Eternal
The Nalin Empire is closer and quite frankly you’re too damn old to be sneaking around on long extended trips nowadays.
“The Nalin Empire? Are you sure? I thought you told me it was run by an eternal.” Tulla says.
“It is, but she’s like me. She’s a first gen and given that she’s run the place for several decades without any attacks or other major problems it’s one of the more stable places I can think of.”
Your journey out of Delerg is fortunately without conflict. Your journey through Quala isn’t however, though you’re lucky enough to not get harassed by any professional soldier types and its just bandits.
Tulla does well against them, you don’t do too bad yourself considering your age, but during the fight it’s never been more apparent of how old you actually are.
“You okay uncle?” Tulla asks you after the battle.
“Yeah…(pant)…just…well like I’ve said before. I’m just old. Though I can honestly say, I’m proud of you and glad to see that you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. Now let’s loot these sons of bitches and hope they actually robbed some people before their pathetic attempt on us. I’m pretty sure we’re going to need some money when we get to Nalin.”
When you eventually arrive in Nalin, you make your way to Dalt, which is one of the major cities in the land. Tulla is in awe. Most of her life has been spend underground in practical isolation. She’s never seen anything so busy, everything is almost overwhelming, but she seems to enjoy it. The funny thing is, you’re pretty much in the same situation as Tulla. Most of your life has been spent away from civilization and in isolation. Even when you were around other shadows you were still alone. Unlike Tulla though, you don’t feel comfortable here.
“Uncle this place is amazing! There’s so much here to do!”
“Mm, well keep in mind that while this place isn’t Delerg or Quala, there are still dangers here. Perhaps more subtle ones. Here.” You hand over what valuables you have to Tulla.
“Now with this stuff, you can probably get a room at a quality inn for quite a while. I imagine you’d probably be able to get a job as a serving girl easily, but I doubt that’s something you’d want to do. So I suggest maybe something in the local security or maybe even the recruiting office. Given most of female soldier types I’ve noticed stomping around here, I don’t think they’d turn you away due to gender. Age maybe, but after you prove what you’re capable of, I don’t think you’ll have any problems.”
You give Tulla a hug though she seems confused.
“Uncle, I don’t understand.”
“Tulla, this is your chance to start a new life. I wish you all the best with it, but this…” you make hand motions at the buildings around you. “This isn’t me. I wanted to bring you to a place where you can have a normal life, well as normal as it can get anyway. And I have. As for me, I’m too old to change and get accustomed to new situations.”
“But where will you go?”
“Oh, I’ll be around. You don’t think I’d just abandoned you completely do you? I just won’t be here. Besides, I noticed when we took that short cut through the woods; we passed a run down old cabin on the way here. Pretty sure it’s abandoned. Seems like it would be a good place to spend my remaining years.”
You give Tulla a hug. Tulla returns your hug and kisses you on the cheek, promising to visit you at some point when she gets the chance.
You leave the city and return to the abandoned cabin you mentioned to Tulla. The place is indeed abandoned. Needs some fixing up, but you can get to that tomorrow, its been a long past couple days and you’re glad to have proper place to sleep for a change…
“You really think this is what’s best for Tulla? Encouraging her to become some common soldier? A soldier of a government for all intents and purposes is a remnant of what you spent your life fighting against?” Dendrin asks.
“Yeah, I’m amused by the irony myself.” You say. “But I believe she will thrive in this environment or least she’ll have a better chance than where she was.”
“If you’d gotten past your irrational prejudices, and allowed Tulla to become a shadow she would’ve thrived a lot better no matter what environment she was in.
“And that’s what you’re really pissed about isn’t it? You were hoping that the shadows would be resurrected somehow with Tulla? Well sorry to disappoint you, but the shadows die with me and as far as I’m concerned they already died long ago.”
“You short sighted fool, this wasn’t about Tulla, this was a chance for you to finally achieve something worthwhile in your miserable life!”
“Yeah, well I’ve never been here to impress you, so if I’m no longer a source of amusement or interest to you I guess you can start leaving me alone finally.”
“I suppose so. You’re a great disappointment Eternal.”
“I’m sure I am.”
And that’s the last time you ever hear from Dendrin ever again.
In the months to follow you spend fixing up your cabin and generally living a simple life. Tulla comes and visits you as she promised. The next time you see her she’s in a soldier’s uniform. Apparently she made an impression. She mentions that the Nalin Empire is always on the look out for new recruits anyway.
A couple years pass and the ruler of Nalin dies. Apparently Brenda committed suicide, but given how ambitious her second is, you wonder if Tarna didn’t have anything to do with it. You briefly have a concern that Nalin will be plunged into civil war, but fortunately Tarna keeps the Empire together and it was never in such danger. Tarna is perhaps s a little stricter than Brenda is, not that it matters to you since you live a self-sufficient life in the middle of nowhere and have a “daughter” in the army. The only thing you ever have problems with is competing with the nearby kobold tribe for game.
Tulla still visits you from time to time, but the visits get rare due to her responsibilities, but you don’t mind. She’s living her life after all and that’s what you always wanted for her.
Years pass into decades and you live long enough to see the Nalin Empire embark on a war of conquest of Quala. You know Tulla was sent to the front lines because she made one last visit before leaving. You wished her luck as you always do, but you know better than anyone that war is an ugly business and death can come at any time.
You never do see her again. You never know if she was killed or if she was just assigned elsewhere.
Eventually your last remaining years are spent as you most often lived: Alone and your thoughts mostly revolving around Talia. With your last dying breath you tell her that you’ll be joining her soon.
