Courier quest 2 internat.., p.20
Courier Quest 2: International, page 20
Trevor rubbed his friend’s shoulders as tears fell from his closed eyes. “I didn’t understand it, and a part of me wanted to deny him outright, but I couldn’t. Might not have been a smart man, but I understood that something had to change, and that something was me. I lost my job, of course, but I quit drinking. I made an effort to connect with Tyler. I tried to be the parent I should have been all along.”
“And that’s when you joined his Pathfinder games,” Trevor guessed. “You needed a distraction since you went cold turkey.”
With a nod, Wayne continued. “Yeah. That was it. He tried his best to reconnect, even when I proved reluctant. We used that game to learn more about each other, and things were alright after that. There were hiccups, sure. We were strangers for seventeen years, so that was bound to happen. Then, I died for real and came here.”
“How long did you have with him after your accident?” Trevor asked.
“Little over two years,” Wayne answered. “Tyler did go off to college all the way in Michigan, but it was for their engineering courses. Not to get away from me like he originally planned. Called at least once a week, got himself a girl, sent goofy postcards to try and cheer me up. He might have been his momma’s son, but he had my sense of humor.”
“And now, with Rashie calling you dad, it’s like everything’s been ripped open again,” Trevor said, not phrasing it as a question.
The dwarf snorted and wiped his eyes. “What, you some kind of psychologist now?” he asked, trying to cut through the tension.
“No, but I know pain when I see it,” the man responded softly. “Rashie isn’t your biological daughter, but she is under your care. She has been for years now. I can see your influence in her as clear as day. You’re already raising her. It’s like you told me before, you’re kind of like everyone’s dad.”
“I did say that, yeah,” Wayne replied weakly. “But that’s just a role I slip into to feel better about myself. What was it that you told me? The heart’s dumb? Well, that’s where mine is right now. If she sees me as some kind of father figure, then I’m bound to mess it up somehow.”
“Wayne, the circumstances between then and now couldn’t be any more different,” Trevor reasoned.
“Heart’s dumb, kid,” he repeated, reaching up to pat his chest. “I’ve had this on my mind since we left the Hero House, and I still can’t wrap myself around it. The girl’s made a bad call. I can’t be her father; I’ll mess it up. It’s just not in my skill set because I wasn’t one before, and I’m certainly not one now.”
“The fact that you’re worrying about it so much already makes you better than a lot of the people who call themselves fathers out there, Wayne,” Trevor insisted. “Look, man, you’ve had it rough—I’m not saying you didn’t—but you tried with Tyler. It took you a while, but you put in the effort even after you admitted that it wasn’t what you wanted to do. And that’s what family is all about, putting in the effort. Even when you weren’t a father, you still did that.
“You provided for him. Made sure he grew up healthy, even if he was lonely,” Trevor continued, his voice quiet but powerful. “And, in the end, you turned things around. You made mistakes, and you owned up to them. Were you perfect? Absolutely not. Did you need to be? No. But here you are, with a little girl that looks up to you, and you are outright scared of doing wrong by her.”
Wayne’s eyes steeled, though Trevor could tell his heart wasn’t in it. “I’m not—”
“You are,” the man interrupted, silencing the dwarf. “You are scared of taking this precious child that you’re so attached to, that you already have a connection with, who has such a weird mental age due to her upbringing that I’m not even sure how old to call her, and ruining her. Like your influence will be corruptive somehow. I’ve got news for you, Wayne. Rashie’s a fantastic kid, and that’s because of you.”
Now that Trevor was picking up steam, he kept going without stopping. “Jackson and Adabelle were off doing their own mayor and apprentice thing, leaving Rashie to you. You’re the one who taught her the lay of the land, how to interact with the people in town, and how not to be a truck-sized murder squid.”
“Truck-sized murder squid,” Wayne repeated lowly, as apparently had become tradition.
