Courier Quest 2: International, page 16
As for being a familiar, this kind of shape changing wouldn’t be possible if they were a younger elemental instead of an elder one. They would learn eventually, sure, but they definitely wouldn’t have started off this strong.
Wayne was right, you lucked out.
Or maybe being an adventurer is rewarding and comes with all sorts of Trinkets and goodies that aren’t usually on the menu. The world is a big place and it’s very strange compared to your old one. You probably couldn’t have done this with an air or fire elemental, but what if you had met a water elemental first? Might have snagged that if the circumstances were right. Who’s to say?
That being said, it does take a big drain out of your familiar to keep up with this. Earth elementals don’t really sleep, but Clay will be lethargic for a few days. If they were using their old husk, which they still have a connection to, then they could sustain themself for much longer. I’m sure you feel their strength waning through your bond even as you read this. They’re going to be all tuckered out here pretty soon.
I feel like you’re the type who would get scared if they stop moving around as much, but don’t be. They’re just recuperating.]]
“Alright, got an answer. Apparently, Clay has evolved beyond the normal earth elemental, and they can just do things like burrow and shape as they move through stone,” Trevor said as he looked at Wayne. “So, I’ve got myself a pretty nifty new friend.”
“I’d say,” he chuckled. “Clay’s going to be useful, for sure.”
Trevor smiled and turned back to the hulking mass of earth that was his familiar. A faint tickle spread through his mind before he noticed the rocks tumbling out of his inventory. He couldn’t feel his backpack at this distance, but he could tell that the Gabin replica had finally made it to his destination.
“Alright, looks like I’m good to start collecting again,” he said, cracking his knuckles as he walked towards the nearest rocks, staying clear of Clay. “This shouldn’t take long at all, and then we can head back and jump in those hot springs.”
“I think this one-man crew might be more impressive than yours, Mr. Lord Gabin,” Wayne remarked in amusement.
“This doesn’t count. It’s one man and a familiar,” the lord pouted, crossing his arms indignantly. “Completely different.”
Trevor suppressed a laugh as the dwarves bantered, and got back to work.
Chapter Nineteen: Checking Off Those Isekai Tropes
The cleanup didn’t last long after Clay got involved. Trevor’s familiar had demolished the big rocks in no time flat, though the pickaxe they had used was worse for wear. They didn’t have the energy to put it back together after all the work they did.
Which Gabin said was fine. They still had plenty and it could be reforged. Once there were only pebbles and dust left, they went back into the dungeon to free some of the elementals, placing them in different spots within the cave. The lord insisted on doing it this way so they would grow at different rates, which would make tending the dungeon easier on him later.
And that marked the end of their time at the cliff. Feeling the pride of a job well done, they started the trek back to Vilderchtif. Clay, now in their stoat form, hung limply over Trevor’s shoulder.
The Quest Master had called it; the earth elemental really was tuckered out from all the effort they went through. Even so, the courier could feel a sense of satisfaction in their bond. The little guy certainly had a lot of fun helping smash things.
Gabin requested that everyone rinse off in a nearby river before entering the hot springs and Wayne was quick to agree, so Trevor followed. He certainly understood not wanting to get into a bath covered in as much rock dust as they were, let alone a hot spring. Then again, he had no idea what to expect. This would be his first time.
Their destination was in a cave not far behind Gabin’s home. From the sound of it, there were already people inside relaxing after a hard day’s work.
“If you prefer a more private experience, then I have my own personal section,” the lord said when they reached the cave. “It’s a little hotter than the public side, so I prefer it. We Summoned can typically handle the heat better, Trevor, so no one else goes in there.”
“Yeah, I’d definitely prefer that,” Wayne replied. “Think the cinnamon roll and I got some things to talk about, anyway.”
Gabin gave him a questioning look, but shrugged. “That is fine by me. I have to speak to the miners, anyway. Not only to tell them about what happened in the dungeon, but also to get their report on what happened during the day.”
