You, Me, and the World Between Us (Dragon Quest)

XX - You're Going to Catch a Cold

Maxim was fully aware that every day couldn't be a good day; there were many times where he would get scolded by Zamoksva's head cook for sneaking off with extra bacon on Sunday mornings. His father would scold him for running in the castle halls or not taking his responsibilities seriously enough. His tutor would harp on him for not studying or answering questions incorrectly. However, he had not foreseen a bad day on their trip to rescue their mother. Yet here they were, wandering along the well-beaten path to Porthrunnel during a downpour. The skies loomed with gray, thunder rumbled above, and the band of miserable adventurers trudged onwards.

"I don't like this," Inessa grumbled under her breath as she kicked her foot through a nearby puddle. A splash hit Maxim's leg, which he would have winced at if he weren't already completely wet. "It's wretched out here. It's cold, it's dreary, and there's no sign of the rain stopping anytime soon. If only we had known that this storm would have come through, we could have stayed with the Litchfields for one more night. We wouldn't be getting anywhere, but we'd have a roof over our heads, warm meals, and a bed to sleep in. At this rate, I'm not even sure if we'll be able to make it to Porthtrunnel; we might have to find shelter of our own and set up to camp for the night," Inessa moaned, hugging herself.

"But that's it, Inessa; if we hadn't set out this afternoon, we wouldn't be making any progress. It's not like how we explained it to the Litchfields, we're not traveling the world just to go sightseeing, we're on a mission. That mission is to save our mother, Inessa. The more we progress we make, the sooner we'll be able to bring her home. That's why we needed to get out of Bath," Maxim explained to his sister. Although, underneath, he also wanted to leave before his sister and Charlie got too friendly. His version merely made that sound like an added bonus. "Besides, I don't think we're as far off from Porthtrunnel as you think we are," he said, wiping the raindrops from his forehead, "you can see the beam of the Pharos Beacon, the lighthouse just east of the town. If that's in sight then we can't be too far away."

"You're right," Inessa said with a nod. She sighed, squeezing some of the water out of the end of her cloak. The water leaked down onto the top of Thorn's head, who squealed in protest. "The first thing we're going to do when we arrive, though, is make a reservation at the local inn. We're going to need to get out of these wet clothes as soon as possible," she said, shaking her head.

The night was upon them as the trio found themselves in the town of Porthtrunnel. Not a soul wandered the streets, as was expected in such bad weather. The two Zamoksvans held their hands over their eyes, shielding their vision from the persistent rain. They searched for a sign directing them to an inn, but no torches were out on the streets and it was far too dark to tell without them. Maxim looked down at his sister, shrugging his shoulders as they both sighed. They dragged their feet as they continued down the brick streets of Porthtrunnel. Then, through the downpour, they heard a faint click, and light flooded from an open doorway. "And what do you two think you're doing, roaming the streets in this weather? You're going to catch a cold if you stay out there any longer, don't you know! Come inside," a voice spoke out.

Maxim and Inessa's eyes shot over to the open doorway, finding a woman standing there. She beckoned for them to come closer, her eyebrows pushed up in concern. The Tsarevna dashed forward into the building, Thorn hot on her heels. Her brother reached out to grab her and perhaps mention that they had no idea who this woman was, but she slipped out of his grip. With a sigh, Maxim ran into the building after his sister. Upon entering, he noticed that they were inside the local inn. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment, how could he have doubted the woman? She was just doing her job as the innkeeper. "The pair of you are travelers, I see. You came into town just in time, I was just about to head to bed and I just so happened to see you lost in the streets through my upstairs window."