text: [Themes: fantasy, serious, anti-hero, humor]
  
  While you're fumbling to at least get your underwear and pants back on, Tanya looks around again, still staying in the circle of course. She examines the gory chunks of flesh that once were Vera and reaches down with a taloned hand.
  
  She tastes some of the blood and then pops the whole thing into her mouth.
  
  "If you're going to get rid of your curse, you best do it now while she's trapped. While she's in that circle you can command her to release you and she has no choice but to do so. So get on with it!" Heather exclaims.
  
  With your pants now back on, you approach Tanya, who stares at you from the circle. She doesn't look pleased, but then you aren't sure if that's just here natural look now.
  
  "Tanya, I command you to take off this curse you put on me." You say trying to be as authoritative as you can, but honestly you're scared shitless.
  
  And Tanya knows it. In fact she just steps closer to the edge of the circle.
  
  "You command ME? Have you grown so arrogant in your meager mortal life that you believe you can even do that?" Tanya asks.
  "No, but..." you start to say before you're interrupted.
  "Then you've just grown stupider."
  "Tanya..."
  "That isn't even my name anymore worm. I have become something much greater and I have long shed any connection to my pathetic mortal years."
  "Even me?"
  
  Tanya doesn't answer you, but instead just gives a huffing growl.
  
  "The one on the floor who I tasted. This one loved you, yet you obviously sacrificed her to summon me. Why?" Tanya asks.
  "I told you, I want you to lift the curse that..." you begin to answer.
  "No! I mean why did you sacrifice her?"
  "She betrayed me."
  "I see. And you felt that she deserved this horrible fate?"
  
  You're about to answer yes, but then on reflection you stop yourself.
  
  "No. She probably didn't, but I made a pragmatic decision because I needed something and she was the best way to get it."
  
  Tanya nods at your answer, meanwhile Heather is getting impatient.
  
  "For fuck's sake stop talking so much and just COMMAND it to lift the fucking curse! The more you talk, the more it's going to beguile you into doing something stupid, like stepping into the circle with it!" Heather yells.
  "Silence wizard! I will deal with YOU later. If my former...human wishes to speak with me, then he will do so until our business is done. Now then, before we move on to this curse you speak of, I wish to ask more questions about you, one of which is why have you not moved on from me? I asked you to do so." Tanya says.
  "I can't! You put a curse on me that prevents me from having sex with any other woman! Anytime I do, they wind up dead a few days later!" you answer.
  "So why blame me? I haven't been anywhere on this world until you summoned me."
  "Well who else would it be? Yag fucking around with his magic dice? I mean I have a hard time believing its coincidence; there were too many women that died! I mean maybe you didn't mean to place it on me, maybe it was some sort of after effect of your power of something."
  "Oh I assure you human, I'm fully aware of my powers, but placing curses? Not my style and never will be. I learned a long time ago, even when I was here in my last remaining years tethered to this world that I enjoy direct bloodshed."
  "But...it had to be you...I mean...wasn't it?"
  "Maybe it was YOU."
  
  This accusation causes you to step back a bit.
  
  "Me? That's absurd." You say.
  "Is it? Think hard now." Tanya replies.
  "I think I'd know if I had killed all those women and some of those were accidents!"
  "Or maybe you made them look like they were. It's Holgard, not like the Watch was going to double check for barmaids and whores."
  "I can't believe it."
  "Okay...if it makes you feel any better, perhaps I AM to blame indirectly. Obviously you didn't get over me the way I told you too and were still obsessed with my magnificence. I suppose I can't fault you, after all a mere mortal woman would pale in comparison. But those women? I had no direct hand in causing their deaths. That was ALL you. Even now I can see it in your mind."
  "What?!"
  "I can see into your mind. We're bonded remember? Now granted that bond was severely weakened when I left this realm, but now? You're like an open book. I can see shit in your mind that you've blocked out which is exactly what you did when you were on your whore killing spree."
  "But..."
  "Why? Because you love me madly obviously and you always will. You killed those women out of fear that you were betraying that love. However, you have a strange morality about you and that caused you to block it out. How you did it so easily, well that's probably thanks to our bond and you gaining a very tiny bit of my mental powers. Except you didn't even realize you were using it of course."
  "But if all this is true, I must have moved on because I stopped doing it."
  "Well yes, but that's mainly because your conscious mind came to the conclusion that I must have put a curse on you so you used THAT as an excuse to not get involved with another woman again. Even this Vera woman, that you obviously had a lot of affection for. I dare say if you had actually given it a chance you might have even broke the cycle. Enough time had passed between us by then and your feelings for Vera were much stronger than they were for the other women. But your love for me just proved too strong. Think about it. Even though she betrayed you, you could have just killed her or even forgave her if you so desired. Instead, you sacrificed her to summon me."
  "But I did it because I HAD to see you!"
  
