THE MOMENT
Cogburn tried not to listen to the two teenage passengers. He'd only been riding the coach for about a week. He quickly learned that eavesdropping led to more questions than the unusual appearances of their passengers. All the ones he'd met; It wasn't just the pale, almost blue-skinned boy and red-haired girl riding along this time. Despite his best efforts, bits of conversation still reached his ears.
"Thanks for coming along," Frost, the boy, said. It was a name that suited him. Before Cogburn took the job, he never would have imagined someone with deep blue hair like Frost. But a week later, he'd seen all colors and shades. Frost was a lean, athletic boy in silver armor.
"Yeah, happy to," Valentine replied. Cogburn assumed the pair were siblings. They both wore their hair in ponytails, and Valentine was rather pale too; but not quite as blueish-white as Frost. Valentine's hair was a deep, wine-red color that looked closer to blue than most other redheads he'd met. "I wanted to farm the reputation anyway. Vivi got a mega cute mimic pet from the Magi-knights; I have to have one too," she giggled. "But, she already maxed them out, and she's working with Doc Mundo, so I didn't want to ask her to do more."
Cogburn kept his eyes on the dusty, empty road and tried to keep his mind on a leash. Though, he did recognize the Magi-knights name at least. They were the guild that commissioned the coach for the month. And, he met a young girl named Vivi on his first day. Part of him wondered if she was the one they were talking about. She was dressed oddly and looked to be about their age, like the rest of the passengers he'd delivered.
He was glad they were almost upon the ambush spot, just so he didn't have to listen to their conversation for a little while. Cogburn glanced at the old coach driver out of habit, but he stopped trying to get him to change direction.
The stagecoach was ambushed by bandits on Cogburn's first day, and he was ready to leap into action to do his job. But, the passengers were surprisingly powerful for their age. He moved as fast as he could to lend aid, but by the time he drew his sword, the clash was over. He could see why the coach driver wanted someone good with a sword; but, he thought he was lucky he didn't have to fight that first day. The passengers and cargo arrived at their destination safely.
He was surprised the next day when more bandits attacked them at the exact same spot. But, two days in a row, the adventuring passengers dealt with the threat before Cogburn could help. On the fourth day, after being ambushed again on the 3rd, Cogburn tried to convince the driver to take a different route. But, he insisted this was the route specified by the contract. Then, Cogburn sat through a fourth ambush without even drawing his sword.
He wondered if anyone would notice if he took a swig or three from the cargo. The passengers changed daily; but, he got the impression they were just carrying the same crate of wine back and forth between towns.
"What are you farming for?" Valentine asked. Cogburn knew she was talking to Frost; but, he couldn't help himself. He realized that he somehow knew the answer and had to share it.
"Probably Rook's flair, right?" Cogburn chuckled and looked over his shoulder. He knew Rook was a well-known Paladin, and Frost looked like a paladin to him; but, he didn't know what flair was.
"WHAT!?" Frost and Valentine exclaimed simultaneously. It was a strange reaction and Cogburn turned to see both of them staring at him with wide eyes.
"How do you know that?" Frost asked. Cogburn's brow furrowed as he wondered the exact same thing.
"I..I don't..," he stammered as his mind went blank. It seemed to give up on him. Valentine leaned closer and looked into his eyes.
"What's your favorite n-,"
"BANDITS!" the driver yelled as he pulled the horses to a stop. The two teens traded looks, then Frost nodded.
"I got it," he said and climbed off the coach with his sword and shield.
"I should go too," Cogburn said. He knew he wasn't needed, but he wanted a distraction from his own thoughts. But, Valentine grabbed his hand and shook her head.
"Wait, this is important," she said. "What's your favorite number?"
"One," he said without hesitation. He ignored the ruckus happening around them. "Why is that important?" Valentine giggled to herself and smiled broadly.
"Because it means you're alive. You can go anywhere and do anything," she said. Cogburn narrowed his eyes.
"Because my favorite number is one? How is that different from every day of my life?" Again, Valentine giggled lightly, but this time she shook her head.
"Not because your favorite number is one. Because you have a favorite number. Watch...," she said. She leaned forward and tapped the driver on the shoulder.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"What's your favorite number?" The old man looked at her for several seconds, then shrugged.
"What does that prove exactly?" Cogburn asked.
"I'll bet this stagecoach gets in trouble like this a lot," Valentine said with a sly smile. "Daily, probably; but, you keep taking the same route. Have you ever wondered why?" Cogburn nodded.
"This is the route in the contract," he said.
"Yeah," Valentine nodded. "It's a shame that sort of thing can't be renegotiated when there's the constant threat of robbery," she giggled. The wheels began to turn in Cogburn's mind, but he wasn't ready to concede that yet. There's a lot to be said for an old man stuck in his ways. But, she seemed to notice he was still on the fence and reached forward to tap the driver on the shoulder again.
"What's your favorite number?" she asked.
"Numbers an' me don' mix," he replied. Then, he faced forward again. Frost was down to the last bandit, but the driver only looked forward. Cogburn noticed he didn't even seem to be particularly aware of the battle. Then, Valentine bothered the driver again.
"What's your favorite number?" she asked.
"Numbers an' me don' mix," he replied. Then, he faced forward again. He didn't show any hints of annoyance and his voice maintained its even, calm tone. Then Frost climbed back on the coach and noticed what was going on. He took a turn at questioning the driver and got the same answer. Cogburn was ready to accept her explanations as the driver started forward again without a single comment.
"Okay," he said. "Let's say I believe you. Something isn't right with him, but you're saying that doesn't apply to me?" he asked. Valentine and Frost both nodded.
"I can go anywhere and do anything? Alright, so.. where do I start?" They both grinned at him.
"Well, we're already in the AlterNet," Valentine said. She gestured at the empty plains around them. "So the first thing you need to do is decide who you want to be."