Of Thoughtful Questions and Taco Combos

Reginald had disappeared at some point that John hadn’t noticed, and so Moira had led him back through the twisting halls of the manor. Now, he waited with her in the entryway for Ela and the Knight-Captain (Duncan, maybe? John was awful with names) to return.

John hated stewing in awkward silence like this.

He was never sure if he was supposed to say anything or not, or how he could tell what the other person was thinking. Should he be trying to make small talk with her? Or should he simply allow her to stand silently by the inner door?

’I need more Charisma or something,’ The Gamer lamented, checking the time on his phone again. ’AND I should have checked what the stat boosts were from Moira and her dad earlier.’

John sighed in frustration with himself. Lord Brighton had seemingly been able to will himself out of the party, and had done so as soon as their conversation had finished. Moira, however, still sat in his party, so he was at least able to verify what “Warden’s Duty” did.

Luckily, his own sheet seemed to have done the hard part for him, with her stat increases in the bonus column - a flat increase of five to both Strength and Endurance.

’That’s pretty nice right about now,’ the nervous nerd thought, impressed. ’A full two level increases worth of stats, a third of my HP… How powerful is this Blessing if that’s what the “unrefined” version of it does?

With that thought, John took a moment to actually look at Moira again.

’Warden of the Golden Rose…’

He didn’t think she was glowing or anything fancy like that. It was kinda hard for him to conceive that the stern, curvaceous redhead that scared him sometimes in the hallways between classes was some grand paladin of world-changing importance.

’Maybe that’s part of the trick,’ he realized.

“H-hey, Moira?” John asked, nervously. “Could I ask you a question? Like another one, not this one.”

That got at least a faint smile and a raised eyebrow out of her.

“Of course,” she replied. “We are allies now, of a sort. You don’t need to be so nervous.”

’Doesn’t make you any less intimidating right now,’ he thought, deciding not to vocalize that response.

“So… basically everything I’ve seen and heard since I got these powers has been really intense. Like, there’s this terrifying witch in the place of my history teacher,” he rambled, allowing himself to vent slightly, “and apparently there are, like, slaver guilds and stuff around now, and I’m here signing a contract because just trying to live at this point means I need protection from you guys… How do you deal with all that?”

Moira straightened her posture, once more trying to project a sense of authority. In that moment, as she clasped her hands behind her back and pushed out her chest, John could see the mighty paladin that she wanted him to see.

“I am the Warden of the Golden Rose. It is my duty to protect the innocent of the Abyss, and to snuff out corruption wherever it may grow.”

She turned to face him, and their eyes met. “The Lady has entrusted me with her Blessing for a reason, and I will not fail.”

John was caught off guard by her sudden show of resolve. There was impressive conviction in her voice.

’Honestly, it does sound kinda nice, knowing why she has the powers she has. I still have no idea why it’s me standing here today…’

He sighed.

“That’s all truly noble. The regular world would be a hell of a lot better with more people like you in it,” The Gamer said, many thoughts bubbling beneath the surface. “I don’t know if that’s really what I was thinking of though.”

He paused for a moment, unsure of his next sentence. Moira looked puzzled, as if she was sure she’d hit the mark. John bit his lip, gazing down momentarily, before returning a curious, but sympathetic look to his counterpart.

“How does Moira Brighton handle being the Warden?”

“I-” She paused, more blatantly uncertain than he’d ever seen.

She seemed genuinely taken aback at the question. John wondered if he’d accidentally said something wrong. Was there some social faux pas about asking paladins how they dealt with their duty? As he pondered such things, Moira was lost in her own thoughts. Seconds passed, which turned into minutes.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude or anything,” The Gamer apologized, concerned about her sudden silence.

“No… it’s fine,” the redhead responded, her trance broken. “I… have held the expectations of the Shield Warden ever since I was little. It has taken all of my life until now to be as prepared for them as I am.”

It seemed as though she was debating saying something more, but the two were interrupted by the arrival of Ela and Reginald. The former looked almost tired, as if she’d been awake for twelve hours since he’d seen her last.

They were not accompanied by the Knight-Captain, though the blonde was now carrying the bag that he’d brought before. She thanked Reginald for his assistance, and the butler walked over to John, presenting him with a book titled, “Abyssal History Throughout the Ages.”

“Lord Brighton has requested that I deliver this to you.”

“Oh! Thanks! I’d forgotten that I’d asked about a history book.”

John and Reginald exchanged basic pleasantries before the latter retreated back into the maze of the manor, no doubt to attend to some other duty that he’d been entrusted with. Meanwhile, the two women in the room had their own conversation.

“I appreciate the Order’s hospitality, Warden.” Ela nodded with deference to the redheaded class president. “Thank you.”

Moira seemed to shift slightly at that statement. John thought it strange that she broke eye contact before speaking. “We are classmates now as well. You don’t have to use my title all the time.”

