{-Llewel-}
It was strange to have gone so many places, then to be back in Nafrius. It wasn’t that it made him feel like nothing changed—that they were back to stealing from Fininri, running through the streets and hoping a train might come by—but that too much had happened. They knew who they were and what they were supposed to be. It felt like nothing was like it used to be, yet everything was exactly the same.
Ruzlue was running down the street, stopping when he saw the twins, only to remember he couldn’t let the players catch up with him. Fininri came out from his shop, and he must not have noticed them, because he gave a few players the quest and went back inside. A dove was sitting nearby, eying the player slowly creeping up to it with disinterest, then fluttering away the moment the player tried to catch it. Farrar was outside his shop, casually talking with Kiah; they both waved before going back to their own conversation.
Then here the twins were, knowing at least most of the secrets that nearly everyone else did, with three players around them. For two years, it had only been them in the streets of Nafrius. In the course of a few months, they’d seen almost half of Masylm and made some friends along the way.
Yet there were still plenty of questions left to be answered.
Llewel asked it before he could really think about it. “Could we check Emmyth’s temple first?”
“Oh, right! Duuzlo would definitely be able to tell us who has the other reports,” Myr agreed cheerfully. “I bet he’d like to know how we’ve been doing, too!”
Zetai shrugged. “I don’t see why not. We’ll check there and either complete the quest or go looking for the person tomorrow.”
“We don’t need anything, but we can stop by the Nafrius shop, too,” Reynneak added thoughtfully. “Fininri will probably be happy to see both of you just as much as Duuzlo.”
Everyone gave a nod of mutual understanding before they started heading specifically to Emmyth’s temple. No one said anything, but he didn’t mind—it gave him some much-needed time to think. He’d probably only be able to have a little while to ask questions. He needed to make sure he knew exactly what he was going to say, so that when they left again, there was nothing left to be answered.
Though a part of him knew that there was always the chance he’d just walk away with more questions.
Another one of the priests greeted them. “Good evening, players—and if it isn’t the twins, too! What brings you to the temple today?”
“Is Duuzlo here?” Llewel saw little point in wasting anyone’s time here.
The priest considered the question for a little while. “Yes, I believe it is. It’s rather late for him to be out trying to get more people to look for the doves, anyway. He should be in his office. I have no doubts that the two of you know where it is.”
He nodded his thanks and started towards Duuzlo’s office. Really, Llewel wasn’t paying attention to whether everyone else was following after him… though he did understand that his questions would have to wait until the others had left. Myr didn’t need to understand exactly what’s been on his mind, if she hadn’t already pieced most of it together by now.
Just by stepping into the temple, there’d been a faint sound of classical music; the closer they got to the office, the louder it was, assuring them that who they were looking for was actually there. When the door was in sight, Myr rushed to it and knocked.
It opened slowly, revealing a tired-looking Duuzlo. He stood there for a minute, before realizing who stood in front of him and who was walking closer. Any sign of fatigue was gone as he smiled and stepped back to let them all enter.
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“Come in, come in! There’s enough room in my office for all of you.” Duuzlo gestured them in and said nothing else until they were all there. “I was quite surprised, you know! What brings the two of you back to Nafrius?”
“We’re helping Kaerio gather reports!” Myr replied brightly. “We came to see if you knew who had them—and to tell you what we’ve done. This is the first time we’re back in Nafrius since we left…”
He wandered over to his desk. “You’re in luck, I believe I have just the reports you’re looking for.”
“Really?”
Llewel sighed. “Of course he does. Not only did he watch over the two of us, he was friends with Allisa.”
Duuzlo stopped his paper shuffling, at least for a moment. “That’s never a name I thought I’d hear one of you say. So you know about her now? Or, perhaps, you remember enough to be able to put a name to an otherwise mysterious person?”
Llewel gestured to the picture of a smiling young woman. “That’s her, isn’t it? You’d mentioned it was one of the last times you saw her happy before she died.”
“You heard the recordings, too, then.” But Duuzlo didn’t give away any hint of any other emotion; just the statement of facts. He turned around with a handful of papers and scanned all of their expressions. There must’ve been something in Llewel’s eyes that no one else possessed, because he gave a subtle nod that answered his silent question.
Duuzlo looked at each of the players. “Which one of you is supposed to be carrying all of these?” Zetai stepped forward and took them, so he went on to ask something else. “You’re all getting along with each other, I hope? I’ve heard pieces but not nearly as much as I’d hoped. You two—Zetai and Reynneak, was it?—didn’t mention anything about it when you came to Nafrius a while ago.”
They glanced at each other. They all had an answer, it seemed, but no one was willing to say it out loud.
Then Myr, in a cheery tone that almost could’ve fooled him, responded, “Yep!” She added a bit more honestly, “It may not always be exactly what we thought, but I’m glad they’re the ones we’re traveling with.”
“I’d love to hear some more about what you’ve been up to.”
“I can do it,” Llewel said quickly, ignoring the kind of look his sister was giving him. “All of you can head back to the inn. It’s about time you need to log off for the day anyway, isn’t it?”
The three players looked at each other, mumbled something, and almost gave a collective shrug. Myr seemed about ready to protest against it, but Llewel’s glance either assured her or made her realize he wasn’t changing his mind, and she left with the players.
“I assume there’s something else you want to start off with?” Duuzlo prompted after a few moments.
Llewel tried to sort out what he wanted to ask first. He wouldn’t question what Tinath said; it all made enough sense and he was certain of Duuzlo’s answer. So instead, carefully, he asked, “Why were we allowed to be in your office without you?”
Duuzlo casually wandered over to the phonograph and put something else on. He didn’t muffle it—maybe that was his way of assuring only they knew. “I know for a fact Casrane didn’t get that far.”
“It was something we saw in a room of mirrors. It wasn’t Casrane—some other test player, I think.”
“We’ve all got memories of the individual playthroughs these players do—they’re a bit like dreams, if it’s any easier of a comparison for you. You never experienced being a part of the final story, but you were still intended to play major roles in it. I suppose, once you remember everything with Casrane, you’ll start to remember the other test players, too.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. You definitely weren’t anywhere nearby. The player was rummaging through your office until he found those recordings. In all the time I’ve known you, you never let anyone in your office if you weren’t there.”
“Well, I wasn’t there. I had no power to stop them.”
“But you’re here, aren’t you?”
“So I am.”
“Why were we allowed in your office?”
Duuzlo walked over to another part of the room, looking at the children’s drawings hung up there. “It would’ve happened after Nankohm decided to step in—it might take a while longer for you to remember any of those pieces. But I said goodbye to the two of you in Anseshara. I thought of you, of Allisa, but I felt no regret.” He shrugged. “I can’t tell you why I’m here. Perhaps they didn’t want the ending to be spoiled for some players, or they didn’t want to create another character to fulfill my exact role. But I think it’s something to be grateful for, instead of overthinking, don’t you agree?”
He turned back to Llewel. “Now, why don’t you tell me about what the two of you have been doing? I’m sure Myr’s patiently waiting for you to come back, best not to take too long.”