There were many things Max would remember for the rest of his life. Casting magic for the first time, Emi’s hatching and seeing her shining emerald eyes, the encounter with Seetrin, the death of Mallor Henbar and the investigation of the Heavens Gate, and now, Celenia and her mother’s reunion.

If you had asked Max the day prior what his thoughts over how well Celenia would take meeting her mother, he would have told you that he thought it was going to go poorly. Maybe he was just a cynic, but he thought it would take time for both of them to adapt to each other. They would tiptoe around each other for a few weeks or even months before finally biting the bullet and having a conversation. But he was glad to report that he was wrong.

Celenia walked straight into the mansion and found her mother sitting with Bishop on a couch. Before Belopi had even stood up in realization a powerful slap solidified her position sitting. Everyone in the room tensed and began to move to protect and separate the two family members. But the most curious and beautiful thing happened. Celenia collapsed into her mother’s chest crying with the force of a hurricane.

It took only a moment for Belopi’s mind to catch up and her own tears to flow. Bishop, who was the closest, moved back to give them space. Clammy had small tears of her own slowing streaming down her cheeks; Reep looked on with a longing and detached expression; Vel was smiling subtly; Max leaned against the door frame, happy for his friend.

The two Elves spoke in loud cries of incomplete sentences. It was hard for the onlookers to understand the words they spoke, as their faces were buried into each other’s shoulder and tabards. The general gist of the emotional conversation was: Why didn’t you save me? And I looked for you everywhere.

Belopi had long forgotten the stinging sensation that had been applied to her face in the shape of a hand. Instead, she felt a pain of sorrow, one that she had not felt in many years. She never forgot Celenia but had long since locked away her feelings of loss and guilt. She had looked everywhere for her indentured daughter, but in the end had to give up the search as her own health declined. But, as she held the being of her nightmares, her guilt came back.

How could she have given up the search? How could she have thought her dead? How could she call herself a mother? These questions and many more filled her head causing her tears to have an increased weight to them. To Belopi being able to see her daughter again would have been enough. She had worried that Celenia wouldn’t have wanted to see her. That she blamed her for staying a slave for so long.

Celenia did have those thoughts but just a few sentences from Max no more than an hour ago changed many feelings she had been having. She looked for you, you know. She traveled from city to city, visiting slave sales trying to find you. Spent all of her money and in the end almost killed herself trying to find you. She stole, she ate scraps, she gave her life trying to find you. A weight had fallen from her shoulders, one that had been there for what felt like forever.

She could breathe! She could think! Her legs had given out from the raw butterflies swimming in her stomach. Again, Max had been there to catch her. He spoke in soft words. Warming words. But the idea of seeing her mother still upset her. How was she supposed to face her? Would she even be the same person? Who even was her mother?

With the small push Max gave her, she walked into the mansion. Her mother was sitting next to Bishop wearing a causal blue dress. Her hair was longer than she remembered from her childhood, but the color remained the same. Whether it was Belopi’s genial smile or her moments hesitation when Celenia walked in, the slap that ensued was one of mystery. Celenia herself didn’t know the real reason, but it felt right in the moment. But then that movement ended not even a second later.

Horror had stuck Celenia. She had slapped her mother: The one person she dreamed about seeing during her time as a slave. With nothing else to lose, Celenia rushed her with a death grip hug. Tears flowed as the warm of her mother reached her. Memories resurfaced from her childhood. Baking desserts, playing in the leaves, helping her father move their wares. All of it came rushing back to her, like a floodgate breaking.

Minutes rolled as she tried to speak, but between snot and tears, her questions were unanswerable. It wasn’t for a few more minutes that they finally separated. Throats were cleared and real conversation began. It went as the others would later describe as chaos. Questions and answers were spoken fast. They each talked over each other as to make sure the other could hear. To anyone else, their conversation was nothing more than contradictions and explanations. But an understanding was formed. By the end, more tears were shed, and more feelings were blooming.

Vel was the first to go to bed. Then Reep, then Bishop. Max had to physically drag Clammy up to her room after she didn’t notice him hinting to leave the newly repaired family alone. As Max finally laid his head on his pillow, the infinite light chamber flickered into a cozy and warm room. Emi snuggled up against his side and both fell asleep thinking that it was good to be home.

It had become a sort of daily ritual for Max to check the infinite beach for signs of Tiodepth in the mornings. At least, when he actually slept. Normally Max would spend his nights sitting and watching the waves or practicing spells over and over again. Some night he simply didn’t feel like sleeping, others he felt like he had to sleep. Last night he was too exhausted not too. Granted he woke in the mornings rested even if he spent the whole night on the beach.

