making goodbyes

Alex didn't take much time to pack, but he left all his things in the room when he was done. Spike had mentioned having a family dinner before he left. It was reasonable, considering Alex didn't know if he'd ever see them again.

When Alex got to the dining hall and found that "family dinner" meant a full guild celebration send-off.

(Have fun,) Demon thought to him as she bailed out of his arms and made off down the hall. (I'm going to find somewhere quiet.)

Alex was seated near the head of the table, in between Spike at the head of the table and next to Boris, Spike and Vickary's only son. Before showing up in Grumen 'Kal a month ago Alex hadn't been in town for the better part of 10 years. Nellara was finally old enough to be counted as a full member of the staff but Boris was still too young by his parents' standards. And while he was older than Alex had been when he started training in the temple his parents had viable reasons gained from personal backgrounds for being violently opposed to using children in their operations.

Boris himself chaffed under the restrictions that his parents gave his actions, he couldn't always choose his own friends, nor did he get much say in his own life. He was however allowed to practice use of arms and armor and took great joy in showing Alex all the things that he'd learned so far. Alex had to admit that while Boris was not particularly gifted in physical combat he was well disciplined and if he kept at it he would be an exceptional fighter by the time he was old enough to be accepted by his parents as a full agent of the guild.

Little Violet was sitting directly across the table, and if her oldest sibling looked like their mother then Violet was without a doubt her father's daughter. She was still a toddler when Alex had last seen her and she was still very much a child now. Her involvement with the family business had been limited to helping in the kitchen and playing with the other orphans the street took in and raised in their secret orphanage.

Beside Violet was Nellara, she'd prepared the dinner, but was permitted to leave the task of cooking and serving to other members of the kitchen staff so she could spend the meal with the rest of the family.

Vickary was at the far end of the table, so she was not anywhere where Alex could have spoken with her during the meal, but her children had enough to talk about that Alex wasn't short of table conversation on his end. Alex also made note that Violet seemed to have no idea that he was anything in the past besides her uncle, Boris and Nel were old enough to respect the privacy of Alex's past, and only spoke about things present and relevant, but Violet honestly didn't know what Alex did for a living. She was curious about how he got a talking cat, and the basic explanation that made sense to her was that a ghost was living in the cat and that's why it could talk.

"Great job Alex," Spike jibbed at him during one conversation, "You've just made sure we have another mage in the family."

"She's the one asking questions that require more explanation than 'It's magic', I know some answers, but if she wants to know how it works beyond that she'll have to ask someone else."

"Well dealing with ghosts and magical creatures is a witch thing, I can't just send my little girl to live with a witch for studies."

"Why not?"

"First off, I don't know any. Secondly, witches don't normally like people and we're city folk. And lastly, orcs like to hunt down witches more than other races, so I cannot think any witches would even be anywhere near these parts."

Violet piped up, "So I can become a witch if papa can find one who will teach me?"

Spike facepalmed, Nellara and Alex laughed and Boris was basically uninterested, "You'll need mother's permission too Vivi."

"Okay, I'll ask her after dinner."

Spike groaned, "Please don't do that to me Vi."

"But I'm curious."

Alex interjected, "Maybe mister Thorik knows some of the answers, Your father and mother might let you learn about magic downstairs if you promise to be safe."

Again Boris opened his mouth when he should have kept it shut, "There's nothing safe about Thorik."

Violet however turned to her father with massive doe eyes that only a daughter can have, "Papa, can I please learn magic? Momma knows magic, can I learn too?"

In a classic show of fatherly resolve when facing a daughters most devastating stare...Spike gave in. "Let me talk with your mother about it, I'll see what she says."

Alex leaned conspiratorially over to Boris before the boy could make it worse and whispered, "I think your parents are going to have another fight."

Boris, distracted from the probability of further adding fuel to that fire just asked, "What's new about that?"

Alex who shared a small victory wink with Nellara whispered, "Good point."

When the meal was over the members of the guild who felt inclined came up one at a time and wished Alex well on his travels, telling him to return when sometime sooner than another decade. Those who had been in the guild long enough to remember the last time Alex had stopped by left his past in secrecy, and those who were newer to the guild than that were left oblivious to him as anything other than an old contact of the guild leaders.

Well, with the exception of Marium who had learned by association the connection. Marium who, at the end of the meal, was dismissed to spend the rest of the night with Alex while other staff members took over cleaning the room.

"Sometimes I forget how big the guild actually is." She said as the two of them sipped wine in the privacy of Alex's guest room.

Alex smiled, "It's the way guilds work. Members are rarely all home at the same time so you forget from time to time how many there are."

"Did the mistress or master give you a membership this time?"

"No. And I don't think they'll ever offer me one."

"Why not?"

"Because I wander too much. I don't think they'll want to impose the limitations that being a member of the guild would have on me."

She thought about that, "I suppose this way you're more like a family."

"Exactly. If I were a member of the guild there might be doubt that we'd only be helping each other because of obligations. Without that membership we're all grateful for everything we do for each other. It's what family means to us, Spike and Vic argue all the time, and almost never agree on anything, but they always give each other their full support no matter the situation. I get the same treatment, it's not always easy, but it's always worth it."

Marium smiled at Alex, "I feel much closer to the guild master and mistress since you came here. They really are more relaxed when you're around, they're much more frightening when you're gone."

Alex smiled back, "Know that they will never betray you. And if anything you'll be treated a little bit more like one of their children after I leave."

"Oh heavens," Marium laughed, "Nel and I already get into enough trouble together already. It's why I was at the boring receptionist desk when you arrived."

"Funny how fate will do that to you."

"Funny indeed. Do you think..." Marium trailed off in nervousness before steeling her resolve to ask, "Do you think fate will bring you back here?"

"I don't know," Alex answered honestly, "I'm sure that if things end well in Janida that I will be back, but my whole future hinges on that."

"I see."

Alex saw the sadness coming over her so he asked, "Is there anything you want to make tonight special?"

She looked up and said,