Curselock

Chapter 232: Quest

A day after the party, the boys sat with their parents in a quiet, dusty inn.

“And that’s our plan,” Leland said, finishing up the explanations. “Well, it’s the plan for after we deal with Gelo and Floe.”

Why he was tasked with informing the parental group, he couldn’t answer. Besides, of course, the fact that his two best friends relinquished any hold they had over the “team leader” position of their group. In their own ways, Jude and Glenny had both expressed their contempt with speaking to people of power if the need ever arose. And since Leland did that almost on a daily basis, him being team leader made the most sense.

He hated them sometimes.

Their parents studied them for a long minute. What Leland had just explained was a game plan for getting back into the field. Touring the countryside, traveling toward the places of interest – those mainly being Tears. Particularly two Tears. One was a newly-ripped Tear out in the middle of nowhere, the other was weeks-old just off the coast of the continent.

After expressing his and the others’ desire to get back in on the action, Leland and Queen Sybil sat down together with Aunty P and discussed working for the kingdom.

“Against my advice, you and your friends will be granted a special title by order of the Queen,” Aunty P told Leland rather coldly before stealing a glance at her Queen. Sybil smiled greatly. “Vagrant Warden.”

Leland’s eyebrows shot up at that. The title, while not unheard of, was rather rare. Somewhat akin to a precursor for Inquisitor, those that held the title were recognized by the Crown to be diligent protectors. Often powerful adventurers held the rank, which, when he thought about it, was exactly what he was.

“Now then,” Aunty P continued after her niece and the boyfriend shared a hug, “the title comes with authority that is not to be abused. So help me Leland if I find out you—”

She shook herself, the anger falling away. Clearing her throat, she said, “Like I was saying. You hold authority over anyone lower than Knight.” She eyed the boy. “That’s Sergeant—”

“I know the ranks,” Leland interrupted again.

“Good. You do not outrank any Inquisitors—”

“Aunty, I think he gets it,” Sybil huffed, her tone somehow neutral but fiery at the same time.

The woman held up her hands. “I think this is stupid, but I hold no claim over you, boy.”

“Nor I over you,” he replied, which despite being the reverse of what Aunty P said to him, irritated her much more than it did him.

“Regardless, the Tears are growing— literally and figuratively. I have multiple teams out hunting for new ones, but because of that, my resources are spread thin. With that in mind, the Crown offers you—”

“I should warn you,” Leland interrupted a third time. “We cannot start on the Tear issue right away. We have some friends to help out first.”

Aunty P took a breath. “That is fine. The tears are not going anywhere. So, with that in mind, the Crown offers—"

“Oh Aunty, can I do it? I want to do it,” Sybil asked, almost bouncing in her chair despite sitting perfectly still.

Aunty P blinked twice. “Oh course, my Queen.”

She took a big breath, stood and held her hand out to her boyfriend. He took it and together they stared into each other’s eyes.

“Leland Silver, I, Queen Sybil Palemarrow, in the name of the Palemarrow Kingdom, offer you a quest. Two Tears need investigating, and as the kingdom’s newest Vagrant Wardens, your team has been chosen. The threat level is low, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be danger. Should you choose to accept, there will be rewards.”

Aunty P rolled her eyes.

Leland, however, watched on with a slightly agape mouth. “What kind of rewards?” he asked, which prompted Aunty P to groan.

“Those befitting a nation,” Sybil responded, their hands still clasped. “But I am a benevolent leader, I shall hear one request.”

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Smiling like a cat, he answered instantly, “Dinner. The two of us, the eve of my departure.”

Flicking between smiling and a neutral façade, Sybil didn’t respond right away. Instead she listened to the voices of her ancestors in her mind. They were bickering, but not for ill reasons.

“Hellloooo?” Leland asked after a good minute. “I asked you on a date. Do your mom and grandmothers need to discuss—”

Sybil leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “They were arguing about what I should wear. They, mostly, like you.”

“Mostly?”