“I wasn’t lying when I said I see your influence on her,” Trevor said firmly. “It’s clear as day. You messed up the relationship you had with your real son back on Earth, but he forgave you for what happened so now you have to forgive yourself. You have taken all that guilt, shame, whatever, and twisted it into a force for good. You had the whole daddy gun talk with me about Adabelle, and I’m sure part of it was just because you thought it would be fun, but I could tell you still meant it. You’re scared because Rashie called you dad but, when you boil it down, she called you that because you are her father. You have been this whole time. And, you know what? You’re doing a damn fine job.”
Wayne blinked. “What did you just say?” he asked.
Trevor cringed. “Sorry for swearing, I got worked up,” he said, removing his hand from the dwarf’s shoulder. “But only because I meant it. You have to give yourself some more credit.”
“I hear you, cinnamon roll. I hear you,” Wayne sighed, looking down at Clay. He picked up the familiar and handed them off to Trevor. “I think I need to go on a walk to clear my head. Probably going to be out late, so feel free to take the bed. I’ll fit better on the couch then you will. Just wash up first.”
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yeah. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“I’ll be here if you need me,” Trevor said. “Wake me up if you have to, but I’m here.”
“You’re a good kid,” Wayne said with a sad smile. “I think you would have gotten along with Tyler, in another world.”
“That would have been nice,” he replied as the dwarf stood up. With a pensive look on his face, Wayne left the cabin. Trevor looked down at Clay, who looked back up at him. “No telling anyone, okay, little buddy? This stays a secret for as long as he wants it to.”
Clay nodded before patting their master on the arm, and the courier wiped the tears he had been holding back from his cheeks. For the first time, he realized how dirty he was after all their riding.
“Come on, little guy. Let’s go get cleaned up.”
Chapter Twenty-Four: Don’t Forget To Drink Water
Trevor woke up to find that Wayne had already departed with Dallas sometime in the early hours of the morning. He had left a note behind, conveying in messy handwriting that he needed some more time to think and not to worry about him.
It also had directions on where to drop off Austin once he was back in Tosa though the courier already knew how to get there. The town was only a few hours’ ride away and he had been to Wayne’s small ranch before.
Trevor exited the cabin after breakfast to find that the wracor was already primed for the trip. Clay was on his shoulder as usual, but quickly jumped to the ground and approached Austin. The large animal leaned down to lick the earth elemental, knocking them over, and they bounded back quickly.
“You are a weird little guy,” Trevor laughed as he picked up his familiar. He mounted the wracor, letting Clay climb onto the animal’s neck, and began the trek back to Tosa.
The ride was only a couple of hours long. They started seeing more traffic the closer they got until they finally made it to Tosa around noon. Clay hid inside Trevor’s shirt as the roads became crowded, but peeked out and watched the people with both curiosity and suspicion.
Given that it was lunchtime, the courier didn’t head right for the marketplace after handing over Austin to Wayne’s ranch hands. It was going to be too crowded for his liking and he didn’t want to bother Thimbleden and Grunder during one of their busiest periods.
On the way to his real destination, he stopped by Melvirn’s tower. The high wizard answered in his usual way: through his magical door. He didn’t have to make an appearance if he didn’t want to, and even then it was rare.
“Who’s there? What do you want?” Melvirn asked from the safety of his home. “I’m very busy, you know!”
“Melvirn, you say this every time,” Trevor replied with a sigh. “You can’t just greet everyone like that.”
There was a pause. “Trevor?” he asked.
“That’s me.”
“Trevor! With my Fuzzy Magic Grass!” he exclaimed. The entrance swung open, revealing a foyer with a single piece of furniture in it. This was Melvern’s disinfection room and there was a door just like the first one on the other side. “I’m in the middle of an experiment, but put whatever you could gather on the metal table and I’ll get to it when I can.”
“Sure thing, Melvirn,” the courier said, stepping inside and conjuring a bag so full it was almost bursting. He placed it on the table. “You’ve had water today, right? And have you had breakfast?”
