Chapter 1: Flame of Memories
The fire radiated soothing warmth and the crackles it gave off were frequent. The luminosity of the flame shone and illuminated the dark and cool night. The light disclosed shadows calmly sitting and chatting amongst themselves. A moving shadow revealed a young girl with golden colored hair and blue cerulean eyes. She smiled and laughed softly as she watched a little robotic machine parading back and forth. Nearby, a woman wearing blue traveling clothes tinkered with a screwdriver on some mechanical remains. She stopped and removed her spectacles and frowned. Wiping her brow, she glanced back down at the parts that lay unfinished on the ground and sighed. Putting on her glasses once more, she resumed fiddling with the bits and pieces of metal.
A gust of frigid wind blew and the fire abruptly died out. The two ladies looked up and began groping around for some flint and wood. No sooner then they began however, the smoldering pile suddenly relit itself. The blaze grew and the inviting light shimmered once more. Standing close to the flame was a burly and large creature. It looked ancient yet very intimidating and powerful. Its body was decorated with trinkets of sorts and prayer beads, hinting at its pious attitude.
The fire continued to burn and the mighty creature sat down upon the ground. Both women smiled and resumed to what they were doing. In another spot near the tent sat another creature. It appeared to be some sort of onion type being. Being close to a flame was an unpleasant and unwise idea; so the creature chose an area a good distance away from the warm fire. It slept soundlessly along with the still and quiet night.
A sudden rustle from some shrubs startled the active group. The girl with blond hair stood and turned toward the origin of the noise. The other two followed suit as well. The woman wearing glasses picked up her large arm cannon and prepared to fire.
"Hold on a minute, it's just me." A voice called out. A figure stepped from the shrubs carrying a fairly large bag with him. The bright fire accentuated his golden skin and soft fur. He wore dark orange pants with an open matching vest, exposing his well-defined and muscular chest and part of his abdomen. Practically his whole body was covered with short golden fur, in addition to his face, which also had brown stripes. Reflections of the glowing fire danced in his amber eyes as he slowly made his way toward the campfire.
The other three let their guard down and sighed. The woman with glasses gave the arriver a stern look as her hands came to her hips. "And just where have you been Rei? We were getting worried with you being gone for nearly the whole day."
Rei dropped the large canvas bag and slumped down against a log, nonchalantly stretching his legs and arms while ignoring the question from the woman. His muted response irritated her and her long white ears twitched in impatience.
"Well?" she pressed on with a clear tone of frustration in her voice. The woren merely yawned while his tail swished back and forth.
"Dun really matter does it? 'sides I'm more than capable of takin' care of myself, unlike someone I know." He indicated with his brown eyes to his large discarded knives near the bag. By now, the woman could think nothing else but thoughts of bloody murder as she prepared to strangle her obnoxious victim. However, the lovely and cheerful blond haired girl intervened just in time.
"Momo calm down already. You know how he is. Rei's just teasing you, aren't you Rei?" she asked innocently and winked. The woren laughed and began rummaging threw his bag. With lightning movements, he produced something from the bag and without warning threw the object at Momo. It hit her squarely in the face and she screamed.
"Ewwww! What is this thing? Get if off, get it off!" She ran around frantically while trying to pry off the foreign object. "Nina, help me!"
Nina couldn't help but giggle as she quickly assisted Momo in the task. Once pulled off, Nina examined the object and nearly screamed herself. The slimy object fell from her hands and she began jumping up and down. There, lying in the dust was a small dead squid. Momo's face turned pale and her hand went to her mouth.
"I see you've been fishing Rei. That's good; we'll have dinner tonight then." The quiet holy beast commented as he stared pensively into the fire. Rei grinned and nodded, his eyes darting mischievously back at the still angry, Momo.
"That's right Garr, and we dun have to worry 'bout wastin' any 'cause I brought plenty of fish and squids too." He replied, emphasizing the word "squids" to provoke her further.
