Too Late

Been having a bit of a turbulent time as of late.
 
As soon as we returned to our temporary home in Dervia with Mari I sought out Darius. My mind couldn’t settle with all we had seen from the future, and Darius is the only one in this crew I feel I can be honest and open with. He doesn’t hesitate to tell me when I’m being a right idiot.
 
I let him know of my doubts as to what kind of person I become in the future if I end up abandoning my only child and wife for my own selfish purposes. Thankfully there was no judgement from the man, only understanding, and he told me of his own doubts about himself. To see so strong a man openly admit his weaknesses was a bit startling. Having Darius believe that I can be a better person helps.
 
What didn’t help was hearing that Darius was planning on leaving. Mimzy biting me and being his usual self seems to have gotten right under the man’s skin and left him debating if this crew is really on his side or only in it for their own selfish purposes. I’m not one to speak, seeing as I’ve spent my whole life up until now only looking out for myself, but I made it known that if he left I’d plan on going with him. Needless to say he was not too keen on the idea (honestly neither was I if he was planning on going back North).
 
The conversation ended with us both having a bit of ‘grog’. I originally intended to just make that magical beverage jug produce rum but Darius was interested in what it was that us pirates drank and, well, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to show off a little. Of course, ‘grog’ isn’t quite an appropriate name for it, not when you’re trying to name something that can render you blind just by looking at the fumes, but pirates are a simple lot and we’d rather spend our time doing more important things instead of coming up with fancy names. Like drinking.
 
Darius took the first drink like a champ. Very impressive, he didn’t even keel over! Sargeras (that’s the official name of the dragon, going to have trouble remembering that) tried some too and no one died in a firey explosion of flame so that was good. They make them strong in the North. Of course I drank more than I should and things got a little hazy from there. Might have hugged Darius and asked him to be Marantha’s godfather, both things I meant to do, but I’ll have to revisit those things in the future when we’re hopefully still alive.
 
The next thing I knew I was snuggled up to Sargeras in bed listening to Mimz and Darius argue in the hallway. It’s not the proper way to wake up from a ‘grog’ induced slumber so I let them know that if they didn’t sort themselves out I’d take Sargeras and we’d sail off and find our own crew as soon as I stopped being sick on the floor.
 
Must have fallen asleep again because once more I experienced a rude awakening. This time it was Dax shaking the everloving life out of me and splashing me with water. I thought she had lost her mind until she dragged me to Mari’s room and told me that Mari and Mimz were having visions of my untimely death. Mari was stuck in a nightmare so I cast Sending to talk with her, only to be sucked into her visions.
 
That Dreamcatcher guy was there, making the poor girl see terrible things, and without thinking I tried to punch him in the face. He didn’t like that. Need to remember not to punch a man with tentacles, those suckers threw me clear across the void. But when I landed on my face I was able to see the Jester there as well, standing over my cooling corpse, which had been stabbed far too many times for my liking. I tried to ask him what the hell his grudge was against me but he didn’t even acknowledge my presence. Very rude.
 
Mimz was able to wake me and Mari up, and Mari immediately demanded to know why I was alive, which I also found rude. After some reassurances from Dax she calmed down and was able to tell us where the Jester had been holding her captive, which turned out to be the cave where we saved those kids so long ago.
 
At that point I was a little bit upset at being the target of the Jester’s ire and went off to take a bath and hopefully rid myself of the exhaustion and hangover I was experiencing. Mimz went with me and we had a talk. He revealed to me that he had found a ribbon on the stuffed pig when we went to the future, and when I read the words upon it I was shocked to see that it was my handwriting.
 
“To my most worthwhile treasure, ye be my everything.”
 
Don’t know how I could get more proof than that of the pig being my gift to Marantha. Might have cried a bit at that, I was so tired and hurt at the time, but Mimz didn’t make fun of me for it. He’s a good friend.
 
After another failed nap I decided to spend some time with Sargeras, who I have now dubbed Sassafrass because it’s easier for me to remember. Thanks to my abilities Sassafrass can understand me, but to my own amazement he was starting to talk too! Darius had mentioned that dragons can talk but you know, I’ve never been around a dragon before so this was still a shock. Our words devolved into playful wrestling and running around the house, ending up with us thundering about on the roof, and it brought my mind back to happier times jumping around on Rosie’s ship. No thoughts, just fun. Miss those days.
 
Just as the fun began reality set back in with a knock at the door. There’d only be a few who’d come to our doorstep and my suspicions were confirmed as soon as Darius opened the door to see who it was.
 
Rosie stood at the door with Joel and the rest of the crew, a welcome and disheartening sight. They had come for me, to take me away back to the seas, and it would have been so easy to just walk out that door and go with them. Darius stood at my back, his presence reminding me that I have obligations to a new crew now. A new life. I tried to explain the situation to Rosie but even to my own ears it sounded far too outlandish to believe. Although when I mentioned I was about to become a husband and a father the doubt and sheer disbelief from the crew was a bit unwarranted….
 
Rosie and I, we were once thick as thieves. I love her. Whether or not she loves me back doesn’t matter now. If I could take all the hurt in her heart and put it upon myself I would. She’s a fine captain, a stronger person than I, and I know she’ll pull through and find herself back on her chosen path.
 
I tried to give her the diamond. Instead of accepting it she closed my hands around it and said it would be like giving away my heart. There was a tear in her eye as she turned away and walked off, her crew giving me a final one fingered salute.
 
And just like that she was gone.
 
