Dawn cracks through the early morning sky with rays of sunlight piercing through the dark shadows, though the usual hustle and bustle of Allestris is already up and running well before the battle for daybreak even begun. Horse-drawn carriages and wagons clatter their way through the thick crowd above the rocky cobblestone path, and business as usual piped up at every corner.
Mornings with birds chirping and warm sunlight tickling my skin are great—I won't deny that—but when I'm forced to think about the problems ahead of this day, I can't but help feel a bit of regret for wasting those extra hours of sweet, invaluable sleep last night. Well, who can blame me? A first-time get-together with friends and family naturally has to be a heap of fun, right? Time flies when you're not keeping track of it, I suppose.
Ah, who am I kidding? I need to prepare myself for the day. I woke up (forcibly) so early because it's an important day. Today shall be the anticipated journey to west Eygron-Halaris, where the Arria region lies, and where Mason, Alessia and I will meet our quest.
"Ernie, wake up! Wake up!! It's an important day for you today! HEY!!"
"Agh, I get it, Rona, I get it. If you continue shouting, I'll just sleep longer."
"I'll shout 'till your ears bleed! Get up already!"
With a smack, Rona used a pillow and slapped my face. The minute amount of dust caught my throat and caused me to cough relentlessly, bolting upright as I choked on air.
"Ack— Rona, what wa— Eccckkk— What was that for?!"
"You deserved the smack, Ernie," she said crossly, throwing the pillow back onto my bed. "Now you're finally awake, at least."
"Some more grace would be appreciated if you're thinking of waking me up ever again." I got off and made my bed. It's a gesture I usually do by habit, even if I'm not obligated to anymore with Arianna around to keep the house in check. Either way, old habits don't die easily.
"Noted. Do you prefer a refreshing rush of cold water down your face the next time around?"
"...Not like that," I said. With a sigh, I urged Rona to exit my room. "But even so, I won't be around for at least a week. I won't be waking up to a wet bed anytime soon."
Rona pouted. "That's why I'm doing this, Ernie. Please realize this will be the last time I'll be seeing you for at least a week. I really hope your trip goes well. Anything could go wrong, you know? I just... I just don't want you to..."
"I know," I said softly. "I'll be careful."
"Promise me that," said Rona, holding up her pinkie.
I took it by my pinkie as well with a bit of amusement, but I can't shake the feeling of nervousness away inside me. What Rona said is a universal truth; anything could go wrong on a quest. And when you're hundreds of miles away from home, the danger only amplifies itself tenfold.
"I swear an oath by my pinkie."
"...Shut up," Rona yanked her pinkie back. "Our breakfast is downstairs. Clean yourself up before eating, at least."
"Got it."
I cleaned myself up in the bathroom with a short shower and a good brush for my teeth. Heading downstairs, I could hear the clinking of utensils on plates, originating from the kitchen. I was greeted by three familiar faces at the dining table: James Heartwood, drinking his usual coffee and reading a newspaper; Arianna Heartwood, elegantly eating her breakfast; and of course, Rona, sitting right beside her mother.
"Ah, Ernie, you're finally awake," Arianna greeted me first. The other two heads turned to see me as the clinking subsided for a moment.
"Yes, awake by a monstrous smack in the head, if that's how you want," I groaned.
Rona giggled.
"My, what do you mean by that?" James asked.
"Oh, it's nothing." I took my seat right beside James and ate the plate of untouched fried eggs on toast, with slices of ham as another option. Slices of pears lined along the top rim of the plate, and last of all is a glass of orange juice.
"Ah," said James, noticing me eyeing the drink, "it seems I've taken a bit of a liking to that beverage. I have to thank your friend Mason for that."
"Daddy never liked fruit juice before," Rona giggled.
"Now, Rona, you mustn't tease your father like that," Arianna advised, though she was snickering as well.
James didn't take Rona's poke to heart. "I have to admit, it is a great thing to refresh yourself with. I don't know why I disliked it so much."
"Oh, maybe it's because you got tricked into drinking ashirin solution disguised as cranberry juice? I must say, Lagardo is quite a sly man," Arianna said while stifling her laughter.
"Ah, that. How very sly of him, indeed. I wonder, did you ever get pranked by him, Ernie?"
"Yes, and no," I replied with food in my mouth. "He tried to prank me, twice, but I saw through it both times."
