Winter badly wanted to get drunk, but he did not really want to, at the same time. He somehow felt it was appropriate to try getting drunk in the virtual world, as his problem was in this side of the world. If one day he ever had the same problem in real world, he would get massively drunk there, too.
Sella’s restaurant was not open for dinner yet. It was late afternoon, however. In real life, the workers and chefs inside would probably begin preparing for the dinner crowd. Counting upon this, Winter tried the backdoor, that led to the kitchen area. It was unlocked as he thought.
“You! Don’t go too fast! The food also need to look good and appetizing! You are ruining the shape. And you! Quit smirking! You yourself are guilty from undercooking your meal! Never think I did not notice! Oh, hi, Winter. You are early.”
“Hi, Sella. As busy as usual, I see.”
This was the second time for the past week Winter went past the kitchen area. The previous time, it was to get to the back alley for his fool of a duel.
“I expect a lot of customers today. By the way, someone is looking for you.”
Sella whispered in a mix between conspiratorial and gossipy. She even lowered her voice and tilted her head a little, with one of her hand cupped in a whispering manner. Winter raised his eyebrows in question.
“It is an elven Magician, very beautiful. I have no idea you are that well-travelled, Winter.”
“Who?”
Winter did not recall ever knowing an elven magician. Beautiful, he expected it from elven races.
“Oh, dear. I forgot to ask for her name,” said Sella, smacking her own head.
“She is still seated inside. Good luck.”
Sella moved on to commandeer and terrorise her chefs, while occasionally tasting a few dishes here and there. How her ungainly bulk moved so quickly was another mystery for Winter. He was not in the mood to meet anyone, but since he had to pass through the dining room to climb the stairs up, he might as well see who it was.
xXx
Aloine was getting impatient. She had sat silent for hours. This was the first time for her to wait for a man to show up. Every time before this, it was the other way round. She was about to quit for the day when a face she vaguely recalled walked from the server’s door. She did not remember how he looked like, only the snow white hair and black leather gear he wore. He was also taller than her. Aloine remembered that much. She prepared her best smile and stood up, greeting the man that soon would be hers.
xXx
“Took you long enough to show up,” muttered Aloine to herself.
Winter already saw the elven girl the moment he walked through the kitchen door. She was hard to miss. Aside from what he would under normal circumstances describe as ‘sophisticatedly hot’, she was the only clearly non-NPC that was there.
“I am sorry. I do not recall ever knowing you.”
Winter was as brash as possible today, as his mood was terrible. He furrowed his brow to try recalling if he had ever seen the elven Magician before. He had a good memory when it comes to ladies ,and he did indeed recall it now.
“Ah. Yes. Odette’s friend, right? I am sorry. I do not think we have ever been introduced to each other.”
“I am Aloine. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, Aloine. What do you need from me?”
“I wish to take you out for a date.”
“No thank you.”
*Silence*
“I am sorry, I did not hear you right, can you say that again?”
“No, thank you, Aloine.”
*Silence*
Aloine’s perfect smile was twitching a little. Winter, with his head in a daze, did not notice it when he usually would.
“How about a dinner? Or a drink?”
“Not today, thank you. Now if you would excuse me.. I have a barrel to finish.”
Winter turned around and began ascending the stairs.
“Wait! This is not right! You are supposed to be happy I am even asking you out!”
Winter hated a screeching girl. He had no idea who this Aloine was in real life, but she was still granted a minimum amount of courtesy, as she was Julianne’s friend. It was quickly wearing thin.
“And why do you think I should be happy?”
“I am beautiful and I am asking you out, isn’t that enough?”
“I know better beauties than you. And your personality stinks.”
Aloine was shaking in anger now. She was directly insulted!
“It must be the NPC isn’t it? It is pointless to spend time with her. As much as she is beautiful, she is only an NPC in the end.”
Winter’s temper exploded in an instant. Aloine had unexpectedly touched a sore subject. He unexpectedly activated <
“Well, tough! That girl you called NPC knows more about the matters of heart than you are. You are a dung compared to her! She is infinitely more beautiful than you! Your heart is rotten! I bet nobody ever told you that, isn’t that right?”
