“Sister! Sister! SHIZU! What did you do this time!” A young man with black hair, furry ears like Ozen and Shizu, and somewhat sunken eyes confronted his apparent sister. To Azi, he looked ticked off.
By how he was rubbing the ache on his head, courtesy of Shizu’s earlier toss to dispose of the evidence of her blunder, Azi deduced a bit of animosity between the two, though it seemed like Shizu had gotten on her brother’s nerves more often than not.
How he knew this was a matter of how Yashimu looked angry yet not too infuriated. Fed up was the more apt term he’d use, and how he called Shizu his sister made it seem like they had these kinds of spats before.
Shizu’s brother held the bucket at her, pressing it into her hands.
“And what was with the bucket that hit me!” He stated. “You could’ve hurt someone! First you have me go off to grab it for you, and then you toss it, what in the world are you doing!”
“Oh shut it Yashimu.” She pushed back, knocking Yashimu’s pointed finger away. “There is no issue, no one got hurt!”
“I! DID! You numbskull! Don’t you have any propriety for your actions? What would our little sister think if you kept being this belligerent! You should be a better example for her.”
That statement apparently made Shizu flare. “First! I am not a numbskull! And I make a great role model. Lastly, again, I have no idea where that bucket came from. You must have imagined it.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Well believe it, not my problem if something is wrong with your head.
Shizu was not backing down and a heated argument began between them. Luckily, the seemingly abrasive brother sister duo were broken up by none other than their father.
Intervening, Ozen held a hand to Shizu, preventing her from doing anything violent again. To his credit, she had a streak of putting people into a quick unconsciousness rather than debate. He sighed, thinking it was his fault for giving her so much freedom.
But! Could you put it against him? She was his firstborn and lovable daughter, or, was his lovable daughter.
She's getting too violent these days, it’s been like this since her childhood, I thought she would grow out of it.
Exhaling while stifling his regrettable sigh, Ozen opened up.
“Calm down Shizu, let’s move on from recent events. We should first get Azi in order and handle our affairs.”
“Fine.” Shizu reluctantly gave into his request, more out of respect than it was for her own faults, which was something both Yashimu and Azi picked up on. They sighed in unison whereby they noticed each other and gave each other a look of understanding.
For a second, they got the odd feeling to shake hands and eventually did. It felt right, and Azi sensed as if he had joined a club for people who had to put up with Shizu and her nonsensicalness. Introducing himself, Azi sized Yashimu up.
“My name is Azi, nice to meet you Yashimu, you must be Ozen’s son, a prince?”
“Correct, but not exactly. Well met Azi. I do hope my sister hasn’t caused you any harm. But.” Yashimu gave Azi a once over as well and noticed his drench clothes and bruised cheek. He frowned deeply and admonished Shizu in his heart.
“I apologize for her actions. She can be..” He sighed and Azi filled in the blanks.
“A handful?”
“Yes, I again apologize. Here, take this as recompense for your troubles.” He held out to Azi a small pouch with what looked like coins. As generous as his offered recompensation and his actions were, Azi waved it off.
“No no, there is no need for that.”
“You sure Azi?” Ozen cut in, intrigued as to Azi’s reasoning why he would deny money of all things in this situation. “Do you even have any money? By the looks of your clothes, you looked like you got robbed in the mountains.”
That, Azi couldn’t deny. His pockets were empty and they were torn. So whatever he had on his person was probably either lost or stolen. In any case, all that Azi had were the rags that he wore. It made the offered pouch of coins more tempting, but he shook his head.
“I’d rather earn my own money than rely on gifts. I don’t really get it myself, but I don’t like handouts.”
“Hand.. outs?” Yashimu looked confused as to why Azi would deny his offer. He quickly deduced that this boy likely had a kind of code he lived by, or some kind of values by how adamant he was when he tried to offer the coins again.
Yet again, Azi waved it off, a stern kind of demeanor which seemed out of place to Yashimu. Trying again, he asked.
“Are you sure? You could use this to keep you going until you get back on your feet.”
