The man—Kasimir—smiled warmly at Abad and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. "The one and the same. Would you like to introduce yourself fully now?"


    Abad laughed. "I''m Abad-Shai, Master of the Vault, Eater, Nightstalker, Lord of Nothing."


    "Lord of Nothing?"


    "Don''t ask. I''m working on that one. I have to find something I''m not willing to lose, but I don''t have anything left." Abad shrugged and grinned. "So I guess I''m stuck with it."


    Kasimir returned his grin, taking a sip of the amber liquid and swirling it in its glass. "If these five centuries have taught me anything, there''s always more to lose, my old friend."


    He supposed the man was right. "Well, it certainly feels like I don''t have much. I''m nothing more than a powerless drifter living off the charity of others these days."


    "You''ve lost some of your edge in your old age, Master of the Vault. The old you would have burned half this city to the ground once he learned who I was. I have to say, I like this new you."


    Abad chuckled, shaking his head. "Maybe so." He considered Kasimir. He was the Hero''s younger brother, but despite that unfortunate condition, the two of them had gotten along well. Unlike the Hero''s other companions, the man had been more amenable to working with him than his fellows. They had numerous encounters over the years and actually worked together on some research when they were younger, before Abad had joined the Black Conquest. The last time he saw the man was at Saern''s court, when Abad had a sword rammed through his chest. "You owe me a bottle of wine, you bastard."


    Kasimir froze for a half-second, then erupted into laughter, slapping his knee and rocking back. "I''d completely forgotten about that!" They had wagered a bottle of wine when Abad was still masquerading as a nobleman. The bet was simple: the princess of Saern had to choose between a handsome duke of Istaera or an obscenely wealthy archduke from Volkash. Abad knew her well enough to know that she would choose the handsome man, but Kasimir had bet that she''d do her duty. Abad won, but he never was able to collect on account of the whole dying thing. The high mage took another sip of whiskey, giggling as he did.


    A question burned into Abad''s mind as he thought about their past together. "Is she still alive?" Abad asked. Kasimir''s eyes met his. Something in his expression reminded the warlock that he had been gone a long time.


    "She is, yes."


    "Does she know about me?"


    "Not yet, no."


    "Will she?"


    "Oh yes, most definitely." Kasimir raised his cup to Abad''s question and drained it. "It won''t be too much longer now."


    "Great..." Abad really didn''t want a run in with the man''s sister. Another thought came to him. "You should be dead. Why aren''t you?"


    "A wizard never tells his secrets." He winked at the warlock.


    "If you''ll tell me yours, I''ll share mine."


    Kasimir smiled thoughtfully. "No, that''s quite alright. I rather like the mystery of it all. Some things in this world ought to be left as mysteries. They make life far more interesting."


    Abad gave up the inquiry. Kasimir had never given up anything he didn''t want to, and the elf was certain that quality hadn''t changed over the centuries. "What will happen when she finds out about me?"


    "Oh, Faye has mellowed out over the past five centuries. She spends most of her time in Saern soaking up the Great Tower''s light and running a school."


    Abad snorted. "The bloody bitch of Saern, spending her time teaching? Ridiculous."


    "I agree," the high mage smirked, "but that''s what she did back on Earth, so she returned to her happy place I suppose. Considering the Goddess gave her the gift of immortality, she has a long time left to pursue whatever she wants."


    Abad would be stuck with her forever it seemed. "Speaking of that... What do you want? Why are you here talking to me?"


    "Hmm?" The man affected an innocent look. Kasimir was always so cryptic.


    "What do you want? If you want to put me down, feel free. I have neither the power nor desire to fight you. I only ask you make it quick."


    "Why would I want you dead?"


    The warlock smiled softly. "No offense, but shouldn''t a great hero like Kasimir the High Mage be purging evil from the world? And after everything I did? I''m fairly confident you should be challenging me to a duel right now for the good of Reial, or for Justice, or for the Goddess''s honor or some such heroic nonsense."


