Waking up Thomas found the book Abigail gave him lying on his chest. Stretching, he realized he didn’t even meditate and cycle before bed he must have been more tired than he realized. After his morning routine was finished and eating breakfast he went to go see his closest friend, Tessa.
“What do you mean you are leaving in the next few days?” Tessa asked with a sharp tone.
“I got offered an opportunity to travel, I will be leaving with the one who offered it to me. I know you are probably mad because you gave me that book so I could help you get better plants and such. For that I am sorry, I can pay or even give it back.” Thomas said as he pulled out the book in question.
He wasn’t expecting her to reach over and slap the side of his head accompanied by “Are you an idiot?”
A confused “huh” was all he got out as she continued.
“I gave you that book because I consider you a friend, you have been coming to my shop like clockwork for over a year. You sit with me and just chat, maybe I was wrong for thinking we were friends.” She finished with a raised eyebrow.
Feeling sheepish and embarrassed he said “Tess, I mean it when I say this, you are the only person I consider a friend. I just feel bad not giving you much in return for all of this valuable knowledge. You and old man Hue are the only people who actually went out of their way to help me. I appreciate it and deeply care about the help and you. If I can do anything for you in the future just tell me. Plus, you know better than most I hate getting things for free.”
This time her cheeks got red in embarrassment from how straightforward he said it. She muttered “You can’t just go around telling a girl things like that.” That Thomas still heard.
In a clearer voice she said, “So who is this group or person who got my Tom to leave and what will you be doing?”
“Before that are you sure you don’t want me to pay or something for the book.” The guilt of getting information like this without paying it back like he originally wanted eating away at him.
“Nope! Now tell me about this trip!” Forcing him to change to topic.
“Her name is Abigail Thorn, she invited me and is who I will be traveling with. We have a quest to travel through the frontier guarding someone doing inspections for the guild, it will take a long time to.” That’s what Abigail told him to say if he needed to explain what he would be doing to people who weren’t allowed to know. It was the truth. At least a slightly twisted truth, they would be doing the inspections, and we would be guarding themselves.
Tessa locked onto something else though. “This Abigail Thorn, what do you know about her?”
“Nothing personal other than her guild information and what I have picked up about her personality.” He said with a shrug, it’s true he didn’t know much about her, but he did genuinely trust Abigail to have his back.
Tessa hummed to herself before asking “This mysterious Abigail Thorn, is she beautiful?”
A confused he said, “What does that matter?”
Tessa almost yelled “So she is! Did my Tom get honey trapped! You can’t just follow someone because they are pretty. You know what, maybe I should go find her and have some words with her!” Tessa turned to grab some bottles that had questionable looking liquids in them as she spoke.
Indignant he said, “Calm down I’m not following her because she’s pretty. I believe in the work itself! Have a little faith in me, I’m not that naïve to just jump into danger for a beautiful woman. I used my brain when I agreed not my other head!”
Tessa burst into laughter after he said that. “Oh, I know I’m just messing with you. You have always been smart about what you do. I am just sad that you are leaving.”
The conversation turned to mundane things and just spent time together like they always did. He stayed until it was time for him to get more practice riding a horse again. As he was leaving Tessa told him to come by tomorrow so she could give him a going away present and she wasn’t taking no for an answer. Without protesting to much he agreed.
He met up with Abigail at the stable and practiced more, this time Sam sat back and let Abigail teach him. Thomas wouldn’t say he was good at riding by the time they finished but he felt like he wouldn’t fall off at least. He also was told that he would be riding Jack on the way to Balwyn Hill.
As they were eating a late lunch or early dinner depending. Thomas kept thinking about what Tessa said. He really didn’t know much about Abigail, he wanted to ask but it felt like it wasn’t the right time yet. He would prefer for her to open up herself not him asking. He didn’t like it when people asked personal questions about him. As they ate, he just kept to lighter topics they were already talking about.
He did learn some interesting things about her. Like how she spends most of her free time reading and apparently had a spatially expanded bag just to hold her bag. That led to her explaining the difference between a spatial bag and storage ring.