“I know, but it just feels wrong.” Azi thought for a moment. He did want the money, but desired to obtain it through means more honest rather than through the idiocy of Shizu’s actions.
As if noticing his inward insult to her, Shizu flared her eyes at him. She clenched her fist but was stopped by Ozen, pulling her a small distance away. Azi brewed for a moment and an idea popped up. A sort of compromise came to mind.
“How about this, instead of offering money, I would instead like to be given a job? Or if you could direct me to a place I could find work? I don’t have much and I don’t have anyone to rely on, so a friend or contact would be better than material money.”
To Yashimu, it sounded like Azi was asking to serve as his attendant. He was dubious to do so, yet he liked the mannerisms of this boy. Short and somewhat unathletic as he looked, he had an air of professionalism and maturity not usually found in kids his age.
He humored him, adding a smile to tease the idea.
“Are you offering to be my servant? I am not sure if you could handle the work, but we could try.”
“No no, nothing like that. I don’t think I’m qualified to even be one. For all I know, I’m only a peasant in the social hierarchy. I was thinking that instead of materialistic exchange, how about a more long term one, like partners in a.. project?”
“Hmm, I do like the sound of that. What do you suppose?” That was interesting. Yashimu paralleled Azi’s offer to those of a statesman. No, he was more like part merchant or trying to treat who he talked to as an equal in a deal.
Usually, nobles like Yashimu would never humor people in such a low class like Azi. But Yashimu was different. The people are the treasure of the nation, and the nation could not run without the people.
Piquing his curiosity, was also how he got the feeling Azi was different like himself as well. Not an ordinary peasant. That thought was cemented when Yashimu reviewed and deduced Azi was educated in some manner by his speech pattern.
“I could use some help in studying certain topics that I can’t do myself. Would you happen to be able to do them for me?” Asked Yashimu. “The pay won’t be good since it will be out of my personal pocket, I can also arrange a modest amount of accommodations?”
“Hmmm, it depends on the topic. Is it math, literature, some kind of trade skill, computation science, engineering, or something to do with metallurgy?”
“Trade skill? Computation? Science? Engineering?” Yashimu was not expecting such unique words to come out of Azi's mouth. He didn’t know what they all meant. Trade skill made sense but computation and engineering eluded him.
“Huh? You don’t know what those are?”
“No, not at all, if you could tell me I would be grateful.”
“Then let’s discuss the price.”
“Of course.” Yashimu agreed. He was always interested in learning new topics. Academics was Yashimu’s forte and while not as good as his sister, his time in the Empire’s Capital Academy were the most memorable times of his life.
With the conversation turning to a more amicable and business-like mood, Ozen was impressed. Not only for his son’s adaptive and welcoming nature with Azi, a stranger, but Azi’s long term thinking and well educated mind was a surprise.
He seemed like an adolescent child by his appearance, yet his demeanor would put many in his court to shame. Deferential and honest were two ways he would describe him. He seemed intelligent as well, but more.. flexible.
Ozen spoke up, offering an idea to the table.
"I think I may have an offer, one better than my son’s. Would it be alright if I offer it?”
Ozen turned to Yashimu, seeking his approval, which he readily gave.
“Yes, I don’t mean to get in the way. I-”
“It is no issue Yashimu, you can still talk with Azi in the future about your own matters, but.” Getting their attention, Ozen patted his son’s shoulder, relaying a slight amount of urgency in his grip.
Yashimu tensed and looked up at him.
“Yashimu, I need you to finish up the hunt I had given to you and your sister. We leave in a few days so be sure to get it done or at least implement preventative measures."
"What Father! Why?" Shizu suddenly cried out in indignation. "Why are you letting Yashimu handle the hunt, wasn't I the one to be in charge of that task?"
"Shizu! Be silent!" Yelled Ozen, his tone so firm it was like stone. His eyes were now squinting as his brow furrowed in obvious discomfort. His entire being changed to his regal and court-like mannerisms.
Azi even tensed, feeling the pressure of a King first hand.
