Epilogue- For every end, a beginning

8/2/5/4353 M.A.C - Niwut- Early morning

"Here you go, a messenger dropped by and left this for you."

"Good morning, Rana. Won't you stay and have breakfast with us?"

"I had a piece of bread earlier, and I still have some repairs to do. I'll join you for lunch, though."

Rana quickly left the room before one of the three older men could insist and get in the way of her morning plans.

"It might be in your grandaughter's best interest if you insisted upon her partaking in a proper morning meal. One should start the day well-fed."

"I have tried, but she keeps running around like she's out of time. Can't say that I blame her; we were like that once, too."

Tom nodded, but Dhruvah slapped his stomach and guffawed.

"I don't know what you are talking about! I always found time to have a proper meal. In fact, I used to get told off for trying to sneak extra meals in between, if you remember."

"Yes, the only difference now is that no one dares reprimand you for over-indulging aside from me."

"You two sound like an old married couple. Maybe it was a blessing I left when I did."

Tom and Dhruvah were not amused by that last joke, and the three men let an awkward silence settle in. Tom tore open the envelope Rana had just handed him and started reading its contents.

Uh? This is unexpected. Could it be a case of mistaken identity?

"Dhruvah?"

Dhruvah grunted, his mouth full of smoked breakfast meats.

"How would you describe Doro's father? Would you say he is the violent sort?"

Dhruvah shook his head and took a last chew before swallowing.

"Nah, the man is a sweetheart. I mean, I kept flirting with his wife, and he never got mad. He did ask me to stop, but politely! Also, he doesn't really look the sort. You can tell from one glance that he doesn't train his body for combat and doesn't look like he has a history of scrapping. Aside from a couple of old burn scars on his forearms, no signs of past fights."

Strange

"Why do you ask? Does it have something to do with this message?"

"This is just from a confused little bird whom I asked to keep an eye on things. Doro got involved in an incident, but he came out of it alive and should make a full recovery soon."

Dhruvah got agitated as he imagined his new friend in trouble, but Tom was not in the habit of lying to him, and thus, he fought his urge to run out and visit the injured boy.

"What happened?"

"He attempted to rescue a man from a burning building and nearly killed himself in the process."

"Did he save the man?"

"Technically, yes."

"Way to go, Doro!"

"He could have gotten himself killed! We need him to help with Percy, remember? If he valiantly runs to his death, where does that leave us? I need to go have a talk with him, make him understand how stupid that was."

"It's his life, Tom. If he decides he wants to help us, that will be great. I would be a hypocrite if I told him not to put himself in danger to save others if they are in peril; I mean, that's my whole job. I will try to sway him towards our side, but we are not using him like a tool."

Dhruvah was not having any of it, and Tom did not seem ready to give up.

"Stop being such a child. All I am saying is that we have to make him understand that we are counting on him. We did save his life after all; he owes us."

Tom had gone a step too far and set off Dhruvah, who abruptly stood and slammed his fist down on the table, the vibrations toppling a bottle over and spilling fruit juice on the table.

"I don't remember you being in the alley when I took care of those low lives. I saved him, not us. If you try to guilt him, I'll make sure to explain that to him as well. Now, I'm off to work; I've seen enough of your face."

Dhruvah then turned around and left the room, slamming the door hard behind him, leaving a flabbergasted Tom, his mouth agape.

"What in damnation has gotten into him? Why is he being such an imbecile?!"

Percyval turned toward his old friend, his glare devoid of any warmth.

"That's what I'd like to ask you. If not for our deal, I'd be considering throwing you out on your arse right now. Careful, the next time you look at yourself in the mirror, you might see Jarl Einar staring back."

Percival followed Dhruvah's cue, but his slow exit and lackluster door slam made it a lot less impressive. His last jab had hit home, though. Jarl Einar was a taboo subject, and that Percy would be willing to bring it up made Tom take a step back.

All I wanted was to make sure the kid stayed safe until he helped Per-

Suddenly, Tom had a flashback of his youth, a moment he would rather forget. The damp and dark ship's hold surrounded him, the steel shackles rubbing his wrists and ankles raw, and above all, the sneering face of Jarl Einar looking down at him as he bit into a fresh apple.

"Stop crying and just accept your fate. I never thought I'd capture an Aenglishman again, brings back memories of my first life on Midgard. Don't worry, your knowledge of healing is too valuable to let you die. It could be worse for you. You won't even be a slave, you'll just have to work for the chief laeknir until you earn enough to travel back home. Many young Fjorlunders would give an arm to work for him, you know. You should be thanking me really."

It was a bitter pill to swallow, but Tom had to admit that even if he wasn't as callously cruel as Jarl Einar had been, the justifications he had been coming up with reminded him a little too much of the man's reasoning. Alone in the dining room, Tom slowly finished his breakfast as he stewed in a mixture of doubt, self-loathing, and bad memories.

