Umbren had sent Kagi ahead of him to prepare the attoka for departure. She had protested that she wouldn't leave without him, most likely thinking he might have stayed with Alyze. He couldn't blame her after finding out about their bond. Umbren convinced her to go by telling her that they had a bigger risk of being spotted if they went together. She still didn't seem to want to go, but she accepted his reason anyway. The real reason he wanted her to leave was because he wanted to talk to their host alone without her.

Kagi tried to make the goodbye formal by just bowing, but Alyze had gotten a little touchy when she was thanking Kagi for the stories she had told her. Though Kagi noticeably didn't get too close to Jarvus. He didn't seem to mind Kagi’s departure at all. It was no wonder since Umbren believed that they had barely exchanged any words.

Kagi had left through the forge door looking around intently for anyone that may be watching then slipped into the night.

As Umbren faced his guest he realized that he would have preferred to talk to them both alone separately, especially Alyze.

She must have been thinking the same thing, "Dad...can you give us a minute alone."

Jarvus raised an eyebrow, "Hmm? Sure I'll just be in the forge if you need me."

His actions surprised the two, as they thought he would have been suspicious of them some way or another, but apparently he wasn’t. Umbren hoped that at least. Umbren suddenly found himself struggling with whether or not he should tell Jarvus about what he did.

The two were left alone in the main room staring at each other. Both at a loss as to what to say.

What made the situation more complicated was their bond. The two could clearly feel what emotions the other was feeling.

Umbren could feel embarrassment, but also a certain kind of sadness, as if something was coming to an end. That last emotion was contagious.

Umbren himself felt nervous. The two hadn't had a clear conversation since they bonded, and he didn't know what Alyze would say. There was also a sense of dread because of that he really hoped that she wouldn't ask to break the bond. Not because he didn't want to break it but because he couldn't. If she asked and he refused he might look like some sleazy man who had taken advantage of her interest in soul bonding. There was also the problem of this conversation most likely being their last.

Umbren's eyes drifted to the ring on her finger and the golden gem stone it contained. He then looked at his matching ring that held a purple gem. Hopefully this wouldn't be the last they saw of each other.

Umbren obtained the confidence to speak up, "Well... Alyze Eapev I guess this is goodbye."

She looked up at him with a sad smile, "Yep, Umbren...just Umbren. I guess it is."

He chuckled uncomfortably, "Is that all? No last request or anything?"

Alyze put a finger to her chin trying to think of something, then she smiled, "Nope, Just that you better not go out and die."

Panic grew inside Umbren. He had forgotten about one of the traits of a bond. If one person dies the other dies, too. With his current state of being unable to break the bond, he really couldn't afford to die.

Alyze must have sensed his new stress, "What's the matter?"

"It's nothing. But I guess I have no choice but not to when you put it like that." Umbren looked at Alyze with a grave expression, “I promise that I won’t go off and die.”

Alyze took on a defiant expression, and Umbren felt her frustration, "What's with you? All this time you've been asking what I want. Ya know, you've given me a lot of things while you've been here, so you oughta make a request of me."

Because of their bond Umbren knew that he had no way around it. Even if he disagreed with her. Then again she was also asking more from him, and he still felt like he owed her much more for what she had done for him.

"I do have one thing I want you to do."

Alyze looked at him eagerly awaiting his request. He could feel that whatever he said she would take it seriously.

Umbren jabbed his finger at her, "I want you to follow your dream."

Alyze looked at him confused, and Umbren could feel that but also a sense of disappointment.

He shook his head with a smile, "I'm sorry I couldn't be more selfish, but that is my wish. I had heard that you became a little ruthless when you were pursuing your goal, but if it made you happy, then isn't it worth it?"

Umbren could sense that Alyze was amused and saw the smile on her face. Though there was still a bit of disappointment remaining.

"You really are unbelievable. You know I wanted it to be something for you, not me."

Umbren gave a wry smile, "In a way it is for me."

She shook her head, "Then I guess I have no choice."

"Yeah, I guess you don't."

Before he knew it they had embraced each other. He didn't remember which of them had started it all he remembered was that it happened.

Now that they touched, Umbren could feel their bond strengthen. He thought he could see and feel it without even trying, almost like it was being forced upon him, though he welcomed the feeling.

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

As their bond filled him, he struggled to part from her. He felt fulfilled. It was hard to explain, but he felt that if he separated from her now, he would never regain a piece that made him whole.

He wasn't too sure what their relationship was, all he knew was that the bond they now shared pulled them together.

Umbren gave a mirthless chuckle, "I guess we're partners now."

That was the best way he could define their relationship. With the bond in place it was no longer a simple friendship.

Alyze accepted it, "I guess we are."

Umbren's gaze drifted to the ring on his finger. It gave him the courage to pull away from her, and look her directly in the eye.

"Goodbye doesn't have to be forever."

Alyze gave a warm smile, "Let's hope it doesn't."

With that Umbren walked to the door to the forge and gave one last wave.

As he entered the forge he found Jarvus sitting at a small table, with a bored yet pensive expression on his face as he looked into the night.

The forge itself was a mess: it was cluttered with all sorts of scrap pieces of metal, armor or weapons with defects, and order forms.

