A World With/Out Home

Chapter 26: A Brief respite. (Part 1)

"Not immediately though, there are a few things I need to take care of here."

"Ah right, I guess you can't just leave Tomph without a baker."

"Well there's that but I've also been running some experiments the past decade and a half." He laughed at Kyle's confused gaze. "Did you think I'd just be sitting here only baking and raising you? While I was the Hero I never had the time to try out all my ideas and since then I've managed to hone in on a few things. Though it may be just a bit, I've learnt more about what the fog is."

"Then... the night there was incursion here?"

"I wasn't here. Neither have I been here any day there was an incursion. I was out in the fog. I intended to stay here that night, to make sure you kept out of trouble but I couldn't. I regretted it quite a bit back then, but seeing how things turned out, I guess it was for the best," he smiled softly. "Whenever there's an incursion it's not just our world that's affected. Beyond the fog, our old world reacts too. I'm on to something, I know it. It'll take me a few days to sort the loose ends but once I'm done I'll find you back at the Capital. Then together we can start making some real headway."

"I'd like that," Kyle smiled. He was relieved and encouraged by Arvel's words but at the same time he knew the man would discover the truth of what his absence had caused. Until then however, it would remain a secret. "Should I go make the deliveries?"

"No, I'll take care of that," his father began to load the cart. "With you looking like that now, it'll cause a ruckus. Besides the village is used to me coming around. There won't be any customers coming till I get back so you can relax here. I'll leave it to you as to how much you want to tell your friends."

"Right...," Kyle was not looking forward to that. Fortunately Valandus and Melissa had been quite inebriated the night before and settled to bed quite quickly. Now however, he wondered if they'd accept what he had to say.

"Well good luck with that," Arvel took the cart and exited the store, once again leaving Kyle to his own devices.

*

"So what you're telling me is that you can't tell me?" Valandus sat at the dining table, his arms folded and unimpressed.

"Well, not until I speak with the Captain first," Kyle replied with a hopeful expression. "Things are more complicated than we thought they would be."

Melissa looked at him concerned, "It's not bad though is it?"

"No..., I wouldn't say so. Just surprising. Right Lillia?" Kyle looked to her for support.

The girl's expression squirmed, "Surprising is definitely the word for it."

"And until we speak with the Captain it's probably better that you two don't know anything."

Valandus sighed, "Just tell me one thing, do I have a reason to be annoyed at your father?"

With clear eyes Kyle faced the 2nd Officer, "No."

"Then that's good enough for me," with casual ease Valandus relaxed and took a bite of the glazed scroll on the table. "Your father is a damn good baker."

"You're really fine with just that?" Kyle asked.

"Did you not want me to be?"

"No!" he replied immediately. "It's just... thank you."

"No problem," Valandus continued to munch on his scroll and take a large sip of coffee. "Yep that's the good stuff. That hangover is as good as gone now."