*****

"Welcome back, you two. Any good news?"

Khetep had left with Sarima earlier that day so that she could spend some time at her father's bedside. However, Doro was yet to wake up, and thus Suyum had stayed home to watch over him.

"Well, we found Doro's medicine quite easily and it is nothing too complicated. Aside from that..."

"My father is not doing well. They've managed to keep his body working using some strange artifact or brahmachine I'd never seen, but none of the tests they did got the results they wanted."

"It is only the first day; they still have a month before they have to give up and release his soul; they might yet find something. The healers didn't look like they'd given up yet, so you shouldn't either. Do you have any way of contacting your brother?"

"No, he left without telling me anything..."

Suyum took a second to process the information before giving Sarima a head pat.

"Don't worry, you can stay here for as long as you want. Khetep and I had a long discussion last night, and we want you to know that if the worst comes to pass, we'll welcome you into our family. Things might still turn out for the best, but in case they don't, please think about whether that is somethin' you would want. In the meantime, make yourself at home anyway."

Sarima tried to smile, but tears started forming in the corners of her eyes. Khetep approached the pair and knelt before Sarima to give her a handkerchief.

"There, there. Keep your hopes up. Is there anything you'd want to do? To cheer you up."

"Thank you. I'll be fine -sniff- I think. Can I go see Doro?"

"Sure, if that is what you want. Go ahead, we'll join you in a minute."

Sarima quietly made her way to Doro's room, and Khetep's smile vanished.

"It's bad. They might not wait out the full month. I spoke with the healer who was put in charge of the case, and they believed it was a lost cause. I think the only reason they didn't call it today was because they were scared to offend that damn crow. Sarima is already too old for the orphanage, so in case she doesn't want to become our daughter, we should use whatever time remains to find a couple of decent live-in apprenticeships for her to choose from."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Poor girl... First her mother, then her brother, and now finally her father. All her most important people are vanishin' one after the other. Look for apprenticeships if you want, but I think she sees Doro as her last remainin' important person; I don't think she'll refuse. Let's do our best so that she sees us that way, too. I messed up a bit, so I'm starting behind, but she's already fond of you. You doubting yourself like that reminds me of the month that led to you finally asking me out."

Khetep smiled at his wife and leaned in for a kiss.

"Nah, that was different. I wasn't scared you'd refuse me; I just wanted to make sure you were receptive. I was scared you'd chuck a pot at me and knock me out. You know, like you did to Iktar..."

"Wait, that's not fair! Iktar confessed to me the day we met, and he tried to go in for a kiss while he was at it! Plus, if I hadn't done it, he wouldn't have had to go get stitched up by Old Lady Natam and gotten along with her daughter."

"Sure, but it's not like you knew throwing that pot at him would lead him to his future wife at the time. I don't think you can quite take credit for that."

Suyum childishly stuck her tongue out at Khetep and turned away from him.

"Ah....Don't get mad. Thank you for trying to help me with my self-confidence, but now that you know a bit more about my past, I think you can understand why I'd want her to have options rather than being stuck with us or whatever unwanted apprenticeship she'd be assigned."

Gah, why does he always make it so hard to be mad at him?

*****

Meg was half crushed under a pile of rubble as she stared at Doro.

"Save me, you useless bastard!"

The expression on her face felt wrong, but her words cut him to the quick.

"No wonder your mother didn't want to keep trash like you and threw you away on our doorstep!"

Doro did not understand where this was coming from; he was doing his best. It was not his fault that his nine-year-old body lacked the strength.

"How dare you be fine when a little girl's father is on his deathbed because of you?"

His mother, the one from back on Earth, walked out of the surrounding smoke, pointing a finger at him.

"What are you saying? He is too useless to even save himself!

"

Doro looked down at his chest and saw a long steel pipe poking out.

"I'm sorry I failed to save you!"

"Useless!"

The two said in unison as they looked at him.

"Unwanted!"

They continued as their faces morphed into scenes straight out of a Lovecraftian novel.

"Alone!"

They finished as they left him crying alone in the smoke and darkness.

"Don't leave me! I'll be useful! I'll get better. Please don't leave me."

Doro woke up, but he felt a strange pressure surrounding him.

"It was just a nightmare. I'm here. Shhh."

Suyum held her son in a tight hug as she tried to calm him down. Khetep and Sarima looked on worriedly from a foot away. Suyum wiped away the tears from Doro's eyes, using the corner of his blanket, and released him from the hug.

Doro looked around the room and saw that Sarima and his father were there. A spark of joy swelled in his chest as he realized that he could see clearly again, and that he was not alone. Upon taking in more details, though, he noticed Sarima's expression and immediately started worrying again.

