#we're getting so close to starting the story properly on ao3 soon :D

[inaris-mage-of-storms]

There was something about summer on the savanna that Jimmy found nostalgic.

He swung his axe one final time and stepped back as the acacia tree leaned over, sending dust and dry leaves into the air as it crashed to the ground. Jimmy plopped onto the ground to catch his breath, tilting his hat back to wipe sweat from his brow and looking up at the sky. A gold star hung on his vest, its weight still unfamiliar to him, but he buffed the badge with his sleeve and allowed himself a small smile of pride.

It felt a little strange, finding comfort in the dry heat and spindly trees and shadows cast by the terracotta cliffs. He had spent so long desperate to get away from it all and see something other than shades of brown and gray and muted orange. Then a summer brighter and more colorful than any he'd ever seen had come and gone, and when he'd blinked away the afterimage from the dazzling light, nothing looked the same as it once had. All that time desperate to get away, and even more time spent wandering when he finally did. Then eventually he found himself back in his home region, a little older and a little...well, wiser might be a stretch, he thought, but definitely more experienced.

He'd had no intention of staying in Tumble Town, that first spring back, but he stayed long enough to help a struggling mother get her crops in the ground for the season, and then an old man's house was damaged by the first strong winds of the year, and then the bandits camped out in the hills had come down to harass the saloon keeper into giving them free drinks until Jimmy's sword made them think twice about it. And spring turned to summer turned to fall turned to winter turned to spring again, and then another spring, and another. And Jimmy found an old dusty badge in one of the abandoned buildings he was cleaning out, and the townsfolk looked at each other and agreed Jimmy should be the one to put it on, and well, he could hardly leave now, could he? Not when there were still bandits in the cliffs and buildings to repair and people to protect.

Jimmy began the trek back to Tumble Town with the lumber he'd gathered, reviewing his mental list of all that needed done, and cast a glance at the horizon to judge how much daylight was left. In his peripheral he caught movement and a flash of bright color against the brown backdrop. Jimmy spun on his heel to look, eyes wide and his heart in his throat.

"Jimmy! Hi!" The figure waved enthusiastically, and the wave of feelings that had crashed over him receded as quickly as it came. Sausage made his way over to him from the hill he had just crested, a blue parrot on his shoulder, and Jimmy waved back in greeting and waited for his friend to catch up. The protector of Sanctuary scooped him into a bone-crushing hug, then held him at arm's length and looked him over. "You look a little pale," he said with a concerned furrow of his brow. "Is everything all right?"

"I'm fine," said Jimmy. "I think you just startled me a little. Who's your friend?" He ran a finger over the bird's head and smiled when it leaned into his touch in the same way his chickens did.

"No idea!" said Sausage. "He hasn't told me yet. You could have told me if you needed more wood! I could have sent an extra shipment." He took over some of the load for Jimmy and walked alongside him.

Jimmy shrugged. "I only needed a little extra, not enough to bother you about when the regular shipment is due in a couple weeks anyway. How are you doing on terracotta?"

Sausage assured him the amount Jimmy had been sending was working out perfectly, and Jimmy listened as Sausage spent the walk telling him all about what he planned to build next for his growing city. They made it back to Tumble Town and stacked the lumber neatly next to the barn Jimmy planned to repair. The parrot that had accompanied Sausage fluttered off his shoulder and squawked something at him before flying off.

"Okay, bye!" Sausage called after it. "Stay out of trouble!" He pushed the last log into place and followed Jimmy to the sheriff's office, looking around at the town as they walked. "Wow, you've gotten so much done since I was here last."

"Thanks," said Jimmy as they entered the door. "People are still leaving, though." He frowned a little and hung his hat on its hook, brushing fingers through his hair. "Can't say as I blame them. The business from Sanctuary and Gobland has helped quite a lot, but things are still a little rough."

"It'll get better," said Sausage encouragingly, patting him on the shoulder. "You've done some amazing work here, Jimmy. You should be proud."

Jimmy wasn't sure he believed him, but his chest warmed at the words all the same, and his smile returned. He dug out some plans he'd drawn up for the town and asked Sausage's advice on a few things, and partway through scribbling some notes on improvements to the windmill, there was a knock on the door.

"Goodness, do you ever take a break?" asked Irene when Jimmy opened the door. Her tone was scolding, but the corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled at him. "Just once I'd like to find you somewhere besides your office or out working. But here, honey, you've got a letter."

He took the folded letter she handed him and cracked the seal on it, scanning the contents with a baffled look while Sausage greeted Irene and she thanked him for the recipe he'd given her during his last visit. "So what is it?" asked Sausage when Jimmy remained silent after Irene returned to the saloon. "Good news, bad news?"

"It's from that Pixlriffs fellow you mentioned," said Jimmy, and looked up at Sausage's curious face. "He wants me to join the meetings at the Ancient Capital."

"That's great!" said Sausage. "Why do you look so down about it?"

"I'm not down, I'm just…confused, really." Jimmy looked down at the letter again and read from it. "'As you are likely aware, the rulers of this region gather regularly in the Ancient Capital for meetings meant to foster peace and cooperation between empires. I would like to extend an invitation for you to join us, as you have demonstrated excellent leadership capabilities and strength of character.'" He brushed a finger over the paper it was written on, made of a far higher quality than anything Tumble Town had ever been able to produce.

"Sounds pretty clear to me. So what are you confused about?" asked Sausage. "I told you, you're doing great!"

Jimmy shook his head. "This feels like some kind of joke," he said warily. "I'm not a king or anything! I'm only a sheriff, and I just sort of stumbled into it at that. And Tumble Town definitely isn't an empire. It's barely even a town."

"You don't have to be a king to be invited," said Sausage. "Just a leader of some kind. And our handsome sheriff fits the bill." He flicked a finger against Jimmy's badge to accentuate his point. "It's not a joke, I promise. Pix heard about you on his own, and Fwhip and I both vouched for you."

Jimmy stared at him, unsure exactly what emotions were beginning to crawl into his throat. "You guys really vouched for me? For something this important?"

"Of course we did!" Sausage grinned his infectious grin, and Jimmy smiled back hesitantly. "You're one of us now, my friend. We want you there."

Jimmy took a deep breath. He'd heard Sausage and Fwhip talk about the meetings before, and the trade deals and alliances with other empires that came from them. If he played his cards right, he could build himself a respected reputation and open up Tumble Town to a lot of opportunities they wouldn't have otherwise. He didn't know how people like the princesses of Dawn and Glimmer Grove or the god of Stratos would react to Pix inviting a simple farmboy into their midst, but he knew he would at least have friends there in Sausage and Fwhip. He wouldn't be alone.

"Okay," he said, and laughed when Sausage cheered. "I guess it would be rude to turn down a direct invitation, after all. I'll go to the next meeting."

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