Part 3: Memories
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----"Repressed memories?"
Eclipse looked up from the lecture notes he is holding. Raenef is a little distracted than his usual self, which is not a good sign. The noble demon have a bad feeling 'that book' might have left some enchantment in him. And he hopes its not a serious case.
"Yeah," Raenef tossed his blonde head lazily in one side, "It's something way back in your childhood, that you know of, then you tend to forget when you grow older---"
"Yes indeed, there are things that we forget as we go older." Eclipse replied curtly. "In a demon's case, we have higher retentive memory because we lived much longer."
"But I'm not one until now---, but I wish I could remember---"
"Yes, Lord Raenef. And you will."
The young demon lord perked up quick, "Really, Eclipse? you will help me?"
The raven haired liege sighed and gave the young demon lord a quick going over before finally setting the lectured notes down the table near him. "Its not really a hard task, Lord Raenef. Its a matter of using hyponsis. Your personality and memories are somehow fractured when you're brought here from the future, but it doesnt mean its lost forever."
"Oh good, then i will know what I keep seeing on my dreams then."
...dreams..?,now Eclipse have taken great interest. I hope its not a form of enchantment...
"Now tell me, Lord Raenef. What do you see in your dreams?" Eclipse questioned.
Raenef sat up and looked far away, squinting his eyes, as he tries his best to recall everything. "It was about my past as a young orphan, Eclipse." he started, "It was those early days when I struggled to survive, I remember those moments fondly---but there is also this girl...
....a girl..
The blonde noticed the weird surprised stare, and quickly blushed like a ripe red tomato. Raenef quickly looked down and fiddled with his fingers, so that the demon won't notice the embarrasment written all over his face. "She's a little girl---my age around that time. I think she is also an orphan-- she has long raven black hair, like yours. And she constantly saved me from thugs and chasing market vendors..."
"A long lost childhood friend, I presume..." Eclipse said in an observant tone.
"Yes, yes! That's why I think so too---" Raenef agreed, nodding his head excitedly. "The odd thing is, she have--- wild yellow eyes, Eclipse. I never knew anyone who have such eyes. "
Eclipse took note of the last statement, --yellow eyes, where do I heard of this before?. He set the thought for awhile, "Do you know, if by any chance this girl have a name, Lord Raenef? If you do remember?"
"Yeah, I supposed so--I think it was Anna"
--- ----
Annaa..Anna Banana..
Quit that, Rae!..
It was a peaceful wonderful sequence. Everything seemed to be embraced with cheerful laughter and warm sunlight, as a young Raenef played with the young girl in his dreams. They will be running away from merchants, and vendors. They'll relax on the grassy fields or drink and play by the riverbank. He will cry as he was being picked upon, but that raven haired ball of tomboyish energy will pounce and threaten them--- even if theyre twice her size.
Then...there is this point were, she dragged him forcefully to a group of young boys, some are older by a few years--- all kids of the street. He curled into fear as he see the way they gazed at him.
"Don't be silly, Raenef. They will take care of you." she said, brightly. "This is Kunio, he is with me at the orphanage before it burned. He is like a big brother to me." Anna pointed to one of the tallest member of the group. Kunio is a boy who is almost around eleven, and he have a roughly cut unusually silver hair. He gave Raenef a quick smile. "Any friend of Anna, is welcome to my group." he said, stretching his hand to welcome the small blonde boy.
"Aren't you thieves!" Raenef nervously blurted out. He realized it was too late when he everyone became quiet and starts to give him uneasy glares. But Anna broke the tension. "They have to survive, Rae."
"Don't worry, we don't hurt anyone." Kunio quipped, trying to make Raenef at ease. "We just dont steal for ourselves, we also help others keep food in there tables. Kids like us."
"Kunio is right," one of the kids called out from the crowd. And one by one, each boy voiced out positively their own opinion. In minutes, Raenef is welcomed warmly to the guild. "Won't Anna join us?" he squeaked trying to catch a glimpse of Kunio, while straining from the hugs, shoulder pats and head rubs. The raven haired girl just stood calmly on a certain distance.
There was a strange far-away gaze coming from Kunio's violet eyes. "Nah kid, someone else is looking for Anna. Heard she is going to this special place."
The young blonde remembered the incident when Anna saved him from the merchant where he stole a couple of fresh baked rolls. "She said someone is waiting for her."
"Oi, I think she is calling you, kid." one of the older kids called out, "better go to her then"
Anna partially hid herself round the corner as little Raenef went running to meet her. When he stopped breathing hard in front of her, he noticed she is holding something on her hand.
"I want you to have this before I go," she said. In her hand, she hold a small glass ball. She gave it to him, and it emitted a strange blinding light. "Even if you will forget me, you will have this Raenef."
"What are you saying?" he gasped, noticing that his young friend is starting to cry. "Are you leaving?!"
"Kunio is like a brother to me, he will---be looking after you."
The light surrounding the mysterious object intensifies, gradually blurring out everything else---including Anna's face.
"Nooo!" he cried, Dont leave me....
Don't leave me, please---
Suddenly, there was a change of scenario. Raenef realized he have been dreaming. He saw himself from this current point of time standing in a bleak dried up meadow. Everything was in black and white. Another dream---not a good one.
There stood, in the middle of the lifeless landscape, a young lady robed in white with long raven hair just like eclipse's. She have, piercing yet sad yellow eyes.
Anna?...Anna!
He ran towards her, but instead Raenef ran through what seems to be a invisble boundary.... a shield
The invisible shield held them few feet away from each other. She just stood there, lifeless...As the young demon lord pounded at the the barrier, he watched in horror as a mirage took place behind her. A burning town, beings---no, demons...being slaughtered by a big human army. Anna just stood there, and slowly her gown starts to be soaked by red blood...
NOOOO!!
Raenef, finally woke up with a start. He could still hear his echoes from the vastness of his large room. He was fortunate, that it was raining wildly outside---or Eclipse might have heard it. He have been acting strangely the moment he mentioned the girl in his dreams have yellow eyes. And for some reason, he have a gut feeling he won't help him--
With the dream fresh in his mind, the young demon lord have come up with a new resolve. He have to go out of castle, and now. For some reason his repressed memories are flooding back, and he have to do something about it. Anna...just who she was in his early life--- he wants to know and what have become of her.
I have to go back to the guild. He thought solemnly, as he grabbed a pair of boots and a thick cloak. He did recall someone with the named Kunio in the thieves guild, although he rarely appear and interact with the others. Raenef remembered sources and important information coming from him, or at least hearing from others that it came from him. No one have a clue where he lives, and any whereabouts or information about him travels only by word of mouth. But nevertheless, Kunio have the information he might need to know behind all these dreams.
With a brief incantation, Raenef vanishes
-- end of part THREE --