Tempus Neminem Manet (Raine)

[Altair Eleison]

Direct Continuation of 'Benevolent Gladiolus'

I sighed, stretching out and laying down on the grassy knoll, I put my arms behind my head, looking up at the sky. I was relaxing from the sub-par and very boring mission that Raine and I had just completed. Yes, boring and sub-par meant it was exhausting. And any mission was exhausting, anyway.

I was still worn out from the events, at the manor. I really couldn't fight fatigue much longer, in all honesty. I was just hoping to talk to Raine about being reckless, and how she shouldn't do it. Of course, I was doing something reckless too, but I couldn't help but worry about the pretty girl who was like a sister to me. After all, it was an older brother's job, to look after his younger sister, right?

[Raine Fleur]

It wasn't that difficult to find Altair. Since they were kids, Raine always had a feeling of where he would wander off to whenever he had the time. Climbing up the knoll, Raine found Altair laying down on the grass with his arms behind his head.

"I have to agree with you, Altair. That last mission was kind of boring...nothing exciting." Raine admitted to him as she sat down beside him. "Hopefully next time we will have a more exciting mission."

[Altair Eleison]

"Indeed." I said, sitting up and placing my right foot flat on the ground, my left foot sliding under the hole made by the action. I placed my right arm on my knee, looking at Raine. "Now, about you doing this reckless, stuff..." I said, narrowing my eyes at her. I wasn't going to hold back or cut corners, or beat around the bush. She was practically my sister, so I was going to be blunt and honest with her.

"Don't. do. it." I said, firmly, locking eyes with her. "You are too important to do something reckless and dangerous. You dunno what your brother got himself into. And you dunno what the ties to the people who got your father killed are. Their ties run deep and they have money, and power. Don't get yourself caught up in something so dangerous."

I narrowed my eyes tighter, keeping my gaze on her. "That's what I'm here for, alright? I will go into the dangerous situation for you, alright?" I smiled, softly at her, leaning over and ruffling her hair gently. "So don't put yourself in danger, alright, Raine?"

[Raine Fleur]

Raine smiled a little as she looked down at her hands that rested on her lap.

"You're right...it's just that I can't help but wonder where my brother is, you know? It's been so long..."

Her voice trailed off as she thought about her brother. Why would he just leave her alone like that? Why didn't he bother contacting her? Was he in something so dangerous that he didn't want to put her in harms way?

Smiling once again, Raine glanced over at Altair. "I'm happy to have friends like you and Caterina."

[Altair Eleison]

I smiled at her, continuing to ruffle her hair. "We're not just friends, alright, Raine? You and Caterina are like sister's to me. So don't ever think that you're alone, and worry about that."

I sighed, laying down, and looking at the sky. "Besides, I'm here, unless of course, you don't consider me a brother?" I looked off to the side, feinting a depressed tone. "It's not like we're related by blood anyway..." I kept my eyes off to the side, knowing she would get all defensive.

[Raine Fleur]

Raine pouted playfully. "Altair! You know better than anyone else that you're like a second brother to me!"

[Altair Eleison]

I sighed, looking off to the side, smirking. She was rather easy to read, at times. "I was kidding with you, Raine." I ruffled her hair playfully again, looking off to the city, the only point higher than this, being the clock tower. It seemed, our little escapade, from yesterday, had left everyone's minds, as the town ran about it's course as per usual.

"It's peaceful, ne?"

[Raine Fleur]

Raine smiled softly as she noded her head in agreement. "Yes...that is why I love this place. It's always so peaceful and quiet."

Idly, she reached down and plucked a lone flower from the ground and looked at it wistfully.

"This place is full of memories that I never want to forget...that's why I want to protect this place with everything I've got."

[Altair Eleison]

I smiled, looking down at the village. "I know what you mean, Raine." I pulled my hand back, and lay against the ground, my hands behind my head.

"We must protect the home that was given to us."

[Raine Fleur]

"Raine! Altair!"

Heairng her name, Raine stood up and turned around to see the little girl who they had rescued the cat for earlier, running towards them smiling happily.

"Oh you're the girl from before!" Raine smiled. "It's nice to see you again. Did you lose your cat?"

The little girl giggled and shook her head. "No, I just wanted to thank you guys again! Oh and there's a strange guy wanting to speak with you back in town."

Raine blinked. "Someone wants to speak to me? Why?"

"I don't know...he just asked if I could find you and tell you where he is."

"Thank you for telling me."

Glancing over at Altair, Raine frowned. If someone wanted a task to be done, they usually would go to the Guild. Something didn't seem right.

"You can come with me if you want, Altair."

[Altair Eleison]

I jumped up, narrowing my eyes at her. "Oh, like I have a choice?" I walked past, tying my sword back to my belt. "Let's see what he wants with my sis, Raine." I said, walking ahead of her, following the little girl.

[Raine Fleur]

Before even arriving at the entrance to the village, Raine noticed a rather large group of villagers gathered around someone. It was a tall uniformed man with striking blue eyes and cleanly-cut blond hair at the neck. Beside him, a couple of men stood perfectly still in attention with weapons in plain sight.

"What is the meaning of this?" Raine called out loud to anyone as they approached the crowd. "What is going on?"

An elderly woman turned around and her eyes filled with emotion. "Oh Raine...it is horrible. I am so sorry..."

Alarmed, Raine managed to make her way through the crowd. Noticing her, the blond haired man showed little expression.

"Raine Fleur, I presume?"

Raine bowed her head slightly. "Yes, that is my name. You wish to speak to me?"

Wordlessly, the man brought out a wanted poster and Raine's eyes grew wide as she took a step back. It was a wanted poster for her brother.

"There must be some mistake..."

"For the last two weeks, ten people have been found murdered in the town of Riri and according to eye witnesses the mastermind behind this is this man - your older brother if I am not mistaken." The blond haired man's voice was unrelenting. "We have reason to believe that the man may be hiding out here."

Raine shook her head. "You're wrong! My brother would have never done such a thing..."

[Altair Eleison]

I thrust my hand out in front of Raine, as she ran towards the man, my eyes narrowed. "Regardless of what you think, he is not here. This here, is his sister, and she has been searching for him, for years." I looked at her, stepping in front.

"But, if you insist on causing this village more trouble, I will fight you, on their behalf." The little girl was clinging onto my left leg as I placed my hand on my blade, glaring at the man before me, threatening Raine. Somehow, during this, the crowd had gotten a lot larger.

[Raine Fleur]

The blond haired man narrowed his eyes slightly as he turned his attention to Altair. "I do not have the time to partake in such trivial things."

One of the solider's whispered into his ear and the uniformed man appeared to be interested in what he was saying. Handing the wanted poster to the solider who posted it on the community board, the blond haired man focused his attention back on Raine.

"We have not finished business here however I must leave for now. Do not forget this warning."

With the click of his boots, the man turned around and the soliders escourted him out of the village's entrance leaving Raine dumbfounded of what just occured. Villagers whispered amongst each other as they slowly dispersed until it was only Raine and Altair.

[Altair Eleison]

I looked at her, my hand falling off the sword handle, keeping my eyes narrowed. "Are you OK, Raine?" I said, as the little girl released my leg, and ran off, leaving Raine and I alone in front of the poster that held her brother's visage, wind blowing past us.

I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, glancing up at the unmistakable poster. It definitely was odd.

Riri Town...