Perspective Shift: Flora; The Race

*Author’s note*

At times, we will occasionally explore the story’s developments from the point of view of another character besides Flynn. In such cases, the chapter will be marked as this one is, “Perspective Shift: New POV character’s name”. For now, these chapters have no barriers to entry, but in the future, some perspective shifts will be barred depending on choices you have made throughout the story. So make sure to have game mode enabled. Thanks, and enjoy.

*End Author’s Note*

After I parted ways with Lucille and the others, I decided to head back to the church’s stables and look after Hershel. The offer Flynn made me was exciting, and I knew I’d have to tell Hershel. At the entrance to the stable was a priest.

“Um, excuse me sir,” I said.

“Hm? Ah, miss merchant. How does the day find you?” said the polite priest.

“Uh, really good actually,” I said, trying to contain my excitement.

“That gladdens me. Now, I assume you are here for your mule, no?” he said. I nodded in response. He stood aside, opening the gate to the stable for me.

“Thank you, sir,” I said, bowing to him. He smiled and nodded back. I entered the stable, looking through the stable until I found Hershel, about halfway inside.

“Hey there boy,” I said, rubbing my hand through his mane. I took a brush of my bag and began to brush his hair. “Guess what.”

He whinnied happily.

“Flynn invited us to join his party. I said yes! We’re gonna be hauling monster bits now. The sorta stuff they use to make armor and stuff. It’ll be nice to be able to work with friends instead of being alone all the time, don’t you agree?” I asked.

Hershel rubbed his snout against my face.

“Hey, stop it, that tickles,” I laughed.

“Who the hell are you?” Demanded a voice from behind me.

“Wha? Oh, uh, my name is Flora,” I said, turning back to the person. It was a girl, likely only a few years younger than me.

“Pfft,” she chuckled. “What a pathetic horse!”

“He’s a mule. And his name is Hershel,” I said, annoyed.

“Hahaha,” she sneered. “How is something useless like that here in this sacred stable?”

“What’s your issue lady!?” I retorted. “Back off!”

“Huh? You mad? Is little mule girl mad?” She taunted.

“You’re deranged. Leave me alone please,” I said, turning back to Hershel and continuing to brush his hair.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me mule girl!” She yelled.

“What?” I said, fed up at this point.

“I challenge you to a race!” She said, beaming.

“And why should I agree to that?” I asked.

“Huh? Agree? But...I challenged you...you have to race me...” she muttered.

“No I don’t. Goodbye,” I said.

“What the fuck?” She complained. “How about this. If you don’t race me, I’ll have you kicked out of here!”

“Under who’s authority?” I said.

“My daddy runs the stables! He’d do whatever I ask him to!” She said.

“What a brat,” I said. “If it’ll get you to shut up already.”

“Yayy!” she said, rushing over to a nearby stable stall. She quickly threw a saddle on the horse inside and climbed on top.

“So what do I get if I win?” I asked, reattaching Hershel’s reins.

“Uh...I’ll give you...my saddle!” She said. “You don’t even have one, do you?”

“Uh, no,” I responded.

“And if I win, you have to clean the stables!” she declared.

“Fine. Either way I get some peace and quiet,” I said, climbing on to Hershel’s back. Then I noticed the girl was already wearing riding clothes. She planned this from the start. I fell for it. Begrudgingly, I followed her lead out of the stable. She waved to the priest in front of the stable as we headed to the city wall.

“So, we’re gonna race along the riverside, around the city back to the wall. First one there wins. You have to follow the course. Aside from that, anything else is allowed,” she said, taking her starting place.

“Fair enough,” I sighed. I can’t believe this is how I’m spending my free time.

“On your mark! Get ready!” She spurred her horse on, running off before the start. “Gooooo!”

“Dang it!” I panicked. “Yah! Let’s go Hershel!” I spurred him on, and he started running through the wet riverside. The girl was about two lengths ahead of me. Hershel was certainly no racehorse, so with that head start I wasn’t likely to catch up. It’d all be a matter of her riding skill and her horse’s endurance.