"You're more observant than I thought," James praised me. "Ah, but will that be enough for your quest, I hope?"
I almost choked when James mentioned that. "A-Ah, yeah, my quest. I should be okay, I think."
"Are you sure, Ernie?" Arianna joined in as well. "Adventures are dangerous, you know."
"I'll be fine. I've got Mason and Alessia with me. They've been on harder quests before, and more than once, at that."
"That's not very reassuring," said James. "Usually, a party of three is barely enough for a quest suiting your adventuring experience. Five to six party members is the norm, if you're not counting any experienced members inside."
"It's fine, like I said." I avoided discussing about my quest further by stuffing more food into my mouth. Soon, it's time for departure to the training camp.
"You've got everything, right?" James asked as he poked around me.
"Yes. You've checked at least five times already," I said. My knapsack is unusually heavier, with more clothes and extra necessities jammed inside than ever.
"Have a safe trip, Ernie," said Arianna from behind. "I want to see you back in one piece after a week, please. Don't do anything more than necessary."
"I know, I know. I'll stay on track."
"I hope everything will be okay," Rona said tensely. "Be safe, Ernie."
"I'll promise you that," I said while holding up my pinkie to her.
She hesitated to take it, but still wrapped her own small pinkie around mine. "I really hope you do."
"Well, I'll be going now. Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Heartwood. Goodbye, Rona. I promise I'll be back in a week or so!"
I waved at them while walking away. All three of them waved back, with an additional farewell shout from Rona.
"See you later, Ernie!!"
I smiled warmly as I made my way to the camp. Even so, my stomach still did impossible summersaults thinking of the quest. What would happen? What will go wrong? The possibilities are uncertain.
***
In the green, mysteriously well-cut field of the training camp, Mason, Alessia, Director Elshire and I gathered for a discussion.
"Now, I've already arranged rations for your adventure, as well as transportation and anything related to the quest. Information books about creatures residing in this state, pamphlets and maps of Arria, extra weapons in case you lose your own ones, handy tools in case you're stuck in some sort of unprecedented predicament—literally everything I can get my hands on, basically," Director Elshire rambled on.
"Wow, that's some quick work," said Mason.
"Don't underestimate the power of a man with connections. Now, have you three prepare yourselves as much as I did on behalf of you?"
"I hope so," I said.
"Don't hope so, Mr. Neswitt. I want you to be sure that you can tackle this test. And don't forget that this is a test."
"Roger," Mason saluted.
"Right. For your departure, it'll be by 2 o'clock sharp. Gather outside the gate when you're ready. I've already arranged a carriage to carry you three to Arria. You'll arrive at a village called Sotmesmere by 6 in the morning the next day. Until then, I hope for a smooth journey there."
"Oh, but where are we staying?" Alessia asked.
"Yes, that," Director Elshire said as he remembered. "I have an old friend that runs an inn there. He was kind enough to offer a room for free. The inn won't be hard to miss—especially not when there's a big sign saying 'TOMORES INN' by the entrance. You'll know when you see it."
"So... everything's already taken care of?" I asked.
"Yes, everything is, I suppose, except for you three. Go prepare yourselves as much as possible before it's 2 o'clock. Make sure you're perfectly ready. No half-hearted journey ever ends up well."
"Got it. What should we do?"
"That's for you to decide. I can't just help you in everything, can I? Some independence is appreciated here," the director said while turning on his heels, shortly walking off and disappearing into the main building.
"Well, that's a party killer if I've ever seen one," said Mason.
"More like the host that kills his own party," said Alessia. "Well, what should we do, Ernie? You suppose we go do some more training?"
"No," I replied decisively. "training only gets us so far. We need some experience—real, first-hand experience."
"And where do you think we're supposed to get that? There aren't exactly any sack-elves here."
"Not sack-elves. But something related to them. Remember what you said? About how they overwhelm their enemies with numbers?"
"Yeah? What about that?"
"Well, how about us three go against a bunch of other campers here? They'll be handicapped without magic, but they can use their weapons. How about it?"
"That... is actually not bad," said Mason.
"Are you sure? This might prove a bit chaotic. I don't want other people to get hurt for the sake of ourselves," asked Alessia.