With every sentence, Aloine was cringing. She always relied on her beauty and subtle persuasions to control men and obtain what she wanted. This was the first time for her to truly try her feminine wiles against a grown man, and she found herself lacking. She, the self-professed Princess, for the very first time, felt her unshakable confidence shaken and cracking.
“Then hear me now. For you are NOT, a girl that I want to spend even a single second to be with. YOU are SHALLOW! YOU are ARROGANT! You are CONCEITED!”
Aloine fled through the door of the restaurant. If Royal Road allowed the tear function for players, she would be crying now. Inside the capsule, tears leaked from her closed eyes.
“HEY! I am not finished! Get back here! I have more to say!”
Aloine tried to close her ears with both her hands, but was unable to stop hearing the echoes of what the mature man said.
xXx
Winter was heaving his virtual chest. He knew he probably should not have done that. No, definitely should not. He would probably be hearing from Julianne soon about this. And if Celine were ever to find out, he would receive an earful. Still, he could not be bothered by hurting ab adolescent girl’s feelings at the moment. Actually, he should be, as his matter involved another adolescent girl’s feelings, albeit a virtual one. Everything was confusing for Winter at that moment.
’Serves her right for showing up and spouting garbage at the wrong time! Now I really want that drink!’
Winter asked for the strongest cheap liquor from the usual stiff-faced bartender. He did not intend to squander Sella’s best stock for a customer that would never have to pay. His previous extravagance was more than enough for Sella to pay back his favor, as far as Winter was concerned.
He downed glass after glass. His vision slowly began to blur. He chuckled at himself as unexpectedly, he was able to get drunk in-game.
You are smashed!
Your excessive drinking has lowered your status!
Movement speed reduced by 75%
All physical status reduced by 50%
Physical Attack and Magic Attack is set at 5
Your defense is lowered to 0
You are seeing distortions in everything
All enemies looks less scary. Level lowered by 5.
Effect shall persist for two hours
“Drinking alone again for the night?”
A voice Winter vaguely recognised sat beside his swaying avatar.
“Leave me alone. I want to at least get drunk alone tonight. How hard is that?”
“She really did a number on you huh...”
Zaya and Winter were not on the same page here. Zaya was assuming Winter’s drunkenness was the work of the vicious elven caster she saw earlier.
“No. I did this myself, so to speak. Now go. Shoo.”
Sighing at the sorry sight, Zaya moved away. Maybe she was mistaken about the man there. She quickly spotted Sella and began her work.
xXx
At some point, Winter’s head ached too much. He chose to log out. His headache was instantly gone. Almost. Some residual effect still impaired his steps the first minute, then it was fine. He was supposed to be thinking about how to resolve Adria’s infatuation with him, not drinking himself silly. He thought he had struck upon a solution, possibly.
Winter brewed his favorite coffee ,that on that night, somehow tasted foul. The bitter flavor tasted of guilt. Waiting for the hour to pass, so he could get back in without the headache.
Meanwhile, Adria, who was finally hungry enough, cooked herself some food. Out of habit, she served three portions instead of two. The empty seat reminded her again that she was supposed to be in anguish, yet she felt empty at that moment. Her father was clearly jittery, not speaking a word, consuming his late dinner silently.
“You look like a mess, Adria, let me help you clean up.”
That was the first sentence she heard from him that night. She immediately broke down crying again. Minalan hugged her, bracing himself against his daughter’s tears.
“It is okay, Adria. It hurts now, but you will feel better.”
“How do you know, Father. How could you know!”
“I once loved too, Adria, a beautiful woman with jet black hair like yours and eyes as green as yours. Theladria was her name.”
Adria’s sobbing was silent against Minalan’s shoulder. Minalan continued his tale, now that he had begun.
“She was as radiant as the sun to me, as I the moon that lights her way in the dark. Every touch, every kiss, every moment our eyes met, we felt blessed by the world.”
“And then she died.....”
“Yes... and then she was gone....”
This was the first time Minalan had ever told the story he held closely in his heart. His Theladria was not yet gone, but her very existence made him feel as blessed as he was suffering, daily, for his love for her will never be the same again, lost forever. Minalan sobbed against his daughter’s shoulder this time. Their late dinner was forgotten.
xXx
Zaya, who had given up on her golden ticket,which seemed to be a dud, was exiting out of the bar she was checking out for possible merchandise. She saw Herbert walking in her direction.