Apparently, a storage ring wouldn’t just hold items, they kept them in an almost stasis like state. Time moved slower in them. To the point where a minute in the ring was equivalent to roughly hundred years in real time. It would keep food in the same state it was in when she put it in. She also explained that the time dilation was closely tied to how well crafted the ring was.
A spatial bag being only an expanded space inside of a bag. It didn’t slow time or anything, but it did help carry more items easily. They are also considerably cheaper than a storage ring, a standard spatially expanded bag could be as cheap as fifty gold were a ring could go for hundreds of gold.
He still had to get used to what she thought was cheap.
Sparring progressed like always, Thomas was starting to wonder if he was building an unnatural hatred towards the stick. Letting out a groan more from being tired than pain he sat up. He looked at the relaxed Abigail and wondered how long it would take before she had to take him somewhat seriously. That is his new goal, make her have to use her actual blade instead of a stick and maybe make her sweat would be a bonus.
She saw him looking and asked, “Feeling a little better?”
“Yeah, it was a good workout. I feel like I am starting to actually learn something.”
She nodded “You are, minor improvements are already showing. It will take a few months before I can say you are proficient. Preferably years before you are what I would call good.”
He wondered how high her standards were, not worrying about that he asked, “Are you coming with me to pick up my stuff tomorrow?”
She smiled, “Of course I am, I have to see you wearing it! We are going to have to spend more time training with you wearing it. That’s what we will spend most of the day doing actually. I want you to be as comfortable as you can be before we leave the day after. I will just meet you here tomorrow morning!”
He responded a bit sheepishly “I have somewhere to go before we go get my armor, you can come with me if you want.”
“Of course I will go!” She replied happily. As also asked “Did you start to read that book I gave you?”
Thomas nodded “Yes I already have a few questions, but I want to read more of it first.”
“I figured, just remember that it’s only one viewpoint of how they work. It still is accurate enough to give you a good foundation on how the countries work with each other.” Abigail explained as they started to leave.
The next morning Abigail met him outside the dormitory like they discussed. Thomas had a sense of foreboding about the upcoming meeting between Tessa and Abigail. Well, he was nervous about what Tessa would say because of her personality. She would use this opportunity to embarrass him, and he knew it. With some hesitation, that Abigail clearly noticed, he took her to Madam Plumbs.
Opening the door to Madam Plumbs they were greeted with a loud happy tone, “Tom you’re here early!” There was a pause when Tessa noticed Abigail behind him. She continued in a more neutral tone saying, “And who is this with you?”
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Before he could say anything, Abigail spoke up saying “I’m Abigail Thorn, I will be working with Thomas in the future.” She reached her hand out for a handshake.
Tessa returned the gesture and said, “Tessa Plumb, owner of this humble shop.” She turned to Thomas with a mischievous smile said “Tom, you really undersold it when you said she was beautiful.”
Wide eyed Thomas looked at Abigail who just had an eyebrow raised. Annoyed at his friend’s antics he said “You’re the one who brought up what she looked like. Not me. This is a professional relationship!”
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say because Abigail got a similar smile to Tessa, and she said “Oh Tom you don’t think I’m beautiful? That’s just cruel and breaks my gentle maidens’ heart.” She finished with a pouting face.
Glowering he said “Its Thomas, that goes for you too Tessa. Abigail, I’m not even going to dignify you with a response. You know what you look like. Letting you two meet was a bad choice.”
The two women had a good laugh at his expense. After they calmed down from their teasing of him Tessa said “I’m glad I got to meet the person who’s taking Tom away for a while. Why did you decide to invite him along?”
Abigail got a look on her face he couldn’t place but she answered anyways saying “He helped me on a quest and based on the ability I saw he would be a good fit. So, I invited him along.”
Tessa nodding saying, “yeah he knows his stuff.”
After that the three of them just had a causal conversation until Tessa said “Well I won’t hold you all up all day. Here take this Thomas this is my going away present.”
