A Hero With/Out Time

Chapter 8: My Storm. (Part 1)

Chapter 8: My Storm.

Step number one in avoiding Earnest so he wouldn't beat the crap out of me, don't leave my room and pretend I'm not here. Usually I'd rise early and get on with the day but with the lack of jobs I needed to do there was no reason for me to go outside. It was still early morning and I was taking my time to enjoy a book I had been recommended by Ronalt. The man had a surprising interest in fictional stories and during dinner had offered up a few in his collection, of course this only happened after a few drinks had been slipped inside him. It just went to show that you couldn't always judge a book by its cover, or in this case his grumpy stern hardly smiling face.

I flipped the pages leisurely as I sat at the table of my room. It had been a while since I enjoyed quiet time like this. Unfortunately for me the door resounded with a knock. I froze mid page turn afraid to make a noise.

"Rain are you in?" it was Earnest as I feared. "Come out and train with me. It's unlike you to stay couped up."

I refused to reply and sat in silence.

"Hello?" he knocked again. A few seconds passed. "Hmm...."

Another voice entered the fray, "Earnest what are you doing?" it was Lara.

"Looking for Rain. Have you seen him?"

"I didn't see him leave this morning but he could have." There was a pause. "You don't think he collapsed from his injuries do you?"

"I doubt it but it is a possibility. He was covered in acid."

"Wait here. I'll go get the extra key just in case."

Oh damn. Why couldn't Lara just not care about me and leave me alone. A part of me felt happy for her concern but the far majority of me felt that she was being needlessly meddlesome. It was just like her though. The problem was Earnest still at the door. In less than a minute I'd be exposed and there was nowhere to hide here. I needed to act quickly and made my decision.

As quiet as possible I moved to the window and gently opened it. My room was on the third floor. A drop from this height was enough to break my legs and worse case, kill me. The wall however had exposed ledges and didn't look too hard to climb. Even better, as luck would have it, Taylor's window was open.

"Rain?" Lara's voice called out. "If you're there we're coming in."

I took a deep breath and pulled myself out the window balancing precariously on the edge. Behind me the key slid into the door with an audible click. My body stretched and just in time gripped Taylor's window pulling me out of sight and into her room. I landed with a dull thud and turned quickly to close the window blocking out any sound.

"Ha...," I breathed out in relief and looked back into the room. "Sorry about that I was just- what are you doing?"

Sitting at the table in her room like I had been was Taylor. She held a book in her hands, "I'm reading."

"Let me rephrase that. What are you wearing?" I stared at her with steady eyes.

"My sleepwear. Is something wrong with this?" she gestured to her body.

"Aren't you cold at night?" She was wearing barely any material and most of her skin was clearly exposed. Thankfully as she was sitting I could only see her top half and even that I was having a hard time looking composed.

"I keep myself warm," she winked suggestively. "Honestly I'm disappointed at your reaction. I thought you'd at least blush."

"Ha," I scoffed. "I'm used to it now." That was a lie but I refused to give Taylor the satisfaction of messing with my mind. Internally I could feel my male dominated emotions screaming.