The cold chilly air was exactly what Samuel needed at that moment, spending time in such an enclosed space with so many people was a bit too much for him. Besides he was still worried about Night that had yet to respond to him.
Which made him all the more worried, even though he could feel that she was fine, since it had never happened before like this. The feasting and such must have been going on for quite some time because it was already evening without anyone seemingly noticing it.
It was still a bright sky, but one could see the stars in the horizon start creeping in with the darkness slowly creeping forward. Samuel took some time to just enjoy the cold and breathe, there was something simply magical about just enjoying a nice evening now and again.
He had often done so with many evening walks with Ul.... "Damn it!" Samuel sighed and tried to get all the memories out of his head, he was reminded of why he tried to avoid the clarity one gets from just staring at the sky without overthinking anything.
He suddenly hear Night yawn, so he almost screamed her name out loud. "Gee whats with the screaming?" She said, clearly annoyed. "You have been gone for several hours, I have been calling on you over and over, you never once replied and... I was... worried!" Samuel sighed out of relief and sank to the ground.
There was silence for a while before she said anything. "Well thank you sir, for worrying about me. It's hard to explain what I went through, it was like a long sleep where I felt like I was changing or something! I also seem to have regained a few memories of faces that I do not recongize."
Her words were apologetic enough for Samuel to relax until she spoke about memories. "Wait, isn't that great? You are remembering things!" He happily exclaimed. "Well yes, but It doesn't help when I still can't remember anything about the memories, I don't know what meaning they hold!" She sighed.
Samuel leaned his head forward with a smile. "Well yes, but we'll get there! If you remembered one thing then I am sure that the rest will come with time!" His words were followed with silence from both sides. Night was unsure if it would actually ever happen so she remained silent hoping not to ruin anything by wishing for it.
While Samuel contemplated more about the journey and who Night could actually be. His train of thought was broken a few minutes later when Erethi spoke. "I hope I ent disturbing ye!" She said with an awkward smile.
"No, you're fine!" He replied and gave her a smile back, "Isn't it awfully cold to sit out here?" She asked worried about him, but he shook his head. "For some reason I don't feel cold at all."
"Perhaps that is because you are now part wolf or lycan or whatever!" Night spoke but Samuel shuddered at the thought and didn't give her a reply but only a raised eyebrow that she chuckled at.
"I came here to apologize, for... well everything really!" Erethi spoke next and sat down next to him. "I always thought mages of Rejuan were pretentious pricks that acted all high and mighty. At least those are the only types I had met so far, until you came along... you and your friends!" She spoke while watching the ground in shame.
Samuel nodded, "I know plenty of annoying pricks among the mages back home, but most of them are just neutral people, not too much and not too little." He rubbed his temples when he thought about the high and mighty ones. It made him shudder.
"Trust me though, I am far from perfect!"
"At least you seem to be the honest type!" Erethi said and Samuel had to turn his head slightly as he had a pained smile, thinking about all the people he lied to about his bloodlines and about Night's existence.
"Haha! Yeah I guess!" He said instead and awkwardly rubbed his head. "I wanted to ask you about the wolf thing though!" Her words made Samuel tense up, he had completely repressed the memory because of the big fight. What if all the villagers had smelled him as well.
His worries were lessened with her next words, "You don't smell like a wolf anymore at all, how do you do that? Is it some kind of flower or magic?" She asked with big eyes and Samuel replied with the most honest answer he could believe in.
"Yeah! Magic can do a lot of things, even remove such a smell. I can easily blend in thanks to magic!" His words were half true but they might be fully true, he quickly tapped into his mindscape and delved deep into it.
Deep down below in the sea that was his child of mana subconscience he found the wolf once more, it was still sleeping. 'Huh I guess it is some kind of magic from the blessing.' He inwardly thought while Night was doing zoomies inside his mind.
He saw the small dragon swimming around with plenty of wheeees and yaaaays. He rolled his eyes and quickly exited. The entire experience only lasted a few seconds in the outside world even though it was been almost a minute inside his own mind.