"Then, how about this: we'll play a game of tag—us three as victims against however much campers as taggers. If they touch us, they win. They can't use weapons or magic, but we can use our own magic. No fighting will be involved. How's that, then?"
"How are we supposed to win?" Alessia asked again.
"Well, we're not supposed to. Just outrun them as long as we can manage," I shrugged.
"Seems fun to me," said Mason. "I'll join."
Alessia sighed. "If this is your way of preparing for a quest, then I can't deny it's creatively useless. But I'll join, I guess."
"Heh, you'll see."
—Our game of ten against three tag ended in five wins for the opposition and none for us.
***
Just ten minutes before the allotted time, Mason, Alessia and I gathered by the entrance gates of the training camp, with several curious students scattered around from a distance away. The director, sharp and loony as ever, is conversing with a respectable old fellow in his mid-fifties, I presume.
His belly was big and round, though he didn't look the part of a fat noble or constable. His clothes played the part of a coachman well, with a scrawny brown vest worn over a white tunic, both stretched to a certain point by his gut. His black breeches weren't anything special—save for the fact that the lowest fifth of those pants is obviously stained with mud. His hands were gloved as well, possibly new ones by the impossibly bright glow of the white.
Approaching the two men, I called for the one sporting a silver ponytail and sunglasses. "Um, Director Elshire, who might this gentleman be?"
"Ah, Mr. Neswitt, meet your new coachman for the duration of your travel to Arria and back: Kavaski Endomallus. As I said, he will be riding you to where your quest lies, unless some unforeseen disaster takes place during the middle of it, which I assure you this man will be more than happy to escort you out of," the director chortled in spite of his own terrible joke, if it could even be called one.
"Lagardo, don't come putting the cart before the horse here, or shall I say, carriage before the horse?" Kavaski boomed with laughter. The director laughed together, though more at the ludicrous way of the former choking on his own saliva a mere few seconds after laughing too hard.
"Kavaski, how amusing of you," the director said over the fervent choking; by now Kavaski's eyes were tearing up, "But come now—we have business to discuss and places to go. Shall I introduce you to your esteemed passengers, or should I let them do it themselves once I finish filing a report for a choking hazard over your terrible sense of humor?"
"I— cough— I'm deligh— cough, cough— delighted to have it any way, cough," the coachman blurted between agonizing coughs.
"Well then," the director mused himself, "meet your three customers: Mr. Ernie Neswitt, the cause of all your troubles; Ms. Alessia Hayes; and Mr. Mason Bruggs, big-time monster enthusiast and virtuoso of bad naming schemes."
"Hey!" Mason growled in annoyance over the director's taunts. "Was that necessary?"
"Ah, perhaps it might be," the director said coolly.
Alessia laughed. "I like the epithet. It has a nice ring to it," she said.
Mason didn't retort—or couldn't—and decided to keep his mouth shut. He sulked silently beside me.
"What a nice band of young lads," said Kavaski, brushing his eyes over the three of us. "Never too young to go on big adventures now, eh?"
"Contrary to the respectable Director Elshire's words," I replied while glaring sideways at the director, "he is the one that is the cause of my troubles, and possibly yours as well. I'm sorry to break it to you, but I'm not on this adventure of my own volition."
"Ah, I see what you mean," Kavaski nodded enthusiastically, "but I'm not troubled by it one bit, Mr. Neswitt. I get paid for this affair set up by the very respectable Lagardo Elshire here, in fact more so than my usual jobs, so I can't say this is trouble at all. I'm all for it, to be frank."
"...I'll take your word for it, then, Mr...?" I pondered over what I should call him.
"Sir Endomallus is enough, my respectable lad."
"Sir Endomallus it is, then," I took his hand and shook it.
"What a nice show of solidarity, I must say," the director cut in, "but time is precious. Two o'clock will be here any moment soon, and if you don't set off by now then you may take longer than a week to finish the deed."
"Of course, Lagardo. Just forming a bit of an acquaintance-ship with my passengers," Kavaski said as he corrected his vest.
"You'll have plenty of time to do so while on your journey, I'm sure. Now then, get scooting, you lot. I want to see you out of my face and on the road sooner rather than later."
Mason, Alessia and I did as the director said, scuttling with our backpacks and knapsacks on our backs and into the slightly cramped carriage. The cocoa-color haired coachman sat himself in front of the carriage, where his two horses stood bored as they huffed powerfully.