Emi, who often times accompanies him on the beach, loves sleeping. Naps are her favorite pastime other than hunting fish or squirting people with mischievous bubbles of water. Emi didn’t care to check for Tiodepth in the morning, opting to get a head start on the return of the fishing boats. Morning fishing was prime time for the best catch and now that they were back in Lesterwood, Emi had to make up for lost time.

And that is why Max is in the kitchen alone, waiting for the others to wake up. His bond sent him happy images of large schools of freshwater fish and the occasional animal drinking at the rivers edge. Max had to remind her not to be seen, last thing they needed was rumors of a river monster floating around.

Wait… This is Nava, there probably are real river monsters. He thought.

The first one usually wake was Belopi, then Reep. They had started a routine of prepping and cooking breakfast. On the road, it was something simple. Normally leftovers from the night prior or mixed berries and nuts. But back when they were staying in the Garden of Globes, it was often more elaborate and filling meals.

Today however, there would be very little for breakfast. The kitchen was almost empty. There were some preserved meats and stale bread, but other than that… Max sniffed the bread making sure it was safe before cutting wedges and slices of meat. It was the best there were going to get until someone went shopping and since he was the one with the inventory and not old and curmudgeonly, he would be the one shopping.

But a thought had occurred to him. Didn’t Celenia live here when they were gone?

“Hey, Icarus?” He asked the air besides him.

The white light bird slowly pulled from nearby light sources, forming a body perched on the kitchen counter.

“Yes Max?” The talking bird asked.

“Celenia lived here when we were gone right?” Max asked receiving a nod in response. “Then why is there no food here?”

“I figured she had been eating on her way back from her training. She certainly hasn’t cooked very much.”

“Oh right, she would be passing the market on her way back…” Max peered at the owl. “How’s Lester? Have you told him about Esmel?”

“He is well, and yes I have. He said to congratulate you but to remind you that you are better off not in the limelight.”

“Yeah yeah, I hear that enough from Vel and Bishop. Don’t worry we worked out some precautions with the leaders of Esmel. Very few know how much of a role I or the others played.”

“That is good then. I take it that you are above level ten now?”

“Ah! You want to know about my second class?” Max said.

Max could have sworn he saw Icarus’s eyes roll.

“It’s called [Astral Dimensionist]. It has all of the same boons as normal [Space Mage], just with higher numbers. Also, it gives me access to the Astral Dimension. I still haven’t figured anything out about that, however.”

“A Dimension? And Bishop was no help?”

“He had some ideas, but nothing solid. Subuntu said he had something that would aid me in my studies of Dimensions, but I’m still not sure what it’s going to be.”

“Subuntu? The God of Healing?” Icarus’s eye feathers were raised.

“Oh right. I haven’t told you.” Max proceeded to explain what had happened at the wall, and his class he is supposed to be teaching.

At the end of the tale, Icarus remained silent. He stared at Max before suddenly fading from existence. Max had realized that all of Lester’s team felt strangely towards the Gods. Vel’s hatred was the most widely spoken but after spending some time with Bishop, Max had noticed he agreed with her. Reep soon filed the air where the owl had once been.

“We need to go shopping.” Max said gesturing to the plate of meat and bread.

“Are we going to the Guilds today?” She asked.

“Yeah, I was thinking we could go on the way back?”

Reep nodded and grabbed a slice of bread. With a quick flash of light, her bread was slightly charred. Max raised an eyebrow.

“I meant to toast it.” She said.

“Try imagining your mana as fire or heat. Might work better.”

Reep squinted at him but turned back to her bread, trying again.

Soon the room filled with fumes of burnt bread. The others slowly tricked in. Vel, then Celenia and Belopi and Bishop. Celenia sat in between Max and Reep after giving a shy hello to her mother. Belopi looked disappointed by quickly hid her expression behind a fork of meat. Lastly was Clammy, who had large black lines under her eyes.

“Bad night?” Max asked.

“The worst.” Clammy answered.

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

She sat down with a harsh thump. Her eyes wondered over the sad breakfast before turning back to Max.

“Market later?”

Max smiled and nodded. They began to discuss their plans for the day. The first and most obvious thing to do was visit the guilds. It was planed that Max, Reep, Clammy, Emi, and Celenia would leave together. Max, Emi and Celenia would split from the others and visit the Mage Guild. She had lessons with Lady Dreamstem, and it gave Max a chance to pick out his classes for the new term. The others would stop by the Adventurer Guild and alert them of their arrival back.

