Chapter 145 - 140: The First Rain
The weather changed overnight.
John noticed it the moment he opened the window.
Dark gray clouds stretched across the sky, covering the morning sun. A cool breeze drifted through the village, carrying the familiar scent of rain.
"It’ll pour before noon," the innkeeper remarked as she set breakfast on the table.
John glanced outside.
"You can tell just from the smell?"
She laughed.
"You live in a village long enough, and you learn."
Aerion looked out the window as well before nodding.
"She’s right."
"The wind has shifted."
Lythriel sighed dramatically.
"So much for exploring today."
Sylvara smiled over the rim of her cup.
"I don’t mind staying inside."
---
The rain began just as breakfast ended.
At first, it was only a gentle drizzle.
Then, within minutes, it became a steady downpour.
Raindrops tapped rhythmically against the windows while the streets outside quickly emptied.
People hurried home carrying baskets over their heads.
Merchants covered their stalls with thick canvas.
The village, so lively only yesterday, became quiet.
John stood by the window.
"I don’t think I’ve ever just... watched the rain."
Lythriel looked at him in disbelief.
"...Seriously?"
He scratched his cheek.
"I’ve usually been trying not to get caught in it."
She shook her head.
"You’ve had a strange life."
"...I know."
---
With nowhere to go, everyone remained in the common room.
The fireplace crackled softly, filling the inn with warmth.
A handful of travelers sat nearby, talking among themselves while enjoying hot meals.
The atmosphere was calm.
Comfortable.
The innkeeper’s husband entered carrying a large wooden chest.
He placed it near one of the tables.
"Anyone interested?"
John tilted his head.
"In what?"
The old man opened the chest.
Inside were dozens of worn board games, carved wooden pieces, dice, and decks of hand-painted cards.
"When it rains," he explained, "people stay indoors."
"We’ve collected these over the years."
Lythriel’s eyes lit up immediately.
"We’re playing."
John already had a bad feeling.
---
The first game was simple.
Each player rolled wooden dice to move carved animal pieces around a circular board.
The rules took less than five minutes to explain.
John nodded confidently.
"Seems straightforward."
Twenty minutes later...
"I lost."
Lythriel burst into laughter.
"You somehow managed to land on every penalty space."
"I don’t think that’s statistically possible."
Aerion calmly moved his piece.
"It appears that luck disagrees with you."
John frowned.
"I fought corrupted monsters."
"I’ve survived ancient ruins."
"And I’m being defeated by sheep carved out of wood."
Sylvara covered her mouth, laughing.
"I’m sorry..."
"I’m really trying not to."
John sighed dramatically.
"I’ve discovered my greatest weakness."
"Board games?"
"Board games."
---
After several rounds...
Nothing changed.
John lost every single game.
Even Nathan, who had wandered into the inn with his parents to escape the rain, managed to beat him.
The young boy proudly puffed out his chest.
"I won!"
John looked at the board in disbelief.
"...How?"
Nathan shrugged.
"I don’t know."
Lythriel wiped away a tear from laughing so hard.
"This is amazing."
"I’ve never seen someone so unlucky."
John folded his arms.
"I’m beginning to suspect you’re cheating."
"I don’t even know how."
"Exactly."
---
By early afternoon, the rain had eased slightly.
The innkeeper brought out warm pastries fresh from the oven.
The sweet smell filled the room.
Sylvara accepted one with a grateful smile.
"Thank you."
"Oh, don’t thank me."
The innkeeper smiled.
"Baking is much more enjoyable when there are people to share it with."
John took a bite.
The pastry was soft, with a warm apple filling.
"This is really good."
The innkeeper beamed.
"I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you say ’really.’"
John blinked.
"...Was that wrong?"
"It means you want another."
Everyone laughed.
She wasn’t wrong.
---
As the afternoon wore on, conversations replaced games.
One of the older travelers noticed John’s pendant—the small wooden dragon carved by the village children.
"That’s fine work."
John looked down at it.
"It was a gift."
"You must’ve done something worth remembering."
John thought for a moment before smiling.
"I just helped build a bridge."
The traveler nodded thoughtfully.
"Sometimes that’s enough."
Those words reminded John of something Elder Rowan had once said.
No one had to carry the weight alone.
Maybe that was why the people here valued simple acts so much.
Not because they were extraordinary.
But because they made life a little easier for someone else.
---
The rain finally stopped near sunset.
Golden light broke through the clouds, illuminating the wet rooftops.
Outside, tiny puddles reflected the evening sky.
Nathan immediately ran out the door.
"There are so many puddles!"
His mother called after him.
"Don’t splash too much!"
A second later—
*Splash!*
Everyone inside the inn heard it.
The room erupted into laughter.
---
John stepped outside.
The air felt fresh.
Clean.
Drops of water still clung to the leaves of nearby trees, sparkling like tiny crystals in the fading sunlight.
Lythriel joined him.
"I think Greenhollow looks prettier after the rain."
John nodded.
"It does."
She glanced sideways.
"You’ve been smiling a lot lately."
"...Have I?"
"Mhm."
"You don’t even notice anymore."
John thought back over the past few days.
The festival.
The bridge.
The market.
The games.
Even losing at them.
None of those moments had made him stronger.
Yet...
He wouldn’t trade them for anything.
---
As evening settled over the village, the four companions took a slow walk through the damp streets.
The villagers greeted them warmly.
A baker waved from his shop.
Children called Nathan’s name from across the square.
The blacksmith gave John a nod before closing his forge.
There was no ceremony.
No celebration.
Just familiar faces acknowledging one another.
It was... nice.
---
Before returning to the inn, John stopped on the rebuilt bridge.
The Silverstream flowed gently beneath it, reflecting the first stars of the evening.
The bridge was already muddy from the day’s rain.
There were footprints everywhere.
Proof that people were using it.
That was enough.
Lythriel leaned against the railing beside him.
"You know..."
"What?"
"I think Greenhollow is going to miss you."
John smiled faintly.
"I’ll miss it too."
For a while, they simply listened to the sound of the river.
Neither of them knew when their journey would continue.
Neither of them felt the need to ask.
For now...
The road ahead could wait one more day.
---
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