“Oh, you still have meetings to get to?” Trevor asked. It was getting pretty late and he had no idea that the lord had more work.
His concerns were waved off. “Sometimes, after a long day’s work, we have our meetings in the hot spring,” he said with a grin. “Why spend time speaking somewhere uncomfortable when you can spend it with the fatigue melting away, eh?”
“I suppose that is one way to do it, yeah,” Trevor agreed.
“Feel free to join us after you’re done if you’d like,” Wayne said as he started walking into the cave. The other two joined him. “Don’t mean to kick you out of your private bath, or whatever.”
“I’ll join you once I’m done,” Gabin replied jovially. “Unless something unexpected has happened, it shouldn’t take long. Make a right up ahead, and you’ll see a sign for my area. Feel free to make yourselves comfortable.”
“Thanks,” Wayne said.
“Much appreciated,” Trevor echoed, and they parted ways.
They followed the path around the corner until they reached a sign hanging from the ceiling indicating that this was Gabin’s private area. It also specified in three different languages, one of which Trevor could read, that the water here was hotter than it was on the other side. He had no idea how that worked, but he wasn’t about to question it.
The cave was fairly rugged, but parts of it had been carved out. Its floor was smooth and there were benches cut out of the wall. The air here was hot, humid, and had a strange smell, but it was only slightly uncomfortable. Above them, there was a vent leading outside that was covered with a small roof to prevent water from getting in.
Wayne was the first to start disrobing, grabbing a towel, and Trevor did the same. His method, however, was to bring most of his clothes into his inventory. Once he was ready, he set Clay down on one of the benches.
“Dunno how you do with water, little guy, but feel free to stay up here. Just can’t take any stone, not that I think you’re up for that,” Trevor said, scratching the top of his familiar’s head. They flopped over, but leaned into the lingering touch. “And what about you, Wayne? I know you don’t like getting your beard wet.”
“First, don’t go putting your head underwater in a hot spring. Second, you and I both know I only say that so Rashie doesn’t ask me to go swimming with her every day,” he snorted. “Every so often was fine, I don’t mind spending time with the girl, but every day was too much.”
“And how’s that working out for you now that she’s grown up a bit and she doesn’t drag everyone to the river to swim with her?” he asked, wrapping a towel around his waist before pulling the last of his clothes into his inventory.
“Kinda regretting it, honestly,” he admitted. “You only know her now that she has some manners, but she was tenacious back then. Persistent little shark. It wasn’t just me, either; for a while there, Adabelle couldn’t get her horns wet. That should tell you how bad it was.”
“Sure sounds like it,” Trevor agreed with a chuckle. “I’m assuming that’s what you wanted to talk to me about? Finally going to open up about what Rashie said to you before we left?”
He dipped his toe into the water and found it pleasantly warm. If this was where it was hotter, he wasn’t sure what kind of temperatures they were getting on the other side. Slowly, he worked his way down the stone steps that had been carved under the surface.
The heat felt great on his muscles, and he moved off to the side to find that there were benches underwater here, too. Sitting down on one, he realized it was sized for a dwarf and moved to find one that fit. Once he did, he let out a relaxed sigh and closed his eyes.
“Yeah, that’s some good stuff,” Trevor murmured.
He heard Wayne enter after he settled. “Yeah, I think I am ready to talk about it,” the cowboy said, though he didn’t sound sure of himself.
“Only if you want to, man,” Trevor replied. “You know how I am. If you’re ready to open up, then open up. If not, then don’t. If it’s bothering you, though, you probably should talk about it before we get back.”
“Yeah,” Wayne repeated as he sat down. “Probably should.”
The courier watched as his friend closed his eyes and relaxed. He waited patiently for Wayne to start talking, but the silence stretched out. Seconds became minutes, and Trevor focused on his body instead.
The hot spring was doing wonders for the stress and tension he had built up during the dungeon dive. He thought this might be the most relaxed he’d been in years, aside from when he was with Adabelle.
Except that the silence was getting to him.
“You gonna start talking?” Trevor asked once he felt an adequate amount of time had passed.
