Samuel awoke to find himself on a soft bed, surrounded by silence. He didn’t move at first, allowing his senses to explore the space around him. He appeared to be in a small room, the space taken up by the bed he lay upon, a small stand holding a basin of water, and a small dresser intended to hold clothes. A small carpet was spread across the floor to protect bare feet from the hardwood planks.

Sunlight was streaming gently through the window, warming the room. So wherever he was, it was either late morning or early evening, judging by the angle of the light. And given that there was no lantern and his blankets were thin, it must be summer. Perhaps he’d been unconscious for a day or two?

The noise of the door creaking open drew his attention, and he moved his head to see a small figure peering through into his room. It was a young girl, perhaps about six or seven, with shoulder-length brown hair and a simple dress. Samuel hurried to sit up, his confusion growing quickly. He didn’t recognize the girl. She gave a quick gasp as he moved, and let the door close with a snap.

He heard the sounds of her feet pattering away, and her voice raised in a shout. Another voice, even more, muffled, answered. It came from below, so he surmised that he was on the second floor of whatever building he was in. He swung his feet off the bed, noticing that he was not wearing his dark blue robe, but rather a simple brown tunic and breeches. He attempted to stand up quickly, but his head spun as he moved, forcing him to sit back down again.

A quiet knock sounded at the door. Samuel sat silently on the bed for a moment, then, as the knock came again, he realized he was supposed to respond.

“Come in,” he said, surprised by how dry his voice sounded. “I’m decent.”

The door opened, revealing a young man of about fifteen or so. He had a studious, scholarly look about him. The girl had returned with him as well and hid behind his long thin coat. The man smiled at Samuel as he entered the room, carrying a small basket with him.

“Good morning, Samuel,” the young man said. “I’m pleased to see you awake at last.”

“How do you know my name?” Samuel asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “And how long have I been out?”

“My great-grandmother recognized you and told us your name,” the man explained. “She says you haven’t been in Harlest in a while, but she recognized you at once.”

“I’m in Harlest?” he asked, more relieved than confused. At least he’d teleported to the right location. “That’s good. Does Sera know I’m here? Or James?”

He supposed that this could be Harlest. The room did resemble the small spaces for rent above the Nook Inn, the only place of its kind near the Harlest Peninsula. The fact that he didn’t recognize the young man and the little girl was of no real surprise. He didn’t know everyone in the village when he’d lived there, despite the small population. So it was logical that he wouldn’t know these two.

“ Gran- err, that is, Sera has been in to check on you several times while you slept,” The young man said. “James is not aware.”

Samuel nodded slightly and tried standing again. He took it more slowly this time and was satisfied to see that he could, in fact, stand without trouble. He’d probably been asleep a while, he thought, noting his stiff muscles and the slight sense of lethargy that comes from a long rest. He stretched again, yawning widely as he felt his muscles forced to warm. He held out his hand then, greeting the young man properly.

“Well, you already know my name,” he said with a smile. “Thank you for putting me up while I recovered.”

“It was no problem,” the young man said, shaking his hand firmly. My name is Thomas. This is my little sister, Rachel.”

Samuel smiled down at Rachel, who shrank behind Thomas once more. “I’m sorry for scaring you by waking up so suddenly, Rachel. It’s nice to meet you.”

Rachel peered out from behind her brother and stared up at Samuel with wide brown eyes. Slowly, a smile formed on her face as she realized Samuel was no threat. She beamed up at him, partially leaving the shelter of her brother’s larger form. “You’re big!”

Samuel chuckled in reply. “Well, that’s because I ate my vegetables as a kid. Do you?”

Rachel grimaced, in the way that kids do when vegetables were mentioned. “I like ice cream!”

She gave a quick little giggle then turned and scurried from the room. Confused, Samuel stared after her for a moment or two, trying to figure out what ice cream could be. Some kind of frozen cream from a cow? That didn’t sound appetizing. Cream was too bitter without sugar for his tastes. Realizing he was staring off into space, he shook his head and directed his attention back to Thomas.

“How long have I been unconscious?” Samuel asked again. He didn’t add his question as to why Thomas had tended to him, instead of Sera, if she was aware of his presence. The question seemed rude.

