Chapter 4: Walk back home

Garren washed his face using the basin of water provided in his room and went downstairs for breakfast. He slept comfortably last night and was in a good mood. As he went down the stairs he observed that a couple of customers were already eating.

Picking a table away from the other patron's, he sat down and motioned his hand to call for the young waitress who served his meal last night. The waitress understood what he was calling for and went inside the door that leads to the kitchen.

Sitting there alone, he thought of his goals for the day. This town must have someone that serves as the leader, that's a good way to start.

After a couple of minutes the waitress came out carrying his meal. Once his breakfast has been served he then ate silently.

Eating his fill and drinking a cup of water, he stood up and walked towards the counter where the inn keeper was currently wiping an iron mug with a piece of cloth.

Upon handing over the key to the room he had used, a familiar voice rung in his ears.

"Garren!"

He looked towards the entrance. There she was, walking towards him. Cheerful as always.

"Yuna.." he muttered.

"Oho.. So you're a friend of Yuna?" ask the fat man.

"She's my slave."

"Ss-slave!?" The inn keeper almost dropped the mug he was cleaning.

"Don't mind him George, he's new in town. I'm gonna show him around today" she rebutted and smiled at the inn keeper.

"New huh? I guess that explains all the ridiculous questions last night. Well since you're new I'm George Granger the owner of this fine establishment and If once again you need a place to stay, you know where to go." He said with a grin while winking at Garren.

Garren just nodded at the inn keeper as they left the building.

"So? where you wanna go first?"

"Do you have a leader or chief, whatever you call it. Someone important." Garren answered.

"Hmmm" Yuna pondered. "You mean the town's elder? he's pretty important."

"That's a start, let's go"

They passed through the town square. Yuna pointed at various buildings while explaining what they were. "That's the trading post, that's the adventurers guild I mentioned last night, that's the church, that one was the medicine shop we stopped by last night and that's my father's workshop he's the town's blacksmith."

Daughter of the blacksmith huh, that explains why everyone seems to know her.

They finally stopped at a stone house located just east of the town square.

"Well this is where the town elder lives, are we going in?"

"Obviously. What? you think I came here to admire his house?" he answered in a cold tone.

"hmmph" Yuna pouted her cheeks "You don't have to be so mean" she muttered while looking away.

*Knock* *Knock*

He knocked on the wooden door. When there was no response he knocked once again even louder.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

"C-coming! Where's that goddamn brat, he's suppose to a-answer the door" a voice can be heard inside.

The town elder lives with his grandson but it looks like he was home alone today.

The door creaked open. "W-who is it, what do you want?" Out came an old man with a long grey beard, who was about 70 y/o. Using his wooden crane to walk.

"Good morning elder!" Yuna with her usual cheerful tone. "Sorry to bother you so early. You see this is Garren, a friend of mine, he's kinda new in town, I was showing him around and he said that he would like to meet you."

"Ohh.. Is that you Yuna?.. My my. How you've grown, it's been t-too long since your last visit. Hmmm, is that s-so?" The elder replied while caressing his beard. "Why would you like to see me b-boy?"

"I just have a couple of questions, perhaps you could help me seeing that you're the town's elder you must be very knowledgeable." Garren replied, while trying to sound respectful.

Yuna stared at Garren. "What's with this sudden respectful tone? Trying to act all nice and friendly!" she thought to herself.

"Hmmm, very well young man. C-come in, let's talk inside." said the old man as he led the two in.

With a grin on his face Garren followed the old man inside.

Yuna still staring at him. "This guy's a fraud!" she said to herself.

They were led to the living room. Garren observed that there were a lot of shelves filled with books and tomes. I guess I came to the right place, he thought. Surely I can finally get some answers out of this senile old man.

"Sit, sit. Make yourselves comfortable, let me j-just boil some water for tea"

He observed the old man as he entered the kitchen. Once the elder was out of sight, Garren stood up from where he was seated and started to brows through the books.

[The tales of King Lance] not this one. [100 ways to cook wyvern egg], [The rise of the Naga's],

[Maps and Illustration's of the Photon islands], [Duke Van Draco: an autobiography] hmm not these either.