“The Nalin Empire? Are you sure? I thought you told me it was run by an eternal.” Tulla says.
“It is, but she’s like me. She’s a first gen and given that she’s run the place for several decades without any attacks or other major problems it’s one of the more stable places I can think of.”
Your journey out of Delerg is fortunately without conflict. Your journey through Quala isn’t however, though you’re lucky enough to not get harassed by any professional soldier types and its just bandits.
Tulla does well against them, you don’t do too bad yourself considering your age, but during the fight it’s never been more apparent of how old you actually are.
“You okay uncle?” Tulla asks you after the battle.
“Yeah…(pant)…just…well like I’ve said before. I’m just old. Though I can honestly say, I’m proud of you and glad to see that you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. Now let’s loot these sons of bitches and hope they actually robbed some people before their pathetic attempt on us. I’m pretty sure we’re going to need some money when we get to Nalin.”
When you eventually arrive in Nalin, you make your way to Dalt, which is one of the major cities in the land. Tulla is in awe. Most of her life has been spend underground in practical isolation. She’s never seen anything so busy, everything is almost overwhelming, but she seems to enjoy it. The funny thing is, you’re pretty much in the same situation as Tulla. Most of your life has been spent away from civilization and in isolation. Even when you were around other shadows you were still alone. Unlike Tulla though, you don’t feel comfortable here.
“Uncle this place is amazing! There’s so much here to do!”
“Mm, well keep in mind that while this place isn’t Delerg or Quala, there are still dangers here. Perhaps more subtle ones. Here.” You hand over what valuables you have to Tulla.
“Now with this stuff, you can probably get a room at a quality inn for quite a while. I imagine you’d probably be able to get a job as a serving girl easily, but I doubt that’s something you’d want to do. So I suggest maybe something in the local security or maybe even the recruiting office. Given most of female soldier types I’ve noticed stomping around here, I don’t think they’d turn you away due to gender. Age maybe, but after you prove what you’re capable of, I don’t think you’ll have any problems.”
You give Tulla a hug though she seems confused.
“Uncle, I don’t understand.”
“Tulla, this is your chance to start a new life. I wish you all the best with it, but this…” you make hand motions at the buildings around you. “This isn’t me. I wanted to bring you to a place where you can have a normal life, well as normal as it can get anyway. And I have. As for me, I’m too old to change and get accustomed to new situations.”
“But where will you go?”
“Oh, I’ll be around. You don’t think I’d just abandoned you completely do you? I just won’t be here. Besides, I noticed when we took that short cut through the woods; we passed a run down old cabin on the way here. Pretty sure it’s abandoned. Seems like it would be a good place to spend my remaining years.”
You give Tulla a hug. Tulla returns your hug and kisses you on the cheek, promising to visit you at some point when she gets the chance.
You leave the city and return to the abandoned cabin you mentioned to Tulla. The place is indeed abandoned. Needs some fixing up, but you can get to that tomorrow, its been a long past couple days and you’re glad to have proper place to sleep for a change…
“You really think this is what’s best for Tulla? Encouraging her to become some common soldier? A soldier of a government for all intents and purposes is a remnant of what you spent your life fighting against?” Dendrin asks.
“Yeah, I’m amused by the irony myself.” You say. “But I believe she will thrive in this environment or least she’ll have a better chance than where she was.”
“If you’d gotten past your irrational prejudices, and allowed Tulla to become a shadow she would’ve thrived a lot better no matter what environment she was in.
“And that’s what you’re really pissed about isn’t it? You were hoping that the shadows would be resurrected somehow with Tulla? Well sorry to disappoint you, but the shadows die with me and as far as I’m concerned they already died long ago.”
“You short sighted fool, this wasn’t about Tulla, this was a chance for you to finally achieve something worthwhile in your miserable life!”
“Yeah, well I’ve never been here to impress you, so if I’m no longer a source of amusement or interest to you I guess you can start leaving me alone finally.”
“I suppose so. You’re a great disappointment Eternal.”
“I’m sure I am.”
And that’s the last time you ever hear from Dendrin ever again.
In the months to follow you spend fixing up your cabin and generally living a simple life. Tulla comes and visits you as she promised. The next time you see her she’s in a soldier’s uniform. Apparently she made an impression. She mentions that the Nalin Empire is always on the look out for new recruits anyway.
A couple years pass and the ruler of Nalin dies. Apparently Brenda committed suicide, but given how ambitious her second is, you wonder if Tarna didn’t have anything to do with it. You briefly have a concern that Nalin will be plunged into civil war, but fortunately Tarna keeps the Empire together and it was never in such danger. Tarna is perhaps s a little stricter than Brenda is, not that it matters to you since you live a self-sufficient life in the middle of nowhere and have a “daughter” in the army. The only thing you ever have problems with is competing with the nearby kobold tribe for game.
Tulla still visits you from time to time, but the visits get rare due to her responsibilities, but you don’t mind. She’s living her life after all and that’s what you always wanted for her.
Years pass into decades and you live long enough to see the Nalin Empire embark on a war of conquest of Quala. You know Tulla was sent to the front lines because she made one last visit before leaving. You wished her luck as you always do, but you know better than anyone that war is an ugly business and death can come at any time.
You never do see her again. You never know if she was killed or if she was just assigned elsewhere.
Eventually your last remaining years are spent as you most often lived: Alone and your thoughts mostly revolving around Talia. With your last dying breath you tell her that you’ll be joining her soon.
