Eternium ~ 43!

“Progress?” Dale winced as he stood up. “Why does progress hurt so much? The worst of it is gone, but it's just kind of throbbing continuously now.”

“Cal popped in and mentioned that they opened the portal up there.”: Minya explained with a smile. “Would you like to go check it out, or would you like to… stay here a little longer?”

“Stay here longer.” Dale responded so fast that he nearly shouted at her. “Uh, that is…”

“Good to know that I haven’t lost my touch!” Minya grabbed Dale by the arm and started pulling him to the villa they had picked, but Dale felt a sudden phantom pain and clutched at his gut. 

“Ugh.” He spat out a glob of blood, and stared at the substance until it was absorbed by the dungeon. “Oh, that can’t be good.”

“Blood? From what?” Minya paled, “Oh no. I used too much force and-”

“No, no. This is from whatever Cal is doing.” Dale didn't miss the look of excitement on her face, and internally sighed at the thought that this lady might like his other half more than him. Oh well. “It's not stopping, is the issue. Maybe we can run upstairs and see what’s going on?”

“Hmm.” Minya looked him over and smiled. “Well. I know that you wouldn’t be leaving unless you felt it was really important at this point, so alright. I guess you’ll just have to make it up to me later.”

Dale smiled nervously. It was a fun thought, but he also knew that he needed to see what could affect him from such a distance. They walked toward the portal on this level, standing ready for combat, but also physically closer than they ever had before. Leaving the dungeon, they were slightly put out over the huge line that had formed. Minya tapped on the shoulders of a man to get his attention, and asked what was going on.

“What’re ya even talking about? This is the line to get into the new world!” The man glared at them up and down. “No line jumpin’!”

“So… if we want to get close enough to see what’s going on,. We are going to have to wait in line?” dale looked at the snaking river of people, wincing when he found that he could see neither the front or back. “At least it is moving pretty quick?”

“Dale!” Minya pinched him on the side and pointed at the air. “We’re Mages. Come on!”

With that exclamation, she grabbed his hand and surged into the air on a geyser of frothing water. The ground dropped away for Dale, and he watched with awe as the entire landscape below him was revealed. As the last rays of light that would reach this area for the day began to fade, the aurora also appeared in the sky and the world lit up. Dale looked around with a wide smile as they began descending to Mountaindale, and the smile slowly fell away as he took in the view. 

There was a dark scar on the ground, and as they got closer he could feel a pull. He thought it was in his mind at first, but when his clothes started fluttering in the direction of the blemish, he knew that it was an actual effect of the portal. This seemed to have a benefit and a detriment to the line of people waiting. The detriment was that people were hesitant to approach, the benefit was that as the got close, they were pulled through the portal. Instant mitigation of choice.

Dale and Minya landed and walked toward the portal amid an outcry from the people in line. It petered off quickly, since Barry had actually encouraged the entire population to allow higher-ranked people to go through first, though he was keeping a small population to provide security and keep things running smoothly during the transition. Dale and Minya took a look at the procession, and this close they could even see through the portal to the people within. Obviously, they were surviving the transition; which eased Dale’s concern greatly. Still, each time someone stepped through, he felt a small phantom pain.

“I see…” Dale watched the next few people who walked - or were yanked - through the portal. “Their rank directly determines how much pain i feel when they step through.”

“Does it hurt all the time after they are through?” Minya inquired, eyes still on the line of moving people.

Dale considered the question while a few more people made their way through. “I don't think so? It is more like they are moving through a raw wound, and the size and density of their Aura is rubbing at the sore spot. If the Mages were going through first, it makes sense that the most pain was right away.”

“Sure.” Minya looked over at him. “I’m looking forward to getting in there, but I can certainly wait around for a while.”

Dale sent a coy smile her way. “I like the sound of that.”

“Hey!” A Guild Mage landed next to them. “Mages are supposed to have gone in already! Get moving, or find somewhere else to be! You’re drawing far too much attention, and people are getting nervous. That guy in line just asked someone if you hadn't gone in because you didn’t trust the process!”

“Sorry, we’ll get out of the way!” Minya gripped Dale’s arm before he could say anything, and in a moment they were both airborne. “Let’s go find somewhere comfy to watch the end of the world.”

They landed on the top of one of the Academy spires, and lay back on the slight incline to watch the moon getting ever closer. Between the colors in the night sky, the enormous shards of the moon in the sky, and the noise coming from the people and monsters in the area, the night was alive and vibrant. Minya rolled toward Dale and stared at him, after a few long moments finally asking a question. “Dale, why did you fight getting together with me for so long?”

The young Mage shifted uncomfortably on the stone surface of the building. “Listen, Minya. I have a complicated history with Cal, and you jumped right into working with him with such enthusiasm that I figured that you were going to do something to intentionally hurt all of us.”

He sighed and lay as flat as possible, watching the moon loom ever closer in the sky. “Just a few… how long has it been? It feels like days… but it's been so much longer. Just yesterday, I was helping the Guild to build a wall to keep in the monsters that were spawning in the dungeon. I was a sheepherder who found a magical cave of wonders. I was seeing my center for the first time, I was dodging the attacks of an abomination! All of this, all of the bad things in my life seemed to stem from interaction with a single person.”

“All of the good things too, I suppose.” Dale petered off, continuing only after his mind was clear. “It's just been so much, Minya. Every day was me waking up to see who was trying to kill me that day. Then a beautiful woman walks out of the dungeon and starts telling everyone that something we all know is a predator…  is actually a nice and friendly creature. Then she comes over to me and wants to be friendly, without having ever known me or interacted with me? I was concerned. Do you know that Cal once made a tunnel to my clothes chest and had a Goblin with a knife pop out at me?”

“Ha!” Minya started laughing, and Dale stared at her before suddenly joining in. They continued beyond what was reasonable, only slowly quieting. “I needed that. Thanks, Dale. Now, as to the other stuff… you know that I only wanted to know about you because Cal talks about you all the time? Whenever he is watching someone fight, it is always a comparison to your own fighting ability. When an interesting technique is used, he mutters about how he could make it better and wants you to test it for him.”

“Huh.”

“That’s all you have to say?” Minya laughed at him, “I really hate to say it, but you guys have really similar qualities. You always seem to be thinking of the other person, and even though you both grumble about it… you always work really had to protect each other. Such manly best friends.”

“He’s not my best friend.” Dale grumbled, spurring on another laugh from Minya. “Ugh.” 

“Of course he’s not.” Minya patted him on the arm, then snuggled up to him. “So… do you think that you are going to go through that portal?”

“That’s the million gold question, isn’t it?” Dale waved at the moon. “Look at that thing. I don't want to be stuck out here while that lands on my head. But… when I was looking at the portal… I felt like it was home. Like if I went in there, I would either cease to be, or become something more. I think… I think that if I go in there, I’ll go back to being part of Cal.”

Minya looked horrified. “Dale! No, you’ll be fine! There’s no way that could-”

“There’s no way to tell, though. Is there?” Dale smiled at her. “I’m sorry to worry you, but I am kind of glad that you are worried.”

“Well… I do kinda like you.” Minya announced with a langorius grin. “Hey. If Cal did somehow absorb you, wouldn’t he just remake you as soon as possible so that he didn’t have to deal with you in his mind at all times?”

“That… is a very good question.” Dale looked up at the shifting night sky, and went silent while he enjoyed the body heat rolling off of Minya. Sometimes it was nice to just enjoy your evening. “I just don't ever want to stop existing. I’m going to wait as long as I can, and enjoy life as much as possible before I need to do this. I hope… I hope you understand.”

“Of course.”