New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

"Violette? Are you ready?" he called out into the alcove.

"Almost! Give me a minute!" came Violette's reply from inside.

Astaroth didn't press her, turning around to admire what little activity was happening in the village. The forge was still billowing smoke, while the barracks courtyard had people training inside it.

Looking at this brought about a small wave of melancholy. Leaving this place already, and by obligation, saddened him.

He knew he would have to leave soon, since levelling up was becoming harder and harder for him. But he didn't think it would be just yet.

He had promised White to take care of the Alpha that had replaced him at the head of his pack, and wanted to reach level forty before attempting it. But now, his timetable was pushed forward.

He wanted to leave this place with a clear conscience, and that was one task he had to do to achieve that. White could hear his thoughts and chimed in.

'Master, we do not have to do it now. We can come back when you are ready and stronger.' White said in his mind.

'No. I want to leave this place with no regrets. And this regret might not be mine, but you are part of me, making it my responsibility.' Astaroth replied silently.

'Thank you, Master.' White responded.

Astaroth could feel the wave of gratitude washing off of White's soul, right next to his. Luna's soul also reacted, pulsing with glee.

The fawn was excited at the prospect of seeing more places. After all, for now, all it had seen was inside of Astaroth's soul, and the nearby forest.

That hardly qualified as exploration for the little creature. She yearned to see more places and experience new things.

Violette soon came out of her alcove, carrying with her something new. In her hand, she was holding a staff, made of dark wood, with a shining Aquamarine gem sitting at the top.

The staff was a little taller than herself, and she held it clumsily, but with pride. Astaroth could guess who gave her that, as he had seen that staff somewhere before.

"A parting gift from Aberon?" he asked the girl.

"Mhm!" the girl hummed, her face glowing with happiness.

Astaroth could feel the power pulsing from the gem. This staff was probably precious, and giving it to a small girl would be a mistake, in most cases.

But, in this case, the small girl was more than capable of protecting it. He still asked her to keep the staff in her inventory when they reached their next settlement, since it would attract unwanted attention.

Violette nodded her head in understanding. Seeing as they were both set, they walked down towards the entrance of the village.

But they couldn't exit just yet, as almost all the villagers amassed at the entrance, blocking it entirely. This warmed the duo's hearts, bringing tears to Violette's eyes.

They exchanged many goodbyes over the next minutes, accompanied by accolades for Astaroth and many head pats for Violette. By the time they were almost through the blockade, the people that were left were the village warriors.

Standing at their head, Kloud, Chris, and Aberon. Chris was the first to walk forward.

He crouched down to pat Violette's head, telling her he would miss her. Then he got back up and gave a powerful bear hug to Astaroth.

"You will be missed, boy! Come back when things cool down. Never forget you are part of our family," Chris said, before depositing Astaroth back on the ground.

"Thank you, Colonel. I will miss all of you, too. I will try to come back as soon as I can. Till then, please make sure nothing happens to this village." Astaroth said, smiling softly.

The next one to move up was Aberon. He stopped before Astaroth, smiling at him.

"I'm old, young man. But I want to hear the tales of your power before I die. So make sure you do great things." Aberon said, putting his hand on Astaroth's shoulder.

"I will try my best, Master Aberon," Astaroth replied.

Then the old mage crouched before Violette.

"As for you, little prodigy. I want to hear tales of grand magical battles between you and whatever forces bar your way. Make sure your name resounds across the realm," he told the little girl.

"Yes, Master Aberon!" Violette cried out, tears and snot leaking from her face.

Aberon chuckled at the display before taking a step back. Then stepped forth Kloud.

He stopped in front of Violette, patting her head and smiling.

"I want to give you a mission, little lady," Kloud said.

"What mission, Mister Kloud?" Violette asked.

"I want you to make sure this brash, fool of a man does nothing stupid. Can you do that for me?" He asked her.

"I will try my best. But it will be hard." The girl replied, eliciting a chuckle from all the warriors around.

"Hey!" Astaroth complained.

"Thank you, little miss. Have safe travels." Kloud finished, getting up and facing Astaroth.

"As for you, young man. I want you to remember that power always comes at a cost. Bear that in mind whenever you use yours. And only use it for good. I would hate to see you become evil and have to come to kill you myself," Kloud said, winking at him.

"Yes, teacher!" Astaroth answered, feeling a pang in his heart.

"Safe travels, son," Kloud added, hugging Astaroth tightly.

For a second, it brought Astaroth back to when his father hugged him before his competitions. The feeling he got from Kloud was the same.

This almost caused him to cry as he hugged back. Breaking up their hug, the warriors split apart, making a path toward the village entrance.

As both the man and the girl passed between them, they started chanting out loud.

"For Astaroth and Violette! For hope, and for the Future!"

They chanted this until both players disappeared into the forest. This filled Astaroth and Violette with the courage to face their journey.

And off they departed.