Tall grass and sunlit rays grazed my clothes as I walked across the field.
I heard a faint growling in the distance, the sounds of a miserable, poor soul forced to fight for the cause of Terra.
The ground shook ever so often as the beast approached. We stood face to face, its drool covering my leathery clothing. Suddenly, it struck. Right before the beast swung its claws down, I conjured my right sword, and the sound of bones hitting steel filled the air. It's brute force, nearly forcing me to my knees. As it retracted its arms, I struck and plunged my sword into its guts. I placed my foot on its stomach and pushed down with my foot, pulling the sword out. In almost slow motion, it fell onto the ground with a loud thud.
I looked down at my blood-stained sword, and while attempting to clean it with the grass under my feet, I remembered. It didn't always look like this. I have had these swords for 11 years, yet they always seem to fit me perfectly. My longest one, which I hold in my right dominant hand, has adapted and become serrated. My left sword had grown two hooks from the edges of both sides, which looked like a second, although longer, cross guard.
I stood up and took in the sweet scent of flowers spread evenly on the vast field, feeling a sudden breeze pass by, which pulled me out of my daydreams. I went back to Clair, my hippogriff, and we continued riding across the field.
I clapped Clair on her thick, cyan, feathery neck. "We will find it, don't worry." Even though Clair didn't understand human language, she responded by snorting and rubbing her feet against the lush ground.
Further up in the forest, I saw a little cave. When I entered to seek some shade from the harsh sunlight, I found, in the deepest parts of the cave, glowing eyes piercing the darkness. Forty? Fifty? I don't remember how many there were. All I remember was swinging my blades, then a pile of dead beasts, and the absence of the sun.
The heresy that had brought our advancement was painted in red. The flames of betrayal burned through our comforting, safe world. In a world that punished those who sought purpose, what did it mean to be human? That was the question rumbling through my mind as Clair walked through the stony forest and the chittering crickets of the night.
While I was lying on her, exhausted, she climbed up hillsides and down riverbanks. I had been searching for the language that had been bestowed upon us many thousands of years ago, to cure my disease, though I hadn't found anything more than dead ends. Suddenly, I heard a barely coherent ramble and a light that seemed to grow brighter and brighter. I slowly raised myself to sit up and saw that we had arrived.
At the entrance, two guards stood on each side. Right as I was about to enter, the guard on the right yelled, "You there! Identify yourself to enter the kingdom of Drix." He was fidgeting with his spear in an attempt to point it towards me.
"Hello, guards, I am just a friendly traveling merchant. I am Flare Jaxon, son of Roywood Jaxon. I sadly do not carry identification, but I promise I won't cause any trouble."
The other guard to the left sighed, then they both simply nodded before I strolled in and mumbled, "Weird, usually guards wouldn't have let me pass through so easily." My name wasn't Flare; it was Didacus Vermillion. But you see, I had been a wanted man for as long as I could remember. It had become a lifestyle. As we walked in, I suddenly smelled a delicious aroma; it was a blend of cake and bread. My body instinctively steered toward the smell. Turning to my right, I saw it was coming from the local bar. I slid off Clair and dragged my body across the floorboards. Crooked, I sat down on the stool at the front of the marble desk. The place was filled with the ambient noise of people talking and dim lights.
"Excuse me."
The bartender jumped out of his boots, "Eeek! You scared me, sir…what can I get you?"
I ordered what I always order at bars: "The biggest chocolate pudding you have." He smiled and nodded. Although I drink beer from time to time, I despise its smell; it's weird how people actually enjoy it.
"Coming right up, sir." A couple of minutes passed. "Here to collect the bounty of the red ghost from Trey? You look pretty intimidating yourself with your black clothing and red hair, but trust me, it's suicide. No one has ever survived after encountering him."
A smug look crept up on my face. I sat up and looked at the bartender, "I didn't come here for the bounty, but how do you know the Red Ghost is in town?"
He looked at me like I was dumb. "He was last spotted at Frostwood; it's right beside Drix. His only logical next destination would be here, no?"
