“Merely doing my job.”
“Well, you wrecked it!” Jezz beamed, and then she turned to Red. “Are you sure you two will be okay here for a couple hours?”
Red smiled. “Don’t worry your furry ears about us. We will be fine.”
“Thanks for sticking with Gerald, Red,” I said, walking up to him with the Emparra talisman. “But before we go ahead and convince Madeem to crawl out of his bat cave, I need to show you something.” When I called Gavori for the second time, the reaction between those two was something wholesome. I thought Gavori was going to pass out when she saw Red again. She fell in happy tears at the sight of her beloved boyfriend. I could tell she was in so much denial, thinking that this was some type of trick, especially seeing as it was Alphy and not Silas who had called her.
She was pissed at me for all of two seconds for tricking her like that, before she was bubbly again.
Luckily Gerald wasn’t in the shot or else her mood wouldn’t have been so sweet. Red promised her he would visit her soon—he had a few things to take care of here first. After our quick talk with Gavori, I left Red the talisman so they could catch up, and then I left Red and Gerald some supplies before Jezz and I went to Prism Point.
I couldn’t wait to see the look on their faces when they saw her.
The joyous scene was unlike anything I had ever seen before. From the moment we stepped foot in the underground camp, everyone froze. Seriously—all of the hustle and bustle streaming through these pathways went quiet. It was like time had stopped and all eyes were on us. And then in one huge uproar of emotion, the crowd hurrahed!
Jezz’s arrival ramped up everyone’s spirits. They charged our way, praising her name and thanking their goddess Alzera-Kar for bringing their devoted overseer back home. And shit, Jezz loved the attention. She was basking in all of the love they were giving her as they tossed her up over their heads, shouting Jezzy, Jezzy! It looked extra funny with the black and white get-up she was wearing, like she’d just finished performing at a local carnival or something.
I was so happy for her.
In the crowd were faces of those who had doubted her return. They were dead-set on her being gone. Some of them still had hope that she would return to them one day but most have given up. But here she was, back home, alive and well.
When they lowered her down, they huddled around to shower her with gifts. Madeem and Elle walked out of the meat shop to see what was going on, and then Elle broke out in a pitchy scream. The jolly woman picked up her skirt and her apron and dashed into the crowd to give her a big fat hug, Jezz hugging her back like a mother.
“Now, Jezzabell, I knew you would!” she cried. “I knew you’d come back to us!” Elle tried to hold back her tears, but she was overwhelmed with happy emotions.
“Don’t cry, Elle,” Jezz whispered softly, her head cradling in the butcher gal’s chest. “I’m back. And I’ll never leave my family ever again.”
As the night went on more people from the village joined in to celebrate Jezz's return. Eventually a huge bonfire was lit just a few blocks down the butcher shop, where people ate, drank and made merry. The night was filled with music, laughter and stories. Fiddles were played while people danced hand in hand, exchanging good vibes by the light of the bonfire. Aromas of fresh baked breads and mouth watering stews from the nearby kitchens drifted in the air. More people came forth carrying trays full of freshly cooked dishes such as roasted lamb on skewer sticks with sweet potatoes and steamed vegetables glazed in honey sauce. For one night, we forgot about all of our worries and enjoyed the company of each other.
Children ran about chasing one another, the adults played cards, and others played small simple puzzle games. Without much coaxing, Elle agreed to sing her beautiful melodies and soon everyone was singing along for what felt like hours.
By dawn, the party died down, and I noticed we hadn’t gotten any sleep. We were supposed to meet up with Red and Gerald soon, and I was already fighting exhaustion. But before I could get up to ask Madeem for a huge favor, he came to me, with a big smile on his face as he held a bottle of Bevios-Beer.
He sat on the ground next to me with a content sigh, and I toasted with him. “Dis gud, ya know. Getting’ everyone togetha.”
“Sure is.”
“How ya gears workin out for ya?”
“Great. But I think I’m going to need an upgrade soon. I’m at level 99 now.”
“Impossible.”
I chuckled. “Believe it, Madeem.” In fact, I had some points to allocate, 228 to be exact.
Name:
Silas Bruer
Race:
Human
Rank:
Hero
Occupation:
Overseer
Alignment:
Senterra
Age:
19
Strength:
168
Level:
99
Agility:
