Jasko hadn't been home in quite some time, so Jak hugged him extra tight when he saw him. Once Wendelyn and Korlok got their hugs in, they told him about their last few adventures.
"I heard a lot about Kalen's Castle from your mother. It was one of her favorite places to fight. She'd be so proud of you. All of you." Jak said, looking slightly downward in an attempt to hide the tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
Once dinner was served, there wasn't much talking. Jak was thinking about Lily. Wendelyn was thinking about her epic quests. Korlok was thinking about Gaeene. Jasko was thinking about the stories his mother told him when he was little. He was pretty young, so he doesn't remember them all. And the ones he does remember, some of the details are missing. But he remembers her story of her first solo epic quest, because she met Jak in Kelthor while preparing for that quest. He remembers her story of her first dragon fight, which led to Jasko collecting dragon figurines for most of his childhood. That story still gets told by some of the older Protectors out there, because they defeated the dragon with one of the smallest groups to do so. The dragon started to get the upper hand at one point, and had hurt the healers pretty bad. Lily was incredibly strong, and was able to get the last few hits on the dragon, but not before being on the verge of death herself. This battle made her a legend, but there was many other battles that kept her legend alive.
"Dad, do you mind if we all crash here tonight? We're heading to the caves first thing in the morning, and could use a good night's sleep" asked Jasko, already sure of the answer.
"Of course. There should already be some blankets on the couch." replied Jak.
"We're gonna swing by Korlok's place for a few, but we'll be back in a bit." Said Jasko as he started to open the door.
"Actually, Makale isn't home at the moment. There were some attacks in Amboor early this morning, he left this afternoon with Mayor Porven to help figure out what's going on." said Jak.
Amboor was the Capitol city, where many of the Argor-wide laws and policies were made. Makale was part of the Amboor Mayoral committee before getting married to Korlok's mother Joon, and moving to kelthor. They moved in two doors down from Jak and Lily, and Jasko and Korlok were both born in the same week. Jak and Makale became good friends, so Jasko and Korlok became friends before they were both crawling. Korlok's mother was killed in a fire at the bakery several seasons ago, and for Jasko, it was like losing a mother all over again. Korlok tried to pretend it didn't bother him for a while, but once the grief took over, it took a long time for him to get back to being himself. The trip to Kalen's Castle was the first time he had made a joke since her death. Jasko could tell it was tough for Korlok to be back in Kelthor, less then 50 feet from where she took her last breath. But he aslo knew that Korlok was strong, and that both of their mothers would want them to keep going.
As much as Jak hated the Protectors Guild for taking Lily from him, he respected the need for them. Back in training, Jasko had questioned the path of a Protector, not quite convinced it was worth devoting your life to a never ending battle. Kippy, the head trainer for Kelthor, understood Jasko's concern, but could only tell him "That's just how things are. The world counts on us. As we get stronger, our job gets easier." When he went home that day, and told his father about his conversation with Kippy, he shared Jasko's disappointment that no one has been able to figure out how to stop the monsters for good.
"You're right. It is disappointing that no one has figured it out. But you are one of the smartest and bravest Protectors I've met in a long time. If anyone can figure it out, it's you. Just keep good, strong freind around." Jak told him, meaning every word of it. Jak's words made Jasko feel better, but in all of his adventures and travels, he still hadn't come across anything that gave him hope that Argor could see peace in his lifetime.
Later that night, while Korlok was off visiting with Gaeene, Jasko and Wendelyn were having a very quiet conversation on the porch.
"Should we tell your dad?" asked Wendelyn.
"We haven't even told Korlok we're dating yet! Besides, I'm pretty sure my dad already knows. He has a sixth sense about these things." laughed Jasko. In reality, his dad had told him when he finished training that he would end up with Wendelyn, and he didn't want him to know he was right. "Fine. We'll tell Korlok on our way to The Cave, and we'll swing by to confirm with my dad on our way back. Deal?"
"That works. But if you still don't tell him on our way back, I'm gonna assume it's because your embarrassed of me." Joked Wendelyn.
"You are probably the least embarassing thing in my life. Korlok's the most embarassing."
Just then, Korlok came walking up the porch stairs. He hadn't heard what Jasko said, but he was holding hands with Gaeene.
"So, uh, we have some news. We're a couple now."
Jasko and Wendelyn could only laugh as they headed off to bed.