Chapter 26: Going Home and Additional Surprises
Personal System Calendar: Year 0009, Days 26-28 Month VIII: The Imperium
Imperial Calendar: Year 6854, 8th month, 26th to 28th Day
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Preparation
After nearly two weeks of staying in the Imperial capital, their expedition to the capital was finally coming to an end, now they are preparing for the journey home. The experience had transformed them in ways both obvious and subtle, expanding their understanding of what was possible in the world and their place within it.
The final days were spent purchasing items they deemed would make good gifts for the village, along with more functional equipment that would improve daily life for everyone back home. They acquired tools for their craftsmen: specialized implements for the builders, high-quality materials for the weapons and armor makers, and general tools that would serve various purposes throughout the community.
These were not ordinary items but rather premium goods from merchants recommended by the palace administration. The quality far exceeded anything available in nearby regions, representing years of accumulated Imperial craftsmanship expertise.
The logistics of shopping in a city as vast as Aethelgard presented unique challenges. The Imperial capital region encompassed an astonishing 41 million square kilometers out of the 70 million square kilometers comprising the entire western subcontinent of Arkanus. Simply traveling between the innermost tiered city sanctum where they were staying and the middle tiered city sanctum where most commerce occurred could take a few days.
To manage this efficiently, they had worked with a reputable merchant who maintained a detailed catalog of available goods. They could browse illustrated brochures showing various items with descriptions and prices, place orders, and have everything delivered directly to the palace. This was unusual service, normally such direct palace deliveries were reserved for noble houses or Imperial institutions, but their status as the Emperor's guests granted them access to conveniences typically beyond their station.
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A Secret Celebration
While most of the group was ostensibly focused on preparing for departure, several members were actually planning something else entirely: a surprise birthday celebration for August.
They had realized with some embarrassment that they had completely forgotten August's actual birthday the previous month. The 28th day of the seventh month had passed unnoticed, everyone too preoccupied with preparations for the journey to the capital to remember what should have been a significant occasion.
August would turn seventeen years and one month old on the 28th of this month, which happened to be their scheduled departure date. The timing was perfect for a delayed celebration, particularly since they were in the capital with access to luxuries unavailable in the village.
The planning had to be conducted secretly, which meant keeping August distracted. Angeline volunteered to accompany him on various errands throughout the city, ostensibly to help carry purchases but actually to keep him away while the others prepared.
August, naturally perceptive and trained to notice unusual behavior, sensed that something was happening but could not quite determine what. His companions were behaving strangely, speaking in hushed tones that stopped abruptly when he entered rooms, and exchanging significant glances when they thought he was not looking.
"Is something wrong?" he asked Angeline during one of their shopping expeditions.
She smiled with deliberate innocence. "Wrong? Why would anything be wrong? We are just excited about going home."
The answer was technically true but clearly not the complete truth. August decided not to press the issue. If his friends were planning something, they would reveal it in their own time.
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The Surprise
On the morning of the 28th, August woke earlier than usual, his internal clock attuned to rising before dawn. He was preparing to begin his standard morning routine when he noticed something unexpected: voices coming from the common room of their suite.
This was strange. Normally he was the first one awake, the punctual leader who set the schedule for everyone else. But today, apparently, his companions had risen even earlier.
When he opened his door to investigate, he was met with a chorus of voices shouting "Surprise!" and found himself facing the entire expedition gathered in celebration.
The common room had been decorated with colorful banners acquired from capital merchants, and a table displayed an impressive array of food that must have been specially ordered from the palace kitchens. There were gifts wrapped in fine paper, something they had never been able to afford in the village, and everyone wore expressions of genuine happiness.
"Happy birthday, Gus," Angeline said, stepping forward to embrace him. "We know we are a month late, but we wanted to celebrate it properly at least once."
August found himself momentarily speechless, moved by the gesture more than he wanted to admit. His original family had celebrated birthdays, but those memories felt distant now, belonging to a different life. His second family, the people who had taken him in and built this new life with him, had created their own traditions.
"You all did this for me?" he managed to say.
"Of course," Erik replied with a grin. "You are our leader and our friend. Did you think we would not celebrate it? Well it seems you have forgotten our promise that summer huh? That as long as we are all together we would be celebrating it!"
The celebration was modest by capital standards but extraordinarily meaningful to those present. They shared the food, exchanged stories about their favorite memories of the past year, and gave August gifts that ranged from practical to sentimental.
