“Oh ye’ve got some nerve ain’t ye! Focken Sage wit’ ‘er handler holdin’ de leash right be’ind her! Aspect this, Aspect that, get tae fuck!”

Elira stared at Narthir through her very confused eyes. She could normally make out what the stocky little gatekeep was saying at any other time, but this time it just seemed like complete gibberish to her. Either way, all they had to do was get through the gate and into Townsend for a little rest before going through to Aurum, so Elira said what she thought would get them through the fastest.

“Narthir, just open the gate please. You’d do well to let us through.”

*Puh*

He spat on the ground in disgust.

Elira recalled the last time, and all the times before that, that she’d encountered Narthir. He’d always spit on the ground whenever he saw her. She didn’t care for the gatekeep, but Elira did always wonder why he hated her so much. Even when she came through the city just after distinguishing herself as a Sage, when she needed to go to meet Bjorn to have Rai’s seals made... even at that time, Narthir seemed like he saw her as nothing more than a waste of space.

Without another word, Narthir signalled for the gates to open.

He stared down Zivot and Gulmory as they went through the gates with Elira.

Elira would’ve thanked Narthir, even with all of his hatred for her, for opening the gate. But, she wasn’t in the most gracious state of mind right now.

Many of the citizens in Townsend were out now, whether they were tending to their daily chores for the evening or just visiting the inns and taverns for their afternoon tea. It made for quite a spectacle when Zivot, the Warden of the Life clan, arrived in Acies after such a long time.

Some of the older people in the area were wheeled along in their makeshift wooden wheelchairs to catch a glimpse of him after word made its way around. They all knew Elira, but to even catch a glimpse of their Aspect was considered a blessing for everyone in the clan. Most of them had never even seen him before, and didn’t know what he looked like.

But Zivot’s attire made it very clear.

His furs were thick, and they were clearly expensive. Gryphon furs were used to tailor his cloak, and holding the cloak together was a silver Life clan insignia of a small dragon laying in front of a tree. Zivot’s pure white hair also made him stand out, compared to Elira’s charcoal locks.

Since they’d travelled at a high speed for such a long time, the horses were tired. They needed at least a few hours of rest, but since the journey was in its final leg, Elira decided that they’d stay at Townsend for 2 hours maximum.

As they passed through the small procession that seemed to build up on the sides of the roads, Elira noticed the condition of the people in the city.

They looked haggard.

She never fully noticed before, but the rags that they’d clearly patched together to make clothes were definitely not enough to keep them warm during the upcoming winter. The furs that she’d secured probably wouldn’t be enough for all of the people in every city, including here in Acies.

The distribution wouldn’t be fair.

Just a little, her heart sank. Elira wanted to make life better for those in the clan, and that meant every person in every city... but she wasn’t powerful enough to do so. The net that she could cast wasn’t anywhere near wide enough to cover the whole clan, and Elira knew that.

The best she could do was to help those around her, and to hope that other people would be able to cover the areas that she couldn’t.

The crowd only persisted in the first big portion of the city, through the residential area. Once they got closer to the portal, there weren’t as many onlookers as before and the procession seemed to die down. A little while after getting past the crowds, Elira and her party arrived at Townsend.

They left their horses in the stable just beside the building, and went inside.

The inside of Townsend never failed to make Elira feel warm and calm.

Off to the side, at the bar, was Bort. He was serving drinks tonight.

Elira smiled to herself before walking over with Zivot and Gulmory in tow.

“Bort.” She said, startling the old dwarf.

Bort jumped, then turned to look at Elira. His face brightened a touch. “ELLY! Good to see ya! It’s been a lil’ while ain’t it?! How’ve ye been?”

“The same as always, old man.”

She hugged him over the bar, before Zivot sat down on a stool beside her. Gulmory sat next to him.

“Bort...” Zivot said.

“... Ah... if it ain’t little ol’ Zivot. Or, well, might I say mighty Aspect Zivot now.”

“Please, just Zivot.”

“Aye. You’ll be here for... how long exactly?”

“2 hours before we go through to Aurum.” Elira answered. “Come, Bort, we must have a good ch-at, like old times!” Her voice cracked, uncharacteristically.

“Hmm? Oh right! OI GARY! COVER THE BAR WILL YE!” Bort shouted out to somewhere in the mass of people in the Inn.

“ON ME WAY!” Gary shouted back.

“C’mon then Elly, we’ll head outside for a spell. Zivot and... whatever yer name is, Gary’ll handle yer drinks.”

Zivot and Gulmory glanced at each other awkwardly, then back at empty space. Bort hopped off of the raised platform he was stood up on, and walked under the flipping counter that acted as a bar entrance. He was short enough to just walk through it without opening it.

Gary, however, had to open it to get in. It was one of the downsides to not being a dwarf.

Bort and Elira walked out the back of Townsend, where it was quieter and more peaceful.

Elira took a long breath in, taking in the afternoon air as she watched Zenith’s twin suns slowly descend from their peak.

“Where you been Elly?” Bort asked after a while, breaking the silence.

“... Busy...” Elira frowned. “Really, really busy.”

“I see... End of the world busy, or just busy busy?”

“The former.”

“Oh, that’s not great.”

“Yup.”

“I’m sorry Elly. Ya know I ain’t the best to help, but I’m here for you. Always been here for you since you and Reiki were little young’uns runnin’ round the city causin’ mischief, haha!”

Elira took in another deep breath.

Bort watched her closely. The girl that he’d helped to raise was now an incredible woman that he looked up to.