She pulled a small bag out from under the counter. It looked like any other pouch he would have, until she opened it. On one side was a row of five health potions. They were in padded holders designed for that purpose. The rest of the pouch was filled with two more containers of her ointment, and bandages.
Thomas looked at her knowing she would only get mad if he tried to reject the gift. Instead, he looked at her with as much sincerity as he could and said, “Thank you Tess, not just for this, but for everything.”
With a small blush she waved him off and said, “It’s the least I could do.”
He pulled her into a hug, that she happily returned. Breaking away he said, “Goodbye Tess I will come see you as soon as I can.”
She gave him a pat on the back and said, “Just come back when you can and be safe.”
Abigail stayed silent during the goodbyes, and they turned to leave. Before they could exit Tessa spoke up again and spoke. “You will look out for him, right? He’s practically my only friend and I care for him. I know he can take care of himself but please look out for him.”
Abigail got a serious look on her face and said “Of course I will. We are a team we will look out for each other.”
Tessa just nodded at that.
Thomas was silent as they walked. He already felt a pang of sadness at the thought of leaving his friend. He was also surprised by the connection he formed with the quirky shop owner. He didn’t realize he built a strong bond with her until it was time for him to leave. Ever since he lost his childhood friend, he knew he kept himself closed off from others. He didn’t want to feel that pain of losing another again, but he still did build a friendship with her.
Abigail could apparently read his downcast mood, but she spoke in a softer tone saying, “Don’t view it as leaving someone. View it as you are going to create new stories to share with them. It’s not like you are leaving forever, it’s just temporary.”
A sheepish smile appeared on his face. With a bit of hesitation, he decided to open up saying, “Thanks, it’s not just that I’m leaving. It surprises me more than anything that it did build such a good friendship. If you haven’t noticed I’m a bit of a loner. I have her and old man Hue, that’s about it.”
Abigail was silent for a second before saying “Isn’t that the best part? You never know who will be important to you. Just because you won’t see someone for a while doesn’t mean that the bond you form ends.”
Thinking about its Thomas had to agree with her sentiment. He knew Tessa would be concocting new crazy things in his absents. He also believe old man Hue would be sitting at the front desk even a century from now. The man looked the same as he did when Thomas was a child. So instead of letting the thought of leaving the only people he cared about he decided to just enjoy the new experiences he would have. Experiences he could share with them on his return.
Shaking off the melancholy he focused back on where they were heading now. To go get his armor. That thought brought joy to him, he let the excitement take hold and picked up the pace. He flashed Abigail a bright smile that she returned as they stepped onto the street to get his gear.
They were pleasantly surprised when they went to Dawsons, and they had his complete set for him. They apparently went and got his other pieces from Blackburn’s so they would make sure there wouldn’t be any interference with the enchantments. Abigail already explained that the likelihood of that was low since they were similar enough runes. The clerks at Dawsons wanted to verify that for themselves.
When they pulled out the rack that his armor was on, he was almost stunned into silences. It was beautiful, the way they chest piece and the almost scale looking armor paired looked amazing. Getting it all put on was a new experience. The attendant showed him out he can do it by himself, but it would be easier with help. It was a simple process that involved a handful of straps that had to be tied off. They also showed him two straps that he could use as a quick release for his breast plate. They were tucked away and would be impossible for them to accidentally be pulled or someone doing it in combat.
They told him how to properly maintain it and that if it received any significant damage, he should take the gear to a smith to get it checked. When it came to rune maintenance, he would need to have it checked by a smith every few months. The runes worked off of ambient mana since they weren’t complex, but they can wear down over time.
Abigail asked if there was a place for him to move around to test it, they showed him to a small courtyard. He spent the next ten minutes moving around to see if it affected his movements. He wasn’t as flexible, but it wasn’t truly limiting him either. He was excited to spar with Abigail now, when he mentioned it, she smiled. That smile made his excitement die.
