A Hero With/Out Time

Chapter 12: My resolution to act. (Part 1)

Chapter 12: My resolution to act.

This... this wasn't what I had in mind for breakfast. Together with Taylor and Ardent we were in the restaurant portion of the Axel's inn but joining us were a dozen other people. They chatted amongst themselves happily practically oblivious to my state of mind. Nill and Bert who ran the inn, Margaret from the apothecary, Tarhand our blacksmith, Marcy the baker, Morgan the town hunter, Bjorn the tailor, Walter and Lane the town guards, Henry from the general store, Gregor who ran the fields and Mattias the Mayor. These were the people who could be said to be the core members of Axel and the people who raised me the most when I was young. They were also my teachers.

"Rain you look a little off. Is something wrong?" Marcy asked innocently. "Here have some more bread."

"No I'm fine...," I replied stiffly.

"Want to a new concoction I've been working on?" Margaret held out a mysterious black potion towards me.

"Definitely no."

"Then what's wrong?" Gregor asked.

"I'm just surprised to see you all here for breakfast," I admitted my feelings.

"Don't mind us Rain," Morgan said while biting into his own bread. "Pretend we're not here. You can talk with the pretty lass all you want. Don't worry we'll just watch."

"Oh!" Marcy clapped, "Ardent, Taylor would you like to hear the story about how we found Rain?" Please no.

Taylor could see my disapproval and ignoring that completely smiled brightly, "I'd love to."

"It was over twenty years ago now. Axel had only been founded for a few years and there weren't many of us. It was a real struggle and one summer a vicious drought had plagued us. Our fields dried up and even the water in the reservoir was running low. At the time we really thought we'd have to pack up and leave. But then one night as if from nothing a downpour of rain like nothing we had ever seen before rushed through the town. We were in the streets celebrating but then almost drowned out by the swelling storm I heard a baby's cry."

"Hold it," Margaret complained. "You didn't hear anything you dope. I heard it."

Marcy cleared her throat, "'We' heard a baby's cry. Carried by the water running into the town was a little baby boy. We were all surprised. He had come from nowhere. From then on the drought broke and we looked for the boy's parents but couldn't find anyone. So instead we raised him, and named him after the rain that not only saved us but brought him as well."

"That is indeed a lovely story," Ardent nodded. "But I must ask, was Rain's origins never found?"

Mattias replied with a glint in his eye, "Of course we looked into it but nothing came up. He's our son regardless."

"Yes and it doesn't matter where I came from," I smiled softly to my parents at the table. "Anyway thank you for the meal. Ardent, Taylor if you're done shall I show you around town?"

"That would be most kind of you," Ardent stood up as did Taylor.

"Shall I come join you?" Morgan asked.

I raised my hand to refuse him, "No it's fine. You all have work to do." In the case that we did discover something notorious I didn't want them to know, at least not yet. Call it stupidity or whatever else but I wanted my home to stay as it was, peaceful. For that reason even if it might have been better to tell them, I'd only do it if I needed to. "I'll come by to visit you all later."

We said our goodbyes and left the inn. I showed Taylor and Ardent around the town as we looked for anything suspicious. Nothing seemed off at least not inside the town. We walked and I greeted the familiar faces we passed. I also made sure to check on Pina and just in case, gathered our equipment, including my bow and a sword I had borrowed. I was used to walking around with a bow strapped to my back but having a sword as well... especially in Axel it was uncomfortable as if a slight strain could break the peaceful atmosphere of the town. While inside the town I doubted we'd need them but outside there were wild beasts and occasionally the weaker monster.

"Rain you heading outside?" Lane asked me cheerily as she stood at the outskirts of town. For once she was doing her actual job as guard. The middle aged women stood taller than me or Ardent and had firm muscle. Together with her partner Walter they kept the town at peace and the riffraff away.

"I thought I'd show them the outskirts," I replied amicably.

"Be careful and don't forget your bow, though I see you have a new one," she looked at me curiously. Then her eyes widened in shock. "Is-is that a sword?" So she noticed.

I tried to play it down, "Well it's only for self-defence."

"Draw that sword and walk towards me young man!" she growled and I reacted instantly doing what she asked. After years of listening to her my body quickly snapped forward without much thought. She watched me carefully and then as if grieving yelled, "Who... who did it!?"

"Who did what?" I was taken aback.

"Was it you!?" Lane glared at Taylor approaching menacingly. Taylor jumped back, instinctively her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger. Luckily for Ardent he didn't look like the fighting type.

"Calm down Lane!" I held her back.

"Ah no! No one was allowed to teach you how to fight," she started to vent. "I let Morgan teach you how to hunt but that was it!" Suddenly her hands were around me and pulling me close. "I'm not letting my little boy go to war!"

"Lane let go," I tried to pry free. "Lane! Damn. Mum I said stop!"

"Ah," she released me.

"You don't need to overreact," I frowned. "It was just a few lessons to help protect myself."

She moped, "But with how fast you learn a few lessons is all you need."

Taylor giggled behind me, "She's got you pegged with how good you got."

"Not helping Taylor," I glared at her and turned back to Lane. "Mum it's fine. I'm not going to war." On the contrary together with Lara, Ronalt and the others we were going to stop the war from happening by killing the Demon Lord. The more I thought about it the more dangerous that was sounding.... She could never know.

I decided to change topics and cleared my throat, "Umm Mum, how's the town been? Anyone interesting come by?"

She snapped out of her brooding and shook her head, "No one who hasn't come by before. Phillius and his traders came by a few days ago and left. Actually Servius was a bit upset he missed you. It's too bad as well if you had just come sooner you could have said hello."

"I'll catch up with him on another day," I smiled. So no one strange had come by either. Going by the previous cycle they could still be on their way.