"Here we say goodbye, dear friend," I said, bumping my fist into his.

"Never say goodbye, X-man," Mark replied dryly, with a twinkle in his eye.

I smirked. "You're right. Besides, we'll still meet in a hunt one of these days."

He then turned his attention to Anya, and I watched as she smiled at him and bowed her head humbly. "Thank you so much for letting me stay here these past few days, sir," she said softly.

Mark looked at her with a comfortable gaze, and his smile ...