1        Soul Bound 1.3      Making a Splash 1.3.3    An Unrequited Love 1.3.3.26 Great haste

Kafana was so caught up in the emotion that when her tear-blurred vision turned pink, it took her a few moments to realise that she was no longer in mental contact with Dottore. She could feel cool padding beneath her, a supportive hand against her back and the faceted edges of what had to be her gem collection, still loosely balanced on the palms of her hands. Not wanting to risk scattering them, she tried wiping her eyes against the shoulder of her bodice.

Bungo must have been watching because he spoke at once, sounding both relieved and impatient: "Kafana! Are you okay? I'd ask how it went, but a lot of things happened while you just sat there and we're a bit pressed for time. Want a piggyback?"

What had happened? How long had the mental contact taken? The desire in Kafana's mind was so clear that Sys treated it as a request:

Quest Status Report "The road less travelled" Minutes left : 0 Initial total : 300 Current total : 450 Required total : 100

[Quest completed "The road less travelled" - your party successfully avoided killing opponents of the Worker's Charter while ensuring at least 100 people supporting it remained at liberty. Zer has awarded your peaceful choice with 2 reputation per additional survivor.]

*ding* [Your reputation with Zer and his followers has increased by 700.]

Dottore looked like he was about to fly off, still holding the amethyst in his beak, but he must have felt the change because in the middle of raising his wings, he managed to pause. The effort it took him to delay his departure even for a second made his feathers tremble, but that was long enough for him to toss the purple gem towards her. Then he left; wings beating so fiercely that Bungo instinctively grabbed a shield from his stash to protect his face. While Pierrot sank to the floor, pointing at Bungo in silent laughter, and a blushing Bungo tried to look dignified while putting his shield away, Kafana put her gems away too and bent down to pick up the Stone of the Mind Healer from where it lay at her feet.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

When she touched it this time, instead of her senses telling her that she'd entered a different world, there was just a feeling of anticipation, like she was looking out of the window, seeing a courier bearing a letter for her. She thought "Yes" towards the stone then, when nothing happened, tried visualising herself taking hold of the envelope and the feeling that she accepted possession of it. A bit of her mana trickled into the stone and then, in addition to the other sounds in the room, she could hear him. The message contained no sense of Dottore's presence or thoughts, just the sound of his voice, audible only to her. But he spoke in his true voice, not the guarded one he used in public, and she could guess much of what was left unsaid.

Dottore: ="Haste Merits Brevity" as ... No. "Better Little Said Well than... Argh!

Kafana, you have given me much to think on that is worthy of being considered, so it will be some time before I can respond properly to it all.

But some things are already clear to me and, though I am now in great haste, I will give you news of two of these, to tide you over until then.

Firstly, Isabelle gifted this stone to someone worthy of it. And so did Flavio. The stone is yours now, and rightfully so.

Secondly, my destination is at the side of one with a greater right to know that same thing, than any other. I come!

I S A B E L L A !=

Oh boy. She'd never met anyone as uncomfortable as Dottore was about having to speak without time to polish their words. She shook her head, sadly.

[You have completed a milestone on the "Lovebirds" quest chain: "Debate the Doctor" - Dottore has changed his mind and will no longer oppose Isabella's choice of who to marry. Experience gained. See Dottore for the rest of the reward.]

[You have gained a level. You are now level 41.]

[You discovered a new milestone on the "Lovebirds" quest chain: "Free Flavio" - Free Flavio from the curse keeping him and Isabella apart. Difficulty B.]

Kafana's feelings spun straight from sad, to relief, to joy, to apprehension; it happened so fast she almost became dizzy and tried to take a moment to calm herself and process, even as game notifications continued to arrive.

Alderney: {41? Whoot!}

Bulgaria: {Oh well done. How did the two of you persuade Dottore to change his mind?}

[Skill "Mind Magic" has reached level 19.]

Bungo: {I did nothing; it was all Kafana and even though I was there, all I can tell you about how she did it is that one moment Dottore was all dark and looming, like the scariest teacher you ever had a nightmare about, and the next he's a bird and the two of them are silently sitting next to each other like a pair of stone statues. I could have drawn a moustache on his face.}

Alderney: {Why didn't you? Did he look cute as a bird?}

[Skill "Truesight" has reached level 22.]

Tomsk: {Talking of cute, I asked Rudy to visit Columbina and he posted a clip of the little dance she did when he told her that you managed to get Pierrot healed in time.}

Wellington: {No time for tales. Bungo, did you tell her about the meeting? If you can get Kafana back to the archway you entered by within the next two minutes, Alderney is waiting there and can still just about get you to the venue before it starts, despite the curfew now being in effect. Other than that, there's nothing you need to know before you set off, so Go Go Go!. We'll brief you as you travel."

Bungo grinned as he lifted her onto his back and, as soon as her arms were wrapped around his neck, he set off at a sprint. Kafana knew, at some level, that she couldn't fall off while her legs were being supported by such large hands.

But that didn't stop her letting out involuntary squeaks of fear, every time Bungo left ducking through a doorway until the last possible moment, or turned a corner by running half way up the wall.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.