This was strange. Azi. He saw something. It was blurry. The shape he saw in front of him was what he could tell was of a man. He was burly, a bit taller than Azi with oriental features that were oddly.. Similar to his own. Yet, he couldn’t see the face.
It was obscured with black lines and a haze, like heat waves.
“Here you go, I hope you like your gift this year.”
The man handed Azi a toy he didn’t recognize. It had a long tail, was colored brown, fluffy and a white puff of a belly. It wasn’t any animal Azi had ever read about, no, it was a made up creature, and had a name he didn’t know and wouldn’t know since it probably came from a show or a tale before his time.
Heck, if he remembered correctly, he was still learning how to go to school at this moment, this memory which seemed so trivial. And yet, this moment seemed to stick with Azi. He knew he was dreaming and that this could be just a pale and inaccurate replication of events but it felt so real and.. True.
He marveled at the sensations of this dream and pressed the fluffy toy to his face, burying himself ecstatically in the fluff that tickled him silly.
“What are you doing with that! I told you! Don’t distract him!”
A voice cut in and Azi found it to be from another human-like figure. By the shape of their hips, it was a woman and her face was blurred as well. For some reason, he winced in reflexive fear as she approached. He hugged the soft and fluffy toy in his hands tighter, it was his only comfort.
The man walked up to the woman and the two argued.
“Honey, it’s just a toy. He needs one at his age.”
“What he needs is an education!” The woman yelled. “I don’t want him to grow up being useless!”
“He won’t, and don’t say that. He’s a bright kid, why can’t you see that!”
“Bright?” The woman scoffed. “He daydreams all day and does those things with his eyes. You can’t even get him to sit still. He’s a..”
Azi didn’t hear the next words, they censored themselves into a bleep but he knew what the woman said was an insult. The arguing got worse and then the man, the man who gave him the toy, walked away.
“N-No, no!” Azi screamed. “Come back! Come back! Please don’t leave me with her!”
“What did you say!” Offended, the woman came and lorded over him. Azi scurried back on his butt. He found himself in a corner, his knees pressing to his chest.
“You don’t need this anymore! Grow up!”
“NO! Give it back! Give it Back!” Azi pulled back when his beloved toy was being taken away. He knew it was childish of him, but he was a child right now, so of course he’d be in distress. The woman, not caring, fought back. She slapped him, pushed him, threw him around, but Azi held on. Suddenly, he heard a sound as if there was a part of him tearing.
White fluff fell to the floor. Then, in Azi’s eyes, for what felt like an out body experience, he watched as he saw himself grow larger than he thought he originally was. He was now the one towering over the woman and he balled a fist tight, planting into the woman’s chest.
She went flying, a bloody mess of colors. Some blue, red, brown, and green as it painted one of the 4 white walls of the room Azi found himself in.
“No! What have you done!”
The man came back and his blurred face filled with horror. His tone turned bitter and he directed his prickling emotions at Azi.
“This is your fault! You are nothing but a nuisance!”
Finding himself back in his body, in that smaller self of his, Azi looked to see that his hands were bruised. I didn’t mean to, I didn’t. I didn’t!.. I did. He thought wearily. Tears welled as the man walked away a second time, this time clutching the woman in his arms.
You choose her over me! But She! She’s the problem! Why don’t you see it! NO! No!
“No! Don’t go! Please, I’m sorry! I-It was an accident! I swear!”
Reflexive words flew from Azi’s mouth but one in particular shot out of the depths of his heart.
“DAD! PLEASE! DAD!!!”
Yes, that was his dad and if that man was his dad, then the woman was his mother. He had hurt them and because of that, they abandoned him. It was too late. A wet and creeping sensation touched his back. Black colored covered the air and spread from the white walls around him.
The sight of his parents’ figures was consumed by both distance and darkness. The black filled everything around him until only Azi was left in a void, a void of pain. The black darkness ran up his legs and hands, blending him in with the pitch color as he faded into obscurity.