Master Ben presented him with a book on advanced magical theory that he thought August would find useful for his continued personal advancement. The women had collaborated on a new set of traveling clothes, finely made with subtle enchantments for durability and comfort. The men had pitched in to purchase a high-quality whetstone that would keep his weapons perfectly sharp.
But the most meaningful gift came from the entire group together: a journal bound in fine leather, its pages blank and waiting to be filled.
"We thought you should start recording your experiences," Angeline explained. "Everything that has happened, everything you have learned. Someday, when the village has grown into something larger, people will want to know how it all began. Your story should be preserved."
August held the journal carefully, understanding the significance. They were asking him to document not just his own life but the birth of their community, to create a historical record for future generations.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "All of you. This means more than I can properly express."
The celebration concluded as the morning advanced, everyone needing to complete final preparations for departure. But the warmth of the gesture lingered, a reminder of the bonds that connected them.
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An Unexpected Meeting
Their escorts for the return journey had already been arranged. The Twentieth Cohort of the Dragonguard would again provide protection, though with different personnel. Grand Captain Commander Lex Draconis had other duties requiring his attention, so this expedition would be led by Grand Captain Commander Alexander Draconis, along with fifty warriors under his command.
As they gathered in the palace courtyard for departure, preparing to begin the long journey home, they were surprised to find Emperor Janus waiting for them. And he was not alone.
Standing beside the Emperor was an older man whose appearance immediately commanded attention. He wore combat garments marked with the Healers Cross Emblem, the distinctive symbol worn only by those who had proven themselves as battlefield medics. His bearing suggested military training, but his eyes held the compassion characteristic of dedicated healers.
"Before you depart," Emperor Janus announced, "I would like you to meet Count Ronaldo Bradmoore. He is one of the Empire's most acclaimed healers, particularly renowned for his work as a combat medic. Grand Advisor Solomon mentioned your support group in passing, and the Count expressed interest in meeting you."
The Count studied the group with obvious professional interest, his experienced gaze assessing them the way a weapons master might evaluate promising students.
"The Grand Advisor was not exaggerating," the Emperor continued. "I have personally observed that one among you possesses truly exceptional capabilities, likely blessed with divine intervention." His eyes rested briefly on Angeline. "But the others are not far behind. They simply require additional refinement and proper instruction."
If Jonathan Ross was here he would have recognized the Count. This was the healer who had saved his life years ago during the final war between the Empire and the Fresco League of Kingdoms conflicts, the man who had spent two months treating wounds that should have been fatal. If they would meet again surely a conversation would have been struck by now. Jonathan hadn't thanked the man enough for saving his life back then. Which in turn made him reunite with his daughter (Angeline).
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An Offer of Tutelage
Count Bradmoore turned his attention to the support group members, his enthusiasm evident. Unlike most healers who hoarded their talents in the capital, enjoying nobility and comfort, Bradmoore believed a true healer belonged where people needed them most, on the front lines where life and death hung in the balance.
His reputation throughout the Empire was extraordinary. He had treated thousands of soldiers, saved countless lives that others would have declared beyond hope, and trained a generation of field medics who carried his principles into service across Imperial territories.
"A fine group indeed, Your Majesty," Bradmoore said with vigor, almost rushing toward Angeline and the other support members. "Very fine indeed. I must say, I have spent years searching for appropriate apprentices. Perhaps this time I have found them."
He paused, suddenly remembering something important. "However, I still have the remainder of the year to complete my teaching duties at the Imperial Academy. I cannot abandon my current students mid-term. So I will have to delay joining you."
The older man was practically vibrating with enthusiasm, a broad smile transforming his weathered face. "But do not worry, young ones! I will personally travel to your village by the start of next year. Wait for me!"
Then his expression shifted to embarrassment as he realized his mistake. "Although... I seem to have forgotten something rather important. Would you actually wish me to be your master? I appear to have presumed acceptance without asking first. If you do not wish this arrangement, I certainly would not force it upon you."
He looked genuinely worried that he had been too forward, his excitement overriding his usual diplomatic caution.
Angeline stepped forward to speak for herself, Betty, Hiraya, and Adarna. She had sensed immediately that this man possessed extraordinary capability. The aura emanating from him was remarkable, literally brimming with life energy. It seemed to ooze from him in a way that made her wonder if he was inadvertently healing his surroundings simply by being present.
"Sir," Angeline said carefully, "we know you are extraordinarily capable to teach us. We can sense that much even without knowing your full reputation. It would be our tremendous honor to study under you. But are you certain about taking us as students? We are just village folk from a remote frontier settlement. We have no idea what fees would be appropriate, and our village lacks economic wealth at present."
