An Empty Heart Can Fuel An Engine

[Jaque POV]

Opening my eyes, I was looking at a wall that was all too familiar, even the pain and numbness coursing through my body was familiar. It seems I am back in the workshop in my room. Seeing a picture hung up on the wall, it was a picture Tartian, Arcus and I when we first became adventurers. Tartian, who calm and collected, Arcus, happy and full of energy, and me wearing my signature grin. Grinning back at the picture, I feel peace wash over me. A feeling that I never thought I would experience again.

'Perhaps this is what you guys felt back then...'

I try to get up using my arms as support and I feel a sense of emptiness on my right side. It seems like they managed to remove my poisoned arm. I looked at my bandaged shoulder for a little longer, there was definitely some regret in my heart but its something that I could handle.

Slowly getting up, I walk toward my desk, trying to take as quiet steps as possible. I wanted some time alone to myself and I wouldn't want to wake up the entire workshop with the joyful screams Lorraine and Arius. Opening the curtains above my desk, I'm greeted by a beautiful moon in the sky. The sky was so clear that the dim glow of the moon was enough to illuminate my desk.

Sitting down, I open one of my drawers and pull out a pen, a paper and a bottle of ink. Putting them nice and tidy, I drip my pen in the ink and began to write.

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Dear Arcus and Tartian,

How have you guys been up there? I know you must have done something exciting and fun, that's just how you guys are. I did something pretty exciting too in the last couple of days. I was bringing two littles one from the orphanage. It was Lorraine and Arius. The baby and the crybaby that you guys met when you came for a visit.

On the trip to town, we were ambushed by goblins. It was during the middle of the day too. I've never expected it, they're usually a lot more docile during the day. As to not bore you guys with the details, I'll just skip to the results. We all survived but I took two arrows to my arm and was poisoned and now I'm writing while only having one arm. Crazy right?

Anyways, losing this arm to protect loved ones has unlocked a part of me that I thought died with your guys. I guess I now know how you guys felt during that final battle.

I really miss you guys!

From your dearest friend,

Jaque

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By the time I was done writing the letter, the bottom half of the paper was covered by patches of tears. This happens every time, the tears just start flowing without me even knowing. Despite it hurting every time, I always come back again to write to them. Folding up the letter, I take out an envelope from my drawer and place the letter inside.

Tucking the letter in my vest, I stand up and head for the door. Softly and quietly, I make my way out of the workshop and down the stream that passed through the town. Walking the path I've walked countless times, I arrive at a large oak tree next to the steam.

If you looked closely, you would see that at the base of the tree, there were three small iron plaques, two of which had names engraved on them: Arcus Sleyker, Tartian Vasterria.

After Arcus' and Tartian's bodies were recovered, this is where they were going to be buried as this town had been their home for 3 years now. Unfortunately, that never happened. Their families got the news somehow and being a part of a clan and nobility, demanded that their bodies be returned to them. I didn't have a say in the matter. I couldn't...I felt too guilty and sad at the time.

Taking the letter out of my vest, I placed it on the iron plaque in between my friends' graves. Unlike the other two that were clean, this one was covered in ashes.

"May you rest in peace, my friends."

Dropping to my knees, I place my remaining hand on the letter and with a wiggle of my fingers, it is set ablaze. With no expression on my face, I watched as the letter quickly burn, fuelling a small pulsing flame, being reduced to ashes.

With the smoky smell in the air, I lay down on the grass next to the tree, looking into the night sky. I felt empty but not the emptiness I felt when I woke up that day all alone. No, it was different, it didn't hurt and ache. It didn't feel heavy.

"I guess it's time to finally start moving again."

"Seems you overcame your guilt and anguish, lil crybaby."

"Humph, guess so."

Turning my head toward the voice, I see Master Doherty standing right beside me. He was holding a lantern that shone a warm glow on the proud smile he had on his face

"Master Doherty, how long have you been there."

"The whole time, lil fella. The whole time."

"Really…you just stood there watching me like a creep. Ew!"

Hearing my statement, I see his smile twitch and a crunch, seeing the lantern in his hand crushed into pieces. With a smile still frozen on his face that makes me break into a cold sweat, Master Doherty walks over and grabs me by my shirt.

"It seems like that stinking attitude of yours has come back as well. Crybaby, you're going to complete the Gauntlet within the next 10 hours else you'll need to do two!"

"Come on, sorry, sorry! It was a joke, I can't do that especially not with just one arm."

"Well... that's your problem."

I felt like crying, to be honest, I was crying. The gauntlet is the one thing all of Master Doherty's apprentices despair about. It's a straightforward task on paper, make a full set of metal armour at your craftsman rank within the time limit. What he doesn't tell you is that you got to do everything yourself! All you get is your unrefined iron ore. You got to refine it, smelt it and forge the equipment. The time given is just enough to get everything done. So no breaks, no slowing down and most importantly no redos.

Master Doherty makes all his apprentices run the Gauntlet twice a year to weed out the slackers. It also helps keep the number of apprentices low. For the time I've been here, I've heard that that number never went above 15.

As Master Doherty continues to drag me back to the workshop, I'm dreading more and more the coming hours.

'Arcus, Tartian. I think I'll start moving forward if I survive the next couple of days*sniff*'

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Dakria's Fun Fact: How can a low-ranked flame break through a high-level adventurer's enchantment? Well, it is situational. In this situation, the enchantment was no longer being supplied mana and was on the verge of dissipating by itself. So it was basically broken already. That's about it, other than that, it could happen if the user of the flame was a genius and perfected its use while the person who created the enchantment was being sloppy.