The Winds of the Past [Rune Factory 4]

Chapter 4

Avani approached me late the next morning as I fished in a canal, Dylas following close behind her. Today it seemed we would be a party of three. I had no objection, since I found him rather entertaining. He was such an easy target, especially regarding both Avani and his arch-rival, Doug, a dwarf who evidently had moved into town only a few weeks before Avani’s sudden appearance. Dylas was not the brightest candle in the chandelier, but he was very strong—and although socially awkward, his affection and concern for Avani as well as others in the village was evident. Apparently he’d been training with Avani since shortly after his rescue, much as I had now begun to do, and now he was easily the strongest man in the city—perhaps even stronger than Venti’s butler, who was powerful indeed. If it came down to it, he and Avani would be formidable opponents for any who considered attacking the town. And I intended, should that come to pass, to be ready to stand with them to defend my newly adopted home.

Dylas and I spent the next several days training, shepherded by Avani, who stood back and let us fight and only joined the fray if she felt that things were getting out of hand. I wondered how she managed to keep in such excellent condition when she did so little fighting herself. It wasn’t until later that I learned that, after returning us to town, healing and feeding us, and sending us home to sleep, she’d venture out into the wilds to fight alone and unaided against the creatures of the night.

Dylas learned about it after catching her returning well past midnight one night, and I found him scolding her in the courtyard the following morning for taking such risks—a scolding that seemed to both annoy and amuse her rather than persuade her. Although I privately agreed that it would be far wiser for her to take a companion, I also realized that doing so would present some difficulty, given her skill level compared to the rest of the townsfolk. Even Forte, the Dragon Knight of Selphia, was no match for her. So as I strolled up to them, I took her side, pointing out to Dylas that while she was certainly brave and strong, she also was not given to foolish risks as a rule, and even if she did get in over her head, she knew how to cast an Escape spell. Then I smiled my most condescending smile at him and commented that he must be completely addled by his love for her if he couldn’t see that. That sidelined the discussion effectively, as Dylas turned red and sputtered flustered denials. Avani sighed and turned to walk back to her rooms, and Dylas and I followed, he still grumbling a little. She tossed some new equipment to both of us—she’d been working on her crafting and smithing skills it appeared, though when she found the time I couldn’t imagine. We suited up in our new gear and headed out.

“Your skills are improving nicely,” she said to me as we left the city walls behind us, “so I think today we’ll attempt something a little more challenging for you. There have been reports of trouble by travelers in the vicinity of the old haunted mansion in the western plains, so we’ll go clean it out and try to make the road there safer, at least for a while. You’ll be facing a variety of monsters, including some spirit creatures and a marionetta—the type of monster that Dolce was bound to as Guardian. Dylas will be your backup, and I will be his. Ready?” I nodded, and at that, she took off at her usual pace—a brisk run. That was tiring in itself: running over all manner of terrain fully equipped. But it was also good for my stamina, so I didn’t complain… much. I also had the sense that, as fast as the pace seemed to me, she was holding back so that we didn’t fall too far behind.

The battle through the old manor house was tough, but I felt I had acquitted myself well. Avani nodded her approval as I stood where the last stricken monster, the marionetta, had vanished in a column of light a moment before. She had needed to heal me a few times, and Dylas had delivered a few blows himself, but I had done most of the fighting. In order to better insure the safety of travelers, we turned around and fought our way back out of the mansion, cleaning up the monsters that had escaped us before. Then we returned to the city gates, planning to go to her rooms to clean up and have a late meal, as was usual after training.