Hello all. You may know me as Touya the ice master, but there's more to me than ice. Much more, as you'll find out if you read on.
I was born in a small village. I was an only child because my father died when I was around 2. My two best friends, Jeryd and Kozo, were a year older than I was, and my only friend who was a girl was three years older. Now, when I was three, I developed a mild crush on Cite, who was at the time 5. Jeryd was struck by lightning on his fourth birthday, and this caused his two light green forelocks to stand up like antennae. From that day on, Jeryd was able to pick up human radio stations with his hair. On Cite's sixth birthday, I hadn't been feeling well and so Mother hadn't allowed me to go to Cite's birthday party. Jeryd had promised he'd give her my gift, and stop by later to tell me how she liked it. I was sitting in Father's oversized and overstuffed armchair, looking rather small, drinking some soup Mother had made, when there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Jeryd, I ran to open t, but Mother stopped me.
"Touya, I want you to hide under the armchair, ok?" She said quietly.
"But Momma I don't wanna!" I whined.
"Touya, go hide." She said. My big white dog, Saiisha, nudged me toward the chair. I ran toward it, but tripped and fell on my unstable 3 year old feet. Saiisha helped me to my feet, and I crawled under the armchair, peering out from under it wide-eyed. Checking once to make sure I was safe, Mother opened the door. I recognized the demon as a friend of my father's, but he reeked of liquor. My eyes lit up, and I started to run toward the demon, but Saiisha blocked my exit. I couldn't see over her, but I could hear all too well what happened next.
"Ish Touya here?" The drunkard slurred.
"No, I'm sorry, he's at a friend's." Mother lied. He struck her.
"Lyin' bitch! Tell meh where da brat ish now!" I clutched my special toy, a small bear, close. "Won't talk? Then I'll make it sho you'll neva talk again!" A gurgling, choking gasp. I heard my other dog, Kakayro, snarl warningly. I heard a thump, and Kakayro started barking madly. I heard her yelp, then I heard another thump.
"Touya!" The demon called my name. I whimpered softly and shrank back.
"Maybe Magsh washn't lyin after all." He cast one more look around. "Touya, ya little shnot, if you're in here, you'd better run, and run fasht, cuz if I ever get my handsh on ya, I'll kill ya then and there!" The door slammed. Saiisha's friendly face appeared, and her tail thumped the ground. I crawled out from under the chair, and Saiisha wouldn't even let me look once toward the door. She led me to my room, and I knew we were leaving. I put my prized possessions into a bag, except for my bear, which I always carried. In the bag there were four things; a picture of Mother and Father when Mother was pregnant with me, a wooden soldier Father had carved for me before he died, a picture of me, Jeryd, and Kozo, and a drawing Cite had given me of me and her holding hands. Saiisha took the bag in her mouth, and lay down so I could climb onto her back. We snuck out the back door and never looked back. That night, it got bitterly cold, and I lay shivering.
"I want my Momma, Saiisha." I cried. Saiisha whined and snuggled against me to keep me warm. I fell asleep, curled up in Saiisha's warm fur. The next day, we traveled on, and met a demon who shared his dinner with us, and taught me how to cook a small portion of what Saiisha had caught for her own supper. The next day, we went our separate ways. Once, Saiisha came back from an unsuccessful hunt nursing an injured paw. A week later, her brown eyes were bloodshot, and she was irritable. She snapped at me, and white foam frothed from her mouth. I ran, clutching the bag and my bear tightly. I stumbled and dropped my bear. I kept running, not noticing the dropped bear until I heard ripping fabric and Saiisha snarling. I turned around.
"No Saiisha don't! Be good girl Saiisha!" I shouted. "Be good girl!" I cried. I ran back and grabbed a leg of my bear.
"Saiisha drop it!" Saiisha let go, and I was knocked on my rear. Teeth bared, Saiisha came at me, ready to kill.
"Aaaaahaaeeaaah!" Came a battle cry from off to my left. Saiisha was momentarily distracted, and I got up and scrambled for my bag. I had just grabbed it, when I was tackled from behind and lifted into the air. I screamed and started flailing my legs, still clinging to my bag and bear for dear life.
"Ay, calm down!" My captor yelled. I screamed again. He lifted me higher into the air, above the treetops. I could hear Saiisha barking.
"Ya really wanna go back down there? That dog's a rabid lass."
"Saiisha's a good dog." I said dazedly. I could see Saiisha below us.
"Aye, I bet she was. Now what might your name be?"
"I'm Touya." I said. "Who are you?"
"Ay, I might be Jin. I might not. Ya never know, do ye, Touya?"
"I just wanna go home." I said softly, watching Saiisha chase everything.
"Down we gooo!" Jin dove toward the ground and Saiisha. She quickly became interested in us again, and chased us. Once, she lost our trail. Jin stopped.
"Ay, ye stupid lass!" He shouted. Saiisha came barreling toward us again. We soon were near a compound of some kind, where people stood all around.
"Comin through!" Jin yelled, flying over their heads. He landed behind them, and we watched as Saiisha came barreling out of the woods, froth pouring from her mouth, murder on her mind. She yelped and fell, sliding a bit. A throwing star was imbedded in her forehead.
"Saiisha!" I cried, tears streaming down my face. I dropped my bear and bag and ran to my dog. I hugged her neck, burying my face in her fur.
"Hey, who's this kid?" One of the guards asked.
"Saiisha good girl...good girl, Saiisha. Good girl." I sobbed. Jin came up behind me and put a hand on my back.
"Aye, I bet she was every bit the good girl you say she is, Touya." He said softly.
"Is she gonna be ok?" I asked.
"Oh, aye, she's better now than she's ever been before, I bet." Jin said.
"Is she with Momma and Papa and Kakayro? Momma and Kakayro got hurt really bad too."
"Aye, I bet she is." Jin said. "And I bet they're all sayin 'Go on Touya, go on.' What do you think?"
"Dogs can't talk, silly." I said, smiling through my tears.
"Well then this sweet lass is barkin her lungs out for ye, Touya." Jin said. "Barkin and thinking 'Don't give up, Touya.' I'll bet ye can even hear her, if ye listen hard enough."
Silence reigned for a moment.
"You're right, I can hear her!" I said.
"I knew ye could." Jin said. "Now come on, ye can bunk with me tonight." He helped me to my feet, handed me my bear, and carried my bag with one hand, the other draped over my shoulders.
From that day on, whenever I was sad, I could hear Saiisha and Kakayro barking happily, encouraging me to go on.
-Touya