"Sarima... your Dad?"

"Still alive for now, thanks to you. To tell you the truth, he might not make it, but you are the only reason he has a chance. Stop thinking you are useless; you are the only reason I have any hope right now."

It took Doro a couple of seconds to connect the dots in his confused and still somewhat drunken state, but he realized that he must have been sleep-talking towards the end of his nightmare.

That would explain why Mom was hugging me so tight when I woke up...

Doro was so embarrassed that his insecurities had been laid bare that he pulled the covers above his head to hide his shame.

"Uh, Sarima, could you please get me something to drink? My throat feels like it is on fire."

"You do sound like you just swallowed a glass-full of sand. I'll get you something, I'll be right back."

Doro was genuinely thirsty, and so this last exchange hadn't been purely subterfuge, but he'd taken advantage of the opportunity to get Sarima out of the room for a minute.

"Her father...Any chances?"

Khetep looked unsure whether he should tell his son the whole truth, but Suyum decided to answer first.

"Doesn't look good. The details can wait until you get better, but you saved him from the fire. Something else is killing him, though. By the time you and Sarima arrived, it was already too late for him."

Doro tried to sit up, but the Abilities that had been used on him had nearly entirely run out, and he was in too much pain to complete his action. Ultimately, he settled for propping his head further up on the pillow.

"Mom. Dad. I know it is a big favor to ask, but with her brother missing, Sarima has no one else. If the money is tight, I'll get a job, but could you please adopt her? We can't just leave her like that."

Both Khetep and Suyum smiled at the request, reassured by the fact that their son had his priorities straight.

"Don't worry, we already agreed on that last night. Your mother and I had a long talk, and even if you don't get a job, we'll easily be able to get by with just one extra mouth to feed."

Doro sighed in relief. He hadn't expected his parents to put up much of a fight, but he'd been ready to do more convincing.

"Plus, I was thinkin', isn't it going to be easier to keep your secret if most of the people who are in the know live here?"

"Oh yeah! Good point, that only leaves Scholar Atwut, though don't worry, I won't ask you to ado-"

Doro froze in a shock as his brain caught up to what had just happened.

"Uhh...Secret? I have a secret? My head is spinning; maybe I should go back to sleep..."

Suyum refused to break eye contact as a predatory smile formed on her face. Doro tried to meet his father's eyes to ask for help, but Khetep looked away.

You traitor! We agreed we'd tell her together, so neither of us got the short end of the stick!

"On another subject, I'm nearly done with your gift! Do you want to see it?"

His feeble attempt at self-preservation only made his parents giggle as they shared a conspiratorial look.

"Well, the truth is, I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell you, and when I asked Dad on my Choice day-"

Doro had thought of the perfect solution to guarantee his safety and proceeded to throw his father under the bus. Sadly, between his convalescent state and the fact that he was still somewhat slowed by the alcohol making its way through his blood, Khetep had reacted in time. He dashed forward and put a hand on Doro's mouth, finishing his son's sentence in his stead.

"I told him I thought you should know, but that since it was his secret to share, I wouldn't force him."

Khetep looked proud of his save, but he'd forgotten a rather important thing. His acting skills were even worse than his son's. Suyum took a step to the side so that she could stare them down simultaneously.

"Yeah, yeah. And I'm the next Emperor. All is fine; I'm sure you will BOTH find a way to make it up to me. I'll accept the gift as a downpayment."

After Suyum left the room, Khetep and Doro shared a hug and apologized for their treacherous actions. They once more agreed to support each other in the face of Suyum; if they did not stick together, they would be picked off one after the other.

*****

7/2/5/4353 M.A.C - Great Western Rainforest- afternoon

"Tell everybody I'm on my way..."

Emi began singing to try and make the journey more entertaining for her companions. Her party had consisted of three members, one barely holding on to life, but a fortuitous encounter had momentarily bolstered her ranks.

"You've got a lovely voice, missy, but it makes it a bit difficult for me to focus on my job."

After the medicus had stabilized Sun Hanukong, Emi and Arctic had realized that even if they built some sort of stretcher, they would probably struggle to carry him while keeping a fast enough pace to make it to the next shelter before sundown. After a short conversation and a bit of blatant flattery, Decanus, in charge of the contubernium they had encountered, agreed to send one of the accompanying rangers and one of his legionnaires, along with their two riding goats, as escorts.

"Oh...My bad. I know I asked you to stop calling me Owl Lady, but I'm not too sure about Missy either. Can you just use my name? I stopped calling you Mister Ranger after you introduced yourself, didn't I?"

The ranger blushed and glanced away.

"We just met; calling you by your first name is a little..."

Oh? Is that a thing here, too?

"Sorry, this will be my first time leaving this forest. I'm not too knowledgeable about Empire etiquette."

