Change - Chapter 45 (Patreon)

Chapter 45- As the Dust Settles

There was still crying all around him. Tim wanted to start healing the wounded but Charles pulled him aside. Before long the two of them were in a quiet alleyway.

“Thanks. And I mean it when I say that you deserve more than that. But events are getting ahead of us. I’m gonna have to ask more of you in the days to come. I can’t go into all the details yet but you need to meet with the guild council in the morning. Be there at 9 am.”

Tim nodded in response to the thanks. Then he said, “Just doing my part. I really should go and help with the wounded.”

“No, Tim, you can’t do that. You are a hero of the city now. People saw what you did at the wall.”

“All the more reason for me to be out there. It will help give hope to the city.”

Charles got a frustrated look on his face. He tugged on his beard and then said, “I can’t go into details now, but I’m too busy now to keep any eye on you. I need you to obey orders. Go back to the Four Patrons tavern and stay there for the night. Make sure you come straight to the guild hall in the morning. Kayla should be able to keep an eye on you for tonight.”

Tim was even more confused now. “Why not just stay in my room at the guildhall?”

“I know you live for questions but for now, I need you to just do as I ask. More answers will be coming tomorrow. Can I trust you to obey me in this?” Charles asked. The expression on his face was deadly serious.

Tim paused to think about it. Obviously there was more going on here than he knew about. Charles was keeping things from him, but then again, he was starting to keep some secrets of his own. It boiled down to the question of if he wanted to make an issue of this now. He decided staying the night at Kayla’s inn wouldn’t be a bad thing and might even come with fringe benefits, so it just wasn’t a fight he wanted to have now.

Charles added, “It isn’t just you. We have to protect all of our gold and diamond level adventurers. There are already too few of us, and three died under strange circumstances during this battle.”

That sealed it for Tim. “Yes Sir, I will spend the night at the inn and see you in the morning. But I want to know what’s going on.”

“Sure thing,” Charles responded. Then as Tim walked away he added very softly, “As soon as I do.”

Once again his enhanced senses came in handy. Tim was actually glad to hear that statement. It made his trust for Charles increase. Of course it also inceased the number of questions he had too.

A short time later, Tim was back at the Four Patrons. The first person to greet him was Atticus. The man had an axe and was standing guard at the door. He was very jumpy but equally committed to protecting his people. The inside of the barroom was crowded with people seeking refuge.

“Did any of the monsters make it this far?” Tim asked.

The older man shook his head, “Not that we saw, but what I heard was enough to give me nightmares.”

“It has been a night for that,” Tim replied. “Why don’t you let me take over watching the door.”

A squeal from across the room caught his attention. Well it likely caught the attention of everyone in the room. A highly exuberant Cecelia came running across the room, and threw herself against him. “I was so worried about you. Kayla said she had to leave you in the dungeon but then everyone is also saying you fought at the break in the wall. You have to be more careful.”

Tim glanced at Atticus who only shrugged his shoulders as his daughter pressed herself up against Tim. He gently disengaged her and said, “I missed you too. But I was more worried about you, and your father. I’m pretty hard to kill.”

“No one is invincible except the Patrons. I will always worry about you when you go into dungeons. I just wish I had the strength to fight beside you.”

“You are a sweet girl. Fighting takes something out of you. I wouldn’t wish that on you. But if it will make you feel better, I will always come back and let you know I’m okay.”

She nodded and then suddenly said, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I forgot when I saw you. Kayla is hurt upstairs. She says she will survive but she got run through by some kinda big spear. There is a hole in her gut. She is in terrible pain.”

Tim wanted to rebuke her, but she was barely more than sixteen. He understood she hadn’t meant to delay him. Now though he ran up the stairs to Kayla. When he got there, she was in her bed, with bloody clothes wrapped over her. She struggled weakly to sit up when he came in but he simply pushed her back down.

As soon as he touched her, he started pouring healing spells into her. He stacked them so that eventually she was healing 20 health per second. Her wounds closed up before his eyes and while she still looked a bit pale, she was at least free of injury.

She looked up at him. “I’m sorry about before.”

“Nothing to worry about. I told you to leave me. You were clearly needed up in the city.”

“Actually from what I hear you saved the day there too, but that wasn’t what I was talking about.”

Tim grimaced. There was still so much that he didn’t understand. He had fought hard and was ready to battle to the end at the gate, but the enemy had left for some reason. They acted scared to engage with him. No one had asked him about it yet, but to him it had been obvious that their behavior was off. He didn’t feel like a hero, but didn’t want to raise that issue with Kayla so he just smiled.

She continued, “I was apologzing for earlier… you know… when you changed into this.”

“Oh that. Don’t worry about that. It would be shocking to anyone. It still scares me to death and I don’t know how many more times it is going to happen.”

“Maybe, but I knew about your curse or whatever you want to call this. I shoudln’t have reacted like this.”

Tim shook his head again. “The only reason I’ll be upset is if you don’t let me take naps up here anymore.”

She smiled coyly at him. “Oh no, I definitely need to keep a close eye on you.” Then she pulled him down for a kiss.

Behind him he heard a gasp, then the sound of breaking pottery. He turned just in time to see Cecelia running away. The large bowl of fresh water she had brought up lay broken in the doorway, its contents soaking into the wooden floor.

Tim groaned. As if fighting monsters wasn’t enough. Now he had to deal with puppylove.

“Smooth, real smooth,” Mischief chimed in. Tim didn’t even have the energy for a retort. There was so much to be done. Apparently a moment of happiness wasn’t in the cards though. More change was coming. He could feel it. He just wasn’t sure if it was good or bad.