A Hero With/Out Time

Chapter 12: My resolution to act. (Part 2)

It took a while but I eventually managed to say goodbye and we began to look around the outskirts of Axel. The immediate vicinity was plains and fields but a few minutes away was the Shaded Forest to the North East and about an hour west was the border forest. There was almost nowhere to hide in the plains and we immediately headed to the Shaded Forest, named by the people of Axel due to its copious amounts of shade. A bit simple I know but when your town is in the middle of plain lands having somewhere to go for shade meant a lot in the summer.

Taylor walked beside me, "Rain... that women, Lane, just who was she?"

"She's one of Axel's guards, why?" I answered confused at Taylor's suspicious tone.

"For a guard she was really... capable."

"Really? I've never seen her in a fight before so I wouldn't know."

"You couldn't feel it? You should have fought with Earnest enough times to know when someone is strong." As serious as Taylor was, to me Lane was Lane, one of my parents. She was a bit more dotting than the others and could be scary when angry but that was all I could see.

Ardent laughed, "Rain you wouldn't know but that women most likely used to be a knight."

"Seriously?" I was surprised. Being a knight was a big accomplishment and some of them even owned land. "Come to think of it, you know Mattias. Why is that?"

He smirked, "I met Mattias, or at least he was known as Sir Matarus back then, when I was still a young teen. Back in the day he was a prominent knight who served the kingdom. We didn't know each other for long but he left me some sound advice back when I used to be an apprentice. I was honestly surprised to see him here." I knew Mattias had some kind of nobility because he was Mayor of Axel but aside from that he never talked about his past much. Come to think of it not many people did and I didn't care to ask.

"And how old are you now Ardent?" Taylor asked.

"Me? I'll be turning 37 in a few months." Which meant that Ardent had met Mattias before I was found. I was amazed that they were able to recognise each other after that long.

"You don't look that old," Taylor inspected him more closely.

"Well it's common knowledge among magicians that those highly attuned with mana retain their youth. Why the Archmage is decades older than myself yet she looks barely older than thirty. Ah, if you ever do have the chance to meet her don't mention her age."

"Hmm, maybe I should study magic."

"I don't think you need to," I began simply. "You look fine the way you are."

"Rain are you flirting with me?"

"That wasn't my intention," I replied bluntly.

"Tch," she clicked her tongue. "Also it's not about now but the future. I'm young and beautiful right now but who knows what I'll be like down the road." I'll ignore how blatantly she was complimenting herself.

"I side with Rain that you'll be fine," Ardent said. "After journeying together the mana within you is well utilised. Had I not known who you were I'd recognise you as an accomplished magician at your age."

"How wonderful," Taylor smiled. I rolled my eyes.

"Wait," I came to a realisation. "A person like me who can't use magic... am I going to get old really quickly?"