Drake Helkar's Point of View
I passed my Augury, but... What did you do, Zoe? What did you do to change the final result? Those were the questions that kept circling in my head.
That night, after returning home both confused and furious, I tried to appear calm, but unable to control my questions, I had to ask Zoe directly what had happened.
"Zoe, what happened down there?" Those were my exact words, but my sister, smiling, just avoided answering, making me even more doubtful.
Wait, why is she smiling?
After similar questions, she decided to lie to me, to keep me *"calm"*—so to speak—saying they had only come to an agreement with our parents, that if she accompanied me on my whole journey, I would be allowed to pass my Augury.
Not satisfied with her answer, I wanted to press further, but Zoe changed the subject to something that made me forget about it for the moment.
"By the way, Drake, I know you said that since you were little, your dream was to travel the world, but after seeing how upset you were when you found out you wouldn't be able to for the next few years, I feel like that's not the only reason." She asked curiously, raising one of her eyebrows to put pressure on me.
"Uh... y-you're wrong, that is the truth!" I replied nervously, looking to the side to avoid looking directly at her.
"I know you're lying, but if after all this you still don't trust me, it's okay." She insisted with a trembling voice, closing her eyes and putting on a pained expression, waiting for me to tell her my true intentions.
Ahh! What should I do? I thought, before taking a deep breath to calm myself. I think telling her part of the truth is a fair deal—after all, she went to impossible lengths for me.
"Alright, alright, don't be like that, I'll tell you the real reason." I said awkwardly.
Being careful with my words, I started to tell her the real purpose of my journey, leaving out several parts like Bernal's instructions, among other things. In the end, I told her I wanted to travel across the world to collect Bernal's Fragments, which made Zoe's expression suddenly change.
"Wait, did you say Bernal?" She asked, confused, making me wonder if I'd said something I shouldn't have.
"Ah... yeah, the Dragon God Bernal?" I replied hesitantly, waiting for Zoe's reaction.
"The Dragon God Bernal? How do you know that's his name? In all the documents and records I read, there's no mention of his name."
Ugh, me and my big mouth. I thought, conflicted, before trying to find a way out.
"Y-you're right, but I-I heard someone call him that in Birton." I answered, quickly glancing around, which only made Zoe more suspicious.
"Mmmm... Alright, I won't insist, but you have to tell me the truth in the future." She said, closing the topic.
After that uncomfortable moment for me, I explained to Zoe that I wanted to collect all of Bernal's fragments because in the visions I had, that's what I did—so I was curious to see what would happen if I gathered them all.
Satisfied with my answer, Zoe said she'd help me find them, showing strong commitment in her words before we said goodnight and went to sleep.
Wow, my sister really is incredible. I still can't believe Kadian hurt her. I thought angrily to myself, as I finished lying down in bed. It's one thing to scold or punish her, but to hit her until she's wounded...
With that feeling, the days separating our parents' departure to the Kingdom of Clifland had come to an end, and after 35 years, we were finally parting ways.
…
It was late, but the sun still hadn't started to set when the day before our parents' departure arrived.
"By my words, as head of the Helkar family, I declare that you, Drake Helkar, have successfully passed your Augury, proving that you are ready to be an Adult among our race." Those were the words Kadian said with my mother and sister standing beside me. "Therefore, as a symbol of your ascent, I give you this rune, which will activate and imprint onto your skin once you decipher it."
What? I thought you could only obtain a rune on your own, not from objects like this. I thought to myself, grabbing a stone that looked like a piece of stalactite with a crystal in the middle. If I manage to decipher it, this would be the first rune I'd have.
Excited about the gift, my thoughts went back to the final part of my Ascent with my mother's words.
"Also, remember that the house is already sold, so it's likely someone will come to claim it in one or two weeks, so try not to stay beyond that time." Irisha said, stepping away from us to pick up a medium-sized bag from the ground.
"We will, actually we were planning to leave the day after tomorrow." Zoe replied, until my mother came back over and handed her that bag, which, when opened, revealed many coins from the Kingdom of Flok—coins that looked like white quartz tokens.
"This is the money they paid for the house, keep it for your journey." Irisha continued, making my sister happy as she received and stored them.
Yes! With that amount we're covered for at least 3 years! I thought, excited to know that our financial problems were solved—or at least, for now.
With calmer feelings in the family, we celebrated that night, eating, laughing, and having fun together until the day of our farewell finally arrived.
The next morning, Zoe was finishing helping Irisha arrange some things onto Ness's back, while Kadian checked that everything was in order with Mork.
I still think it would've been awesome to travel on Mork or Ness. I thought, disappointed, watching how the mode of transport I liked most in both my lives was getting ready to go somewhere without me. But oh well... I understand Kadian's reasons.
I had proposed to my parents that I take one of the family dragons to speed up my journey north, but after a short conversation, they refused, since red dragons like Mork or Ness were rare in this part of the world. In the end, I couldn't convince them because they'd draw too much attention—which was exactly what my parents wanted to avoid.
