“Are you prepared to go home?” Rep asked Zalan.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Zalan said. “We came all this way, right?”

“You misunderstand. Are you fine to go home? Will you be fine once you return?” Rep asked.

Zalan could feel what Rep was getting at. Was he really ready to go home and face reality once more? It felt like months ago that he was being visited by his cousin, Ash. His apartment was a mess. His life was a mess. At the time, he pushed back against visiting his mother, but he saw there was some truth to it. He should visit her. It had already been too long, and there was no point in delaying further.

“I think I’m good to go home,” Zalan answered.

“Perhaps we can discuss it in private?” Rep suggested.

Zalan noticed that Yelsa and Gorb looked incredibly confused by the conversation. At first he thought it wouldn’t be an issue to confide in them as well, even if they were a little out of context. How bad would it be to tell them everything right before he left them behind in this world?

But he knew he would be a little more reserved when he was around Gorb and Yelsa. Rep was the first person he met in this world. And he had never felt looked down upon, judged, or even questioned by Rep. He could easily share all he needed to with this one friend.

“Sure, let’s chat in private,” Zalan said.

“Just a minute, if you do not mind,” Rep told Yelsa and Gorb.

“You had better not use the Homeseeker without us,” Yelsa said, trying to make the situation feel a bit lighter.

“I promise not to,” Rep agreed, smiling.

Zalan and Rep stepped aside, making their way to stand behind one of the taller piles of gold. Zalan felt nervous and awkward, not sure exactly what they would be discussing, but feeling like it was necessary to go over this nonetheless. Rep stopped and regarded his friend with a small smile.

“How do you feel?” Rep asked.

“I’m feeling okay, I guess,” Zalan answered honestly. “Not feeling the best after what happened to Fran.”

“As would be expected,” Rep nodded solemnly. “She will certainly be missed. And you feel comfortable going back home, even in the state you are in?”

“Do we really have an alternative?” Zalan asked, looking toward the frozen entrance to the room. The Fleshless King Docrun still occasionally beat against the door from the outside.

“Indeed we do,” Rep said. “We could give the Homeseeker to Yelsa and Gorb and escape on our own. We know the way out, and we know what dangers face us. We could avoid Docrun by hiding until he comes in to inspect his treasure, then escape without his knowledge. We could race through the other Fleshless before they can think to attack. Use our knowledge of the Chaos Chamber in order to escape it in the same moment we enter it. Blast haphazardly at the Razortongues until we rush past them, then we are free to go home.”

“You really thought this through,” Zalan said, surprised.

“I was constantly thinking of how we could run away in case it was necessary,” Rep explained without shame.

“Okay, but what do I gain by remaining behind?” Zalan asked.

“We would have more time to ensure that you are sound of mind and repaired before you are back in your world to face your own problems,” Rep said.

Zalan found the word ‘repaired’ to be out of place, but understood the sentiment. He looked away from Rep in thought, not very enthused about having to stay behind for mental reasons.

“Think carefully, Zalan,” Rep said. “I will not push you to choose something you do not want. But I have seen the way you cannot help but sleep with a frown. I have seen your lack of tears even when you are distraught. How you avoid the topic of your mother.”

“Well you avoid the topic of this ‘inspiration’ you keep talking about!” Zalan countered immediately.

Rep smiled gently. Zalan felt deeply embarrassed. His temper had flared so quickly at the mention of his mother. It was such an obvious act to let him know that his mind was not yet in its best state of being. But he really didn’t want to discuss it, even with Rep.

“I do not wish to speak of my experience with inspiration because of deep shame I feel,” Rep answered honestly. “But I feel that you do not wish to speak of your mother out of fear. Fear of what might happen if you confront something in your reality.”

Stolen story; please report.

“Yeah, well, it might just be better to confront that by going back to reality instead of chatting about it in this other realm. I know what I’m doing,” Zalan said, sounding bitter. He knew Rep didn’t deserve any of his unpleasantness, but he couldn’t help it when discussing the topic.

“Indeed, I believe you know yourself better than I know you,” Rep nodded. “I just hope for what is best for my friend.”

Zalan’s features softened. Rep really was his friend, at the end of the day. There was no reason to be harsh with him.

“Are you gonna be okay?” Zalan asked him. “I just feel like you invested a lot in me, only for me to leave you like this.”

“It is like you said before, this was always the intended outcome. To get you home. I am here to assist you in whatever capacity you need so long as you are in this world. I only hope that my involvement has made your time here easier instead of worse,” Rep said.

