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Sunday nights in the Memorial Union were Himmel’s favorite. Usually the room, somewhere between a coffee shop, study hall, and event space, was filled with some trivia night or arts and crafts experience and way too many students. But on Sundays, it was a mess of people all in their small groups, each enjoying the last gasp of the weekend before returning to classes.
In his case, he sat behind a Dungeon Master’s screen in one of the corner booths, looking over his notes as his players approached the end of the session.
“Do you follow the old witch’s instructions?” Himmel asked.
“Yes.” agreed Eisen, the squat engineering student. His Dwarven Fighter had carried them through most of their scrapes.
“We do!” added Heiter, pre-med wiz and Himmel’s roommate. Despite the Memorial Union being dry, he somehow snuck in a six pack of beers he’d been working through the whole session. His Human Cleric kept the party alive, despite him roleplaying a character as drunk as he usually was.
Himmel turned to Frieren, who just gave a silent nod. Typical of her. Maybe she was just staying in character as an Elven Wizard. Despite her character befitting a Sorcerer’s innate magic, she had chosen the Wizard class so her character could seek out every tome possible. Which usually just caused encounters with Mimics.
“Alright! Our band of heroes begins their march up the hill to the Demon King’s lair!” Himmel looked around the table, getting the looks of excitement he could have hoped for from his team. “And that’s where we will end our session. Next week, we’re going to kill the Demon King once and for all!”
While Eisen and Heiter gave the reactions Himmel was hoping for, a mix of frustration and joy, once again, Frieren looked as unmoved as ever, taking the information as if Himmel had told her the time.
“Four years… can’t believe we’ve been on this campaign since college started.” said Eisen, oddly wistfully.
“Would have ended a lot sooner if we hadn’t picked up Frieren, right? You guys would’ve died in one of my traps forever ago.” Himmel blustered, hoping that would bring Frieren into the conversation. It didn’t.
“How is that our fault?” Interjected Heiter. “Your character charged into all those dungeons!”
It was true, despite being DM, Himmel couldn’t help himself, and also played as a Human Paladin within the party. Four man parties just felt right, and they couldn’t recruit anyone to join them. And Heiter wasn’t wrong, he did tend to be the one leading the charge. He was proud of his dungeons, what could he say?
“If we’re going on this journey, don’t you want to see and experience everything?” Himmel said with a smile.
That got a laugh out of Heiter, who smiled and excused himself, with Eisen following suit. Frieren stayed back, staring at her phone as she absently picked at the fries she had been eating.
“Hey Frieren, are you heading out? I can walk you to your dorm.” Himmel offered, his smile a little too wide.
Frieren looked up at Himmel, studying him for a moment the way a scientist would a bug.
“Okay.” She replied, and got up from her seat. She wiped her hands on a napkin, and started to march forward, barely waiting for Himmel to follow her.
—
“So, have a job lined up yet?”
The stars shone down on their campus. Himmel loved the spring nights, always just cool enough to make a person feel as though they could keep walking and go on their own adventure. It was a full moon, bright enough that it didn’t even matter that the street lamps were out. He walked side by side with Frieren, looking at her under the moonlight. She really was beautiful, her bright inquisitive eyes eternally looking forward.
“I’m going to come back for grad school.” she replied, a slight smile on her face. “Framme thinks it would be good for me.” When they were alone, for some reason, Himmel always had an easier time getting her to speak. Her roommate, a tall freshman named Fern, once mentioned that Frieren talked more when they were alone too. It must just be her nature.
“Framme… that’s your mom, right?” Himmel asked, leaning in slightly.
“Adopted mom, yes.”
“And she doesn’t mind you calling her Framme?”
“She doesn’t take most things too seriously.” Fieren shrugged. “What about you? Got a job?”
Frieren looked over at him finally. Despite - or maybe because - the fact she went prematurely grey, her hair shone in the light. He met her eyes, but he made sure not to look too long. He didn’t want to stare.
“I actually just got an offer today. I’d be working for a magazine out of the country.”
Frieren silently nodded to herself.
“You wanted to travel for work, right?”
Himmel had always feared Frieren wasn’t listening during their pre-session chats, but clearly she had been. At least enough to remember that fact.