"Are y-you into reading young man?" the old man said. Garren was not aware the elder had already came out of the kitchen.

"Yes I am and I was just fascinated with your collection, sorry if I helped myself" He lied.

"D-dont be, it is always good to know that there are still youngster's interested in l-learning,

unlike my grandson. Always talking a-about fighting monsters and going on adventures." A smile on the elder's face.

*PPfffffffffeeeet* The kettle whistled indicating the hot water was ready.

"Let me get that for you elder!" Yuna volunteered. "Where did you place your tea leaves?"

"T-thank you my dear. The tea leaves are on the upper right cupboard"

"So, you m-mentioned earlier about some q-questions?" The elder directed his question to Garren.

"Right. Elder, do you happen to know about a large scale war that might have happened sometime in the past that involves the city of lumen? Or perhaps you can recall about a Dark lord conquering empires and kingdoms?"

"Hmmmm". The elder pondered on Garren's questions. "not sure.. Hmmm, L-lumen huh? I might recall reading s-something about Lumen's last stand." He was deep in thought. "Aha! wait here young man." The elder walked across the room to a wooden chest and opened it. After a few minutes of rummaging he pulled out an book with a griffon on the book cover. "This book was s-said to have recorded events that had happened some 400 years a-ago, I recall reading something similar to your questions in one of its entries." The elder spoke while giving the book to Garren.

At the same time Yuna came out of the kitchen carrying a tray with 3 cups of tea and started distributing it.

"Thank you elder." said Garren.

[A history of the men of old: The Beginning of a New Age]

He started skimming through the pages silently. Then he saw the passage he was looking for.

He read the book without speaking.

"The last stand against the evil army that had consumed all nations except one, The Great City of Lumen, blah blah blah" He skipped the entries about the names and deeds of valiant knight's and heroes during the war. Then his eyes caught their name's. "Cain Zervas and Lucious Vivrim Dredan. Two great general's of the evil army sided with the people of Lumen to reclaim their honour for they can no longer tolerate the crimes the evil lord had committed and helped turn the tide of the war. Even though lumen lost almost all of its forces during the war, their heroics will not be in vain for the evil army had been vanquished. The two great generals were pardoned by Alderman Fons Talcred the king of Lumen. Both were given the rights to rule over the land's once conquered by the evil lord and founded their own nations. Cain Zervas founded the kingdom of Juvric at the northern continent, while Lucious vivrim Dredan founded the Beastmen empire of Sundra on the western continent. During the defeat of the evil lord, his remaining general who was a flying demon, left the battlefield in a hurry and was never seen again." The stories continued about other key figures and such.

"Thats not what happened.. They covered up the part about the binding, the sacrifices.. Pardoned by the king huh, founding your own nations huh, isn't that just nice. Nessera saved me that's the only reason I'm here right now. 400 years.. 400 years... I'm asleep for 400 years.." Garren was mumbling to himself, his hands shaking.

Then he finally snapped inside.

"FUCKING TRAITORS!!!! BASTARDS!!! SCUM!! THEY WERE NOTHING WITHOUT ME!!! THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED!!!!" he muttered to himself, grinding his teeth. "They will pay, those precious nation's of theirs that they had betrayed me for. I will not rest until they burn to the ground. Nessera i will make sure the sacrifice that you have done will not be in vain."

He slammed the book. Deep anger can be seen in his eyes.

Which surprised Yuna and the elder.

"Ummm.. Garren?" Yuna spoke in a worried tone.

"M-my boy? is everything alright?" The elder added.

"Huh? I'm ok.." trying his best to remain composed while his hands are still shaking.

"Elder I must take my leave, I remembered I have important matters to attend to. Thank you for your time" Garren said in his usual cold tone, then immediately left the elder's home not waiting for them to respond to his sudden strange behavior.

Yuna chased after Garren.

"G-garren...what's going on?"

Garren stopped and without looking at her said in a chilling voice. "Thank you Yuna, you've done well, but I am no longer in need of your assistance. Go home."

Then he started walking forward. Yuna could not understand what had happened, what was on that book.

She just stood there frozen, as the silver haired boy she had come to know this past few days walked farther and farther away.

Without another word Garren left town through the northern exit, towards the only place he can call home.