Cyber

Separate Ways

We had the dragon drop us off in the woods near the town where this all began, simply named Outset, so that we didn't bring a bunch of attention to the fact we came in on a dragon, or flying by our self in my case.

I explained that we had returned here for them to go house hunting. Since the dragons had adopted them as masters, they had automatically taken on the beast tamer perk, which would allow them the option to tame any beast below their level to take on as a pet. However having more than one pet means that they need a home that meets the housing needs of each pet. In other words, they needed a house to make use of their new perk.

The cheapest houses were all either out in the middle of nowhere, or in Outset. They weren't the best, but they would suffice until my friends could afford something better.

I took them too the residential district, and to the local real estate office. It didn't take long to get a few potential options for each of them, and before the day was over, both Scalina and Galex had a home.

Scalina had taken a simple, homey feeling, red brick house, near a coffee shop, with a small yard and stables. Something told me she would be investing in mounts.

Galex, on the other hard, took a more sleek house. It was a steel and glass two story, with its own "lawn" on the roof. It was surprisingly man-cave-ish despite the light openness. It wasn't really my taste, but it was OK, and everyone else loved it.

After the sales were finalized and my friends lamented over their now deflated wallets, we hit the local tavern for some drinks and relaxation after a hard week of travel.

The bartender gave us our drinks and put it all on my tab. We laughed and drank and relaxed for a while, but the thoughts of what I was about to do loomed in the back of my mind.

Scalina was rambling something about her archery skill when I finally did it. Both Galex and Scalina froze when the party dissolution notice appeared.

Galex seemed totally shocked, unable to compute what was happening, while Scalina went through about 1,000 different emotions in a second.

"Why?" The hurt and anger and confusion were heavy in Scalina's voice.

"Because I have taught you all you need to know. And to keep you with me would be selfish, and dangerous." I tried not to let my own hurt come through. "You are my friends and I can't bring myself to take you into constant danger."

Galex spoke up, "but anything we can't handle, you can handle!"

I smiled sadly. "I am a player Galex, not a god. I have my limits. And should something exceed my limits, I don't want you there to suffer."

Scalina was just angry now. "You could have at least told us before that you were gonna dissolve the party!"

"I'm sorry." I guess that I let my true feelings go. Because both Galex and Scalina immediately looked ashamed.

Scalina gave me a hug, something that I never expected her to do. "We understand," she whispered. "Just promise that you will come around to visit."

I smiled, "I will." I returned her hug gently, half afraid she would stab me in the back. "But before I go there is one more thing I need to tell you."

Scalina pulled away and looked at me expectantly, and Galex looked ready for whatever wisdom I had to impart on them.

"Soon, in the next few days, guilds will start to form. There will be 4, one for each basic class, and trust me, you want to join. Staying solo is tough, because you have to take on things of lower level than you, otherwise you will likely die. Small parties work, but a little argument can leave you alone in bad situations. And remember to train, hone your skills. There are other players who have already reached level 10, but they did it by hours of grinding through low level creatures, not honing any actual skill or strategy or tactical thought. On the surface they appear powerful, but in reality they are almost worthless. The leaders of these guilds will see that. You will advance quickly in your respective guilds, so long as you do what you must to succeed."

I paused and thought for a second, then continued, "please, let me know how you guys are doing OK? I will be doing my own quests, but I still want to keep in touch."

Galex nodded vigorously, "of course Beta!"

Scalina smiled, "every day."

With that I smiled, bought another round of drinks, and let the fun continue. I left while they were distracted with an impromptu bout of singing something about a happy ghost.

The weather reflected the mood in the bar, happy and fun. It was a warm, slightly breezy night with not a cloud in the sky.

A beautiful night, a fitting end for a new beginning.

Hey, I know guys, its a short one, but never fear, longer ones are coming soon!