’Uh, oh.’
Zaya figured that if Herbert was back, Campbell would be too. She was right. Campbell, was in tow behind him. They were walking quickly, approaching Zaya, who was undecided whether to dive in or log out quickly. She worried for nothing, though.
Herbert passed her without even giving her a second glance, while Campbell was treating her like a pebble on the roadside. Zaya was not sure whether she should be insulted or relieved. In the end she sighed. She chose to be relieved, to not be Campbell’s object of misguided affection anymore.
Campbell was finally able to log back in. He discovered that his sword was missing. It did not overly concern him as he had spares in stock. Spawning at the spot where he died, he contacted Herbert immediately. They were to roam around the city first seeking the Magician again for a rematch. For Campbell, he had never lost and never would. It was only delayed victory, and he would win this time. But, first, he had to be thorough in his search, to be sure the next time they dueled, there was no chance of more delays in his victory.
“Herbert, find out everything you can about this Magician.”
He thought he saw someone he recognised for a second standing in front of a building. He dismissed it immediately as he had to begin organising a manhunt.
“You know how he looks like. Spread the word to everyone. Anyone who can give me any useful information about him will receive a 1000 gold reward.”
Herbert did not reply, but quickly began typing something in his menu, while both of them walked around the central district of the city.
“Campbell, what do I put for his name? I do not know it.”
Campbell would never be able to forget the name of the player that had humiliated him. He replied quickly.
“Winter. That is his name.”
He was walking past an alley when a feminine voice called after him.
“Did you say.... Winter?”
Campbell stopped in his tracks. He liked the sound of that voice. It gave him a beautiful image of a thorny rose in full bloom. He also heard the dripping malice. Maybe he had found an unexpected ally.
xXx
Winter’s strides were hesitant shuffles. It was near dawn in Royal Road when he judged enough time had passed for the measure of four hours in-game. Sella’s waiters were stacking up the chairs and cleaning the floor and tables. Saying his thanks to the bartender,who somehow still remain in the last spot Winter recalled, he left the restaurant.
Asric’s Cursed Bracer is at 100000/100000
Unequipping
The system message popped suddenly. Winter felt the familiar weight of the bracer disappear from his right wrist. He checked his equipment page and saw that the bracer was not there. He checked in his inventory and found it. The details said 100000/100000 when he clicked it. His time as a cursed mage was over, yet he felt no elation at all.
Sighing, Winter proceeded to continue walking down the road that led to the Magic District. He had walked the path so often, that he needed no landmarks to navigate the maze. It was enough for him to go by feel.
“Do you remember me, old man?”
Winter turned around slowly, expecting Campbell. He was the only one he recalled recently that ever called him ‘old man’. The sound’s pitch was not right, however. He still recognised the avatar that probably has been following him for a bit. It was the tall, rude, long-haired warrior who had been impolite to him after he was through exploring the cave system. He remembered the young man well, since he was especially rude. But he ranked him at third now, after Campbell and Aloine. It struck him that he had no idea what this player’s name was.
“I am not sure I do. Who are you?”
Winter was not interested in being reacquainted with this player, and chose to pretend.
“My name is Jackal, I believe we met before, once. You blew up a cart of fish.”
’What is with everyone out to inconvenience him tonight! First it was Aloine, then Zaya, and then this Jackal character. But I have to give it to him. He got straight to the point.’
“I think you are mistaking me with someone else.”
“Am I?”
“Yes, I am sure. I have to go now.”
“Not so fast! I still think you are the one that did it.”
“And... why do you think so?”
“Well.....”
Jackal was not the sharpest tool in the shed. He was always at disadvantage when it came to averbal argument. His best method of communication was through bashing heads.
“This is troublesome. Just fight me.”
Jackal requested a duel with you
Rule: Last Hit
Do you accept? Yes/No
Winter rejected the request without hesitation. He was through with duels for the longest time. The player was persistent, however, as he kept sending it, and Winter kept rejecting it.
“What is this? You are refusing a duel?”
“I am. What is wrong with it?”
“Well.....”