“I, er, well—”
“Eat, Melvirn,” Trevor ordered sternly.
“Bah, fine. Once I finish this portion of the— Oh, it’s done. I’ll get breakfast posthaste,” the door said, almost disappointed.
“Good, because it’s lunchtime.”
“My, how time flies,” Melvirn muttered.
“Alright, I’ve set it down, so I’ll see you next time,” Trevor said as he walked back out of the tower. “If you need anything else, let me know. And don’t forget to drink water!”
“Of course I will, my dear boy. In fact, I have a few things in mind, but I know you just got back and Dory said I shouldn’t bother you right away.” There was a sigh that made it very clear that the wizard did want to bother him right away. “Anyway, get some rest, I may reach out to you shortly. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” the courier said with a smile. The door closed, and he started down the road. He only got a few steps before he received the notification.
[[Quest 4 complete! The high wizard finally has his magic grass.
I promise you, I did not enjoy sending out that message.
But you’ve given him the materials that will allow him to continue working on the Anderson Bags. Seeing as you get a cut of every one he sells, I’d say that works out for you pretty well. Just remember: Melvirn always needs more stuff. He’s got work for you when you’re ready to get back out there.
Five gold pieces have been added to your inventory.]]
“And I still have four more quests to go before my next level up, two of which will be done today,” Trevor said to himself. “I wonder if Thimbleden’s got some requests for the Floatstone yet. He was pretty sure they would come.”
Clay shrugged from inside his shirt. Their arms were holding them up and they had their head pressed up against the courier’s jaw. He knew that his shirt’s neckline was going to stretch with how heavy the earth elemental was, but he wasn’t really worried about it.
“Okay, Clay,” Trevor said as they walked through the residential district. He felt his familiar focus on him. Occasionally, he had to bow to people in greeting though he didn’t stop to talk. “We’re going to go meet Adabelle. She and I are in a relationship, so I really hope you two get along well, because I’m planning on being with her for a very long time.”
The rocky stoat tilted their head. There was an air of curiosity and apprehension flowing through their bond, as if Clay was getting butterflies in their nonexistent stomach.
“Yeah, me too,” Trevor chuckled. While he wanted this to go well, he wouldn’t force the issue. “But I do have to warn you. She’s probably going to hug me, and you’re going to be caught in the middle if you stay there. How about you hop back onto my shoulder? No one’s going to go after you or anything.”
Nodding, Clay slowly pulled themself out of the courier’s shirt and onto his shoulder. They looked around, noting how people traditionally greeted others around here, and started practicing their bows. Once, closer to the mayor’s office, the familiar even performed the act to a random woman on the street. She looked confused but, true to her Tosan upbringing, she bowed back.
At nearly any pace, Trevor was much faster than all of the normal people here, especially with the help of his new World Walker skill, and he arrived at the mayor’s office after only a few minutes. It was a two-story colonial style house with plenty of windows and a shingled roof. It was a very familiar destination these days. He walked in and waved at the young woman seated at the desk.
“Hey, Clarica,” he greeted with a smile. Clay lowered themselves on Trevor’s shoulder. “Adabelle up in her office?”
“Good afternoon, Trevor. She is,” the clerk confirmed. “Not to be disturbed, probably not taking her lunch break. You know the drill.”
“I sure do,” Trevor said with a chuckle.
“Who’s the cutie you have with you?” she asked, leaning forward over her desk.
“This is Clay, my new earth elemental familiar. I bonded with them when I was off on my quests, and I’m excited to show them off to Adabelle.”
Clarica smiled warmly. “I think they’re adorable.”
Clay lowered their head as if the compliment made them bashful, and Trevor laughed. “Thanks. See you on the way out.”
Climbing the stairs, he turned left. The decorations had been rather tacky back when Jackson was in charge, but that had changed when Adabelle took over. The carpet was still dark red and there was gold trim everywhere, but there were more plants and less paintings. A portrait of Jackson, as the first mayor and founding figure of Tosa, hung on the wall but it was now beside one of Adabelle.
