Author's note:
I decided to repost this to get rid of a certain review.
But I would like to thank the guest, RANGER, for their enthusiastic review on the first post.
Amy reflected on the legend. Will, her ancestor's friend, had become a revenge-obsessed machine because his wife had died. It was a sad coincidence really. She was going on a regular diplomatic mission to review the treaty between Celtica and Araluen, now Araland, and happened to be staying at the same inn as a gang of thieves, murderers and crooks. They were going to have a meeting there, but word got out to authorities. They set fire to the inn in hopes of creating a diversion. She had died in that fire, the fire that burnt Wyvern Inn of Anselm Fief. She stood up from her desk. There was only one way to fix this problem.
"I have to do it," Amy said.
"You can't do it! It's illegal to use the time machine for that and you know it! The whole entire world could change. Your ancestor was famous, and that makes a huge difference," argued Patrick. He felt an overcoming urge to yell her head off but forcefully clamped his mouth shut.
"Surely you'd help me! Will wasted his whole life just because Alyss died. He could have done even more amazing things, he could've protected several more countries, and stopped more threats. He just threw all his potential out the window and wanted revenge."
"I know you want to stop it from happening, but it's only happened over a period of a year and a half. And besides, how will you do it?" Patrick challenged, his voice low. Amy stepped back. She had not thought of it that far. She had only acted on an impulse.
"I can…you know…prevent her death?" she replied, making a vague uncertain gesture with her hand. Patrick seized on the advantage.
"If we were found out doing this, we could be sentenced to jail. And besides, who knows what could change," he said softly. Amy gave a sigh, hating what she had to do.
"Alright, I won't do it," Amy held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. But if someone could have read her mind at that moment, they would've discovered completely contradicting thoughts.
Later that evening, a shadow slid across the lab. There was soon a whir of machinery, more specifically, a time machine. Amy smiled to herself in the dark. Thank goodness I was so good at this kind of thing when I was little, she thought. She hadn't liked lying to Patrick, but it had to be done. She quietly placed her belongings into the back of the time machine and slipped into the seat. Her fingers deftly adjusted the knobs, and she murmured as they clicked into place.
"Seventeenth of October, 668 CE…Anselm Fief…five kilometres away from target…target, Alyss Mainwaring…" The lab light snapped on, and she froze in place, slowly wrapping her dark coloured cloak around her, and making sure the hood was still covering her face. She barely breathed until, after what seemed like an eternity, the light snapped off. She breathed a little more easily but remained still. Surely enough, the light snapped on again, and she saw a flicker of movement at the door as a head flipped back and forth. Finally, satisfied that the room appeared to be empty, he turned off the light and attempted to close the door quietly. Amy turned the key in the machine, and after a short delay, it shot off, the speed pinning Amy's back to her seat.
The machine stopped suddenly, throwing Amy out of her seat. She tumbled over in the air and landed on the ground breathless. She desperately sucked air into her lungs as she tried to remember what had happened. She remembered leaving the lab, then…darkness.
"What happened next?" she asked herself. Then she recalled coming awake as the time machine stopped, and groaned. She leapt to her feet and grabbed her satchel from the rear of the time machine. She started walking and then turned back as she remembered something.
"Stealth mode," she commanded. The time machine shimmered into the background. Amy made sure that her watch was still synchronised to the machine, then ran down the road.
When she arrived at the inn, the fire was roaring and she heard the support beams creaking in the background. Amy stayed in the shadows and made sure that her disguise was still in place. She had smeared dirt on her face and tousled her hair slightly. She looked like a hard-working farmer's wife. Amy saw Alyss with her retinue and noticed that she was staring pointedly at a window on the top floor. She rushed over to her, just as she began to slip out of the guards' grasps.
"Lady Alyss!" She shouted. Alyss stopped and looked at her in surprise.
"Not now, I have to save the girl! Let me go, Samuel!" She snapped at the guard to her left, who had entangled himself around her arm.
"Lady Alyss, I'll go and get the child down here. I mean much less to the kingdom than you do." Amy didn't give her a chance to reply as she dashed into the midst of the flames. She felt the smoke stream into her eyes and lungs, and she coughed uncontrollably. Her hand fumbled at the half mask dangling around her neck and drew it up over her mouth and nose. She wrapped the cloak even closer around her, being grateful that it was heat resistant, and took out her goggles and slipped them over her eyes. If legend was correct, the girl would be half conscious when she would reach her. Almost tripping on the stairs, she scrambled up to the door and kicked it open. The girl was lying down on the floor, barely breathing. Her dagger slid out of its scabbard and she desperately tried to throw the window open. The smoke started streaming out of the window as she picked the girl up and called out.
"Catch her!" She dropped the girl out of the window and heard a few grunts from the guards as the weight crashed down into their arms. Drawing back from the window, she resheathed her dagger, knowing what would happen next, hating what she had to do. She took out her watch and pressed several buttons on it. A clear bubble expanded around her just as the inn crashed down around her.
"No!" Alyss cried, sinking to her knees. "That could've been me! I would rather die in her place!" Tears streamed down her cheeks, and the guards did nothing to comfort her, no words could possibly do so. She sat there until the remains of the inn were just charred wood and embers. Her hands covered her face in sorrow. She barely knew the young woman, but she had sacrificed herself for her, for no apparent reason. She barely heard the footsteps growing louder, and thought that she was dreaming until a hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up and saw the peasant's smiling face.
"What's your name? I want to know who to thank for saving my life." Her words were separated by small sobs of relief.
"Names aren't important. I'm a nobody around here." With that, Amy ran off towards the time machine. Alyss stared at her back until she was a speck in the distance. Maybe she was a sorcerer. Maybe she was just a lucky peasant. Anyhow, she felt sure that whoever she was, Will could track her down.
"You did it, didn't you?" Patrick buried his face in his hands, shaking his head slowly. "Do you have any idea how much of history you have changed? Princess Madelyn never became a Ranger, she was a snobby, spoilt queen. Will Treaty had kids. Many Rangers died trying to investigate the matter of Jory Ruhl and his gang. And ten children got sold into slavery."
"Well, I'll have to go and fix it then." Amy's jaw set in a determined line. How could she have caused so much trouble?
"Don't. You've done enough damage." Patrick's voice was wavering slightly, and Amy followed his gaze to what once was a photo of him and his younger sister. Now, Patrick stood alone. She felt an overwhelming sense of regret and guilt. Maybe, her interference with history was a terrible thing. She had a sudden pang of worry and quickly checked the pictures on her phone. There was an unfamiliar girl in each picture in the place of her younger brother.