Chapter 154: The Last Old Friend
The river of time flowed on, ceaseless and indifferent.
Rhodes and Serie, in a cycle of aging and rebirth, had lived a life far longer than they had ever imagined. The stories of heroes had faded into the background of a bard's song. The world was changing, new magical theories were constantly being born and discarded, but it was all of no concern to the two who lived in seclusion in their forest.
But there was still one last thing they had to do.
In the once-glorious Kingdom of the Dwarves, the atmosphere was now heavy with grief.
Somme, the once-king, the hero who had saved the world, their last companion, had reached the end of his own journey. His once-strong body could now barely move a finger, and his eyes were cloudy and dim. Only when he looked at them did a final, faint spark of light appear.
He had sent everyone away, even his own family. He had spent enough time with them, he had said. This last bit of time... he wanted to spend it with his old friends.
Rhodes sat beside him, a holy light from his spell now enveloping him, easing his final moments. His time was up; there was nothing more he could do.
Serie sat by the window, a little distance away, looking out. But her presence here was her own final farewell.
"Rhodes," he said, his voice a faint whisper, like a flickering candle, "it seems... it's time to say goodbye."
"Yes," his own voice was gentle. "You've had a wonderful life. I don't think you have any regrets." He did not offer him a longer life. He knew his old friend, and he knew he would have made the same choice as Norne.
"No regrets. And it's time for me to see those two again," he said, his gaze lingering on Rhodes's still-youthful face. "Rhodes, have you... been happy?"
He had come to visit him many times over the centuries, and he knew his secret. He had never been envious, only a little... sad, for his old friend. To be alone for so long... but then again, he was not alone. He had her. If it had been him... he couldn't imagine a future without anyone by his side. That was the main reason he had never asked to have his own life extended. He had had a good life. It was enough.
At his question, Serie, by the window, moved slightly, but did not turn around. She, too, was curious. Had he been happy, all this time? Had she been a burden? To be a companion... it had to go both ways. She needed him to walk with her, and he... he needed her too, didn't he? She wasn't so sure. And for some reason, she was hoping to hear her own name in his answer.
"Very happy," he said with a smile. "Any day with a companion is a happy one."
She turned, a relieved thought in her mind. So he does need me.
"Is that so?" he said. "Then I hope... you will continue to be happy. The road ahead... it's just the two of you now." His breath was growing shallow, his eyes were losing their focus, as if he could see the shades of his old friends. He raised a hand. "I see them... have you come to take me...?"
His voice faded, and his hand fell limply to his chest.
Rhodes silently placed his friend's hand back on his chest and gently closed his eyes.
He had said goodbye to another friend.
Serie finally stood from the window and came to his side. A gentle, blessing magic flowed from her fingertips, her own farewell to the slumbering dwarf.
"Goodbye, Somme," she said softly. "I will remember you."
His funeral was as grand as Norne's. They were both kings, and they both deserved a proper send-off.
Rhodes did not attend. He just watched from a distance and then left. But he took with him his friend's old armor, and Norne's longsword, and Eirik's magic staff, and he built three tombstones, to remember them by. They had not left any statues, only a legend, a legend that would one day be forgotten. Even he could not change that.
And with their last companion gone, time seemed to stretch, to become even longer, more viscous. He still reincarnated, and in the time between, she would study her magic, and would sometimes wander the forest.
And then, one day, a day like any other...
A young elven girl, her green eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and a slight trepidation, her pointed ears trembling slightly, appeared before them.
Serie was a little confused. She had placed many warning spells around their home. How had this girl managed to get past them all? Did she have some special kind of magic? But she looked too young, not even an apprentice. Perhaps it was a natural ability.
Even Rhodes was intrigued and poked his head out of the window to look.
The girl also saw Serie, and she was captivated. The old and powerful elf of the forest... for hundreds of years, she had cleared all the beasts from this land, and her presence was known to the elven village on its edge. They had tried to make contact with her before, but had always been turned away. This was the first time in a hundred years that anyone had gotten so close.
Under Serie's calm gaze, the girl froze, unsure of what to do with her hands.
He was curious to see what Serie would do.
(End of chapter)
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