“I’m trying,” Wayne replied sullenly. Then, he sighed and shook his head. “It reminds me of some stuff from Earth and I wasn’t expecting it, is all. I’m still processing.”
“Like, something traumatic?”
The cowboy’s first reaction was to open his mouth to deny it, but he stopped with a grunt. He looked up at the ceiling and crossed his arms. “You know, I think so,” he admitted quietly, though he clearly didn’t want to. “I thought I was over all my hang ups from my past life, but I haven’t always been the paragon you’ve known me to be.”
“I remember you mentioning how you and your son didn’t get along much,” Trevor said. That had been on the day they had first met, though the dwarf had gone on to say that they had bonded over Pathfinder, a tabletop game. “You seemed reluctant to give any details except for the good ones.”
“Yeah,” Wayne repeated again, trailing off.
Trevor understood. “Alright, to be continued,” he stated.
“Just like that?” the cowboy asked, looking over at him.
“I mean, clearly this is something big for you,” he replied honestly. “But if you’re going to have this much trouble getting it out, then I’d rather not force it. You’ll tell me when you’re ready, or you’ll deal with it yourself. You’re a strong dude, Wayne. If it’s something from the past, you’ll find a way to move on from it.”
The dwarf nodded. “Before we get home,” he promised. “I’ll work on it on the ride back.”
“Sure. Just don’t be afraid of your feelings, old man,” Trevor teased, feeling like he needed to prod the dwarf to get him back to a better state of mind. “I stopped ignoring mine and look at me. Turned into a fully functioning person and everything.”
That drew a snort of amusement from Wayne, exactly as he hoped. “Don’t be afraid of feelings, huh? Guess so. Think that’s a good topic, though. How’s things going with Addy? Ready to sprint back into her arms yet?”
The dwarf was obviously teasing, but Trevor took a deep breath and released a thought that had been on his mind for months. “I’m going to marry that woman someday,” he answered, a dreamy smile on his face.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Wayne said, holding a hand out of the water. “You can’t just go from zero to sixty like that, you gotta ease into it.”
“Nah,” Trevor disagreed, his smile growing into a grin. “I’m man enough to put these feelings out there into the universe.”
“You’ve been dating her for, what? Six months? Thereabouts?” he asked.
“Thereabouts, yeah,” Trevor confirmed. “But sometimes you just know. And I know. She’s the one.”
“Man, really checking off those isekai tropes the younger Summoned are always talking about,” Wayne chuckled. “She was, what? One of the first people you met and now you’re declaring you’re going to marry her?”
“Considering the actual first woman I met was Froil, who’s married and has a kid, I don’t think this is a bad call.”
“Yeah, you don’t strike me as the homewrecking type.”
“Plus, it’s not me. I have to make up for lost time for her sake,” Trevor stated, his tone making it obvious that he was setting up for a joke.
Wayne barked a laugh. “In what way?”
“I might have tripped head first into a love interest, eventually, but she had to wait five whole years before I showed up,” he answered, puffing out his chest with mock bravado. “I’m just making up for lost time, you know? Not my fault I got summoned so late.”
“Wow,” the cowboy said, laughing again. “You know I have to tell her that, right? This whole machismo and bravado thing? She’s going to get a big kick out of it.”
“Whatever, man,” Trevor returned, his cheeks tinged red for reasons completely unrelated to the hot springs. “But, I’m serious. We did the whole slow build up thing. Well, slow enough. We realized our feelings at about the same time. We started off as friends. It might have been a fast courtship after that first day in Eskretet, but we just click, you know? What I have here is something I dreamed of back on Earth. You know?”
“I get you,” Wayne said with a nostalgic smile on his face. “When you’re with that one special person, nothing else matters.”
“Exactly. Do we have our ups and downs? Sure,” he continued with a shrug. “She’s a workaholic and I want to see the world. Wanderlust is calling me, which is why coming to this remote little hamlet in the mountains has been so great.”
