Test Summoning: Apocalypse

The upside of the big event outside the castle was Victory Square was now relatively quiet. I found the very same bench I was sitting on in front of the fountain where Void, still a Guard during that loop, prodded me into action. In a way, I was now full circle from then. It was possible, in my depression at the time, I intentionally put myself out in the open to be found. That I wanted someone I cared about to ask for help.

Void and I sat on the bench and I draped an arm along the backrest. As we sat in silence, I looked up at Dane, the hero or, if the old book was true, the trainer of the heroes, holding his sword aloft. Nearby was Mirabel, his love or, if the old book was true, his compatriot, shooting water in a t-pose. It was a weird stylistic choice since Mirabel was recorded as having a Light attunement.

I smelled the tantalizing aroma of cinnamon and roasting chestnuts on the air. My eyes drifted to Alivn's cart. The slightly overweight squirrel-clan man was happily whistling while he shook his pan over a heating stone. The line, even with the big event going on down the boulevard, was already huge. It was hard to compete with Alvin and I realized I didn't get up early enough to get a bag. Oh well, there was always later.

I closed my eyes and felt the cool breeze of late summer in Leoren kiss my face. The pleasant chill was moderated by the warmth of Void leaning into my side. Through my closed eyes, I saw the brief passage of shadow when the few wisps of clouds in the air passed in front of the mid-morning sun.

Then I opened my eyes again. I looked to the sky and watched the movements of the clouds. I had seen this day so many times I had their movements memorized. In a few moments, when a small group of clouds formed the shape of an octopus in a top hat tap dancing, it would be 901Mor. That was the moment which would tell me if everything worked out.

I turned in my seat to look at the sky over the castle. In that direction, directly below, was an abandoned shopping center. Below that was a cistern where, on many thousands of loops, a crazed cult called out to a world destroying abomination. It would have happened again almost 48 hours ago on the dot had a gang leader not sicced her army on it.

A clock tower in the distance rang. It let out nine cheerful chimes, marking the new hour. My breathing intensified as my eyes were trained on the clouds lazing across the blue. I felt Void's hand grip mine as she absorbed the tension I felt. Then I saw the octopus do his little dance before blowing away on a gentle breeze.

That was when I knew I was free. We had done it. I was now in the first truly new minute I had ever experienced in centuries. For the first time in my long life, I knew nothing that was about to come.

Suddenly, Oliver felt a great weight lift from his shoulders. In that moment, he realized he was free. He had, in his mania, for so long thought he was being observed by an invisible audience as they watched his terrible play unfold. Now, with the crossing of the clock just two minutes past the 9th hour of the 29th of Jaulis, Oliver felt the curtains close. His invisible audience, who had been watching his every move for the past centuries, gathered their belongings, disposed of their empty snack containers and left the theater.

He turned to his beloved Void. Her grey fur gently fluttered in the breeze and her mane of hair draped down behind. Oliver felt tears welling in his eyes as he looked at his love. She would never again have her memories lost to the reset of time.

Void's head turned to peer at Oliver. She recognized the look in his face. "Oliver? What's wrong?"

Oliver's emotions continued to grow and he smiled. "They're gone."

"Who?" Void asked as she shifted on the bench. Her concerned eyes peered deep into Oliver's seeking an answer.

"The audience. They're gone," Oliver repeated softly, his voice struggling to find its volume.

"The one you've been narrating to this whole time?" A gentle look of excitement began to grow on Void's face.

"Yes. They're gone. I don't have to talk to them anymore," Oliver said. Finally overcome with emotion, Oliver pressed his hands to his eyes and allowed his tears to flow. Instilled with ancient instincts of his childhood, his view of male grief ran deep. He did not weep and did not wail. He allowed his tears to flow before wiping them away.

Oliver knew what was next. His final plan before he had nothing left, before he could simply live in the moment. He reached into the pocket of his tight jean shorts and extracted a small red velvet box. He ran his thumb across the surface and enjoyed the soft fabric caressing his skin. It was still with him. In his hand was the final object representing all he fought for and not his mug of cheap beer.

Void looked on in curiosity when Oliver abruptly stood from the bench. He pivoted on a heel and, in single movement he practiced many times, fell to one knee. With a smooth swish of the hand, he opened the box and presented its contents. A turquoise ring with a fine ingrained carving of vines and leaves, the hylis vine symbolizing an everlasting bond. "Void? Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Oliver's love stared in awe at the beautiful ring nestled in the soft velvet slot inside the box. A complex weave of emotions plied her face as she processed what she just heard. Then both hands slowly rose to her mouth, her muscles visibly flexing through the fabric of her long-sleeve shirt. "Yes…" she barely said with a whisper, too overwhelmed to speak more.

With a gentle grip of her hand, Oliver slipped the new ring on Void's finger, the promise of their love. True to his craftsmanship, the band Amis meticulously carved flawlessly slid onto her digit. Oliver took the moment to enjoy the contrasting turquoise coloring on her grey furred finger.