"Ready, you lads?" Kavaski boomed from the front of the carriage, separated by only a thigh-high level frame between the driver's and the rider's seats. Our carriage had the luxury of a roof, but for windows, it is but a mere open space to hard flagstone, if anyone ever does fall out of the pane-less "windows."
The carriage was mostly made out of wood, but had metal lining around some more fragile parts. Just like the exterior, the seats, walls (if it had any), and ceiling of the vehicle is a grayish-peach. The only non-cream colored texture would be either the black tires or the red-carpeted floor.
"Ready as ever," Mason shouted.
"Off we go, then!" As if listening to the instructions of the coachman, the carriage started to rattle and move, and the sound of horses neighing and their hooves trotting the ground could be heard. The three of us poked our heads out of the window facing the training camp, waving our goodbyes at the director and fellow campers who came to watch our departure.
"See you in a week!" Alessia yelled.
"Hope we don't return in the shape of shredded cheese!" Mason boomed not even a heartbeat after Alessia finished her sentence.
"I sincerely hope you don't," the director's voice came back to us, though it didn't sound like he's shouting at all, "since a good explanation will be needed as to why sack-elves have their hands on cheese-shredders the size of a human."
"Just an implication," Mason smiled.
And with that, we're off. Popping our heads back in, I turned to look at the other "window," observing as the pedestrians wove their way out of the carriage's path and the fleeting buildings of the town, slowly and slowly accelerating in velocity.
"The departure is the second-best thing about a long journey," said Mason all of a sudden.
"What's the first?" Alessia asked, bemused.
"The return," he replied.
"Oh, but don't you feel bittersweet about all this? Like we might be leaving everyone behind for good?" I said out of my mind.
"Mmm, still second," Mason put a finger on his mouth.
"Then what's the first?" I asked this time, also bemused.
"Mortal peril!" Mason grinned like an idiot.
"This guy is an idiot," Alessia crossed her hands and smiled.
"An idiot is always better than a party-pooper, eh?" said Mason.
I chuckled in delight. "Both are as bad as each other," I said in neutral position.
"Not as bad as a slaving coachman," said Kovaski from the front. We shut our mouths for a good few minutes.
***
A quarter of an hour more of clattering and rocking, with buildings hurling past leaving mere afterimages of their true forms, the scenery begins to look more like a countryside than the outskirts of a bustling town now. The buildings were sparser and less grandiose; the flagstone paths rocked the carriage more; and the meandering sounds of many different things going on all at once were now drowned out in a single harmonious melody of wheels rolling and hooves galloping across cobblestone roads.
The sun blazed ever so brightly above the azure sky. In the carriage, however, we couldn't have minded the beautiful skies more than the abrupt prompts that Mason would blurt whenever something popped into his mind.
"This is utterly important—llamas or alpacas?" he said.
"Aren't they the same thing?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Nay, they have differences. Alpacas are larger and have finer fur. I like soft things," said Alessia.
"Oh, but don't they spit on you?"
"Same goes for the llama. Besides, it's nothing important. So long as they're fluffy."
"I like that mindset," said Mason. "What about you, Ernie?"
I shrugged. "Llamas, I suppose."
"Got a reason?"
"Might be because they're cuter, but I can't say so for myself. Maybe it's because of the double L's in their name. What's up with that, anyway?"
"I've not wondered about that either," said Alessia. "You don't pronounce it as 'Luh-lama,' do you?"
I nodded. "Weird. It's not just llamas either. What about pterodactyl?"
"Ooh, that's a weird one. The 'P' is useless in every sense. I can't see why they won't just throw it away. Say," Alessia added her own one, "what about 'tsunami'? The 'T' is kind of silent, isn't it?"
"That's not inherently true," I said. "I hear people pronounce it as 'tchsunami' before, with a small emphasis on the 'T' which is normally silent. But that can be justified—tsunami stems from the Japanese word of the same meaning."
"A useless fact that I already know of, coincidentally."
"And a fact I have absolutely no idea of," said Mason suddenly. "What are you guys talking about? What do you mean llamas have double L's in their spelling? What's a 'pterodactyl'? And how are big waves related to this... Japanese thing?"
"Right!" Alessia exclaimed as if she had a sudden revelation. "I forgot you don't speak English. This might've just sounded weird to you."
