"Wake Up."
My brain hurt. I rolled over and promptly fell. "What?" I said.
"We should get going." Vera stood over me.
"How long?"
"One hour until we got to go, and around a day now." She responded.
"Seriously?" I sat up, "I've been out for a day? I only drank one bottle."
"It wasn't the alcohol. You just fell asleep once we got home."
"Well, even it wasn't the alcohol, I feel hungover. My head hurts. I don't even know how that's possible." I got up from the floor.
I was at headquarters. The house from over a year ago is now a mansion. We made enough money to buy out our surrounding houses and build here. Of course, we gave them generous compensation. They got out of the slums, and we got their land. It was a win-win.
We had returned here, as I recalled, last night or, really, the previous night. I still had some whiskey left, so I sat down on the couch to finish it and lay down to rest my eyes.
That rest turned into over 24 hours of the deepest sleep of my life. I must have been really tired. My body and brain are mechanical, but I am conditioned to have some sleep.
After gathering my bearings and checking my body was functioning properly, I turned to Vera.
"Where are we going?" I asked as I headed to the door.
"Somewhere." Vera responded vaguely, following me.
Outside, Arion, Grey, Rex, and Vesper were all waiting for me in a carriage. I hopped on without a second thought.
("Rough night, Alex?") Arion spoke through telepathy.
"Nah, just needed some rest. Where are we going?"
("Vera said it'd be better to keep it a surprise.") Grey chimed in.
"If she says so."
Vera came out shortly after me. She also got on the carriage. It wasn't fancy but big enough to fit six people comfortably. Arion was pulling the carriage with Vera, me, and Grey on board. Vesper and Rex would have to fly.
They were way too big to fit comfortably. Rex was even larger now, and while Vesper could fit, it wouldn't be very comfortable for her.
Soon, we were on our way out of town.
"Where are we going?" I asked Vera.
She didn't answer for a moment. She took a breath and then said, "I've been thinking about what you said."
"What did I say?"
"You aren't needed anymore. Having you around is a luxury, not a necessity. And I don't think we appreciate that enough. Greyhound and the guild are self-sufficient; they don't need you, and they don't need me."
"So you're leaving?" I asked.
"No, why else would you and everyone else be here?" She responded while smiling. "I think it's time we let our wings spread: go where the wind takes us."
"So a vacation then?" I clarified.
"Vacation, journey, self-discovery, whatever you want to call it."
"So, where exactly are we going?" I asked again.
"Capital."
-----
After five hours, we stopped by the side of the road. On our way to the capital, we had chosen the scenic path to explore as much as possible, so this road was deserted.
We were in the middle of a hilly field when we decided to picnic. Vera had prepared food beforehand, and the animals needed some rest. Grey was the only energetic one, so this was also a release for him.
We made camp on a tall hill under the shade of a grand oak. It is a bit cliche, but that's what life is for.
The food was great. Vera had ordered desserts from the cafe before we left, which were preserved perfectly. I also had an extra bottle of booze I'd acquired. We drank, ate, and chatted. Even Vesper got a bit drunk, while Arion managed to hold his own, and Grey didn't like the liquor. I, of course, didn't allow Rex to have any.
The break was nice, and we lay under the sun for a while. It was a beautiful day; that was, for a nap. Vesper slept off her liquor, and we all had a wonderful time. Even Rex, who was opposed at first, was steadily asleep.
I rested my eyes, but I couldn't sleep. Tired of forcing myself to sleep, I explored the area. Vera was fast asleep, cuddled under Rex's arm, and Vesper sprawled out under the tree's shade.
It was an unusual sight, for sure. Vera and I had dropped our illusions for now, so Vera had her original bulky stature, which looked quite funny as she cuddled up against Rex's wings.
Grey was still awake, looking for danger, but had closed his eyes to rest. Arion was the only one fully awake. He seemed lost in thought as I approached him.
"What's on your mind?"
Arion was startled but quickly regained his composure.
("I would say nothing, but that would be a lie.")
"Many things are my friend. So what's going through that horse brain of yours?"
("I've been reflecting. The past two years have been some of the happiest of my life. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my adventures with you and the others.") Arion let out a sigh. An audible "neigh" softly came out his mouth.
("Time's are changing")
"A new wind is blowing."
("The end of an era.")
"A new age."
("A new dawn.")
"Those are the same thing."
("I couldn't think of another synonym on the fly.") We both let out a wry chuckle.
("It's different, Alex.")
"I know buddy. But change can be good or bad. It depends on what you make of it."
("I think I'm in a similar situation to you. I'm having my mid-life crisis.") Arion looked at me.
"Well, we all have to figure it out someday." I slowly petted his mane. A luscious hair I'd personally groomed.
("I think I'm lacking direction. Before I met you, I was a warhorse, a storage animal. After I met you, I got my freedom, but I still had my adventures with you. Now, I don't have anything.")
"As a wise woman once said, we'll always be here." I nuzzled in closer. Have to comfort him, but also half because his hair was so soft.
("Maybe it's time I had my adventure.") Arion spoke thoughtfully.
"Arion, you might be coming along with me, but don't think that means you must stay with me. Of course, I don't want you leaving, but it's your life if you want to do your stuff. Listen to your heart. I'll be here to help; we'll be here to help."
("It is also that time of our lives.") Grey suddenly spoke up. It seemed he was listening to our conversation. It's not surprising since we all shared this mental link.
"What time of your lives?" I was a bit confused.
Arion responded. ("We're mature, middle-aged adults of our species. It is around the time we got to—you know, start our own families.") He blushed slightly at the final part.
("Isn't it the same for you, Alex?") Grey asked.
I thought about it for a moment. "I guess, but I haven't actively been searching for anyone, nor has anyone caught my eye. I'm not opposed to get a lover, but I haven't put a lot of thought into it."
As I thought about it, a dirty thought crossed my mind.
"I'm still a virgin, aren't I?"
I'd be reaching the sage stage if I kept this up. I don't even think I got that far in my past life. I might have reached that stage if we added up my age. I pushed that frightful thought out of my mind.
"Both of you guys have expanded life spans, right?" I asked, almost to myself.
Magical beasts, for whatever reason, would get expanded life spans and slower aging the faster they were. I heard humans and the other humanoid races might get longer lifespans past the tenth rank, but that was just a legend.
("I'm 20 this year, and I should have a life span of around 60 years.") Arion answered.
("I'm a bit younger at 16, and I should have a life span of 40 years.") Grey said.
I stroked my chin. They had this lifespan after breaking through to the eighth stage. Later, they would break through to the ninth or tenth rank and have a longer life span.
"You guys might out live me." I thought out loud.
("If you're unlucky, perhaps, but I doubt it.") Grey said.
We continued our discussion until the evening when the rest woke up. With the daylight wasting away, we made haste to our first town. Camping was fun, but a soft bed was better.