I leaned back, crossing my legs together as I scoffed. "I guess you are right. Just out of curiosity, what is The Red Ghost described as?"
The man scratched his scalp and looked up at the wooden roof as he interjected. "Well, from what I have heard, he is described as wielding an army of henchmen and having a red scar across his chest."
I quietly laughed and mumbled to myself, "That is the funniest one yet. Then, out loud, I said, "Are there any doctors in this town?"
The bartender's eyes lit up, and with his hand, he tried to explain the direction. "Oh yes, of course. Just go right from the entrance, take a right, and then continue straight until you reach the castle. Then, if you go left a couple of blocks, Vylon, our best doctor, should be there." he leaned in closer, his tone lowering. "Don't get intimidated by his looks; he is a nice man."
As I turned around to leave, the entrance door suddenly flung open, and a group of men barged inside with pistols in their hands; the commotion shook the entire bar. "Everyone, get down on the floor and give us your belongings! Now!"
Surprisingly, as the bandits made demands, everyone just ignored the robbers and continued acting as if nothing had happened. "We said NOW!" But the only response they received from the crowd was a man saying, "Shut up and go home," and then the crowd continued ignoring them. Angry and probably embarrassed, they barged out.
Confused, I looked at the bartender and asked him. "So what was that all about?"
He laughed and leaned forward with his elbows on the desk. "Those were outsiders. You see, our king Jozu is very inexperienced; he is just 12 years old and became king after his dad, the previous king, died. This leaves our kingdom without trained soldiers since the kid doesn't know how to run an army. Therefore, we have to handle criminals ourselves. The guards you saw at the entrance are civilians who take turns to guard the gate."
The bartender placed the glass of chocolate pudding on the table and gently pushed it toward me, gliding effortlessly. I grabbed it. Once I finished, I slid off the stool, gently laid some money on the table, and waved goodbye as I left. The cold night breeze, weirdly, filled me with energy and optimism. I saw Clair lying on the wet grass beside the stairs, probably tired; I escorted her to the side of the building, into a little stall with lots of hay. It was pitch black, and as I tread around, the ground felt unusually soft. Clair entered her stall, and I gently stroked her fur over the small door and said, "See you soon," before leaving.
As I began walking along the road, I noticed my surroundings. This kingdom isn't anything special, especially compared to what I have seen in the past, but there seems to be an absurd amount of bunting ropes. They stretched from building to building, almost covering the sky, making the narrow road feel even more claustrophobic. The closer I got to the castle, the noisier my surroundings became. There was a fountain in front in the center of a four-way junction; its glistening water sparkled in the moonlight. Around it were a bunch of merchants, shop owners, and normal citizens. From there, I went left and saw a small brick house with a small hanging paper piece on the front door saying.
"Vylon's office." Knocking on the door, no one seemed to be home. As I was about to leave, someone suddenly opened the door—a tall man, built like a damn tower and wide too. I am about 190cm tall, but that man had to be at at least 20cm taller than me. He was bald with a shaggy beard and a stern look.
"The office isn't open. Come back tomorrow."
Right before he closed the door, I placed my foot between it and the doorframe.
"One moment, sir, you see, I am a traveling man and don't have money for a room, so if you could just help me out for a moment, and I'll be on my way. Please"
He looked at me for a while; the eerie silence forced me to smile awkwardly.
Fast and barely audible, he said, "Fine, come in."
"Oh, alright," surprised that he had said yes, I quickly entered the house and straightened my jacket, following him closely behind. Entering, I heard the crackling sounds of kindling, and a soothing warmth enveloped me.
"Ava, a late patient," he pointed at me and looked at a woman who was sitting on the couch, her back facing us. She had long blonde hair and clean, rosy skin.
I stood next to Vylon and bowed slightly. "Thanks for having me."
Ava simply waved her hand and said, "You be kind with the patient now, dear," and then I followed Vylon into the office. As I walked away, I saw a little kid with bright blonde hair hiding behind his bear plushies, sitting next to Ava.
