Chương 102: Chapter 063 A Message From The Gods (Part 2)

"This is my family's place." Jack led Cain into the courtyard of his home. Cain smiled.

"Must be nice having a home to go to." Jack nodded.

"It is. I always feel safest here." Though he'd been scanning the streets for inquisitors as they got closer to home. He pushed open the door and called, "Zia! I have a surprise for you." No reply. Cain looked wary; he rested his left hand next to a dagger at his side. [Assassin's Intuition] pinged. Jack shook his head. She must still be nervous. He hadn't taken into account that the little girl had only been with his family for less than half a day. He led Cain towards the kitchen.

At the doorway was his mom, with Zia hiding behind her.

"Cain?" Zia whispered, her voice quivering. Then, a lot louder, "Cain! It's Cain!" The little girl ran towards the giant adventurer. Jack stepped aside, allowing the pair to meet. Zia gripped onto Cain's left leg while the stunned adventurer looked down. She clung to his leg and cried.

"You're here! I-I thought… the not nice place…" she sobbed.

"Cain…" The adventurer's gruff exterior cracked. He managed to hold back his tears while he stroked Zia's hair.

"I thought I lost you, too. I was so worried, but I found you now." Jack stood back watching. Turned out a little different this time. Anna stood in the kitchen doorway with a confused smile. She glanced at Jack. Oh, yeah, Mom doesn't know who Cain is. He'd forgotten to tell his mom that Cain had saved Zia. He moved towards Anna and whispered who Cain was.

"They l-let you go?" Zia asked through joyful sobs. Cain chuckled.

"Yep, a couple of hours ago. And you were gone!" Zia nodded.

"I-I lost your cloak… someone stealed it when I was asleep. And my sw-sword. I'm… s-sorry." Cain laughed.

"I don't care about that smelly old thing. Just so long as you're safe." He looked to Anna.

"Thank you." Anna shook her head.

"It's Jack you should be thanking. All I did was give her a bath, and a change of clothes… and Zia's been helping me in the kitchen most of the day, keeping me company. I should be thanking you." Hmm… this isn't going the same way as last time. Jack started to worry. I need to get things back on track.

"I'm Cain." The huge adventurer smiled and offered his stump towards Anna before remembering.

"This is going to take a while to get used to." He offered his left hand.

"Anna." She smiled while shaking Cain's hand.

"It's nice to meet you. Come on in, and I'll make us all a nice cup of tea." Cain sat on a kitchen chair that looked two sizes too small for him. Jack took the seat opposite, and Zia stood beside Cain. Anna was making a pot of tea while checking the food she'd had on the stove. How do I get things back on track? I have to keep her safe. She's important. Jack had realised his mistake. Though from his perspective, Zia was family, to his mom, she was an orphan girl she'd known for less than half a day.

His mom wouldn't be emotionally invested in the little girl yet. Okay, [Rogue's Tongue], don't fail me now. What do I need to do and say to put things right? Jack took a deep breath and allowed his new instincts to take over.

"We got any biscuits, Mom?"

"Well," Anna began, "Zia was baking her first tray of biscuits just before you got home. They'll be ready in a few minutes." Jack smiled.

"I bet Cain would love to try your biscuits, Zia." Cain nodded. Zia's eyes lit up as she looked to Anna.

"We'll get them out of the oven in a couple of minutes, okay?" Anna smiled. Zia nodded and stood next to the oven, looking like being closer would speed up the cooking process.

"What are your plans, Cain?" Jack asked.

"Won't it be harder to find work as an adventurer now?" He felt bad manipulating his friend and ally this way, but it had to be done. Cain frowned, but nodded.

"Hmm, I'll be working until I save enough for a decent arm." Jack nodded.

"That'll be hard with Zia to look after." He watched Cain nod.

"Going to be hard for her to settle into a new city, school, and friends." Cain looked grim.

"I'll find a way."

"Where are you staying for now?" Jack noted Cain's features. He hasn't had time to think things through yet.

"I'll rent one of the rooms for us above a tavern." Cain nodded, but his frown was telling. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Mmm…" Anna interjected, "That's no place for a girl of Zia's age. She needs a proper home." Yes. That's it. Now offer to take Zia in.

"I…" Cain didn't know what to say. Jack looked at his mom.

"Couldn't Zia stay with us until Cain finds his feet?" Anna nodded.

"Of course, Zia can stay with us for as long as she needs to. We had fun today cooking, didn't we, sweetie?" Zia wasn't quite following the conversation, but nodded at the fun cooking part. Anna opened the oven door to the steaming smell of buttermilk biscuits.

"They'll need a few minutes to cool now," she advised Zia. Cain looked relieved.

"Thank you… I'll never forget this." Jack stifled a chuckle. I don't think the big guy had even thought about how to look after a child on his own with only one arm. Give it a few days, and Zia will be considered family again.

"You have nothing to thank us for, Cain." Anna removed another tray of biscuits from the oven.

"A little girl needed help, and that's that." Cain smiled.

"There aren't many people in Mercia with that approach. It shouldn't be for too long… I'll figure something out for us."

"We'll talk about it over dinner, when my husband gets home. You'll stay for dinner, of course," Anna declared.

"Are you sure?" Cain asked.

"I'm not allowing a good man to leave my kitchen without giving him a proper meal." She smiled as she examined the biscuits. Jack watched his mom transfer the hot, misshapen biscuits to a cooling rack under the watchful eye of Zia.

"Ooh, biscuits shaped like squashed slugs and mud, my favourite." He rubbed his belly. Cain laughed.