  Tanya folds her arms and smiles a bit.
  
  "And there it is...and here I am." Tanya says.
  "By the gods..." you say suddenly coming to an epiphany.
  "You are a fool to listen to this demon and when she eats your soul, I am not going to be able to help you." Heather interjects.
  
  You might be a fool, but unfortunately Tanya's words are proving correct. Your memories are all suddenly flooding back. You see the murders as clear as yesterday now. You see what you did and how you even enjoyed doing it at times. It was you. It was you the entire time and you blacked it all out.
  
  You slowly slump to the floor trying to process everything and you can't do it. You just stutter a couple of words and trail off.
  
  "You cannot command me to lift a curse that I never placed on you mortal. The only curse you have is your love of me and I can't help you with that. I wish I could, but you didn't listen to me when I told you not to pursue me in the first place and this is where we are now." Tanya says with a bit of sympathy in her voice.
  
  While you're coming to grips with your uncovered memories, Heather is done with this whole thing.
  
  "Enough! We've apparently solved your problem, now we're moving on. Demon, I command YOU to transfer the life essence of that woman over there to me." Heather yells.
  "WHAT?! Grand Matriarch you can't mean that!" Gwen answers.
  "Oh shut up! This shouldn't even be a surprise to you, never liked you anyway. I'm tired of looking and feeling like an old bat while I'm only in my thirties!" Give me this woman's youth and then you may return to your own realm."
  
  Gwen attempts to leave her circle but soon learns that she's trapped within it. Attempts at casting a spell to escape or even attack Heather similarly fail. Lacking any other means of freedom, Gwen panics and begins to plead for her life.
  
  "You keep interesting female company since we parted mortal. Based on the mewling waif, the old hag over there and the meat chunks on the floor apparently they've all been a bunch of treacherous backstabbing bitches, pathetic naïve weaklings or both. No wonder you still long for me. At least even with my infernal heritage I never lied to you." Tanya says.
  "Demon! I AM in charge here! I COMMAND YOU in Dorna's name to perform my task!"
  
  Tanya starts to laugh.
  
  "I don't recognize your gods and that's not how it works! That's not how ANY of this works!" Tanya says.
  "What?!" Heather remarks.
  "Someone isn't up on their guide to infernals because you can't command me to do shit for you. This one probably isn't in most books about us because it isn't a common occurrence, but you cannot command an infernal whose heart belongs to someone. And my heart unfortunately belongs to this mortal until he dies or purposely breaks it. And in any case, this circle you made to hold me doesn't even have the correct symbols on it..."
  
  And with those words Tanya slowly steps out of the circle to Heather's horror.
  
  "Oh shit! Gwen you fucking idiot!" Heather shouts and quickly begins to call for help, along with casting a beam of frost at Tanya.
  
  Tanya blocks the beam with one hand and then waves her other arm and suddenly most of the furniture in the room is thrown against the door to barricade it. Meanwhile you get out of the way so you don't get hit by Heather's magic or get stepped on by Tanya's cloven hooves.
  
  You look on in slight awe as you see Tanya draw her sword, which is now on fire and Heather just barely blocking it from cleaving her in two by casting a magic shield.
  
  "Please! Help me out of this circle!" you suddenly hear.
  
  You forgot all about Gwen who out of everyone here is innocent in all this.
  
  You aren't sure how this magic circle shit works, but you can't think of anything else to do except try to pull Gwen out of it. And to your amazement it actually works.
  
  "Come on, we need to get the hell out of here." You say and rush to the barricaded door, though some books on the floor suddenly distract Gwen.
  
  "What the fuck are you doing?! We gotta get out of here before those two bring this whole place down on our heads!" you shout.
  "If Heather doesn't win, then we're going to need something to stop your ex, I'm looking for some sort of spell. Just focus on unbarricading the door. Hopefully the other students are working on the other side to get in here." Gwen says as she hastily goes through book pages.
  
  Lacking any other plan, you go with Gwen's and start trying to move the various desks, tables, chairs and cabinets agaist the door. You can hear shouting on the other side to which you yell back for them to blow the damn door open and get their asses in here.
  
  You've moved and thrown aside exactly one large desk and that's when you hear a scream. You slowly turn your head and see that Tanya has broken through whatever magical defenses Heather had and cut her in half. Heather was no slouch as a wizard, for Tanya to have easily killed her like that...it just defies words of how powerful she's gotten.
  
  Be that as it may, it would seem that Gwen found something to harm Tanya because she unleashes a blast of magic energy straight into her back causing a monstrous howl.
  