“I do. I want to see everything, explore every nook and cranny our world has to offer. I don’t want to leave any stone unturned. Maybe help people along the way.”
“Himmel, a true hero. Is that it?” Frieren asked, her voice making it clear she was teasing. “Just like your D&D character.”
It was true, he played a paladin in their sessions, always guided by the light, literal or otherwise.
“I guess you’re right, Frieren. I could be a hero.” He gave a smile and a hair flip, hoping for a reaction from Frieren. She gave him nothing.
As they arrived at her dorm, Himmel looked up to see the light on in Frieren’s room, with Fern looking out, likely to make sure Frieren got back. Frieren waved goodbye, and went in through the door. Even from a couple stories up, Himmel was pretty sure Fern could see the smile on his face. He didn’t really care.
---
“He likes you, you know.”
All Fern heard from her desk in reply was a mumble into a pillow. Despite being a freshman, she had found her way into a dorm with a senior. Most had moved out to apartments by then, but not Frieren. No, Frieren likely found that it would be too much responsibility. After all, if she didn’t have a roommate, who would wake her up every morning for class? Who would make sure she went to sleep instead of reading all night? All of that fell on Fern.
“Speak up.” Fern huffed. “I can’t hear you.”
Frieren rolled to her side from her lofted bed.
“I said, ‘Why do you think that’?”
Fern couldn’t help but scoff. In all her brief interactions with Himmel, the man could not be more obvious if he tried. His eyes lit up around Frieren, and followed her around like a puppy. Of course Frieren couldn’t see any of this, which left it on Fern to shoulder the weight of Himmel’s emotional baggage.
“I’m sure you’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“It seems normal to me.” Frieren offered. If she could shrug while laying prone, Fern could tell she would have. Fern put her hands in her face, desperate to not call out in annoyance.
“You know he won’t be around next year, right? Didn’t you say he was going to leave the country?”
“I’ll see him again.” Frieren replied. “Doesn’t matter how long he’s gone, I’ll see him again.”
“That’s quite optimistic of you, Frieren.”
Frieren rolled over on her loft, her telltale sign that she was going to bed. Fern sighed, and turned off her light and phone. The boy from her Biology class had pestered her enough for one night.
---
“I will see you again, right?”
Himmel tried to meet Frieren for lunch whenever he could. They had not shared a class since the second semester of freshman year, an intro psych class that all students had to take. It was there that he talked her into joining their party. Or, more accurately, in the library while they worked together on a project.
He tended to find her eating at one of the smaller cafes around campus, nose deep in a book. Her bentos made it fairly easy to eat without looking away from whatever she was reading.
“Why do you say that, Himmel?” She replied.
“I just don’t know when I’ll be back after I graduate. It’d be nice to see you again.”
Frieren looked up at that, away from her book, making sure to meet his gaze.
“Of course we will. We could set a date, if you’d like.” She shrugged a little, making it very clear how little she thought of this gesture, that it would be so easy. Himmel envied her.
“What, just pencil me in for five years from now?” Himmel asked with a small chuckle.
“If that would make it easier, yes.” Frieren answered with a completely serious look.
“You don’t… actually know what you’ll be up to then?”
“I have a good idea.” She shrugged, taking a roll out of her bento without even looking. “I will go to school here and probably be hired right away.”
“You don’t want to go on another adventure?” Himmel asked, leaning in a bit at the table.
“What do you mean by another?”
“Aren’t you about to slay the Demon King?” Himmel smiled. Frieren looked at him, a little annoyed, but then smiled.
“Yes, yes we are.” She sighed slightly. “It is a nice adventure. But I don’t know if I’m up to the one you are about to set out upon.”
“Well, how about this?” Himmel said, leaning in slightly. “If you’re going to pencil me in for five years from now, let’s say… by that time, you have to decide if I’m going to visit you, or you’re gonna visit me. If you’re up for another adventure by then… just say the word, and we’ll meet up in some exotic, faraway land. But if you’d rather I take some time off, and settle in for a bit… We could do that too. Is that a deal?”
Frieren stared at Himmel for a moment, clearly thinking over what exactly she’d be promising.
