The World Which Is

I wake up without debuffs, so that’s a good way to start the day.

Helen is the only one in the bed, and there isn’t another bedroll on the floor, so she was right. Brandon slept in someone’s bed.

The idea sits oddly with me as I wash using the washbasin. The water’s cool, but it stays clean, so that’s another good thing. It’s going to take time to get used to the idea that daily showers are no longer a thing for me.

I don’t know if I could talk to someone just to share their bed. I mean, sleeping in a bed would be nice, but using sex to get that feels… not right.

As clean as I can get with a magical washbasin, I equip a set of clean clothing. Which brings up the issue of how I’m going to clean my clothes. Somehow it didn’t occur to me on the way to Toronto, and while there; but I only have two clean sets left.

I reach the dining room to the sound of hooting and clapping. I can’t make out who they are cheering, but as that dies down, a violin play and Silver sings.

With a flash of white, and sky turned red

The world they knew was dead

Through chaos high, and order forced

The lost travelers set forth

She’s singing about the first days of the system. There are a lot of versions of the song, depending a lot on the kind of story the singer wants to tell. None of the ones I’ve heard are entirely wrong, but they aren’t entirely right either, according to Base and Grandpa Louis, both of whom lived through those early days.

Dad has nothing but bad things to say about those days, but he’s the only one around me who feels like that. It was rough, they all admit that. But from what they experienced, more people came together than fell on each other. Grandpa Louis and Base traveled from somewhere way south, around a city that was called Houston, all the way to outside Calgary, where Grandpa Chris lived with Dad and his brother. They got to meet and help a lot of people on the way.

People sing with her, but no one seems to follow the same verses, so I can’t tell which one she’s singing about.

Brandon is at the bar, holding the innkeeper’s hand and leaned in close. A guy just a little older than I am steps before me as I reach it.

“How much for breakfast?” I ask.

“Pretty much however much you want to spend,” he replies. “We have the basic stuff all the way to stuff that’ll give you travel buffs, fighting ones. We even have a Mage Meal if you need your spells buffed.”

It’s five dollars for a basic breakfast, and I take the plate of steak, eggs and sliced potatoes with a cheese sauce over it, along with the tall mug of apple juice, to the first free table I find. I think Silver’s singing about the East Bound Adventure now.

It’s not about Grandpa Louis directly, although once he met up with his family at the farm, they all got into Base, along with the refugees who didn’t want to stay in Calgary because of how cold it was—or so Base likes to scoff—and headed East to find Grandmother. They didn’t know if she’d survived, but..well…Grandmother is tough.

Brandon plops in the seat opposite mine with a platter similar to mine, but only more so.

“Eat up,” he tells me, before digging in.

Did he even pay for it? With money, I mean.

“Was it easy?” I ask when he slows, and between bites of my own. The food is good. “Talking her into sharing her bed with you,” I add at the raised eyebrow.

“You have a problem with that?” he replies defensively.

“No, I just—”

“Good,” he says and goes back to eating.

Okay, I could have—

He sighs loudly. “Look, Dennis you—”

“I wasn’t judging, I swear,” I hurry to say. “I just don’t think I could do it, sleeping with someone to have a bed and a meal.”

He studies me. “Then you don’t. You need to get something. Outside the cities, out here, it’s wild. There aren’t any rules except for those you decide to live by, and you need to accept not everyone is going to live by them.” He waits, and I nod. “You aren’t okay with sleeping with someone just for a bed and a night of fun? That’s fine. I have no problem with it. And if I’ve shown them a good enough time, they’re willing to give me breakfast; that’s just a bonus.”

“Don’t you think sex should be…special?”

“It always is,” he replies between bites.

“No, I mean—”

“I know what you mean, Dennis. And if it has to be that kind of special for you, that’s fine. I make it special each and every time.”

“He is just that amazing,” Helen says derisively, sitting down with only a steaming cup in hand.

“And a good morning to you too, sis. What crawled up your ass and soured your mood?”

“Remembering I’m traveling with you.”

“You didn’t sleep well?” I ask, cutting off Brandon’s reply.

“It’s been a while since I traveled,” she replies. “And I’m reminded why I hadn’t done it again.”

Brandon looks at her with a smirk, but he doesn’t offer for her to go back home. Which I’m surprised at, even if he did ask for her help. It feels like the kind of thing he’d offer, just as a barb.

“Is there something we can get you that’s going to make it better?” I offer, and she looks at me in surprise, then at Brandon. I can see her almost saying something to him, but she closes her mouth.

“That’s considerate of you, Dennis,” she says. “But I’ll get used to sleeping on a less than perfect bed. And hopefully Silver will learn stronger traveling spells and all my aches will be gone with a song.”

Cheering explodes and Helen winces.

“Just remember, she needs to spend time practicing combat magic,” Brandon says.

“I’m sure she can do both,” Helen replies. “You’re the only person I know of with such a one track mind.”

“What’s the plan for today?” I ask Brandon, because he’s about to throw more snark.

He pulls his attention off her and takes a breath. “Walking. As soon as we’re done eating, we get our stuff and head out. With Silver’s travel buff, and not spending too much time sitting, I’m hoping we reach the Split before all the inns there are filled.”

“I’ll be good to go in a minute,” Silver says, sitting.

Her plate has three burritos, and she devours one immediately.

“We can wait until you’re done,” I say. “No need to rush, right?”

“I’m not rushing,” she replies, picking up the next one. “I’m famished. I came down to eat, but when one of them saw my case, they begged me to play.” She grins. “Made nearly three hundred in Tips, though.”

By the time Brandon’s done whistling, the burrito is gone.

“Then let’s finish up and hit the road.”

* * * * *

We pass caravans stopped on the side of the road for nearly two hours after we leave the inn. Those who pushed through the night, Brandon explains. Either because they didn’t want to bother with the inn, or because there was no space left.

Then, it’s just us and the open road and I take in the plains on each side. Brandon has to call to me a few times as my steps slow. The green is pale and vibrant at the same time, and goes on as far as I can see. There are hills, and copse of trees, but it’s mostly just grass.

Then there’s a distant herd grazing.

This is so different from home, or the road to Toronto. Back home, it’s farmland just about until the tree line all around. There are places with fields between, but nothing this vast. Grandpa Louis often had that expression when he talked about the whole wide world. A distant look, with this small smile on his face.

I think I finally get it.

This is beautiful in a completely different way than Court is.

Brandon calls to me again, but like before, there is no impatience or anger in his tone. This time, when I reach them, he places an arm over my shoulders and leans in to whisper.

“Welcome to the world of the explorers.”