  It slows her down, but not much as she's already spun around to face Gwen. She stomps on the ground causing the floor to crack and forcing Gwen to jump out of the way lest she fall into the Holgard sewers, though maybe that would have been a better idea. At least then there would have been multiple escape routes.
  
  At this point some of the other students have manages to blast part of the door open. Several begin trying to climb over the furniture still in the way.
  
  "BURN." Tanya utters and you jump back just in time to see all of the furniture barricade go up in flames along with unfortunate wizards that were climbing over it at the time.
  
  The screams of burning wizards are soon drowned out by another bellow of pain by Tanya when Gwen hits her with another blast of whatever magic she's using. This time Tanya falls to one knee briefly, but it isn't enough and now she's heading straight for Gwen like an angry charging minotaur. Gwen however is surprisingly holding her ground and preparing another magic blast.
  
  You spy your pistol on the floor and you grab it, but as strange as it may be, you aren't sure who to use it on.
  
  The whole time during Tanya's arrival, you've had a stirring within you again. Namely your obsessive love for Tanya. Even this monstrous demonic form, she is still the object of everything you desire in heart and you don't want to see her hurt no matter how well she's able to defend herself.
  
  But you'll never be free if you hang on to the idea of a relationship that can never be.
  
  > aim for Gwen
  That's it; you'll always be a slave to loving Tanya. You were doomed when you first laid eyes on her.
  
  You've also learned that you did a bunch of terrible shit because of it and what you did to Vera was terrible too despite what she did to you.
  
  You're not a virtuous person and you most likely never will be, but never let it be said that you're all bad.
  
  You aim for Gwen, but not a kill shot, instead you shoot just so the bullet whizzes in front of her face causing her to break her concentration and even stumble back a bit. Then you quickly address Tanya.
  
  "TANYA STOP! DO NOT KILL THIS WOMAN! I COMMAND YOU!" you shout.
  
  Just a few paces away from Gwen with her sword in hand, she manages to stop herself from trampling over her. She snorts and turns a scowling face towards you.
  
  "Why do you stop me mortal?! Do you love this woman?" Tanya asks.
  "No. I don't, but she doesn't deserve to die either." You say and walk towards the pair of them.
  
  You see Gwen attempting to cast another spell and that's when you really point your pistol at her.
  
  "Gwen, you will NOT harm Tanya. If you continue to attack, I'll kill you myself." You say.
  "But...but we've got her! She can't do shit right now! I can kill her and then you'll finally be free, isn't that what you wanted?" Gwen remarks.
  "No. I love this woman. Why would I want to be free of that?"
  "Because she's a demon that is incapable of it?"
  "If that were true she would be ripping my head off right now. Gwen, I saved your life twice today, you can do me this favor."
  
  Gwen backs off and nods.
  
  "Very well, but I'm not sticking around and I suggest you and your...love leave as soon as possible, because I doubt the Holgard Watch is going to be as understanding when they arrive." Gwen replies and quickly runs over to the burning barricade and casts a spell to put it out before proceeding out the destroyed door opening.
  
  Now you're alone with Tanya who doesn't look pleased with you. You're about to speak when she suddenly grabs you and suddenly jumps in the air and takes to flight. Using her wings as a shield she envelopes herself (and you) as she breaks through the ceiling of the school.
  
  Afterward, she spreads her wings our again and flies high above the city. You never thought you'd see Holgard from this view again.
  
  Tanya is silent the whole time as she holds you close to her body and flies away from Holgard and eventually landing in a spot not far outside it, but away from anyone else.
  
  She drops you to the ground when you're close enough and finally she speaks when she lands near you.
  
  "You're a fool. A complete and utter fool. You always were." Tanya says.
  "I know." You answer.
  "I wish you had shot at me instead, then you would have ended both of our torment when I ripped you apart for breaking my heart."
  "Couldn't do that."
  "If you REALLY loved me as much as you claim, you would have! Do you realize how hard it is for me to ignore my feelings for you? Why do you think I look like a soldier of war rather than a seductress now? I tried to eliminate everything and anything that even reminded me of intimacy. I had to fight and struggle not only to block you out of my mind and the weakness that entailed with it, but also endure the taunts and challenges of other infernals who refused to see me as anything other than a succubus with human blood in my veins."
  "But you proved them wrong didn't you?"
  "Yes! I proved them all wrong. I thrived on the hate, their hate, my hate, all of it. I used it to achieve greatness. I am now a general in the Infernal Legions! I have personally beheaded and carved up celestials and won battles against seemingly impossible enemies. I am no mere succubus. I am a personification of rage, war, and hate."
  "I always knew you'd do well."
  "And you know what I really hate? YOU. I hate the day I ever met you. I hate that you were instrumental in my current status. I hate that you summoned me back to this pathetic world. I HATE the fact that I love you."
  "But without it, where would you be?"
  
