Overjoyed by Altha's response, Seth posited to him, "Well then, all of you pack up your things, and we can be on our way." The room paused.
Looking around, Seth asked, "What? Is there something on my face?"
"No, it's not that. It's just—what do you mean 'pack your things'? Where are we going?" Solace asked.
Following Solace's question, Altha asked, "Am I being tracked, so you wanna move me out of the city in fear of me being discovered?" His tone was quiet and nonchalant.
Everyone in the room looked at him, their surprise all too visible on their beautiful faces.
"Well, yes... But how did you know that?" Seth uttered, his voice tinged with curiosity.
Curling in on himself, Altha sank deeper into the sofa, trying to make himself as small as possible.
"You said earlier that you'd been tracking my movement for a while, so I just reasoned you probably weren't the only one," Altha said, almost whispering.
"And when he said to pack up, you figured he was trying to take you away from the competition," Sumi stated, "You figured that out pretty quickly, Altha, maybe you should try for the investigation division of the A.S.O like Cassilyth."
Sheepishly he shifted his gaze to Cassilyth. Smiling she waved at him, not knowing what to do Altha awkwardly waved back.
"So then, since you plan to spirit him away, Seth, what do you intend to do with him? Nothing nefarious I hope. I know how you Arcanists can get when it comes to things like these.
Everyone looked at Seth. Putting his hands up, he spoke: "Look, you're better off with me than those lunatics; trust me, they're not quite as open-minded as myself. I am a lot of things, but one thing I'm not is a liar. The only thing that's kept you from being discovered so far has been the potent Arcane Barrier adapted into this house's very structure."
Listening, Altha looked around, then eventually out the floor-to-ceiling window at the grey sky that seemed to stretch on forever.
"You're safe right now, but how long will that fragile peace last before you find yourself strapped to an operation desk, getting probed by all manner of instruments in a meaningless attempt to see what makes you tick?" He walked over and took a seat next to Altha. "It's your choice at the end of the day; however, staying here won't better your chances of passing the trial."
Looking out the window, Altha stated, "So long as it's cloudy wherever we're going, then I'm in."
Seth smiled. "Smart choice, kid." Looking at everyone else, he scratched his head and said, "You guys should probably sign up for a high-risk, high-reward mission that will require you to leave the country for a week or so. There have been complaints about an infestation of giant insects near the area where we're going, but I'd suggest you hurry before another group picks it up."
Solace stood up and faced his brother. "Have we all forgotten something? There is an investigation underway trying to root out döppelgangers. Is now really the time to leave?"
"Don't worry too much about that right now. They've already made their move; it will likely be a while before they show their cards. Patience is key to solving a case like this," Seth explained.
Responding, Solace asked, "And what will the citizens think? It would seem pretty sketchy for a whole cohort of Astrals to vanish right after the discovery, wouldn't it?"
Sumi and Cassilyth looked at each other, and then Cassilyth spoke: "Simple, we'll claim we found a clue as to the origins of the döppelgangers and left to investigate."
"We've been looking for an excuse to leave the city anyway, and this is about as good as any," Sumi added.
The two women smiled and looked at each other in excitement.
"Alright, alright, that's some pretty solid cover, I guess," Isolde said. "I see no reason to stay, so I say we get a move on?"
Almost instantly, they all dispersed, leaving Altha to his own thoughts.
*I have no luggage, so... Wait, am I technically homeless?* Altha thought to himself as the house became a whirlwind of motion.
Hours later, they were all ready to leave. Altha was confused as they piled their luggage into the living room. However, his confusion quickly faded as Seth enchanted an incantation and formed a portal right in front of their very eyes.
A breeze blew through the portal, carrying a familiar scent, leaving Altha taken by memories. Every part of him wanted to see what that curious scent was. Placing a hand on Altha's shoulder, Seth smiled and walked with him into the portal. The others lifted their bags and followed.
As soon as he walked through the portal, a cozy tranquility enveloped him. All around them were tall evergreen trees and lush deciduous foliage that surrounded a warm and rustic cabin with a steeply pitched, weathered metal roof. It looked like an A-frame log home with a stone chimney that jutted out from the peak.
Taken by the sight, Altha took in a deep breath and looked around; on the treetops, a misty fog lingered, and in the grassy meadow was rich wild vegetation, small shrubs, and scattered saplings.
Moving past him, the others made their way to the cabin and climbed onto the wraparound porch.
Leaving only Seth, Solace, and Sumi to bask in the moment, Altha couldn't help but feel his shoulders ease a bit.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sumi asked as she walked next to Altha.
"Very," he answered. "Reminds me of home."
"You lived in a cabin in the middle of nowhere?" Seth asked, raising an eyebrow.
"For a time, yes..." Looking over to Sumi, he pointed at the luggage and asked, "Do you need help?"
Confused, she paused. Seth took his shoulder and said, "She's an Astral, kid, and an exceptional one at that. I doubt a bit of luggage is gonna be a problem for her."
Altha nodded. "I realize. I don't doubt her strength at all. I've seen her fight before. I just wanna be helpful where possible."
Smiling, Seth pointed into the distance. "Venture first into that forest, and you will eventually come across a lake. Once we're all done here, we'll meet you there." Altha paused, noticing his hesitation. Seth patted him on the back. "I'll help her with your luggage if that makes you feel better."
Thinking back to the day prior at the dinner table he remembered a thought he'd had, "Self, the future is uncertain, live immediately," looking into the forest he thought to himself, "Here I open wide the door; and blur uncertainty."
Sighing, Altha nodded and quietly walked away in the direction Seth was pointing. Sumi shot the silver-haired elf a suspicious glare. He paled and turned to Altha.
"Oh, and be careful. I've given a clear warning to most of the dangerous inhabitants around here not to approach the cabin, but the forest is fair game. However, if you can make it there before we all finish up here, I'll reward you. So try your best."
Altha's long shorts billowed, following the grasses' direction as he nodded. Looking at Sumi, he waved goodbye.
In her head, she heard, [Bye], as she waved back and Altha continued on his way.
Jumping up and down to loosen himself up, he took in a deep breath and then sprinted into the forest. Leaves and dust kicked up in his wake and danced momentarily in midair, to his faded echoes.
Sumi and Seth looked on in shock at having witnessed a non-Astral move at such velocities, as Cassilyth observed from a window of the cabin.
Silent as a shadow, Altha ran through the woods, using the trees as cover and minding his footing to make as little noise as possible. Further along on his path, he heard earthshaking impacts and quickly hid behind a tree.
Taking a peek to see what all the commotion was about, he spotted a lumbering mass of rock and crystal a few meters away. The creature had a jutting underbite that held large crystalline teeth.
"Well, this is just unfortunate now, isn't it... This might be where I die. I can just imagine the universe cackling to itself about this—letting me escape the Outer just to die to a rock," he thought. "There's no benefit to fighting this thing. I just need to sneak around it."
Analyzing the golem one more time, he noticed multiple crystalline eyes dotted about its body. Looking at his fists, he silently sighed and glanced around. In the distance, he saw the remnants of a fallen tree. Focusing his mind and trailing his hand, one side of the tree slowly rose—then he let it fall, causing a deafening crash.
The lumbering golem turned toward the noise and stomped its way over. Moving from cover to cover, Altha snuck around the towering creature. Careful not to alert any other forest inhabitants, he kept using the trees for cover.
A few seconds more of sneaking around, and he'd reached the lake. Slowly walking to its edge, Altha, crossed his legs and looked out into the calm waters. Its grey reflection, felt as though a piece of the sky had fallen and left a spec of heaven in its wake.