The World Which Is

Chapter 41

I wake up without debuffs, so that's a good way to start the day.

Helen is the only one in the bed, and there isn't another bedroll on the floor, so she was right. Brandon slept in someone's bed.

The idea sits oddly with me as I wash using the washbasin. The water's cool, but it stays clean, so that's another good thing. It's going to take time to get used to the idea that daily showers are no longer a thing for me.

I don't know if I could talk to someone just to share their bed. I mean, sleeping in a bed would be nice, but using sex to get that feels... not right.

As clean as I can get with a magical washbasin, I equip a set of clean clothing. Which brings up the issue of how I'm going to clean my clothes. Somehow it didn't occur to me on the way to Toronto, and while there; but I only have two clean sets left.

I reach the dining room to the sound of hooting and clapping. I can't make out who they are cheering, but as that dies down, a violin play and Silver sings.

With a flash of white, and sky turned red

The world they knew was dead

Through chaos high, and order forced

The lost travelers set forth

She's signing about the first days of the system. There are a lot of versions of the song, depending a lot on the kind of story the singer wants to tell. None of the ones I've heard are entirely wrong, but they aren't entirely right either, according to Base and Grandpa Louis, both of whom lived through those early days.

Dad has nothing but bad things to say about those days, but he's the only one around me who feels like that. It was rough, they all admit that. But from what they experienced, more people came together than fell on each other. Grandpa Louis and Base traveled from somewhere way south, around a city that was called Houston, all the way to outside Calgary, where Grandpa Steph lived with Dad and his brother. They got to meet and help a lot of people on the way.

People sing with her, but no one seems to follow the same verses, so I can't tell which one she's singing about.

Brandon is at the bar, holding the innkeeper's hand and leaned in close. A guy just a little holder than I am steps before me as I reach it.

"How much for breakfast?" I ask.

"Pretty much however much you want to spend," he replies. "We have the basic stuff all the way to stuff that'll give you travel buffs, fighting ones. We even have a Mage Meal if you need your spells buffed."

It's five dollars for a basic breakfast, and I take the plate of steak, eggs and sliced potatoes with a cheese sauce over it, along with the tall mug of apple juice, to the first free table I find. I think Silver's singing about the East Bound Adventure now.

It's not about Grandpa Louis directly, although once he met up with his family at the farm, they all got into Base, along with the refugees who didn't want to stay in Calgary because of how cold it was—or so Base likes to scoff—and headed East to find Grandmother. They didn't know if she'd survived, but..well...Grandmother is tough.

Brandon plops in the seat opposite mine with a platter similar to mine, but only more so.

"Eat up," he tells me, before digging in.

Did he even pay for it? With money, I mean.

"Was it easy?" I ask when he slows, and between bites of my own. The food is good. "Talking her into sharing her bed with you," I add at the raised eyebrow.

"You have a problem with that?" he replies defensively.

"No, I just—"

"Good," he says and goes back to eating.