Old Friends for New

The stars shine brightly like distant lighthouses along the coast of the sky high above. A girl and boy stand on the patio of a stone abode looking out at the landscape lit by the stars and torches of the settlement.

“Just leave then Roden!” The girl huffs crossing her arms in anger.

“It’s not that I want to Alexia.” Roden turns his head to look at his friend.

A moment of silence falls between the two children broken only by the distant sounds of nature.

“I promise that when I’m done I’ll come back.” Roden says with a voice twinged with sadness whilst putting a hand on the taller girl’s shoulder.

Another silence bears down on the duo. Alexia looks at Roden as she sniffles her nose.

“You better or you’ll never see me again.” The girl replies before wiping away a tear from Roden’s face. “Got it?”

-- -- --

“Ten years since we last saw each other.” Roden thinks to himself looking out over the familiar shores of his old home from the ship. “Doubt we’ll even recognize each other.” The young man mutters as he stands to his feet before the passenger ship comes to a stop in the docks.

Roden nervously adjusts his tunic as he steps off the ship onto solid ground once more. The young man takes a deep breath, relieving himself of some of the weight of anticipation.

“Roden!” A woman’s voice calls out at the other end of the dock. “You’ve grown so much.” The older woman walks up to Roden and puts her hands on his cheeks. “But you’re still my precious baby.”

“Happy to see you too mother.” His mother lets go of his cheek “Where is father?”

“He’s at his club.” She groans.

“His club?”

“Never mind dear.” The woman answers with an oddly stoic expression. “It is just something he and I need to talk about.”

A silence falls between the two for aught but a moment despite feeling like an eternity.

“Let us be off!” His mother changes the subject before Roden can probe further. “I am sure you want to see everyone else!” She continues with a smile as if she did not just air a grievance in front of her son. The two begin their walk down the dock to the town proper. “Unfortunate that Tachyon had to leave town. But working for the good of Nelaros is a wonderful thing.”

“I recall you saying that in your last letter.” Her child replies. Despite being gone for a decade the town did not seem all that different beyond the buildings not being as large as the young man remembered.

“Of course!” His mother exclaims “Aetios is unfortunately also gone now.”

“What is he gone for?”

“He joined an expedition.” She says with a worried tone all to familiar to a parent. “Gods only know why he did.” She adds while putting one of her small rough hands on her youngest child’s shoulder. The mother looks at her son with a smile before she continues in a much cheerier tone. “But my baby is here so it’s much better now!”

KRA-KOW!

All the people in the area look towards the loud sound to see smoke. With no thought or words Roden dashes towards it.

Did not think I would have to be called to duty so soon.

In but a moment Roden reaches a seemingly empty warehouse.

“What hap-” Roden wonders aloud.

“I did it!” A young woman’s voice drowns out Roden’s own. Roden stops several meters away to see a rather small woman, almost as small as a child, laughing rather maniacally. The young woman turns back into the warehouse “Take that Leonius!” Her voice takes on a mocking tone “Oh it couldn’t be done. Why would anyone try to mimic natural phenomena?”

“Alexia!”

“It’s fine! It’s just smoke!” Alexia yells at an old man as if this is a daily ritual of theirs.

“Alexia?” Roden interjects, his jaw dropping at the realization. She somehow barely changed despite ten years passing.

The old man and Alexia look over at Roden.

“Yeah, that’s me.” Alexia responds putting her hands on her hips. “Want something?” The woman asks as she taps a foot on the ground.

“It is Roden.” The young man states a tad faster than he intended.

A moment of silence hangs in the air between them.

“Well you did it! Ha ha ha!”

“Hey put that damn smoke out!” The old man interjects interrupting the pair’s reunion.

“I told you it’s fine old man!” Alexia yells back before stepping back into the warehouse with a huff. Without a word, or invite, Roden follows Alexia into the building.

Whilst appearing empty from the outside the warehouse is far from it. The large space was filled with multiple work tables covered with tools and mechanisms Roden could not identify or even guess to their function.

“Got some magic you can use to clear the smoke?” Alexia inquires turning back to face her old friend. “I figure you have to or else you would not follow me in, now would you?”

“I do not remember you being so bossy.” The mage sighs as he begins to move his hands.

“It has been ten years.” Alexia shrugs “People change.”

Alexia is about to continue speaking but instead holds her tongue as Roden spreads out his arms and taps a foot onto the dirt. The mage moves his other leg across the one that continues to tap the floor. With his eyes closed and mouth silently hanging open as if he could not breath through his nose, the young man slides his body around in place as he continues his silent dance. He spins in place until he has made a full circle twice and comes to a full stop facing the rising smoke. A silence falls between the two as nothing seems to happen.

“Wha-” Alexia’s inquiry is cut off as a powerful gust of wind blows through the open doors of the warehouse rushing past the two young adults towards the smoke. Just as swiftly as it rushed in, the wind lifts the smoke out of the high windows of the building. “So you do not have to speak to cast, interesting.”

“I am not an oracle, so yes I do not need to speak to cast spells.” The mage crosses his arms in both an action to cover himself from her gaze and something akin to defensiveness.

Without another word Alexia turns to a workbench to the left of Roden. The woman grabs what appears to be a large cube with straps attached to it. With a grunt of effort she lifts up the cube and slings it onto her back.

“And what is that?” Her old friend asks with a pointed finger.

“My greatest invention.” A devious smirk crosses Alexia's face “I will tell you more but I have to deal with a bounty near by.” She walks to the door of her workshop before stopping and looking back at her old friend. “Well, Are you coming or not?”