Morning came and no one in the guest rooms had slept at all. The tension over what was going to happen at noon pervaded everyone's moods and thoughts. I didn't let it bother me very much and made sure that both Maylia and Afyne knew how I felt about them. We left our room, under guard, and had breakfast with everyone in the common room at the end of the hall. We were all quiet as church mice and everyone was acting like it was a funeral.

After breakfast, we all went to the garrison to drop off all of the creatures we had collected throughout the First Sothen Kingdom and Afyne helped the captain of the guard count them all and kept the piles separate. Just as they finished and the captain had recorded all of the carcasses, Afyne mentioned the creatures I had found in the lands of the elves. Curious, the captain asked to see examples.

I blew his mind.

The captain couldn't believe that such a thing as four foot tall armored monkeys actually existed somewhere, so I mentioned the larger alpha ones that were the leaders and showed him one of them as well. He examined them and admired the thick armor-like plates on the creature's back.

“All right. I'll give you a good price for one of the alphas and one of the females.” The captain said.

“Me, too!” Sam the monster expert said as she came into the large courtyard, then she gasped at the piles and piles of rare and exotic creatures. “Hunter! Please marry me!”

I burst out laughing. “Not a chance! You just love me for my kills!” I said and tried to block her from getting closer.

“Hey, get...” Sam hopped to the side and I had my hand there. “...let me...” She ducked and turned and tried to dodge past and I held a foot out to stop her. “UGH! Move!”

“Okay.” I said and stepped aside and she ran over to start examining everything. “Make sure you give your expert opinion on their quality and rarity.”

The captain of the guard laughed and took the female and male rickchaws and put them in his bag of holding. “I'll get one of the armorers to have a look at them and see if there's anything we can do with them.” He smiled. “If he can, well...”

“I'll be here until noon.” I said and the captain nodded. Afyne let out a little whimper and I took her into my arms. I held her and we watched Sam as she went over everything and took samples. When she was done, she came over to me.

“All joking aside, you've done me a great service.” Sam said and pat her bag of holding. “I'll be studying these things for years.”

“I'm glad you're keeping busy.” I said, then I smiled. “So, how long can you go before begging me for it?”

Sam took a deep breath and let it out. “Maybe about five more minutes.”

I reached into my creature bag of holding and slowly took out the bird-like creature that breathed fireballs. “Want to see a trick I did with it?”

“Do you make it talk or something?” Sam asked and I was tempted to do that.

“No. This.” I said and turned to Imiryl. “I'm going to start a little fire.”

“I'll contain it.” Imiryl said and formed an ice circle on the nearby wall.

“Thank you.” I said and aimed the bird's beak to the circle and squeezed its neck. A fireball shot out and hit the circle and burst fire out. Imiryl quickly covered it in ice and froze it over to cut off the oxygen.

“That's AMAZING!” Sam yelled. “A non-spell fireball!”

“I doubt there's more than a couple of shots left in it, though.” I said and held the five foot long bird-like creature out to her.

Sam took it like it was a delicate flower and was afraid she was going to break it. “What's the wingspan?” She asked and I pulled one of the wings out. “Over ten feet! It must be highly manoeuvrable!”

“It was.” I said and tucked the wing back into place.

Sam very carefully put the carcass into her bag of holding. “I'll add the cost for another female and male rickchaw to the bounty the captain is preparing for you.”

I nodded and gave her two monkey bodies and she put them into her bag with the same care. The captain didn't want any of the other creatures I showed him, so I put them away. I had figured there wouldn't be bounties for creatures outside of the kingdom and I was right. Afyne was disappointed, because she wanted them to be exotic and worth a lot of money. Not for the money itself, though. She wanted them to be valuable as justification for how long I had been away from her. I didn't really have anything to show for it, except for Dawn and Grania the mage.

Despite Dawn's very obvious and unhidden feelings for me, Maylia didn't hold it against her or treat her with hostility. She knew I had saved Dawn from a horrible fate and that she had shared my bed for a couple of weeks. She also knew nothing had happened between us and that I had worn a protective cup over my crotch the entire time. Jessica and Kara on the other hand, were almost like hissing cats when she was near, so Dawn stayed clear of them and didn't try to talk to them.

