The gateway to the Mortal Plane was like a glowing white sheet hanging in the air, faded at the edges and rippling like water in a breeze. “This will take each of you wherever you wish to go,” Zavos explained.

“Where to?” Vivyka asked Korin. “I’d like to learn more about your people, get to know your family.”

He took her hand and kissed it, as if to say thanks. “You will,” he promised. “But for now, I would like to return with you to Brunya City, to speak with Cael, if you do not mind.”

“Not at all.”

“Good. I would also like to see more of you in your normal habitat,” he added with a smirk and she laughed softly.

Matt shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“He likes wild things,” Vivyka told Matt, smiling happily and leaning into Korin as he put an arm around her.

Matt just smiled and didn’t comment.

When they were all decided on where to go, the city appeared through the portal, faded like on the other side of a foggy window. One by one, they walked through and stepped out onto Pine Street in Brunya City, just in front of Falcon and Cael’s homes. It was mid-morning and sunny, but the autumn air had a crispness to it.

They stood there for a few minutes, adjusting to the Mortal Plane. Especially Matt as that constant pain returned, as he knew it would. But he took a deep breath and put it away, he was content to deal with it now.

“Come on,” Vivyka said to Korin. “I want to introduce you to some little friends of mine.”

He smiled. “I would like that.”

“Later guys,” Vivyka said. “Glad you’re back to normal Sera.”

‘Thank you both for everything,” Sera replied. “Come over for dinner tonight.”

Vivyka nodded and took Korin’s hand, leading him toward the orphanage.

Tess and Ayden stopped before their house and turned to Sera. “See you tonight,” Tess said.

Sera smiled. “You were both amazing.”

Tess grinned. “Yeah, we know.” She chuckled, but then said seriously. “So were you, as always.”

Before they could get to Sera’s house, as if he had the psychic powers of the fairies, Gavin came running outside. “You’re back!” he yelled. He let Tess hug him first and Ayden mess his hair, then bolted for Matt. He stopped half way, remembering that he wasn’t supposed to run at him, but Matt grinned and opened his arms. Gavin ran into his embrace, smiling widely when Matt picked him up and hugged him.

“Good thing you didn’t miss me, Creepy,” Matt teased.

“Did you fight trolls?” Gavin asked excitedly.

Matt laughed. “Yeah.”

“And you got to the god place?”

“Yes. See her hair?”

Gavin looked at Sera. “Cool. I like it better that way.”

Matt nodded. “Me too. She looks like an angel.”

“Did you see real angels?”

“Yes, but Sera’s prettier.”

Gavin smiled. “Duh, Sera’s prettier than anyone,” he said as if it were just a fact.

“I definitely agree with that.”

Sera laughed softly. “Stop.”

“Did you see any cool insects?” Gavin wanted to know.

“Golden butterflies,” Matt answered.

“Awesome! Did you catch any?”

“No, they were on the Plane of Light, and I didn’t think taking things from there would be a good idea.”

“Yeah,” Gavin agreed, disappointed. “Well, maybe you can come bug hunting with me sometime.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“We’ll see you later,” Sera cut in before the boy could ask anymore questions. “You can come over for dinner.”

“Okay,” Gavin said easily as Matt set him down. “Bye Matt.”

“Bye,” he replied, then chuckled as he ran off. “Funny kid.”

“He likes you. It’s cute.” Sera smiled as they walked next door. “Mom? Dad?” Sera called. They weren’t home. She shrugged, as she went to sit on the couch in the living room and sighed. “Feels good to be home.”

Matt joined her and pulled out his silver case. “Mm-hmm,” he agreed as he lit a cigarette. “So are you going to tell me what Aryst said to you?”

Sera grinned. “Yeah, guess I forgot last night.”

“Some things are more important,” he said, grinning back.

“Yeah,” she agreed with a happy sigh and a heated look.

He shook his head at her. “Knock it off before I take you upstairs and you never tell me.”

She laughed softly. “Mmm, I like that idea.”

He took a drag of his cigarette and smiled. “First, tell me what she said.” When she bit her lip, hesitating, he frowned. “Is it bad?”

“No, not bad at all,” she assured. “I just don’t know if you want to hear it yet.”

He rolled his eyes. “Just tell me.”

“Well…” she said slowly. “She asked if I wanted our son to be preordained.”

His face fell and he almost dropped his cigarette, he fumbled with it for a second then caught it. It took him a minute to make any sound come out. “Our… you’re…”

“No,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “Not yet.”

He was silent for a long time, taking it in as he smoked the rest of his cigarette. He had never even thought about having a kid before. Honestly, the thought terrified him. He took a deep breath before turning sideways to really study her for a minute.

“You… want that?” he asked, his voice was quiet, calm, but very unsure. He put out his cigarette just to light another one.

“Yes.”

He nodded slowly, not really knowing what to think, he just felt a huge knot in his stomach. He thought of Gavin and he realized that somewhere inside him, behind the fear, the idea wasn’t so bad. “So…” He swallowed. “We’ll… have a son?” It felt surreal to say it out loud.

“Our first will be a boy.”

The knot tightened. “First?”

She laughed softly and put a hand on his. “Don’t worry, its okay. Nothing will happen until you’re ready. There’s plenty of time. Right now, it’s just you and me. Plus, we might want to get married first and get a home of our own.”

Marriage? Home? Kids? His head spun.

“Matt, breathe, there’s no hurry,” she told him gently.

He raked a hand through his hair and forced himself to take a deep breath. He smoked the rest of his cigarette while he considered everything. He didn’t even know why he was reacting this way. Spending the rest of his life with Sera wasn’t a question, he never wanted to be parted from her, and so marriage was the natural thing. A home of their own was also just as obvious. Okay, he could deal with those. Kids though… he worked on keeping his breathing regular.

