The Gray Tower (Being Rewritten as The Erstwhile Druid)

Chapter 16: Moonlight Sonata

Hours passed. Noelle sat miserably outside Luke's room, idly passing the time. I'll give him all the time in the world he needs. Luke's been through the worst of it. She swiped at her eyes with damp sleeves, eyes slightly swollen. Noelle knew that she looked like crap, but she didn't care. There were more pressing matters at hand.

This was a make or break moment for Luke. If he crumbled here, it would be like trying to scale Mount Everest with bare hands: impossible.

So she waited. And waited. And waited.

As light fell victim to the world's inevitable rotation, Noelle's consciousness began to embrace oblivion. She could feel herself nodding off, sleep an invincible enemy.

Or perhaps, not quite so invincible. The support behind her disappeared. She tumbled backwards, head smacking into the wood flooring with a sharp thud. Ow...

"Fancy meeting you here," Luke said, eyes red. "How long have you been there?"

Noelle looked straight up at the druid's face, catching a glimpse of the celing. "Just got here a second ago."

"Hm. That's fine I guess." Luke held out a hand, a yawn escaping his uncovered mouth. "Want to join me for a midnight stroll? It's pretty cramped here."

Does this mean he's okay? Noelle clasped his hand, using Luke's weight as leverage to stand. "Sure, why not? I could use a bit of fresh air, too."

The pair headed downstairs, making their way to the hearth. Warm air was a sharp contrast to the cold of Luke's room. Kneeling beside Silver — who was in her familiar spot beside the hearth — Luke whispered a few words. The wolf nodded, eyes shut tight.

"I'm leaving Silver here. She's a bit tired, so it'll be just the two of us," Luke said with a wink. "You're not getting nervous, are you?"

Noelle punched his shoulder playfully. "Who'd get nervous around you? It's not like this is a date or anything."

Luke said nothing, standing in place with a raised brow. "Not a date? But you've already accepted, Madam Noelle."

What? Noelled sputtered, a few drops of spit spraying Luke's face. "But, but, you never said it was a date."

Wiping his face, Luke grinned in reply. "True words. But I never said it wasn't a date."

Noelle groaned, brushing her hair behind her ears. "That's a technicality, and you know it."

"I never was much of an engineer," Luke said.

"I'm going to hit you," Noelle said.

"It was a joke, Noelle. A stroll is always better with some company. I'll be right back. There's something I'd like to talk with Alford about."

Luke left, disappearing into the kitchen with a wave.

Noelle looked around, heart heavy at the sight of refugees who'd taken shelter in the inn. The majority of them were players, though some were NPCs. Many held mugs of hot coffee in their hands, the heavenly aroma acting as a balm for their wounds. I know firsthand that not all wounds are physical.

Madeleine and Kaguya both slept at the same table, blankets spread aross tired shoulders as their heads lay on top. The girl had a smile splayed across her face, while the Japanese woman frowned. Both of them drooled, wet puddles pooling around their cheeks. Noelle stifled her laughter, for she didn't want to disturb the sleeping angels.

There will be so much to do tomorrow. We still need a leader, someone to rally the town. If that same invasion force hits us again, we'll be hardpressed to throw them back. We could call for help from Wateredge... but who's to say that they haven't been invaded like us? And Farkeep... we'll never make it in time. The only one who'll be able to save us is... ourselves, Noelle thought.