“Alright Himmel, that seems like a fair deal.”
Himmel tried not to smile too much, but he knew it was in vain. Any promise of Frieren could make his whole week.
---
Sunday nights in the Memorial Union were far from Frieren’s favorite. Being alone was often appealing to her, and having to be around three men for a few hours was the furthest thing from it. Even if she couldn’t deny they were winning her over.
Fern’s words were starting to get through to her. As she looked at Eisen, Heiter, and Himmel, it was dawning on her just how much a key part of her life was about to end. After all, graduation was only in a few weeks, there was no point for them to start up another session. Sure, when she came back next year for grad school, she could rope Fern and some new people into playing, but it wouldn’t be the same. She couldn’t waste her time, it was dawning on her now. What had she been doing this entire time?
Himmel led their party into a battle with the Demon Lord’s forces. Himmel described the never ending staircase as they climbed, fighting off every manor of goblin, demon, and monster that the Demon King sent at them. Eisen got lucky with his combat rolls, although his Fighter had leveled up so much, he basically just had to not roll a 1 to make sure he hit. Frieren knew to conserve her spell slots, as the final battle was sure to be a doozy. To that end, she tended to rely on level one spells and melee attacks, although her staff was only so strong. Heiter stayed back, and focused on support and healing. Himmel, ever true to his nature, charged in at every opportunity. He had the fabled sword to slay the Demon King, after all. What was a goblin to him?
“Welcome to the Demon King’s lair.” Himmel said, filling his voice with gravitas. “You see before you a man, larger than any you’ve encountered before. He is covered completely in pitch black armor, head to toe, glistening in the moonlight. His horns protrude out of the armor, bigger than any Demon before as well. He looks over the party and just laughs, a deep, soulless booming laugh, and says ‘This is the group that has given my generals so much trouble? You have spent years marching here only to die!’”
“It’s not a waste.” Frieren spoke up, before Heiter or Eisen could react.
“‘Oh? That’s easy to say as an elf.’” The Demon King replied. “‘Time means nothing to you, after all. But look at these poor humans you’ve brought to their deaths. Their lives have only just begun before I snuff them out.’”
“Even still. We have enjoyed our journey. We have met and helped countless people. Even if we fall here, it will not be a waste.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Heiter added. “As a Cleric, I have aided so many lives along the way, and enjoyed quite a few taverns too. Who knows what I’d know if I stayed at my church?”
“We’ve inspired people as we’ve gone, made sure they knew they did not have to suffer.” Eisen grumbled. “What nobler of a journey is there?”
“‘As long as you welcome death, I care not what you must tell yourselves.’” Himmel, as the Demon King, growled.
Himmel hid his smile behind the Dungeon Master’s screen. Even from the other side, Frieren could see his eyes soften. He was getting his dream as a DM, seeing his campaign through. And now that she was riled up, Frieren figured she should give him what he wants. A bit of excitement.
“I cast Zoltraak as a 9th level spell!”
“Oh!” Himmel yelped, caught off guard by her declaration. “We’ll say this is a surprise attack before you roll initiative.” He rolled the die for Demon King dodging, which came back as a paltry 4. “Alright, 10d6 Frieren. Let’s see what you do.”
Frieren could see Himmel lean in a bit, fascinated to see his plan slightly thwarted. She rolled her die, getting a total of 45.
“Alright…” Himmel mumbled, writing something down on one of his sheets, smiling the entire time. “And now let’s find out our order!”
They rolled again, finding out that Himmel was next before the Demon King’s turn, with Heiter and Eisen following, and Frieren last.
“I will turn to the Demon King and shout ‘Your reign ends today foul king!’ and then I’ll cast Holy Weapon! Turning my replica of the Sword of the Hero into the real deal!”
Himmel was standing on the plush booth’s seat, arm extended as if holding a real sword. The man had a flair for the dramatics, Frieren could not deny that…
“And I don’t suppose you’re about to roll something, are you?” Heiter asked, which snapped Himmel back into his own game.
“Right, of course. I stab at the Demon King with my holy blade.”
“And, dungeon master, would you like to roll for that?” Heiter laughed, which got a laugh out of everyone, even Frieren.
