Without memory

Cool air, brisk winds, and a colossal rock camouflaged in silver, Mt. Hakobe afternoons had never been so punishing, and yet Ahote's wardrobe seemed even crueler. Socks, shirts, and even pants would be tossed to the ground as quickly as they were plucked from their drawers, Ahote fumbling through the darkness of his wardrobe in what looked to be a panic. A perturbed frown stretched across his lips, topaz eyes glistening with apprehension, "You've got to be kidding me. . ." his hand would press against his forehead and run up across his unkempt raven hair. It had grown exceptionally long in recent hours, so long that it nearly covered half of his face. Even though it didn't, a shock of raven black threads would still conceal his right eye.

Ahote sighed, wearily tossing himself onto his bed, skin bare and body naked. He leaned over the side of the bed, "None of my clothes fit. . ." he groaned to himself in a hushed voice, tightly clasping his hands together. He raised his head, topaz hues gazing deeply into the mirror just in ahead of him. What gazed back had been nothing more than his magical abnormality at work. What was once a normal teenage boy now in the body of a young adult with a look of dread etched on his pale countenance. His metal arm coiled itself around his fleshed shoulder, too tight for comfort, too small for his size. Ahote dipped his head down again, another sigh escaping his lips, "I need to buy some just to get by. . ."

It was then that a wave of mild determination encompassed him, plucking the thickest of his coats from their racks, the loosest of pants from their hangers, and new leather boots he had purchased in anticipation of this event. He tucked a small bag of jewels into his woolen pockets and hastily paced out into the winter. He and his mother had known too well about this abnormality, and it had only been just recently that Ahote found time to research it in depth. But it was no matter now. A decent set of clothes was the priority, it would seem.

The settlements had been of no help in this problem, as everything was far too expensive for him to purchase. Of course, stealing had come to mind. Or perhaps some violence. But the settlements had been too important and too close to home to stir ire with, and the young man had a mind far too clustered to even consider the idea. So, Ahote indignantly made way further from his home to Shirotsume.

Out of all of the towns, Shirotsume had been the one he had been most familiar with and never did he feel such excitement and zeal from the thought of freshly woven linen against his smooth complexion. The thought alone made his body hot with anticipation!

Through an incredibly awkward train ride and a small jog across railroad tracks, topaz hues had finally had the small town of Shirotsume in sight! Ahote's cheeks flushed rose to both the coolness of the chilly air and the relief of fabric just ahead. The bustling chatter of townspeople, the clean and strong buildings neatly aligned into avenues, Ahote always admired the architecture of everyday towns. However, stepping foot into the normally noisy town of Shirotsume, no bustling chatter rattled his ears, nor did the smoky smell of cooking fires fill his lungs. It had been disturbingly silent.

"Strange." Ahote chirped to himself, lumbering into the dirt roads of the town with a look of curiosity more than discomfort. Step by step, breath by breath, Ahote ventured deeper into the settlement with eyes wide with astonishment. Small buildings in shatters, as if a stampede of bulls had trampled through the town. No one had seemed to stay to admire the destruction that had taken place. Ahote smiled, "Impressive. . ." he whispered, stroking his jaw as if pondering about something.

The destruction continued up until a point, where footsteps and small drops of blood stained the ground. Silently, his interest had been further piqued as he would follow the trails of small footsteps in hopes that it might lead him to either a corpse bearing free fabrics or perhaps a better surprise. He hummed tunes that had been sung to him before, though their names remain a forgotten memory, as he sauntered down the clumsy path, leading him to a staggering figure. They wore beautiful clothing, thoughts of his much-loved companion flickering in his lingering thoughts. The staggering figure was small, a several inches shorter, it seemed. A girl, maybe?

Awkwardly, Ahote approached the troubled stranger with a simper stretching across his lips, reaching out his metal limb to gently grab their shoulder "Are you struggling, miss. . .- !" he paused midsentence. This smell, these fabrics, the hair, the skin! Abruptly, Ahote stepped to their front.

Topaz hues wide with disbelief, it had been Yuiisai! A battered, bloody Yuiisai at that, but Yuiisai nonetheless! Ahote caressed their cheek, "Yuiisai! What are you doing here? And those injuries. . ." his eyes flickered to the crimson smeared across their lips, metal and flushed thumbs rubbing gently across his smooth cheeks, "You must be treated immediately. Where does it hurt? Can you walk?" he queried impatiently. His eyes were wet and glistening with concern, a frown morphing his lips. Never did he think he'd be reunited in such a horrific way.

