responsibilities. I cannot do that. Same way that Alayne cannot tell me how I can help. If there is anything that yesterday’s events taught me, it is that I will not be like Alayne.

These past few interactions with my group taught me something about me as well.

What I have to offer.

Something more than just plans in the middle of ever-changing combat. Something more than my skill with knives and other weapons.

I have focus. Intense focus that keeps me going in situations when I feel ready to roll over and die. Eadwald is teaching me that magic is like another limb. One that you cannot use without proper training and sufficient concentration. She is teaching me how to tell when someone is casting a spell and how to interrupt it.

Well… I learned more than that. The fight with the troll, the dive in the river, the duel with Thando. In every situation that I used magic, even Sylvar’s, it was because I put everything I had into my thoughts… Begging for something to happen.

I need to hone that focus. Channel it even better. Make my mind as sharp as my Varknife. Make it tougher than Blago’s armors, so that no attack can affect or interrupt my thoughts.

There is also the matter of my new eye.

When I used my nails as projectiles against Thando, the feeling was different. Every other time I used magic, there was a delay before my body started breaking down or tearing apart. Against Thando, though, the nails were the resource used along with magic.

Maybe, just maybe, if I can find a way to control my enhanced sight along with my intentions, I could use magic and parts of my body without catastrophic injuries. That will probably give me new abilities, new ways to deal with threats.

My ideas about my usefulness in the Village have changed as well. Ever since I started venturing out, I have contributed in more ways than I ever thought possible. I used to think that there was something wrong with me.

To be fair, I was just a kid. What would a person that has lived for ten or fifteen years know about responsibility and dedication to a specific craft? Every day that I watched my parents work in the fields was another day that I thought it was too complicated or too important for me to be able to do. It was not their fault, I just did not know how to handle the decision.

Decision. That word scared me when I was a kid. It was like I would choose the wrong type of work to help with and then the world would end. Not that I ever knew what the world was.

I have only ever known this Village.

And I truly love it.

The Villagers are all grateful for my help these past few months. It hurts… When they tell me that I did not do anything wrong. That there was nothing anyone could have done. That I should not let the feeling of loss define me.

But nothing hurts like the love that the kids show me.

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While I was training with Julie, I saw Ana waving at me. She was riding Sylvie, playing with the other kids. As soon as she realized that I saw her, she brought every kid with her, hugging me and asking to play. I noticed that Angzod was really close with Ana, talking about Sylvie’s scars and Angzod’s.

Apparently, Blago will be teaching Ana how to make simple stuff. Things that I do not know the process they require to be made. Probably weapons. Julie will be teaching Angzod medicinal stuff. Stuff that I also have no idea how they are applied… Or made.

Maybe I should start learning a few things as well.

No… I have spent enough time trying to help in ways that I clearly am unable to. I can fight and I can think. I will use what I can to keep the outside threats from ever reaching this place... These kids. I cannot put them in danger.

There are so many moves that need to be made. While the Village is desperately trying to come out of this flood and its aftermath stronger, I am thinking about Snaray. The gray goblins could be our allies. The goblin queen is trying to find this place. Maybe it is not actually her but just one group of goblins. That seems unlikely. Not that I know anything about them.

Maybe we could revisit the books.

I cannot help but wonder. If the goblins need a scroll that can help them see things, why are they not here already? They have that scroll in their possession for months now. Is something stopping them? Maybe they need to enhance the scroll’s spell.

Then, there are the Hunters. While I bought my group some time, they will soon respond with a move of their own. A demand or a punishment if we return from an expedition with nothing but injuries. I will have to figure something out.

But the thing that truly worries me, like a constant headache… Travlon’s death. He made a deal. He mentioned a voice and we are no closer to the truth. Our whole reason for venturing out. All this training and no answers about… Well, pretty much anything. Only questions. Questions about Travlon, the Hunters, the experiments, the Empty Ones, the goblins.

Julie asked me if was worried about the revelation of Gods in our world. Without a doubt, I said no. We have enough problems right in front of us. I am barely worried about the fact that I could die from magic. Alayne almost killed me yesterday and that only made me want to get stronger. The same desire I have had since Travlon’s death.

I can feel it. The weight of what is coming next for us. It feels like it is going to crush me. If the goblins do not get me, it will be the Hunters. Maybe, I will die by myself, overloading my body with magic. Then… There is all that trouble that Snaray is dealing with in the south. I wonder what that is about.

All I know is that, whatever happens next, it will be with Sylvar, Meuko and Julie. We work well together, definitely better than how we started. I think that the dreams we share are the reason why we are feeling some sort of unseen pressure.

