From Real to Realm

Val remained quiet the entire walk home, feeling the weight of her frustration. Theoden had clearly shaken her, but that wasn’t the only thing running through her mind.

Banned…

Theoden was adamant about the temporary ban. As much as being restricted like this pissed her off, a part of her understood.

“Try not to dwell on it too much,” Lynesia said, squeezing her hand. “You’ll be fighting in the dungeon again in no time. You’re too stubborn to let this stop you.”

Val chuckled softly. “It seems every time I start making real progress, something sets me back.”

Lynesia shook her head. “I don’t think I’d look at this like a setback. You know your affinities, and now you have a clear goal ahead of you. Aleksander is a bit of a wildcard, but I think you’re only going to get stronger from his teaching.”

“You’re not wrong,” she said, sighing. “The question is just how long I’ll be restricted from the dungeon. I can’t ask any of you to wait for me. It wouldn’t be fair.”

“Let’s worry about that later. When we’re all at The Deep Cup, we can talk about what to do going forward, okay?”

It was easier said than done. Val’s mind raced through the possibilities, feeling both hope and frustration. She wanted to grow stronger, but also worried about holding everyone else back.

“Yeah,” she said. “I guess we’ll talk about it tonight.”

The rest of the afternoon passed by in a bit of a blur for her. It was hard to truly focus on anything other than what had happened that morning. Lynesia made something for lunch, and it was as good as everything Val expected. After lunch, the two of them relaxed on the couch, just trying to relax.

Eventually, when the sun was getting low in the sky, the two of them started getting ready. It was about time to meet everyone at The Deep Cup.

“Do you think Mina’s already told them?” Val asked, pulling her coat closed.

Lynesia shook her head. “I doubt it. Something tells me she’s going to let you break the news to everyone.”

Val sighed. “I kind of hope she has told everyone.”

“Well, you know they’ll have questions about the ban and probably Aleksander,” Lynesia said, opening the door. “Cera will remain calm, but Amarisse will probably get pissed as much as you were.”

“Yeah, she probably will.”

The cold air nipped at their skin as soon as they walked out into the street. It was an especially chilly night. Lynesia leaned into Val’s side as they walked through the light layer of snow across the stone streets.

“Well, I’ll be.”

Val couldn’t help but smile as soon as she saw Talio. “It’s been a while, Talio. How have you been?”

He chuckled. “Oh, you know me, living the dream.”

“Must’ve been a busy night. Been a while since I’ve seen your apron that dirty.”

He shook his head. “Yeah, had some adventurers earlier who need to learn some damn manners.”

Val helped Lynesia take off her coat. “Everyone else here already?”

He nodded, pointing over his shoulder. “In your usual corner. Need something to drink?”

“House brandy,” Val said. “I need something strong.”

“Rough day?”

“You have no idea.”

Mina was the first one to see them. She stood from her chair and waved as they walked up. What surprised Val the most was seeing Lucia also sitting around the table.

“I didn’t expect to see you tonight, too,” Val said, pulling a chair out for Lynesia.

Lucia was already nursing some brandy from what Val could tell. She looked stressed.

“It’s been busy recently,” she said, setting her cup down. “Mina bumped into me in the hallway on the way out and mentioned everyone getting together.”

“I’m glad you were able to join us,” Val said, taking her seat next to Lynesia. “It feels like it’s been forever.”

“Mina said you had something important to tell us,” Amarisse said, leaning forward. “She wouldn’t tell me what, no matter how much I pestered her.”

Val visibly tensed up. “Let’s wait until I’ve had a chance to drink something first.”

Amarisse looked between Cera and Lucia. Val could see the worry in each of their eyes.

“We’re always here for you, Val,” Cera said softly.

Amarisse nodded. “You’re never alone in any fight.”

Val nodded. “It helps a lot to hear you say that.”

Footsteps approached from behind.

“House brandy, as requested.”

Val took the cup from him, throwing it back in one go. She winced a little at the burn, but let out a long sigh afterward.

“Thanks, Talio. Can I get another when you get a chance?”

He was looking down at her, a bit shocked. “Sure, I can do that. Don’t go getting too sloshed too soon, though.”

