The Lost Blazes of Fire

The Lost Arc: Chapter 1 Act 3

Part 4

A kid is hastily going inside a house. There is no problem in going inside your own house. It is yours after all. There is also no problem on having a house near the inn where our dear traveller resides in. The problem starts when you just entered someone's else house without permission.

Matilda saw what happened there.

The kid is being chased by two of the female guards. They are walking around in full armor. They wore armors around their body such as a helm, visor, gorget, chestplate, couter, plackart, tasset, gauntlet, cuisse, poleyn and a solaret. It was a complete set of armor but for some reason it seems wiggly as the person inside moves. It may be due to the weight of the armor but from the looks of it, the most likely cause is that the person inside is not fit for it. The armor is not for the person inside.

The guards walking around passed the house where the kid is in. It would seem that they had not notice him entering it.

This scene makes Matilda wonder what is happening.

"Why are they coming after him?"

As she silently leans in a corner of the wall, she can see the kid peeking from a small gap of the door. When he realize there is no one around, he immediately left and ran to the opposite direction where the guards are.

She wanted to follow the kid but she decided it is not for the best. After their conversation the other day, he will surely distance himself from her. Matilda's face turns into a frown as she thinks of that.

No matter what kind of thoughts is running through her mind, she could not find it in herself to approach the kid.

"He has his own reasons why he can't tell me."

What is she thinking? Is she really thinking that the kid is him?

She cannot deny in herself that she can find the radiant hero's shadow in him. There is stark similarities between the two of them. After searching for a long time, she cannot help but hope that the person she is searching for is already in front of her.

It is not wrong to hope, or is it?

She immediately halted her thoughts that is turning a dangerous turn. She slap both of her cheeks several times that it became swollen. When she felt like she has finally awaken, she takes the step back to the inn.

"Perhaps being too hasty to find me makes me think of things like this."

She decided to cool off at the bar. She thought that a good food can probably takes her mind off these thoughts.

Part 5

Despite of the inn's brick like appearance, the inside is quite cozy. The walls are covered with wood and even the bar itself has an ambiance of being inside a cottage.

The shelves where the wine are stored is just around the corner where guests can check it or even buy it when the inn owner permits. The bar itself has several chairs in a somewhat long table counter and at the back are a collection of glasses that comes in different sizes. All of them are made of glass that it makes it look expensive.

Matilda is observing the counter while waiting for her order in the kitchen. She is taking a glance at all the things inside the place that she had not notice on her first day here. She especially find the carnation flowers at the corner of the counter quite calming as it reminds her of the flowers back in her hometown. She is somehow missing home.

After several minutes, it has finally arrived. The inn owner who also serves as the chef s***h the bartender emerge from the kitchen door with her food on a tray. She find the service quite amazing as much as she can see.

"I am glad I am not in a self-service bar. I really miss meals that were served directly to you."

The inn owner seems delighted with her comment as he says about his work. "This is something you can see here. After all, I am may not seem like it but I once serve in a noble household."

"That's amazing."

"Now that I see it, you seem to be a noble yourself with that graceful manners of eating, young lady."

Matilda has her sweet and sour pork tenderloin and corn soup at her table. As proof of the chef's exquisite cooking, you can see garnishes carefully arranged around the plate. It will make you wonder if this is something you can see in a countryside bar like this. On the other hand, she did not notice that she returns to her habit of eating with etiquette with the foos served before her.

"I guess it would be a lie if I said I am not. My hair color tells it after all."

The inn owner who seems to be in his forties yet a white beard seems to be growing at his jaws already. It seems odd if it is for a middle aged man like him. One cannot help but wonder what this man had been through. He brushes it up and down as he ponders about something before talking back to Matilda.

"You know there are only a few who comes at the bar at these days, there is not much to do. I do not mind hearing you out."

Matilda halted in what she was doing as the inn owner ask her this.

She do not know why but she felt like she had been seen through in some way. She tries to look around to see if what the inn owner said was true.

"Come to think of it, the bar is full yesterday.", she can see several people silently savoring their food in their own tables. She tries to divert the topic with a question of her own. As much as possible, she do not want other people to divulge in her own troubles. Her instinct is telling her to not open herself too much to a stranger.

"Inn owner, I wonder why is that so?"

The inn owner did not mind her question and answer it.

"You see, many are being called by other countries to war. The people here wants to preserve the peace they are experiencing now. There are those volunteering from here and left the town. The ones left behind are left waiting and some consider them dead after a long time has passed."

"This country is already an independent one yet the people in it are still selfless. They think of what will happen outside than to worry more about themselves. And every year, a group of people forms from time to time and spend their last days here in Stardege before embarking in a journey."

The reason why the bar has few visitors nowadays is because people leave and never came back. That explains why there are fewer people in this country than she expected. It would seem that the population of a hundred in the map is not farfetched from the truth.

"It must be hard for them to leave their loved ones here. But I am amazed by their bravery as they hope for a peaceful future.", says Matilda. She has a sad look on her face as she knew firsthand how it feels to leave and fight.

