Chapter 17: Those Days
"You, my boy. I pray for your future."
Ian stared at the old man with a wide eyed frown.
The words lingered in the air long after they had been spoken.
He had expected many things.
A warning.
A prophecy.
Maybe even some cryptic nonsense about destiny.
But not that.
"That's not exactly reassuring." Ian slowly said.
There was silence once again. Vala who had stood by the side walked off with the water canister as she felt the tension in the room.
The old man sat there as his skinny bone thin fingers let go of Ian's hand.
Finally, Ian broke the silence. "So, what does that mean?" He asked, an underlying nervousness in his tone.
The old man sighed. "It means your future is grim and dark if I need to put it in words. I cannot say how or why, but just remember to be careful."
The man's world left Ian stumped. He stood up and silently thanked for the water before leaving.
As he left the small room where they had just sat, Fen perked up and lifted his chin slightly as if expecting a pet on the head.
Ian just walked by. "Come on, Fen." He uttered as he exited through the thick brown wooden door.
Fen quickly followed and slipped out before the heavy door closed, his hairy white tail barely slipping through the crack.
As Ian had just reached the end of the alleyway, Vala ran out the door with something shiny in her hands. Small enough to hide.
Ian stopped as she ran at him, slowing down gradually as she got closer and closer.
"Hey!" She called out, trying to get his attention.
Vala stopped in front of him and opened her hand.
Resting on her palm was a silver emblem shaped like a spear.
"Pops wanted you to have this," she said. "He said it'd be dangerous to go alone."
She grabbed Ian's hand and pressed the emblem into it.
"It's supposed to look like Aetherion's spear. For good luck."
As Vala said the name of the spear Ian was a little shocked. Though, he quickly realised the information was common knowledge around here.
Vala put her hand down to her side."It was the spear the goddess Althara used to seal-"
"Yeah yeah, I know." Ian interrupted. "I'm pretty tight on time right now."
The girl raised her eyebrow but shrugged slightly after. "Oh well, don't be afraid to come visit when you want. I'm sure pops would be glad to see you alright."
The words got stuck in Ian's throat as Vala turned around and waved at him while jogging back.
He wanted to tell her there wouldn't be another visit. But he couldn't stomach it.
The young girl clearly liked him. Or, she didn't hate him at least. The old man seemed concerned for him too.
He'd never be able to pay them back. Not with their last day in the city being so close.
Finally, Ian waved back. A tragic smile formed on his face as he saw Vala enter through the heavy wooden door.
17.1 Zendrya
On their way back, neither Ian nor Fen seemed to be in much of a hurry, despite what Ian had told Vala.
Instead, they were walking slowly, taking in the city of Zendrya. Maybe for the last time.
It was like after the last day of school before moving on. Knowing you probably wouldn't come back again.
There were sounds Ian had never noticed before.
Maybe they were always there. But his priorities had always gotten in the way.
He also noticed far more Soulbounds than he had expected. They were probably always there, but now he knows they exist.
A bird perching on a merchant's shoulder.
A feline creature with what looked like glowing antennas was sunbathing in a window.
Of course, not every animal was a soulbound. But the biodiversity was far greater than he had thought in general.
Merchants were rolling by with giant carriages pulled by bison looking creatures. Others were smaller almost amphibian looking lizards.
"I guess it varies from where the merchant comes from..." he thought.
He suddenly realised he hadn't seen a single map of this place.
Yet the creatures and the merchsndise were like the outlines.
The bisons suggested open plains and mountains. The carriages were most likely packed with produce and minerals.
Where as the lizards hinted at wetlands such as marshes and swamps. These carriages were probably more towards aquatic food such as fish and whatever they had here.
But most importantly, they were concrete proof of civilisation outside of Zendrya.
Concrete proof that they would still survive.
There was a group playing what mustve been traditional instruments.
People were surrounding them. Especially elders seemed interested in the tones.
They were accompanied by a young choir singing a language he didn't understand.
The language sounded ancient to him. He figured it might be religious in some way.
Up ahead he approached the street where the clinic was.
As Fen saw it, his steps quickened slightly, as if recognising home. Or what used to be at least.
Turning into the patio the neighborhood kids were playing like usual. And inside Charlotte was still packing.
As she saw Ian she sent a glare his way as if asking where the hell he had been.
Though, it faded as she noticed the somber expression on his face.
"Not finished yet?" Ian asked her.
She shook her head and patted the bag. "Not yet. It would've gone faster if you had helped." She said sarcastically.
Ian shrugged. Letting out a chuckle. "What about Ryn? Is the guy still asleep?"
Charlotte shook her head once again. "No again. He's up trying to get a carriage for us. As well as a puller."
'Pull...er?' Ian questioned her words. 'Could that be the name of something or just that it's the thing pulling?'
"Well, I'll be looking for stuff to bring, so I'll be in the guest room if you need me."
Charlotte didn't answer. So Ian took the silence as an "alright".
17.2 Moving out
As Ian closed the door he thought back at the old man's words. "You my boy, I pray for your future." Echoed in his mind.
He'd have loved to hear why the old man prayed for his future. But to be given a goodluck charm, it must be some serious shit going down.
Ian pulled up the silver spear from his right pocket.
The tip was dull. But it hurt if he pressed down on it slightly. Without a second thought, he pinned it over his heart in the clothes he had gotten by Ryn and Charlotte.
Or more correctly, from the tailor.
He looked himself in a mirror outside his door and to be frank, the spear looked pretty good on him.
Even the smallest things might stick out sometimes it seemed.
And the biggest things were the least obvious.
17.3 Banishment.
"Ian?" A knock echoed from the door to Ian's room.