"Th-they're not slugs," Zia complained.

"They're animals and people. And trees." Jack chuckled.

"No. I'm not seeing it." He pointed at one of the bigger biscuits.

"I can see that one's Cain. He's got a heroic cape and everything, but the others… all slugs, right?" Zia both nodded and frowned.

"That's Cain. That one's Sir Donkey Don. That's a tree. That's a duck… no, it's a dog, or…"

"A squished slug," Jack interrupted.

"Stop teasing the girl." Anna chuckled.

"They're a wonderful first attempt, and I don't think we should let Jack have any now." Zia nodded.

"They smell delicious." Cain's stomach growled at the smell. Jack laughed and waved his hands in surrender.

"I take it all back. I don't see a single squashed slug." He gave Zia two thumbs up. Zia smiled at the victory. The front door opened, causing Jack to jump and imagine it was the inquisitors.

"Hey, Mom," Polly called.

"Is dinner ready soon? I'm starving." She entered the kitchen with her arms filled with bags of tailoring supplies. She looked shocked to see the one-armed giant of an adventurer in the kitchen.

"That's Cain," Jack said.

"Zia's heroic warrior friend." Zia nodded as she helped Anna put the biscuits in a tin.

"You can offer Cain some of your biscuits," Anna told Zia. Zia took the tin of warm biscuits to Cain while Polly peered into the tin.

"They smell good." Polly dropped her bags against the wall. A few moments later, they were all eating a misshapen biscuit. Even Jack was eating one that looked like a squashed slug. The front door opened again.

"Something smells good," Jack's dad called.

"Though it always does," he added as he entered the kitchen.

"Hey, Dad." Jack gestured towards their two guests.

"That's Zia, and that's Cain… It's a long story." Cain stood and offered his hand.

"Cain, pleased to meet you. You have a wonderful family."

"William." Jack's dad accepted the handshake.

"Good to meet you, Cain."

"Zia's going to be staying with us for a while," Anna explained.

"Just until Cain gets settled in Lundun." William nodded, trusting his wife.

"Okay. I'll be right back." He headed to his study to drop off his work items before dinner. Jack sighed. I think I've got things back on track. Jack and his family ate dinner with an awkward Cain.

"So, do we have a new Novice Scribe in the family?" Jack's father asked as he cut into a strip of venison on his plate. Shit. Jack took a deep breath. This was the conversation he'd been dreading all day. How to inform his parents he'd become a mage rather than a scribe.

"I… erm… had a vision last night," he lied.

"I believe it was a message from the Gods." He watched his father stop cutting his meat and place his cutlery down with a clink. Jack continued, "In the vision I saw a future… a future I didn't want to happen." Everyone had stopped eating to listen. Though rare, it wasn't unheard of for the Gods to send messages to mortals through visions.

"The vision also showed me an alternative path where I became a time mage…" He watched his father's face turn from a confused frown to disappointment. Jack gulped; his throat was bone dry.

"… I-I, erm, went to the Academy and changed the future." He felt a tear roll down his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Dad." He looked down at his food, unable to look his father in the eyes. I'm so sorry. He felt like his heart had been ripped in two. Polly was about to say something.

"Not now, Polly," her mother said.

"You chose time mage?" His father's tone was filled with deep disappointment. Jack nodded.

"I felt like I had no choice. The vision." He felt nausea rise in his throat as more lies filled the room. Cain stood.

"Zia. Could you show me where the toilet is?" He gave Anna a smile. She returned it with a nod and a mouthed 'Thank you'. Zia, not understanding what was happening, nodded.

"It's upstairs." She led Cain away.

"What are your future plans now?" William asked. Jack took a drink of orange juice and wished it were strong ale.

"I plan to go to the Academy to study time magic." Anna shook her head.

"But, you know, we can't afford the fees."

"I'll get a job…" Jack began.

"It's 10 gold per term, Jack," his mom interrupted. Jack had a plan. He'd craft [Chronos Sphere] spell scrolls for two to three hours every day. At 7 silver profit each, around one hundred and forty [Chronos Sphere] spell scrolls per term would cover the Academy fee. The work would take roughly two hundred hours of crafting. The income alone would be more than enough. However, he couldn't tell his parents he still possessed his Apprentice Scribe skills. He had to lie.

"I'll find a way." Jack didn't have a good lie prepared.

"The vision showed me at the Academy… I have to go." William drummed his fingers on the table.

"We'll make it work."

"Dad, I can…" Jack so wanted to tell them the truth.

"I'm sorry."

"What's done is done, Son." William reached over and patted Jack on the arm.

"You don't ignore the will of the Gods. We'll make it work, and time mage is a good class… We're proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad." Jack hugged his father.

"I'm sorry." Tears trickled down his cheeks. They had an awkward hug while guilt and loss wracked his mind. I won't get to work with my dad.

"We have guests," his father said.

"We'll talk about this later." As if on cue, Cain and Zia returned. The family dinner proceeded a lot like the previous time, thanks to Jack's guidance. It was more awkward this time, having the revelation that he was a Novice Time Mage. Zia cried at Cain leaving. Cain obtained the contact details for the inventor who made clockwork arms. When the conversation drifted towards the noble who left Cain and Zia on the road, Jack changed the subject to avoid Cain being the blood cult's weekend victim.

He felt guilty knowing someone else would be chosen as a sacrifice to the young blood mages, but there was nothing he could do. At the end of the evening, Cain left, and Zia stayed.