    The mage smirked. "In all the years since you left this world, I''ve learned much. And one of the most important things I''ve learned is that none of us are innocent. You say you did evil and ought to be purged? Think about how many I''ve slain. How many threads I''ve cut. How many changes I''ve wrought in the fabric of destiny. We said we did it for the good of the world back then. They told us the Goddess herself called us to be her champions. But we butchered as many as you did, and is the world better for it? We did everything we were tasked to, purged evil from the land, created a shining land of purity and light, and now what you see around you is the result. I''d have you tell me what you think of it."


    The words slowly sunk into Abad. Was the man truly suggesting he''d come to understand moral relativity after all these years? "It''s not much different than before. There is desperation, poverty, and abuse the same as there always was."


    "Indeed. Evil hides itself better in the daylight of our little utopia, but it still festers behind false faces and gentle smiles. Sure, monsters and man-eating beasts need to be taken care of, but the true issues, the ones that harm the highest number of people, come from us, not the monsters. And since we sealed all of your fellows away, we don''t even have to excuse of blaming your kind. Sure, we try. There are some descendants of your kind out there, but they''re no more harmful than anyone else."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Abad thought about Rhys when Kasimir mentioned false smiles. "So what, have you given up on the heroics? You planning on retiring and letting the world crumble?"


    Kasimir took a long sip of his liquor. "Yes and no. The great game must be played, and I''m too stubborn to stop. My old allies and the surviving members of my party have long since retired from worldly affairs, settling into their roles as custodians and overseers of the peace. Or teaching, in the case of my sister. I suppose they''ve earned that right. For me, it''s not enough to sit on a rocking chair and doddle like an old man until death takes me."


    Abad could relate to the feeling. "So what then? Why are you here?"


    "Another thing I''ve learned over these past centuries is few things happen by coincidence. My meeting you here in this shit hole is certainly no coincidence. You surviving a fatal attack was no coincidence. You meeting that little band of adventurers that I hired was no coincidence. Destiny has brought us together again, and I figure I should listen to it." He smiled again. "Plus, it''s nice to see a familiar face. I get to see fewer and fewer of them with each passing year."


    It was difficult for him to admit, but Abad felt the same way. Kasimir was one of the only things that remained form his old life. In a way, it was comforting seeing him again. He felt less isolated. However, a sour thought came to him. "Destiny has no right meddling in my affairs. I''m tired of destiny." His words were bitter, and he realized how true they were. "It''s never brought me anything but pain."


    "I think all of us who''ve seen too much feel much the same, Abad." He ran a hand over his face, his fingertips brushing the scar on his jaw. For a moment, his smile faded. Kasimir looked tired. "But when you''ve seen it like I have, you start to see the movements on the board instead of the pieces. You being back is a large movement, but I don''t know what it means yet."


    "You always were annoyingly cryptic," Abad commented.


    "And you always were passionately self-absorbed."


    "To our failings," Abad lifted his glass in salute. Kasimir mirrored the gesture. They each took another sip, enjoying the silence and company for a time. While they weren''t exactly companions, this was the closest Abad had felt to himself in a very long time.


    "What do you intend to do with your new life?" Kasimir asked after finishing his drink, studying Abad closely as he did.


    "People keep asking me that lately. I don''t know."


    "I hope you''re not considering returning to your former one."


    "Well, that would depend. Are there any weak, decadent kingdoms in need of a dark lord to conquer their lands and bed their queens?"


    "There''s no shortage of them throughout the land, though they won''t get you much. The old lords cling to their rustic manors and fading power in this new age. Their sons squabble in border raids and fight in dueling greens over petty grievances. No grand men and women exist in the nobility anymore." The old mage sighed. "The aristocracy is not nearly as interesting now. You''d be supremely disappointed."


    "How truly unfortunate for me." Abad sipped his drink. "No, I don''t think I''m eager to return to my old life. Like I said, destiny has provided me nothing but loss. I''m trying to forge my own path now."


    A smile lit the old mage''s face. "I''m happy to hear it. Truly. You all deserved better."


    Again, Abad was surprised. He never expected to get sympathy from the Hero''s brother. A question popped into his mind. "What do you know about the towers failing? Why does the Great Tower go dark now?