“Hahaha! Idiot!” She taunted, sticking her tongue out back at me as she rode ahead of me.

“Shut up and ride,” I shouted back, throwing the brush I was using earlier at her, pegging her in the back of the head.

“Owww,” she groaned, rubbing the back of her head, inadvertently telling her horse to slow down by pulling back on the reins. I used the opportunity to speed up before she realized what she was doing, and soon enough we were neck and neck. “Hey! That’s not fair!”

“You said the only rule was to follow the course, so get over it!” I said back, sticking my tongue out in kind.

“Grrr, jerk! Cmoon! Go faster!” she said, spurring her horse again. The race continued on, passing the halfway point. The girl pulled out a riding crop from the horse’s saddlebag and started swinging it at me as we raced.

“Stop that!” I complained, trying to focus on controlling Hershel. As we came around a bend, the worst happened. Her horse jumped. Hershel fell right into a ditch that was concealed by greenery, launching me off onto the ground and knocking the breath out of me.

“Haha! Serves you right!” She yelled back at me, heading off to finish the race. Concerned for Hershel, I scrambled to my feet and ran over to the ditch. I helped him to his feet and luckily, he seemed to be fine. Nothing was broken or bleeding, and he didn’t have a limp, so he’d be fine after a bit of rest.

Deciding to ignore the race and do what was best for Hershel, I helped walk him back to the stable. Back there the priest let me inside again, where I brought Hershel back to his pen and bandaged his leg just in case there was gonna be any swelling. After I finished, the girl showed up, making a ruckus outside before bathing into the stable.

“What the heck lady? I’ve been waiting for you for minutes and you’re here!?” she exclaimed in annoyance.

“What do you want now?” I grumbled.

“You lost! Now you have to pay up! The pitchfork and bucket are over there in the corner. Get to work cleaning! This place oughta be spotless when I get back!” she declared.

“Fine,” I sighed, exiting Hershel’s pen. The girl skipped off, exiting the stable. Annoyed, but happy for the peace and quiet, I grabbed the bucket and pitchfork from the back and started cleaning up the stable, tossing the manure into a nearby wheel barrow.

I overheard a conversation outside the stable, “Daddy, Daddy! Come on! Let’s go! I got somebody to clean the stable for you! We can totally go!”

“Huh? You really did that? Aww, that’s my sweet little girl. Thank you Cheyenne,” said the gentle voice of an older man. “So who is this kind soul? I must thank them personally.”

“Huh? Oh, no, you don’t have to,” said the girl, Cheyenne.

“Oh, nonsense. Remember what I told you? Always express gratitude to those who have helped you. Now come. They’re inside, no?” Said the father, opening the stable.

“B-but...” mumbled the girl.

“Hello. You must be the one who agreed to my daughter’s request,” said the older man. He was a priest, albeit low ranking based on his plain clothing. “Thank you from the both of us for your generosity.”

“Huh?” I said, surprised. The bratty child who was cursing at me before was bowing alongside her father. “Oh, uh, no problem, haha.”

“I am truly grateful. Thanks to you, I have time to take my daughter out to dinner. And my stable hand even tells me you played with Cheyenne earlier. Thank you for keeping her company,” he said, shaking my hand.

“Oh, uh. It was nothing. Besides, I grew up on a farm, so this sorta work is nothing for me,” I said, omitting the fact I left because I was no good at most farm work.

He leaned in and whispered to me, “She’s been rather lonely since her mother passed away a few months ago. Thank you for taking the time to be friends with her. It means a lot to me.” I simply nodded awkwardly.

“Yeah...” I said.

“Anyway, come now Cheyenne, we need to head home first. Say goodbye to the kind young woman,” he said, smiling at me.

“...uh, bye lady,” she said, nervous now.

“Bye,” I waved as the two left the stable. After that display, I couldn’t remain angry at her. She was just a child vying for her father’s attention. With a smile on my face, I turned back to the mountain of work before me.