Trevor and Mr. Tiggles were out and about early on the day of his trip. He hadn’t seen Adabelle for breakfast, but Wayne had gotten up to cook for everyone before he and Rashie went off on their own adventure. The young man had decided to meet a friend for advice.

“I’m sorry for bothering you this early in the morning, Mr. Drelik,” he apologized again as he followed the elderly dwarf out of his house and into the garden.

“You’re no trouble, my boy,” Drelik responded just as he had every time Trevor apologized. “It’s just unusual to see you out here so early, is all. You caught me by surprise.”

Trevor smiled as he looked over the garden, and that smile only grew when he saw the statue of Cindal, the dwarf’s late wife. Drelik had only just begun chiseling out the fine details, but it was coming along nicely.

Or so the young man assumed. While he didn’t know much about sculpting, Drelik had been in good spirits from the get go, so he thought it was going well.

“I actually wanted to talk to you a little bit,” Trevor started slowly, stroking Mr. Tiggles. The cat hung out around his neck like a scarf, and had gotten used to the dwarf’s presence enough that he didn’t flee whenever the young man came over.

“I’m always up for a good chat, but something tells me you have something particular in mind,” Drelik intuited. When Trevor looked down at him nervously, the dwarf nodded. “Please, go ahead.”

“I, uh, I wanted to know what’s…” Trevor began before sighing. “I’m going on a trip for a quest. To Eskretet. And, I’m going with someone that I really like, apparently, but I’m not really sure how this world… courts, I guess.”

“So you come to me for advice?”

“I couldn’t help but think of the person who had the longest, happiest relationship,” the young man stammered out quickly. “And I’m still not sure if I’m going to pursue this woman, you know? Like, ask her out, or something. I’m not sure if she likes me, but if she sends me signs I want to be ready, and I wanted to talk to you, Mr. Drelik.”

The elderly dwarf laughed, though it wasn’t done maliciously. “Trevor, when I first asked Cindal to be mine, I asked her to dance because that is what my culture expected of me,” he explained. “Grand gestures, elaborate yet stiff moves, everything done the way it was supposed to. But this isn’t a century ago; times have changed and I doubt that will help you much. Tell me, what would someone on your Earth do?”

Trevor hesitated. “Just ask her on a date, I guess,” he answered. “But it can’t be that easy, can it?”

“Hmm. Is this someone who’s born and raised in Lucent, or are you going with another Summoned?” Drelik asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

“She’s… Summoned,” Trevor confirmed. “But not a word of this to anyone, okay? I really don’t want it getting out in case I decide against asking.”

“If it makes you feel better, then know that I already approve,” the elderly dwarf said with a smile. Then he frowned. “Just to be clear, it’s not the little shark girl, right?”

“Absolutely not!” Trevor exclaimed.

“Then I approve,” he reiterated. “But, Trevor, it really is that easy. If she was from here then I would give you some more precise advice, but she is not. You’re both from very different places, and she’s not going to be expecting you to come to her as anyone other than yourself. So, do it in your own way, and be yourself.”

“I’ll try…”

“You’ll succeed,” Drelik insisted. “And you’ll know when the time’s right better than anyone else, just like I did with my Cindal. When the moment comes, just reach out and seize it. I bet you’ll notice it in a heartbeat and jump on it as soon as you realize it’s there.”

“Just that easy, huh?” Trevor asked, unsure if that was the advice he was looking for.

“Just that easy,” Drelik said before reaching up to pat the young man on his shoulder. “You have to believe in yourself a little more, my boy. You are a truly wonderful young man, and you’ve got to give yourself more credit. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“If you say so, sir,” he said before sighing and sitting down. “I’ve got a couple of hours before I have to be back. So, thanks for the company, Mr. Drelik.”

“And thank you, Trevor,” the elderly dwarf replied jovially, picking up his hammer and chisel so he could get to work.

Trevor scratched Mr. Tiggles beneath the chin. “You be good for Wayne and Rashie, okay?” he requested. “I’ll be back in a few days.”

“Meow.”

