Countless Futures

Richard called out to the broodmother twice, but she gave no reply. Instead, he saw a small silhouette rushing over from the distance at high speed. Mountainsea jumped straight into him, putting so much strength into a hug that even his bones creaked. He had spent less than half a year on his expedition to Lithgalen, but that translated to half a decade in Faelor. Having not seen him in years, the barbarian girl started sniffing him all over, enjoying his presence to the fullest.

He hugged her gently, caressing her head as he enjoyed her own faint aroma. It was only a few minutes later that he sighed softly and asked, “When will you get to level 14?”

This would have been a strange question. Mountainsea had been involved in the...