While we waited for the captain, I had tried to explain the situation to Jessica and Kara. When I got to the sharing my bed part, they didn't want to hear anything else. There was only so many times that claiming innocent would work and then the words lost their meaning, so I gave up and let them think whatever they wanted to think.

About an hour before noon, the captain came back and gave us all the proper shares of the bounties. With all of the creatures we had killed from the cracks, it was quite an amount. When he added in the vampires and how many of those we killed all over the kingdom... well... needless to say, after a year of hard work and travelling, we were quite rich.

We left the garrison and went back to the castle. Everyone was in a better mood after receiving so much money, until they were reminded about what was going to happen. That reminder came in the form of the Acolytes of Light filing into the castle. There were a lot more of them than the twelve that they had started with a year ago, and we still had Evangeline with us. We stood there and waited while they all went inside, followed by a similar crowd to what had been there that morning.

I guess it doesn't happen that often and it's become a spectator's sport. I thought.

When they passed, our guards motioned for us to follow. We all went inside and were taken to the common room for a lunch buffet. It was another quiet meal and we barely ate anything when the hour was up and the guards led us to the throne room. The queen stood in front of her throne, with her daughter Milly at her side, and they waited for us. This time, the five of us were separated from the others of our groups and left in the center of the room. We were surrounded by twelve white and golden robed acolytes and the queen spoke.

“Summoned Heroes, once again I thank you for the services you have rendered on behalf of the kingdom.” Queen Celestina said. “Your deeds will be entered into the annals of history and...”

“Your highness, I wish to stay!” Josh exclaimed and interrupted her. “You don't know what happened to me before coming here!”

“Emissary.” Queen Celestina said, her voice sad. “Unfortunately, your mere presence is a disruption to this world. The things you and the others have accomplished prove this. With your purpose for being summoned at an end, forces beyond anyone's control will start to vie for your attention and for your services.”

Everyone in the room turned their heads to look right at me.

“Your highness, please!” Josh exclaimed again. “I died to come here! If you send me back now, everything I've done to improve myself will be worthless, because I'll be dead!”

Josh's words were met with silence. No one knew how to respond to that. Except me.

“You're wrong.” I said. “You've become one of the most powerful Sorcerer Priests on the planet. Your body has been hardened by both battle and self-discipline. If you show up there in this form, even at the time you were taken, are you positive that you're going to die? Don't you know any fortifying spells? Wasn't that your job for the rest of your party?”

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Josh stared at me as if I was betraying him. “I don't want to leave. My life is here.” He said and looked right at Evangeline and the little bundle of joy in her hands.

“The queen is right. If you stay, you'll be targeted by people who will want to influence...”

“I don't care.” Josh said. “I'll have my own skills and the Acolytes of Light around me! We will stand strong! We will be proud and we will show everyone the true way!”

Spoken like a true fanatic. I thought with amusement and smiled.

“I cannot make an exception for you.” Queen Celestina said. “If I allowed you to stay, then the others would stay as well.”

“We would!” Jessica exclaimed. “We may not be from here; but, we've made the best of it!” She said. “I'd rather stay here with Hunter!”

“I'd rather go home.” Steven said. “Even if it is a one way trip, I've been here long enough.”

“I concur.” Kara said. “This isn't my life and I'd like to get back to where I belong.”

Josh and Jessica glared at me to say something and Kara and Steven waited for me to confirm their opinion.

I closed my eyes for a second. Dear god, can I bother you for a second? I need advice. I promised Afyne that I'd choose to stay if given the choice... I felt a sharp pain in my head as a memory that I didn't know I had was forced to the forefront of my mind.

I felt Kara's fingers on my skin after she had killed me and I woke up and reacted by using Presence to push her away. It had worked and pushed me right out of the teleport spell.

The memory faded and I opened my eyes without letting it show on my face.

“I think we need to do what the queen suggests and fulfill the ritual.” I said and nodded to the queen and then the acolytes. “Please begin the ritual.” I turned to look at the four people with me and did my best to ignore the crying from Afyne and the glowing circle below me and the acolytes chanting. I hadn't been able to establish a full verbal mental connection with Afyne in the last two weeks and I could only share energy, so I gave her a little to calm her, then I covered myself in a very thin layer of Presence and filled it with as much repelling energy as I could.

