It was cold, I shivered at the realization. It was dark, the pitchest black.
I couldn't see, but this feeling I know. The cold and metallic cage beneath me as my floor will always be in my mind. I tried to shake the dream from my mind, this had to be a dream.
A noise interrupted from me afar interrupted me, it was a roar. These sounds she remembered, the whimpering from her left and the quiet muttering from her right. I quickly moved about the cage as if looking for something. My Arms stretched outward feeling every surface of the cage, stopping just before the bars. A coughing fit began in the middle of my search. This cough, a disease that could have killed me. My fit began to slow after a few moments of constant coughing.
Suddenly my ears twitched as I heard laughter "Well, you've got me there". I recognized that voice. The voice of the Slave Trader "These are the cheapest slaves I can offer you".
I turned my head to look at the man, but why was he standing in the dark? I'm sure he was right in front of me.
"They all seem to have severe issues", another man spoke beside him.
I know that voice in front of me. The two were talking just in front of me. I know they are. I can hear it, so why can't I see them. But that's how it was, I couldn't see him at all, I couldn't see anything at all. My eyes, my terrible eyes, my useless eyes.
"All right than, I'll take the middle one than"
"An excellent choice, and it makes my life easier".
The cage in front of me was opened, I could hear it creak open.
I rose to my feet to move forward, towards Naofumi. Something clasped around my neck.
Everything has shifted, I can feel the difference in my surroundings. I was wearing new clothes and my feet were in shoes. But it's not dark this time, I can see something. Something bright in the direction I faced. All I could see was something bright.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to stare at the sun." Someone spoke from behind, a man with a familiar voice. "But, I guess I can't blame you… The sun doesn't seem to shine as bright in this world."
I turned to face him, at least where It sounds like where he was. Nothing was said, I was beginning to think I was looking the wrong direction…
"I see the sun seems to have some competition, but enough standing around we have some hunting to do." He takes my hand as he leads me in a direction.
Once again things have shifted, the ground beneath me has changed… it's still dark but I'm sitting, there's something in my hands. Not my sword, no its wood. The smell hits me immediately, it's Fish. Someone is just in front of me, they are moving something around. Going to open my mouth to speak, I feel the weight around my neck, A collar. "Master… who are you?"
The man shifting in front of me stops, I'm sure he stares at me. Ah, he's going to hit me for speaking, I just know it.
The blow never comes just the response "A hero, the shield one."
The man in front of me, was someone every demi-human had heard about, the shield hero who treated us so well in the past. I wish I could see him, no I had seen him before, I was sure I had seen him. I bite into the fish, it has no taste…
It starts to make sense, this is still just a dream, i'm sure… I suddenly start to cough… but just to be completely sure "U..um what is your name"
"Iwatani Naofumi"
"Iwatani.. Naofumi"
"Here, open your mouth and drink this medicine."
If it's Naofumi, im sure I can trust him, I do as he says
He presses a cup against my lips, is that a leaf?
Suddenly something bitter strikes my tongue, too bitter, no something beyond bitter. Oh no, I remember this medicine.
"Drink it all!"
Suddenly my awareness is brought back as I nearly jump up. I take a moment, light tickles my eyes. I scan my surroundings, the green landscape and its trees, the mountains that surround us. I give a sigh of relief. Light used to be the only thing these eyes of mine were good for. Next to me I can hear Naofumi and the others sleeping. Filo and Melty who snuggled into one another on the other side of Naofumi.
I reach out and place my hand on Naofumi's cloak to shake him, the roughness of the fabric greets me back, Naofumi's cloak. Not a feeling I'd ever forget, being led around by hand or holding onto this cape was the normal for town visits. His cloak offered safety to the unknown world around, it was my own little bastion. In recent times I don't need a guide, I'm grateful, but I do miss the times when this cape was my guide. Even more so the times we would hold hands.
"It's morning Naofumi, time to wake up" I try to speak as gently as I could, leaning closer to Naofumi.
His eyes open up after a moment, they latch onto mine, I give a small smile as greeting.
Naofumi spends a second or two staring at my eyes, before picking himself up and stretching.
"Morning Raphtalia" he gets out in between yawns.
He took a moment before speaking, to perhaps look around himself, "Well it's morning, early morning by the looks of it. I almost believed you had woken me up in the middle of the night again".
I could feel my own face heat up, "That was just one time, and it's because you forgot to turn off the light. And you know my eyes aren't that bad anymore."
Naofumi let out a few laughs "Ok, ok." holding his hands up defensively. He spends a few more moments stretching before reaching a hand out to me, "it's still early, how about we go for a walk."
I reach my hand out to grab his, "A walk sounds nice".
he sighed as I took his hand, had I done something wrong?
He pulls me up to join him as we start our walk holding hands as we go. Naofumi tries to lead, moving himself in front. I move to his side as a reminder, he sighs again.
Something is bothering him, "Is something wrong Naofumi?".
We reach a clearing just a bit aways from the camp. The sun breaching past the mountainous walls of earth in the distance dyes this field of green with a dim orange. We stand to admire the view, our hands still intertwined, a silence between us. We wait for the other to make the move until finally Naofumi speaks
"Your going to think it's stupid" he gives back looking away, bringing his free hand up to scratch his cheek. "But I kind of miss those times where you relayed on me. That little girl who would grasp onto my hand like the world would disappear if she let go. I am glad your vision returned its just…"
I squeeze his hand, "That girl hasn't gone anywhere Naofumi, just because I can see doesn't mean I'm gone. But my world would surely disappear if you weren't there to hold my hand.".
I'm sure my face is flushed red.
His hand squeezes mine back, "I'm glad". He stares right into my eyes.
My face is definitely glowing red.
"Back when we first met, I stared at your eyes beyond those bars. The way they shined despite looking so faded. That shine spoke to me, telling me that light could still shine where it shouldn't be found. I admired that shine."
My face could rival the sun's glow im sure.
The compliment stirred up my dreams from before, "Naofumi, if my eyes… if they ever…" I let go of his hand to fully face him, "If my sight ever leaves me again, would you continue to need me?".
He smiles gently, "I always have, and I'm sure I always will." He pulls my hand back into his.
"Why don't we sit here and admire the view for a bit".
And together we spend the morning admiring a view we can both see.
I wanted to get into writing again, so I decided to write this. I had an old story idea for the story I never used. I wanted to lay out the series as sort of a flashback thing, so every chapter will be in a random order rather than 1 to 2, that is if I continue.