  Your last words are too much and Tanya takes a step towards you and backhands you across the face. She probably wasn't even using half of her strength either and you go sprawling to the ground in a daze.
  
  After spitting a bit of blood and rubbing your head a bit, you slowly get back up and that's when you hear quiet sobbing.
  
  You look and you see Tanya sitting on the ground with her knees tucked in and her head buried in her arms.
  
  Except this isn't the demon of war form that you've been seeing. This isn't even her succubus form. It's the form of the girl you fell love with. Even her clothes are the same.
  
  "Tanya..." you say and walk over to her, but she pulls away a bit when you go to touch her.
  "But what I hate...(sob) most of all... is...that we can't be together..."
  
  You don't know what to say. There isn't anything you can say. She's right and it sucks.
  
  Instead you just sit next to her and hold her. She holds on to you back, finally giving in to her human feelings for you, no matter how buried they were.
  
  "I have to go back." Tanya says with a sniffle.
  "I know, but you could stay, just for a little while. Let's just enjoy what we have right here. Right now. Hey, we never watched the sunset together, why don't we do that?" You say.
  
  Tanya wipes her eyes and nods.
  
  "Okay."
  
  The pair of you just sit and hold each other in silence for quite awhile as you watch the sunset and then later the stars. One of the benefits of being bonded is not even having to speak. Sometimes one of you remembers a fond moment from your collective past and you both give a smile at each other, even an occasional laugh.
  
  During one of those moments, you both look deep into each other's eyes and you finally move in to kiss. From there, you both do what lovers tend to do.
  
  And for those moments of intimacy under the night sky, the pair of you has blocked out everything else and it's just you two.
  
  Afterwards, the pair of you fall asleep under the stars.
  
  The next day you wake up. You feel some of the aches from yesterday's events, but you're not too bad off. You look and Tanya isn't next to you and you expect her to be gone, but after looking around a bit, you see her standing by herself (still in her human form) over looking a small cliff by the sea. You walk over to her.
  
  "I sort of figured you'd be gone when I woke up." You say.
  "Couldn't leave it like that. You deserve a proper goodbye." Tanya says still looking at the ocean.
  "No way you can stay a little longer I guess."
  "As nice as last night was, it's best I don't get used to it. The longer I stay here, the more I'll lose myself. I can't afford that weakness. I know to you I'll always be that girl you fell in love with, but I assure you I am much more now and very different. I have responsibilities that you couldn't hope to know."
  "Well I can imagine leading hell armies is pretty taxing."
  
  Tanya turns to you.
  
  "You really don't judge do you?" Tanya says.
  "Isn't that what unconditional love is all about?" you say.
  "I suppose. But it's one thing to love someone despite them being say a thief. It's quite another to love someone who has committed genocide on a whole populace."
  "I'm guessing they had it coming."
  
  Tanya chuckles at your remark.
  
  "You always did know how to make me laugh despite my best efforts not to." Tanya says.
  "Besides, you just informed me that I murdered a bunch of innocent women that I had sex with and blocked it out. I'm hardly in a position to judge you." You reply.
  "Oh you didn't kill all of them."
  "What?!"
  "You didn't kill all of them. You missed one, but I sort of get the weird impression that you wouldn't have anyway. It's odd. You had some real harmony with that one and it was just a one-night stand. I dare say you didn't even get to that level with that Vera girl and you knew her quite well."
  
  You think for a moment of who Tanya could even be talking about. At first you think it might be Naji, but you only had sex with her before Tanya left. Then you remember.
  
  "Wait. That masked blonde at the baroness' party? Fuck! If I wanted to kill any of them, it would have been her! That bitch fucking picked my pockets while I was asleep and ran off!" you exclaim.
  "Heh, smart girl. In any case, I never saw in your mind that you killed her, so who knows, maybe if you ever meet her again you should hang on to her, she might just be the one that allows you to get over me."
  "I don't think there's going to ever be a girl that does that."
  
  Tanya strokes your face with her hand and gives a faint smile.
  
  "No. Probably not." She says and then kisses you one last time.
  
  "Please do not summon me ever again. Goodbye my love."
  
  She steps away from you and before your eyes you see her disappear in a small red flash.
  
  And she's gone again. This time forever.
  
  You sit on the ground and stare at the ocean for awhile. You weep a bit at your loss and a sense of depression hangs over you. You even briefly consider heading over the cliff, but you dismiss that idea pretty quickly. Suicidal thoughts have never been something you've dwelled on and you can only imagine how disgusted Tanya would be with you if you did.
  
  She'd want you to move on not give up and that's what you'll try to do.
  