Jackal was again tongue-tied. He had planned to beat this swordsman, ascertain the truth through it, and then proceed accordingly. His plan was instantly ruined when his duel requests were rejected.
“Look. You are looking for the wrong person. I am a proper swordsman. Here. Have a look.”
Winter showed him Campbell’s sword, that he kept in his inventory. Whenever he was about to meet Adria, he always unequipped his weapon. Though he knew it was not necessary, Winter thought he should be as good an influence as possible to Adria. This included not strapping weapon around her. This little nugget of wisdom allowed Winter to trick Jackal.
Jackal,who had experience and a good eye, recognised a good sword. It was higher-leveled than his, too. He nodded and made a quick conclusion in his head, that he was indeed about to duel with the wrong person. Probably stronger than him, too, despite his soft look. Jackal’s thought process was that of a bully. He submitted to someone stronger than him.
“My apologies. I am indeed mistaken. Have a good night.”
Winter nodded and quickly passed Jackal. The large warrior was thinking something was missing, something he was supposed to instantly grasp. After about ten seconds, he shrugged and moved on. Hard thinking never suited him. He had several questions he needed to ask his source. Jackal would bash his head for good measure, too.
“That was close.... I cannot believe I am so careless.”
Winter was usually a better liar than that. But tonight, he was a mess in every sense. He could not believe the brutal-looking young warrior did not realise he had dropped the ball. Thank whoever above for thick-headed men with muscles for brains!
’I cannot believe I mentioned first that he was looking for a mage when I was supposed to never have seen him in the first place!’
It was a large hole in his argument of ‘I don’t know you’. He had no idea whether he would ever meet the player again. He hoped not.
Winter had a little more experience now compared to before. He had seen a lot of players with differing skills. He would put Campbell’s goon to be stronger than the master, judging from the silent, unimpressed look he gave after the deathmatch duel. This Jackal had lesser quality items than Campbell, but had the look of confidence that did not seem to be false or a worked image like the egomaniac he dueled before. That made his winning chances slim, and dropped to none, now that he was not receiving any further benefits from the bracer.
It hit Winter then, how sinister the bracer’s curse was. It made him rely on its help after putting him in jeopardy, like a bent over man who was used to carrying a heavy weight that was increased temporarily, and that eventually coped with the increased load, but then received great help. The man would rely on the help until it was suddenly gone, and he then became unable to carry the weight anymore.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Winter had relied on his reflex spell and Vermillion AOE the most so far, which was ideal if he was continuously fighting large quantity of mobs or had to dodge attacks (or in a lot of his early cases, attacking). Since his curse was lifted, he should be able to party properly now. Except his proficiency in other spells was low. Aside from Vermillion and Reflex at level 3, everything else was at Beginner Level 1. He assumed that normal players of his level had to at least have average Beginner Level 5 proficiency in every single spell, at the very least. His reduced mana was included as a deterrent to cast spells often.
He was thinking on how to fix this major problem, when his feet stopped on their own. He had reached Minalan’s shop.
xXx
The dawn was not far. Winter usually loathed disturbing someone around this time, but this could not wait. Also, the window was not shuttered. Winter could see the light from candles dancing from through the clear glass.
Hesitating, Winter knocked on the door. After waiting for a little bit, the door cracked open. He was greeted by Minalan, who seemed to have cried his share of tears too. Without words, Minalan spread the entrance open, letting Winter in.
“She is in her room now. Go.”
Winter nodded. He moved to Adria’s room,which he had never entered before. As far as he could recall, his boundary stopped at the dining table, kitchen and the shop. He never entered Minalan’s room,come to think of it.
*Knock* *Knock*
There was no reply. No permission or rejection. Winter tried the door handle lightly. It turned. Opening it slowly, he saw Adria silhouetted against the moonlight that fell from the heavens, shining through the open window.
“I am sorry, Winter. I did not hear you knock. Please, come in.”
Adria had her long hair spread around the bed, that was of her size. Winter half expected the room to still contain children-sized items. All the furnitures were for an adult. There were no chairs to sit on, so Winter sat on the bed. He chose a neutral distance.Not too far, not too close. It put them close enough together for him to be able to see the tear tracks and puffy eyes.