“Good boy,” Trevor cooed just as he entered the Hero House’s walls. “I’m going to miss you, little buddy.”

“Meow,” Mr. Tiggles responded before stretching, getting up, and jumping down. Trevor could see why.

“Trevor! I’m glad to see you’re finally spreading your wings,” Thimbleden called from atop his wagon. It was parked in front of the communal space, and the young man started heading towards it.

Trevor immediately recognized it as the one that transported the Floatstone before Denden and Merckle cursed it to fall apart. It was led by a team of two wracors, and had a huge amount of boxes piled up on the back.

Thanks to the Language Fish, he could see that they were mostly fire based magical items, such as Heating Stones, and potions that were labeled as both fragile and dangerous. That was only what he saw on the outside, though, and it was a big stack.

“This is more than I usually send,” Dory said as she walked around the wagon to check the back. She was bundled up tightly, likely to keep from being too cold, and Trevor could see there were Heating Stones sticking out of her pockets and scarf. “Trevor, are you sure you can take this much?”

“Mr. Thimbleden, Ms. Dory, good morning,” Trevor greeted with bows that were reciprocated before he thought about the medusa’s question.

Crossing his arms, Trevor studied the pile of boxes again. It was less than the logs from Laric’s emergency quest, but he felt it was close to what he would be able to handle without his backpack. Summoning his pack from his inventory, he filled it with as much of his necessities as possible, leaving the food he had time-locked inside his Power pocket.

“I think I should,” he eventually said, taking off the backpack and leaving it on the ground. It was close to bursting, but was made of tough materials so he wasn’t worried.

Now that his Capacity stat wasn’t being bolstered, Trevor walked to the wagon and started pulling boxes into his inventory. He felt satisfied as the containers holding potions all Stacked up with each other, reducing their weight and volume slightly, and that feeling only grew as he took on the boxes with the Heating Stones.

Once he started getting deeper into the wagon, the boxes stopped Stacking. These were the ones that had miscellaneous products in them, and that apparently meant they weren’t close enough in size or shape for the Capacity skill to work. Even so, as he got about halfway through, Trevor thought that he would be able to take it all in.

At the front of the wagon, as he had started from the back, the young man paused when he noticed a large painting. He very quickly pulled in more boxes until he could see the artwork, and found himself transfixed by it.

The subject was a white stone castle straight out of some animated movie. It towered over the trees that surrounded it, and the city that surrounded the forest, and even looked large compared to the mountains in the background. What really caught Trevor’s eye, though, was the halo of golden energy that surrounded the castle.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

It looked like a ring around a planet, but as he leaned in to get a closer look he could see that it was actually painted as an intricate magic circle. The whole thing appeared to shine bright yellow, but Trevor could still see all but the smallest details. Glowing pillars were shooting straight up out of it, with one of them exploding like a firework.

“Castle Eskretet,” Jackson said from behind when he saw Trevor staring. “Your destination, and where you’ll meet the king. I painted that as a gift for him.”

“This is gorgeous, Mayor Jackson,” Trevor remarked. “You’re really good.”

“Well, I’m no Cindal, but I make do,” the elf said humbly.

“That’s what happens when you live for centuries at a time,” Thimbleden snorted. “You get really good at things.”

“Bah, I’m just a man trying to make the best out of his life.”

Reaching forward, Trevor gently touched the painting and pulled it into his inventory before grabbing the rest of the boxes. His pocket dimension was almost completely full, and he was glad he didn’t have to eject any of the meals he had put into the time-locked section of his inventory.

“Alright, looks good,” Trevor said with a smile. Feeling everything packed tight in his inventory was a satisfying feeling. “And the quest? I imagine Lady Adabelle will get it as well?”

[[New Quests! Yes, quests, plural. I’m not going to give you several text boxes because then we’d both be bored and later Adabelle will be bored, too.

Quest 1: Jackson has painted a picture of Castle Eskretet to be given to the king. You are to deliver it as Lady Adabelle speaks on the elderly elf’s retirement and her imminent takeover of Tosa.