Himmel rolled, and got a 14. Probably would be good en-
“The Demon King’s Armor Class is sadly a 17, so I do not hit. We’re gonna need more than that to take him down!” Himmel said with a smile, trying to keep the mood up.
The game proceeded, with each of them taking their turn to attack. The Demon King used the ninth level spell Blade of Disaster, which Frieren found to be appropriately named. Himmel had the Demon King target himself, which instantly cut into quite a bit of his health. Even with Heiter shifting focus to healing him, a few more hits like that would be game over for his hero. When it came back around to Frieren’s turn, she knew she had to do something, and fast.
She cast the basic defensive magic, putting up a set of small honeycomb shields together, until there was enough to encase Himmel.
“You’re burning through spell slots quickly, Frieren.” Himmel said with a warning tone. “We can’t have you just using cantrips for the rest of the battle.”
“I don’t see the point in continuing this fight if you were to fall.” Frieren countered.
Frieren noticed the looks exchanged between Heiter and Eisen, but chose not to push it. After Himmel chose to heal for his turn, it was back to the Demon King, and Himmel turned his miniature to face Frieren’s.
“‘You dare stop me from defeating the land’s Hero? You shall perish!’ and now I will strike at you with-”
“I cast Catastravia in response!” Frieren yelled, putting her hands on the table, getting as animated as Himmel.
He looked down at his sheet, and saw that Catastravia was indeed a reaction spell.
“Alright Frieren, this ignores AC, roll for damage.”
She rolled 4d6, dealing a solid 15 damage. She looked up a Himmel with a small smile, her show of confidence.
“You have bloodied the Demon King, he’s getting low. Nice job team.” Himmel smiled. “But he is still going to attack you, Frieren.”
“I accept that as a result of my actions.”
“The blade slashes through you, doing…” He rolled the die. Then again. Then again. Then again. “60 damage.”
“Are you alright?” Heiter asked.
“I think I’ll… just survive.” Frieren replied, looking down at her character sheet with a grimace. She had taken quite a bit of damage in the build up to this fight, and Heiter had hoped she could survive without healing. Clearly was not the case.
“Heiter, your turn, what will you do?”
“I have to heal Frieren! No choice there.” Heiter said, before finishing off his beer can, crushing it under his foot.
“Well, at least you’re not too drunk to know to do that.” Frieren teased, which got a laugh from Eisen and Himmel.
“Frieren, after four years, are you finally teasing me?” Heiter asked with a big belly laugh.
“Yes, I suppose I am. You deserve it.” She said with the slightest smile.
“So that’s up to Himmel to actually attack.” Heiter said. “Clearly we don’t have many more shots at the Demon King.”
Frieren looked over at Himmel, who only gave her a confident, almost cocky smile.
“If I’m going to be a hero for the history books, when better to strike?” He said, flipping his hair all while keeping eye contact with Frieren. “I raise my holy blade, and roll to strike the Demon King!”
All four waited with baited breath as Himmel rolled his d20. Frieren couldn’t believe that she was joining in. She had fully invested herself into Himmel’s story. It was… quite impressive.
Himmel did not say anything at first, merely looking around at the three of them, one at a time. He turned back to Frieren, and merely uttered two words.
“Natural 20.”
Heiter and Eisen erupted with excitement, high fiving each other and Himmel before he got up on the couch once again.
“I bring my blade up, and aim it at the Demon King, and I declare: ‘You shall terrorize the Empire no more!’ and I slash at him with my Sword of the Hero! As soon as my blade makes contact, he lets out an awful, guttural scream, not even forming words, before dissolving into mist as though he was never there. Congratulations players, the Demon King is no more. You have won my battle, and completed our four year campaign.”
---
As the four of them packed up after the battle, Himmel had to look on with some mix of joy and melancholy. These Sundays in the Memorial Union had become a highlight of college for him, and it would easily be what he missed the most when he graduated. But the memory of it would last his whole life.
“So Frieren, what are you going to do next year without us?” Heiter asked as he tossed his remaining beers into his backpack.
“I don’t know.” She sighed, in her usual distant way.
“What if you ran your own campaign? It could even be set in the same world!” Himmel offered with a smile. “Someone will have to look at all those statues my character commissioned.”