“You have slept for three days,” Thomas said slowly. Somehow, he seemed to read Samuel’s unspoken question. “I was the only one permitted to care for you because as a mage, I could stand the burden that your mana exerts on other people. Now that you are awake, would you be so kind as to draw it in?”

Samuel made a small motion of surprise. “My apologies. Of course, I will.”

At least he hadn’t been so injured as to lose control of his mana, he thought. He willed the large field to compress, and it drew within his body. Thomas relaxed visibly now that he was no longer in its range, and Samuel felt even more guilty. He would have to learn how to keep that in at all times, so that he didn’t cause trouble for other people.

“Thank you again for your care,” Samuel said. “I have no money on me at the moment, but I promise to pay you for your kindness.”

Thomas waved a hand in dismissal. “Don’t be silly. You were injured, so my family cared for you. My great-grandmother said you weren’t to be charged. She owns the inn, so what she says goes.”

“Your great-grandmother owns the Nook Inn?” Samuel asked, confused. “What happened to Thomas? I would think that Sera would take it over if something happened to him.”

“Ah, yes,” Thomas said slowly. “There is an explanation for that. Follow me.”

Still confused, but curious, Samuel followed the young man out of the room and down the long hall towards the stairs. He noted with some interest that some of the decorations had been changed in the building, and the walls had been painted over. In walking down to the taproom, he also saw that the bottom floor had been expanded to allow more drinkers, and all the furniture had been changed around. The tables were newer, and the bar was a proper bar now, not just a couple of thick planks placed on top of empty barrels.

The taproom was almost entirely deserted, save for a small group of people. An elderly woman, the one he’d seen before collapsing three days ago, sat beside a crackling fireplace, wrapped in warm blankets. Two children were playing on a thick rug next to her. One of them was the girl that Samuel had already met, Rachel, and the other was a younger boy with shaggy brown hair that stood out at odd ends from his head. Apart from them, there were no other patrons.

The old woman looked up as Thomas and Samuel came down the stairs, and stood up much quicker than seemed natural for a woman of her age. The blankets fell away to reveal a simple blue dress, and she looked intently at Samuel, her eyes wide and one hand held over her mouth. Her other hand gripped the arm of the chair to steady herself, and Samuel was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

“Grandmother,” Thomas said quietly, rushing to her side to hold her steady. “He just woke up. He may not remember-”

The woman lurched across the room towards Samuel, who barely resisted the temptation to pull away. She careened into him, clutching onto his tunic to steady herself, and gazed up into his face, her own face a mix of sorrow and relief.

“It is you,” She croaked, tears still running down her face. “I thought you dead, long ago.”

Samuel looked at her in some concern, then looked at Thomas, a silent question in his eyes. The young man seemed to take pity on him and moved to pull his great-grandmother off of him.

“Grandmother,” Thomas scolded her gently, looking embarrassed. “It might not be him.”

The old woman shook her head defiantly, still staring intently at Samuel. “I know it’s him. You are Samuel Bragg, are you not? You look the same, but I know it is you!”

“That is my name,” Samuel said, not sure where he would have met the woman before. “But how do you know me? I do not recognize you.”

“You are Samuel Bragg?” Thomas asked, looking disbelieving. “But how can you be?”

Samuel regarded him coldly, suddenly annoyed. He didn’t think that the village would forget him so easily. “Why would I lie about who I am?”

“Because…” Thomas started, then stopped. He almost looked at Samuel like a threat, now. Taking a deep breath, he continued. “Because Samuel Bragg is dead. He died a hundred years ago.”

“What?” Samuel asked incredulously, thrown by the reply. “But I’m not dead! I was only away from the village for three months!”

“Samuel.” The old woman croaked, her face pained. “Sam. Do you not remember me?”

Samuel looked at her, sure that she had taken leave of her senses. He didn’t know this woman and was sure she didn’t know him. But a small voice in his mind registered some doubt. How would the woman know his name then? She could have learned it from one of the other villagers, but then what about Thomas’s claim of his death? One hundred years? That was ridiculous. He didn’t feel one hundred and twenty-two.