It was like staring at a mountain, and the fact Ozen towered over him made the metaphor more menacing. Ozen continued and rounded on Shizu with his stalwart brown eyes.
"I will have no complaints from you on this matter, but be at ease. Know that you will be taking part in the hunt. I may have taken the responsibility off your shoulders but I do this for a reason. Your brother needs this experience as you already have much in these matters. Right now, I want you to give Azi a tour of Shisayama. Get him clothed and have him take up residence with Kajima, he owes me a favor or two. Tell him to shelter Azi and help him find his way. I believe this is a good fit for his talent and the use of favor I have with him.”
"But I…!” She huffed, not liking it, but Ozen was King, she would abide, but would do so begrudgingly. “FINE! But!” She said with emphasis. “On the next hunt, I get to call the shots. Do we have a deal, father?"
Seeing the downtrodden expression she had, Ozen remembered that in her youth, she was an outgoing little lass, and it seemed that her habits still showed in her adulthood.
A fatherly chuckle escaped his lips, he compromised with his sweet and troublesome little daughter, but added a condition of his own as he broke away the pressure he was putting out.
"Alright, but you must treat Azi well. His safety will be your responsibility. If I hear a complaint from him then I'll have to reconsider who will lead the next hunt."
"Yes, Yes Father, I'll do my best. Even if this boy is rude, I will be gentle.” Her nonchalance made Ozen groan, it wasn’t the encouraging words he was looking for and he wished he could’ve given the task to Yashimu.
He did want to, but was trying to groom and teach them both in a field they had the least experience in. Yashimu had very few times taken command of people, while Shizu had only lightly interacted with the people in a common setting.
Accepting Shizu’s assurance, he knew that she was going to be a headache he would have to handle later. Ozen then looked to Azi, he seemed to be dwelling on what he had said, about this Kajima fellow.
“Currently, my friend Kajima is in need of an assistant in his work. If you are willing, he can provide you with room and board, how does that sound?” Ozen offered and Azi put a hand to his chin.
Stolen story; please report.
It was a tempting offer and was more fair in Azi’s opinion. Yashimu was giving the same, though minus the addition of a person to look after him.
Right now, what Azi wanted was an honest job, a place to stay, food and water, and knowledge. While Yashimu’s earlier offered recompense in hard cash would have enabled him to buy what he needed, how long would it last him?
Information and connections were the better commodities than money, and while Yashimu’s subsequent offer to serve him in some limited capacity was another opinion that fulfilled what he needed, Ozen’s had more room for discussion.
Also, getting in contact with a person personally known by a King was tempting. Still, he was going to temper his optimism and keep his guard up, he knew little about the place he was in, so danger was around.
“I’ll take you up on your offer. Hopefully I’ll be able to get along with this Kajima guy.”
"I’m sure you will.” Chuckled Ozen. “As short as our time together has been, it has been interesting. While I would like to give you a tour of the village personally, there are matters that I must finish today. Shizu will be your guide for now."
Azi frowned at that, he was annoyed that he would be stuck with such a troublesome woman, but with a placating tone, Ozen reassured him once again.
"I know that you are likely confused and annoyed with your current situation, but trust me, I will leave you in good hands. My friend Kajima is a dependable man and while he does seem abrasive from time to time, he is a kind soul underneath that thick skin of his."
In a whisper, Ozen secretly added as he leaned down to his ear level. "Please bear with Shizu's attitude, she is a good girl at times and treats children very well. So you will be fine."
Azi felt off with how Ozen was calling him a child, though he decided to let it lay. He knew what was bothering him but it didn’t really matter. Instead, in an odd sense, his attention drew to Shizu's strength, which was actually more reassuring than Ozen’s words.
While she might be violent and very troublesome to get along with, she would be a reliable guard dog. After sighing, Azi acquiesced.
"While I do have some misgivings about the current situation."
He glanced at Shizu to make his point.
"I will accept your kindness. Thank you for your assistance thus far, I will endeavor to repay my debt to you Ozen."
Affirming his sincerity, Azi straightened his back, naturally changed his expression to a business-like smile, and politely bowed with one arm crossed flat against his chest in a gesture of respect.