That incredible woman was clearly hurting.

Her wet eyes glimmered in Zenith’s light.

“... Come on, Elly.”

Bort held out his arms.

Elira turned from the sky to look at him. Her eyes that were already welling up began leaking as she caved.

Hugging Bort as tight as she could, Elira accepted the loving care that he had for her, as if she was his own daughter.

Regardless of the sporadic, the however many drinking battles they had, or adventures they shared, the one thing that Elira could always rely on was the constant unconditional love that Bort showed for her.

She hugged him for a long moment.

When she let go, Bort took a moment to look at her.

Some wrinkles had made their way onto her face over the years, but Elira still looked as youthful as she ever did. He smiled at her, and she smiled back before giggling a bit.

“That’s my girl! C’mon now, ya might have the fate of the world on your shoulders, but at least you got me and yer sister here to back you up! Never forget that Elly... remember those who love you and care about you. That’ll give ya the strength to keep going!”

Elira nodded, before kissing Bort on the forehead.

“Thank you...” She whispered.

Elira got up and took a few more deep breaths. She stretched, and eventually calmed down.

“Ya good now?” Bort asked.

“Mhmm. I needed that, thank you.”

“Always, Elly.”

“By the way... did you ever get past that stuff with Zivot?” Elira asked.

“Nay. To me, the old Zivot’s already gone. He’s tasted the power of bein’ an Aspect and now he sees nothin’ but that.”

“Yeah... I’ve noticed that over time, but I thought it wasn’t too bad until... well... recently. Anyway, let’s go back in. I want a nice beer before we go to Aurum!”

“Hahaha! Now, that I can definitely provide for ya! One tankard of Townsend craft brew coming right up!”

Bort excitedly scurried back inside, while Elira followed him.

She returned to her companions, who hadn’t touched their drinks at all.

“You two not gonna drink those?” She asked.

Zivot gently pushed the tankard away from him.

“Not a chance. A layman might enjoy dishwater like this, but I could never.” He answered.

“Me too. After tasting the honeydew and rosemary wines they serve in the Keep, I couldn’t possibly enjoy something like this.” Gulmory added.

Elira stared at them both.

Wow... they really are the most stuck up people I know... Bit disappointing, since Zivot used to love Bort’s drinks, but whatever. I don’t think he’s worth my energies right now.

“Alright then.” Elira said as she grabbed the two tankards from in front of them. She turned around and looked around at the different tables and the fireplace area before finding what she was looking for.

Ah, there!

Elira took the mugs over to a table of adventurers clad in full armour and weapons. The three of them looked like they were geared up to head off on an expedition. But right now, Elira noticed that two of them were having a drink off. A small group of people watched them, enjoying the show.

The one on the left in full leathers took larger gulps, but they weren’t quite so quick that he’d secure a victory.

The one on the right took lots of small gulps as he downed the drink, but they weren’t anywhere near as large as the gulps from the one on the left..

The one on the left will win.

A moment later, Elira was proven right.

The one on the left did, in fact, win.

*BBRRRAAAPPP!*

“AHAHAHA! I TOLD YOU I’M BETTER AT DRINKIN’ THAN YER MOTHER! NOW PAY UP!” He exclaimed.

“... Yeah yeah, how much was it?”

“50 silver! C’mon then, cough it up will ye?”

“Alright don’t get yer panties in a twist, I’m grabbin’ it.”

Elira slammed the two tankards in her hand down on the table in front of them, startling the adventurers.

“Double or nothing?” She asked with a smirk.

The two men looked at each other. They grinned at one another.

“Ye game?”

“Duh! I’ll happily take a gold piece from ye for something’s easy as this!”

“Bring it on ‘en!”

The two of them were counted down, and began their second bout.

Elira smiled to herself as she returned to sit down

She saw a smiling Bort with a mug of her favourite drink on the bar next to her seat.

Elira sat down and enjoyed the brew. She licked the froth from the top of her lips after downing the drink, savouring its aftertaste.

“It’s great, just like always Bort! Thank you!” Elira said.

Bort gave her a smile and a nod before handling other customers.

For the rest of their time resting in Townsend, Elira talked with some of the adventurers, finding out what their expeditions had been like. She found out that the monsters in the area had been growing more feral and wild, which was very different to the conditions that adventurers had been through in years past. Elira thought that she should probably look into that, since adventurer taxes were where most of the clan’s income came from.

Zivot was awkward in most conversations, so he let Elira handle the talking. Gulmory was the same. Neither of them had much experience talking to people that weren’t nobles or highborn. Well, Zivot had some experience in it, but that was during a time long past. It made for a rather shallow experience, for them at least.

Elira loved it. She always loved talking to the people, learning about their lives, and feeling involved in the community. It also gave her more areas to focus on for her work. The more she knew about the people within the clan, the more she could do her job effectively.

By the end of the 2 hours, Elira and her party had eaten their supper and were ready to go to Aurum.

After a heartfelt goodbye between Elira and Bort, they saddled up on their horses and went through the portal.

Elira felt nauseous for a second, before breathing in the fresh air after they passed through.

On the other side, a pretty face met them.

It was a girl, with dark red hair and red eyes. She wore a smart and subtle suit that seemed themed after a maid uniform as she stood, watching the portal’s exit.

“Greetings, Sage Elira. You can call me Lilly. I’ll be escorting you to where you and your party will be staying.” She said.

*Phew*

Jin came through in the end...

“That’s great, thank you. Please, lead the way.”