A Hero With/Out Time

Chapter 8: My Monster (Part 1)

Chapter 8: My Monster

I yawned. After everything that happened last night I was tired. The journey to Greytree would take a little longer than usual but it didn't matter much as we'd stay regardless. Today was preparation, tomorrow was death. It was unfortunate that driving the carriage did little to settle my nerves.

"Hey."

"Argh!" I almost dropped the reins to which Pina squawked.

Taylor stifled a laugh as she sat down beside me, "You know I was actually trying not to scare you that time."

"Well you could have fooled me," I breathed out tiredly. "Did you need something or are you just here to annoy me?"

"Why Rain, I'm simply here to enjoy your company," she grinned and poked my side. "So I saw you practicing with Earnest this morning. How's your hand?"

"A little itchy," I scratched at it. "Marley got rid of the pain but it still feels weird."

"If you used the technique I taught you, you probably could have avoided it."

"No and here's why. One, I'd collapse before I could even move and two, when you surprise Earnest he takes it seriously. I don't want to be stabbed again."

"Fair enough," she happily swung her legs off the side of the seat.

After a few minutes of silence Taylor started to hum. It was a soft tune that was fun yet had a melancholic flow to it. I'd never heard it before but considering Taylor was from the empire it made sense I wouldn't.

"You're really enjoying yourself aren't you?" I said with my eyes still on the road.

"Yeah I am," she smiled. "Truthfully I was going to spend this entire journey keeping everyone at arm's length. In the end I am still a slave after all." She touched the collar on her neck lightly and it glowed ominously.

"What changed?" although I asked the question nonchalantly I really wanted to know. Before this Taylor rarely talked to me or anyone else other than to tease them. Since Wester however she had interacting with everyone, even Ronalt.

Her body shuffled closer to mine, "You really want to know?"

"Is that not allowed?" I tried to sound passive.

"Because of you," her answer surprised me. Then she laughed, "Don't let it inflate your ego. It's just, I thought we were the same. Two people forced to work regardless of the risks. Slaves to their power. I mean at least I kind of deserved it but you didn't do anything wrong. Despite that though, you did your job perfectly and even went beyond that. Talking with us, helping us, risking your life when you didn't need to." She sighed, "I felt like I wasn't putting enough effort in compared to you and this is me trying to change."

I was stunned to silence. I didn't realise that my actions had changed the path this much. All I wanted was to make them trust me so that tomorrow I'd live. A guilt began to form in my heart.

"I'm not really like this," my reply was weak. I was only like this because of desperation.

"You say that but you are," Taylor smiled a sweet innocent smile I never thought she could. It was an expression that I thought only the Hero would show to me and it just dug into conscience even more. Would it be the same if she knew the truth about all I had done?

I shook off the feeling and cleared my throat, "S-so I never really thanked you last night for your lesson. Want me to teach you how to drive?" I offered her the reins.

"Rain are you being shy?" she asked teasingly.

"Did you want to learn or not?" I replied unable to look in her eyes.

She took the reins, "Sure, though to be honest teaching me how to drive a carriage isn't going to pay the cost."

"What, you want me to teach you how to cook?" I laughed.

"You'd do that?" her seriousness caught me off guard.

I wasn't sure how to reply, "Well..., I could."

Taylor paused and looked into the sky wistfully, "I've always wanted to learn. The most I could get when I was younger was dry bread over a fire with some cheese."

The carriage bumped as Pina began to veer off the road. I lunged forwards and held the reins in Taylor's hands properly.

"Let's focus on one thing at a time," I said.

"R-right," she concentrated once more.

I spent the rest of the morning teaching Taylor how to drive the carriage. Pina was an excellent bird and harmoniously obeyed Taylor with patience. It was actually much easier than my first time learning. I explained how to pull the reins to turn, how to command Pina by words and the differences between animals. She absorbed the knowledge easily, the girl had talent. Most of all however it kept my mind calm as I enjoyed myself more than perhaps I should have.