“Yeah why did you do that? You wasted a lot of our gold!” Heiter laughed. Himmel shrugged in lieu of a reply.
“She is playing an elf, she could even jump forward a hundred years, after our characters have passed.” Eisen offered.
“My death would be the perfect catalyst for a journey.” Himmel smiled, a bright smile that always made it seem like there was light surrounding him. “I’m sure my hero will be that important to the realm. I did kill the Demon King, after all.”
Frieren fussed with her bag for a moment, clearly thinking about it, before looking up and away to think.
“We’ll see. My roommate Fern has been bugging me about how bored she is, maybe this is what she would be looking for.”
Frieren thought about that boy in Fern’s Bio class who she seemed to complain about every single night. Fern didn’t entirely hate him, as much as he bothered her. He would probably be a good candidate too.
“You know, there’s a guy in my pre-med that’s been asking to join our group, but it was too late. I can give you Sein’s number if you want.” Heiter shrugged.
Frieren smiled at him.
“That would be great, Heiter. I’d love to go on a journey like this again.”
---
Himmel tried to make sure to stay present in the moment as he walked Frieren back to her dorm for the last time. She seemed more patient, more intentional, as they walked side by side.
“So am I still penciled in for five years from now?” Himmel asked, surprising himself with how quiet he got.
“Of course you are Himmel.” Frieren smiled.
The pair walked together for a moment in silence. Himmel couldn’t stop thinking about that agreement. He didn’t really know how long he’d be away, it was just… a number he said. A number he was happy to wait. A number he hoped Frieren was happy to wait as well…
“What if… it’s six years?”
“I don’t see the difference there.” Frieren replied.
Okay… what about seven?”
“Same thing.”
“What about ten? Or fifteen? Or more? Will I still get to see you? Because… I don’t mind waiting.”
He tried not to let his desperation seep into his voice, but he could not help it. In a matter of days, he and Frieren would be scattered to the winds. They kept walking towards Frieren’s dorm, her hand swaying oh so closely to his own. It peeked out of her sweatshirt, as it always did, but now it felt both next to him and a million miles away. Frieren turned to look at him.
“You’ll meet new people, Himmel, you said you wanted to see the world, didn’t you? I’m sure you will. No point in worrying about coming back here.”
“I worry about coming back here,” He paused for a moment. “Because it’s where you are.”
Frieren looked away from him for a moment, whether it was to collect her thoughts or just out of disinterest, Himmel couldn’t tell.
“I don’t even know if I will be here in ten years.” Frieren eventually mumbled.
“Well then… I’ll go wherever you end up.”
Frieren smiled her small, slight smile at his comment. He, as always, saw it as a victory on par with slaying the Demon King.
“Himmel… you seem very intense all of a sudden.”
Himmel took her hand, and spun her to look right at him. He clasped both of her hands in his. From where they stood, the moon was behind her, completely backlit. She was even more stunning than ever.
“It’s because… I know no matter where I’d go, I won’t meet another person like you.”
Himmel wished he could know what was going through her head at that moment. Frieren had always been impossible for him to read, it was probably what drew him to her in the first place. It wasn’t just that she was pretty, she was, but she was this driven student who held everyone at arm’s length.
And yet.
She chose to be close to him. Even if that’s all it ever was - Himmel could be okay with that. The last four years had been magical for him, and Frieren was such a large part of it. Even if he never saw her again, he would be happy knowing that he got to be around her for four years.
Frieren moved slowly, getting onto her tippy toes, as she slowly leaned in, and brushed her lips against Himmel’s. He tried to stay calm, but he felt like he would melt on the spot.
“Whenever you do come back… I’ll be waiting for you too Himmel.”
“If that’s the case… I promise it will be less than five years.”
Frieren took his hand, and the pair walked back to her dorm mostly in silence.
Himmel had once dreamed of this, of them hand in hand, but instead of in their town’s sidewalk, it was in a chapel. If this too was a dream, he didn’t want to wake up. But as it went on, he realized it wasn’t. That he would have time with Frieren still. He was excited for their next adventure together, this time away from the Memorial Union’s tabletop.