After being teleported by the Archmage, you soon realize that Minoru is missing. Feeling something in his cloak pouch, Galladyn reaches in and finds a note wrapped around Minoru‘s magical wand.
Dear Friends,
I am sorry for not explaining this before, but it’s not something I have been planning. As I took my turn on our last watch, I just…knew. I had to stay. I had to stay, even if it meant saying goodbye to you, my new friends.
I can’t explain just how much our time together has meant to me. While I have previously had visions of things like what we went through, haunting me throughout my life, I always saw myself confronting them alone, not with companions upon whom I could entrust my life. The difference between despondent vision and hope-filled reality has been a real blessing. For that, I thank all of you. You have been a blessing for someone who thought she was destined to live a life without.
But the living dungeon that is Starport is still here, so my work isn’t done. I know you have other destinies ahead of you, though…I’ve seen a few of them.
Rainier, I never told you, but your forthrightness during my stay in the sanitorium was a major factor in not letting me be victimized by my ‘Mystic Vision,’ but rather control it, instead. In therapy sessions, you always stayed on me, pushing me to exert control instead of being controlled; I hated you for it at the time, thinking you just didn’t care. Now, I know better; I have never felt stronger and you are a big part of that. Thank you
Ereveron, I want you to know that…no matter what reason you came into existence, there are many paths laid out before you; you aren’t locked into any one destiny. Take it from one who knows: Others may have plans for you, the universe itself may have plans for you, but in the quiet moments…we can make decisions, however small at the time, that make us free. And just like the air a butterfly displaces here seems small…well, you know. I guess what I am saying is you are more than what you were created for.
Brath, I misjudged you. I come from a more…urban area and have never encountered a “forest-folk” like yourself. I thought you were thoughtless, but you were actually wise. I thought you were uncouth, but you were actually free from social restrictions. I thought you were a braggart, but you were simply enthusiastic. So, I owe you an apology. I spend so much time lost in other worlds…I envy you your connection with this one. In all those moments of danger we shared, I truly felt I was one of the “pack,” and could count on you looking out for the pack. It made me feel safe, and that’s not a feeling I am very familiar with.
Magnus…wow. I don’t know if you could tell, but…I was really starting to crush on you. Must be all that animal magnetism and overt masculinity! I know nothing would ever happen between us, but it was nice to just…have a crush, feel my heart flutter, steal glances, get nervous around you. I never got to experience that when I was younger, and feeling it now…well, I felt normal. I don’t know if I can properly explain just how important that is, but it really, really is. You made me feel like a normal girl instead of a freak, and I can’t thank you enough for that.
Finally, Gallydyn. My heart broke as you told your story of being a magical gladiator. I know we share the same concerns about the Archmage, and what his inattention (or worse, his plan) will mean for the Empire. Thank you for understanding me, and the position I have to take on things; I know it’s not a popular one. Try to not let your bitterness over what happened affect you too much; you don’t want to be me, you really don’t. I know your path is going to take you to some interesting places, so I wanted you to have the wand I received at the beginning of our adventure together. Use it in good health and remember your friend Minoru when you’re zapping some monster, ok?
There are lots of realities, my friends. In some, we meet again, and in others we don’t. I know which I am going to try to make real.
Sincerely,