Ian blinked tiredly, looking out the window to be blinded by sunlight.
If he were on earth, he would simply close the blinds and go back to sleep. But here, he had responsibilities.
"Did I...fall asleep?" Ian rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and reluctantly sat up.
There was a day left here. A day left in Zendrya. He was unsure of what to do though.
He only needed to pack the clothes he had from earth, since it was the only thing he owned besides Fen.
Another knock echoed. This time he heard the soft voice of Charlotte on the other side. "Ian, are you up?" She asked.
Charlotte sounded equally as tired as himself.
The silence stretched before Ian answered with a reluctant "yes" as he then opened the door to the room.
"Are you ready to go?" Charlotte asked out of the blue.
"Ready to...go?" Ian raised his eyebrow.
Charlotte nodded. "Yes, ready to go. The guards are here to lead us out the gates.
A single thought flew by Ian, before he realised...
"Did I count wrong?" He asked himself.
Charlotte looked stumped, as if she knew Ian wasn't talking to her.
Though, she stayed silent, as if trying to make Ian forget she was there or even existed at all in the moment.
"That's not good." Ian continued rambling. Though, a shrug later escaped him. A forced shrug.
Charlotte realised Ian wasn't talking to himself, but questioning himself.
"Yeah, you must've counted wrong...anyways, let's go before those guards force all of us out." She patted his back before walking down the hallway.
"Goodbye, bed."
Ian stood there for a solid minute, before looking into the room one last time.
Fen trotted out as Ian began walking, as if silently begging not to leave him.
17.4 Don't Come Back
Right outside the door stood a carriage. Wooden of course.
It had the classical look. The one Ian had seen many merchants roll around with, especially yesterday.
"Seems like Ryn got us a quality runner." Ian mumbled to himself as he walked out the front door.
At the front of the carriage was one of the bison looking creatures Ian had seen before.
As he approached, he saw Ryn chatting with two guards which he could only assume was his old buddies or something along those lines.
Ian peeked carefully over the beast, trying to catch a hint of their conversation. But the bison overrode everything but their last laughs with its grumbling.
The guards told Ryn to take the reins of the bison, which was a silent nudge for both Ian and Charlotte to get on as well.
Fen hopped up from the back as there was the most place there. Ian looked inside and spotted his own "cargo" quite quickly.
The two armored guards chatted a little more with Ryn before the carriage finally started rolling on it's wooden wheels.
Familiar streets passed by. The food stand they had visited to eat meatpies, the tailor, basically every alleyway thay had caused them trouble.
Toward the last turn Ian spotted the Mr. Sight.
The heavy wooden door opened and out came Vala helping the seer, which Ian assumed to be her grandpa out and down the stone steps.
They spotted the carriage and waved.
"They knew." Ian whispered.
'They knew I wouldn't come back. Yet, they said I was free to visit whenever. I...I don't understand.' He blinked. Seeing the two strangers he barely knew wave him goodbye shattered a part of him.
His heart.
Ian's heart was in a thousand pieces. The sight reminded him of every goodbye he had failed to prepare for.
He hadn't felt this sad since Monika had broken up with him.
The sadness brought back memories of Monika now as well. A silent reminder of his pathetic life on earth.
Ian sat down on one of the boxes as his gaze faltered to Fen on the floor.
A solemn expression settled on Ian's face as he leaned against the wooden structure of the carriage.
A voice cut through the air. "Hey." It said.
Ian looked up.
"It's gonna be alright." The voice continued.
It was Charlotte. She sat across from him on another small box.
"Remember? That's what you told me. You told me everything would become okay." She placed a hand on his shoulder.
Ian didn't respond instantly. Instead, he took the words to heart, before nodding.
"Yes. Everything...everything will be fine." Ian's voice stammered before clearing his throat.
"It will all turn out well. I'm sure of it." Ian's voice got louder, firmer. And most of all? More confident.
A smile passed on Charlotte's face. Relieved not only for him, but for herself as well.
The front gates of the walls surrounding Zendrya were approaching fast as the carriage rolled over the cobblestone.
Other merchants passed in and out, riding in front and past them every so often.
"This city...is really big huh." Ian looked up the walls.
Charlotte sent him a knowing glance. "Yeah. Its a marvel in size."
And just like that, the iron gate was no longer beyond them, but behind them.
The carriage wasn't rolling on cobblestone anymore. Instead, the road was covered in smaller rocks and gravel.
The landscape was beautiful.
Even from here the snowy peaks from mountains far away were visible. As if he were on a giant flat petri dish.
Vast forests seemed to stretch for almost infinity as they left the surroundings of the city.
Ahead, was a giant rock by the side of the road. A man was standing there, crossing his arms.
Ryn slowed down slightly to avoid hitting the man.
"Heard you got banished already," the man smirked.
As they got closer the man's features got clearer. A strong build and almost pitch black hair.
Ian's breath hitched as he saw who it was.
Ryn reached instinctively for his sword.
"Calm down" he said, raising his hand lazily in the air. "I'm not allowed to fight you. Don't worry."
It was Thar. Thar Blackspire. One of the five fingers of the shattered hand.
"Good. Seems we both remember each other." Thar's voice carried a cocky undertone, his arms crossing once again.
Silence fell over the group. No one dared speak. Not even Ryn opened his mouth.
"That trial was quite the show, wasn't it? Well… best regards from the Shattered Hand." Thar waved at them as Ryn urged the bison forward. A wave almost too friendly.
He didn't step forward. He didn't need to.
His words alone felt like a blade pressed against their necks. Even his mere precense was overwhelming.
They had all been humbled now just like back then. Another reminder of just how lucky they were.