“So, what’s this spell you keep feeling the need to distract Ben from while you’re casting it on him?” Sonya asked offhandedly as they walked to the clinic.

“I’m not trying to distract him, I just don’t know how to bring it up. It’s kind of just a general health spell, it’s fine,” Thera admitted, still embarrassed to be caught by her aunt in the act so soon into doing it.

Sonya just stared at her, eyebrow half-cocked as she waited for more until Thera gave in.

“It’s a spell to increase a person’s lifespan. I kind of spoke about it to him already, it’s fine. I want to be casting it on you and uncle too if you’ll let me.”

Sonya hadn’t known what she’d been expecting, but it wasn’t that. She hadn’t even known such a thing was really possible outside of rumours, the spell being a secret of the soul mages to keep them from being inundated with requests to serve the rich or powerful in the same way.

More than that though, it was clearly an extension of her niece's insecurities dealing with loss.

“I don’t mind you using it on me if you want, and you’ll need to talk to Falk about it, but if you’re doing something like that make sure you do more than just ‘kind of’ talk to Ben about it, alright?”

She knew her aunt was right, and she didn’t actually expect him to turn her down, but in her head there was the small ‘what if’ nibbling away at her thoughts. If he found out and was unhappy she could always ask for forgiveness, it felt so much harder to ask for permission.

No, aunty’s right, I’ll talk to him when I’m home later.

It was just another bit of stress. She kept telling herself not to think about the future, but finding out something like that was even possible made that goal all the harder. Instead of just ignoring the limited amount of time she had with the people she loved, she could actively work to extend it, though it only made the fact that their time was temporary stand out in her mind all of the more.

Pushing the thought to the side for the time being, she walked through the clinic with her aunt once they arrived, making her way to the office of the clinic head Drari who was already there, collapsed on his desk with his paperwork.

“Oh, Sonya thank goodness you’re here. And with a guest? Please tell me this is a potential new hire and not more work.”

“More like the return of a part-timer. Thera doesn’t need her cloak anymore, though she still can’t touch people, we were hoping you could pass that along?”

Hearing that, the man’s face was a wash of relief. “Oh it’s so good to have you back Thera, what are the odds I can get you to do a few more shifts than usual? So many of this town's adventurers and even common folk have been pushing themselves to try and gain any skills and levels they could ever since the invasion points came down. We’re all that’s keeping all of these idiots from getting themselves killed.”

He sounded like he was on the edge of a breakdown by the end of it and she couldn’t stop herself from feeling some guilt from being gone so long, even if she was considered more of a part-time helper than anything, with her work as an adventurer being her focus. Drari had always been good to her so she wanted to do what she could, and she did have one bit of immediate good news to offer.

“Sure, today I was hoping to end around my regular time since I just got back but I don’t mind doing a bit more until whenever I leave town again after. Also, I should probably let you know I awakened my life magic.”

“What?”

He looked to Sonya, expecting it to be some sort of cruel joke at his expense, but her aunt just nodded happily as they both watched the man before them almost give out in relief, months of tension leaving him at the thought that he and his employees might actually get a break.

“I can’t get over how pretty you are,” Drari’s daughter Aso told Thera as they made their way through the town. The harpy heritage of her mother’s side gave the girl an attraction for sparkling things, and Thera’s hair and eyes fit the bill perfectly. “Not to mention how much you got done today. I thought dad was actually going to cry.”

“Can dragonewts cry?”

“Huh, I’ve never actually seen dad do it so I don’t know. Still, if he can he definitely would, this is the earliest I’ve been able to finish up in weeks!”

Thera coming back with an awakened skill had been an absolute blessing for the clinic. She’d always been able to do good work while there thanks to her mana pool, meaning she didn’t need to take any breaks to regenerate her stock, but adding the explosive level of control she’d gained had changed things entirely.

Forget staying late most days to help out now, she and many others in the clinic had left earlier than usual from how fast they were able to get each patient treated, many of them feeling like they’d gotten a well-earned break after months of work and wouldn’t stop singing her paise with Drari as they left early, only a few staying behind to handle anyone else that showed up for the day, leading to the two of them going out together.

She liked Aso and the girl in turn seemed to enjoy her company, and had no issue openly approaching her interests with Thera; namely, acting as an adventurer. They’d spoken about it plenty before she’d left, but now that Thera was in the first rank and with the potential end of the world on the horizon, she was hoping to get some actual help and pointers, and having no other plans than training her earth magic she agreed easily, happy with the prospect of having some company.