We entered a room that had a big chair in the middle of the room and sharp objects hung on the wall like trophies; the room smelled of medicine. The abundance of sharp objects was almost intimidating. "So what is the problem? Are you sick or something?" he said while pointing at the chair. I quickly sit down, melting into the chair's cushion.
"Not exactly, you see, I have barely any memories from when I was a kid, I don't even remember my own parents, and as time passes, I realize my memory gets worse and worse. Sometimes I even start to hallucinate."
He strokes his beard, squinting his eyes while staring at me. "Amnesia in a young kid like you isn't exactly normal."
"I am no child, I'll let you know I drink lots of booze and have lots of women…"
Totally ignoring me, he started looking through some notes and placed a heavy metal device on my head. He pressed a button; it beeped and lit up green. After a couple of seconds, it starts flickering red.
I look at him, concerned, making sure not to move my head too much
"Is the machine broken or something?"
He took the device off, turned around, and started making notes.
"The red ghost from Trey, you are awfully polite for a criminal, and young too."
I have been in search of a way to cure my amnesia that isn't involved with finding a forgotten language, but every time I tell the doctor about my terra magic, they report me to the local guards or chase me out of town. I side-eye him, my face contorting into sharp features.
"What is it to you?"
He moves sharp objects around and organizes them into different drawers of different shapes.
"Don't worry, whether you are the king of the world or a peasant, a patient is a patient." Relieved, my shoulders sink, and my expression softens.
Suddenly, he faces me again.
"That said, your problem is between you and Terra; there isn't anything medicine can do. You have about 1 year until it consumes your mind. Although I think you already knew that." He looks to the ground before laying his hand on my shoulder. "I hope you will find a cure someday, but it's probably for the best that you forgot about the past."
I nod in silence and lean back, stretching, releasing a loud sigh. Afraid to tear up, I look to the ground, trying to avoid eye contact
"Thank you for the help, doc."
"You should keep a journal and write your experiences in it. It won't solve the issue, but it will help. Oh, and also, try not to use any magic; it will only speed up the process." Then he clapped his hands together, the sound echoing inside the room.
"Well, I am going to bed, it's eight in the afternoon, and—Ahh shit…I forgot to resupply bandages. I'll need to head out." Then he leaves the room and slams the door behind him, leaving me alone with my own thoughts.
I sat there, waiting for something to happen, but there is no time to wait—it's moving away, and before I know it, I'll be left alone again.
I spring up, stumbling on my feet, and I quickly open the door to the room and see Vylon leaving. I quickly move across the hall and put on my shoes, catching him just as he closes the door.
I walk behind him for a couple of seconds, and strike up a conversation.
"So Ava is your wife?"
He simply nods
"When did you two meet?"
"We were both students at the Academy of Broncs, we went on to become medical science partners at the Broncs laboratory here at Drix, that's why I settled down here."
Intrigued, I lean in closer ."So Ava studied medicine too? I didn't know. Wait, you aren't from here?"
He shook his head, "I was born in the kingdom of Azure, although it's been a very long time since I was there last."
At first, this older man might look boring, but as I continue to ask him questions, I find his answers to be surprisingly interesting. We arrived at a little shopping stall at the same fountain I passed to get to Vylon. The shop owner was a rather small man who seemed to know Vylon personally, since they started talking about children and their wives, or maybe that's just what old people do.
Standing next to Vylon, a thought bubbled up to the surface.
Vylon went to School. I haven't really thought about going to school. Knowing that I will forget who I am in no less than a year, I haven't stopped to think about the future, what it could look like. No, I have, but it was full of bleached black woe, so I prefer not to think about it. Yet, just maybe, maybe I can turn things around.
"Didacus!"
"Eek! Jezz, you are going to give me a heart attack w-what is it?"
He laughs quietly, " You won't need to worry about that until another 50 years. I have been yelling your name for a while. Let's go."
A little embarrassed, I follow him, but not even a minute later, someone confronts us.