The light was dim in the forge, but the fact that there was any light at all made him uncomfortable. The source of it seemed to come from the parameter of the town that was lit up by guards. It was almost as if it was daytime in those areas. It gave Umbren a headache just looking at it.

Umbren bowed to Jarvus, "Thank you for everything. If it wasn't for your kindness I wouldn't be alive today. I also appreciate that you went out of your way to tend to my weapons."

Jarvus stroked his long beard as if he just noticed Umbren, "So you're really leaving, aren't you? Well I say it's about time. You've caused more trouble than you were worth."

Umbren smiled, he knew the man was somewhat serious but not fully, "I apologize for all of that."

"Well it's too late for that now. Really all I wanted to do was look at your gear and I ended up fearing for my life."

"Again I didn't intend to bring any harm to you, but if I stay here in the light for much longer I'm sure I will."

Jarvus groaned, "As long as you have that hood up and your eyes covered we should be fine for a while, come sit."

Umbren just realized he had put up his hood. He did it almost instinctively now, whenever he had gone outside. He had even forgotten to take it off most of the time.

Umbren cautiously took a seat across from Jarvus. Right when he did Jarvus hefted a piece of leather armor on the table. It only seemed like it would cover half a man's chest.

"What's this?"

Jarvus sat back in his chair, "A gift."

Umbren's eyes widened, "I can't accept this. Some would see it as blasphemy to wear any type of armor. They think we're trying to defy death and Tenebrage. Besides everyone says we die when we are fated to die, so there's no use fighting it."

Jarvus sighed, "Do you really believe that? You never came off as the religious type. The way I see it you could have been fated to die on that night, but we interfered. Fate's a tricky thing. One could argue that armor wouldn't make a difference, while another could argue that it could change your fate entirely. It just depends on if you view fate as changing or unchanging."

Umbren shook his head, "Apologies, but I don't feel like getting into that kind of debate with you right now."

The light, however dim, weighed on him heavily.

Jarvus stared at him intently as if trying to read him, "Well if it bothers you that much, just think of it as a little bit of insurance, so that you won't come back to us the way you did before."

Umbren remembered his promise to Alyze and that his death was no longer his own. Why had he made that bond? A part of him always questioned, while another fully accepted it.

Umbren looked at Jarvus and wondered if he should tell him. Even if he did, Jarvus probably wouldn't know the importance of it, but still…

“It’s funny isn’t it.”

Umbren looked to jarvus who was staring off into the distance, “What is it?”

“When I agreed to take you in, I would have thought for sure that you would lash out at least once, like a caged wolf, but you never did. I can’t put my finger on why, any thoughts?”

“I’m not a monster, Jarvus.”

Jarvus pulled out a pipe from his pocket and lit it; the weary light illuminated his pensive expression, “Your cloak says otherwise.”

Umbren shook his head and moved towards the table that held the piece of armor, “Trust me Jarvus. I’m not one of them, and I will never be one. I would much rather prefer the green to the black. Especially because of the reason the cloak was given to me.”

He picked up the chest plate and examined it. Mortis may kill him if he saw him with it on. He had to remember to take it off when around others.

Jarvus smiled at his decision, his thoughtful expression vanishing in the smoke of his pipe, "It's fine work, but I wish I could do more, but I didn't have much time. Then again I don't know if you would have accepted if I offered you a whole suit of armor, or even a whole breast plate for that matter. Though it's better than nothing."

"Thank you again Jarvus. I owe you more than I have time to give. Especially after this. It must have been hard juggling your other orders while making this."

Jarvus scratched his chin as if trying not to regret his decision, "Well it did make other orders be delayed, but all that means is an ear full from the mayor, nothing more," he didn't sound too convincing.

Jarvus helped Umbren put the piece of armor on. It wasn't difficult as it was only a small piece that covered half his chest, but it was something. When they were done Jarvus looked him up and down.

"It fits you perfectly if I do say so myself."

Umbren bowed once more, "Again thank you for everything. I am forever in your debt."

Jarvus waved his hand as if nullifying his words, "You just get going now. That little one's probably waiting for you."

Umbren turned to go through the exit of the forge door, but something weighed on his mind. Something he had to get off his chest. Something that couldn't go unsaid. If he didn't tell him now he would never get a second chance, and it was better to hear it from Umbren than anyone else.

No. Jarvus didn't need to know anything. It would only complicate things. It was better to leave things off on a good note. That was the decision Umbren came to…

"I soul bonded with your daughter."

Jarvus's eyes almost flew out of his skull as he spun around to the exit to the forge, and saw that no one was there.

"Umbren...what have you done you fool!"

Jarvus' head filled with memories of Alicia. Of stories of a deep bond that two intimate people shared. A beautiful bond, but also dangerous.

Umbren ran from the forge. He didn't know if what he had done was right, but a part of him knew it had to be done.

More than that each time he looked behind him at the house, a sadness filled him. Something akin to loss.

These feelings and thoughts stuck with him as he got to the parameter. As he made a distraction by throwing a rock into the direction of town. As the sound of it hitting wood rang through town. As the light around the parameter darted to where the sound was, giving Umbren a window to escape.

As Umbren made his way towards the garden they filled him. It was all he could do to keep moving forward.