Aunty P groaned again. “I’ve had enough of this.” She slid the paper reports about the two Tears to Leland. “Both Tears lead to the same world. Tentatively, it is being called ‘Alpha.’”

“Alpha?” Leland asked, after sharing a smile with his girlfriend. “Do the locals not have a name?”

“This world has no inhabitants so far. None have come through the Tears and the people we have sent in have not returned with news of people. Well, life really. There’s been no life found.”

“How many other Tears are there that lead to Alpha?”

“Within the Palemarrow Kingdom?” Aunty P asked, answering herself right away. “Six. Across the world, there have been twenty two located.”

“What’s inside?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Just mana and dirt.”

“What about the other worlds?” Leland asked.

Sybil answered this time. “The names for the other worlds have been contradicted. With the turtle people and warring races world, it is either called Twilight or Dawn. The mana-rich world is called various names, all of which have to do with trees.”

“Trees?”

“The world is a big tree, apparently. Arborea is how the nations of our world are referring to it.”

“Strange, but alright. Any other worlds?”

Aunty P stepped in. “We are receiving contradicting information on that as well. There are reports of Tears that open up to different worlds than these main three. But by the time investigators can get there and properly set up, they close.”

“Even more strange…”

And as the conversation dragged on, the plan solidified. After, of course, Leland conveyed all of this information to Glenny and Jude.

“Dude, I don’t care what we do. So long as we do something,” Glenny said.

“Floe first,” Jude added. “But I agree.”

“Right,” Leland tiredly said. “I have a plan for that, I think. Just need to confirm with a few Lords.”

Glenny sighed and handed a small sack of coins over to a smirking Jude. “Sucker,” Jude muttered.

Blinking at the exchange, Leland asked, “Did you two bet on if I had a plan?”

“No.” Glenny bitterly exhaled. “We bet on if you would say something along the lines of ‘get help’ from a Lord or Lords, ‘talk to’ a Lord or Lords, or even, ‘contract’ a Lord of Lords.”

Jude jumped in. “I bet you wouldn’t say any of those three and you’d say something more… ‘Leland.’”

“’Confirm’ is more me than ‘contract?’”

“It implies that you already have an idea so good, that you just need confirmation it will work even without a Lord’s interference. So yes, that is more Leland.”

“Oh, and you have to explain all of this to our parents,” Glenny quickly added.

And that set the evening. A great big family dinner where Leland mostly talked about the plan while each parent carefully listened.

And when it was all said and done, it was Spencer who spoke up first. “Sounds good. Let me know when you want a portal out of here.”

The boys slowly blinked. “That’s it?”

“What?” Spencer asked. “You expected us to say ‘no?’”

Jude coughed. “Is it bad we did?”

Diana smiled at her son. “Awe, my little sugar drop thinks he still needs mommy’s permission. How cute.”

“Sugar drop,” Glenny echoed quietly, a devilish smile on his face.

“Mom, please. Don’t call me that.”

“Then don’t act so sweet!”

Jude buried his face in his hands. “I’d like that portal right now, Mr Spencer.”

The parents all giggled at that.

“But seriously,” Leland said, cutting off the laughter. “None of you are going to try and stop us?”

“Or come with us,” Glenny quickly added.

Carmin answered. “No and no. You three are adults, you can make adult decisions. Just like you have been for the last year.”

“But look where that got us,” Leland quickly retorted. “I mean, it's not that I want you to—”

“Leland,” his mother called. “We can’t rule your life. Nor are we going to try.”

“Yeah, we know… we just expected more resistance, is all.”

Lucia nodded slowly. “As a collective, we’ve discussed barring you from exiting the city more than once. But we always have decided not to. The war here was dangerous and almost deadly, but that doesn’t mean we can decide things for you.”

“I’d like to add to that,” said Roy. “If you wish to stay safe, then we hold no judgment and will gladly accept your presence here.”

The parents nodded at that.

Leland and the other boys shared a look. He gave a shrug, which they quickly copied. “Okay,” he said, turning back to the parents. “We leave in three days and don’t expect to be back for at least two months.”