You Should Have Answered My Calls (Open to Tarot Hierarchy)

In the passing years, much of Althanas changed. Through the wrath of nature and cosmic intervention, everything experienced change including the Empress of the Tarot Hierarchy. Still branded with her mark of fate, she wondered what point it meant to have the title with no family to protect. She could barely remember her old home of The House of Cards. The thought of hearing her own footsteps in silent, empty halls grated at the back of her mind like a haunting whisper. The faces she risked her life for to slay a Forgotten One seemed like distant memories. Her heart ached for the camaraderie, the fights, and the silliness of it all. Unable to fill the void of her longing, she tried her best to distract her feeling of uselessness by helping the newly founded GATEs.

Her station, in Beinost, aimed to reclaim and purge the blight left by Xem'Zund. Their efforts to monitor The Red Forest's progression back to the Quadlume of old lingered on. Despite the root cause of its corruption, the effects it had on nature would not be quickly or easily dismissed. All of which, the young gunner tried to find meaning and purpose in helping others. Something still lingered and ached despite all the good she spread deeds she used to bandage the pain.

The blonde released a longing sigh to the salty breeze. Beinost's streets became busier with the arrival of the nearby GATE. Trade increased, adventurers flocked to it for their piece of fame, and the civilians worked busily to not only rebuild, but improve that which was damaged by the End of Days. The people she once watched in bewilderment and intrigue no longer gripped her. They were people, normal, like her. While some intricacies of social life still eluded her, Alyssa at least felt a closer sense of belonging.

Her blue eyes watched over the sea's horizon and she took a sip from her brewed coffee. Today, she earned herself a break from the busy work. Of all the days, these were by far the most lonely. With work, her thoughts couldn't wander.

"I miss them," she cooed. Her trusty rifle, wrapped in white linen, propped against her single person table. The magnum at her hip remained tightly strapped and the bladed tool at her back nestled closely against her, irritating the hidden scar beneath the clothes. Of all the things in her life, these weapons remained consistent. They would never leave her; the couldn't. With a weak smile, she let her slender hand fall on the wrapped barrel as though she caressed her grieving friend's shoulder.

"Maybe I'll give it one more try for old time's sake," Alyssa spoke to her inanimate companion.

She set her cup upon its matching saucer and reached up to a small, damascus cuff along the ridge of her ear. She tried her best to picture the faces of those long lost friends and reach out to them. She waited for it, wished for it. She wanted to hear that chime of connection, to know they were out there. Anything but the dread of silence.

*Ting!*

Alyssa's heart stopped. Her breath froze in her chest.

"Hello?" she called out verbally and mentally. For a moment, the world crawled to a standstill.

“Hello?”

The words rang out in Vincent’s mind like a shot in the dark, something he’d never anticipated hearing so soon into his return back to Althanas, let alone ever. His impromptu sojourn back to earth had sent him spiraling through the stages of grief over the separation from all of his friends, and in one word all of those old wounds were torn open anew, sending waves of various powerful emotions cascading through his mind. He took a moment, catching his breath and trying to regain his composure before answering.

“Alyssa.” Vince managed mentally, taking care to remember how this fancy piece of magical technology worked so he would not accidentally speak aloud. Next to him, Rayleigh lay sleeping in their tent, one of few pieces of camping equipment they’d managed to scrounge up from the ruins of Raiaera on their journey. Their trip had been incredibly hard, especially taxing on her given that over the years she’d adjusted to her life on earth. “It’s good to hear from you.”

The words felt contrived as they left his…”lips” so to speak. He hadn’t heard from her in years, and based on everything he’d observed shit had hit the proverbial fan while he was gone. The world had needed the Tarot Hierarchy, the world had needed Vince! Yet where had he been? Off back on earth living comfortably falling in love with the woman of his dreams and having his proverbial happily ever after. He took in a deep breath and carefully slid out of the sleeping bag, expertly extracting himself from Rayleigh in a manner not to wake her. He silently shuffled out of their tent, into the wastes of the land he once called home to watch the morning sun begin to peak out over the sky. He wondered where Alyssa was, if she too was watching the sunrise. Probably, he mused, for she and he had shared a similar sense of wonder of the world.

“I uh,” he paused, looking for the right words. “Can definitely explain where I’ve been, I swear.”

"Alyssa."

Her name. The voice sounded familiar, but different. Time changed most things, herself included.

"It's good to hear from you."

'Why....'

She trembled. Her eyes stung and her vision skewed. The beat in her heart fell wayside to the tidal wave of happiness and sorrow. The storm washed over her as she could only listen in her disbelief.

"I uh, can definitely explain where I’ve been, I swear."