But as he continued to look at the woman, he couldn’t help but feel comforted by her presence. Apparent madness aside, there was an inviting aspect to her presence. She drew Samuel in, and despite his caution, he felt himself taking two steps closer to her. Thomas glared slightly at him, but Samuel ignored the expression. It was only when he had drawn in this close that he could make out the eyes. They had paled a little in the passing years, but there was no mistaking that warm brown, or the shape of them as she smiled, as he did now.

“Sera?” he asked softly, hardly daring to believe it. “Is that you, Sera?”

Sera tore free from her great-grandson with renewed strength and flung her arms around Samuel’s chest. He felt his arms go around her in turn, and they embraced a long while. Many questions flared up in Samuel’s mind. How had he been gone for a hundred years? How was she still alive after all this time? But he buried each and every one of them, focusing on the one happy fact. After all of these years, they were able to see each other again.

After a long few minutes, they break apart, and Sera led him to the fireside. They sat down and talked for several hours, in which Sera filled him in on everything that happened after he left Harlest. The village had been proud of his change in circumstance, and eagerly questioned any traveler who came to the village. No news had reached them of Samuel, until the day that Shigeru had returned to the village, accompanied by the same old steward that had taken him away.

After he had been gone for nearly seven months, the warrior and steward had brought news of his disappearance to Thomas and the other people of the village. They had been horrified to hear that he’d disappeared after parting ways with Shigeru and hadn’t been seen for nearly two months. Arthur had petitioned the College, Archmage Ashara in particular, to find him, but to no avail. Rachel Ashara’s spell, God’s Eye, was able to find anyone, no matter where they were in the world. Even dead bodies could be found. But no trace of Samuel Bragg had remained.

After Arthur had set out to return to Milagre and his lordless estate, Shigeru had remained for a while, living in the quiet village for nearly five years while he made regular trips into the growing forest, making sure that no bandits were able to call it home again. His work had been seen in a favorable light by those in the capital, and a Captain of the City Guard had made the trip to recruit Shigeru. The swordsman had agreed and had apparently lived a long life as the leader of an independent group of skilled fighters who traveled the world, saving and defending the innocent, and hunting down the most nefarious criminals.

Somehow, Samuel wasn’t surprised to learn this of Shigeru. Between his legendary skill as a fighter and his love for peace, it was a natural career for the foreigner to take. Samuel was glad to hear that he had been so warmly accepted by the nation. There was virtually no news of Grimr, Samuel found. He hadn’t been known by the people of the village, but Sera did report that a colony of druids lived in the forest now, led by a proud blond half-elf that defended the forest from those who would do it harm.

Samuel knew enough to know that, wherever he was Grimr was doing fine. His tasks had been completed, and they were such demanding and perilous tasks that he deserved the break, not to mention the praise and adulation that was now sweeping across the country for the new God of Nature. There was no longer any risk of natural disaster or corruption, so everyone, from the city-dwellers to the hermits, had reason to love Grimr.

Perhaps the most heart-breaking news was of Sera’s marriage to James, Samuel’s other childhood friend. After years of life in the village, they had fallen in love and had three children. Those children had been wrapped up in some war and lost, but their children lived on and sent the great-grandchildren to live with Sera because they did not like life in Milagre.

“I stopped waiting for you,” Sera admitted with a sad look in her eyes. “But I never forgot you.”

Samuel placed his hand on hers. “Don’t worry about it too much. Even if I had returned, I would have been too awkward after my time away. James was an excellent choice, even if he wasn’t too bright.”

She had chuckled at that. “Yes. He certainly didn’t have your skill with the higher education, bookworm.”

They shared a smile at the old nickname. To Samuel, it still felt like a matter of a few months, but he could plainly see the years and years of experience, of pain and joy, of excitement and disappointment on her face. She had much more wisdom than he did now, and it showed. Finally, he shared his account of what had transpired since he left Milagre. Apparently, Shigeru had not shared the details of their journey together.

“Oh, my,” Sera gasped, as he described Neratas. “I would have been petrified to see such a beast.”

“I was too,” he admitted. “But Grimr’s presence gave me strength.”

“You know, I thought I saw that black cat once,” She said with a stern look. “I convinced myself that I was tired and seeing things, but I was sure he was sneaking food from the pantries.”

