Reflections

The fire crackling was the only sound the bar had heard in some time. The winter snows in Lazulis had come in full force and shut the city down, for the most part. No one wanted to step outside in the weather that ravaged the city.

Lowell couldn't blame them. Were it not for the fire, thick blanket, and darling of his life intertwined with him, he suspected the cold would be too much.

Their bar resembled Ariela's Tavern quite a bit. It had been Lowell and Syrenne's inspiration and goal when they saved up their mercenary money. And now, they had attained it.

But the light of their success was dimmed by the few people they had to share it with. Lowell's hand unconsciously rubbed the small of Syrenne's back, causing her to shift towards him in her sleep.

Lowell looked around the tavern with a look of melancholy.

There at the bar, the far edge where it was the quietest, he could see Yurick reading. The eye-patched man no doubt was flipping through another tome from the Arganan Library, wrestling secrets from its depths that the mages hadn't even thought of yet.

Lowell's visage of Yurick disappeared. The young man was off making quite a name for himself on the mainland. Syrenne and he had received a letter recently of his exploits—and the unfortunate news that he would not be back to visit for a long while.

The blond's gaze shifted to the center of the bar, right where Lowell usually stood taking orders. He saw Mirania scarfing food like she always did (And still he marveled where she put it all). She pulled on Lowell's shirt with a face begging for more.

She too, faded away. Mirania had moved on to the forests and her goal of protecting them. The last time she'd visited Lowell recalled her being the happiest he could remember. The forest life was good for her (Even if she complained about the lack of delicious food). But it had been months since they'd heard from her.

A small table in the opposite corner caught his eye next. Zael and Calista could be sitting there, holding hands and speaking quietly. Occasionally Syrenne would be by to tease them, to which Zael would fire back with his own remark, amusing Calista to no end.

Their laughter remained in his mind as he thought about them now. Zael was frequently jumping between the mainland and Lazulis. Being the Count was a busy job, leaving his schedule too booked to spend time with Lowell and Syrenne. Calista, while she remained on the island for the most part, didn't know them as well. It was no fault of her own, as they'd had plenty of adventures together. They simply hadn't known her as long.

And Lowell's head turned to a stool right next to the bar proper. Ariela had gifted it to them when they first opened. It was the spot Dagran had always chosen to sharpen his sword, and that was all Lowell could see him doing there. Every once in a while, he'd take a sip of his beer, but then it was right back to taking care of that fancy sword.

Dagran…he too was gone. Lowell had made peace with that long ago. The Dagran he remembered was what he preferred, not as he was near the end. It was…better that way.

Lowell blinked, and found himself back in the present. A sadness enveloped him as he struggled to recall the last time they had all been together. It had been…too long.

Life had run its course. They had gone their different ways, paths they each needed to take. Lowell knew he'd never take back the choices he made to lead him to the life Syrenne and he shared now.

Their wedding day. The last time they had all been together, sans Dagran. But Lowell liked to think he'd been there in spirit, watching over them and giving his blessing.

The memory brought a smile to his face. Its happiness made the room seem a little less cold, and the sadness evaporated as quickly as it had come.

He looked down to Syrenne's sleeping figure as she had somehow wormed her way deeper into the crook of his arm. Lowell's smile grew.

Perhaps they'd never all be together again. Perhaps their lives had taken them all across the land, far from one another. But he was okay with that. He'd make his peace with it.

The memories of the times they'd had would always be with him.

Lowell smiled.


Author Notes: It's been a long time since I last played this game. Forgive me if I messed up any small details.

I'm fairly certain this will be the last fic I write for this fandom, provided there's no sequel or anything to this game. This game made a huge difference in my life, and to see all the incredible stuff this small, but dedicated, fandom do was awesome. It really taught me a lot.