"Well, I tell you since you remembered that kiss eight years ago in that forest where I taught you how to shoot" Robert said smiling took a breath and continued speaking "The mayor wants you in the main hall, the mayor is not the person you think he is don't trust him too much" He finished saying putting his hands on his hips.
"I don't trust anyone, but it gives me confidence that he's not lying at the moment" Coraline answered seriously looking into his brown eyes.
"You need to run away from the town while you can" Commented Robert getting on the horse.
"I won't run away, nothing will make me run away" Replied Coraline mounting Robert's horse.
"Stay safe... please do it for Precusa" He ordered as he began to ride.
"Precusa wouldn't give up, I would do everything until there was no other choice" She replied letting her hair float in the wind. Robert rode leading Coraline to the mayor, the air caressed her soft face. A few streets away was the mayor's office.
"Well I think this is it" Robert said as he took Coraline by the waist to put her down.
"Thank you for that reminder but I want you to know I didn't come for you" Coraline replied as she walked inside.
"Wait, don't let Mayor William persuade you much, more than he already has" Robert said watching her walk in the door.
The town hall was located in the center of Hoffman's town. With beautiful wood carvings adorning the inside not to mention the paintings on the walls. A twenty-five year old woman was the secretary at the time.
The mayor rarely received people in the town hall, unless he was receiving wealthy German merchants. Coraline waited in the main hall looking at the pictures on the walls. The mayor's secretary, who was reading a book, watched her without stealth, from head to toe, examining and judging her. The atmosphere was dull, the slightest sigh could be heard and no one was spared from not hearing it.
"The mayor can receive it now, it's on the mantelpiece" She commented as she picked up another book to read.
"What's your name?" Coraline asked curiously approaching the desk.
"My name is Eleonor, Eleonor Fleming What is your name?" She replied introducing herself as she rose from her seat.
"I am Coraline von White, with permission I will stop by to see the mayor" She replied leaving the room.
"That's fine, I hope we meet again" Eleonor replied with a smile on her face.
"So it seems, I think we will see each other more often" Said Coraline saying goodbye.
A gray-haired man was sitting in front of a stone fireplace.
"I see you've already come" Replied the mayor as he stood up.
"Yes, Commissioner Robert let me know he wanted to see me" Coraline replied as she took off her hat.
"Escort me to the second floor, that's where my office is" Williams replied as he walked to the stairs. Coraline nodded and followed him.
"Do you have family?" she said curiously.
"No, unfortunately when I was young my fiancée passed away at the hands of bandits" Williams said as he walked past the hallway of painted pictures.
"I'm sorry for your loss" She replied without seeing a painting of her and regretting her very personal question to the mayor.
"Don't believe everything you see in this town, this town is not old nor was it as dry as it looks now... times may have changed but we are still the same" He said walking slowly to open the door.
"Sure, this town brings back memories of long ago, even though they are already memories of the past I still keep them" She answered touching the dust that was on the furniture.
"Sometimes the past can hit us and hurt us, the present gives us two options... we can run away from it or learn from it to move forward" said the mayor approaching.
"Water Coraline... water without it there is only dust and destruction but with water there is life, gold is no longer worth in the west, nor mines less money, water has taken its place in the prices" She said while looking out the window "Look at them so desperate to live they will go anywhere, it is the irrefutable law of the desert, if you control the water you will control anything but I have to tell them as the woman from the east that she is" Williams finished saying.
That's right, even if I am a foreigner this is my town and even if it costs me to survive, I must do it". Coraline said as she looked all around her.
"This is my private reservoir, water collected from the great flood" She said as she laughed and took a pitcher of water. "Not from Noah's flood no I'm not as old as maybe you think I am."
Coraline nodded making a fake laugh.
"I think power has its privileges" She said as she looked at the water.
"That's a good point woman but privileges bring responsibilities, I was already the mayor before the town was founded maybe I'm just a sentimental old mayor now but I believe this town has a future and I want you to be a part of it" Said the mayor as he placed the glass of water in Coraline's hands "Toast to the land".
"To the land" She said clinking the glass with the mayor's glass, he opened the old wooden door to the balcony.
"You can see them, Coraline all my friends... neighbors, it's a hard life you know how they survive despite the days with a lot of hope that everything gets better, they have faith that the water will come, and that tomorrow will be better than today, the town has to believe in something, the town must.... believe in something" He said taking a silver star out of his pocket. "Coraline make them believe in you, savior Coraline".
"I want you to train the men of this town and teach them together with Robert to defend this land, I have a feeling that Ycan will come in one of these days, besides you need power, so you can defeat Ycan Right?" said the mayor as he left Coraline in the office.
"Sure, but what I want is not fame or power, I just want revenge against Ycan, so when I get back what I sought.... I will go back to Busan" She finished saying.
"I don't care what your decision is, I just want this town to believe in you, in your exploits that everyone has heard, besides I want us to do something before the elections" The old mayor finished saying, leaving the office.