  You eventually get back up and decide you probably should be making your way back to Holgard, you can only imagine the shitstorm that's going on there right now. Though you guess that Gwen will take the initiative and blame everything on Heather (Which is sort of true anyway; you didn't expect that twist) and take over what's left of the school.
  
  You sort of wonder if maybe you should follow up on Gwen's flirting now, but then would she even be interested any more given what she's learned about you? You suppose the best way to find out is to just go for it.
  
  If she isn't then you'll move on to someone else. If she is, well you'll have to remember not to try to kill her and blackout about it.
  
  With a new positive attitude in mind, you set off towards Holgard.
  
  "Goodbye Tanya." You say.
  
  > Epilogue
  Epilogue 10: "Hero"
  
  Year 36
  
  "Well I'm glad you gave this information to me Warts. The Baroness will definitely want to know about the elven camp that's been fucking up the logging operations in the area." You respond
  "Anything to undamine doze arrogant tree fuckers. Um, youz gonna need mercs? Cuz, Spiderfang tribe haz got da numbas again an' dey know the area ya know." Warts says.
  "Nah. Ludmilla will probably just tell me to send a few assassins to take them out. Training of the Silent Ones has been going well and they should be ready for outside jobs. No shadow magic tricks, but they don't need tricks when they got pure skill. In any case I imagine goodwill between Holgard and the Spiderfang tribe will be continued."
  "Hrm. Glad ta hear it. Business is good fer me when Holgard isn't in fucking chaos."
  "Everything is good when Holgard isn't in fucking chaos. I give it a few more years before the next crisis, but until then just enjoying the relative calm. So was that it Warts?"
  "Yeah, guess so. I should be gettin' back fore Gubbins an' Zuggins run my tradin' post inta da ground. Plus Snuffit's wit child again so can't be away too long anywayz."
  "Another one? What's that like six now? You keep that up and the entire Spiderfang Tribe is going to be related to you in some way."
  "Bah, dat's average fer hobs. How do ya think we replenished da tribe's numbers so quick? So youz ever gonna get started on a family now dat youz got a proper job and home now?'
  "I don't think it's really for me Warts."
  "What about dat magic girl I thought you waz with?"
  "Oh, Gwen? Eh, we just sort of have fun sometimes, but it's not really serious. I kind of think she's hesitant to get too involved anyway. Probably just as well given my general grim outlook on relationship of any kind."
  "Grm. You still pinin' over yer demon girl?"
  "Eh, occasionally. But that's not really what I meant. I was more talking about how almost everyone except you that's played a major role in the events of my life are dead. I mean I'm just thinking about some of them Naji, Yinen, Garrick, Rook, Shadow, Gloom, Heather..."
  "Vera."
  
  You stop for a moment when Warts says that name. You still have mixed feelings, but you eventually nod.
  
  "Yeah, her too. Anyway, even though I know I don't have some curse on me or anything of the sort, sometimes it feels like I do." You say.
  "Hey, whatever happen ta Sneaks? He didn't die did he?" Warts asks.
  "No. Actually don't know what ever happened to him. He just disappeared when the Thieves Guild got destroyed. Guess he could still be dead though."
  "Maybe its just humans. I mean I'm still alive and so is yer demon girl."
  "So is the Baroness, though there is that bullshit rumor that she's a vampire. She's not though she just uses shadow magic to keep herself younger looking. If Heather hadn't been such a purist for Dorna, she could have done that instead."
  "Hm, well you know what I say bout all dose people dat died..."
  
  "They shoulda prayed ta Yag more!" you both say in unison and laugh.
  
  You walk with Warts to the front door and bid him goodbye. It's strange to think that when you met that halfbreed in the woods twenty years ago that he'd wind up as practically your only friend.
  
  Of course twenty years ago, you wouldn't have believed that you'd wind up as head of one of the most powerful organizations in a major city state either. You're far from being the simple rogue you once were. Holgard's Silent Ones keep order better than the Watch ever could. Ironic that Holgard has never been safer than it has under your eye. Even the Ebony Claw Syndicate knows better than to try to set up shop here again.
  
  And the funniest thing is that Holgard citizens are happy about how oppressive things have gotten. Baroness Ludmilla currently enjoys the most popularity she's ever had and it's all thanks mainly because of you.
  
  The man took down the Thieves Guild and drove out the Ebony Claw Syndicate.
  The man who eliminated the disruptive warring religious factions.
  The man who helped defend Holgard from the Usurper Peter Varsakken.
  The man who "killed" a demon summoned by a rogue mage seeking to destroy the city.
  
  There are so many lies and propaganda now, that it's far easier to just keep piling more bullshit on top of it rather than even keeping it all-straight anymore.
  