Then, with a surge of emotion, Void leapt forward and drew Oliver into an embrace. Oliver fell backwards onto the cobblestone of the plaza and held his new fiancé in his arms. The pair shared a kiss and Void, too engrossed in the moment, didn't even will her wagging tail to cease its motion.

The pair remained in their embrace upon the ground. The locals, accustomed to the strange rumors surrounding the unusual summoned hero, paid them no heed. It was simply a less strange event from an already strange man.

Then causality decided to impose upon the moment of joy when Void suddenly stood. She gripped her muzzle and peered around the plaza. She then spied a bank of private commodes nestled within an alley and quickly made her way toward them. Oliver also rose and hurried after.

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Within the privacy of the stall, Oliver rubbed Void's back as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the sewers below. The pair had not consumed breakfast in the morning, so the effect was mild.

"We're making an appointment for a doctor," Oliver said with concern on his voice. "This has gone on too long."

"I'm fine. I just need some more rest," Void replied after spitting the remains of the acid in her mouth into the opening.

"Nope. We're doing this. We're going to the nearest doctor," Oliver insisted. One day was one thing, now it stretched into four.

Void relented. "Alright, but let's go to my family doctor near the Teeth."

Oliver agreed and the pair exited the commode. After Oliver paid the attendant a generous five copper tip, the duo slowly made their way back home.

It was now 2Af when Oliver and Void returned to The Gnashing Teeth after setting an appointment for Void in two days. Oliver looked upon the space in a new light. It was, like the rest of the city, a new moment in time for him. He ran a hand across the familiar back of a nearby booth and felt its smooth wood on his fingers. The air smelled sweetly of Mira's stew as it bubbled in preparation for the evening rush and was mixed with the complex aroma of wines and beers available at the bar.

Above, inset magical lighting illuminated the room in a soft, pleasant glow through the tangle of maple leaves crawling across the surface. It gave the space a rustic, homey feel. It was home. Oliver's home and now he didn't have to find a way back again.

Oliver spied sitting at the bar Lia and Tizek. Lia, who was still wearing her makeshift shawl to obscure her hairless face, was rolling dice in her hand. Tizek was carefully observing the motions as they played their game. Lia's hands opened and sent the dice clattering to the wood. The motion stopped and Tizek rubbed a hand across his frill in frustration. The dice had not gone in his favor.

"Who's winning?" Oliver called out to his friends.

The pair turned and Lia, her face obscured in shadows, called back. "I am." Then, like iron drawn to a magnet, her eyes drifted toward Void's finger.

The shriek was shrill and ear shattering. Lia jumped up and hurried over to Void where she gripped the wolf-clan woman's hand to closely peer at the ring. "It's beautiful. Congratulations!"

Tizek watched on in curiosity. He was not an unintelligent man. He was, however, still observing to understand the nuances of the culture of his new home. His eyes drifted toward his lord, his rock, and he felt joy. He would now serve two wonderful masters, not just one. And, if luck held, his duties would extend to even more.

"By the Grand Creator," a gruff voice echoed from the door leading to the kitchen behind the bar. "What in blazes are you shouting for, girl?"

Emerging from the back was Doun. He was dressed in his bartender tuxedo and had a claw scratching the inside of his ear in annoyance.

Void, upon seeing her father, held up her ring. "Oliver asked me to marry him."

Doun grunted. "I don't recall him asking me."

"Oh stop," another voice called out. Mira emerged from the door to gently admonish her husband with a slap of her towel. "She's an adult and doesn't need your permission."

"I still would have liked to have been asked," Doun groused. He lifted a few mugs from the back of the bar and, after briefly peering at Tizek, poured out juices. He wisely avoided filling them with alcohol to trigger the demons laying within the frilled-clan teen.

"Come on, let me see the ring," Mira excitedly called to her daughter. Oliver joined Void as the pair moved toward the bar while Lia returned to her seat.

Mira took Void's hand into her own and looked at the ring. "Your fiancé has excellent taste. Turquoise looks beautiful on you. Is this ice larch?"

"It is," Oliver replied with pride. He was enjoying the endorsement his future mother-in-law gave.

"It's a rare wood. Good eye," Mira stated. She then showed her ring. It was dark blue with swirls of white. "Doun got me skywood. It seems we've both married thoughtful men."

"I also have more news," Oliver said. He extracted his appointment scroll and handed it to Doun.

Doun read the contents of the scroll and his eyes went wide. "Well, this is something. Not only is my girl getting married, she's going to have an actual family name. Void Stewart. Has a ring to it."

"I still need to create a family crest," Oliver said. "Problem is the average person can draw better than me using their feet."

"My lord? May I design your crest?" Tizek asked.

"Sure thing, buddy," Oliver replied. He didn't really expect much of it but it should make the kid happy.

