I really didn't want to be here, but one of us had to report back.
"Greetings Radimus." The words just didn't feel right.
"Greetings to you as well. How long since you got back?"
"Nearly a week sir. Two since we left the Island."
"It took you that long to get back to us? Perilous place indeed."
"You wouldn't believe the half of it sir."
"Wouldn't I? I've done several expeditions myself, so I may know more than you think."
"Perhaps."
"So, anything to say?"
I handed him eight journals.
"So few?"
"It would have been six sir, but the other two didn't want to keep them."
"Then should it not be 10?"
"David and I wanted ... wanted to keep our copies."
Radimus took only a moment to consider my 'request' and nod his head as if he was allowing it. "Why only this many made it back? How many did we lose?"
"Sixteen sir ... " I paused "in truth, eighteen."
"Oh?"
"One, he's in no condition to do any sort of adventuring again. The other ... she ... last I saw her, she was headed to one of the nunneries or just away. She didn't say much."
"I see. And what of you two?"
"David I think also needed some time. Knowing him, he's probably off doing something safer, like fighting an army of trolls or swimming in lava."
"And you?"
"I needed a chance to think myself sir, and where or what I wanted. Didn't take long for me to realize that doing this ... things like this ... as tough as they are ... as difficult as they get ... in time ... this saves lives, helps others. I guess that is why I took this path. Why I went. Probably, even why I am still here."
Radimus started to smile, but I didn't have enough in me today to smile back.
YOU ARE READING
Storm Island Expedition
FantasiA fantasy/fan-fiction from the world of Runescape and the Tales From a Guild Member collection. The storms and monsters that ravaged the Wushanko Isles had cleared, allowing for exploration and trade to once again go out. Adventurers of all sorts w...
