1.10 – Away

1.10 – Away

“I can’t believe my baby’s all grown up,” Mom wailed, clutching onto Natalie’s arm. “The house'll be so empty. You promise you’ll write? Promise me.”

Natalie rolled her eyes. Mom had always been dramatic ... but Natalie guessed if there was ever a time for it, it would be Natalie shipping off to Tenet. Still, it was embarrassing.

“I’ve said it a hundred times, haven’t I?” Natalie extricated herself from her mother’s clinging embrace. “And it’s only a few months till break. I’ll be back in no time.”

“You better be,” Mom said firmly. “And you better take care of yourself. And Jordan and Sofia. I’ve heard so many stories of the Dungeon ... promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I’ll be safe,” Natalie said for the millionth time. “It’s definitely not part of the plan to become monster food.”

Mom swatted her shoulder. “Don’t even joke!”

“Sorry.” Natalie adjusted her backpack strap, settling the weight. Her suitcase was set behind her; the two bags were all Natalie would be bringing with her to Tenet. “I’ll be fine. Seriously. Relax.”

In the background, a train whistle pierced the air. Natalie glanced its way, then said, “I should get going.”

Her dad had been standing stoically by, watching Mom make an embarrassment out of the two of them. Despite his calm exterior, Natalie could see the hint of sadness in his eyes, too. Natalie’s train signaling it was time to board, he stepped forward and hugged her goodbye. “We’ll miss you, Nat,” he said gruffly. “You’ll do great things. But keep yourself safe. Go slow and steady. All that matters is you make it back.”F0lloww new chapters at nov/(e)l/bin/(.)com

She might be able to change that, if Natalie’s future went well. Delvers earned exceptional money ... or, the non-low-level ones. Assuming Natalie didn’t turn into monster food, as she’d joked about to her parents, then by the time she left Tenet in four years, a single delve would be a month of their pay, or more. Wealth was one of the main motivators for why people flocked to the dungeons.

Natalie had an advantage, at least, in that she’d been accepted to Tenet. Some people starting delving without any professional training, or preparation of any sort. Desperation, usually. The mortality rates weren’t bright even for skilled delvers, so for those cases ... even less so. Natalie’s chosen profession had a grim reality to it; it didn’t pay so well without reason.

Her parents’ insistence that Natalie keep herself safe had been justified. Especially since they knew Natalie wasn’t the most careful of individuals. They were ecstatic Jordan had qualified along with her. They’d made a few comments about how she’d keep Natalie out of trouble.

Which ... Natalie would see about that. Jordan did have a moderating effect on Natalie, but she hadn’t managed to ‘keep Natalie out of trouble’, growing up. Why would it be different now?

Natalie was almost at the front of the line. She looked around, shifting in place as she waited, and caught a glimpse of white hair.

Sofia had always stuck out in a crowd. Her hair, mostly. White wasn’t a common color, down in Valhaur. The culprit was Sofia’s Theliosian blood, the snowy, mountainous nation to the north of Valhaur. Natalie didn’t know the exact circumstances behind how she’d been adopted by the Kipper family.

She was pressed in by her siblings and parents, who were, in much the same way Natalie’s mom had been, wailing over her departure. Natalie didn’t understand how such an annoying, smug girl had a family so bright and cheerful. She stuck out in the mass of brown-hair and tanned skin. Sofia’s hair wasn’t the only thing blindingly white about her ... she had the skin of a Theliosian too. Theliosians didn’t tan like Valhaurians; they just burned. Teasing Sofia over it was one of Natalie’s favorite things to do. The fact she had to put on sunscreen to avoid roasting was something she was definitely annoyed by, much as she pretended not to be.

Natalie reached the front of the line, and she turned her attention to the attendant, handing him her ticket.

She boarded.