Tears of blue and white fell from his uncorrupted eyes, and as the last vestiges of himself were still unconsumed for what little seconds were left, he felt a hand on his head. Eyes too blurred with tears, Azi couldn’t see who it was, but he felt warm, he felt.. accepted.
“Please.. Don’t leave.. Me.. I.. I don’t want.. To.. be.. ..Alone.”
***
Jolting awake, Azi rubbed the back of his head.
“Ow!” He groaned and looked around to find Kajima and Shizu next to him. They had concerned expressions as if they had seen something wrong with him. Azi patted himself down, thinking that he poked himself with the sword on his belt.
Luckily, he was fine. But why are they looking at me like that?
“Huh? What happened?” He asked. “Did I black out in the middle of the day?”
“Kind of?” Kajima said and he glanced warily at Shizu. He gave her that look as if saying, you should tell him, or, you should apologize. Getting the gist of it as the memories came back, Azi joined in giving Shizu the same look.
Shizu snorted daintily in an indigent retort and turned her head away from Azi’s gaze.
“Hmpf! If you must know, then I will explain. You passed out after I hugged you. Got a problem with that?”
“Hugged?” Asked Azi. “I don’t think that was a hug, more like you choking me out! What is your deal with all this violence you throw at me.”
“Ah! Well, you should think twice about how you treat and talk to me. I am a noble and I deserve your respect for what I do for the people.”
“That doesn't excuse you from how you’re treating me. As the adult between us, I expected you to at least apologize for taking things too far. I could’ve been hurt if you didn’t let me go in time. I swear, I thought my bones were going to break if you didn’t let up.”
“But you’re fine, so stop complaining. And!” Shizu pointed and wagged her finger at him. “You are not an adult. I find it highly unlikely that you’re the age you say you are. You can’t even fight or hold a sword correctly, I know teenagers smaller than you that can at least hold their own.”
“Whatever, it’s not like learning how to fight is proof of being an adult.” Azi dismissed the conversation and got up to check himself again. Noticing a line of drool on his mouth, he wiped it away. Shizu grinned at that.
“By the way, you are quite adorable when you sleep.”
“Eh? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, you should’ve seen it, next time I’ll have a painter draw you a picture. You were smiling so big with such a dumb expression that you looked so cute and cuddly, like a little puppy.”
“P-puppy?” Azi was offended to be compared to such a creature, they were unimpressive and he wasn’t that tiny. If he were to be compared to an animal then it at least needed to be wiser than a simple dog, or at least a bit bigger. But no, Shizu pressed on.
“Yes, a puppy.” She mocked him. “How you rolled around on the floor was adorable and you even crawled onto my lap, sucking your thumb and..”
“Wahhh! Stop! Stop! Don’t tell me any more! Please!”
“Oh? But it was truly memorable. Right Kajima?”
“I have no comment and prefer not to tarnish a man’s honor.” While Kajima did sound to be on Azi’s side, he did still agree with Shizu internally at how childish Azi looked when he was asleep. More pressingly, he found that their exchange was amusing.
He hid these facts behind that grizzled soldier-like attitude of his.
The conversation became more amusing as Shizu continued to regale Azi of his recent embarrassing moments while he was asleep from Shizu’s rather, Ahem!, forceful hug. Though, Kajima wondered why Shizu left out the part when she patted his head to soothe him when he was having a nightmare.
It was concerning how he was mumbling darkly in his sleep. Kajima understood some of Azi’s mumblings, hearing words such as toy, dad, woman, and then the word.. Alone. It wasn’t much but he could see a broken soul, or a troubled man, a mile away.
So Azi comes from a troubled past. It seems the scars of the heart and soul are deep, even after they are forgotten and buried.
Eventually, Shizu had her fill of Azi’s flustered reactions and they got back to what they were doing earlier. They all finished up equipping themselves and packed for their trip out into the forest to participate in a hunt with Yashimu.
The trio then made their way to the central section of the village.
In addition to bringing themselves and their servants, Ozen, Yashimu, and Shizu were accompanied by a group of soldiers that came to assist the village. They were settled in some of the barracks used by the village watch which were situated in the central section of the village, so that was where they were heading and was a sizable distance away.