Saying thank you to the staff, they went back to his dormitory’s courtyard. He pulled out his sword and got into his stance. He was confused when she pulled out the same vile stick as always. She saw the confusion on his face, and she just smiled widely. As if taunting him she twirled it around like it was the deadliest weapon that has ever been wielded.
Taking the obvious taunt he charged in, moving in armor was a new experience. He could tell that it was well made because it didn’t impede his movements overly much. Still the slight change was noticeable, and he tried to correct it as he advanced.
Once in range, his sword snaked out in a horizontal slash. Abigail dodged and tried to close the distance to strike him. Expecting that he retreated, lashing out in another strike until he reset his stance. She tried to circle around him, but he matched her as they turned.
Attacking again he with a vertical strike, she dodged to the side. He twisted putting his weight behind it as he changed the strike into a horizontal slash. She expected it because her stick came up to block.
It was like his blade hit steel, she shoved his blade back and he retreated with it. Abigail didn’t give him any space to breathe. She kept attacking from all angles and it took everything he had to block or dodge. Eventually a strike slipped through, but he wasn’t worried since it was just a stick hitting his armor.
That’s why he stumbled when he felt a freezing sting where he was hit. She laughed at the look on his face, and she held up the stick. His helmet left most of his face visible, she could clearly see the complete confusion on his face. It only took him a moment to noticed a faint blue glow coming from it. She was actively funneling mana through it to strengthen it.
Luckily this time it was only a light sparing since they still had riding lessons in a few hours. Abigail didn’t want to exhaust him too much before that. They kept it light, so he could get used to exactly how much his armor restricted him.
Riding a horse in armor also didn’t change much. Abigail explained that it was only really noticeable at higher speeds. Still riding around the courtyard behind the guild made him get a better feel for riding in general.
They called it quits earlier than normal and Thomas spent the free time alone and just walked around his childhood town. Recalling some of the happy experiences he had. He ended up in front of a house, he walked to the other side of the street so the family that lived there wouldn’t think he was there for them. He just looked at it recalling why he was on this path. The house used to belong to the closest thing to a family he had. Seeing the house helped reaffirm his choice and why he decided to join Abigail.
As the sun was getting closer to setting the feeling of excitement and trepidation started to build in his chest. Tomorrow he will finally leave Les. Tomorrow is finally the start to the adventures he always wanted.
There was still one more goodbye he could say tonight before he went to bed. Stopping at a food stand that sells various meats. Buying some, he headed to the small park that was close to the dormitory. Walking to the small bench he sat down and waited, it didn’t take long until his visitors showed up. The six cats came running up to him and as he started pulling the pieces of stake apart. Handing it to the feisty cats, once they finished eating, he started scratching them in there favorite spots. After a while he said, “Guys I’m leaving for a while, stay safe.”
When he made it back to the dormitory Thomas looked at old man Hue. He hesitated, not sure what to say to the silent guardian who had been with him since he was a child. Thomas knew he wasn’t the only orphan who appreciated the older man’s support. Hue could clearly see that he had something to say but before Thomas could say anything he held up a hand and spoke.
He said “I can tell you are leaving. You don’t have to worry about saying goodbye to me. Just say see you soon when you leave.” He paused for a second, looked Thomas up and down and said “Nice armor kid. Now get some rest. You have a long day tomorrow.”
A smile broke out on his face hearing the older man say that. He just waved and said, “Good night old man Hue.”
Taking his armor off by himself was a difficult task. It really made it clear why Abigail said he would be wearing his most of the time they were out. Once he got done piling it up in the corner. He looked around the small room.
Thomas contemplated what his future would look like in the upcoming months. Looking for traces of demon cultist he already knew would be a difficult task. He ruminated on what that would actually look like as he packed up all the things he would be donating to the orphanage. He wouldn’t be taking a lot with him when he left. Just a few extra sets of cloths, this was a fresh start on a new path.
After getting everything packed up and getting his cycling done. He laid down in his bed at the Rose Dormitory for the last time. He let the exhaustion take over and drifted off to sleep.