Turning her whole body back to the room, Winter saw she was clutching something. It was a bag of candy he had bought for her.
’It began that long ago?’
Her knees were tucked under her long dress, further buried under her robe.
“I am hurting, Winter.... But I still love you. Can you not think about this?”
“Please?”
A shed tear flowed down her left eye. The thought of Adria begging for something like this sent Winter over the edge. He grasped Adria’s shoulder and hugged her tightly.
“I am sorry, Adria. I cannot do it. I am unable to love anyone. I can share affections, but not love.”
“But why? Please tell me....”
Winter did not answer. In the end, Winter chose unshakable logic. It was what he thought would work best on NPC. He adjusted his words to bypass the system filter.
“What do you think an Outlander does when they are asleep, Adria?”
Winter whispered on her ear. He used the definition NPCs designated for players. Adria’s hands were clutching the bag of candy still.
“They sleep?”
“Yes. But for days here.”
“Yes. I know. The world where Outlanders live in runs four times slower than Versailles.”
“We, have a second life. Out there, while we are not here, we have another life. A life like here.”
“Does it matter?”
“What if one day I have to be away for a long time from here? A month. A year? I may never get sick in Versailles, but I will tell you I can in Outland.”
“But... can you not ask Freya to make you better?”
“Freya’s power does not reach Outland, Adria. We Outlanders are godless.”
“But how do you come to be here?”
Winter formulated his answer carefully.
“We dream, Adria, we dream.”
“So... I am just a dream?”
“What? No! You are not!”
“Our dream here is as real to us out there. That is a fact.”
Winter released his embrace and stared straight at Adria’s green eyes. They were a little misty.
“I do not get it, Winter... You can just stay here forever then.”
“Does my body age?”
“That’s....”
“Do you think I will age, Adria? Do Outlanders even age? I sleep once every two or three days, and disappear for at last the whole day and night. I do not feel myself getting old or slow despite my current looks.”
“I..... I do not know....”
Adria finally breathed out her answer. This was as unfamiliar a territory to her as it was for Winter.
“Then this is a love not to be, Adria. I do not fully understand love, but I am old enough to know, that it has to be between two equals. We are not even of the same world - no - the same time.”
“But, I am younger than you, Winter. Much younger.”
“What if I never age?”
“......”
Adria let go of her bag of candy and hugged Winter back. She squeezed him as tight as she could. Winter squeezed her back too. He had no idea how long they were clutching each other that way, but she finally relaxed her grip.
“Winter....” She whispered in his ear.
It was a voice that Winter would want to remember, always. One full of love and sorrow.
“Winter.... I thank you for replying to my feeling. Thank you.”
Adria slowly slid her lips to Winter and kissed him. Winter kissed her as best as he could, in his last act of affection, the least he could do. In a moment, her whole body was slack. Alarmed, Winter parted from her and checked her over. Her whole body was relaxed.
“Minalan! Get in here!”
*Bang*
Minalan must have been standing very close to the door, judging by how quick he rushed in.
“What? Did something happen?”
“She..... she is..... asleep?”
Winter, who was through with his panic, did a quick assessment. Adria’s breathing was regular, relaxed. If Winter had to guess, that was how a human being would appear to be when they are sleep.
“What is happening here, Minalan?”
“I have no idea, Winter. I have no idea.”
xXx
Winter was on his vigil again that night. The sixth in a row. Minalan was sleeping in his room. It had been close to two weeks since Adria went into a coma. She did not eat or drink, and still appeared as fresh as she was. Minalan told him not to worry, as the goddess’s blessing would not allow them to die from starvation or dehydration.
Minalan was not worried. He was resigned. Winter was..... he was concocting one theory after another, but all his theories were based on human conditions. He had run through the list of what he could think of, and came up with the most probable cause, though it sounded ridiculous, something out of a teenage romance novel he despised. A sleep trance from a withdrawn state of mind, due to great psychological shock experienced.
He had been awake for over one and a half days in real life.Winter could have gone on for more. The human body can take much more, yet combined with his emotional state, the mental fatigue, which was more important in Royal Road than the physical one was hurting him. He found himself nodding off continuously. Tucking in his sewing set back into his inventory, Winter shook out his unfinished product. This would be his best work to date, a pure white cape made from the fur of wolves. The stitch work was immaculate, you could barely find it if you did not look carefully. He had chosen a white-colored thread for it.
It was surprising that sewing calmed his mind the most. He spent the whole time waiting for Adria to wake up, sewing. He made cloaks, gloves, shirts, anything he could think of. He had time to burn, and planned to burn more. Winter would wait here until Adria woke up, even if it took him years.
A firm hand fell upon his shoulder. He was probably asleep. Starting, he looked up to Minalan, who was beckoning for him to get out of the room. Standing up from the dinner chair he had placed inside Adria’s room, Winter exited the room. Minalan closed the door gently.
“Go and sleep, Winter. I can see you are exhausted.”
“No... I can go on.”
“You know you cannot. Not for much longer, anyway. I will be here when you are back.”
Winter knew that he eventually would fall asleep. He wondered what would happen to him if he fell asleep while playing in this virtual world. Not over thinking it too much, Winter nodded to Minalan. He chose a spot at a corner of the dining room and logged out.
Sighing, Ronald Hanover walked to his room and plopped belly down on his bed. In seconds, he was asleep.
xXx
Winter logged back in after a sixteen hour sleep. He was more tired than he thought. He planned to apologise to Minalan for being away for so long, when he heard a familiar voice, but not the one he expected to hear again.
“Uncle Winter! You are back!”
“A.... Adria?”
“Ah, Winter. Welcome back.”
Winter was shooting glances to Minalan, which said ‘What is going on?’. Minalan did not give any answering gaze. He only shook his head.
*Hug*
“Whoa there!”
It was the same tackle hug the ten years old Adria gave. Winter disengaged and knelt to check on her. Her bright green eyes looked as mischievous as he recalled. She was grinning, as if she knew a joke he did not.
“So, Uncle Winter. How was the adventure?”
“Huh? Adventure?”
“Yes. Adventure. Father told me that you dropped by to tell me you were about to go on an adventure, but I fell sick.”
It struck Winter like a bolt of lightning.
’This.... this cannot be! How can this be!’
Adria’s time had regressed to the point where she fell sick, at the least. If it went any further, Winter had no clue. It was a solution for his dilemma, but he did not want this sort of solution at all.
Winter hugged the now tiny Adria tightly.
“Uncle Winter... why are you sad?”
Winter thought the real world was cruel. He never expected the virtual world to have an even more cruel side than the real world.
“You see, Adria. Uncle Winter here missed you so much. I will tell you all about my adventure.”
Winter told her the story of how he spent his time in the Forest of Lasem, killing monsters, getting chased up the tree and raining fire and death down the monsters. He also told her of his time spent looking up his friend in Harine, his trip to Ranbell Castle and the siege that ended in victory. He told it all as if Adria was never with him, and he was participating in the siege. Daniel told Ronald enough about the siege after, for Winter to tell a good story for a ten year old.
Adria was her usual sweet, delightful self. She clapped and laughed at every juncture of the story. Minalan laughed too, but Winter knew he was hurting as much as him inside. It was time for Winter to leave town. For good.
“Uncle Winter, can’t you any stay longer? Please?”
Adria was looking up from her position of being attached to Winter’s hip. He told Adria stories until her usual sleeping time, then talked to Minalan about his plan to leave town in the morning. He received no objection at all from the NPC he regarded as a friend.
Winter was tempted to say ‘Yes’, but this only made his resolve stronger. Steeling himself, Winter smiled.
“If I stay longer, Adria, I will be a boring old uncle. I have no more stories to tell. You have heard them all. So, to tell more stories, Uncle Winter here, has to go on more adventures.”
Adria thought about it for a second and nodded.
“Will you defeat a dragon later?”
“Maybe. I don’t know... a dragon is plenty strong.”
“But, you are stronger right, Uncle Winter?”
“That, I do.”
Winter roared and chased Adria around for a minute. She squealed when he caught her, spinning her around and tossing her up in the air. He let her go after she was breathless.
“How about giants, Uncle Winter?”
“Ha! Giants are no match for me!”
Minalan,who had been silent the whole time, nodded to Winter. As if sensing it was time for Winter to depart, Adria hugged him again.
