The Gray Tower (Being Rewritten as The Erstwhile Druid)

Chapter 8: Peer Beyond the Looking Glass

Noelle fumed, steam rising from her like the rage of an angry god. What did Luke take her for, a fool? She kicked at the road, each step stirring up a cloud of dirt mixed with dust. In the distance was Vana, at this pace still a good hour or so away. Noelle could make out the Orc’s Bane, perched on the cliff’s highest vantage point.

Cabins dotted the countryside, homes of various colors and design. Most of these were bought and owned by other players, nameplates nailed to front doors. Scattered amongst the dwellings were towering trees, branches soaring towards the open sky. Curiously, most of the cabins appeared to be empty, their owners gone.

Maybe everyone got the same idea and headed to Vana, Noelle thought. Behind her, she heard Tetsu’s steady footsteps.

But Luke, seriously? A talking wolf?

That was far-fetched, even for Luke. Silver trotted parallel to Noelle, her tail swinging back and forth like a pendulum. The wolf rubbed her chin on Noelle’s legs.

“Silver, can you really talk?” Noelle asked.

The wolf stopped and tilted her head up, pale white circles meeting Noelle’s emerald orbs.

“You can trust me,” Noelle said, placing her nose on Silver’s.

Silver barked, a short cadence. The wolf turned away, tail whacking Noelle’s face.

“Damn, that hurt. Watch where you swing that thing, would you?” Annoyed, Noelle became even more agitated when the wolf ran straight to Luke, who’d been keeping his distance a good twenty paces away.

Tetsu quickened his pace, lining shoulder to shoulder with Noelle in a few hulking strides. “Like master like companion. I wouldn’t be surprised if they shared the same heart.”

Noelle snorted. “They both do their best to piss me off, that’s for sure. Do you really think Luke can talk with Silver?”

“It’s possible. Common sense hasn’t been very reliable recently,” Tetsu replied.

Noelle chuckled, feeling slightly better. “I suppose that means Luke’s got an advantage. He never did have much common sense.”

The two plodded on, enjoying each other’s company. For Noelle, Tetsu was almost like a father figure. Almost. He lost his father card every time he did something perverted, which unfortunately was every day.

But it wasn’t like Noelle needed him to be her father. She was over that phase, those dark, lonesome days after the tragic accident that stole Noelle’s parents from her life.

She could still remember — the days after the accident, when she’d sat by the front door dutifully, waiting for her parents to return like nothing ever happened. Sometimes she would go through picture books as she waited, the ones her father had always read to her before bed. Other days she would be artistically inspired, putting crayon to paper and scrawling out sketches of happier days. She’d taped those to the wall, because she’d continued to believe, that one day her parents would come through that door again and praise her like they always had.

Time passed, her parents’ faces fading from memory. She’d cried of course, but each day brought less tears. Eventually, she grew out of the habit, disposing of it like a t-shirt that had become too small.

Noelle had moved on, but she’d never lost the agony, a hollow hole that seemed like a bottomless abyss. However, two years of joy had gone a long ways toward her recovery, and Tetsu, like Luke, had been there with her every step of the way.

Noelle’s words deferred, as thoughts took their place. Tetsu and Noelle continued walking, each minute bringing them closer to their seaside destination.