“I can't believe you.” Jessica said through gritted teeth. “You're just going to leave them? I thought you loved them!”

“I do.” I said and tried to take her hand. She pulled away and crossed her arms. “Please, don't be mad. I have a plan.”

“I don't care.” Jessica said. “You should have backed Josh and me up.”

I reached out and put a hand on Josh's shoulder. “Look, we started off badly, and then things got better, right? You trusted me after a while, just like I trusted you when we met those vampires.”

Josh nodded, a bit reluctantly. I didn't let him feel my Presence, because he would have given me away.

“Jessica.” I said in a soft voice. “If this is going to be the last time we see each other, please take my hand.”

Jessica's expression softened at my impassioned plea and she started to uncross her arms... and I was out of time. Everything seemed to slow down as Jessica started to reach for me, then the chanting stopped and the circle below us snapped into place. My fingers just missed Jessica's and I had to use nearly all of my Presence to push myself and Josh out of the teleport spell. There was a bright flash of light as the spell completed and Kara, Steven and Jessica disappeared.

I had made us weightless, so Josh and I flew across the room and slammed into the far wall at the same instant that the flash temporarily blinded everyone. We landed behind the queen after bouncing off the wall and the sounds of Josh and I yelling in pain cut through the room. Several of our bones had broken from the impact against the thick stone wall and I absorbed the Presence around us so we would fall to the floor in a heap. I took the brunt of the damage of course.

“HUNTER!” “JOSH!” Several female voices yelled. I was actually in pain and I couldn't tell who it had been. We were surrounded by people trying to help and then a commanding voice cut through everyone's questions and concerns.

“STEP ASIDE!” Queen Celestina commanded and everyone parted to let her through. She strode over to us and knelt. “What happened?”

“The... same thing... that happened... before.” I said. “Only... this time... before...” I coughed and spit out blood.

“HEALERS!” Queen Celestina yelled as she stood and the healers came over to us.

“Josh... first.” I said and winced as they moved me out of the way. “Damn, I shattered... the same arm.”

“Oh, Hunter.” Maylia knelt by my side and kissed me. “You protected Josh.”

“I had to.” I said and Afyne went to take my hand and she saw the fingers were crooked. She started to cry and I wiggled my index finger. “This one still works.”

Afyne let out a sob and a laugh, coughed, then put her hand on my chest. The healers finished with Josh's major injuries and left the minor things to their assistants, then turned to me. Maylia and Afyne moved back to give them room to work and they started by straightening things out. It wasn't strictly necessary to do that; but, it made the healing go quicker and used less mana if the magic didn't have to do it.

“Your majesty, what do we do now?” The head acolyte said. “We completed the ritual.”

“Yes, I saw that.” Queen Celestina said.

“Give me... a copy.” I said. “If I can... figure out why my energy interferes... maybe...”

“Why did Josh get kicked out, too?” Afyne asked.

“I was... touching his shoulder... when it completed.” I said. “I can still see... some energy on him.”

“Are you trying to drown in blood, young man?” One of the healers asked and she put her hands on my chest. “Stop talking. Your left lung is full.”

“Sorry.” I said and started coughing. After a bit more blood came up, I felt her healing energy suck out the blood from my lung and popped my rib back into place. “That always feels weird.” I said in a clear voice.

“How often have you punctured a lung?” The healer asked, curious.

“More than I want to remember right now.” I said with a smile and she laughed, then she frowned.

“It's not funny.” She said and concentrated on her work. “You're lucky you didn't hit your head!”

“Yeah. It might have knocked some sense into me.”

“Hunter.” Maylia said and I looked at her. “Shut up.”

I clamped my mouth shut and nodded.

Josh was sitting up and still being tended to, and he had Evangeline tucked into his side with his arm around her waist. He stared at me and mouthed the words. 'You knew this would happen'.

'Maybe'. I mouthed back.

Josh glanced at his wife and his baby, then looked back at me and moved his mouth. 'Thank you'.

I nodded and looked at Maylia. “I love you.”

“I said be quiet.” Maylia said and looked at the healer. “Can we move him to the guest room?”