Mason sighed. "It's alright. You two are from Earth, so it's natural to reminisce a bit. I only know so much being from Elhera."
"Mason, we apologize," I pleaded. "I didn't realize sooner. I completely forgot about my translation rune." I took out a small rock and showed it to Mason. He gestured to put it back in response.
"I know what they are. Alessia showed me before. Better put it back safe and sound, though."
"Right. Safe and sound. In my pocket." I hastily shoved the stone inside a pocket, which could be conveniently sealed with its paired hatch that had a button to secure it.
"Y'all alright?" Kavaski suddenly said from up front. "We're just about out of town now. This is only the tip of the iceberg for the journey. Hang tight."
"It's going to be a long one," said Alessia. "I've been on journeys that take longer, but I have my own limits no matter how much I travel."
"Then let's wait an hour or two before taking out the chess board," I said. "Mason can learn it on the way."
"I've been eager to learn chess ever since you mentioned it, Ernie. It's a board game, huh?" Mason approached closer to me from the opposite seat.
"A board game, yes, but more strategic than luck. No dice throwing, just pure thinking. If you're up for the challenge."
"I'm up for anything." Mason pounded on his chest with his fist.
"Still, I'm surprised chess isn't well-known here," Alessia added. "You'd think the thousands of other-worlders have at least spread this game."
"Perhaps they've got other things to do," I said.
"Other things like quests," said Kavaski again. "There's more to it in this world than simple board games. Bigger and more dangerous things."
"Say, Sir Endomallus, are you an other-worlder as well?" Mason asked.
"I wouldn't be hauling your butts to Arria if I were one," he replied, not looking back at us. "But my grandma was. Tragic story, she really had. Passed from torture once the guards caught her. She was a grand ol' thief, my pa' would say. A real shadows amidst the night sort of thing."
"Oh. I'm sorry for that. Didn't mean to dig up those memories, promise."
"It's alright. You gotta get sentimental once in a while, especially on a long journey like this." The coachman laughed and whipped his horses, accelerating the carriage even more over the clunky road.
"This might be too early, though."
***
And too early it was indeed—as the twenty-minute journey slowly and agonizingly stretched on to forty, then an hour, then an hour and a half. The progress was surprisingly slow, yet I can't believe we had fourteen and a half more to go when the carriage is wobbling along this fast. Almost no obstructions were in sight now: merely a grassy mountainous lane carved into the foot on the left side, while the right was a small field that led to a forest.
It's starting to reach the half point of afternoon by now, and the heat of the sun is certainly suggesting that. Amidst the sweltering summer heat, though, did a chess club suddenly open in a moving carriage drawn by horses. Mason struggled to beat me in chess.
"No..." he muttered, his chin rested comfortably between his thumb and forefinger, "if I move my bishop here, your knight will be able to eat my knight for free..."
"You know," Alessia said, "one of the best strategies in chess involves not spilling your thoughts to your opponent."
"Agh, I know, Alessia, I know, but this is frustrating. Ernie's got be pinned down literally everywhere."
"Not if you open your third eye," I mused with a smirk.
"Wish I could See," Mason rubbed his forehead. "I'd be winning three to zero by now."
"But it's zero to three," I said. "And it's about to turn zero to four. But i have to give it to you—these piling losses aren't making you demotivated at all. You're improving, definitely."
Mason sighed. "Losing is a common thing for me. I've rescinded to bending my will to other people when I can't be on top." He said as he moved a pawn forward, then letting my queen devour his rook with an open path. "Hey! I didn't see that!"
"You're supposed to see it, though," Alessia giggled. "It's how the game goes."
"I surrender. Let's restart, again. Fifth time's the charm," Mason cleared the board and started to put back the pieces as fast as possible.
"You've been saying that since the third round started," I said as I gently placed my pieces back in place. "Black or white this time?"
"White," said Mason with a slight desperation. "White for the starting advantage."
***
En passants and checkmates with not a single draw later, hours later, the sun began to set. The sky turned a dark purple hue, and the stars start to show themselves over the twilight space. Yet, the journey hadn't even reached the halfway point.
Groaning, Mason slammed his book shut and threw it onto the unoccupied space beside his seat. At maximum capacity, the carriage could hold six people comfortably, but since we're only half that number, we decided to share the extra space in rotations every hour. It was Mason's turn again.