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Kajima led the group with Azi following behind and Shizu at Azi's back.
While they were walking and were on approach to the outskirts of the village, Shizu had a noticeable grin on her face whenever Azi turned to meet her gaze. His face reddened every time their eyes met. There was that smile she had and Azi could tell that Shizu was lording over the earlier embarrassing topic. She could bring it up at any time now.
He was in the palm of her hand in a way.
It got worse as Shizu openly described the topic in the village. How he made such a dumb face when he was sleeping and that he acted like a docile puppy that wanted to be pampered, it was mortifying.
“You know, you can really act like a doofus sometimes. Are you sure you’re 27 years old? Because you still act like a kid.”
Her comment struck deep, Azi didn't know how to retort since she had him by the balls. He coughed and responded sternly in a more polite tone, hoping that showing a mild courtesy would satisfy that ego of hers.
"Of course I’m 27. But, if possible, I would appreciate it if you’d show some propriety the next time you would like to hug me. We may know each other, but a hug seems out of the realm of what we should be exchanging.”
"You have a point, but I know you liked it and you should be honored to be hugged by a beauty like me, little pup.” Shizu jeered. “Come on, say it, give me a little purr.” A proding finger on his cheek made Azi grit his teeth.
“I.. I didn’t.. Not like it.” He mumbled.
“I see, then would you like for me to do that again but with propriety?" She said sarcastically. Azi couldn’t help but to sigh helplessly.
"You are a cheeky girl, don't tempt me, alright?" As peacefully as he tried to give those words, Azi still had to sigh. He was admitting a kind of defeat, a tell that Shizu took great pleasure in seeing.
Well, at least she’s not hitting me any more, or rendering me unconscious. But.
Shizu bellowed a laugh, taking pride in herself. "HA HA HA so you can make a face like that as well eh?"
“I-I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Azi stormed ahead but Shizu kept close, they were going in the same direction.
Moving deeper into the village, nearby villagers mumbled about their day. Azi’s and Shizu’s back and forth banter went about, a bit of harsh ribbing and arguing. The villagers didn’t seem to mind and saw it as two young youths enjoying life.
Azi stewed in his mind, trying to both calm down and let Shizu have her fun, but each time she laughed made him twinge in irritation. After Shizu finished her last laugh she couldn’t help but mentally note how cute of a face Azi was making.
His scrunched up cheeks and brow made him seem like a scolded child. With how she knew he believed he was 27 years old, it made it funny on how contrasting it was from her and his own expectations.
"Phew! In any case, how do you feel? Nervous about heading into the forest? Or are you trembling at the prospect of fighting some monsters?"
Azi shrugged and thought about her question. He could tell she was worried, even if Shizu’s tone was still teasing.
"Overall I am a bit excited and scared, so, ..yes, I think? The idea of battling with some monsters excites me, but I feel scared by how I might die."
He rubbed his arm, feeling the anxiety crawling on his skin. "I don't think I was a soldier, and it only compounds the fact that I feel I have very little confidence in a fight.”
Overhearing at the front of their group, Kajima looked over his shoulder and gave Azi an assured smile.
"Not to worry Azi, since you will be with Shizu and myself, your protection is guaranteed. You aren’t in much danger if we’re around. While I may not be a soldier anymore, I still know my way around a fightt. Also, Shizu here is considered a talented ordained knight of Kujyuri. She’s currently under consideration for becoming the next King, or in this case, Queen of Kujyuri."
That was surprising. Kajima's praise of Shizu seems misguided in Azi’s opinion. Shizu proved him right since he saw her looking all smug as she pushed out her chest proudly. It was skeptical that this brash and tomboyish woman could be a knight, though he could say for sure since he didn’t know the standards.
Perhaps being brash and brave went hand in hand for an ordained Knight?
Shizu gave a look at him, which he could interpret as her saying. See, I am quite famous and impressive, aren't I.
Composing himself to prevent himself from retorting on her brazen behavior, Azi just gave a small strained smile. "Impressive, what did you do to gain such merit, Miss.. Shizu?"