Count Bradmoore waved away her concerns with visible impatience. "Fees? My dear girl, I could not care less about payment! My house is secure, my wealth is more than adequate, and my children are all grown and established in their own careers. An old man can do whatever he pleases at this stage of life!"
He continued with increasing enthusiasm. "Do you know how much the Empire pays me for my services? I can barely spend it all. Much of it goes toward purchasing medicine and equipment for my patients anyway. What I want now, before I pass from this world, is to find promising talents to whom I can transfer my accumulated knowledge, skills, and most importantly, the principles that guide this work."
His eyes gleamed with passion as he made his final plea. "Just say the word, and I will teach you four to the absolute best of my abilities. I will share everything I have learned in forty years of practicing medicine in the most dangerous places imaginable."
The four women exchanged glances, communicating silently. This was an opportunity that might never come again, a chance to learn from one of the Empire's most respected healers. The decision was obvious.
Together, they bowed deeply and knelt before Count Bradmoore in the traditional gesture of accepting a master-student relationship.
"Then from now on, we will call you Master," Angeline said, speaking for all of them. "We will wait for you at the village and prepare ourselves to learn everything you can teach us."
The four of them smiled radiantly, their faces glowing with genuine happiness. This journey had brought them recognition and opportunities they could never have imagined before leaving home.
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A Pattern Emerges
Emperor Janus observed the scene with an expression that was difficult to read. Something about these young people had captured his interest in a way that was unusual for someone of his vast age and experience.
For millennias, he had watched generations come and go, each one born, living, and dying in what seemed like the blink of an eye from his perspective. He had learned to maintain emotional distance, to avoid forming attachments that would inevitably end in loss.
His first love, a companion in war, a dear friend and one of the original founders of the twenty ducal houses, had been someone he had deliberately pushed away because he understood the agony that would come from watching her age and die while he remained unchanged. He had watched her find another, build a family, grow old, and eventually pass from the world.
Now, countless generations later, he could see her descendants among the nobility, each one carrying a fragment of her legacy but none of them truly her. Only he remembered what she had been like, the sound of her laugh, the way she had challenged his assumptions and made him question his certainties. The memory was precious and painful in equal measure.
Perhaps that was why these youngsters intrigued him so much. They reminded him that mortal lives, precisely because they were short, possessed an intensity and purpose that immortality could not match. They had to be careful with their limited time, had to make every moment count, and had to build legacies that would outlast their brief existence.
He saw August forming connections, building a community, creating something that would endure long after his individual life ended. He saw these young people pursuing knowledge and skills with urgency, knowing they had limited years to master their crafts. He saw them forming bonds of friendship and love, treasuring relationships that would define their lives.
It moved him in ways he had thought he had outgrown centuries ago. Perhaps he was not as emotionally distant as he believed. Perhaps some part of him still yearned for the connections he had deliberately forsaken in the name of avoiding pain.
"Safe travels," Emperor Janus said, his voice carrying unusual warmth. "May your journey home be swift and uneventful. The Empire will remember the Village of Maya with favor."
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Departure
They said their goodbyes to the various palace officials who had assisted them during their stay. Grand Advisor Solomon was not present, already engaged with his endless administrative duties, but he had sent a message expressing confidence that they would meet again under favorable circumstances.
The expedition formed up in the courtyard, their purchased goods loaded onto wagons that would accompany them on the first leg of the journey. Grand Captain Commander Alexander Draconis and his fifty Dragonguard warriors stood ready to escort them, their war beasts stamping impatiently.
Count Bradmoore waved enthusiastically as they prepared to depart. "I will see you in a few months! Prepare yourselves for intensive study! I am not an easy teacher!"
Master Ben chuckled quietly. "I suspect he will fit right in with our village. Eccentric expertise seems to be our specialty."
As they passed through the palace gates and began the journey through the massive tiered city, August looked back one final time at the golden spires that marked the heart of Imperial power. They were leaving behind magnificence and returning to their modest frontier settlement.
But they carried with them alliances, knowledge, promises of future instruction, and most importantly, recognition that their village mattered to the most powerful nation in the world.
The journey home would take them across vast distances, through multiple portal jumps, and eventually into the familiar forests they called home. They were heading back to the Village of Maya, to the Forest of Lonelywood, to the place they had built together and would continue building for as long as they lived.
The expedition that had begun with uncertainty and anxiety was ending with hope and possibility. They had gone to the capital as frontier villagers and were returning as recognized allies of the Empire, with connections and opportunities that would reshape their community's future.
The return journey was beginning, and with it, the next chapter of their story.