A World With/Out Home

Chapter 9: A long wait. (Part 1)

Chapter 9: A long wait.

Outside a familiar villa a white haired girl stood in the centre of the path blocking the way out. It was Estile, though her usual friendly expression was scrunched into a hard frown as she held her arms wide preventing the young man in front of her from leaving. The man not much older than a boy had a complicated expression himself. A head taller than Estile, he had a fine amount of muscle and a handsome face. His most prominent feature however were the lightly pointed and pulled back ears on either side of his head.

"I said no!" Estile stomped her foot causing the paving beneath them to crack. "You're not going to become an Adventurer, it's too dangerous. Until you change your career choice Callus you're staying right here!"

The half elven man sighed, "I knew I shouldn't have told you." Behind him the Villa door was still open and the children inside peeked out with a blatant curiosity. "Mori, Kyle and Karen already agreed, can't you as well?"

"That's because those three are idiots," Estile huffed. "Unlike us you're too fragile. Becoming an Adventurer is too random. What happens if you meet a Dragon or an Archdevil? You'd die and I just can't let that happen! Couldn't you be like Hannah and Quoril and go open a bakery?"

"Please Estile, mum. You're overreacting," Callus kept his voice calm. "I'm no good as a cook or much else. What I am good at is what you and everyone else taught me. You said yourself I had talent for swordsmanship and magic. Isn't that why you let me train with you and why Karen taught me?"

Estile refused to budge, "That was to protect yourself, not go off to do the opposite."

The young man smiled warmly. Instead of being annoyed he seemed happy for the care she was showing. He kneeled to the ground and looked up at her, "Estile, Mercenary of the Ever-Garden. When you first found and brought me here I honestly thought I wouldn't have a future. I was only 4 but I can remember all I wanted was to let everything go and see my parents again. Instead I found a new family, one that I couldn't be more proud of."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere," Estile folded her arms.

"It's not flattery. You and the others became my parents and I found a new joy to living. All my life I wanted to do one thing and that was to help people like you helped me. Arvel used to read us stories about Heroes but more than anything that's what you are. Can't you let me carry out my dream to be like you?"

Her eye twitched as she began to crack under his earnest gaze. "Those stories aren't what it's really like," she spoke seriously. "There's more pain and suffering out there than you know. We-I just want to keep you away from that, to be happy."

"I know and that's exactly why I want to go out and be an Adventurer. I promise I'll send you letters and visit whenever I can and I swear I won't do anything I can't. If it's more than I can handle, the first one I'll talk to is you."

Estile blinked and with a heavy sigh she gestured, "Stand up."

"You'll let me go?" Callus rose excitedly.

"I didn't say that... but yes." She held the young man's hands tenderly, "Each and every one of you keep growing up and leaving."

"You didn't raise us to slouch around at home."

"Maybe I should have," with one last squeeze she let go. "I know the others already agreed and even if I tried to stop you now, you'd somehow do it anyway. Just please be careful. The closest town to register is Everdale. Don't let the other Adventurer's push you around and make sure to always look after your equipment. Spend your money wisely and-."