“I know I have things I need to work on, but you definitely need to fix that inferiority complex,” Zalan pointed out.

“My being inferior?” Rep asked, not understanding the phrase.

“You think you’re inferior to everyone. You deserve to see yourself better than you do. And I know you probably think that would be an arrogant thing to do, but you can believe you’re good at something without believing you’re better than anyone else,” Zalan explained.

Rep reflected on the idea, nodding to himself slightly.

“I will take that into consideration,” Rep promised.

They looked at one another for a second longer. Zalan felt determination rising within him.

“I think I’m set to go home,” Zalan told him.

“Very well, if that is what you wish, my friend,” Rep nodded with a big smile.

They began to walk back to Gorb and Yelsa in much higher spirits, ready to be done with the exciting, yet harrowing adventure. The giant dead dragon towered over them, and Zalan looked upon it with a surreal sense. Somehow, he had been a part of the massive monster’s death.

“Didn’t we complete the Elemental challenge to kill the dragon?” Zalan asked Rep.

“An Elemental challenge is to be completed on one’s own. The Dark Elemental will grant none of us its power,” Rep said.

“Figures.”

Rep and Zalan stood in front of Yelsa and Gorb, light smiles on their faces.

“What is the verdict? Are we finally allowed to return home?” Yelsa asked, somewhat facetiously.

“I grant you the permission,” Zalan said, bowing his head regally.

“Oh, thank the Lord,” Yelsa said, rolling her eyes.

“Is this the last we will be seeing of you, Zalan?” Gorb asked.

“Well, I’ll…” Zalan was about to say that he would visit his friends, but trailed as he realized there was no way for him to conduct a visit. It would be a one-way trip. “Yeah, I guess this is it.” Zalan shrugged.

“In that case,” Gorb finally stood from Fran’s body and stepped toward Zalan, looking down on him with a pleased grin. He held out an arm to shake. “It was an honor to make your acquaintance.”

Zalan tried to take his hand, but Gorb gripped his forearm and pulled him in for a hug and patted him on the back powerfully. While it hurt Zalan, it was the most comradery he had ever felt before and he returned the man’s grasp with as much strength as he could muster.

“It was an honor and a privilege to meet someone from another world,” Yelsa told him as soon as he was able to breathe again. Gorb’s grip had been tight over his lungs.

“Same goes to you,” Zalan said, suddenly feeling very bittersweet about the business of leaving the realm.

“Will I ever see you again?” Gorb asked Yelsa. She looked a little flustered.

“Perhaps if you ever come to Aetheria,” Yelsa said. “I would be glad to host you.”

“If it ever decides to exist, then I will promise you that I will visit as soon as I can,” Gorb quipped.

“Where will the rest of you be going? This takes us all home, right?” Zalan asked.

“My home is with my parents,” Gorb said. “I hope to be able to take Fran with me using the Homeseeker and I will bury her in the cemetery behind my family home. In the case my sister does not come with me, I will use my newly acquired gold to fund an expedition. We will retrieve her body from this castle and then bury her back home.”

“I shall be in the skies in Aetheria,” Yelsa said, ignoring the skeptical smirk Gorb gave her.

“My home is in the guild,” Rep said, handing the Homeseeker to Zalan.

“Right,” Zalan looked down on the Homeseeker in his hands for a few seconds, then looked up at the companions surrounding him. “Thank you all. I think I really needed people like you in my life right now, and you all really helped.”

“I would think that taking on the Castle of Docrun might have been a tad more difficult had you been on your own,” Gorb joked.

“Right,” Zalan smiled. He had meant his gratitude in a different sense. “Are we all ready?”

“I am done with the world beneath the clouds,” Yelsa said, placing her hand on the Homeseeker.

“I am ready to return,” Gorb placed one hand on the Homeseeker, holding Fran’s shroud with his other.

“Ready, Zalan,” Rep said, placing his hand on the Artifact.

“Let’s go,” Zalan said, pushing on the button-looking extrusion to activate the Artifact.

The Homeseeker began humming as its power flowed through them. Each of them began to glow with a slight tinge of black as the Homeseeker ran its course. Gorb was pleased to see that Fran’s shroud was surrounded by the black coloration as well. She would go with him. It took a full fifteen seconds for the hum to reach whatever pitch it targeted before remaining a constant, comforting sound. Zalan took one last look between his friends.

“I would say ‘see you around,’ but—”

With a loud pop, they warped away to their respective homes.