Chương 65: 65 (Book 1 Final). Couplets

65. Couplets The 3rd day of the month of the Lotus. Jordan woke with an awful hangover. Which was saying something, considering he'd woken up inside the city barracks. Last night, someone had smuggled in a jar of liquor from gods knew where. And the whole platoon had passed it around after curfew, all while trying and failing to keep their voices down. It had, of course, been a farewell party. Throughout the night, the Gym Rats' fearless leader had about fifteen cups forced down his gullet by various stakeholders.

The speeches were touching, the handshakes (since adopted by everyone in the platoon) firm and bruising. Things inevitably got loud, and dangerously so. Yet, strangely enough, no sentries ever came knocking. Could it be that an order had come down from on high to relax the patrols, just for an hour or two? It'd been a night to remember. Jordan only wished he could've taken a photo for a keepsake, but that would require finding a way to recharge his phone. Perhaps a side quest to keep on the back burner.

For now though, he wanted to focus on his main quest. To that end, he woke up at the crack of dawn despite nursing a hangover. Then, while the rest of the platoon slept, he and Pewter Sapling stole out of the dormitory to ready for departure.

"Did you see the way Taison was bawling his eyes out last night?" Pewter asked in a whisper as the two of them huddled next to the gate.

"I never expected that from him; he's just always so even-keeled."

"It's the ones who keep a tight lid on their emotions," Jordan noted, thinking back to his most recent experience of communing with the Tempest Gate, "that have a lot to give when they are let loose. And let's not bring up that stuff just yet, eh? You're making me lose my resolve." He had to look away as he said this last part. He then brushed his eyes before turning back to the task at hand. That of modifying the Heavenly Cauldron into a portable object.

"Right. So, how are we doing this?"

"Leave it to me, Jordan. Should be but a moment." PEWTER SAPLING cast: Harness. Pewter's Gourd of Tenacity glowed pink for but a moment. The rope in the Tetherer's hands unfurled to wrap around the cauldron several times in quick succession. When the spell was over, the cauldron had itself a literal [Harness], complete with cotton padding for the back and a pair of adjustable straps for the shoulders.

"Holy shit," Jordan murmured appreciatively, "it really is like a backpack!"

"Try it on!" Pewter sounded excited enough for the both of them. Jordan did. Though he immediately ran into the difficulty of lifting the cauldron off the floor and maneuvering it onto his back. After some trial and error, he settled on a two-step technique of first hoisting the cauldron onto one thigh before swinging it around toward the opposite shoulder. It sat perfectly. All 496—scratch that, 248 —pounds of it.

Tetherer Pewter had even fashioned a pair of horizontal straps to hook across the chest and waist for extra stability. Jordan then took it for a 'test drive' around the courtyard. Walking, jogging, full-on sprinting. He even tried jumping a few times with the cauldron on his back. No problem. Everything felt snug and very much manageable. Encumbrance: 9. 0/270 lbs -> 257. 0/270 lbs The load was well within the encumbrance limit, with 13 more lbs to spare for additional items, equipment, etc.

Jordan expected to receive more [Blessings] in the future, so there would be even more where that came from. He turned to Pewter with an ear-to-ear grin, now feeling wide awake despite the hangover.

"This is perfect, Pewter! You really outdid yourself!"

"Don't mention it. Now, let's leave before Ranger Catchgrain changes his mind." Jordan knew there was little worry of that ever happening. But he also shared Pewter's eagerness to get going. As the pair stepped out of the city barracks gate for the last time, Jordan consulted his trusty [Map].

"Hmm. I was hoping there would be that ink smudge again to point me to the next destination."

"Don't lose heart, Jordan. It just means that our adventure is a blank scroll!" Jordan had to smile at this. He knew he'd done the right thing by inviting Pewter to join his permanent party. The Tetherer's boundless cheer would be a good counterbalance to the Gatekeeper's occasional downer tendencies.

"Let's just go into town first," he suggested, "buy up some supplies for the road." As the pair strolled through a city gradually waking up to the day, they also took the time to delve into the nitty-gritty of their coming journey.

"How many more people did you envision for the party?" Pewter asked.

"You've already told me about the Pathfinder who worked with you a few times. Are you looking to fold him in?"

"Foxhill? Nah, he's got his own thing going. Even if I wanted to, I don't think he's around. Last I heard, he was helping with resettling the refugees back to their homes."

"That's very noble of him," Pewter said with a solemn nod. Which only made Jordan laugh.

"Between you and me, I think he's only in it for the money. He told me, once he's raised enough funds, he plans on traveling all over Featherift. And maybe even further beyond if he ends up exhausting all leads."

"Oh? What is he in search of?"

"His heart's desire. Or something like that."

"… I see? Whatever it is, I hope he finds it." You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Me too, Pewter. Me too." The pair walked in companionable silence for a while. And then…

"What of the other party member?"

"Hm?"

"There was another, no? A young woman, as I understand it. Would she want to join our party?"

"Oh… her." Jordan felt his cheeks grow warm. He suddenly became uncomfortably aware of the cauldron's weight upon his back. He fiddled with the straps as he muttered,"Uh, yeah, I dunno. I guess I never thought to ask."

"Why, was she not good to work with?"