That made the blonde stop for a second, mulling the statement over.

“Oh, of course… Moira,” Ela said, somewhat hesitantly, tasting the words for a minute. “It is wonderful to be back among Lady Gaia’s warriors, but I am not ready to make my decision yet. I must apologize for that.”

“That’s not necessary,” the redhead responded, genuine sympathy melting some of her stern exterior. “I understand.”

“I know you do.”

The two exchanged a somber look that even John knew better than to interrupt. Slowly, after some time, Ela nodded, and gave a weary smile to her counterpart before turning to John.

“Are you ready to leave?” the blonde asked him.

“Thank you for the talk. See you again at school or something,” The Gamer said, before realizing he’d almost forgotten his powers again. “Actually, do you mind if I leave you in my party for now? You honestly make me a lot stronger, and I wouldn’t mind knowing if there’s a range where things stop working.”

“Do as you will,” the Warden replied, shrugging lightly. “I sense no ill intent from your magic.”

“Cool. Thanks!” he responded, giving the warmest smile he could to the redheaded paladin before turning to Ela. “I guess I am ready then. Let’s go.”

John stored the book in his inventory and the pair departed, discussing their plans for the afternoon and the dungeon quest. Moira stood for a moment in the entrance hall, alone, allowing herself to stew in her unspoken answers. A silent decision made, she turned and walked upstairs, disappearing within the manor.

As The Gamer and the Bookworm Knight headed to the latter’s car, neither noticed a pair of stark white eyes from a window on the manor’s highest floor, unseeing, yet fixated on John nonetheless.

Ela took a moment to set the large bag she had in the trunk as John got in the car.

“So… what’s the game plan?” The Gamer asked as his companion joined him in the front of the car. “Are you still down for that quest?”

The car thrummed and rumbled to life as Ela turned the key. “Yes, though I think that we should make additional preparations before entering one of your dungeons.”

“Oh? You have something in mind?”

The blonde smiled, backing the car out and heading down the driveway.

“Well,” she started, the usual sing-song tone back in her voice. “One of the first lessons I ever learned in my time as a squire was the importance of first aid. You were fortunate to have earned a health potion from one of your achievements, but that sort of thing cannot be relied on. I can teach you at least basic magical healing, in case of emergencies.”

“Oh, wow, yeah!” John exclaimed. “That would be awesome. A back pocket full of heals would make me feel a lot better about the whole thing.”

“I am no Apothecary, so do not expect anything advanced,” she clarified, stopping at the edge of the Brighton’s property. “I have only a field medic’s training.”

“I take it that ‘Apothecaries’ are some kind of magic doctors or something?”

“Yes,” Ela sang, “Sorry. The Apothecaries are one of the two major neutral guilds that are still around. The other is the Abyss Auction, a marketplace for magical goods and services. They are not as big as they once were, but still useful. I can help set you up with them later.”

John nodded at that, thinking of the book in his inventory. “More things I need to learn before I’m up to speed. Heh. ‘Still around’ means there used to be more, right?”

“Fateweavers,” she clarified. “Barrier mages. They were critical to maintaining the large city-barriers across Europe. Unfortunately, their guild collapsed shortly after the war started. Too many members decided to pick sides, and the rest splintered off. I think there are still a few of the High Fateweavers working in Germany, perhaps they will rebuild eventually.”

He took a moment to mull over all of that. ’I’m going to have so much reading to do…’

“Anyway, uh, where are we going now?”

“I still have most of my old texts and supplies, but everything is back at my house,” the blonde answered. “We are going there now.”

“Y-your house?” John stammered, guilds and barriers and doctors forgotten.

His heart skipped a beat at the words. He’d never been invited to a woman’s house before. Just the two of them? A light blush crept onto his cheeks at the thought. Logically, he knew that this was simply where the things they needed were, but it was hard not to let his imagination wander.

“Now that the Warden and Lord-Protector have looked you over, I know that I did not judge you wrong,” Ela explained, fortunately focused on the road and unaware of John’s reaction. “I’ll trust you enough to have you over for a bit. We will need somewhere to open the barrier anyway.

“I may also be able to find some of my old armor that fits you, since you do not have anything for your chest.”

“R-right.”

John took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. ’This is going to either be a great afternoon or an absolute trainwreck. How many hours can John Newman go before he makes a fool of himself in front of the girl?’

I’ll give you at least two.

’Wow, generous,’ he thought wryly.

Well, you did level Charisma yesterday. Otherwise you wouldn’t have made it this far.

The Gamer settled in, closing his eyes to process things and momentarily decompressing. The silence between him and Ela was noticeably more comfortable than the one earlier. She was simply easy to be around, he felt. The Pole was humming another one of her songs now - John still couldn’t place it, though it was very similar to the others he’d heard her playing.”

