The carriage ride back was blissfully peaceful, and Era enjoyed every moment of it. He spent the majority of the trip resting his head against the back of the padded seat, staring out the window as the scenery passed them by. I nearly died the last time I went down this road, he thought with a shock, precisely because I was going down this road. Eventually the gentle rocking of the carriage and the even tempo of the horses’ hooves lulled him into a peaceful slumber.
“Era’s out,” Crisilla noted with amusement.
“Can’t blame him,” Gabriel said. “It’s kind of a boring ride.”
“He looked like he was enjoying himself,” she replied.
“That’s good – he could use all the happy moments he can get. If our past travels have been any sort of indication, this isn’t going to be as simple as it seems it should be.”
“How strange,” Jarred mused. “He’s working incredibly hard to find something that none of us even realize we can lose.”
“I’m excited for him,” Crisilla said, “not just because it’s a big deal to him, but I want to know who he was too.”
“Probably just another state-sanctioned mage,” Gabriel said, “but… well, it’s obvious something happened to him. Records don’t just disappear. People don’t just forget. Archmagi don’t just randomly decide to stalk innocent bystanders.”
“What if he isn’t an innocent bystander, though?” Jarred posed. “I’m not saying he isn’t, far from it, but… well, like you said, he must have a reason, right?”
Gabriel sighed. “I just have to be prepared for that possibility,” he said calmly. “Even if he does turn out to be some giant asshole or something, he’s obviously not the same person anymore. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. In fact, if he did, he’d probably hold a funeral for it.” The three of them chuckled lightly.
“Anyway,” Crisilla said, “this guy we’re visiting. He lives on the east side of Samarra, right?”
“Yep,” Gabriel affirmed. “Selvus Attiricus. Former assistant headmaster, and as far as we know, Era graduated under him.”
“I’ve seen him once or twice about town,” Jarred remarked. “Not a bad fellow, if rather stuck-up.”
“Like any noble, right?” Gabriel joked. Crisilla giggled as Jarred rolled his eyes.
“So our plan is just to visit him and ask if he remembers Era?” Crisilla asked.
“Pretty much,” replied Gabriel, “though something tells me we’re not going to get a different answer than the teachers. If the people who interact with their students every day don’t remember him, why would a guy who only really saw him once?”
“True,” she said, “but then again, he was probably noteworthy by then. To the teachers he was a student, but to everyone else, he was a mage.”
“You’ve got a point there.”
The rest of the trip was spent in relative silence as the carriage made the long journey back to Samarra. They camped when it got late to allow the driver some rest, and in three days’ time, they were back in the city of merchants.
“It’s good to be home,” Gabriel said with a smile.
“Gabriel, how can you expect me to sleep tonight?” Era pleaded jokingly. “I’m so anxious I can hardly sit still!”
Gabriel chuckled as he dusted off his countertop, looking over at Era on the couch. “Want me to prepare a sleep tonic for you?” he asked. “It could knock out a bear.”
“Would you?” he asked hopefully.
“Joking, kid, joking. You don’t need it. You’ll fall asleep eventually.”
“It’s just… I’m excited is all. What if he recognizes me?”
“What if he doesn’t? You have to prepare yourself for that.”
Era nodded. “I know. But I get the feeling that we’re going to learn a lot tomorrow.”
“Who knows? We’ll hope for the best.” Gabriel presented him with a hot plate of meat and potatoes. “For now, let’s find out if I still remember how to cook.”
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