  "Hero of Holgard" you're called and it's probably the biggest lie of them all.
  
  As you're about to go over some reports, you hear a knock on your door. At first you think its Warts who forgot something, but when you open the door you see someone else entirely and it's a big surprise.
  
  "Sis?" you ask.
  "I better be otherwise mom's got some explaining to do!" your sister says with a smile.
  "How did you even get past the front gate with the...oh nevermind, I don't care it's you!" you say and immediately give her big hug which she returns.
  
  "Damn it's really good to see you! It's been too long!" you exclaim.
  "You too bro. Hey don't squeeze too tight, I got my mandolin on my back and it's pretty unique." Your sister remarks.
  "Your clothing as usual is also pretty unique. A bit too colorful for my tastes, but then again you always were the flashy one."
  "Flashy one? You're the one with the big fancy house! And you got a job with the government now? I've even heard Hero of Holgard used by some people in this city! Never thought I'd ever hear your name and hero used in the same sentence."
  "Trust me it's even weirder for me, so is that how you found me? By reputation?"
  "Nah, I was visiting mom and dad recently and they said you wrote a letter to them a couple years ago saying you had a new job assisting the baroness here. Even showed it to me. I think they were both pretty skeptical, but I had to see for myself, so here I am!"
  "Well as I said, I'm really glad to see you. Come on in and sit down."
  
  You and your sister sit down in your living area and prepare to catch up.
  
  Your sister goes first and briefly goes into some of the places she's been. She says she actually passed through Holgard at one point, but of course she didn't know you were living at the time.
  
  "If you passed through here around that time, it was during my less respectable pre-hero days." You laugh.
  "I wasn't here that long anyway. Let's see...spent some time at sea with a nice crew of lesbian pirates..." your sister says.
  "Okay, I think you need to elaborate on that one."
  "It's not as much fun as you'd think, trust me. I got some songs and a few stories out of it though. Spent some time in Delantium...and as I said I eventually made my way back to Teckleville. I'm guessing since you bothered to write mom and dad you might like to hear an update, since I know they never wrote you back."
  "Well I actually heard from another source a couple years ago that I'm still not very well liked at the old homestead."
  "Nope, you aren't. Though you aren't considered a cold blooded murderer there anymore. After dad saved Annah's life she told everyone what happened and there were a couple other reluctant witnesses that stepped up and cleared your name a few months after you left."
  "Wow, surprised anyone else defended me. But yeah, I heard Annah lived, I was glad to hear it too. She wasn't the best girlfriend, but she didn't deserve that asshole Klint stabbing her."
  
  You shake your head just thinking about how long ago that was.
  
  "So wait, am I still wanted there?" You say.
  "Well...a lot of time has passed and that sheriff who hated you is long dead now. Klint's father also isn't there anymore, so I think you're in the clear legally, but I wouldn't exactly say you're wanted if you know what I mean. Though Annah apparently still thinks highly of you if you want to rekindle that relationship." Your sister says.
  "Hah. No. I don't have the best track record with barmaids. So what about mom and dad? I heard they were doing okay a couple years ago, I trust that's still the case?"
  "Yes they're fine...wait. You know about our new brother don't you?"
  "WHAT?! Now THAT I didn't know! They had another child?! When?!" You exclaim.
  "I guess shortly after we both left. I think he's about twenty or around that age. He's okay, a bit on the straight laced side. Guess mom and dad finally got the well behaved child they always wanted."
  "I guess so...sheesh...well I guess it's just as well. Not like they're going to ever see me again."
  "Oh come on, you could still go visit them. I mean this job...it's legit right?"
  "Oh it's as legit as they come, it's just probably not the most ethical. In fact, it's probably way worse than being a common rogue."
  "Yeah well, I think as long as you didn't go into too much detail about it, they would be fine. Mom would just do her usual mom thing of deliberately not dwelling on the potential negative and be overjoyed to see you. While dad would probably at least be civil and just glad that you're not in prison and asking him to bail you out."
  "Heh. Guess it is a step up. I dunno. perhaps one day. In any case, I'm really happy to see you again sis. I missed you a lot. I was just thinking not too long ago about how almost everyone that played an important role in my life, good and bad, was either dead or gone. Glad to that you're one of the few that are still around.
  "Hey, you're my brother and no matter what, I'll always be by your side." Your sister says touching your hand.
  
  You and your sister look at each other in silence for a moment, knowing that despite your years apart, some bonds never die.
  
  "Well now that I've filled you in on some of my journeys, it's time for you to do likewise! Give me all the details because I trust that this will definitely be a very interesting story!" your sister says.
  "Well, you might be surprised how dull things are for me right now. A lot of the more interesting stuff happened in the past. I warn you though, it's a long story." You say.
  "Best ones usually are." Your sister responds.
  