It was a beautiful rendition of his girlfriend. Trevor had idle thoughts of stealing it someday after she retired, but that was something for future him to deal with.
Reaching the last door on the left, Trevor knocked. He expected Adabelle to be busy working, nose to the grindstone like always, but that wasn’t how things went today. Instead, the door swung open and the demonkin was about to throw herself at him in a tackle-like hug only to stop short when she realized he wasn’t alone.
The courier couldn’t help but smile brightly at the sight of his girlfriend. He took her in, all the way from the split horn to her glowing eyes to her heavy robes. She might not have tackled him, but that didn’t stop him from doing the same. He did make sure to hug her in a way that didn’t thrust Clay into her face, however.
“I’m home, lady,” he said the moment he wrapped his arms around her.
“You are,” Adabelle replied happily, returning his hug. They stayed like that for a few moments before she pulled away to look at his familiar. “And who is this you have on your shoulder?”
“This is Clay,” Trevor introduced. The earth elemental, who was quite nervous due to the noblewoman’s importance, bowed so deeply that they almost fell off of their master’s shoulder. The familiar managed to catch themselves in time. “They’re an earth elemental that I helped out. Afterwards, they decided they wanted to travel with me, so I have a familiar now. Clay, this is Lady Adabelle, mayor of Tosa and my girlfriend.”
“Oh, wow. That’s fantastic, Trevor!” she exclaimed, clasping her hands in front of her. “I’m happy for you. Familiars are few and far between. You must have helped this little one quite a bit for them to want to forge a contract with you.”
Clay nodded before extending a paw. Slowly, Adabelle reached out to take it, but the familiar had something else in mind. They walked across her outstretched arm before stepping onto her shoulder. Then, they sat there like they had no idea what to do next now that they had switched sides.
“You okay, little buddy?” Trevor asked. They nodded again before jumping off and landing on their master’s shirt. The elemental climbed over his shoulder and snuck their way into his backpack. “I stressed how important you were to me on the way here, and I think I made them a little nervous.”
“Aw, poor thing. They’ve got nothing to worry about; I think they’re very cute, just like their master,” Adabelle said with a wink, turning to enter her office. Her tail caught him by the wrist, pulling him in, and he didn’t fight it in the slightest. He closed the door behind them.
Adabelle’s office was rather plain, though there were some of the Rashie Approved Objects here on the shelves along with books, scrolls, and Trinkets. There were plenty of papers spread out atop her large wooden desk, and the windows behind it were open. She moved two of the stacks, making sure they didn’t get mixed up with any of the others, and sat down in front of the guest’s chair with her legs crossed.
“I missed you,” she stated simply.
“I missed you, too,” he replied, smiling. “Did you ask the Quest Master to tip you off about when I’d be here?”
The noblewoman shook her head. “No, I can’t get away with that too often. Rashie’s Summoning Day was a special occasion,” she admitted. “What I did was look out of my window while I was taking a short break. I figured that Wayne would drag you both back quickly enough after the job was done, so I was expecting you. If not today, then likely tomorrow or the next day.”
“And that’s why you’re the mayor,” Trevor chuckled. He put his hands on her waist and leaned in to kiss her. Adabelle’s lips were warm and inviting, but he knew he couldn’t get lost in them. Not yet.
A thought occurred to him, and he sent a quick feeling of apology to Clay before trying to turn off their empathic link. It worked, and he turned it right back on afterwards. The familiar was confused, but didn’t seem scared by what had happened. Trevor was glad that there was a way for him to have some privacy without the feelings of another being coming through. Or, worse, sent to the earth elemental.
This all happened at the speed of thought, so Adabelle was unaware of what had happened. She sighed happily when he rested his forehead against hers. They stayed like that for a few moments before her stomach growled loudly. His eyes immediately focused as his expression changed, and she winced.
“Adabelle,” he said firmly as he pulled his face away from hers.