"Ayw, you, big looking man, gimme me your—belongingsw!" A short man dressed in fancy clothes who seemed to be drunk, pointed a knife right at Vylon. Vylon started to talk with the man, trying to bargain, but not wanting him to risk his life. I leaped forward and grabbed the man's head before slamming into the concrete. A crater formed around the impact. I sat down on his stomach and grabbed his fancy necktie, and right as I was about to imprint his skull into the ground permanently, Vylon grabbed my arm.
"What are you doing! You are going to kill the man."
I turned around, confused. "He was going to kill you. I just saved your life."
"Only monsters go around killing people for the smallest inconvenience." "I slowly let go of the man and got up on my feet. The Ambient noises of people talking became louder as a group started to slowly flock around us.
Vylon looked around at the bystanders and then at me. "I'm—I am sorry, I didn't mean that." He had the facial expression that screamed of guilt, but it didn't make me feel any better about myself. After all, he was right.
Vylon quickly placed a business card in the man's palm, and in hopes of redeeming myself, I frantically apologized, "Sorry, sir, hope you get better soon," But the man seemed to be unconscious.
We managed to squeeze past the crowd, and during the short trip home, we didn't exchange a single word, awkward silence pulling at us.
Vylon and I entered the house and were greeted by Ava. After talking a little with Vylon, she asked me to help with making dinner, which I happily obliged. Following her, I tucked up my sleeves and went to the kitchen to start washing some greens.
"You are such a kind, young man. Do you have a girlfriend?"
Flustered by the up-front question, I stumbled on my words.
"N-no, my living situation makes such things difficult for me to have."
She nodded, seeming to genuinely understand. "Such a shame, it will come with time. If you focus too much on the future, once you arrive, you will regret not living in the present."
"...Yeah, that's a good point…Thanks for the advice."
I felt something poking my legs; it was the young kid. He opened his palm, presenting a broken toy.
"Can you fix it for me? " Daddy is resting." I get on my knees and try to fix it.
"What's your name?" I ask, "It's Johnny and yours?"
Hesitating, I froze before deciding to tell him, "It's Didacus…You go to school, Johnny? Johnny nods, "Yes, it's very fun, especially since I have so many friends, like Jay, Benjamin, and my best friend Roy, but class is sooo boring." I smiled, "That's good, Johnny ."Click. "It's fixed, here you go," I said, giving the little toy back to him.
"Thank you, big bro Dida."
"...no problem."
Johnny went back to the living room to play with his toys, and I continued helping with dinner. Ava continues to talk, but I fall off after a while, forgetting what she said.
The feelings I was experiencing felt very nostalgic for some reason. Although short-lived, I could easily imagine myself living like this for an eternity to come. But my imagination dwindled as the sounds of broken glass filled the house. A figure in a vintage coat wearing a hoodie appeared in the living room and picked up Johnny. Vylon came rushing down from upstairs.
"Put the kid down!" We yell.
Then Vylon adds
"If you want money, then that's fine. I'll give you whatever. Just put the kid down."
Desperation was clearly labeled in his tone.
Johnny, obviously scared out of his mind, started crying for help. Then, just as suddenly as he had entered, he left, jumping backwards through the window that he had broken earlier. Vylon chased after him, and I followed behind. The man grabbed a pipe on the side of the window frame and, with one swing, he flew up and landed on the flat roof. Climbing up, we chased him as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop.
I closed my eyes and concentrated all my energy around my body. It felt like a heavy blanket covered me, then I imagined it was lighter, becoming water, and then even lighter, like wind. Instantly, a wind veil surrounded me as my running sped up, and jumping from the roofs felt like falling. I managed to keep up and attempted to reach out my hands to grab the person, but I only managed to scrape off one of his buttons. Suddenly, he vanished out of my sight. I felt something tap against my back, and as I looked down, I saw a saber sticking out from my torso. Blood gushed out, and I quickly started losing consciousness. Falling onto the rock-hard ground in a loud thud, the last thing I saw was the man's face. A boy with short black hair and bright blue eyes, his skin as white as quartz, he seemed to be around my age. I heard Vylon screaming "Didacus!" his voice becoming distant as everything turned black.