  You begin your tale...
  
  > Hey where do you think you're going? You ain't done yet!
  Times passes...
  
  "Wow, there are almost no words. I mean... that is some story. You have certainly had some adventures." Your sister says in awe.
  "Well so have you. I mean didn't you mention earlier that you traveled to another world briefly? Isn't that how you got your magic mandolin?" you say.
  "Yeah, and I mean you're right, that I did travel a lot more and had a lot of interesting encounters of my own...but your story about Tanya. That part of the story just really hit me. It's just so fucking tragic. I mean I think you noticed I cried a bit, during your last meeting with her. I can't believe you managed to get through the story without breaking down."
  "Well, I sort of live with it every day so I just sort of deal with it. Trust me, after you leave I'll probably be crying like an elf over a chopped up tree."
  "Oh come on, you don't need to be a tough guy in front of me."
  "I know, but I'm just too manly to cry in front of anyone." You say with a deflective laugh.
  "Okay. Okay. I'll change the subject, but I will say I'm really sorry you had to go through that."
  "Thanks sis."
  "Anyway my point was, you didn't even travel after you got to this city and you still had quite the experience. I'm definitely making multiple songs about the Hero of Holgard."
  "Well I certainly trust they'll be better than some of the other bards that have made up ones about me."
  
  Your sister writes some things down on some parchment she has. She's actually been doing that all night as you've been speaking about your time in Holgard.
  
  "Now I'm guessing you probably just told me a shortened version of everything that happened. You don't mind if I stick around a few more days to get some extra details for my work do you?" your sister asks.
  "Sure! Stay as long as you like, I'm really enjoying having you around. You can stay in the second bedroom." You say.
  "Thanks."
  "Speaking of details, I wanted some details of my own on some of your stories."
  "I'll tell you all about the lesbian pirates tomorrow." Your sister laughs.
  "Well I'll look forward to that, but I was actually interested of when you were here, since I'm sort of surprised we never bumped into each other."
  "Well it is a big city and you also said it was before you were a big hero."
  "True, but I was still sort of infamous for being head of the Nocturnal League organization at the time. Even then I had connections to the baroness."
  "Yeah, you did mention that. I dunno, if I'd been here longer maybe we would have bumped into each other. Honestly, I didn't plan on staying here as long as I did since Captain Yan was just here to pick up some extra crew and do a little trade. However I spent the time playing at semi-respectable inn that I managed to get a gig at and there was some noble there that I guess was slumming and he loved my music so much that he insisted that I play at a party at the palace."
  "What seriously?"
  "Yeah, you'd be surprised how many nobles I've met slumming and then inviting me back to palaces and other fancy places."
  "No not that, you said you went to play at the baroness' palace for a party? Was everyone wearing masks?"
  "Yeah! It sounded like fun and I figured why not? I mean high class people tend to have the most decadent shit going on and this was no exception."
  "Yeah I know! I was AT that fucking party!"
  "You were? Maybe we DID bump into each other. I mean everyone was wearing a mask so who knows right? Well then you know that the whole place started becoming a fucking mass orgy."
  "Um...yeah. I tried to get out of there as soon as possible."
  "Yeah me too, it was sort of gross. I mean you know me, I'm a free spirit and all, but I still like 'em one at a time, not in a mass of flesh."
  
  You suddenly start to feel a little odd as your sister continues to speak.
  
  "Unfortunately I couldn't find the damn exit, and whatever the hell they put in the drinks was having a real effect on me."
  "Uh..."
  "I ended up ducking into this room where I met some guy in the process of jerking off. Reminded me of the time I walked in on you when we we're teenagers, remember that? Man, that was awkward!"
  "...yeah..."
  "Anyway, I guess he wasn't too keen on the whole orgy scenario either and since the pair of us had to get that sexual energy out of the body somehow, so well you can imagine what happened."
  
  You shake your head rubbing your face with your hand.
  
  "Oh I got a pretty good idea..." you say.
  "I'm sorry bro for getting so graphic about this, but I just gotta say it was the best sex I ever had. Seriously, like I dunno maybe it was the drugs in the drink, or the mystery of anonymity or the fact I just spent too much time at sea with a bunch of lesbian pirates that should have been eating more lemons than pussy to cure their scurvy, but I felt like I was just totally in sync with this man. It was just so raw and passionate. It just felt right. Like it was on a whole other plane of existence."
  "Certainly one way to describe it..."
  "I actually said I love you to this man. I mean he said it first, but I guess he couldn't help it and I also got caught up in the moment. Though all fun things have to come to an end and eventually he passed out and fortunately my own needs had been met by that point and I still needed to go get my mandolin that I left. Fortunately it was still where I left it and I managed to get out the palace while most of the other people were also spent. Got back aboard with Captain Yan and we were soon off again."
  "Well, I got just one question."
  "What's that?"
  