Jeszcze dzień…

Idly, John started trying to tap his foot to the beat as well.

Party member out of range - Moira Brighton unavailable.

The color washed away from the Warden’s name on his UI as the light faded from her once golden frame. A muted, gray snapshot of her status at the point of severance remained underneath The Gamer’s own bars. Somberly, he watched as his health returned to pre-buff levels.

’Well, guess it was inevitable that it would happen eventually. We’ve been driving for a bit now, though. That’s not bad.’

“Hey, Ela?” John asked, interrupting her musical interlude. “How far are we from the manor? Moira just dropped off the party interface.”

“Um…” she replied, thinking. “We are a mile or so away.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty great honestly,” he muttered back, pondering the estimated limit. “Obviously it would be better if it worked without any restrictions, but it makes sense for now.”

“By the way,” the blonde started, interrupting John’s thoughts. “Do you need food? I remember you saying that you gain bonuses from being full. We could stop for something if you would like.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m not sure if it’s really from just being full though. I’ve got some snacks in my inventory, but a real meal would probably do way more for me… Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t know how long the food buff will last; it might run out before we’re ready if learning a healing spell takes too long.”

“We can try it, at least,” she sang. “It can only help, even if it does not last all the way through the dungeon.”

“Fair enough. At least I’ll have more mana while learning.”

Ela put on a thoughtful look as she turned a corner. “I believe that there is a taco place nearby…”

It took John all the way until the front of the line at a small little tex-mex place to realize that he was out to a meal one-on-one with a girl. Nearly **** on his own words, The Gamer did manage to accomplish the heroic feat of ordering his quesadilla and chips without dying. Luckily, he had more than enough money from the dungeon run the previous day to pay and tip without issue.

’Come on, stupid lizard brain. It is possible for a guy and a girl to just get food as friends,’ the nervous nerd chastised himself, getting his food and walking over to fill his drink cup. ’Can I not be a horny pervert for like one afternoon?’

Nope.

’Depression,’ he lamented. ’Curse my libido score.’

“John, I got us a table,” Ela called from behind him, carrying her own tray.

He turned and smiled, nodding. Taking his food, The Gamer followed her to the outdoor dining area where the two sat opposite each other at a blue, umbrella-covered table. While John had a pretty basic quesadilla meal, Ela had gone for a fancier shrimp taco combo. It took him a second to open up the queso for his side, while she dove in immediately with a mighty NOM.

“Mmm…” she purred.

John forgot entirely that he had food to eat as Ela made an adorable munching face, savoring every bite with a thoroughly satisfied smile. She was so expressive compared to most people he knew. Eventually though, he joined her in consumption, quickly devouring his own delicious combination of cheese and meat and tortilla. His companion’s enthusiasm was infectious, and the pair quickly annihilated their main courses.

As The Gamer sat back in his chair, stuffed, he was pleased to find a “full meal” icon, bordered in green, beneath his name and bars in the top left, indicating a slightly stronger version of his normal food buff.

’I guess my other food wasn’t as good?’ he wondered, the remainder of his food forgotten. ’Well, pantry food isn’t exactly hearty… I guess delivery pizza is still kinda junk-y? Why not Mom’s breakfast though? Did I not eat enough? Maybe something I’m missing.’

John allowed that thought to pass though, accepting that there were some things he couldn’t answer on his own currently. Other questions arose in its place, most centered around the blonde in front of him, who was currently demolishing her own side of chips. Here he was sharing a meal with this woman, and yet, really, he knew quite little about her. Things had spiraled out of his control almost immediately once he’d spoken to her in the morning.

“Hey, Ela,” The Gamer started, looking over inquisitively. “Can I ask you a question?”

The blonde paused, a queso-covered chip nearly within her joyful maw. Her eyes met John’s, then went to the chip, then back to John.

CRUNCH.

“Mhm!” She smiled, covering her mouth with her hand. “Sorry.”

The blonde giggled slightly, and John couldn’t resist joining in with his own chuckle.

“Hungry, eh?” he asked with a wide smile.

Ela swallowed before speaking this time. “I am always hungry. Especially while there is good food in front of me.”

“Noted. Anyway, not that I’m complaining, but how exactly did you end up at Ashcroft halfway through a semester? Why?”

His companion put her hands in her lap, holding them far from the food.

“It was a long process,” she explained, biting her lip. “I had been… away from the Order for some time. Fortunately, due to my past service, the Brightons were willing to pull some strings to get me in and help me live my life. I do owe them for that.”

Ela shifted uncomfortably in her seat, before reaching over and grabbing another tortilla chip. “I do not really want to explain it here.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” John responded, worried he’d touched a nerve. “I get curious about too many things.”

She smiled at that. “It is fine. I… will tell you later. For now though, are you going to finish your chips?”