“I've got his ribs back into place, so it's just his arm left.” The healer said and waved two more healers over. “We'll have it set right in ten minutes, then they both need supervised rest for the rest of the day.”

“Don't worry. He won't be leaving my sight.” Maylia said in a stern voice.

“Or mine!” Afyne said. She was much happier about it.

The healers finished with my arm and we were all led back to the guest rooms, with a meeting with the queen set for the next morning to discuss what to do next.

*

Jessica felt someone take her hand. “Hunter?” She asked and opened her eyes.

“Miss? Miss! Are you all right?” A man's voice asked and she turned her head to see a man she didn't know had her hand. She pulled it from his grasp and she felt that she was laying on hard pavement. She was also surrounded by strangers. She sat up, to their surprise, and the sounds of an ambulance siren could be heard in the distance.

“Miss, don't move.” The man said and touched her shoulder to push her back down.

Jessica smacked his hand and it flung his arm away. When she looked around, she saw that she was in the middle of the street in her hometown. Tears came to her eyes before she could stop them and several of the people around her felt sorry for her. They knew all about her and her story.

“It's all right. The ambulance will be here in a minute.” A woman said.

“I'm fine.” Jessica said and reached up to gather her tears automatically and she stored them to use later. A second later, she realized what she had done and she looked down at herself. She still wore her Archmage outfit! She caught her breath for a second and calmed down. She stood up and brushed the dirt from her white and gold robes, then her fingers touched the bag of holding on her hip. Without a word, she started to walk away.

“Hey, you can't leave!” Someone exclaimed.

Jessica turned and glared at the woman. “Why? Are you going to stop me?”

“N-no... you... an accident...”

“I'm fine.” Jessica said, then her thoughts went to what Hunter had said when the ritual was happening. He was right about me being strong here. She thought. I should have trusted him and taken his hand when he asked. She took in a breath and sighed. “I'm going to be fine.” She said and turned away and walked down the street. She ducked around the side of a building and quickly changed out of her archmage outfit and put on a normal outfit, then continued on her walk back home. She pat her bag of holding that was full of gold, two magic staffs, two dozen spell books, triple that in spell scrolls, reams of paper and writing implements, and six fully charged mana crystals.

“I'm going to be just fine.” Jessica said with a grin.

*

“Hey, are you okay?” A man's voice woke Steven up.

“Huh? What?” Steven opened his eyes and saw a police officer staring into his eyes with a pen light.

“Your pupils aren't blown, so you're not high, at least.” The cop said. “What happened?”

“What?” Steven looked around. “HEY! I'm back!”

“Back? Back from what?” The cop asked, confused.

“Dreamland.” Steven said and stood.

“Whoa, there! Don't move. You've been shot.” The cop said.

“What?” Steven looked down at his shirt. “I was shot?!?” He asked, surprised. He couldn't feel it, so he felt around with his hands. “Where?”

When nothing was there, he lifted his shirt to show the officer that he had not been shot at all. He couldn't explain what happened, so they went into the back and they watched the security footage and he called his boss at home while it played to tell him what happened. Sure enough, they watched the footage and there was a loud bang and a flash, and Steven sat down and slumped against the wall.

“I don't know what happened.” Steven said after he hung up the phone when the boss said that Steven could handle it on his own. “Maybe I fainted?”

The cop laughed. “Let's go look for the bullet.”

It took them a few minutes to find it under the counter. It was crumpled a little from hitting something, and the cop put it in an evidence bag.

“We'll have to close you down for the night because of this.”

“That's fine.” Steven said. “They emptied the till and I don't have any spare cash to stay open, anyway.”

“What about the safe out back?” The cop asked.

“The boss empties it every day. He hates having a lot of cash around, so we only keep the bare minimum all the time.” Steven said, surprising himself that he remembered all of that from fourteen months ago. No, it was only a few minutes ago. He thought and then smiled. “Everyone knows that and we've never been robbed... before now.”

“We'll send out an APB for them and we should get them fairly quickly. Criminals rarely rob in threes, so they aren't going to be hard to spot.”

“Good.” Steven said and followed the cop out of the store, locked up, and walked home. It was pitch black out, and yet he could see just fine. He smiled as his self-buff kicked in automatically and he felt strength and invigoration fill him. “Yeah, baby!” He said and took off running.