Belopi looked saddened by this but didn’t say anything. In the meantime, Bishop and Vel had many more meeting to attend. One of which was to talk to the members of the Stalker hunting unit to tell them about Max. He would meet them later, but Vel wanted to make sure they knew information about him couldn’t be spread.

The city was much as Max remembered, loud and crowded. The streets were packed with bundled up pedestrians. The chilling weather didn’t seem to persuade anyone to take a day off. If anything, the city seemed livelier. Small gatherings and grouping stood around warming mana constructs. Heat poured out from these, for lack of a better word, cylinders. They reminded Max of lit fire burning in a trash can or a chimenea. The difference, however, was the deep red mana crystal attached to the top.

Children were happily running to and from the river edge, playing chicken with the frigid waters. Their giggles seemed to warm the air. The smell of fat dripping off and burning on hot coals filled the air with salivating smells of roasted meats. Bread and other doughy foods were being baked, warming all customers who waited in the long lines. Guards patrolled up and down the streets, talking with friendly citizens.

It was almost a culture shock to Max. He had grown used to the bitter silence of Esmel. The threat of total destruction looming and the gloom that followed. Lesterwood was the opposite. It almost seemed that if you were inside, you were the odd one out. But as they got further and further away from the residential and commercial districts and into the adventurer, the hordes of people began to thin.

After saying a quick goodbye to Reep and Clammy, Max, Emi, and Celenia entered the Mage Guild. It was exactly as Max remembered. A large wooden and stone building with plenty of tables and room to chat. A staircase led to the upper levels where private and individual rooms were waiting. Discussion of magic could be heard from every table and every party. To the sides were small hallways leading to different amenities that were provided by the Guild. At the very center, furthest back from the door, was the reception desk.

Celenia skipped the crowded tables and receptionist who looked at Emi with mild curiosity and led him up the stairs to a locked classroom. With the quick turn of a small key the room was opened, and Max followed her in. It was a medium sized room with many displays of different kinds of herbs and leaves. Small indoor gardens littered the back half of the room, allowing a multitude of rare and exotic exhibits.

Without saying a word, Celenia opened the nearest window, allowing a small bird to flutter in. The bird was a dark shade of purple and black. Its feathers were slick and slightly shiny causing light to dance with its every movement. The bird looked from Celenia to Max with a huff, causing the Elf to turn red.

“Can you turn around for a minute, Max?”

Max, not understanding the request or the weird bird who just entered the room, obliged. There were many weird things about Nava that he did not understand, and he figured this was one of them. After a few sickening cracks and crunches, and the recognizable sound of clothing shuffling, an unknown voice spoke.

“You may turn around, Max.”

A tall and beautiful Elf stood leaning against the desk that the bird had once settled on. The same purple and black color was echoed on to her long shiny hair. A loose tabard and causally tied pants were fastened around her body in a hastily put on fashion. Max, who didn’t think himself as dumb, put two and two together. She was the bird. Emi, who watched her transform, laughed at him through their bond.

“Lady Dreamstem, I presume? An honor.” Max said.

“An honor? For me or you?” Dreamstem said with a chuckle.

“Me, I think?”

“I think not.” She said shaking her head. “It is not everyday one meets a Lost One.”

“You know?” Max turned his head to Celenia who shook hers gravely.

“There is not much that can be hidden from [Druids]. Nature talks.”

“Nature? You mean Esmel? The [Arbors]?”

“I mean nature, Lost Lord.” She gestured widely with her hands. “There is much to this world. Much that you haven’t seen in your short time with us.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Nature, talks. The trees we walk past, the bees that buzz around, the grass we step on, the flowers we stop to smell, even the wolves we slaughter with roots.”

“Ah.” Max said in realization. “That tree told you about me?”

“After you arrived in Lesterwood safe and sound, I was tasked with tracing your path. Research needed to be done on the clearing where you woke up.”

“And what did this research find?”

“Inconclusive.” Dreamstem said simply.

“Typical.” Max sneered.

A smiled bloomed on the [Druid]’s face. “Celenia talks about you often. I am glad to hear that you are back, and I am glad to have finally met you.”

“Likewise. I had wanted to meet you when I first found out about you taking an interest in Celenia, but better late than never.”

“‘Better late than never.’ I like that. It’s suiting.” Dreamstem looked to Celenia to Emi to Max. “I would allow you to stay, but we will be working on shifting today and well…”

“Ah,” Max said turning slightly red. “I understand, see you tonight Celenia. It was nice to meet you, Lady Dreamstem.” Max bowed to the master, and she bowed back.