Quest 2 & 3: Thimbleden wants you to deliver goods to the Merchant Prince Klarkartar, who has made deals with several of the shops in town. Dory wants you to do the same, but she’s actually sending you with unstable chemicals used in alchemy for specific purposes that need a little something extra only she could provide. Don’t worry, it’s a lot safer than anything Melvirn shoved in there.

Each of these quests counts towards level up, and if you complete them all you get two platinum pieces and what essentially counts as a fourth quest for level up purposes thanks to Jackson.

Now all you have to do is make the trip, but you’ll be fine. Probably.]]

“The Quest Master is being very ominous today,” Trevor noted, though he couldn't help but be excited about seeing Klar again.

“It gets a tad bit overly dramatic whenever someone’s about to go on a long journey,” Jackson explained.

“Sure seems that way,” Trevor said before looking at the medusa. “Ms. Dory, what exactly are you putting in my inventory? If it’s okay to ask, I mean; sorry if it’s not.”

Dory smirked and reached up to pat the snakes that made up her braided hair. “My darlings here create venom just like any other snake capable of the same,” she answered. “It is a potent ingredient to create an antivenom that works against many kinds of snake venom. From what I understand, a serpent dungeon has formed near Eskretet. A big one at that, and thus I am a hot commodity.”

“That sounds very lucrative, no wonder the reward is so much.” Trevor read through the Quest Master’s text again, noting that these three quests would count as four for the purposes of leveling up, but also the two platinum pieces. It would be his first time owning even one.

“We all pitched in for that,” Thimbleden said, adjusting his glasses. “But, yes, Dory is definitely making the most out of all this.”

“You make do with what you have,” Dory said, shrugging.

Trevor glanced at the wracors on the front of the wagon before standing up and looking around. He couldn’t see Adabelle anywhere nearby. While going to Eskretet was very exciting, she was what he was most looking forward to.

Jackson seemed to pick up on this, and pointed his thumb towards her home. “I believe Lady Adabelle is still inside, if you’d like to get her,” he said. “I should be getting back to the office, and she made it clear that she was very mad at me, so I’m going to leave before I get yelled at again.”

“I wonder who’s fault that is, Mayor Jackson,” Dory said, her tone exasperated.

“Yes, it is one of life’s great mysteries, isn’t it?” the elf said with a smirk. “Either way, be safe on your journey, Trevor, and make sure you both take care of each other.”

“We will,” Trevor said as he jumped down from the wagon. He offered Jackson his hand, and they shook on it before the young man warned the elf. “And make sure we don’t come back to more work than Adabelle can handle in a day, got it?”

“Yes, I understand,” the mayor said with a mischievous grin. Trevor wasn’t sure if he could believe it, but let go of the other man’s hand anyway.

“Should be getting back myself,” Thimbleden stated.

“It is the same for me,” Dory added before bowing to Trevor.

“We’ll make sure that we get this quest completed as soon as we can,” the young man said as he bowed to them both. After a few more goodbyes, Trevor was left alone with animals he had no idea how to care for. He did, however, know the one who did.

He approached Adabelle’s door and knocked on it.

“I’m still mad at you, Jackson!” her voice came from within.

“He knows,” Trevor called back. “That’s why he fled as soon as he could.”

The door was flung open, revealing Adabelle. She was wearing her armor, which Trevor realized made sense because they were leaving the safety of the walls, but she had her long, white hair braided now. A smile graced her face and, when their eyes met, Trevor couldn’t help but smile back.

“Well, why didn’t you say so?” she asked, picking up a large pack by the door and slinging it over her shoulder.

“All I did was knock,” Trevor said before pointing to what he assumed was her luggage. “Would you like me to take that?”

“To the wagon parked twenty feet away?” she scoffed in amusement. “I think I can handle it, Son of Ander.”

“Right, of course,” he said with a small laugh. “Inventory is full, though. They stuffed me.”

Adabelle nodded, but didn’t say anything. Based on the way her eyes moved, he figured she was reading the quest. Once she finished, she nodded and closed the door behind her. “Let’s get moving, shall we?” she asked.