"Yes. It is. The thing is the people here are already few yet they still send themselves to war. Only a few are able to come back but they never stay here for long and returns to the battlefield."

"This is why I want to serve luscious meal. Something so delicious that they will strive more to come back alive."

"Yes, you're right!".

"So back to what we are talking about earli.."

"You know I am quite curious, this country's borders is so high I almost believe it is a large country. Why was it build so high and... "

"Why does the armor here do not fit the guards at all?", Matilda refrains herself from saying unnecessary things but when she realize what she has been saying, it was already too late. She probes the inn owner's reaction but she failed in gaining anything from it.

The inn owner silently listens to her words. He ponders about it for sometime while massaging his short beard up and down. He seems to have no intention on holding back on what he knows. He do not see any reason not to as he knew it is something he can do for this lady.

He silently run his hand to his beard and tell her about what this country has.

"I guess it would be my duty to tell you about our country. Guests like you are rare nowadays."

Matilda felt relief from the inn owner's friendly attitude. She could not have it both ways but she is sure that he is sympathetic.

"I will be glad to listen, Sir.", she says.

The inn owner told him the following:

Due to people going to war in other countries, the manpower within the country of Thron becomes scarce that women took up arms to protect this country.

Only a few of the volunteers are able to return and some of them brings back the armor that they used at war. The people decided to make use of it. Simply put, they recycle the armor by reusing it. The people who uses this armor are young people and women whose bodies were too small to fit it in.

"That must been hard on them."

"Indeed. But to put up a front to the people that everything is still secured, they still use it. There are many setbacks with those armors as they come from dead people, but they do not have any choice as there is not enough metals to create a new one."

Matilda and the inn owner had a moment of silence in between them as one party tries to absorb everything that has been said.

Matilda tries to sympathize with the situation they are in and realize that it was indeed unfortunate.

"We have one blacksmith in our country though who can process any requests precisely but only if you can provide him with the materials he can use to create one. I suggest that you talk with him sometimes.", says the inn owner. He notices the sword hanging on the lady's side and deem it to be something of importance to the lady even it looks like it is somewhat jaded. "You can have him check your weapon while you are still here."

Matilda slid the thought that the inn owner is saying that her sword is aged at the back of her mind. She sometimes find it hard that she thinks of the most ridiculous things at a time like this. But more importantly, she is more surprised with this country's situation. She now understand why it has tall borders as it is their pretense to keep everyone safe inside.

If that is the case, then perhaps, only a few people are actually allowed to go outside. If it is so, it will explain the fact that there are almost no one who goes in and out.

Most of the people here goes out to volunteer to war so there are not many people that remains here.

There is only just one thing that bothers her. One thing that she felt like she really needs to know about.

Part 6

Do you know about a kid who goes outside the borders?

It is what she wanted to ask but she refrain herself in doing so.

She smiles at the inn owner as she finishes her meal. The food was so delicious that she will definitely miss it. He is right. It is something you will want to return to.

"Thank you for the food. Also, for letting me know about this country."

The inn owner brushes off her words as he says, "There is no need for a royal of another country to humble herself to me. It is simply my duty to make sure you will be happy with what I prepared. I am more than happy to see you are better now. More than that..."

"More than that?"

This is the moment where the inn owner finds hesitation on his face. It would seem that he is quite reluctant with what he is about to say or perhaps he is not quite sure of it. What could make his face like that?

Matilda prepares herself as to what he is about to say.

"The other day, you are with that kid right?"

"Yeah."

"While you are here, please also look after him for me. He is too adventurous as you can see."

Indeed. The kid he is talking about is the one who saved her from shaming herself as she stood on the gate and yet, he is the only person she has seen outside. The moment that they had met there is definitely not just coincidence.

"It is quite dangerous here at night and there is no one that looks after him anymore. I hope you can understand how worried we are on him."

"I understand.", before she goes back on her room, she decided to finally ask him about it. "Is he an orphan?"

The kid who has great resemblance with the missing hero. Matilda remembered the time that the kid is being chased by this country's guards. The inn owner brings light as to what might be the reason that he is being chased back then.

The inn owner smiles wryly at her question. "Indeed. That is the case. As you see, his father volunteers to go to war several years ago and did not come back. The mother died from illness and depression. It was hard for him to lose them both and as most of us have their hands full, we cannot exactly adopt him to a new home."

"Is that so. It must have been hard."

Now that she know more about the kid, she felt like there is a surge of motivation swirling within her. She decided that she will make sure to look after him while she is still here in this town.

"I will take care of him!", she energetically answer him with the gesture of showing her muscles using her left hand and tapping it with her right.

The owner smiles. He returns to the kitchen after their talk. It would seem that his business with her is already done.

On the other hand, Matilda realizes that the last thing she did is too manly. She is embarrassed of what she did.

"He will not think I am weird, right?", she says as she ponders to herself while going back to her room. She firmly grab her sword and went back to her room to rest.