Ahote continued to rub her cheeks with his thumbs as tenderly as he was capable of. It was just as soft as he remembered, even if it hadn't been that long since the two had last seen each other. Even with the crimson smeared across her chin and lips, she smelled of pleasant scents. Scents he could only associate with flowers. Her skin was smooth and white as milk, her eyes round and wet. Yuiisai had truly been a beautiful human being, and Ahote couldn't help but admire her physical aesthetic even in this time of crisis.

Honeyed words escaped Yuiisai's trembling lips like they would normally have, though the words that had rolled off her tongue and into his ears had widened his eyes as if he had just seen something astonishing. Even so, his apparent astonishment was brief, as his topaz hues quickly narrowed and a weary sigh squeezed out of his chest. "It's me, Ahote. But this is a conversation we must save for another time." he insisted impatiently. He hadn't even begun to think of what she'd say to a strange man suddenly grabbing her, even if they did know each other. What else was she to think? How was she to know that Ahote had such a change in appearance? Ahote licked his thumb and began to rub it against the drying blood smeared across her mouth, "Look at you. . . you're an absolute mess. . ." he whispered to himself, a frown morphing his lips and his face scrunching together, a look of a man who was determined to "clean something."

Ahote would sigh against, continuing to clean her face with brisk movements. His eyes fixed on her skin, he continued to frown, "In any case, we need to get you looked at. We at least need to stop the bleeding until I can take you back home with me. So. . ." he rubbed his thumb against his clothing, along with any thin layer of saliva and blood that was on it, hunching down with his arms extended and his hands approaching the upper and lower parts of her body, ". . .up we go?" Ahote smiled nervously. He felt almost foolish to ask to lift her when she was in dire need of medical attention. But who was she to refuse?

Yuiisai barraged him with questions he could barely count on his fingers. It was to be expected from someone who apparently had experienced something spectacularly destructive, and yet she failed to recall the name of her companion. Still, Ahote could only acknowledge a small amount of those questions. Things relating to her appearance or her issue with how hard he was rubbing was of little importance to him, after all.

Ahote could simply say nothing to Yuiisai's shocking words and instead wore a gazing countenance, eyes flickering between her bloody face and the destruction that was in her path. He stepped back from the weary Yuiisai and ran his metal digits through his unkempt raven locks, "No, I don't have any proof of us knowing each other. Well, at least on me. But someone, as battered as yourself, should accept any assistance you can get, yes?" he insisted. There were a few tangible things that he could've shown her if he hadn't kept it at home for safekeeping. How would he have known that he would have to bring it with him today of all days? It was as if his life was filled with misfortune. Ahote continued, "Your name is Yuiisai. But as to where you live and who your family is. . ." he paused with a soft, quiet voice. Where exactly did she live and who was her family? Any friend would know these basic things, but it was a fact shrouded in mystery to the bewildered Ahote. His lips briefly quirked into a frown and expression transformed into something far bleaker. Giving an honest answer wouldn't help his case or persuade her to come with him, he thought. With such thoughts, a smile returned to his pale complexion, "Yes, we live together. Us and many others live not too far from this place. We are, by all means, your family. And as such, you need trust my word and return home with me. Yes?" he hummed patiently. How much trouble would he get into for letting such false words cross his tongue? Whatever the amount, the idea was exhilarating.

Ahote stepped towards her again, gently caressing her hands in his own, "I'm only trying to help. So, if you do not return to your family, misfortune only lies ahead for you. You don't want that, do you?" he smiled again, his eyes narrowed so thin that it looked that of daggers, as if looking at a small, pretty thing. The destruction within the town had never been so painfully obvious as to who brought it. Ahote could hear them. See the townspeople glare at her and speak of her only in fearful whispers. Yes, he heard them all and dreaded the thought. Yet, the dread filled him with zeal. "Oh, what magnificent power!" Ahote thought. He had been thoroughly determined to nurture her ability to its greatest extent.

Ahote smiled weakly. The bewildered Yuiisai’s bombard of questions pounded against his ears and made his flesh hot with vexation. Peevishly, he rubbed his left temple with a slow, careful movement with a smile still quirked on his lips. Never did he wish for her silence so greatly as her constant stream of questions became nearly obnoxious. But the patient Ahote wallowed in these trifles in silence and in the darkness of his mind.

Ahote sighed and nodded wearily, “Yes, yes, to all of your questions. We live together with many others, all a part of our family. When we return, I will show you all the proof you need.” his eyebrows scrunched together and lips quivered as if he were holding something back. Although his vision had been occupied with the full view of the struggling Yuiisai, his head had been clustered with thought.  What was he to say in response to her confusion? This destruction had something to do with Yuiisai, Ahote had been sure of it. “Yes,” his lips curved into a more prominent, stretched smile, “you wandered too far for comfort. And look at the mess you’ve made!” he proceeded to wave his hand in the general direction of the shattered windows, crumbling buildings, and the fearful mothers holding their sons, “if we didn’t live the way we did, we’d have to pay for this with the money we don’t have. Even worse, what if some Rune Knight scum had caught you?” Ahote began to rub his forehead with sympathetic fingers. Shirotsume was a relatively remote town, as Rune Knights were a rare and special sight in these streets. Yet the thought was as stressful as the reality of it, and still he wore his smile, treating it almost as an simple accident. Like spilled milk!