"Oh shut up Rei! You're so childish and immature. Argh I can't get this awful smell off of me. Come on Nina; let's go wash up at the nearby spring!" Momo shouted as she grabbed her discarded ammo gun and a small bag of spare clothing. Nina nodded as well and quickly followed her.
At this point, Garr had fished out some dinner and began preparing. "I shall get dinner started. In the mean time, why don't you go wake up Ryu? He's inside the tent sleeping." He grabbed several sticks and began prodding the fish. Upon hearing Ryu's name Rei hesitated for moment before complying. "Alright..."
He stood and slowly began walking toward the tent. Sooner than he expected, he arrived at the opening. Cautiously, he drew back the flaps and stepped inside. Upon entering a smile slowly crept to his lips. There before him lay the sleeping form of a young man. Spiky blue hair jutted out in odds and ends and there were a few loose strands covering an eye. The man's face was innocent looking yet it held a sign of maturity. Rei knelt down next to Ryu's head as he watched the youth's muscular chest rise up and down steadily. He carefully brushed away the stray tendrils and sighed. The face before him was no longer the childish way it had been . It had been a long time, too long in fact. Ten years had passed since Rei had last seen his close friend and "adopted brother". Visions of the past flooded Rei's mind as he stared down at the boy he once knew.
Silently, he watched his prey intently. His eyes were fierce and menacing. A wild boar, oblivious to the fact that it was about to wind up on a silver platter; munched on a small green apple.
'Just a little closer…a little closer…' The beating of his heart quickened as did his breaths. The thought of all that blood and meat tempted him to no end and he continued waiting. 'That's it. Almost there...' CLANG! A loud metallic ring echoed throughout the forest. The wild boar immediately fled in fear for its life. Rei stood from his position in the bushes and growled angrily. He had almost captured dinner until something scared it off. Curiosity however, tugged on the woren's conscience. He ran toward the direction of where the sound emanated from. Up ahead, a group of wild wolves were busily surrounding an unseen thing.
"Great…a pack of them." Rei muttered to no one in particular. He noticed a metal cage nearby, damaged and ajar. 'Well that explains a lot.' He thought. Tired of waiting and still frustrated from a lost meal, Rei leapt forward and slashed a pair of the beasts. Seeing their fallen comrades, the rest of the pack proceeded to rip Rei to shreds. However, the lithe warrior quickly dispatched the rest of them, moving swiftly and slashing left and right. With all the beasts now dead, Rei finally looked upon what they were after. A mixture of surprise and silence rushed through him. It was a boy…a small child. Rei carefully examined the child; short sky blue hair and a fairly slim tone were apparent. Besides that, the boy was completely nude. Rei felt a flush reaching his face but quickly regained his composure. He knelt down and gently tapped the boys face, but received no response. Rei decided to check for any injuries.
"Nope nutin' at all. The little guy's perfectly fine." He muttered as he lifted the boy's head. Rei's hand brushed against the boy's smooth and warm face. Strangely, it felt as if he knew him from somewhere. Quickly snapping back to reality Rei tried once more to awaken the boy.
"Hey kid, ya ok?" Rei asked. Once again, there was no response except for the boy's steady breathing. "Sleeping huh? I s'pose I can't leave ya out here alone then." Rei thought for a moment and an idea formulated in his mind. "Y'know what? I'm gonna take ya back with me. How's that sound?" Still no answer. Rei chuckled as he lifted the boy over his shoulder.
"Guess ya ain't in the talkin' mood." Another chuckle escaped from his throat. Rei slowly began his trek home carrying this boy and no dinner.
Back at the house, another small boy waited impatiently for his late friend. His lavender hair cascaded down to his back while he watched out through the window for his companion's arrival.
A loud creak indicated the door being open. The boy walked to the door to greet his friend. "Hey Rei what took you so long?" The boy began but stopped as he noticed what Rei was carrying. "Is that dinner?"
Rei sighed. "Always thinkin' with your stomach I see. Quick, help me get this little guy into ya bed." Rei said as he began heading toward the stairs.
