The next morning Isa woke with a start, not unlike the first morning of her stay here. But then she remembered that she was going home soon. She pulled on her jeans instead of the leather pants. She wouldn’t need those, but she would keep the jacket. It was a nice keepsake. Her adventure jacket.

With practiced ease Isa started to put on the bracers, but then she stopped. She could return these to Lund. Maybe he’d take the pants, too. He could sell them maybe.

Downstairs she heard Mery’s voice before she saw her. The bard was sitting at the bar talking with Lund. Isa realized that she was telling him the tale of the fight with Thorn and her men. Lund had heard the basics from Isa, but of course Mery’s version was more exciting.

“And here she is!” said Mery. “We’re losing quite a fighter here, Lund.”

“I don’t know about that,” Isa waved her hand in dismissal.

“Are you hungry?” asked Lund. “Anything to eat before you head out?”

“Nah, I’m really nervous. I just want to go. No offense.” This to Mery. “I’m just worried that something’s going to go wrong, and I’d rather know that right away.”

“Here’s the scroll.” Lund handed her the paper, and Isa slipped it into her bag.

“And here are your bracers returned. And thanks to Mery, they look pristine. You’d never know that a gnoll tried to chew right through the one.” Isa laid a hand on the bracers. “Just one more thing to thank you for.”

“You’d have done the same.”

Isa nodded, hoping that was true. She stepped back and said, “Well, that’s it then.”

“No, there’s this as well.” Mery held out a small bag. “Your share of the loot. I traded it for gems. I figured they are light and valuable everywhere.” She paused. “They are valuable in your world?”

“Yes,” Isa smiled. “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.”

“No diamonds, I’m afraid. Some small sapphires, tigers eye, and pearls. About 500 gold worth.”

Isa tucked it into her jeans pocket. “OK, I’m going. My last quest.” She took a deep breath and spread her arms to hug Mery who said, “I’m going with you! At least to the temple. Not going to your plane. I like ya but not that much.”

“No, really, it’s--”

“We talked about it,” said Lund. “We don’t want you having trouble on the road.”

Isa opened her mouth to protest and thought better of it. She was carrying an incredibly valuable scroll. She threw her arms around Lund and gave him a big hug. “Thank you for everything. I won’t forget you.”

“Safe travels, Isa. Maybe your road will bring you back this way. You’re always welcome.”

Isa turned away, nodding her head. She didn’t want Lund to see her glistening eyes. Once she and Mery were out in the fresh air, Isa felt better. She glanced once over her shoulder at the tavern.

“He’s a good lad,” said Mery.

“Yeah, you know I’m going to miss you, too. I thought this would be easier.”

“I admit that I almost hopped it here last night.” She grinned at Isa. “But I didn’t want you thinking I’d be wasting away without you. You’re a sweet lass, but….”

“No fireworks.” Isa laughed with relief. “That’s what I was thinking. Great sex, but you’re not my soulmate.”

“No call for that kind of talk! I do have a reputation to maintain!”

They walked down the road in companionable silence. After about 5 minutes Mery said, “I did consider stealing the scroll so you’d have to stay. But I decided you’d frown on that. And to make up for my wicked thought,” she went on quickly, “I gave you an extra 100 worth of gems.”

“I’m not sure I believe you - about either statement.” She felt the bag in her front pocket. “How would I know? I’m not sure what this will even buy me back home.”

“Hopefully at least 600 gold worth of goods.”

“Maybe more. I have no idea the going rate for tigers eyes.”

“Do you want gold instead?” Mery sounded concerned. “Or is there something that your people want or need?”

“Like trade goods? Seriously?”

Mery shrugged. “Yeah, why not? Everyone needs health potions.”

“I’ve told you - my world is not magical.”

Mery smiled and shook her head. “Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it’s not there. The fact that you are here, and that you are about to get back, that tells you it’s magical.”

“So you think I should just conjure up Anne Merchant to…..” Isa stopped, expecting to see the merchant ahead on the road.

“To what?” Mery stopped, too.

“To like pop into existence right here. I say her name, and boop! she’s here.”

Mery laughed. “She’s a real person, you know. She’s not some conjuration. She just has a nose for business.”

Isa felt her face get red. “Good friends, are you? Well, in my experience all I have to do is think about spending money and--”

“I heard you were leaving.” Anne and her wheelbarrow were standing in the road beside Isa.

In response Isa waved her hands from Mery to Anne. “See?”

Mery hugged the merchant. “I missed you in Deney!”

“Well, I can’t wait around forever, girly. Got people to see, things to sell.” Anne looked at Isa. “You’re staying? If it’s because of this one,” she hooked a thumb at Mery, “I can tell you that’s a losing proposition.”

“Auntie! Isa is leaving. We are just friends, I’ll have you know.” Mery crossed her arms over her chest.