Lia also bounded with happiness. "I get to be a noble, too!"

Oliver laughed. "One thing at a time. We'll have to find out what the legal process is. I wonder if I can rope Mira and Doun into the agreement. Funny enough, I had a thought on this and decided I didn't really want it."

Mira gaped. "You must take it!"

Doun snorted. "The wording doesn't give him much choice."

"It's also how the Prince expressed it. I'm a Baron now and I don't have a say in the matter. So, I will give out my first decree," Oliver stated in his best lordly boom. The others stopped and their eyes became serious. Oliver felt bad since he did not comprehend just how important social strata was in this world.

"My first, and only, decree is you will treat me like you always have. Where it won't get you in trouble, treat me as the same dud hero who wandered in with two homeless companions in tow for a bite to eat," Oliver announced.

Doun gave a little badger chuckle. "Fine by me, m'lord." Oliver rolled his eyes at the sarcastic delivery of "m'lord".

"Do you know what this means?" Mira bounced up and down with excitement.

"What?" Oliver asked, wondering what got Mira so animated.

"Our business is going to get better! We have a bona fide noble in the family!" Mira exclaimed. Oliver laughed at the antics of the business owner.

"I'm not sure we should live here," Void replied. "Aren't nobles supposed to have estates?"

Doun's face drooped. "Right. Your rent is about up and you'll be wanting to look for a new place."

Mira slapped Doun with her towel. "Just say what you mean."

The badger-clan man tapped his claws on the bartop and a look of embarrassment crossed his normally taciturn face. "I don't want my little girl moving out."

Oliver grinned. "Then, dad, we're going to stay here. I'm supposed to be a noble, right? It's my privilege to say I'm living here with you."

Doun's body visibly relaxed. "Then you're welcome. Now, Juliette is out sick again. Void? You feeling better?"

"It's on and off," Void said. "Oliver got me an appointment with Doctor Payan in two days to check it out. I'm feeling alright now and I can run service."

"Oh no," Oliver protested. "You can't."

"But I'm fine," Void replied.

"Not that," Oliver tisked. "Remember our bet?"

"What bet?"

"The one from two nights back?"

Void's posture drooped. "Dad? Oliver gets to be the server tonight."

"Void? What did you do?" Doun asked.

Void looked down in shame. "I smelled something awful and Oliver went to smell it. I thought he was just being weird and he said all men do it. Then I made a bet it was only him and the loser did the dishes for the night."

Doun groaned. "Girl? What did I say about making wagers you're going to lose? Of course he's right. If you told me something smelled like the south end of a wereskunk, I'd go make sure you're not lying."

Mira swatted Doun with her towel. "Men! Disgusting!"

Everyone, including Doun, enjoyed a little laugh.

The evening went well. Oliver had to, once more, fit into Void's clothing to cover the shift. The stunt didn't have quite the same effect since the regulars had seen it before. Still, Oliver knew it would be the last time until he got his own uniform. Of course, it would likely later get out Oliver was a noble serving meals at a tavern, which would be its own sight to see.

That evening, Void had recovered and the pair enjoyed their first intimacy as future husband and wife. It filled Oliver's soul to know this was a new moment, one which would never again be repeated. The pair poured out their entire being into each other and enjoyed the time for what it was. Expression of love in the moment, hope for the future.

Void had taken up her newly familiar spot upon Oliver's chest and nuzzled her head into him tightly. "It felt different."

"And it will be different again after we pick our date," Oliver said as he felt the glow in the room. He listened to the tick of the clock in the room, each second a new one he had never experienced before. It was an intoxicating feel, to live a new moment never seen before. To grow a little older where he had been chained to an unchanging body.

"It feels strange," Void said.

Oliver shifted to look at his beloved. "What is it? Something wrong?"

Void shook her head, rocking it across Oliver's chest. "No. Having a second name. It feels odd. I don't know if I can get used to being a noble."

Oliver chuckled. "Where I'm from, everyone has a family name. There are so many people we even reached a point where we have three names and you can run into many people with the same one. Without them, it's nigh impossible to get anything done. How about you think of it as proof we're married?"

"I like that idea. I wonder if we can make it normal here," Void yawned.

"Bad idea. I suggested it to the king on one of my loops and I made the mistake of mentioning it made tax collection easier. He forced everyone to create a last name. You wouldn't believe how many people were named Hairyass or Streetlight then," Oliver said.

Void laughed. "You have the wildest stories."

"And we'll make a few more for ourselves," Oliver replied. "I think we should go to the carnival tomorrow. I still owe you that rabbit."

"If I'm feeling up for it," Void mumbled. Then her eyes suddenly shot open. "Oh no, we made a huge mistake."

Oliver felt his pulse quicken as his panic response kicked in. "What? Did I make an error with something?"

"Nothing that bad," Void replied. "We forgot to buy Lia's growth tonic. I just felt like messing with you."

For the first time ever, Void earned a playful slap.