Before they could go though, the girl needed some basic equipment at least for the bare minimum, so they both went off to her uncle’s shop.

“Look’s a little closed,” Aso said, seeing the sign out front that Thera ignored.

“Ben’s in there for sure and I’m certain my uncle was going to be too, it should be fine,” She said, knocking on the door a few times until Falk opened up for them.

“Ah, wasn’t expecting you Thera, and…”

He looked at the other girl with his niece in curiosity as she spoke up.

“Aso, I’m her friend from the clinic, hope I’m not bothering you.”

“Friend huh, never a bother,” Falk told her as his look of curiosity turned to a happy smile at hearing that. “Come in, come in. It’s gonna be a little warm ‘cause of what we’re doing but hopefully it’s not too much of a bother.”

She paid no mind to the warning. It was a smith’s shop after all, it was always warm, but neither of them had expected to be hit with a wave of it as they found the shop had been completely rearranged to give enough space for the strangest of setups as a large cauldron was being heated in the middle of the store while Ben stirred its contents, all of the steam that came off it being funneled into a series of pipes, making it cool and condense into a different large container off to the side.

“Is that your not-boyfriend I’ve heard so much about?” Aso asked teasingly.

“Wait, am I not your boyfriend anymore? A head’s up would have been nice.”

Aso stared at her expectantly hearing the response and she tried not to blush, already feeling like she was going to regret the two meeting. “He wasn’t when I left, he is now, can we drop it?”

“I want details later,” The half harpy said before casting her eyes around the shop as Thera focused on Ben.

“So what exactly are you doing with all of this?”

“Long story short, making a divine bone broth, I’ll explain more at home later. For now, what brings you guys here? I honestly expected you’d be stuck late at the clinic from how you were talking before.”

“She managed to heal everyone after only a few hours and kept the stress of being understaffed from killing my dad,” Aso answered happily, picking up a sword at the side and swinging it around in a display that made it very clear she had no clue how to use one.

“But we’re here to get her some equipment,” Thera explained. “She’s interested in being an adventurer so I thought I’d do a quest or two with her today until she finds a party she can work with and there’s nobody better in town to ask about equipment.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere Thera, what sort of skills does she have and we’ll figure out what she needs.”

Ben took her to the side, showing Aso a collection of armours and weapons suitable for a beginner as Thera whispered to her uncle.

“So when he said divine bone broth, he didn’t mean what I think he did, right?”

“He definitely meant that. Sounds like you both had quite the adventure.”

“It was ninety percent stress.”

They continued to talk as Aso was set up, catching up on all they’d missed in each other's lives in that time before the two came back, Aso wearing a light leather armour with some areas reinforced with thin sheets of metal, a small staff in hand, and a large knife on her hip, looking positively giddy as she spun around.

“What do you think?”

“It looks good, but I’m a little surprised Ben didn’t pick something, I don’t know, more extreme.”

“Hey, I picked out what I thought would match her attributes and skills,” He said in his defense. “Too much metal armour would weigh her down when she’s not used to it, the leather with a bit of extra support is enchanted to have all sorts of extra defense on it that should be able to take far more than you’d expect. Actually, I should really set you up with some since you don’t need to be cloaked anymore Thera, but we can worry about that in the future. Otherwise, the staff is perfect for both light and fire spells and the knife is a good enough quality that in an emergency she can run her fire magic through that for her attacks. What do you think Falk?”

“Looks good boy, I’d say you have her well set up.”

“So how much do I owe you then?” She asked, looking at everything she was wearing. Even if she wasn’t crazy about her work helping her father at the clinic, it paid well, but she got the sense that the quality of everything she had on her wouldn’t be on the low end.

Falk though waved that worry off. “Nothing you’re wearing is exceptionally better than anything else we sell and since you’re a friend of Thera’s I’ll cut you a good deal.”

“Hey, since I’m dating her does that mean I can squeeze any benefits from you too?” He asked his teacher, batting his eyes at him.

“Boy, when you’re in the shop you’re my apprentice before you’re dating my niece so focus on your work. Don’t want anything going wrong with your soup.”

“Fine, fine.”

Once paid, the two of them left for the guild.

“They’re nice,” Aso told her happily. “Why don’t you ever bring them by the clinic?”

“Because uncle works full time and my main goal is making sure Ben needs to spend as little time there as possible.”