“First time for everything, I guess.” Anne scratched her nose. “I thought you two would hit it off, have a whirlwind of a romance, then she’d,” Anne pointed at Mery. “break your heart. And then you’d go off adventuring to try to forget her. That’s how it usually goes.”

Mery gave Anne a gentle thwap on the shoulder. “It is not!”

“Be that as it may,” said Anne, “what do you want to buy?”

“I actually want to sell these, if I can.” Isa pulled the leather pants from her large bag.

“Hmm, hide.” Anne shook them out and held them up, turning the pants this way and that. “In pretty good shape. You really didn’t get much fighting done, did you?”

Isa burst into laughter. “Enough for my taste, thank you.”

“Give you 3 gold.”

“What if I throw in the bag?” Isa pulled the big bag she’d gotten from her first quest over her head.

“3 gold, 5 for both.”

“Auntie.”

“Hush,” Anne said to Mery. “Family is family, and business is business.”

“Fair enough,” Isa shrugged. 5 silver was 5 silver, though she wasn’t sure what she’d do with the metal once she was home.

Mery grabbed the big bag out of Isa’s hands. “’S nice bag. I’ll give you a gold for it.” Before Isa could protest Mery shoved a coin into her hand.

“Mery. That wasn’t necessary.” Isa gave her a smile.

“Yeah, Mery. Not necessary.” Anne sighed. “Are we done? I was on my way to breakfast when you interrupted me.”

“Anne, it has truly been a unique pleasure.” Isa bowed.

“Keep yourself out of trouble. Fighters are always fighting something.”

Isa spread her hands. “I hung up my weapons. I’m not a fighter anymore. We don’t have those in my world.”

Anne snorted out a laugh, grasped the handles of her wheelbarrow, and hurried away.

“Is she really related to you?”

Mery watched Anne for a moment. “Yeah, for true. My mum’s side of the family.”

***

The rest of their journey to the Temple of Fazar was uneventful. Isa climbed the 3 steps to the front door. Mery stood at the bottom of the stairs. “Here’s goodbye, then,” she said.

Isa grasped her bag, feeling the hard edge of her notebook and the reassuring crackle of the scroll. “Yes,” said Isa.

“I wish--” Mery stopped. She shook her head. “I kind of wish I had a spell to keep you here. But I know you need to go.”

“I do. Your world is lovely, but….”

“It’s not your own.”

“No. I don’t belong here.” She ran down the steps and gave Mery a long kiss. “Thank you for helping me. I wouldn’t be here - here - without you.”

“Aye. Safe travels, Isa.”

“Safe travels, Mery.” She turned and ran back up the stairs and knocked on the door. After a long moment the door opened. Isa stepped through, and she didn’t look back to see if Mery was there.

My last quest, she said to herself as she followed the acolyte down the now familiar corridor. Ealda sat behind her desk and stood when Isa walked in.

“I hadn’t expected you so soon.”

“Me either, but I got very, very lucky.” Isa pulled out the scroll.

Ealda didn’t breathe as she took it from Isa’s hands. Her eyes roamed over the paper’s surface. “It is indeed the gate spell.”

Isa hadn’t really doubted that, but it was a relief to hear confirmation. “Do we need to move the desk, or….” Isa looked around the cramped office.

“I won’t be reading this scroll.” Ealda rolled it into a tight cylinder.

“But….”

“With your permission I’ll trade you the scroll for a gate spell.”

“It is a lot of money, isn’t it?”

Ealda nodded. “And this is a fine specimen. True artistry.”

“Gerry Tinero,” said Isa. “This was his. But really I--”

Ealda raised one eyebrow and then nodded. “We will sell the scroll and use the money to help fund a new library.” She stood. “I prayed about it, and this is Fazar’s answer. Of course it is. You can’t question the will of the gods.”

She touched a paperweight on her desk and muttered some words. A moment later a small chest shimmered into existence on Ealda’s desk. As the priestess touched the chest it seemed to solidify.

“That is quite a spell,” Isa managed.

“Secret chest,” said Ealda. “It is one of my favorites, even if it is rather pedestrian.” She reached inside and pulled out a diamond the size of a walnut. “This is worth 10,000 gold here. I do not know its worth in your world, but I offer it as part of our trade.” She held it out to Isa with one hand while she reached back into the chest. She brought out a smaller diamond. “This we’ll use for the spell.”

“It’s enough that I’m going home.” Isa shook her head.

Ealda cocked her head. “I do not understand your reaction. I don’t think that you are attempting to bluff for a larger trade, but you should at least take this.” She held out the diamond again. “It must be worth something in your world, or if you return here, you have something of great value.”

“Alright.” Isa took the diamond and slipped it into her jacket pocket. “Thank you. I appreciate all that you’ve done for me.”

“I name you a friend of Fazar, Isa Chamberlin. I don’t think you have the… temperament to be a wizard, but if you care to take the path, come back and see me.” She put the small diamond on the desk and sat down. “Are you ready?”

Isa nodded and stepped closer to the bookshelves. Her heart was on her chest. There was no room for air.

