Where one moment I had laid my head against Terrance's chest enjoying as he gently ran his hand over my head, the next I found myself alone dropping into the sheets with a soft rush of air. I couldn’t help but take a breath, and feel as the rush of tears threatened to return, and completely overtake me. It was over.

Yet, as I lay there sniffling to myself, alone, It occurred to me that I was alone, in the guild hall. I quickly glanced around to find that I wasn’t as alone as I had thought.

Sitting on the far side of the room waiting for me to notice him was Kovin.

I tried to wipe tears from my face with the blanket, thought more flowed and I just ended up making little progress.

“It's been a while since we spoke.” Kovin offered, though he had a weight to his voice that I’d never heard from him before.

I nodded, not sure what to say, or what to do, was Kovin going to say goodbye as well? Would I lose everyone, and then it would all be over? The idea of weeks or months, maybe even years slipping through my fingers was a terrifying idea to confront. Would I ever… be, again?

“I’ll give you a few moments to get dressed, meet me down stairs when you are ready to discuss where you go from here.” Kovin said, standing from the small desk chair and walking across the room, pushing open the door and stepping out into the guild hall beyond.

It only occurred to me then that Kovin had opened a door that only guild hall staff and Terrance could open. I was surprised, however I was also intrigued, I'd seen Kovin do other things that made no sense, and so I couldn't help but wonder what he wanted to say.

I unwrapped myself from the silky bed sheets, and found that only my dress remained on the floor. Terrance's clothing had simply vanished as he had. Pulling my clothing back on I took a few breaths before following Kovin out into the greater hall.

Kovin had found a seat at one of the tables I had so rarely ever seen used. On it he placed two steaming cups of tea.

I climbed down the stairs and took the chair across from him at the table, where he had set the extra cup of tea.

“Milly, would you like to share the rest of your story with me?” Kovin asked.

I nodded, and I told him everything that had happened to me since our last discussion. I explained how I had tried to give Kervick a quest, and how we had gotten into an argument. How Tidal had found me there on the side of the road and led me to his cabin. How Yuri had imprisoned me, how they had both taken advantage of my ability to sell things to save themselves time.

I told him about how Yuri had treated me, how I had grown to hate him and how eventually, I decided to kill him. From there I told him about my escape, about how my plan had completely failed, yet somehow I had grasped onto that tiny thread and I had leveraged the bag they wanted to gain my freedom.

I continued with how terrified I had been upon finding Tidal at the guild hall, and how I had nearly lost all hope, only to lock myself away until Terrance eventually confronted him. The quite moments since then. Learning to play poker, enjoying a few last conversations with my friends, before saying goodbye. Finally, I told him about my last choice, choosing to spend what time remained with Terrance, which for me had been a wholly unique experience.

When I finished and was sobbing quietly to myself, Kovin nodded, “Thank you.”

“For what?” I asked.

“For sharing your story.” He replied simply, “You have in so many ways given me something to work towards.”

“I.. don’t understand.” I offered in reply trying to wipe tears as they came free.

“I suppose not. But it also isn’t so important to the topic I need to discuss with you.” Kovin offered.

“Alright? What did you want to discuss?” I asked, wiping away my tears and trying to put on a braver face. I was more than a bit worn after telling him in full what I had been through, but all the same I was curious and eager to hear whatever he wanted to talk about.

“Milly, I’d like to offer you a choice.” He started, clearly trying to pick his words for clarity, slowly and carefully. I simply waited as he continued, “After today things are going to be changing considerably, you might say things will never be the same again. Not simply because the people you met along the way might not be around anymore, but because your home...” He gestured to the hall around us, “Will also be going away.”

“The guild hall is going away?” I asked, a bit shocked.

Kovin nodded, “Just like the others you’ll be leaving this place behind, some of the other people from the town will be leaving as well, and going to a new place where they will call home for a time.”

“So we’re just going to get new homes?” I asked.

“It’s a possibility.” He offered, “However for you, it's not the only possibility.” He sipped his tea, “If you would prefer I could find you a nice shop to run. You could offer people quests and buy and sell things like you did here.”

He watched me as I considered that, in truth it sounded like what I used to be, before I learned I could explore, or quest, or hold conversations on my own.

Kovin continued, “Or, if you would rather. You can become an adventurer.”

My eyes widened slightly at that, “So I could go on quests all the time?”

Kovin chuckled, “Well the most important thing is that you’d be able to decide what you wanted to do, and when. No one would tell you where to stay, or where to be. No one would look to you to sell their items, or give them quests. You could however, choose to do these things using your own earned coppers. But like other adventures you would lose those abilities to give and sell things. You would have only what was in your inventory, and nothing else.”

“Could I die and come back?” I asked, while I had never really considered what lay beyond death for me, remembering how Yuri had come back to life still worried me greatly. Terrance had been convinced that I'd be unable to return if I died, and hence he had insisted I not do anything dangerous.

“No. While the adventures in this place could do that, where we are going, they won’t have that ability any longer.” Kovin explained.

I frowned, “So if I get killed by goblins?”

“That will be the end of it. Just like the rest.” He explained.

Well adventurer or not I had nearly died here, and before confronting it, I had barely even considered it in my processing, instead I focused entirely on the two futures that would have been present had I not. Since then, my conversation with Terrance, even now my uncertainty at what lay beyond there concerned me. “Will my friends be able to find me?” I asked, uncertain.

“Possibly, should they come to this new land as well.” Kovin explained.

“What about Yuri? Or Tidal?” I asked.

“They won’t be coming.” Kovin noted instantly.

I nodded at his words, feeling some small peace from that.

“Though, even if they did, if you had killed them in this new land, they would never bother you again.” Kovin noted matter of factly.

“How many people will there be?” I asked.

“More people than you’ve seen in your entire time here.” Kovin said, “Not all of them will be friends, others might be enemies. But regardless of the life you decide to live you’ll never be far from someone.” Kovin said, “I will offer one more tidbit for you, If you become an adventurer you’ll not have to worry about losing your time again.”

I stared at him in wonder.

“You’d be free Milly, unshackled by the rules that govern you now. Whereas I tried to help you with that last time, I could only go so far. But this way, should you choose this path, You’d have the freedom to forge your own way forward, on your own time. Would you like that?”

I looked at the tea cup and slowly brought it to my lips enjoying as I usually did the warmth of it as it swirled around my nose and face. A faint sensation urged me to inhale and a rush of something I’d never experienced before reached me, “What is that?” I asked.

“Why, the smell of orange berry tea.” Kovin said with a smile.

“Smells?” I leaned in and took a sip, and experiences I’d never dreamt of before surged across my tongue, I could barely comprehend what they meant, or if they were good or bad, yet all the same they were new!

“What do you say Milly? Would you like to go on your own adventure?” Kovin asked with a knowing smile on his lips.

I couldn’t hold back the grin that spread over my lips, as sad as the goodbyes had been, as uncertain as the future was, this was only the beginning, there was so much more left for me to experience if I only took the first step. And I had already delayed taking that first step too many times, “Yes. I want to be an adventurer!” I said excitement in my voice as I smiled a sad smile as I endured what I had lost, and dreamed of what I had yet to gain.

The End, for now.

GuildChan

Thanks for reading! Please take a moment to let me know what you thought!

Like what was your favorite part? What could I have done better? Did you really hope to see something or have something happen that didn't? Or maybe something else? I don't know!

I'm just hoping to get some feedback, this is the first complete story I've managed.

Hopefully you've all enjoyed Milly's story as much as I did when writing it!