Meeting

The sun was bearing down on the one soul that was walking across the land. He had a large backpack on his back along with a nadochi attached to it. If anyone asked about the pack, he would tell him or her that it was filled with medicines. If anyone asked about the nadochi, it was for protection. He had been traveling for days with no town in sight.

Looking up at the glaring sun, Law shielded his eyes. He was walking across what felt like the desert. It was a prairie that didn't have any shade in sight. He didn't like traveling but it was the only way to get away. The heat was making him sweat in large amounts. There were no trees around so he was out in the open, traveling on a dirt road in suffocating heat.

Looking forward, Law noticed that his vision was blurring. This isn't good. I'm out of food and low on water. I also can't risk stopping to get it out. It had been days since he last ate. People would think that he was starving himself at his appearance, but he was just naturally skinny.

The land he was walking about on was made of grass and flowers. The heat that surrounded him was thick enough for someone to die from being out too long. Law had been walking in this land fro quite some time. The one town that he had stopped in was skittish of him at first. He was a traveling doctor, but when he had entered the town, he had passed out.

The people there were kind but very wary of him. They gave him a place for him to sleep and food. He tended to the sick and wounded. They were thankful for his kindness and the miracles he performed. When they tried to pay him for helping, Law had told them that the room and food was enough of a payment. The bag of money was forced on him, so he carried it. It was attached to his front pants loop.

Can this get any worse than it already is? Right after that thought, his body decided to give out on itself. He fell to the ground and stayed there. Law couldn't move and didn't want to, either. If I just rest here for a bit, I'll be able to move again later.

The rev of an engine made itself known a few yards away. Please let them pass and don't see me. The sound got closer and then stopped. "Hey. It's not a good idea to sleep in the middle of the road." Footsteps crunched on the rocks and dirt and made their way over to him. "Are you okay?" Law said nothing because he couldn't. He would've told them to piss off if he could've.

A had was placed on his shoulder. "Good God. You're as pale as a cloud." Another hand was placed on his forehead. "You're having a heat stroke." Law was picked up and carried some distance away. Where he was placed was placed was cool and it made him want to thank the Lord that it was. His pack disappeared and he grew worried.

A door was shut next to him and another was opened and then shut jus a little bit away. The man had helped him put a hand on his shoulder. "What were you thinking? Walking in this heat. You should know better, doctor." That made Law question if the guy knew by the pack that he was carrying. "You just get some rest. We'll be in the next town in a few hours."

Law groaned in reply. IT was the first noise he was able to get out of his mouth in a while. It hurt his throat. "It'll be alright. Trust me. Just rest." The coaxing worked and Law fell into a fitful sleep.

...

The feeling of something wet and cold awoke Law from his sleep. It was cool in the place he was in and it made him feel better. A woman with blond hair was beside his bed. She was ringing out a rag in a bowl. She turned back to him and gasped. "Excuse me, ma'am. Do you know where my pack is?"

The girl stumbled across the room to get his pack that was sitting beside another bed. His nadochi was against the wall between the beds. "H-Here you are, s-sir. I d-didn't go t-through it." She quickly gave it to him and shied away.

"You are fine. No need to worry." He sat up and set the pack on its side. He opened it up. It opened like a box but had compartments that held different things. He took out a vial that held a clear liquid in it. Placing a dab of the elixir on his finger, Law placed it in his mouth. The girl was astonished when his condition perked up in an instant.

"Are you a d-doctor?" Nodding, Law replaced the vial and shut the pack. He patted his waist and found that the pouch of money was still there.

"Here, ma'am. This is for your troubles." He took out a hand full of the coins and gave them to her. She started to stutter but thanked him in the end.

The door swung open a little bit after the girl had left. "It seems that you're awake. Do you feel any better, Doc?" The man that spoke was tall but not taller than Law. He had wavy, raven hair, slightly tan skin, dark brown eyes, and freckles that dotted across his cheeks. There was a tattoo on his left arm that read ASCE with the S marked out. He was dressed in a pair of black shorts, dark brown boots, and an orange cowboy hat.

"I'm fine, thank you." Law's expression turned sour fast when he remembered how he had gotten where he was. "I didn't need your help. I was doing fine without your help." The man seemed to be taken back at the change in his attitude.

"You were having a heat stroke. I don't think you were fine." The guy sat on the edge of the other bed. "The name's Ace. What's yours?" Law stared at him. Ace didn't know who he was or anything about him. This could be okay.

"Law. I have to get going." He went to stand with his pack but fell over when he got to his feet. Ace had caught him before he hit the floor.

"I don't think you're going anywhere anytime soon, Law. Your body won't let you." Law scowled at the grinning face. He struggled against the hold.

"I'll be fine. This isn't the first time something like this has happened to me." Law pushed at Ace's shoulders and finally broke free. It was strange not being able to get out of a hold easily. Am I really still that weak? It should've given me my strength back by now. He stood up and glared at the other. "I need to leave soon. Goodbye, Ace-ya." He went to leave again when Ace grabbed him by the arm. "Let go of me."

"Where are you headed? I can give you a ride." Law glared at him again. He didn't need anybody's help. There was not a soul alive that he would ask for help. The only person he would've asked was dead. He had been dead for years now.

"I'm not headed to anywhere in particular. I'm just traveling." Law looked away. He was glad that he was wearing a long-sleeve. It kept skin to skin contact to a minimum. Ace could tell that something was off from the way he talked. "I don't need your help and I would just be a nuisance to you anyway."

When he tugged on his arm, Law found that Ace had it in an iron grip. "That makes two of us. I'm just traveling, too. It gets lonely sometimes." Ace was looking away from Law as he spoke. He could feel that what Ace had said was true. It does get lonely when you have no one to talk to.

"Fine. I will travel with you. But we have to leave tonight." Law looked past Ace to the setting sun. He was anxious to get going. That man might still be following me.

"When the sun sets, we'll leave. You need to rest for now." Ace pushed him back onto his bed and Law decided to relax. "I know you want to go now, but your body won't get far with the state of it at this time."

Staring at Ace, Law couldn't help but know that Ace was telling the truth. He needed more rest and a few hours was more than enough time for the elixir to kick in. He didn't want to tell the man about his problem. That would be too much.

"Wake me when the sun is down." Law laid down and turned to give Ace his back. He closed his eyes. The sound of humming reached his ears and lulled him to sleep. What he didn't know was that Ace knew exactly who and what he was but decided to continue to act differently.