“Yeah, absolutely, I’m ready to go,” Trevor said before stepping back off of the porch.

Picking up the backpack he had left on the ground, the young man’s inventory space expanded until he set it down in the wagon. Now that there weren’t any boxes, it was fairly comfortable. The walls on either side were tall, and there were benches to sit on with cushions stored underneath. Trevor slid into a spot near the front as Adabelle set her pack in the back and sat on the bench meant for the driver.

“Are you all set?” she asked, glancing back at him over her shoulder.

Trevor leaned against the front of the wagon and took one last look around the Hero House, taking it all in. Before he could answer, something rocked the wagon. The young man grabbed onto Adabelle to steady her, but it didn’t seem like she needed the help. Rashie jumped onto the wagon a second later.

The shark girl ran forward and jumped onto Adabelle’s back. “We’re gonna miss you, Addy,” she said as she hugged the woman. “And you, too, Tranderson. I guess.”

“Oh, it’s Tranderson now?” Trevor snorted.

“I don’t know, maybe. I’m still working on it.”

“Give me a proper hug, shark,” Adabelle told Rashie as she picked up the girl from her back and brought her forward to hug her properly. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

The shark girl’s tail slapped against the wagon’s wooden frame but she allowed herself to be held. “Not before I know it, but soon,” she corrected.

“We’ll keep busy here, Rashie,” Wayne said, and Trevor turned so he could see him. “Wanted to say goodbye before you were off. And I had something for the boy.”

“Gee willikers, old man, you really shouldn’t have,” Trevor replied sarcastically.

“Come off it, cinnamon roll,” the dwarf snorted.

“Cinnamon roll?” Adabelle asked as she tried, and failed, to peel off Rashie.

“He thinks he’s funny,” Trevor answered.

“I am what I am,” Wayne chuckled as he reached his hand into his beard. Just like the day before, he picked out a gun and offered it to the young man.

Trevor took it and frowned. It looked like a cheap, plastic imitation of some futuristic sci-fi gun. It even felt like it would break if he pulled the trigger too hard. “Um, thank you?” he asked more than said.

“It’s for self-defense,” Wayne said seriously. “There’s no safety, so be very careful with it. I know you’re squeamish about hurting things, so it essentially works as a taser. You won’t be killing anything with that unless you shoot it multiple times. It’s got six shots a day, and recharges itself every morning. You can’t be too careful.”

Trevor found himself nodding along the more the dwarf spoke. “Oh, alright. That’s really helpful, Wayne. Thank you,” he said honestly.

Wayne waved his hand dismissively. “You’re welcome. Now be careful out there. Hide behind Addy if you need to. She’s a lot scarier than you are.”

“That’s true,” Adabelle said as she finally managed to pull Rashie off. The shark girl was grinning, but her eyes were very sad. “If you need to hide behind me, feel free to do so without shame, Trevor.”

“Don’t you dare think for a second that I’m going to be ashamed to hide behind the strongest person I know,” Trevor said with a short laugh. “Like, that’s not even a question.”

“Weird flex, but okay,” Wayne chortled before reaching up to grab Rashie.

“Wait, wait, wait!” she cried out, scrambling away from both of their hands to stand in the back of the wagon. The shark girl brushed off her armor before looking at Trevor and holding her arms out. “I guess you get a hug, too, but you gotta-“

Trevor didn’t even let her finish. He shoved the gun into his inventory, thankful that it was really small, and stood up. “Come here, you,” Trevor said as he scooped Rashie into a hug.

The shark girl seemed surprised that it was that easy, but hugged him back. The moment lasted only a few seconds before she kicked him in the leg and demanded to be put down. He did so, and she scrambled to jump out of the wagon to rejoin Wayne.

“Have a safe trip,” the dwarf said.

“Yeah, or else!” Rashie threatened.

“We will. You two try to keep occupied without us,” Adabelle said.

“And keep yourselves safe along with the town,” Trevor added.

Smiling, the young man waved as the wagon pulled away from the two adventurers. It wouldn’t be for long, but he knew he would miss them terribly.