“Uncle Winter... will you please write to me?”
Winter had no idea whether he could. He has no such plan. Still, he lied.
“Of course. I will write all my adventures for you, Adria. Do look forward to it.”
“Really?”
“Really. Really.”
Winter tousled the long dark hair that he knew would glow longer with greater lustre half a decade later. It would make her strikingly beautiful, along with the green eyes.
“Here. This is a present before I go.”
Minalan shook his head strongly behind Adria, but Winter could care less. He somehow found it appropriate that he gifted this present to Adria for their parting.
Quickly manipulating his inventory, Winter materialised the product he had finished before dawn. It did not take much work, since it was already half done.
Snow White Cape (Durability 70/70)
A short cape sewn with a lot of care and attention. The white stitchings were straight and meticulously perfect, blending in with the white fur that were patched together from small pieces cut from rabbits, foxes and wolved, thinly layered on top of one another to make it plenty thick. A lot of work went into this item, despite having no ability to stop swords, arrows or magic. A perfect example of a masterful work, despite the low talent of its creator.
Effect:
Perfect temperature moderation in any condition
Easily cleaned
Repairs perfectly regardless of skill level
Winter was surprised that this creation of his had so much durability and yielded 27% expertise rating when he finished it.
“Wow! Uncle Winter! It is beautiful!”
Winter draped it over Adria’s shoulder. It nearly touched the ground. She twisted left and right, admiring the work. She twirled a few times too.
“It is cool in here. Thank you!”
“You’re welcome, sweetie. Now, Uncle Winter really has to go, or else the monsters will escape!”
Reluctantly, Adria parted from her hug. Minalan chose that time to step forward and hug him. He whispered something.
“This is my parting gift to you, old friend, so you will not be coming back forever, if it is possible. The answer you seek is in Arcanum.”
They slapped each other’s back and parted with a smile that both did not feel at all. Adria jumped up for another hug. Winter obliged her, before tousling her hair once more and nodded to Minalan. As much as he wanted this long goodbye to last forever, it had to end somewhere.
“Goodbye, Uncle Winter! Come back soon!”
Steps heavy, Winter walked steadily out of the Magic District without looking back, imagining the black-haired, green-eyed girl, now with pure white cape on her back, waving both her hands. If he turned, he would have seen the eyes of Adria that suddenly leaked water, without her realising why.
Winter hoped that with enough time, the memory of him would become that of an adventurer who was kind to a little girl, but never came back, like all adventurers eventually would. At least, that was what he expected for a human. He thought he saw a ghost of a tear when he tousled Adria’s hair. Winter refused to think about it. The possibilities were too frightening to even think about.
xXx
“Are you okay, Adria? Are you hurt?”
“I don’t know, Father. It felt like I forgot something important.”
Adria’s tears leaked out all of a sudden. She had no idea why. She was not sobbing, yet the tears leaked out still.
“Go and rest now in your room. No lessons for you today.”
“Really? Yay!”
“Go, before I change my mind.”
“Okay! I am gone!”
Adria quickly slammed the door to her room close and climbed into her bed. She wished to grow up soon and go adventuring. Her bed felt a little too short, even though it was more than enough for her to stretch her whole body. The room felt a little too big, and the furnitures too small.
She began admiring the snow white cape. The texture, the thickness, the warmth. Adria hugged it against her face, enjoying the scent. It smelled like what she thought was fresh snow, though she had never seen a snowfall before since they lived in Central Continent.
“This is weird. I do not remember this being in my room.”
Adria was looking at a small cream-colored cloth bag tied closed with a red ribbon. When she opened it, she discovered it was filled with candies.
“A present from Father?”
Not giving it much thought, Adria ate the candies in the bag. Somehow to her tongue, the sweet candies had a hint of a bitter taste in between the sweetness, yet she could not stop eating it.
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Author's Note:
Thats a wrap, folks.
1. Thank you to -The Slacker- for the diligent PR
2. Crediting myself here! Oh. Adria and Minalan too for the masterful performance. Lets leave out Winter, shall we?
3. Do leave comments for anything you can think of. I appreciate reading them, even for punctuation mistake!
4. Enjoy, folks!