    "Don''t know much about it." The mage''s eyes twinkled.


    "Bullshit you don''t."


    "Mysteries, Abad. They''re more interesting. It''s all about the journey, my friend."


    "Oh, you prick. We both know you love feeling like a know-it-all. Now spill it."


    He laughed. "The Goddess''s creations, her conduits for divinity, they''ve begun to decay. Part of it is because of time, another is because of the tampering of your fellows, and the last is something else. That part I don''t fully understand." The mage''s expression faded into neutral seriousness. "Even gods cannot last forever I suppose. Look at Yslene."


    "Careful, you might be struck by lightning for such blasphemy." Both men smiled, remembering a time long passed.


    "Indeed," the man chuckled, "perhaps I should repent later."


    There was a pause in the conversation. Abad finished his glass and set it down lightly, looking at the empty vessel wistfully. "So the era of the Goddess is coming to an end, then?" It wasn''t much of a question. He had come to that conclusion the moment he heard about Darkfall.


    "In a manner of speaking." Kasimir reached into a pouch and drew forth a golden coin. One side depicted a beautiful woman dressed in a flowing dress with rays of light erupting from behind her. She held scales in one hand and the horn of plenty in the other. On the other side of the coin was the image of a knightly figure with a large sword surrounded by flames. His large form was covered with thick armor. He recognized the images as depictions of the Goddess and the Dark One. "For centuries, the world has existed in balance between two sides. Light and dark. Right and wrong. Good and evil. These concepts were created to describe the relationship between opposing forces. Opposing forces that naturally counteract the other. When the scale tipped too far towards one, the other rose to match. They created harmony between opposites." He set the coin on the table, Goddess face up. "But now, there is no Dark One, and the Goddess''s light is fading. She has retreated from this world and left it in our care, but it will not last much longer. Without one, the other ceased to have meaning. At least that''s what I think."


    "So what then, will all you great heroes simply sit back and let it all fade?" He frowned. Had the people of this time grown so complacent? What was the purpose of all the mortals'' vaunted heroism if none of them was willing to save their world?


    "The Age of Adventurers is over, my friend. Sure, small timers wander around fighting monsters and doing good where they can, but nothing has stirred this world for centuries. The last gasp was when your dark sibling Avara woke up and created the beastkin, but that was a long time ago. The light of this world is fading, and no one seems keen to stop it. They merely want to keep hold of the scraps they''ve claimed for themselves. The ones like me mostly have our hands tied. Between endless layers of treaties and alliances and plots, all we seem capable of is squabbling in circles. Meanwhile, the darkness grows ever deeper around the edges of the empire, and the shining lady fades ever further from view..." Kasimir''s voice was soft, but strong. "Without an enemy, we have turned to ourselves."


    "So am I to be the enemy of this age? Do you wish to rally against me? Because I have no intention of playing that role now." Abad eyed him carefully.


    "It doesn''t matter what either of us want, I fear. If it were up to me, I''d see you live a peaceful life of your choosing. However, I suspect this world is pulling us all onward, whether we choose it or not. My suggestion to you is to simply act as you will. Follow your instincts. The rest of the story will tell itself."


    Abad snorted. "How vapid and poetic. Have you taken up being a priest now?"


    The old mage laughed. "It is what it is," Kasimir replied with a shrug. He stood up. "Abad, I''m happy to have met with you. You''re as stubborn and proud as ever. I always liked that about you. Let''s see one another again soon." Abad nodded as the mage began to leave, but Kasimir paused mid step. "Take care of yourself, Abad. And... enjoy yourself, okay? Life isn''t worth living if you don''t enjoy it." With that, the man turned to go.


    He wanted to know more, but he also wasn''t interested in forcing answers from him. He knew Kasimir well enough to know the man wouldn''t reveal anything he didn''t want to. Looking down at the table, he saw he left the coin behind. He knew Abad would have wanted it. He pocketed the item and watched the old mage leave. When Kasimir disappeared, he sat a while and sipped his drink. After a few minutes, the serving girl returned and handed him a bottle of wine.