“Heard, loud and clear. Things can be difficult since she’s settled down and you want to go off exploring and making deliveries.”
“Yeah, that’s one of the things. But, she was so easy to fall for, Wayne. I mean it, I love Adabelle,” Trevor said, starting to get worked up. “I mean, I am in love with her. Have been for a while, but I can’t say it.”
“Scared?”
“Hardly, I’d shout it from the rooftops if I could,” he chuckled. “No, it’s a cultural thing.”
The dwarf arched an eyebrow. “Okay, that’s a new one to me.”
“Apparently, back in Halvsar, you’re not supposed to say you love someone outside of your family and close, close friends until at least the proposal. And, even then, sometimes it doesn’t happen at all,” Trevor explained, bringing his hand up to tap the water’s surface with two fingers as if to distract himself.
“Huh, weird,” Wayne said, scratching his beard.
“The Halvsarans, or at least their nobles, are not a very expressive people,” the courier continued. “Like they’re afraid their feelings are embarrassing or something. The whole spending the night at each other’s place? Which I’ll say nothing about so you don’t have to cover your ears; I’m a perfect gentleman. That’s taboo until marriage back in her homeland. I can only assume she decided to go against the grain thanks to the influence of her friends, but you know when I learned I’m not allowed to tell her I love her?”
“Sure, hit me with all the gossip,” he chortled, clearly amused since it didn’t seem like his friend was really upset.
Trevor nodded, leaning forward. “I learned about it moments before I tried to tell her how I felt. Not, like, a proposal or anything, just wanted to tell her I loved her. This was a month ago, after I came back from one of my trips to Eskretet. We broke off from you and Rashie that night. I brought us dinner back from when I went to Mateo’s with Klar, and set it up under the stars on one of the nicest nights of the year.”
“Yeah, I remember that,” the dwarf remarked. “You were pretty giddy, and she’s always going to be excited about food from Mateo’s.”
“Like you weren’t.”
“Oh, I always am, for sure.”
Trevor smirked. “Yeah. But we got to talking. About the future and stuff. Not marriage or anything so concrete, but where we were in the relationship. Both happy, both excited. I was going to say it, but she dropped that culture bomb before I could. Like she saw it coming.”
“Dang. That must have sucked,” Wayne commented empathetically.
“It did. I asked how concrete that taboo was, especially considering we’d already started spending nights together.”
“Still don’t want to hear about that,” he said sternly.
“We’re chaste, old timer,” Trevor scoffed.
“Bull. You’re both young. I remember being your age.”
“What, back when bicycles still had those huge front wheels?”
“Hey, now,” Wayne laughed, shaking his head. “Kids these days have no patience to wait for these things.”
“You’re thinking about Earth kids, cowboy, not about where she’s from,” Trevor argued. “You’re also not considering that I’m a part of this equation. I’ve got the patience for her. She’s worth waiting for, and I was telling the truth when I said I wanted to take care of her. If we can’t even say we love each other, then what makes you think there’s anything else going on?”
“Nothing’s making me think anything about it at all,” Wayne claimed, raising his hands as if to block out the thoughts. “It’s so far out of my head that Clay would have to burrow into the wall to find it.”
The earth elemental raised their head at the sound of their name, but set it down immediately after, too tired to truly respond.
“She’s like a daughter to you, yeah, I remember,” Trevor chuckled. “Anyway, the taboo. She says she absolutely will not accept it. That she wants to keep at least one thing from her past life alive, and that’s what she’s picked.”
“You know, if you wait to say it then it’ll probably be a much more touching moment,” Wayne offered. “As far as taboos go, it’s strange but it could be worse.”
“I’m really just complaining to complain,” he stated with a shake of his head. “You’re right that it’s strange, but it’s something I can deal with. I respect it, but, I’m also itching to say it. So, we circle back around to how we started this topic. I am going to marry that woman someday. Just need a ring, which I’m saving up for. A location, which I need to find. I could do it in Tosa or Eskretet, but I want it to be more than that. Finally, I need to figure out a way to get her some time off.”