This got everyone’s attention. They did not think that someone so young was able to act so nobly, he was mimicking similar courtesy found in the Capital and they were spot on. They thought he was a random youth, and his initial behavior and young appearance made him seem like a reckless child that was laxed and who spoke his mind no matter what.
After a few moments of silence passed, it was broken as Ozen bellowed a laugh.
"Bwahahaha, you are a really interesting boy. Too think you could act and talk in such a noble way. Bwahahaha!! You are a surprising youth!"
His loud voice bellowed into the surroundings of the village and caught the attention of the inhabitants of the garden who were beginning their early morning chores. They looked on at their king with a wry smile, thinking to themselves, 'Oh, it's just Ozen being his usual self, hahaha.'
“Uh! Oh! Ahem!”
He coughed to hide his slight embarrassment from the attention he was getting and then motioned to Shizu and Yashimu to be on their way.
Shizu turned to Azi with a frown. Reluctant as she was to be playing babysitter, this was by order of her nation’s King and her father.
"Follow me." She said. Uninterested if he would really follow, she turned and walked off at a brisk pace. "Let's get you clothed before you embarrass yourself."
Looking down, Azi saw his wet attire and torn clothes. It began to chaff in a few places. He nodded in agreement and hurriedly walked beside her.
"That.. is something I can agree with. I'm in your hands then."
“Hmph! Then hurry up. Don’t dilly dally, time is short.”
Going around in town garbed in his ragged clothes seemed wrong, so he was a bit self conscious as he walked. He looked like a beggar. If he had a hat and sat at the side of the main road, that would probably complete the look.
Walking down the dirt road towards what Shizu had explained was the southern end of the village, Azi took in the sights. From what he could tell, the village was divided up into 3 sections. There were the northern and southern portions, which were filled with shops such as smiths, food stands, inns, and other places of business.
In comparison, the central portion of the village was where the permanent residents had built their homes. Shizu continued to explain that this layout was due to how the village of Shisayama was a rest stop between the empire's capital named Yamato and the nation of Kujyuri's capital, also aptly named Kujyuri.
People would either rest in the northern and southern portions in inns or would get some quick shopping done to then move onto the last leg of the journey to either Kujyuri or Yamato.
The location Shizu and Azi were headed to was towards a smith's shop at the outer region of the southern portion of the village.
“Excuse me, but Shizu? Why are we headed so far out? Shouldn’t Kajima be in the residential area? He should be in one of these shops, right?”
“No, Kajima’s abode should be an hour's walk from here. We’ll have to head to the outer vicinity of the village since his workshop is set up in an odd place.”
“But, why is that? From what you told me about him, he’s a blacksmith, so shouldn’t his shop be somewhere in the village commerce area?”
Shizu let out a tired sigh as she had to explain how Kajima had a hobby of testing his tools frequently which caused a lot of noise and was quite dangerous to anyone in his surroundings during said tests.
So, Kajima set up shop as far as he could within the village boundaries in order to not cause disturbances in the village. His weapon tests tend to get a bit too overzealous.
So overzealous that nearby trees and boulders would be slashed or smashed to pieces. Supposedly, from Shizu’s memory as a child, the once jagged patches of land surrounding Kajima’s houses in the past were flattened by his so-called "light" "tests".
Azi tensed up and worried that the person he might be left with would be quite the meathead as well. Still, he tempered his opinions. Maybe he would be wrong? Or maybe he was right? He hoped the latter was incorrect.
Along the way, Shizu grabbed some clothes from a shop that was just on the edge of the village's outskirts. They were cheap and while that was a sign they could be of poor make, Shizu seemed confident about her choice.
She threw them at Azi and directed him harshly to go change in one of the booths in the shop.
"Here, put these on in that room and don't complain.”
"Yeah Yeah." Azi replied sarcastically. “This is some odd clothing though.”
“It’s pretty normal, have you not worn clothes like this before.”
“No clue, just.. Hmm?”
“What is it? Something wrong?”