When Val turned back to the rest of the table, she saw some of their reactions. It was obvious they were a bit surprised at how quickly she downed the strong liquor. It wasn’t exactly something she hadn’t done before, but it wasn’t common either.

“I’m banned from the dungeon right now.”

She slowly looked at each of them, gauging their reactions. Anger, confusion, sadness—it was all there.

“Can you elaborate?” Cera asked before Amarisse could blow up.

“Yeah,” Val said, sitting back. “As you know, I took a second affinity test since the first time I tried it backfired on me.”

“What were the results?” Lucia asked, obviously very curious.

“I forgot I hadn’t told you yet,” she said, turning to Lucia. “Technically, I have affinity for all four of the major types. However, it’s stronger with both Stone and Wind.” She took a breath, turning back to the whole table. “For whatever reason, my body is incapable of handling some sudden surge of mana. When I tried using magic for the first time, I collapsed after using two spells.”

“We know that from what Lynesia told us,” Amarisse said. “We all visited you while you were out cold.”

“I didn’t know everyone visited,” Val said, smiling softly. “Thank you for checking in on me.”

Amarisse rolled her eyes. “Like you expect us to not check in on you when you’re hurt or something.”

Val chuckled softly. “Anyways. Because of my collapse, the Guild Master is restricting me from entering the dungeon. There’s someone he wants to train me to learn how to use my magic without losing consciousness every time.”

Amarisse’s knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists. “I get it, but it still pisses me off. We just beat the Ashen King, damn it. We were going to the middle floors soon!”

Val nodded. “Trust me, I lost my cool in the moment.”

The memory of how Theoden reacted made her shiver.

“Theoden put his foot down, though,” she said, shaking her head. “There was no arguing with him about this.”

Mina nodded. “The Guild Master was scary.”

Cera was tapping her chin. “But what does that mean for all of us?”

Val sighed heavily. “That’s part of the reason I wanted to meet tonight for dinner. I can’t ask any of you to wait for me. I don’t even know how long this training could take. It wouldn’t be fair to demand that of any of you.”

“But it’s just as unfair for us to make progress without you,” Amarisse shot back. “We can’t leave you behind; I refuse to.”

“It’s not like I won’t be getting stronger while you are as well,” Val said, sighing tiredly. “This training is not just to avoid collapsing; I’ll actually learn how to use my magic as well.”

“You’ve changed,” Lucia said, smiling. “The Val I first met would be throwing a fit over the whole thing.”

Val laughed. “I wanted to. I just know it’ll get me nowhere now to lose my temper.”

“So what are you suggesting, Val?”

She looked up, locking eyes with Amarisse. “Work with Stormveil. Fill in, help where they need it.”

Mina’s ears lowered, her tail stilling. “But we’ll miss you.”

Val turned to her. “I’ll miss fighting with all of you, too. I just can’t risk getting anyone hurt… or worse.”

Amarisse kept staring. “What happens when we gain levels ahead of you?”

Val turned back to the rest of the table. “Then I want to hear all about it.”

“Can we check in on you?” Cera asked. “They aren’t going to be locking you away somewhere, right?”

Val shook her head. “I doubt it. You can check in on me any time you want to. I could probably use the support once training starts.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Talio said from behind Val. “I’ve got a round of drinks for the table. I figured everyone could use it.”

Val and Amarisse kept their gazes locked.

“Thank you for the drinks, Talio,” Lynesia said, helping to pass them around. “Give us a little time. We’ll order some food soon.”

“So you’re just giving up?” Amarisse asked.

Val shook her head. “Hell no. I refuse to collapse in the dungeon and get someone killed.”

Lynesia spoke up. “Theoden himself recommends the man she’ll be training with.”

Amarisse’s jaw tensed. “So you’re coming back to the party as soon as you learn how to control whatever power you’ve awakened?”

Val nodded. “Exactly.”

Amarisse relaxed some, smirking. “Well, then I guess you better work hard. I’d hate to embarrass you when you come back.”

“As if,” Val said, smiling. “I’ll come back stronger, just you wait.”

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