The priestess began to chant and move her hands. At first Isa didn’t notice anything, but then after about 20 seconds she could see a faint outline of a door in the middle of the room. Slowly, as Ealda chanted, the door became more visible until finally Isa was looking at a glowing doorway.

“Go now, Isa. The spell is brief.”

“Thank you again,” Isa said to her. “Oh my God, thank you.”

The priestess didn’t make eye contact with her; her gaze stayed focused on the diamond. With a deep breath Isa walked toward the door. She was surprised to see a handle. As she reached out to grab it part of her was certain that she’d wake up in bed at Lund’s or that the handle would break apart like mist, but it didn’t. Her fingers curled around solid metal.

With a click, the handle turned, and Isa pushed open the door. She stepped across the threshold and into the night air. A whoosh sounded near her, and Isa started. She turned around to see that she was standing in front of the Starday Tavern. The bright neon of the sign shone bright in the puddles on the sidewalk.

Neon light reflecting on puddles! Neon!

Isa heard the whoosh again and whirled back around, expecting to see some creature had followed her through the door, but instead she saw a TriMet bus using its hydraulics to lower the front exit for an old man with a walker.

For a moment Isa stood agape at the scene, and then she whooped for joy, raised her arms over her head, and did a dance. Relieved laughter poured out of her. As she made a full circuit around in her little dance, Isa’s eyes met the bus driver’s. He gave her a smile and a thumbs up. He called out, “You win big at video poker?”

Isa put her hand in her jacket pocket. The diamond was there. She patted her jeans and felt the bulge of the gems Mery had given her. “Oh yeah!” she answered.

“Right on,” the driver nodded. “Need a ride?”

Isa waved him off. “I’m good. Take care.”

She turned and started up the street. Home was just a few blocks from here. At the corner Isa paused to look at Foster Road. The Dutch Brothers was doing a brisk business, and a couple passed her talking. She caught the words, “coffee collective” and smiled to herself. Yes, she was definitely in Portland. But how many days had passed?

Once she got home, she’d figure that out, but for the moment Isa savored the feeling of walking in her neighborhood, of walking the familiar path, of heading home.

At the corner, she turned left and put the lights of Foster behind her. She’d only gone a few steps when she felt a vibration in her bag. The feeling made Isa freeze. A quest? But she was home! No more quests, no more fighting, no more--

The vibration pulsed again, and with a feeling of dread Isa reached into her bag. What impossible task would-- Her fingers touched the cool metal of her phone. She burst into laughter as she pulled out her cell phone. A text message alert blinked at her.

The lock screen showed Isa that it was the same day - same night - as when she left. A few hours had passed since she’d walked into Lund’s Tavern. With a shaking finger Isa unlocked her phone and read the message. It was from Marissa, and it said, “Alice wants your number. Is that cool?”

Isa broke into a grin. She hit the microphone icon. “Yes, exclamation mark. And you have to invite me for your game next week, period. I think I’d be kinda good at Dungeons and Dragons.”

Spoiler: Isa's Character Sheet

Name: Isa Chamberlin

Race: Human

Height & Weight: 5ft 6inches / 120 lbs

Class: Fighter Level: 4 Note: Isa has enough XP to level - she just forgot about it for right now.

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Background: Stranger in a Strange Land

Hit Points: 26 AC: 15

Current Hit Points: 26

Combat: +5 to Hit / +6 on the Quarterstaff

Weapons: Rapier (left hand) 1d8 +3 / Quarterstaff +1 (right hand) 1d6 +3 (bludgeoning)

Potion of Healing

STR

11

0

DEX

16

+3

CON

11

0

INT

13

+1

WIS

13

+1

CHA

12

+1

Saving Throws: Str and Con +2

5

Acrobatics* (Dex)

1

Medicine (Wis)

1

Animal Handling (Wis)

1

Nature (Int)

1

Arcana (Int)

3

Perception* (Wis)

0

Athletics (Str)

1

Performance (Cha)

1

Deception (Cha)

1

Persuasion (Cha)

3

History* (Int)

1

Religion (Int)

3

Insight* (Wis)

3

Sleight of Hand (Dex)

1

Intimidation (Cha)

3

Stealth (Dex)

1

Investigation (Int)

1

Survival (Wis)

Special Attack: Two weapon fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Class Features:

Second Wind - On your turn, you can use a Bonus Action to regain hit points equal to 5 + your fighter level. Short or Long Rest before you can use it again.

Action Surge - On your turn, you can take one additional action on top of your regular action and a possible Bonus Action. You must finish a short or Long Rest before using it again.

Martial Archetype: Surgical Fighter

3rd level - Clinical Eye: Spend 1 combat turn studying your enemy and learn one of the following: if the enemy is equal to or stronger than you in strength, dexterity, or constitution. Can spend up to 3 turns to discern all 3. Can be used outside of combat as a free action - spend 1 minute to learn all three.