"Umu!” She made a proud sound of affirment and began what Azi felt like was a long tirade.
“If you must know, during the previous war, I took to the battlefield under my father Ozen as one of his field commanders. I caused a large amount of damage to our enemies and crippled the attacking nation’s main invasion force. This bought our army time to make ample preparations for a later surprise attack that was key to the final push to end the war. For my deeds, I was awarded by the emperor and my father with a silver seal."
Azi raised a brow, he was unfamiliar with a certain detail in the last part of her story.
“What is a silver seal?"
In response to his question, Shizu reached into a pouch on her hip and took out a silver-colored circular piece of metal with what looked like a cherry blossom embossed on its front and that unknown emblem on the back
"This is a silver seal, and it is a reward that can only be obtained with recognition from an official of great importance in the empire. It shows that I have been recognized as a veteran soldier with a high amount of authority. With it, I am able to hold authority second to that of the King of Kujyuri but it’s limited since I can only use this seal for that purpose in Kujyuri itself. These come in different varieties, but this is second best to the golden seal."
Understanding how powerful the silver seal was, Azi noted to himself that he should probably stop getting on Shizu’s nerves. His comebacks and overall adversarial encounters with her might get out of hand. For the heck of it, he’d feel her wrath should he push her too far. That silver seal was raising a lot of red flags in his head.
So, while swallowing the knot that formed in his throat, he praised her a bit. Do a bit of damage control, per say.
"Now that I know that, I feel a bit more confident in my safety, thanks. I'm glad both you and Kajima are with me."
“Hmmm? Your gratitude is noted, but make no mistake. You will have to learn how to defend yourself, you have to eventually grow up, little pup.”
“I see.” Azi’s brow twitched at her still teasing comment. “Then I’ll have to try, thanks? I guess.. For the.. encouragement?”
Shizu smiled and was glad he seemed eager, though she noticed the slight gulp he made. She felt that she should tease him one more time, but after the hunt. Maybe another hug, she thought and reconsidered since it would come off as being too clingy.
She by no means liked him in that way. Azi was just entertaining when she would messing with him. It felt nostalgic at times when she did.
***
The trio, after arriving at the barracks in the village, saw Yashimu and a group of soldiers waiting and discussing plans around a campfire in the village.
Yashimu noticed their arrival and moved over to them. Eyeing Azi and Kajima, questions popped up.
"Thank you for joining us Shizu, I see you brought Kajima and the boy. Why is that?"
"Kajima intends to show Azi around the nearby forest to get him familiar with his surroundings. I will be with them to act as protection."
“Really!” Yashimu suddenly slapped his hand over his face in exasperation. “Do you have to always change my plans unexpectedly? I needed you to lead a different group, didn’t I tell you that already?”
“You did, but we can adjust.”
“I know we can but this is becoming a bad habit of yours. Always making me change my plans when we already agreed on them, it’s annoying and doesn’t fall within my predictions. What if something goes wrong?”
“Oh shut it, we’ll be fine, trust me.”
Yashimu heaved a heavy sigh.
“Unsurprising, you are still making your own decisions even though I am supposed to be the one in charge, but I will allow it.” He turned and hurriedly got everyone in order to address them. “We are short on time and we have a lot of ground to cover, so let’s not waste any more daylight.”
Thinking to himself that he should brief them on the potential danger, Yashimu instead pushed that idea away. He wanted to make haste since there was a lot of forest they’d need to trek through and not mention fight in.
"Alright, let's move people. Our objective is to investigate the nearby forest. We need to hunt and report any predatory animals or monsters you find. If they escape, make sure you keep a tally and give an accurate report of what happened. AM I UNDERSTOOD SOLDIERS!"
"Yes, my lord."
With all said and done, the investigation party began organizing and handing out the key tools for the hunt. Currently, the entire hunting group consisted of 12 parties of 3 people. 6 parties were assigned to the eastern forest and the same number was assigned to the western forest.
Each person in the party were given the key tools, which were metal tubes with a cord attached to the bottom of each.