“I can see you with a child,” he said quietly after awhile. “I can see the house and the whole thing.” He shook his head. “But trying to put myself into that… family picture… it just doesn’t work.”

She gazed at him with that confident, adoring look; the one that said that she believed he could do anything. “When I see you with Gavin, or with that little girl in Snowy Pine. I can see it. Someday you’ll be a wonderful father. Our son will be so much of you, the chance for part of you to live again, to have the life that you should have had. And I know you’ll do everything you can to make sure he has all the love and care that he needs to grow into a good man.”

A very small smile broke through. She had so much faith in him. Her words caused a stirring in his chest, a hope, that maybe she was right. She usually was. And, after all, she would be there with him. She would make sure it was okay, she always did. After a long silence, he finally nodded. “Okay.”

She kissed him, soft and sweet and filled with emotion. “We’ll just take it one step at a time,” she told him happily.

He nodded again as he leaned against the back of the sofa and lit yet another cigarette. “What’s first?”

“Well, I need to get back to the temple. I hope you don’t mind living in Chendal. Aryst’s true temple is there. Someday, when I’m the high priestess, I’ll have to be there.”

“Okay,” he said easily. “I’m fine with that, but only if it’s not on a boat.”

She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I’d never live on a boat. They kind of… well, scare me a little. They’re all wobbly and… I just don’t like them. I like my feet on the ground, thanks.”

“Don’t like them either,” he admitted.

“Boats are out then,” she said with a smile. “But I think a house just outside of town would do nicely.”

A sudden thought struck him and he frowned. “I’m going to have to get a job, aren’t I?”

She burst out laughing and leaned against him, burying her face in his arm.

“I don’t see how this is funny,” he grumbled. “You’re making me… domestic.” He said it like it was a dirty word.

“Don’t worry,” she said in between giggles, “I’ll do the cooking and cleaning.”

“Glad you’re finding this so amusing. You see how much I love you?” he asked when she sat up again and looked at him. “Marriage, home… kids. You see what you’ve done to me?” He rolled his eyes dramatically.

“Would you have it another way?”

“No,” he answered sincerely. “Being with you is the only life for me.”

She smiled and leaned close to kiss him sweetly.

When she sat back, he sighed heavily. “A job though,” he muttered. “Is there one where I can just beat people up, maybe kill some monsters?”

She shrugged. “You could join the Fighters Guild, be part of the guard.”

“And take orders?” he complained.

“You took orders when you served Malluk,” she pointed out.

“But I liked them… at the time,” he said, sounding uncharacteristically like a pouting child. “Besides, I only did jobs when I felt like it and if only I liked the job.”

“Maybe you’ll like the guild’s orders.”

“Maybe,” he conceded with another sigh.

“You know, Chendal has a pretty high crime rate,” she told him.

“Hmm,” he said, starting to look a little interested. “That could be promising.”

She smiled at him. “It’d also be a way to do some good.”

He considered that for a moment. “Guess it would.”

—————

That night, they all sat around the dining room table. Tess took a second helping of roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, once again passing on the peas. She looked around at her family, before she announced, “So, Ayd and I are leaving.”

“You haven’t even been back a full day,” Julia protested.

Tess shrugged. “There’s adventure to be had, Mom.”

Julia glanced across the table at a smiling Cael. “She gets it from you.”

He chuckled. “We are wanders by nature.”

Julia shook her head. “When are you going?”

Tess raised a brow at Ayden. “Tomorrow or do you want a few days?”

“Day after tomorrow. I wanna see my dad,” he said. She frowned but said nothing for now while he looked down at his food.

“Did you even tell him you were leaving?” Matt asked.

“Yeah, every day for ten years,” Ayden answered. “She just needs to tell me when to pack our bags.”

“Don’t you at least want to relax at home for few days first?” Vivyka asked. “I mean we just got back from an adventure.”

“The road is our home,” Tess said with a shrug. “We’ll relax there.”

“Do you ever plan on settling down?” Korin wondered.

“Of course.”

Ayden smiled. “When we’re too old to kick ass,” he finished. She nodded and smiled back.

“Just stay away from the Matt types this time,” Vivyka half-joked.

“You know it’s funny,” Tess said, suddenly serious. “The first time we went on a quest, I thought I screwed up horribly.” She gave Ayden a don’t stay it look. “But everything has turned out good.”

“Destiny,” Korin said simply.

Tess just shrugged.

Sera sighed dramatically. “Oh, darn. Guess me brushing up on Presbelic will just have to wait.”

“Sorry,” Ayden told her and she just laughed softly.

“So, what are you gonna do, Matt?” Tess asked. “Now that Sera’s gonna be busy again at the temple?”

“Actually, I think I’ll see about joining the Fighters Guild in Chendal.”

Falcon smiled. “Glad to hear it. Shame you won’t be here though.”

Matt nodded. “Do all the guards have to wear that stupid armor?”

Falcon laughed. “Yes. But you might consider being a guild mercenary.”

“What’s that?” Matt asked, wondering if it was the same as Malluk’s mercenaries, the job he used to have.

“Well, we have people that do odd jobs for us,” Falcon explained. “They’re experienced fighters that might be asked to do things like clear out a goblin camp, or track down a problematic thug, things that would take the guard out of town and away from the their usual duties. They are also called into action if there’s some crisis that needs every man available.” He chuckled and added, “And they get to wear whatever they want.”

Matt grinned. “Perfect.”

“I can set it up for you. Just report to Captain Derek Carter when you get there.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Falcon nodded.

“When are you leaving for Chendal?” Cael asked.

“Whenever Matt’s ready,” Sera answered.

“Whenever you want, Angel,” he said easily.

“Dad can we go to Chendal?” Gavin asked, and everyone laughed.