Chapter 57: The Waiting

Nikola had no idea for how long he had slept. His feet still hurt from the march of the previous day.

Was this really the extent of his strength? Was he such a bad adventurer that he couldn't even march to a dungeon?

He bowed his head, noted that there was a washing basin to the right, and stood up.

Dimitri, Jean, and Jack were still asleep. The sun was barely managing to pass through the forest canopy.

He washed his face, stretched, and then took some food from his bottomless bag.

If nothing else, he could feed his brethren.

Soon, squash, pepper, and onions were being grilled over a cooking pit. There was some meat he found inside, which had about enough fat on it to still be tasty.

That went in leaves and over a stone. With a pan's lid over it.

Nikola sighed.

He had imagined it differently. He had imagined himself as a hero.

 But he was no hero. He was just a songweaver who couldn't even get to the dungeon on time.

He heard footsteps. Looking up, he saw that the old guild master had sat by the fire.

"It is good that you brought food," Arnold said, as he took a bell pepper and began to prepare it for the cooking pit. "I couldn't purchase enough in the small time I had to act."

Nikola nodded. The markets were mostly loaded with his produce.

The octopus knew how to farm. Keeping a steady surplus all the time.

"You don't need to. I can feed the guild," because Nikola had about 100 crates with fruit and vegetables to last them for quite a while.

"You are a good sort, you know that right, druid?" The man asked, as he placed the bell pepper on the grill. "Why did you become an adventurer?"

That question caught Nikola off guard.

Why had he done it?

He had no reason. He had no conviction.

"I thought it was the right thing to do," Nikola said, as he looked at his hands.

He wondered if the breakfast was rich enough. Then he took out some flat bread he had gotten from the bakery in town just the other day and placed those on the grill as well.

"The right thing is a strange way of calling it," the Guild Master said, as he began to cut up an onion.

"For some people, the right thing is what you already did with the food and the mana stones."

Nikola blinked. What was the guild master trying to tell him?

"Tell me now, why join my guild? You can't fight like the blond vampire. I am not saying that you can't learn, I am just asking why take the difficult road, when the easy one was within your grasp?"

"I have something to admit," Nikola murmured. It was now or never. The guild master was a busy man.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get to know him. To run his conviction by him.

"I joined to keep my fiancé, Dimitri, safe. He can fight, but I just worry."

The old guild master nodded. A fond smile on his lips.

"I used to think the same, back when I joined," he murmured. Taking off the eye patch around his empty eye socket.

Nikola did his best not to look away from the ruin left behind. The eye socket was empty.

There were claw marks around it.

"But you know, there is just precious little that one can do if they can't fight. Your Dimitri can be assigned to another party. Jack as well. You and Jean can go back to town and live a peaceful life."

Nikola blinked. Did the guild master want him to quit?

"No," the brunette said, finality in his voice. "I am not leaving Dimitri! Sure, I am not the strongest, but I can learn! I can put more hours in the training hall! I can read more!"

The guild master chuckled.

"You have a child," the man said, as he began to peel another onion. "A baby, at that. Don't you think that the boy needs at least one parent by his side?"

Nikola gulped. Timmy didn't seem to mind being left with Bleda or Andrew. And the new little girl was going to be his playmate.

But the guild master was right.

Timmy needed him. And so did Vera.

"And if Dimitri dies, do I mourn him for the rest of my life? Do I dig him an empty grave and plant roses over it? Do I cry myself to sleep? Using my son as a shoulder to cry on?"

For there was only one thing Nikola feared. It was not being left alone. He had been alone for the most of his adult years.

But Dimitri was his better half. Nikola couldn't even consider leaving him.

"Then do I understand that you need to get strong, and fast?" The guild master asked.

Nikola nodded.

"You know, I haven't gotten an apprentice for quite some time," Arnold said, his lips tugging up. "But you might just fit the bill. Now, after you are done cooking, I want you to do some stretches. That will help you run with the rest better."

Nikola nodded, as he flipped the meat so it could grill on the other side.

"And Nikola?" Arnold asked, as Nikola placed another flat bread on the grill. "Don't lose that spark in your eyes, ok? It is worth nurturing. You can improve."

Nikola nodded.

When the food was cooked, he began to do some stretches together with the guild master.

His body slowly began to hurt less. The guild master was showing him move after move without yelling out commands.

When Dimitri saw that, he took a deep breath.

The realization that the guild master was teaching Nikola directly meant only one thing:

His soulmate was going to put himself in harm's way.

Time and time again.

The blonde vampire didn't know how to react to that. He had hoped that Nikola would quit the guild and go to help raise the children.

Jack clapped him on the shoulders.

"Don't sniff out his spark. He has passed a test. He is your equal in spirit. Soon, he will be your equal in strength. It takes a village."

Dimitri nodded, as he stood up and went to the duo. He made a stop next to Nikola and began to stretch as well.

Refusing to leave Nikola alone, just like Nikola had refused to leave him.