Feeling a little sad, I went inside the house and walked through the halls, noticing how everything felt different, even though most of the furniture was still in place. I still can't believe my time here is coming to an end.
With Zoe's help and mine, it didn't take long for our parents to be completely ready.
"I'll miss you." My mother said through tears, hugging me tightly before giving me a kiss on the forehead. "Now I leave her in your care." She continued softly, before giving Zoe a strong hug.
"Travel safely, and remember not to lose the transmitter." My father said from a distance, making me look at the ring he had given me yesterday during the celebration. Nodding in response, Kadian smiled before climbing onto Mork's back.
With good wishes for us, my mother followed him, mounting Ness, and finally, both of them looked at us with a smile as they rose into the air.
Truly... truly...
Unable to hold back, a few tears escaped our eyes as we silently watched them disappear over the horizon.
I'll miss you.
…
With that farewell, Zoe gave me a light hug, signaling me to come inside so we could finish getting ready.
"Have you finished mapping the route to Skipton?" Zoe asked softly once we were inside the house.
"Uhmm... to be honest, not yet." I replied with an apologetic look. "But once I finish packing my things, I'll get to it!"
Zoe, looking at me like I was being careless, burst out laughing before saying she'd help me after making a snack.
It's kind of strange, but ever since Zoe came back from that night, she's been in a really good mood—more than usual, even.
Trying once again to guess what had happened there, I climbed the stairs until I saw my parents' bedroom door. When I entered, their bed was still there, along with several of their belongings.
Feeling nostalgic, I began remembering many things I'd experienced with them as I walked around their room.
Irisha, so gentle, loving, and powerful, she stole my heart the first day I saw her. That feeling eventually became the kind of love all children have for the woman who gave them life. I thought foolishly. Something I'll always be grateful for is that, despite how busy she was with work, she always found time for her family. That helped me a lot to adjust to this world. She was also the one who taught me the demonic language and the culture of Alister, the country of demons.
Turning around, I saw the symbol of the Dragon God on one side of the bed, making my expression slowly change.
Kadian, despite his cold and distant way of being, always cared for us. He always protected us and provided everything we needed. I thought, until the image of my wounded sister lying on the ground crossed my mind again. But... he also makes mistakes, mistakes I'll never make.
Leaving their room, I clenched my fists, overwhelmed by my emotions, until I calmed down upon reaching mine, where I continued packing for the journey.
…
Thanks to Zoe, we managed to map out our entire route to Skipton that very night, and after some complex calculations, we concluded the trip would take us around 880 days—something that didn't surprise me all that much.
Wow, and to think I complained about the 200 days it took to get here when I first arrived in this world. I thought, remembering those distant moments.
The planet I had arrived on was vastly different from Earth. After more than 35 years, I came to understand that this was truly a Mega-Earth—a planet at least 50 times bigger than Earth. With that size, many things I used to consider normal had changed, like the passage of days, weeks, and years, not to mention the geography, which looked nothing like what I used to know. Even now, it continues to amaze me.
Well, if it's 880 days, that means it'll be about three-quarters of a year, which seems reasonable to me. I thought, looking at the map on my desk.
"All right, now that we've set everything, we should get at least two hours of sleep before leaving." Zoe said as she saw me deep in thought.
"Y-yeah, you're right." I answered, shaking my head.
…
A few hours later, we woke up to the intense sun rising over the mountains. Grabbing our two backpacks, we stood in the garden of the house before setting off.
Damn, since when did saying goodbye become so hard? I asked myself, looking one last time at the house that had watched me grow all these years, finally setting off on my long-awaited journey with Zoe in the lead.
For this journey, Zoe and I had agreed on a few things—we needed to be clear on some points before traveling together, which pleased us both.
First, since it was my journey, I'd have the final say in the most important decisions.
Second, Zoe would manage the finances, as well as give me guidance, advice, and support to help me avoid making bad decisions. I committed to always listening to her perspective.
And third, we'd take turns taking the lead and keeping an eye out for any dangers on the road, starting with Zoe, who'd lead until we reached the city of Brumenwent.
It's true... From this point on, a new chapter in my life begins. I thought with a smile as I carried my medium-sized backpack down the road toward Birton.
After walking for over three hours, we reached the northern side of Birton, where the wagons heading to other cities gathered.
Walking through the crowd, Zoe approached one of the three boarding areas that said they were going to Brumenwent. There, beside a tent that looked like the ones used by street vendors in my old world, stood an older human woman.
As we got closer, my sister began speaking to her in the world language, which was used for work, trade, or interactions with people you didn't know—unlike the other, more cultural languages. This had been established almost a millennium ago.
"For both of you, the fare to Brumenwent will be 2400 Sunaris, with two meals a day." The woman said, eyeing us with one open eye while keeping her arms crossed, showing she wasn't very interested in us.