"Vince," she replied. Her hand covered the mark of the Empress on her body. Likely just a figment of her imagination, it stung.

Her chest rose and fell. The years of silence. The years of her reaching out into the world or someone, anyone from the Tarot to reply...

"Where... Where have you been?" her mental voice trembled. Was it sadness? Fear? Joy?

She shook her head as patrons raised a brow to the tears in her eyes and look of pain on her face. She dabbed away the streams of emotions from her cheeks and smiled. Her hands shook.

"Welcome home..."

Waves of guilt crashed over Vincent as her reply came in a slow, staggered response. He had no way of knowing exactly how much time had passed, or what had happened in his absence. He could feel something in the air had changed, he could tell the world had been through something given the destruction he’d observed. The scars of yet another event to rip through Raiaera, leaving deep wounds on the already bleeding land. The world had needed him, the Tarot had needed it’s Emperor, she had needed her friend.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his fiercely beating heart as he came up with a slow and measured response, a way to make it sound like he hadn’t simply fucked off back home to have a nice and comfortable life. A way to make it sound like he hadn’t simply left this world to rot while he got to go enjoy internet, good pizza, and AC. He hadn’t gone and had a whirlwind romance with the woman of his dreams, falling in love and getting married while people back here were dying en masse.

It was going to be a tough sell.

“When I was on an adventure with Ray…” the words felt hollow to him. He couldn’t even say they’d been on legitimate business, it’d been a thinly veiled excuse to take her on a date. In hindsight it was downright creepy, but he didn’t have time for that, he needed to speak. “We investigated a strange cavern filled with magical crystals...something happened and suddenly a portal opened up and sucked us through, when I came too I was standing in my home back on Earth. I’d been there for years now, thinking I was never coming home, spending as much time as I could researching any leads on actual magic back there to no avail. Then suddenly one day...me and Ray were watching a movie about to go to bed and WHOOSH we’re back here like...like Althanas called us home.” He paused blinking as his eyes adjusted to the sun as it continued to creep over the horizon. He’d probably need to pester Rayleigh soon, nudge her out of bed and get the move on.

“How have...things been? Where are you now?” He turned back to the tent, pausing ever so slightly. He’d finish this conversation first, figure out their heading so they could start their journey bright eyed and bushy tailed through the ruins of this magical land. He could always risk opening a portal there but...he hadn’t used his magic except on instinct in an emergency, he was worried that a long portal had the chance to fuck up, dump them somewhere unexpected, like Earth again.

Just hearing his voice filled her with warmth. Then he spoke another's name to which she interjected.

"Ray too?" Excitement danced in her tone.

Not just Vince, but Ray returned from the void. The doors sealed shut by accepting the loss of those close to her cracked open. She felt a warmth she could not explain. Tears of happiness trailed from her cheeks.

"Movies..." Alyssa repeated. She knew what he spoke of despite the oddity of the word in their era. She thought of Duffy and his ties to the stars above. "Sounds like you had a fun get away."

Unlike before, the tinge of jealousy and anger seeped into her words.

"It has been hard, Vince." The blonde dried her stinging eyes. "I'm sure you know of how Althanas can be. You leave for a few months and something has threatened the world as you know it."

She paused.

"People are hurting Vince, but they are on the mend. They lost so much. Lornius is gone. Earthquakes, volcanos, meteors..."

She trailed off, her memory filled with images she would soon not forget.

"We need you, Vince."

The next phrase felt selfish.

"I need you."

She looked out over the stretch of the rebuilding city of Beinost. Although not as damaged as some places, the tidal waves from seismic activity touched all the lives which called this place home. Some ships still sat as sculptures molded with buildings.

Alyssa looked down to her remaining coffee. She finished its contents and reached for her rifle.

"I'm in Beinost." She rose to her feet and slung the familiar weapon over her shoulder. "What about you? Do you still know how to use your magic?"

Vince took in a deep breath and let it all process. It sounded like the world had kicked him right out before all hell had broken loose. Had the forces of fate been trying to protect him? Get him and his wife the fuck out of dodge before all hell broke loose? Or perhaps something had banished him out of the way specifically to cause all this hell? He gritted his teeth. While he’d been off having a wonderful life and falling in love and getting married, the world had fallen apart. He had no way of knowing what had truly happened, but it was time to get to work.

“The Magic is spotty but Thaynes be damned I’ll make it work.” He cracked his knuckles and focused his mind, taking a deep breath in before exhaling. “I need you to do me a favor, where specifically in Beinost are you? I'm gonna try and open one of the classic Vince teleportation portals. I’m gonna need you to make sure you see it before I send my wife through…” he paused and then added with a grin. “And maybe throw on a fresh pot of coffee, she’s gonna be pissed when I wake her up this early.”