I cannot be sure, of course. Yet… Every time we see them, there is this rift between us. One that Meuko quickly fixes, if I remember correctly. She is never one for waiting around. I keep wondering, however, what the purpose of these dreams is. Helping us or manipulating us? With all the uncertainty around me, I cannot tell for sure.

As far as plans go… I barely have one. It makes me want to laugh. I do know that tomorrow, we are going to start patrolling around the eastern parts of these hills. Julie will join us when she can hold her ground against basic attack patterns. Blago is the one doing the test. For some reason, my group thinks I would hold back against her.

There is a thought that has been swirling around my brain ever since the fight in front of Varuna. Maybe I could negotiate with the goblin queen. If what that hobgoblin said was true, the one we fought in front of one of their caves… They were looking for something that is supposed to help them. Do we even have anything I would know about?

Aside from Modesta’s refining techniques and Julie’s healing magic… I do not think so. And there is no way they know about Julie’s magic. Unless Travlon told them about it. Regardless, helping them or at least talking to them could help alleviate some of the problems caused from all these conflicts we are having.

I cannot wait for Julie, though. While I want her to help and I suppport the fact that she wants to venture out… The goblins have this scroll that Modesta mentioned. They are certainly gathering their forces right now, getting ready to strike our Village as soon as they break the- The whatever Modesta called it- The Veil.

“Volter.” Sylvar shouts from afar, trying to get my attention.

“Hey. Anything wrong?” I ask.

As always, he is wearing his findal armor. He even has those new axes strapped on his sides.

“Have you already forgotten?” Sylvar asks.

“Apparently…” I chuckle.

“You asked me to have a small session with knives, spears and bows. You wished to see your progress.” Sylvar explains.

“Right… Shit, I really forgot all about it. Sorry.” I say.

“Everything all right, my friend?” Sylvar says.

“Just thinking about everything. Ever since that day Travlon teleported in front of your house, we have not rested properly, have we?”

“It is true that our responsibilities have been wearing us down lately… But there is also a smile.”

“A what now?”

“You have been smiling more and more, my dear friend Volter. I have even witnessed you smiling in the middle of combat. There is a lot to be said about the dangers we face and the stress those bring. However, you have also felt better ever since you made yourself useful in your unique ways.”

“You do not have to say unique. It makes me seem like I am useless most of the time.”

“Well…”

“Oh, so we are joking now, is that it?” I laugh.

“I have been trying to get better at it.” Sylvar laughs as well.

“I can tell. You are right. Things might be weird between us and the Hunters… But I love our responsibility. Even when I am tired- Bloody even- All the problems I have suddenly disappear because I have to fight or help someone.” I explain.

“I understand the feeling.” Sylvar responds.

“Of course you do, elf with two hundred years or something.” I say.

“When I lost my home.” Sylvar sort of disregards my comment. “The kids… My parents. I traveled around, hunting for money, training boys for food. It made me forget my troubles, even if it was for short periods of time.”

“Money?” I ask.

“Right… It is a resource people use to trade other important resources. Mainly metal, like gold and silver. But I have heard of tales of distant civilizations that use paper-”

“Paper? To trade food? Why do they not just all work together and share it? We manage just fine here. Can they not use their magic?” I interrupt Sylvar.

“The world functions differently from place to place. If you ever venture out further than these mountains… Perhaps you could see the plethora of cultures.”

“That does sound interesting. Maybe after this whole goblin business. Whatever pladora means.”

“Plethora. A large amount… I sure hope you can experience the world in a different way than I did. Positive is not how I would describe my journey.”

“Then, let us make it better from now on. We should get going.” I say.

“Are you referring to sleep or-”

“The training… Obviously.”

“You do seem tired.”

“Julie had more stamina than I expected. She is going to be ready soon. Really soon.”

“I still have my reservations.”

“Never was our choice to begin with. All we can do is help as much as possible.” I explain. “What was it that Meuko said? She took a step all on her own.”

“Right you are.”

We move towards Sylvar’s house, taking in the effects of our rebuilding efforts.

I love this Village.

We lost people, we fought… Many times. We met new people. I learned about the world, I learned about myself.

“But is she truly as good as you say?” Sylvar asks.

“Yes. She has good instincts. Within a week or two… She should probably be ready to travel with us.”

“I am glad to hear it- S- Sylvie enjoys her company… As do I.” Sylvar mumbles.

“No kidding. What do we start with?” I say, hitting his shoulder.

“I was thinking the bow. That is what you know less, after all. Better now than when you are completely exhausted.”

“Shall we, then?”

Everything is different.

And so am I.