Azi had begun inspecting the clothes with a keen eye. It was odd for Shizu to see such avid interest in cloth work or clothing. With how long he was taking to think, she got fed up and shoved him.
“Will you hurry up! We have places to go, so stop window shopping.”
“Ouch, alright alright, jeez, you’re kind of mean aren’t you.”
By how she held her nose up, Azi got the feeling that Shizu was very abrasive with the opposite sex, he did not know why, but he knew that she did not like him one bit. Still, she was accommodating in some small ways, she at least got him some clothes even though she didn’t need to.
Settling himself in the booth, he began to strip off his rags. He then began to put on the new clothes, which took a bit of time. What was keeping him up was how he was unfamiliar with putting them on right. There were so many layers and there was no underwear. He was also confused, there was a large hole in one of the pants that he was given.
A bit concerned, he was worried that he was going to mess up on properly attiring himself, so he called out for his guide.
"Hey Shizu, I need your help. I don't know how to properly put some of this on."
"Are you kidding?” He heard her sigh as she continued. “Alright, but are you clothed?"
Thinking to himself that Shizu's question was a bit strange, he thought to answer seriously but wanted to get back at her for punching him. So, in a joking manner, he teased her a bit.
"Yes, but I can be unclothed if you like."
"Gross." She said in disgust. "You are such a pervert." She muttered and made a note to punch him if he really was naked or trying to pull one on her.
"Alright, keep your clothes on, I'm coming in."
Declaring her intent, she entered the room and then began to walk Azi through on how to get dressed. Azi learned that the long piece of cloth he thought was for tightening his waist, was actually underwear and explained that he could just cover the hole in the pants with a bit of fabric.
Still befuddled by the purpose of the hole, he asked her.
"What is this for anyway? It seems like a mistake in the knitting."
"That would be for your tail." Shizu then indicated her own with her hand. It was a long and fluffy fox tail which drew Azi's attention away for a moment. He wanted to touch it, but hearing Shizu continue her explanation, he turned away to ensure he heard her correctly.
"In your case, you don't have one.” She paused and gazed at him, looking him up and down. Usually, to her knowledge, those that lost their tails were soldiers who fought in wars and battles. Azi did not look like the fighter type of person, yet he had no tail.
He also didn’t have furry ears, though some in the capital shaved them. Or, was this normal for people from the western nation? She didn’t know where he came from or his customs, but his lack of a tail was strikingly apparent to her.
“I must ask, but what happened to your tail? How did you lose it?"
"Not sure, I mainly woke up like this, maybe it got cut off or fell off? Either way, nothing to worry about now. Not like I’m hurt." He shrugged to Shizu.
"I’m surprised, your nonchalance seems to reinforce just how uncouth you are, how are you not worried? I heard from my father while you slept, and you said it yourself, you might have amnesia. How does this not make you feel that something is wrong?"
Azi's body suddenly stiffened up as her words, "something is wrong", struck a nerve. It hit deep into Azi's mind and he could feel that he was missing something. He was disturbed and it showed on his face. He shook his head to push the feeling away.
"Yes, something is wrong, but when I think about it, I get a strange sensation. It’s odd, I don’t.. hmmm..”
Seeing his obvious distress, Shizu felt regretful for possibly touching on a sensitive topic. She guessed he was in a fragile state, not knowing much about his surroundings, it was like he was lost, and.. alone. She interrupted him.
"Alright Alright, no need to share. Stop already. You look like you're about to freak out, get your clothes on will you. We need to hurry before Kajima's workshop gets too busy. I'll be outside waiting for you. Let me know if you need anything else.”
Without hearing a response from Azi, Shizu left the changing booth and made her way back to the entrance of the shop.
Seeing her off, Azi sighed and then thought to himself.
'My memories are all broken at best, I at least remember my name but besides that there are times where I feel as if I have seen this before or get this sudden urge to act in a sudden way. Maybe that was what I was like before?'
Azi sighed once more. 'Well, no use in asking questions, better to just act normal and see what happens. But man, I really wanna touch that fluffy tail, but I think I'll die if I tried.’