"What's up?" I asked, with a tired and bored voice.
"The ceiling," Mason joked without a single hint of amusement.
"How funny," said Alessia, also consumed by boredom. "I would've thought it was the sky above our heads."
"Ugh," Mason groaned more as he sat upright. "The journey's what's up. This is taking forever."
"Calm your ass, boy," said Kavaski. "It's what it is. You should get used to it. Boredom's a pretty nice friend to have, eh? Especially when you've got two neighing horses as the closest buddies."
"Thanks for your devotion to taking us to Arria, Sir Endomallus," I expressed my gratitude as an indirect apology to Kavaski.
"Ah, it's nothing. I'm just getting a bit grouchy from this long trip. Say, it is getting dark. What do you say if we pitch a stop here for a bit. Have dinner as well, maybe. Surely your stomachs are complaining right about now."
"We've had our snacks," said Mason, as his stomach rumbled loudly. "But apparently that's not enough." He grinned and rubbed his belly.
"Then that's settled. Get stretching and help me unload the supplies."
We obeyed the coachman's instructions, unpacking some ingredients and pots and utensils, putting them all on a convenient board by the side of the carriage that acted as a temporary table. Mason ignited a fire with his Fire magic and the capable ones (Kavaski and Alessia) started to prepare dinner.
The cackling fire pit lit the otherwise dark surroundings. The mountain foot had levelled off now, becoming a flatter hill. The other side looked cleaner with less forage and more open plains too. Scarcely, trees were scattered here and there, swaying in the soft night wind. I had chills despite being near a fire.
"Spooky," said Mason.
"It's not that time of the year yet," I said.
"Oh, you mean the thing they call 'Halloween'? I've seen some houses decorated with pumpkins and bats and cobwebs and stuff. Is that a Earth thing?"
"Just a fun holiday. It's always held in autumn, last day of October."
"I heard you get candy for knocking on people's doors."
"If they are so willing to give. Some people just want to spend the holiday in peace and turn their lights off to shoo kids away."
"Interesting."
As interesting as Halloween is, Mason's stomach seems to be more intrigued about food more than anything else at the moment. After a few more minutes of waiting, hot dinner was served and immediately disappeared a few minutes later as Mason gnawed most of it down like a monster.
"You and your food," Alessia taunted. We'd all finished eating by now.
"What's wrong with food?" Mason grinned drily.
Alessia sighed with a headache, I presumed. "It's nothing. Come on, let's clean up now. We have a long journey ahead still."
***
The journey from there on was long. Sixteen hours of travelling certainly isn't a joke. We've passed small villages and settlements, passed wagons with their sneering drivers, and even passed a bit of disruption thanks to the daloes (deer-like creatures with long bunny-like ears) causing a ruckus in the middle of the road. Kavaski had to shoo them away.
As the agonizing journey passed, Mason, Alessia and I fought to do something in order to clear our minds from the time. The night got deeper and deeper, and our yearning for sleep caught on. Soon, the three of us snoozed off like babies.
I didn't know when it happened, but Kavaski also took a small break and went off to sleep. The carriage halted for a good hour before moving along again. Kavaski's tiredness must be hard to bear.
Sleeping was perhaps the best time-killer, as when I was shaken awake a few hours later, the sun was already peeking out of the horizon. The previously deep dark sky had now turned into an early sunrise. Mason was the one to shake me awake, and it seems Alessia is rustling with half-consciousness beside me as well.
"What is it?" I muttered.
"Look, Ernie! A village just up ahead!" Mason cried excitedly.
"We've seen a dozen of those during our journey."
"No, not just any village. It's the village! Where our destination is!"
"What?" I bolted upright and poked my head (topped with messy bedhair) out the window, only to be greeted with the silhouette of a village not too far away from the horizon slightly to the left of the sunrise. A wave of relief flooded over me. "We're here..." I muttered, "We're finally here!"
As Alessia also startled awake and poked her head out of the other window, her exclamation was something similar to mine. "This treacherous trip is finally over!"
"Settle down, you lot," growled Kavaski from the driver's seat. "We've still got a third of an hour's journey left. After that, I'm going to sleep. Immediately."
"Noted," I said.
Our agonizingly long trip has finally come to an end, and a new worry is invading my mind. The quest will begin from here on out, and whatever happens next—only time will tell.