Chapter 37
Riley concluded that she liked having nothing to do.
Curled up within a sunbeam, Riley realized it was now the last day of the magical expo.
"As Carry Me Upon That Wayward Road" played on the music box, she concluded she hardly cared.
It had been, after all, a busy two weeks.
That thought brought her muzzle up from the floor, jolting her to full alertness.
"Two weeks ago, I had a different life, in a different world; that was true for all of me, not just parts," she said to herself, too shocked to project.
Tobias was reading a scroll quietly on the couch, having barely moved between there, the kitchen, and his bed for the last two days, sleeping up to twelve hours at a time.
In spite of the scar upon his face, bright and pink, stretching from the corner of his lip up to his temple, he had never looked better.
"How has it been so short of a time?" She boggled, ears flattening.
The other world, the concerns, no job, no place to live, the attack, it seemed like years, decades back, but it hadn't.
It had only been two weeks.
"Yet this life feels so comfortable, freaky, and strange, but…" She looked back towards Tobias in mid-thought and then towards the stairs.
Thrown into this world, caged for her first three days, tossed into the deep end, and what had she done? Resolved to make the best of it, like she always had.
The future yawned uncertainly like an ominous pit, filled as much with possibility as terror. Looking towards Tobias, though, there was at least a feeling of safety with him. Sure, he was young, but he cared and had even spent his meager coppers so she could have fruit and other treats.
They had fought together, suffered together, triumphed together, and now, for a few days at least, she had her sunbeam.
It wasn't so bad, and what other choice was there, really? She had a chance with Tobias and this family, a chance not all those thrown into this world got.
"I'm going to make the best of it," the future was uncertain, but it would be certain enough soon.
At that, she turned her attention toward the flashing exclamation points in the upper right hand corner of her vision.
Righteous flame has reached level 2-1, Congratulations!
Level up to continue progression!
Progress to tier 2-1 now at 35%
Healing Halo is now at 2-0 25%
Progress to tier 2-1 now at 40%
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Subterfuge has reached Level 2-1, Congratulations!
Progress to tier 2-1 now at 50%
Analyze has reached level 2-1, Congratulations!
Progress to tier 2-1, now at 55%
Riley dismissed that box and went to the next.
You have gained a mortal enemy. Mavora now wishes for your death.
"Well, shit," Riley muttered.
At least she was getting stronger.
Tobias looked up from his reading, "did you say something, Riley?"
He looked around, bewildered, pinching the skin between his eyes before scratching absently at his scar.
"Nah, just musing. Do you know I'm technically not a month old yet, but I remember being twenty five and not being twenty five exactly?" No matter her abilities with language through the magic, no phrase she knew or had heard quite summed up the scope of her disjointed existence.
"Wild first month," Tobias mused as she caught the sound of the door opening.
"Tobias!" Darius called out from the base of the stairs.
"Yeah, I'm home, granda, reading," he replied.
Riley flattened her ears against her back, stretching out, catching claws against some seams in the floor, pulling out her back.
"Humans are so loooud," She complained.
Tobias chuckled.
Riley knew the routine. She hopped over and sat up on her hindpaws, hanging her forepaws at the front.
Humans were suckers for cute.
Darius emerged and bowed upon sighting her breaking a spear of cut tenganut in half, holding it in front of her twitching nose.
Taking it in her teeth, she bounded away with her prize, nibbling it happily, using the floor as her plate.
"Yeah, there are definite benefits to this life," she mused in mid-feast.
"Granda, you shouldn't spend all your coppers on us. Soon enough, we'll be on assignment and making our own coin. You should save your money," Tobias complained.
"Let the man make his own choices," Riley admonished between mouthfuls.
"Which means its precisely the right time. I spent my whole life raising your father and his brother. Gods rest his soul. Now, in my old age, when my hands won't let me hold a hammer anymore, he takes care of me and gives me an allowance, just like if I was a wee lad again. I've come full circle," his mustache twitched as he chuckled to himself, eyebrows shooting up in bemused surprise.
"But what about your tip for the crier?" Tobias countered.
Darius stroked his mustache in deep thought, "Oh, it's all fair stuff. I'll get loads of that from your Da when he returns from his own expo today, though I doubt he'll acquit himself as fine as you did. The whole town is buzzing about how you saved that noble fellow. I even got my drinks for free yesterday."
"I was just doing the right thing; that's hardly praiseworthy. It wasn't like I was going to let the monster have him," Tobias deflected.
"Maybe you should have," Riley countered.
"In this world, the right thing is fine as frog hair, and you've become a mighty fine man in your time at the academy. We couldn't be more proud of you, son," A tear fell from Darius' cheek. He quickly wiped his eyes.
Tobias sighed, "Why don't we go down there, meet Ma at the Inn, and surprise Da for dinner?"
"We could at least all walk home together, but judging by the light, we better get underway soon," Darius agreed.
"Up for a walk, Riley?" Tobias asked.
She was already back in her sunbeam, half asleep, stuffed to the gills,
"What?"
"Come on, beast," he beckoned.
Riley's ears swiveled to another knock at the door.
"Whhhyy?" She complained while Tobias moved quickly down the stairs.
"Sir, from the castle," The words hit Riley like a bucket of cold water.
Tobias soon reemerged from downstairs, pale as a ghost.
In one hand was a piece of paper; in another was a flat black envelope. A wax seal was broken.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Riley pressed, worried.
"I'm to report to the castle tomorrow before five morning bells. I've been recruited by the Rangers," his breath hitched.
He sounded like a man going to his execution.
"Oh no," Darius, too, had gone pale. He stumbled back, feeling for the couch, sitting down slowly, brushing his hair back with his hand.
"It's going to be ok, son," He said weakly.
"What are the Rangers? How bad is it?" Riley asked, the panic rising in her chest.
"The Blackblades. They're an elite monster hunting regiment who only recruit one student from each academy per year," Tobias balked, staring down at his orders.
"I'm not daft, boy! I know what the rangers are," Darius snapped, sounding pained.
"I know, granda, I know," he pinched the skin between his eyes, dropping the envelope in the process, "Was a week too much to ask?"