"Great so no dinner…" The boy remarked while clutching his stomach. He then just realized what Rei had said. "Wait a minute. Why my bed?"
And that was how Ryu came to be part of the family. All three grew to be fast friends. Adventure and pilfering was always a big part of their lives. Rei was especially surprised by Ryu's bravery during any situation. He proved to be a worthy ally yet fighting was something he hesitated to do at any cost. The boy's innocent and naïve outlook on the world made Rei truly wonder where Ryu had come from. Rei often wondered why Ryu was kept in that cage in the first place. Did the boy have any family or friends searching for him? Whatever the reason, Rei vowed to look after Ryu. He simply could not let such a pure person be harmed in any way or form. Rei felt obligated to protect him like an elder brother. Together, they would live happily and undisturbed….
Rei continued looking down at his young friend, well…not so young anymore. He looked almost angelic while lying there fast asleep. Rei started caressing his cheek on impulse but then suddenly paused. Ryu was no longer a child anymore. He was mature and could now fight on his own. He didn't need Rei to protect him anymore. Rei felt a sort of sorrow in his heart. Never, had he ever felt so…empty.
'I let him down once before that day when those assassins came. I couldn't help him and I failed. Now to think I gots the nerve to come back an' finish what I couldn't do. Ryu dun need me any more; simple as that.' Rei surmised. He stood and headed for the tent opening but paused to turn back and look at his sleeping friend. Part of him wanted to run now and never come back, to stop kidding himself, while the other wanted him to stay…stay and be here close to Ryu.
You know you want to stay. Why leave now? What about Ryu? Part of his inner conscience reached out.
'I can't, I failed to protect Ryu when he needed me. 'sides look at him, he's all grown up now.' Rei argued with himself. Is that so? I'm sure Ryu need's you know more than ever.
As if triggered by this comment Ryu began whimpering. His body tossed and turned from side to side despairingly. Whispers flowed from his mouth incoherently as random words became audible.
"Help me…please" He whispered as his struggling became more and more frantic.
'What's happenin'? S'he havin' a nightmare?' Rei tried to move but was somehow spellbound by what was happening. His body was locked firmly to the ground while all he could do was watch Ryu whispering for help.
'What are ya doing to him? Quit it!' Rei reconnected with his mind. This is not my or your doing. It is the subconscious part of Ryu's mind. Can you not see it? He's suffering and needs you. You say differently but it's apparent now isn't it? Rei felt incredible emotional pain from watching Ryu writing around. Sweat formed in tiny beads and fell from Ryu's brow to the sheets. A slow stream of tears began flowing from Ryu's now pale face.
"Somebody…help me. Where is everyone?" The whispers grew to louder and desperate pleadings.
Ryu is going through something which no one may understand, not even himself. Rise up from your own selfish despair and step into reality. Now is the time for you to be here for him, to help and protect him, to lov... The last part was cut off by a loud cry from Ryu.
"Rei! Please help me!"
Rei broke free from his trance and rushed to Ryu's side. He took a hold of Ryu and slowly began cradling him.
"Shh…s'okay Ryu. Everything's gonna be fine. I'm here for ya." Rei whispered as he rocked held him close and tight. Ryu's cries died down and turned into small whimpers once more. The tears didn't stop though and all Rei could do was reassure him. Rei never really liked physical contact of any sort. He didn't like touching others and he disliked being touched. But Ryu had been an exception to that rule, ever since he was small.
'It's like before…' Rei remembered.
The rain cascaded down in rivers from the dark sky. Thunder boomed endlessly and the night winds howled. Lightning flashed through the air and shattered trees mercilessly. The malicious music of the night awoke a sleeping child. Fear radiated from his eyes as he cried and covered his ears. Another boom of thunder caused the child to run out of the room.
