Fate and Choices

Two - Remnants of Darkness

★★★

We ended up setting a cooking station and cooked for the townspeople. I sat down on the corner and watched him work. As usual, he was always smiling. I noticed, however, someone else was staring at him. The mayor. She was smiling happily as she looked at Gabe gently.

I wonder why? I thought, is it normal for a customer to smile at him while staring like that? Maybe something about Gabe perked her interest?

...exactly what, though? Isn't that a bit weird?

Then I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up to find Gabe carrying two plates.

"Hey," he said and smiled, "sorry for the wait. Let's eat together,"

"Okay," I said and put the papers back into my bag.

He handed me a plate with a slice of pizza and smiled.

"Here," he said, "I tried a new pizza recipe today, I hope you like it!"

I smiled to him and took a bite. The smell of herbs quickly filled my lungs and the taste of tomato sauce and cheese melted in my mouth as I bit into it.

"It's quite nice," I said.

"Quite?" he asked.

I nodded and took a second bite. He smiled and took a bite on his pizza too. He was a bit quiet that time that vaguely, I could hear people talking on the background.

"Yeah, that's what they say. There's a mad man going round places at dusk,"

"What mad man?"

"Says he attacks people for food and information and wrecks places when he doesn't get what he wants. Even wrecked a village near the waterfalls,"

"Everything's dangerous in this day and age... first it was the club group... now this... what, is the world ending?"

"I just hope our town's not next,"

"Hopefully not. But he picks quite random location... now, tell me why would he attack a random village instead of a big city like Emerald Hue or Dionysia?"

"Ugh... please, we have to stop talking about it. That's bad omen,"

"Look-"

I looked down as I rested my head on my elbow.

Yes, the rumour has been on my mind too... I thought, ever since the Ace organization reformed... I had a hunch someone else would emerge at the top of stairs of villainy... plausibly small organisations that were oppressed previously or traitors...

"Rave? Hey, are you okay?"

I looked up and saw Gabe's concerned gaze on me.

"Yes, I am," I said and continued eating.

~~~

We stayed in town until dusk fell as he still had some work to do. I helped him tidied up the equipment afterwards, then we continued our journey to the south. I sighed as I turned over the papers and went over them as we go.

"So, I guess we have to head even more south," I said, "none of them stayed in Palm Spring Village,"

"I guess so..." said Gabe and sighed, "I talked to the townspeople too. They said the only new resident of their town for the last five years is their mayor, that lady,"

"Right... and why did she move there?" I asked.

"I heard she was travelling around and she saw that the town needed help, so she ended up developing the town there," he said, "not long after, she became the mayor of the town,"