"Don't worry. It's more of an Ashrama thing anyway. They have a similar custom in Baisheng, but it is more about respect and hierarchy. In Ashrama, it is a sign of intimacy or close friendship. If you pull that line on a guy in a tavern, he'll think you are flirting with him. No harm, though. Anyway, having a conversation is also getting in the way of my job. Remember, I'm supposed to be looking out for danger?"

Emi, embarrassed by her faux pas and feeling like she was a bit of a nuisance, decided to drop back and check on her monkey brothers.

This is too cute! Maybe it was worth Sun Hanukong getting mauled...

Arctic was walking alongside one of the riding goats, ensuring Sun Hanukong wouldn't fall off its back. Arctic was so focused on his task that he did not notice Emi until she was beside him.

"Good job, buddy! You too, Bucky."

Emi patted the riding goat on its side and ruffled her fingers through its thick fur as it gave a nonplussed-sounding bleat.

Mehhhhh / "Thanks"

After separating from the rest of the contubernium the previous morning, Emi had made an enormous discovery. As long as she kept her messages simple and concise, the riding goats had been able to follow her directions. The more shocking part was when she understood their answers. Their bleats made them sound like they were bored or lethargic, but the meaning behind them usually did not match their tone.

I thought goats were meant to be dicks, but these guys are downright sweet!

She could not converse with them; their understanding capacity was somewhat limited. They would give her simple one-word answers, mostly telling her they were hungry, happy, or needed to go to the bathroom. All in all, though, they'd done their best to follow her requests and had responded positively to her thanks and praise; Emi felt like she could ask no more from a mount.

"How are you doing, Big Bro?"

Sun Hanukong was still weak from the blood loss, and whatever the Medicus had given him for the pain made him woozy, hence the need for Arctic's help. With one arm in a makeshift sling and the other holding onto the front of his Saddle, he ended up having to practice his newest means of communication to avoid falling off.

"I is fine. Little brother keep me company and help me with learn language pass time."

Arctic held up one hand with all his fingers spread, the other holding up three. Sun Hanukong winced and responded.

"Give me a break. Head is spin from medicine."

Arctic nodded but first held up one finger, making Sun Hanukong smile.

"Hey, two sentences and only one mistake! You are progressing fast. Keep going, Arctic; we might make him fully literate someday."

"What do you mean we? You are one to talk. You are a cheater Big Sis. If you tried to write imperial common, it would only be mistakes. Big Bro is better than you at it; he could teach you."

Sun Hanukong's smile widened until he noticed the glance Emi gave him.

"Okay, Okay! You got me. I gotta say, though, I'm thrilled to see the two of you getting along so well. Are you sure you still want to split up? You can tag along with us a little longer if you want, Big Bro."

After they'd both witnessed the other risking their lives to save them, something had happened that made a massive dent in the wall that had been keeping them apart this far. After the ordeal, it seemed as if they both gained a measure of understanding about the other, letting go of their warped perceptions of one another. Yes, the battle had changed them somewhat, but they finally understood that they'd focused so much on the negative aspects of the other that they had become blind to all the good that was also there.

"Hey! Look! You see that light up ahead? That's the end of the forest."

The Ranger pointed ahead, further down the track. Arctic still had to take care of Sun Hanukong, but Emi was too curious to stay at their pace and sprinted ahead.

"Hey, slow down! Wait for us or-"

Emi could hear that the ranger was saying something, but she was too focused on the exit ahead of her, and the sound of her wings shifting about as she swung her arms back and forth muffled his words. Emi kept running for another ten or so seconds until she burst out of the forest with her final step. The line of giant trees stopped abruptly as if an invisible barrier blocked their path, but Emi broke through into the light unimpeded.

"Finally made it out of this damn forest! Civilization, here I come!"

As if in response to the announcement of her imminent arrival, civilization Answered. A large spear landed but inches ahead of Emi before she had the time to take another step. Emi fell back, a strange expression on her face as she blinked rapidly, her brain trying to process what had just happened. A second later, the ranger burst out of the forest and started waving his arm frantically as wide as he could.

"Oi! Stop attacking you idiots! We aren't a threat! Why did you run ahead, you bird brain?! I remember the decanus told you that there were other contubernia put in charge of stopping wildlife incursions."

"Huh, right, he did say that. I've got a bigger problem, though."

Emi grabbed at the grass beneath her behind and pulled out something that made her heart skip a beat in multiple ways. She stared at the roughly oval-shaped white spheroid as her panic rose, and she looked up at the ranger.

"I'm not ready to be a mom; I just became a big sister!"

Arctic, who'd started running upon hearing the commotion ahead, finally arrived and saw the large egg cradled in Emi's arms. An innocent and joyous smile appeared on his face as his hands started moving.

"Can I name him?"