"So what will you do now?" Erethi asked next which surprised him. "Well I will go back and finish my training, I have a journey to fulfill, people that needs justice!" He said with a big sigh.
"How come?" He asked and Night started laughing her ass off inside his head. Erethi started fumbling with her fingers. "Well, you could always stay here, with people who are like yourself..." The subcontext was easily spotted by anyone not so dense, because Erethi had a big blush on her face.
Samuel smiled, "I wish I could go back to living in a village, but I cannot do so until my quest is complete! Sorry!" He spoke with a somber voice, because in truth he had always enjoyed a nice quiet lifestyle where he could dream himself away without a worry in the world.
Even now that he had attained power, he still found peace and quiet in the simple lifestyle of a village in the middle of nowhere, but if he had the power to protect such places then why shouldn't he do so.
He felt torn because of it, Erethi seemed to smell his stress and placed a hand on top of his. Her entire face was so red that she looked like a tomato, it made Samuel worried until she spoke, "Well since you are leaving very soon and the first time I was very hard on you, wanna be the one to take the lead this time?"
Erethi didn't know what she was saying, her subconscious and her active mind were intertwined and so everything she said and did became mixed up. She blushed greatly until Samuel started laughing so hard he had to lay backward in the snow because his tummy was hurting.
Erethi looked away in shame until Samuel quickly got on his feet and dragged her up on her feet. "So! Got any nice place to go to then?" He asked with a killing smile that made her heart melt. She started stuttering and became more red than anyone Samuel had ever seen so he gave her a kiss.
The kiss seemed to snap her out of it and she nodded enthusiasticaly and grabbed his hands before almost running to one of her favourite secret spots.
Samuel got to enjoy another steamy night that was filled with fun while the rest of his team, except for Tere'he all got extremely drunk and passed out with half the village inside the big hall. When morning came around they were all extremely hungover but knew they had to move on anyway.
Thankfully it was quite late in the morning, they had all assembled outside the tent and all the villagers were outside to thank them and see them off. "Remember you will always be welcome back to this village. You are true friends of our people!" The eldest spoke with the happiest voice anyone had heard for a long time, even giving them a smile which seemed to spook the rest of the villagers.
Erethi gave Samuel a wink from the sidelines, Samuel had promised to come visit a few times whenever he had some spare time. The villagers saw them off with waves and handshakes or hugs. The group quietly started the trekk back, everyone groaning except for Samuel and Tere'he whom could only shrug.
"Would be great if we had a proper healer right about now, last time I checked they have spells to help with this condition!" Bregane said while holding his head. "Well we do not, so you get to taste the consequences of your actions today!" Tere'he spoke and everyone that was hungover groaned in unison.
The group made the long journey back to the nearest town where they delivered their local reports before being taken to the mages building where they promptly returned via teleportation circle back to the floating mage city above the capitol.
Where everyone that was hungover were quick to go see one of the local healers that scolded them all for drinking so much while many of them still had lingering injuries. Nevertheless the injuries remaining were quickly looked at and healed or fixed.
As soon as that business was done they all headed off towards the main building to leave an extended report directly to the Archon/Headmaster, Tere'he insisted that all their apprentices should come along as well.
Together the group made the fast walk and climbed the many staircases before arriving outside the Archons office, there were Citadel Guards posted outside which made the mentors raise their eyebrows.
"I would like to speak to the Archon, It's quite urgent!" Tere'he spoke to the guards that didn't seem to bat an eye. But one of them turned their head to her and spoke, "I am sorry mam, right now there is an important meeting going on and we cannot allow others!"
Tere'he scoffed and spoke, "Well then I guess the Archon will haveto wait about hearing how his daughter almost died on a mission fighting a lich!" At those words the guards both looked at the half dragon half devilkin woman who waved her hand from the back of the group.
Then they looked at eachother before the other guard quickly knocked on the door and opened it and went inside. A few seconds later a singular lightning bolt in the sky crackled and the guard came back outside.
"You are all allowed to enter!" The guard said in a slightly shaky voice.