The Third Gate: Chapter Sixty-Five

For my final night in Mossford before one of the few boats to Crysite arrived, we threw a potluck. Given that there were only four local Mossford guilds willing to make the journey back and forth until the waters around the isle had been cleared of monsters and proper routes had been established, and the fact that Arcanists were charging upwards of twenty thousand silver for the trip to Crystite, even Octavian and his moms arrived. 

I’d have to open a portal back to Delitone for his moms, since this time they couldn’t rely on the World Conservation Fund to pay for the portals now, but that was fine. It just cost effort and mana, after all. 

They’d brought a platter full of assorted skewers as appetizers for the potluck, some of them with marinated beets, pears, and goat cheese, others with tomato, mozzarella, and prosciutto, and others still with olives, red peppers, and pickled garlic. In addition to them, they’d brought a blended dip of red pepper and feta cheese, alongside some homemade flatbread to dip in it. 

“Good to see you!” I said, hugging Octavian as he stepped through the portal, then hugging each of his moms in turn, before tickling Roh, and leaning down to give Araceli some scritches. 

“And who’s this?” I asked, shifting, tail twitching, examining the newest, and presumably final, member of Octavian’s menagerie. 

Much like Kerbos, this Draigg-Blaidd was clearly a packlord. It resembled a large dog, though its fur was more black and white than the reddish-gold color of Kerbos’ own. The metal spikes emerging from the back of his legs, metallic horns, and rings of metal around its tail were nearly identical though, with the same shimmering flecks of multiple different metals woven throughout. 

“That’s Simeio, he’s my newest bond,” Octavian said, a small grin on his face. Simeio leaned forward and licked my face, leaving slobbering dog kisses all over my face, and I let him for a moment before pushing him off. 

“How are things going in that regard?” I asked, standing and grabbing a damp towel to wipe my face. 

“Well. Outside of Kerbos and Simeio, there were six other remaining Draigg-Blaidd packlords kept in the stasis spells of the sect,” Olive said. “The Lightwatch was cooperative enough, and thanks to keeping it as a Lightwatch and international operation, the mole didn’t get his hands on it.” 

“Glad to hear it,” I said, then waved over to the portal running between my dad’s backyard, and Dusk, where the food from everyone was laid out. 

I had made a large roasted turkey. It started with a compound butter mixed with rosemary, thyme, sage, summer savory, and a little bit of lavender, which I stuffed under the turkey’s skin. They were spatchcocked, then hung up and smoked for most of the day. I collected some of the drippings in a pan with veggies, which I mixed into cubes of slightly stale toasted bread, olive oil, and tomatoes to make a lovely panzanella salad. 

My dad, naturally, brought dessert, having set aside some of the bakery’s usual fare, with seven layer cookies, cupcakes, and pastries filled with all sorts of fillings. 

Meadow brought a bright, lemony salad, made with sprouts, arugula, thinly sliced apples, and a salty cheese, alongside a spicy yam dish, hot enough to make my tongue feel like it was on fire, even though I normally enjoyed spicy foods. 

Ed and Liz brought a dish of thinly sliced potatoes, which had been baked in a roux with cream, cheese, and some herbs, then topped with more cheese, as well as a fresh salad slaw of corn, tomatoes, red peppers, and basil. Liz’s grandparents had brought a large pot of beans that had been cooked with onions, spicy peppers, and smoked bacon in a rich brown sauce, alongside a bowl of cold potato salad. 

Kene arrived, and given the much longer trip that they’d needed to make, they brought three packs of drinks that they’d picked up from the store on the way there, but more uniquely, some of the corn, squash, and beans that were grown in their village, which were all roasted on a grill set over the fire. 

Dusk and Dawn also brought their own dish, which they managed to cook with the assistance of the brownies and a considerable heaping of magic. When I’d walked into the house to find them cooking, I’d offered to help, but had been kicked out, since me helping would be cheating. I wasn’t sure how my help was cheating, but the help of the brownies wasn’t, but who was I to judge. They’d made a set of deviled eggs that were oddly spicy, as well as meatballs that had been glazed in a mixture of soya sauce, garlic, chillis, and pineapples. 

“Hey everyone,” I called out, waving Octavian and his moms into the combined backyards. “I know that you all already know Meadow, Kene, Dusk, and Dawn, but the rest haven’t been introduced.” 

I waved to my family.

“This is my dad, my brother Ed, Kerbos, his fiancé Liz, and her grandparents: Mr. and Mrs. Davis,” I said. “And you all, this is Octavian, his terragon Araceli, his will-o-wisp Roh, and…” 

I trailed off as I realized that, given the fact that Octavian had bonded to a packlord, they had to have met already. 

“I knew Edward, Elizabeth, and Guild Leader Davis already,” Olive said. “I worked with them on the Draigg-Blaidd packlord retrieval mission.” 

Meadow put a hand over her mouth and giggled slightly. 

“Olive, please, call us Ed and Liz,” Ed said. “But yeah, we’ve met. Still. Dad and Mrs. Davis, this is Olive, and that’s Octavian.” 

“And this is Thea and Kater,” I said, waving to them. 

“Pleasure to meet you,” my dad said, wandering over, extending his hands. 

“Pleasure indeed,” Mrs. Davis said. 

“Alright, everyone!” I called out. “Go grab a plate, and start getting some food!” 

I followed my own advice, grabbing a little bit of everything, and the others each started grabbing some as well, weaving in and out of the portals. As we each settled into place, Meadow tapped her spoon to her glass and raised it in the air. 

“As some of us grow, explore new horizons, and leave the nest, while others of us watch on with a great deal of pride tinged with a hint of melancholy, I want to propose a toast. A toast to friends and family, new and old alike. And as Dusk establishes her third portal permanently on Ddear, a toast to having many more.” 

As one, we raised our glasses to her toast.

The End of Book Four

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This chapter is a little bit on the short side, but I felt like adding much more was stretching it out. It was too good of an ending spot to be marred by 'and then they went on a boat'.