Rei sat by the fireplace and blew into his hands. He wrapped a blanket around himself and placed his hands near the flames. The loud thunder certainly didn't help with getting any sleep and so he decided to stay up. Suddenly, an unmelodic wave of crying alerted his sensitive ears and Rei turned to see a teary-faced, blue-haired boy running down the stairs. "Ryu, what's the matter?" Rei asked as he stood from his chair and caught the smaller boy in a hug. Ryu clung to Rei's stomach and sobbed while the woren gently patted his head. He knelt and used a finger to wipe away forming tears from Ryu's face. "Bad dream huh?"
The small boy nodded as he hugged Rei tighter. The woren smiled and took a hold of Ryu's hand.
"Come on; let's get you back into bed." He walked with the boy and helped him back into the small bed. An open window creaked as it swayed back and forth. It was shut with a soft click and Rei turned to leave the room.
"Big brother Rei?" A meek voice called out. Rei looked back and sighed. He sat next to Ryu on the bed and frowned at him.
"Okay okay, I'll stay right here. Don't worry now, get some sleep." Rei said. Ryu nodded and close his eyes and in few moments was fast asleep. Rei smiled at the sleeping angel and suddenly was overcome by a wave of fatigue. He yawned and lay next to the boy, wrapping his arm around the back of him.
"Good night Ryu…sleep tight 'cause everythin' will be alright."
"Everythin's all right Ryu…" Rei whispered. He held the younger man tighter and closed his eyes, praying for everything to truly be alright. Soon the struggling ceased altogether and Ryu's body relaxed. Eyes fluttered open, revealing reflections of a perfect lake.
"R..Rei?" A voice broke the silence.
The woren's eyes snapped open and he loosened his grip on Ryu. He pushed him back just far enough so that their eyes met. Topaz met cerulean as silence took over once more. "I was having…" Ryu began
"A nightmare? Ya I know Ryu." Rei finished the sentence. He released his grip and looked down in shame.
"I'm sorry Ryu…" Rei murmured. The younger man looked puzzled and continued staring at his woren friend.
"Sorry? For what Rei?"
Just as he started to explain himself the sound of cloth rustling alerted the two. Both turned to see the mighty Garr entering the tent.
"What's going on? I thought I heard yelling."
"Ain't nothin' at all, we're fine…" Rei hastily replied. He stood and treaded toward the exit of the tent.
"Rei wait!" Ryu called out. Rei paused and looked back to his friend. Again his inner self reached out to him. Still thinking about leaving? Even after all that? '…….'
"I need some air, that's all." With that said the lithe woren stepped out into the cool night. The air felt wonderful and the stars glittered brightly. Outside, he nearly fell over the sleeping onion creature. The loud movement awakened the bulb and it squeaked as it looked up at piercing and intimidating eyes.
"Pu puuu?"
"Err…sorry Peco. But ya really shouldn't sleep where someone could step on ya." Rei commented as he stalked toward the campfire. He sat on the cold log and gazed pensively into the fire.
You're so foolish at times. It's obvious that you care for him. Maybe even more than you think…
'Say what? Don't get me wrong now. Ryu is like a brother to me, nothing more and nothing less.'
Not the way I see it. Think carefully now Rei. Growing up you did treat him with extra care didn't you? You were clearly attached to him whether you realize it or not. 'You're telling me that I…him…we?'
I won't tell you anything. That is for only you to decide. Instead of trying to use that brash head of yours look deeper, into your heart and soul…
A small spark from the flame brought Rei back to reality. He yowled in pain and glared at the fire as he rubbed his singed tail, as if trying to intimidate the flickering essence. The whole fiasco ended in less than a minute and Rei found himself staring into the burning light once more. Countless thoughts rushed through his head as he went over the night's events. Unfortunately, frustration spread and contaminated his thoughts and he growled and fell back against the cool grass. Laying there, he calmed down and closed his eyes. His thoughts were foggy and unclear. However, one last thought remained pure in his mind and he couldn't help but softly smile.
"Dun this just beat all." he muttered.
Redone a little. Chapter 2 Coming soon. I promise.