Samuel laughed. “Yes, Grimr never did care much for rules made by others.”

“Well that’s for the best, I suppose. I’m glad that he is nature’s guardian now. Our village is all the better for it.”

Samuel continued his tale, rounding the discussion up with how he had finally met Arcana and accepted the role of his Champion. He didn’t go into detail about the agony he’d felt when given Arcana’s essence to carry, as he felt she had no need for that knowledge.

“There was a scholar of Arcana here just a few months ago,” she said. “He was a pleasant man, even if he was a little stuffy and formal. He came to study in our library for a few days. Is it Arcana that changed your face, then?”

Confused, Samuel had looked into the mirror over the fireplace and received a shock. Much of his features were still the same. The thin, pale face, and overlong jet black hair that could never be described as tidy. But a stark white streak interrupted the otherwise black mass, now, standing out sharply. But the most obvious change was his eyes. Previously a bright blue, they were now a deep violet in color. It was the exact same shade and color as Grimr’s eyes, he noted.

“I wasn’t aware that I had changed,” He said slowly. “I suppose it makes sense, though. I am a new type of being now.”

“You are matanda na,” she said. “It is clear to me.”

Samuel looked at her in some surprise. “How is it that you know the Ancient tongue, Sera?”

“A lady must have her secrets,” he smiled coyly. “But if you must know, I’ve learned a great deal about my parents. Apparently, they were of elven and human descent. I have a great deal of elf in my blood, which has allowed me to live so long. Much longer than James.”

Samuel was grateful for that. Without it, he would have awoken alone, and without any friends to ease the passing of time for him. Well, he had Grimr, he thought. But there was no telling if Grimr had even left the Divine Isles yet. Perhaps he was still up there, bored and sleeping for years on end.

Sera had to retire to bed then, promising him they would speak more the next day. Samuel didn’t argue. The past three days had been stressful for her, first seeing an old face appear, then the uncertainty as he lay still in bed, seeming not to wake. Thomas, who viewed Samuel more warmly now, brought him a savory dinner of stew and bread. The bread was strange. Lightly toasted, it had been coated in butter, and a sharp seasoning had been sprinkled on.

“It is garlic bread,” Thomas explained, seeing Samuel’s confusion. “It was invented in Milagre years ago by the Royal Chef, Seamus Moran. It is quite popular.”

Samuel grinned to himself as he bit into the bread. He didn’t know where garlic came from, but it was delicious. He recognized the name, of course, and was glad that Seamus had gotten the fame he’d deserved for his skills. The stew was excellent as well. Much better than the Thomas of old’s cooking, he thought with another laugh.

After his dinner was finished, Samuel had excused himself to take a long walk outside under the moon and stars. Though he hadn’t planned it, his feet had carried him to his old house, and he found that the building had fallen into disrepair. The frames of the building had weathered with the years until they collapsed, bringing the roof with it. Some of the door still remained upright, however, and he was able to pick out a battered sign that hung from an iron peg on the door.

He continued his walk, going further away from the village to a steep hill that loomed over his old house. His new body showed no sign of strain or tiring as he hiked up the slope, and he found himself at the top in no time. A gentle breeze was blowing here, and he could see for a great distance in all directions. The most prominent landmark was, of course, the dark shape of the Dagorra Forest. It spread as far as the eye could see to the north and east. It stretched from the ocean to the feet of the Estavor Mountain range. It had grown well in the past hundred years, Samuel thought with some pride.

Samuel sat himself down at the top of the hill and sprawled out, enjoying the silence of the night and the light breeze that brushed against his face. It was very peaceful, especially when compared to the events that had transpired just four days ago. One hundred years and four days, he corrected himself. What a strange sensation, he thought, to know that so much time had passed, yet to have no memory of it at all.

He very much doubted that his estate remained. No noble house could exist for so long without a lord to manage it, he thought. But that was a problem of the past, he decided. For now, he would take this time to enjoy the peace he found himself in. Who knew, now that he was free to do what he wanted, he could set out and travel the world, seizing his old dream. He could find stories of his own and discover the unique parts of the world that defied reason. Then he could write it all down, and share his work with the world.

Every great story needs an author, after all.