Metal digits ran through his unkempt raven locks only to fall back to the right side of his face, obscuring sharp, almond shaped hues. “Now can we please get going?”

Ahote's face became hot and pink with the rushing blood beneath his flesh at the sight of her eyes become wet with tears, his sharp, topaz eyes wide. He could hardly believe that his companion would abruptly break into a fit of tears and what seemed to be sadness, but such disbelief became a mild shock in realizing how overwhelmed she looked. Her complexion was ghostly pale with smudges of what he assumed to be her blood smeared across her perfect skin, not to mention the trampled constructions scattered about the battered town, and the prying eyes of the townspeople. Any child would break under the weight of the situation, and perhaps the normally strong-willed Yuiisai as well.

A frosty cloud of breath escaped his mouth as the awkward Ahote sighed, kneeling down and placing both hands on Yuiisai's shoulders, rubbing them quickly and gently, "No, no. I won't abandon you here, we'd all be devastated if that were to happen. Quiet now," he began to make shushing noises, "your face will be covered in both snot and blood if you continue. Not the best combination if you ask me." Ahote giggled. He would shift his hands from her shoulders to her cheeks, lifting them up so their eyes might meet, "This destruction is an example of strength. Don't feel ashamed of it and instead use it for the right things. I'll tell you all about those things when we get home, okay? So stop crying, you'll get wrinkles!" a grin would begin to stretch from ear to ear. He would try to comfort her the only way he knew how. With his gentle rubs and playful grin, all his pearly whites had been exposed in hopes she would reflect the same cheerfulness.

Suddenly, his eyes would light up as if some spectacular idea had come to mind. Gently, he cupped her cheeks in his metal and fleshed palms, leaning in to press dry lips against her cold forehead. If his cheerful grin had not been the answer to this situation, surely this act of kindness would! Ahote smiled weakly, "Can we stop somewhere before we depart, though? I know you're in pain, but I'll freeze to death if I don't purchase at least a set of shirts." he rubbed her temples with his chilly thumbs, "I'll even get you something. How about it?" he insisted. Although, the townspeople were most likely securing their markets from Yuiisai's own destruction. But, there was nothing a little extortion and threatening can't do!

Yuiisai had proven to be more of a handful than Ahote had originally anticipated with the sobbing and a barrage of questions so colossal that it seemed more like a storm of arrows than queries. The man wondered if he was anything like this when she was in her right mind. Was he this needy? Yet, it was hard to call her desperation and frightfulness neediness, as it was the behavior any confused and disoriented person would have if they had been in the same situation. Or so Ahote thought.

The quiet chatter and whispering had died down and many of the bystanders had retreated deeper into town or what was left of their homes. But Ahote had no reasonable doubt that they would continue to speak of this event with only bitter words and of Yuiisai in fearful whispers. It was a sacrifice every criminal and ne'er-do-well had to make at some point in their lives, the people's fear for you as opposed to their love or respect, though at times Ahote's convinced himself that was only a vague difference between the three.

Ahote's topaz orbs glanced over the scattered rubble hidden under layers of dirt and dust from the damage through his shock of unkempt raven-locks. The air was dry and smelled of burning coals most likely secured deep within the fiery hearths of the homes that still stood. It had almost smelled of the fortress's tavern, but he could only smell it longingly, for the town had now been as silent and bitter as his home was. Quietly, he'd peer back over to the inquisitive Yuiisai with a bleak smile plastered across his face, the wetness of his eyes would glisten in the dim sunlight as if someone had dripped morning dew onto his orbs. Though his pale complexion was stretched with a curve of the lips, a transparent crestfallenness could be seen deep within the topaz crystals, as if he were witnessing some bittersweet thing. Peals of soft, empty laughter trickled from his lips like waves, offering an arm out to the stumbling Yuiisai, "I'm flattered," he'd chuckle breezily, "As for our relationship? Well," Ahote looked down at his feet, his lips still quirked up and eyes staring blankly at his toes before raising his head to face her once more, "we're friends, that's all. I'm doing as a friend should, Yuiisai, so don't think too hard about it, alright? Now, let us be off, or you'll freeze to death before you bleed to death." Some people simply had tragedy written in their blood, and others simply wanted to clothe themselves, it seemed.

[END]