He sighed a third time, more for his distress in not knowing how Shizu’s fluffy tail felt. If only he had his own.
As humorous as he found his thoughts were, Azi in truth had deduced that his tormented time in that black void from his memories had likely left him traumatized. As bad as it sounded, he himself actually felt better.
He saw his current situation as if it were a clean slate. There were no obligations from the past or mental pressures to hold him down, and while he did worry about where he truly came from, it felt like a fleeting thought he’d get to and resolve eventually.
Perhaps this lack of urgency was some kind of mental block to keep him sane, but Azi could only speculate. Going by how he had been interacting with Shizu, he thought he was still somewhat in his right mind.
But being sane wasn’t the only aspect he observed from himself. Contrastingly, he found a disconnect in how he acted from his fragment memories.
He got the odd sense that he was very uptight in his past since his instinctual politeness to Ozen and Yashimu from before was done more out of habit than choice, Every now and again though, he felt less uninhibited, and was able to let loose. Like how he spoke to Shizu in an informal manner.
He knew she was some kind of royal, yet he didn’t mind showing mild distaste for her conduct. He could really speak his mind and it was a freeing sensation, as if he had just uncaged a locked up bird within him.
Finishing up, Azi tied the last cloth binding on his clothes, which consisted of a green cloak that descended to the side of his hips, a white and blue tunic with long sleeves, a white undershirt that felt a bit rough on the skin, and long pants that descended the entire length of his legs.
His underwear was formed of a tight loincloth wrapped around his groin, and finally a long piece of gray cloth wrapped around his waist that held the shirt and pants against his hips.
Bundled up from the winter cold, he stepped out of the shop to meet Shizu.
"How do I look?" He tugged at his clothes, adjusting them in place as he turned for her to look.
"Decent at best, but I'm glad that they fit."
Azi grinned a bit, hiding a small laugh.
"Thanks, it seems you somehow knew my sizes from the beginning. I wonder?” He teased. “Just, what did you do to me while I was unconscious?"
“Hmph! As if I need to even touch you to know your size.”
Scoffing at his implicating words, Shizu turned away and continued her tour of the village. Azi quickly followed with a smile on what Shizu could only describe as his dumb face.
For the rest of their time in the village, Azi got to familiarize himself with the area. What first caught his attention was how the houses were all made of wood. That was strange, to him he usually thought that houses would be built out of a combination of metal, glass, and concrete.
He was then further befuddled as he noticed that every one of the villagers had fluffy ears and a tail. They were clothed in attire made of weaved fabric and it was easy to see that the clothes were made by hand rather than by a machine.
It was noticeable that all the clothes the residents were wearing were uniquely different from one another.
While he did see a clothing shop here and there, it usually only had clothes made with a uniform shape but had the telling signs that each had their slight differences in design since they were hand crafted.
When he asked Shizu just how much his clothes cost, he realized he could not interpret the true value of the type of currency used. The currency was different from what he remembered as it was going by the denomination of Minos, an unfamiliar term to him.
Distracted by his own thoughts, Azi suddenly bumped into something. To his surprise, what he bumped into looked like a giant bird and riding on top of it was a villager who looked at Azi. The villager paid him no mind as he guided his giant bird around him.
Never had Azi thought he had seen a bit that big. It was bigger than a person. He looked around and then saw what looked like a huge lizard. In comparison, the size of the bird was about 1.5 meters tall, but this lizard was even bigger, maybe at least 2 meters in height.
Amazed at the astonishing size of these creatures, he knew he would have to ask this ‘Kajima’ for details about that. Ozen spoke well of him, so maybe Kajima was a noble, and likely a well educated one as well.
His head turning round and round, Azi's curiosity of the world around him compelled him to better understand the unknown surroundings he found himself in. He was elated by the prospect of experiencing new things and learning about new topics.
Every little thing was so fantastical to him. Though it delayed how long it would take for them to get to Kajima’s workshop, a concern Shizu was trying to keep her temper from going haywire.