A whole chapter of my life, arguably the best so far, ending with a single goodbye. I wish I could've run after her, tell her I didn’t mean it, that I was pulling a great big joke, but we would both know that would in itself be a lie. I can't go back no matter how much I long to.
 
It’s all for the best, that’s what I keep telling myself. The best for Rosie, for Brauka, for Marantha, for me. Though I still feel the call of the sea, the freedom, the adventures it brings, I know that I cannot return to the life I had. Dad understood that. He made that same choice, to part ways with the sailor’s life and live on the land with his wife and child, and he seems happier for it. Although I can recall the melancholy look in his eye any time he thought he was alone with his thoughts, staring off at the sea.
 
Darius thinks I made the right choice. I hope he’s right. To distract myself I asked him for some fighting lessons, which let me say was very informative but once again I found myself prone on the floor slightly wishing for death. I’m not built for combat, I’ve decided. Cheerful brawling, yes, but actual strategic fighting, no.
 
When the rest of the crew met up again we discovered that the Companions Four (those folks that were after the Dreamcatcher) had been captured by their prey and were not going to be able to help us against the Jester or Dreamcatcher. Talion was still in town so we went to talk to him to get some information about the Jester, who is the alternate ego of Marcus Siegfried, a previous hero that traveled with Talion to stop the world eater. If anyone has some helpful information about how to stop the Jester it’d be the halfling.
 
Along the way we ran into the Butler again. Through some persuasion we learned that the Butler might have been the one to bring Darius back to life, and who certainly was responsible for Mimz being awakened. Does that make him Mimz’s dad? An apprentice named Saphira learned how to do strange stuff with souls from the Butler and accidentally used that knowledge to wake Mimz up, running off before they could talk, and leaving poor Mimz to wonder just how he came to be. Maybe we’ll be able to find her, sounds like there’s some unfinished business with her and her intentions to save her brother that would be worth looking into.
 
We found Talion way down below in the catacombs looking at a magical teleportation circle. He gave us some information about the Jester, saying that Marcus was a man who was furious with the gods, and had been left for dead by the previous Seven. When the Seven discovered that Marcus was alive he killed them all but Talion, leaving him alive and with permanent scars.
 
It’s supposed that Marcus accepted the mantle to become strong enough to wage war on the gods. And if he had the ability to travel through time there’s no telling what he’d do. Suddenly having this device has become very, very pertinent to my livelihood, and at the time I figured he meant to stab me a bunch to take it from me.
 
I was wrong.
 
A guard alerted us to the discovery of another body, which turned out to be none other than the body of myself. It’s very alarming to see your own corpse stabbed through. As we examined the body though I found myself wishing that it really had been me, for the body wasn’t mine but another person in disguise.
 
It was Ra’Zeed. The man had been murdered and dressed up as me to send a message. That was the final straw. There would be no deaths upon my head, no more friends of mine being sacrificed because of my own existence, and we took out our scroll of resurrection and brought him back. I ended up casting the spell, a responsibility I wasn’t sure I could handle, but sure enough Ra’Zeed came back to the land of the living with a fighting spirit I’ve never seen in him before.
 
Once he calmed down we healed him up and learned that the Jester was after the golden sand that powers the time travel device. Gloria had found some up north and hid it in the cave, putting her notes in her book, but Ra’Zeed drank to forget the finer details. I showed him the device and he confirmed that Gloria had been interested in it, rest her soul.
 
We sent Mari and Ra’Zeed off with Talion for safekeeping. They’d only be in danger with us, especially since we were headed off to face the Jester. I gave Mimz the time travel device in case the Jester tried to take it from me. Once we were prepared we went through the teleportation portal, off to face the Jester and put a stop to his unknown plans.
 
The Jester was back in the place where I had found the time travel device, waiting for us upon the giant throne. He was in a talkative mood and asked us if we were here to help him take on the gods, to throw off the mantle and spit in the face of destiny, a destiny where we were doomed to die. We were being given a choice, an option to take our fates in our own hands and avoid the same trauma he had been through.
 
The thing is that I have to agree with him. Not with his methods, not with all the pain and suffering he has brought down upon our friends and family, but I agree with his sentiments that this mantle is a curse. It’s not a gift, it’s a burden, a black mark that permanently stains our destinies and will ultimately lead us to our deaths.
 
I don’t want the mantle. I don’t want all that the label of ‘hero’ entails. All I want is to live my life as I please and try to be better for my family. If the Jester’s holding any sort of truth to his words, even just a shred of honesty, then it sounds to me like the bearers of the mantle are doomed to a life of pain, torment, and ending in an unforgiving death.
 
Unfortunately the Jester, Marcus the previous hero, has gone completely insane. His words do not match his terrible actions. For a man who wants to avoid death and pain he’s sure wonderful at causing it. While I might agree with his sentiments I cannot join him, not when he could simply turn his ire towards my loved ones and cause them unending grief and misery.
 
As usual Darius started the fight. We wound up fighting at an enormous ziggurat with a giant hourglass filled with enough time travel sand for millions of devices. The very air was shifting around us, the anticipation of something huge about to happen hanging upon our heads, and we flew into a fight to stop the Jester before he could activate what he was planning.
 
We put up a good fight. Herus turned into a toad, Sassafras got a hit in, Darius and Dax and Mimz and Jimmy all did their part, and I… I tried. But I have come to realize that you cannot fight time. Some things will come to pass whether or not we want them to.
 
We were too late to stop his plans. Our time ran out. The hourglass turned and once more we were plunged into the void. Where… no, when…. When we will end up is anybody’s guess.