2400 Sunaris…. I said thoughtfully in my head. The Suna, or more commonly known as Sunaris, are the currency of the kingdom of Flok, made from different types of quartz.
After doing many calculations years ago, I had discovered that each Sunari was equivalent to half a dollar in his old world, something that makes this trip quite expensive if we didn't have the money our parents had given us.
Even though we have money, 2400 seems a bit expensive to me. I commented inwardly, before Zoe asked the vendor something else. "I see, and what's your arrival time?"
The lady, seeing that my sister wasn't scared by the price, opened her other eye, answering in a somewhat boastful tone. "I'm glad you ask, young lady, because our service is the fastest in all of Birton, and a trip there will take only 120 days."
120? That's like a month and a half. I think… I think it's fine for the cost. I mentioned in my head, before seeing how Zoe accepted and told her she wanted two tickets, showing four coins in her hand.
With the offer accepted, the lady suddenly turned friendly, casting a quick glance at our hands while searching for something in the only pocket of her large apron. After a few seconds of searching, she pulled out two silver rings, which had a beautiful pattern with a magical emerald stone in the center.
"Perfect! These will be for you." She said, showing them. "Please, come this way to record your information on them." She continued with a smile, heading inside her tent.
How quickly her attitude changed when she saw the money. I thought in my head.
Before I could move, Zoe stopped me with one of her hands, telling me it wasn't necessary for me to go, since she would give my information and settle a few details with the vendor.
Nodding, I stayed in the same place, watching as Zoe followed the lady.
Looking around, I saw the large number of people in this kind of terminal, moving from one side to another with their things, families, or alone. Feeling strange, I thought about the little interaction I had throughout my life in this world.
After a few minutes, Zoe returned, handing me the ring that served as the ticket, which fit perfectly on my index finger once I put it on my left hand.
"Be careful not to lose it, because if you do, we'll have to pay 700 Sunaris for each one." My sister said in a threatening tone.
Not knowing what else to do until our carriage departed at noon, Zoe mentioned going to drop off our things and then eating something inside, since the lady had mentioned that food was included in the price.
"Yeah, you're right, let's do that because I was already getting hungry. After all, we haven't eaten anything since yesterday's sandwich." I said, touching my belly.
As we approached the wooden carriage, it was sealed on all sides, except for a few small holes and a large door on one side.
Eh? Isn't it too small?
Our questionable method of travel was about 4 meters wide and 7 meters long, which made it look quite small for the long journey ahead.
Zoe mentioned that these carriages were our best option to start the trip, but….
As we approached the door, a person who looked like an adventurer stopped us, asking us to bring the ring the lady had given us close to a large emerald crystal he had with him.
Once it lit up, he let us through, surprising me with the magical technology this type of travel had.
I wonder how it works.
Upon opening the wooden door, my concern about the trip turned into awe and confusion, because the small size of the carriage had multiplied at least tenfold, now revealing a spacious dining area with 8 tables in the middle, stairs leading to a second floor, and several rooms.
B-but… what's going on here? I thought, confused, stepping away from the door only to find myself once again facing the small carriage I had seen before. Ahhh… Am I sick?
"Everything okay, Drake?" Zoe asked from inside, making me look at her for a second before turning back to look at the carriage, repeating it quickly several times, as if asking her with my eyes what was going on.
Zoe, understanding what I meant, didn't hesitate to come over and take my hand, pulling me out of the way because someone else wanted to pass behind me.
"Don't worry, I'll explain once we get to our room." She said, dragging me up to the second floor, where, after opening the door, I found a medium-sized room that had a wardrobe, a bed, and a medium window showing the outside landscape, as if we were truly inside the carriage.
Now I'm even more confused. I thought, feeling dizzy, until my sister explained how this means of transport worked. Apparently, they used space magic to turn the small space of a wooden carriage into a much larger one—a magic used in the creation of these carriages to optimize the long trips in this world.
I found out that these types of carriages were quite expensive, so only nobles, big merchants, or people dedicated to transporting others had them.
B-but… why don't we have one of these!? I asked, shocked, seeing how useful it was to have one.
"What? Why would we? We had Mork and Ness." Zoe replied, making me realize how silly my question was.
More excited than ever, I left my things on the floor next to Zoe's, and then we headed to the ground floor to eat. However, before we went down, Zoe locked our room with the silver ring we were given, activating a mechanism that made a faint sound.
"Alright, let's go." She said calmly, while I had a dumbfounded look on my face at what she had just done.
Downstairs, we sat at one of the free tables for four, since several others were taken by people of different races eating some kind of food.
With Zoe explaining more details about what was in the carriage, we heard a commotion coming from the main door, where a human man around 30 was demanding to be let in.
"It must be a mistake! I paid for my ticket!" He said loudly to the adventurer at the door.
With people watching him, he kept speaking, even though they had asked him to stay calm.
"Search carefully! I'm Markus Fleming!" He shouted, clearly nervous.
How noisy. I thought, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye, before returning to my conversation with Zoe.