  You look at your sister in all seriousness. Part of you ponders if you should tell her since it seems to be a positive memory, but this has always irritated you long enough that you feel comfortable breaking the reality.
  
  "You said you had a great time with this guy, and at the time he also had a great time with you. In fact he was concerned with your well being the whole time. However, if you had that good of a time was there any particular reason you robbed him blind afterwards?"
  "Wait, how did you..."
  
  You look at your sister who suddenly comes to the dreaded realization.
  
  "Oh." She says.
  "Oh indeed." You say.
  
  There's some silence for a moment followed by...
  
  "Why the hell didn't you say anything?!" you sister says.
  "I didn't know it was you at the time! You had a mask on remember? Not to mention all I kept visualizing was Tanya and had sex dominating my mind and body! I even tried to stop you, but fuck, a guy can only take so much before he gives in! What's your excuse? You were usually more observant of shit than I am!" you say.
  "You had a fucking mask on too! I told you, I was under the influence of the drinks too and just spent months at sea with a bunch of women! I can honestly tell you that I NEEDED fucking dick by that point! A REAL one, and not some poor substitute that Captain Yan tried to use on me once! My original plan was going to go with the first guy that struck my fancy after my set at the inn, then I got invited to this party, and then I figured I find a higher class guy there to get with and then well you know what happened. I wasn't thinking properly either!"
  "Yeah well...I still dunno why you felt the need to pick my pockets."
  "You said you were a fucking crime lord at this point, that had to be a drop in the bucket for you!"
  "And you were sailing aboard a ship and obviously fucking the captain! Wasn't like you needed my coin to pay for passage!"
  "I wasn't fucking her! We just made out a few times and touched each other a bit."
  "Whatever! In any case it's not the money, it's the principle of it all."
  "Okay, okay, I'm really am sorry about that. I just...well I couldn't resist an easy target."
  
  Another moment of silence until you gather the words.
  
  "Yeah I guess I get that. I really was easy that night." You say.
  "Pretty sure we both were." Your sister says attempting to make a joke about the situation.
  "Yeah...ha ha...um so uh...I think you should leave this bit out of your songs."
  "Yes. Yes I will. I most definitely will."
  "I mean you know, it's nobody's business."
  "I agree, it isn't. It's just between us."
  "Um...but I just want to say I'm not really ashamed of what happened. I mean it was just circumstance, it wasn't like we planned it."
  "True. And honestly, who did we really hurt? Nobody right?"
  "Right. I mean if anything it's probably something we probably both thought about on several occasions and now it's done so it's out of mind now."
  "Uh, you thought about us in that way several times? When was this?" your sister asks.
  "Um... when I was teenager and did I say several? It was more like once or twice and it was dreams! You know how crazy dreams are! Anyway you wanna go to bed?"
  
  "What? No! No! Shit! Not that! I mean I'm tired! And I'm heading to MY bed, I mean you gotta be tired too and head to YOUR bed! It's been a long...weird...night."
  "Oh, yeah I think maybe that's best right now."
  
  You and your sister both stand up from your chairs and back away from each other like you've got diseases. As you head to your room you suddenly turn and call out.
  
  "Sis?" you say.
  "Yeah?" she answers.
  "Look I really don't want things to be weird between us because of this. I mean I'm sort of sorry I said anything now."
  "No. It probably was for the best. I mean you would have still known since you realized what happened when I started talking about it and it would have been unfair for you to solely carry that secret. You already have enough shit on your mind and having to deal with that in your head too."
  
  Your sister exhales and continues.
  
  "Look, don't worry anymore about it. I mean it happened, it was fun and as far as I'm concerned it will just be another pleasant memory of something we did together once. Nothing has changed and it'll be a new day tomorrow." Your sister says.
  "I'm glad to hear it." You answer.
  "And if makes you feel any better and less alone, okay I admit, I thought about you a couple time too as a teenager. Actually now I'm starting to wonder if we were doing little affectionate things unconsciously in public given all the rumors that the Teckleville citizens spread about us."
  
  You chuckle a bit at that statement.
  
  "Okay. Goodnight sis."
  "Night bro."
  
  You head into your bedroom and settle with a few thoughts before you go to sleep.
  
  "Hang on to that one if you ever meet her again. She might just be the one that let's you get over me. And of course even Tanya's suggestion ends up having a catch. Typical. Who says I'm not cursed?"
  
  You close your eyes keeping a motivated mindset as you drift off.
  
  "Oh well. Moving on..."