23 Five Years Later

"I got to go visit her." Zell said nervously. "I promised I would visit her, and I didn't for five years!" Zell pulled the stone from his pocket and teleported back home before Kaitlyn could respond.

"Ah crap." She said, "I didn't get a chance to warn him. Oh, well he will figure it out." She shrugged her shoulders and went back to her house.

Back at the Duke's manor Zell appeared in his old room. He opened the door slowly and looked around. The hall was free of servants, he was safe to proceed. He began checking room after room but could not find a soul. Getting desperate he decided to call out. "Mom!" He shouted. He could hear his words echo throughout the manor, but no one answered him. He left the manor and found it to be in disarray. The shrubs had become overgrown and large pieces of stone were broken around the building. Windows were broken, and the fence had been smashed.

"What happened here?" Zell questioned aloud. "Where is my family?"

Deciding his new appearance and time away would prevent anyone from recognizing him. He went into town. He left the manor and walked on foot into the heart of the city. No one recognized him. As he was walking, he overheard the townsfolk talking at a shop.

"That bitch queen has raised our taxes again." One shop owner complained.

"Shhh!" The other said. "If a guard hears you, they'll cut off your blooming head. Have you gone and lost it? You know you can't speak ill of the hero queen."

[Hero queen?] Zell thought to himself. [Are they talking about Rose? She should be ten right now…]

"I can't help it, she's bleeding me bloody dry!" The first one complained again. "It's the third tax increase since she took power!"

"Well, she said it was for the war, didn't she." The other responded. "Can't bloody well have those savage races running all amuck and like now, can we?"

[Wait, war?] Zell was becoming concerned. [Savage races? What has Rose been up to these past five years?! She said she was going to help me, is this because I didn't visit? Did she think the beast folk betrayed me? I need to go talk to her.]

Zell made his way to the castle only to be greeted by the guards blocking the entrance. "State your name and purpose." One of the guards demanded.

[Ah shit.] Zell thought to himself. [Well, guess I will roll with it.]

"Name is Gary." Zell said. "I'm a traveling adventurer and thought I could be of service to her majesty."

"Well Gary." The guard laughed. "That is noble and all, but if you want to meet the queen you are going to have to do better than that. She does not meet anyone she does not summon. IF what you said is true though, you should head to the adventurer's guild and make yourself useful. By serving there you will be serving her majesty's interests."

"Right, how silly of me." Zell said defeated. "I'll just head back over that way then."

[Crap, that was a terrible plan.] Zell thought to himself as he walked away. [I need to find a way inside the castle. I could force my way in, but I don't want to blow my cover. Maybe if I take on an impossible quest and complete it, they will let me inside as part of my reward? Yes, let's go with that.]

Zell walked inside the adventurer's guild and went over to the counter. "Please give me your most difficult quest." He said with a grin.

"I'm sorry." The receptionist asked. "Do I know you? Are you registered here?"

"The name's Gary." Zell said. "I'm new in town and would like to make a quick fortune, so if you don't mind, I could use that difficult quest."

"No." She replied. "That's not how this works. You can register, and we can start you at the bottom rank. Quests are divided by rank, so in order to do the hardest quest, you will need the highest rank. But even the true bottom rank of Cobalt is only obtained after we evaluate you with trails and quests."

"You can't make an exception for me?" Zell said.

"No." She replied. "If you would like to start your application for guild employment, we can start there."

"How about you just tell me what the quest is, and I just do it unofficially, and you give me the reward?" Zell asked.

"Do you want to start the process or continue to waste my time?" She replied.

"You know what." Zell said. "I'll be back." He then picked up his stone and teleported away right in front of the receptionist.

"Oh, neat." She said. "We don't have many spell casters; I hope he comes back."

Zell reappeared outside of Leon's house and went inside. He found the elder lion and Kaitlyn waiting for him, sitting by the fire. "So, I am guessing a lot has happened?" Zell asked as he sat down.

"Yes." Kaitlyn said. "I tried to tell you earlier, but you ran off in such a hurry."

"Sorry about that," Zell replied, "the whole five-year thing really spooked me for a bit."

"Understandable." Leon said. "If I woke up five years older it would confuse me as well. But it is as you say. The human's have a new ruler, your sister."

"Well, that was part of the plan, right?" Zell said. "She was going to become queen and steer people towards peace with the other races and prevent the war."

"She did the opposite!" Kaitlyn yelled.

"That little one, turned the people against their king and took his throne by force." Leon explained. "A great battle occurred at your old house. Sensing that his niece was trying to overthrow him, the king attacked the manor with the royal guard. He died in that fight, your sister took his head and his crown."

"What about my family?" Zell said.

"Your father lost his life in that battle as well." Kaitlyn said.

"Dad died?" Zell was saddened to lose another family member, but his experience in the astral plane helped him navigate the sorrow. "What about my mom?!"

"She's alive." Leon said.

"Where is she?!" Zell yelled.

A familiar figure walked out of the hallway and sat next to Zell. "I'm right here my son." Elenore said.

Zell cried and gave his mother a hug. "I'm so happy you are okay." Zell said.

"My sweet boy." She smiled. "You look so different, but you are still my same sweet boy. I am so happy you are all right. I have been so worried."