Chapter 45: Getting better
The next day, they all went to the fields. The two adventurers were to guard Thomas as he played the harp. Too banged up for anything else. Teri had taken one bite of the pie, and demanded that Thomas cooked more often.
That had gotten Owen grumbling. For, he didn't like the fact that someone else was considered the better chef in his own house. So, he had challenged Thomas to a cook-off.
Something Thomas declined, along the title of being the best cook in the house. He didn't want to throw Owen's hospitality back in his face. Now, they were supposed to make the field ripen today, so it could be harvested tomorrow. Even though it had been harvested mere days before.
"This could cause all sorts of problems," Teri spoke, as he relaxed on the side of the road.
"Yes, well, I am certain that Owen has his reasons," Rina told him. She glanced at Thomas, who was humming to his tune. Closing her eyes, she smiled.
"He is so much happier now," she murmured.
"Wasn't he always happy?" Teri asked.
"No, he used to be lonely," the elf told him. "Owen was helping a bit, but he was not someone that Tommy could go out in the world with."
"I am glad that we helped him," Teri scanned the forest for any monsters they could take down. Unfortunately for him, or perhaps fortunately, the slimes were patrolling this stretch of the forest, so there were no monsters to be found.
"Do you want to try out the new skills?" Rina was grinning from ear to ear. She hadn't used quick arrow yesterday because she had been too panicked to do so. Now, she was curious.
"Sure, Aero bear shield," Teri commanded. There were wings on the side of his shield now and two claws on each side at the bottom. "Cool."
The two faced off against each other. When Teri tried to dodge, he ended up in the air, meters from the ground.
"Hey, Rina, I am flying!" He exclaimed. He moved around in the air, and proved to be too fast a target for Rina's quick arrow.
"Were those cubs stunted. They didn't move this quickly," Rina tried to imagine where Teri would move to, and aimed at his shield. She let loose an arrow, and he fell from the sky.
Only for his fall to stop before he hit the ground, and for him to gently be lowered down.
"Guess this shield is a glass cannon," Teri grumbled. "It would be nice if I get an evolving sword to go along with it."
"Yes, well, those don't grow on trees," Rina told him. They had lucked out to find the single shield.
"I am happy with what I have, but I am still calling dips on any evolving sword we find," Teri told her with a grin. Then, he took the arrow off the shield. The dent fixed itself, and he got back in the air. He flew over Thomas, and landed right in front of him.
"Tommy, I can fly," Teri told him. Thomas stared up, then down at Teri, then back up.
"How?" Was the only thing that the summoner managed to get out.
"With the Aero bear shield. The flight speed is pretty fast, too," Teri boosted.
"I wish I could fly. That way, I could cover more ground with my music," the brown-eyed adventurer lamented.
"I can carry you in the air," Teri suggested.
"Are you certain? I mean, I am quite," Thomas looked down at his stomach.
"Just get on my back, buddy," Teri was used to carrying heavy weights. It had been part of his training as a tank.
"Ok, just, if you break anything, don't say I didn't warn you," the summoner got on the tank's back, and they were off and up in the air.
"I can't even feel your weight," Teri said with a chuckle. Thomas smiled and began to play. They circled the field. By noon, all the wheat and the surrounding apple trees were ripe and ready to be harvested.
Teri lowered them down, and his shield immediately changed to its standard form.
"Guess it got tired," the tank said. He had wanted to get more time up in the sky, but figured that, as they had gotten the job done, it was better that way. "How do you feel Tommy?"
"Great. I dare say this was the most exciting way of making the crops ripen," Thomas was grinning. They turned to see Rina walking towards them.
"Next time, take me for the flight," she told them, when she neared them.
"I will, it just needs to recharge," Teri pointed at the crystal in the shield, which had a small light in the bottom, which was expanding up.
"How are you, Tommy? Has the fever gone down?" Rina pressed a hand on Thomas's forehead. When she didn't feel any burning sensation, she smiled. "It has."
"I think we can go back to the farm. Do you guys want to pick some apples on our way?" Thomas asked. "I can make another pie?"
"Apple trees, you are now besieged by the Slime party," Teri rushed to the nearest apple tree, and began to fill his pockets with apples.
"He would do anything for some pie. Even though he ate half of it," Rina shook her head, and went to pick some apples as well.
Thomas smiled fondly at the two. He had not eaten any pie last night, but had helped himself to a baked apple. He wondered what the scales would show him next Sunday. If he began to go slowly back to the diet, maybe he could do some damage control?
"Tommy, come help," Rina called, and he went to the apple tree, which was heavy with fruit. Owen would make good money on the out of season fresh produce that he was selling. Thomas just hoped that he put the money to good use and got something for himself.
Owen rarely did that. Even when he sold some of his animals to visiting people from Orestria, he invested the money back into the ranch. A new barn was being built, and an additional pig pen. Perhaps, if Owen didn't buy anything for himself, they could bring him something from Yaranhold?