"No! N—no, it's not like that. I just…" Jordan scratched his chin as he searched for an appropriate explanation. He couldn't exactly say'I'm too scared to ask in case she says no', could he?

"… You ought to ask her, Jordan."

"Eh?"

"A momentary setback is infinitely preferable to a lifetime of regret. It's what made me join the army. It's what then made me decide to go on this adventure with you. It's… it's what I learned anew, every time I watched you take on all the extraordinary challenges of the last several months." Jordan slowed his steps to look at his friend, seeing him in a new light somehow, even after all that they'd been through already.

"You're right," he found himself murmuring. And then, louder, "You're right. Will you give me a moment, Pewter?"

"Take all the time you need, Jordan. The world isn't going away anytime soon." Jordan led them through the maze to the White Dragon House. He then had Pewter wait outside as he went in by himself. As it turned out, he'd walked in during the morning rush. The place was busier than he'd ever known it to be. He would've made a beeline for the basement, were it not for the throng of sleepy bodies in the way. Luckily, that was when Madam Thousand emerged from the crowd.

The tiny woman first looked up at Jordan in surprise, then gawked at the contraption on his back. Jordan gave a friendly wave in response, considerably more sober than the last time he'd tried the same thing. And to this, Madam Thousand let out a heavy sigh.

"So… you came, after all." Jordan froze. He didn't understand. Was that… pity he heard in her voice?

"Well, I suppose there's nothing for it. Here, she left you this." A letterlocked piece of paper. Just like the one that made Jordan's heart leap with joy this time only yesterday. Except today, his heart felt like a leaden weight ramming against his chest. He took the paper wordlessly. He then hesitated for an interminable moment before unfolding it. To my esteemed friend Jordan Yu, May Zhurong condemn my cowardice, for not telling you all this directly when I had the chance.

If you're reading this, it's because you've come to call on me again. Perhaps to invite me to another one of your adventures? I'm endlessly grateful that you would think of me, and I so dearly wish to reciprocate. But, for reasons I'm not at liberty to discuss, I can't. It should come as no surprise to you that I haven't been entirely truthful about who I am. At first, this secrecy between us was no obstacle to our working together in a party. To our companionship.

But as that companionship began to take on different meanings—and as you yourself discovered the shape and purpose of your journey—I had no choice but to face the truth. Jordan Yu. I cannot be the loyal, dependable companion you need me to be. For I am bound to fates and callings greater than myself. I would have loved nothing more than to accompany you on your extraordinary journey—to Chronicle the tale of the Voidcrosser and the Nine Cauldrons that gate his ascension. But I must leave you at the First Gate …

for fear that I'd only hinder your path to the Second, the Third, and beyond. Perhaps that is unfair. To frame my cowardice as a selfless act in your interest. And if you should scorn me for it, I can offer no words in my defense. I only hope that you can find it in you to believe me. That I really have no other choice. If you've read this far and haven't torn the letter to pieces, indulge me this one last piece of advice. Namely, I would suggest that you choose the province of Leafell as your next destination.

Based on correspondence with my contacts there, I believe there's a strong possibility of the 'next' cauldron to be located in that region. Remember to frequently consult [Rampart's Map] to corroborate any leads, including this one. Finally … I'd like to correct a negligence on my part. The last time you paid for my transcription service, I forgot to give you the finished product. Here it is, with apologies for the long delay. Well … half of it, anyway.

The other half I've decided to hold onto for entirely selfish reasons. Pray do not pry into what those reasons might be. Forgive me if you find the partial delivery unsatisfactory. I did, however, remember to sign it like you asked me to. Fate weaves magic into our bond most mundane, Not in a hundred years will my fondness wane. Canyon of Amber Lake Jordan stared unseeingly at the words on the page. For how long? He'd lost track of time. He didn't even notice when he'd sat down at some point.

By the time he became aware of his surroundings again, the crowd inside the teahouse had thinned considerably. Someone had set down a teacup in front of him, which had long lost its steam. Jordan stood up. Turned and left without a word. Outside, he found Pewter sat against the nearest wall, sleeping off his own hangover.

"J—Jordan?" The Tetherer shot to his feet and looked about with bleary eyes.

"Jordan and… oh, it's just you. But that means…" The man trailed off, and had the grace to leave it at that. Jordan clapped his best friend on the shoulder, more grateful than ever for his presence.

"Let's go," he said with as much certainty as he could muster.

"Alright, if you say so. Have you an idea as to which direction?"

"Yeah, I think so," Jordan said… then decided to seek corroboration for his lead. He spread open [Rampart's Map of Stormvast] and, sure enough, he saw it. A new ink smudge had appeared, now pointing in a roughly easterly direction from Featherift City. He could only assume that it was guiding him toward the province of Leafell. He thought about taking the Highroad—wondered how much it would cost to travel directly from city to city. He then thought better of it.

After all, he was now well and truly a free denizen of Stormvast. He had a long road ahead of him, but what was stopping him from smelling the peonies along the way? After all, the world wasn't going away anytime soon.

"Let's go, Pewter," he said again, this time with as much certainty as he actually felt. He tightened the straps to resecure the Heavenly Cauldron, then set off. To the thrills and spills of the road. To the many more lives he would touch and that would move him in turn. To adventure.

End of Gate One: Tempest Stay tuned for Gate Two: Requiem