Anthem of the Rain

Some people find themselves with a purpose early on in life; others, find it so much later. But, me? I don't think there's a purpose for me anymore.

One morning, I just woke up staring at myself in the mirror, wondering what kind of person I had become. I couldn't recognize myself anymore, and to tell you the truth, my thirteen-year-old self would be disappointed in the man I am today.

I used to be a wide-eyed young lad; driven, passionate, and willing to work for the betterment of the country. Sadly, I had become a completely different person.

The rain kept on pouring outside. I pressed my hand against the windowpane, waiting for it to let up so that I could drop by the bar and drink my weariness away. Only then could I forget... only then could I escape.

Minutes later, the downpour of rain had turned into a drizzle. I grabbed my coat, and hid a small blade in the inner pocket, ready to head to Maggie's bar.

Only I and a few others dared walk amidst the rain. It had been days since it rained in our town, and it hadn't stopped since then. Puddles of water stained my boots as I walked along the nearly empty streets until I found myself standing in front of Maggie's once again.

The bright light coming from inside illuminated the dreary darkness of its surroundings. Chatter, laughter, and voices of merry men could be heard from inside. I entered the door, sweeping my eyes across the room for an empty seat and making sure not to make eye contact.

When the bartender saw me, he urged me to sit by the bar counter and offered me my usual drink on the house. He said it was thanks for helping him out the other night, so I just nodded at him and accepted the whiskey.

In this bar, some were thrilled to see me, while others were apprehensive. Though I cared not for either opinion, it was understandable for some people to be unnerved around me, given that I used to be a knight in service to the crown.

Thereafter, I drank in silence and hoped that this day would bring me closer to the end than my last. The rain continued to pour as I drank glass after glass of whiskey until my vision blurred and I blacked out.

All of a sudden, I was awakened by a startling noise. I opened my eyes, feeling like my head was splitting apart. The bartender was cowering behind the counter, ducking as low as possible to hide from would-be assailants.

As I turned my gaze behind me, I noticed a young woman being dragged away by two men. They wore armor that I'd never seen before, and each was armed to the teeth.

I noticed that some of the diners and patrons of the bar were bloodied and unconscious, which led me to believe that there had been an altercation.

Normally, I would just go about my day and forget that I saw anything because I didn't want to stick my nose into other people's business. But for some reason, when my eyes met with the young woman's, I was drawn to her.

Soon, I found myself, dropping a few copper coins on the bar counter and giving the bartender a nod before heading towards the door. Outside, I saw that there were more than two men who were abducting the young lady.

Her auburn hair gleamed brightly amidst the dim surrounding as she sat on the ground, refusing to be taken away. The men tried continued to drag her towards a carriage, until she managed to bite the arm of the man on her left and kick the crotch of the poor bastard on her right.

Shortly thereafter, she ran toward me and hid behind my back. One glance at her and her assailants was all I needed to know that I had been dragged into whatever conflict this was.

The armed men tried to reason with me first. "Oi! This is none of your business, lad. Just give us the girl and we won't hurt you," said the first man. "She's a fugitive, lad. Just give us the girl and be on your way. Don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong," the other remarked.

I didn't respond, for I knew it was futile. I had already seen their faces, and I knew enough to know that they wouldn't leave any witnesses. Thus, I reached for the blade inside my coat and steeled myself for what was about to come. "Hide," I said to the girl.

She looked at me, grateful but somehow agitated. She nodded in response before going back into the bar, where Maggie, the owner stood at the door.

I glanced over at Maggie and saw the way she was looking at me. She didn't even need to talk to her to tell me that I should do what must be done.

The armed men ran after the young lady, but I got in their way. They warned me one last time, but even then, I didn't budge. My refusal to move was all the answer they needed to attack me. Soon, I found sword after sword being swung at me from different directions, but none were successful in reaching me. I was sidestepping, bobbing, and weaving to avoid every strike.

I could tell that the wet ground was slightly muddling their movement and balance, so I took advantage of that weakness and swept the legs of two hapless bastards. Shortly after they fell, I stomped on their helmets to knock them out and incapacitate them. Their comrades were enraged that I made short work of them, so they attacked me on all fronts.

Not to be outdone, I grabbed the sword from one of the fallen men and disarmed all three that were attacking me. Their swords were flung away and planted onto the ground. Without their weapons, they looked at me warily; hesitant to attack. One was foolish enough to try and pummel me, but just a kick to his shin and a knee to his throat was enough to knock him out.

By now, the other two were slowly backing away from me, while I just stood in front of the bar, looking at them with my unfazed gaze. "You'll regret this!" they said, leaving their comrades and heading to the carriage.

Once I had defeated the men, I took what I could find from their coin purses, for in my head, it was payment for the trouble they caused me. The little lady didn't look like she would've paid me anything, so I thought looting the unconscious soldiers' coin purses was payment enough.

Maggie and the young lady looked at me in silence until I approached them. I said to the young lady, "Leave town before they come back." Then, I went on my way back to my house to prepare for departure. From what I could tell, those men must've been hired by some merchant or noble, so there were probably more of them coming in a day or two.

Just as I reached my house, the young lady grabbed my wrist and said, "Take me with you. Please."

"No. Leave me alone," I answered, heading into my home. But then, she followed me inside without my permission. "Can I at least stay the night? It's almost midnight and going out there would be suicide."

I shook my head and let out a sigh. "Fine, but you're sleeping on the couch. I don't intend to share my bed with you."

A moment of silence ensued between us. Thinking that she had no arguments to be made, I headed toward my room. But then, she said loudly, "Esfir."

I looked back, confused by what she meant. "That's my name. Esfir," she repeated.

"Rain," I answered as I headed back to my room.