One tube was blue and the other red. All 12 parties were instructed that should they find anything unusual, the blue tube's cord was to be pulled to launch a blue colored magic flare. But if any party was in danger the red tube's cord should be pulled to launch a red colored magic flare.
In both cases, these acted as a signal to all parties to meet up with the party that had encountered an issue they couldn’t solve alone. Overall, the purpose of the hunt was two fold. One was to cull the monsters and the other was to gather information on the forest’s current state of it natural ecosystem.
After Yashimu's instruction on the proper use of the flares, all parties made their way to their assigned forest to begin the investigation.
Along the way, these tube-like devices were of great interest to Azi when he heard the phrase magic being brought up. Though as much as he wanted to, with how little time there was to ask questions, he kept silent and redoubled his focus on keeping his senses as sharp. Asking those questions could come later.
Azi, Kajima, and Shizu of course, were a team assigned to the western forest. As their sandals and boots crunched through the thin floor of forest snow, Azi noticed that the mountain he saw in the distance was likely the one where he and Ozen met. He recognized the far-off ledge that he slipped down near the top of it.
Bringing his attention back to the forest around him, he began to survey his surroundings. He saw large trees of 10 meters in height with no discernible leaves due to the winter climate. He also saw that there were a few large rocks and boulders sparsely scattered around each of the 10-meter-tall trees.
The number of rocks and boulders increased as his party made their way closer to the mountain in the distance. What was unusual was that as they got closer, Azi could feel that the temperature was slightly increasing.
While not hot enough to melt the snow, the change in temperature was noticeable.
"Does anyone else feel a little warmer?" He asked, since this was not normal for a winter season.
"Yeah, I guess." Shizu replied. "But this is usual around these parts. The forests around here vary in temperatures due to the nearby mountains giving different parts of the forest a varied amount of cover from the wind and sun."
She vaulted over a fallen tree as she continued. "What is strange is that a change like this was noticed only just last week in a previous report, usually changes in temperatures like this only happen near the change of the season, but we are currently only starting mid-winter. Strange.”
Helping Azi over the tree, Shizu then pointed to the mountain in the distance. “Father and I went to investigate and found that a hot spring has recently formed near the top of the mountain. Maybe that is the cause?"
Looking behind her as they navigated a thick brush of trees, she kept an eye on the surroundings.
"Father had me and my men return first to make a report while he made his final inspection of the surroundings of the hot spring. I believe that this was when you first met him."
"Yes." Azi said. "I don’t know exactly how I got there. After thinking about it, I believe I fell unconscious in the mountains. I remember being somewhere different from here, but I felt myself being struck by something. I then found myself on the mountain. It was odd that I didn’t have anything on me besides my tattered clothes. Do you think I might have been robbed and then left to die in the mountains by bandits?"
"That sounds plausible, but still, it doesn’t explain how we missed finding you on the way up the mountain. It is odd that we did not find you sooner.” Shizu recalled how a few fogs had rolled in these past few weeks.
“Perhaps it was due to how visibility was low during our previous investigations of the mountain, and we were in a rush since the winters out here are brutal. It's not surprising that we were cutting a few corners to get our work done faster." Shizu laughed a bit at her own comment.
“I guess so, even knights need a break sometimes.” Azi added with a chuckle and the two of them shared a somewhat friendly moment together.
“Embarrassing as it was for me to admit. You make a good point. He he he.”
Kajima then laughed “You two don’t know how right you are. I remember a time when I found General Ozen slacking off one day, he was so fuming after that one time we caught him in the act.”
Her interest rising, Shizu insisted that Kajima continue his story, which was much to his own delight, and Azi’s, since it seemed like a good way to pass the time as they tediously trekked through the forest.
Their chat continued as the trio's investigation went on from when the sun was at its highest point to when it was about to touch the top of the mountain in the horizon. During that time, Azi was able to take a hands-on lesson on herbs and foraging.
Getting to know how to live off the land. It would be invaluable for him since Kujyuri didn’t always farm its own food. Buying, selling, and bartering were the means for the exchange for daily necessities.
They had shops but self sufficiency was highly practiced, according to Kajima.