Dance in the Memories

In the north-eastern corner of the room was a pile of twenty black paper-like chests. Teri tried not to step on the roses as they moved. Taku did the same, humming as he led him there and saying that it was time to get their starting items—only to find out that everything had been emptied except one.

“Damn…” Taku mumbled as he slumped over the chests once more, turning them over and wishing that he made a mistake and missed one.

His friend had been rechecking these boxes for the past ten minutes. Teri couldn’t blame Taku, not that he had been banking on getting some items at all. The man had already called dibs on the first chest and promised him the next one. He proclaimed that the start of his rise to power as a wizard begins with choosing that specific chest.

“Whoever designed this dungeon probably made a mistake,” Taku murmured as he turned the final crate over. “Or maybe that… That’s what they intended.”

“Then, it means it can’t be helped.” Teri forced a laugh as he faced the pile himself. “Let’s not beat ourselves over what we don’t have, yeah?”

Regardless of the designer mumbo jumbo his friend said, Teri could not rule out the possibility that the others simply took his or Taku’s share of starting items. He glanced at Taku. If he had to be honest, he would have done the same.

If he could safely dismantle these chests, then maybe he could do something about the wood. He could create a weapon or two, maybe some armor if he could find some cloth. Teri was excited by the thought.

“So uhhmmm…” Taku raised his voice and immediately brought it down to a whisper. “I think you should take it.”

Taku didn’t even look at him.

Teri couldn’t care less.

But a part of him screamed he should.

“Naaaaah,” Teri replied, biting back the urge to click his tongue as he looked over the crates. “You called dibs, so I gotta respect that. Besides, I’ll manage. You also might need it more than me.”

Lucky.

Teri found a spool of brown yarn, some rope, and about three handfuls of paper-like nails with comically large heads. There was also some thick cloth found at the bottom of these chests.

The possibilities now seemed endless.

Taku did not move from his spot. He kept his head down, his fists clenched and seething like he was battling some internal demon.

It felt best for Teri to pretend that he didn’t notice anything. A part of him wanted to ask if that man was afraid of him. His chest tightened at the thought. But for now, he chose to focus on the more important task at hand.

After some time, Teri came across a metallic ring with a faint light blue sheen. Someone must’ve dropped it while they were fighting for their items. It was possible that they didn’t see it at all.

It also looked ugly for his taste.

Though upon touching the ring, he assumed that it was magical in nature. It reminded him of the “presence” that had made his nose bleed.

It was as if the ring was trying to force meaning into his brain, which felt like someone dunking his head into a drum full of water. He hated being reminded of it. Taku was also a bit more distracted than Teri thought. So, he decided to keep the ring for now and shoved it in his pocket.

The patch of roses in the middle of the room rustled once again, singing that deranged hollow hymn, which annoyed him too. At this point, he’d be willing to kill someone—except Taku—to feel a bit of wind.

“You know that you could just open it yourself, take the stuff you want or need, and then leave the rest for me, right?” Teri broke the silence. “It’s not that different.”

“But it is,” Taku mumbled, still refusing to look at him. “I disagree on principle.”

“What?” Teri glared at him. This situation was becoming more of a pain in the ass. “What do you mean by principle? What principle?”

Taku raised his head and frowned at him like a stubborn child. He seemed so innocent about it. Thank god he didn’t stomp his feet, he would be very punchable if he did. Teri would’ve kicked him too.

“It was supposed to be your share, but I called dibs. I know…” He hung his head again, his voice becoming weaker and more afraid. “I know they took my share.” He bobbed his head, wide-eyed and clutching his stomach with a trembling hand. “I hoped I was wrong. But I was. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. Friends should be giving each other stuff. I failed to do just that.”

Teri sighed. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” He was well aware of the look.

Taku’s way of thinking was an issue, but his physical reaction was another. He couldn't give a damn about what it was or who hurt him, but it annoyed him to realize it. Teri challenged Taku’s confused stare with a reassuring smile and urged him to sit down.

Taku followed suit.

Teri placed his items in a nearby box. Then, he sat beside his friend and clapped his shoulder.

“Let’s try looking at it from a different angle. We don’t have our stuff yet, so we decided to check out this pile of chests. There was nothing here, but we got lucky and found an unopened one. Soooooo this shit belongs to us both. We gotta share, and since you’re the one that found it, you’re going to pick first. Then, I’ll pick next. That way, we’re square—you owe me nothing and I don’t owe you shit. How about that?”

Normally, he would’ve left Taku alone and asked him to follow his back once he got his shit together. That shit worked. But somehow, he was compelled to do something different.

Taro and Masato’s eyes flashed in his mind, making him shiver at the ghost of the wounds they inflicted. Maybe going at it this way would not result in Taku bashing the side of his face with a rock.

With that, the best Teri could offer was a firm grip and an apologetic smile.

“I know… this entire thing is dumb.” Taku turned his head toward him, looking a bit relieved. “I just… I just… I’m sorry. It’s really dumb. It’s just that this thing is new to me and I…” He groaned. “Maaaaaaaaan, I feel dumb.”

“As you should.” Teri chuckled, making Taku find his smile. “But it helps, y’know?” Teri’s gaze found its way to the floor. “To know what you’re thinking. To know what your friends are thinking.”

“I like the sound of that,” Taku replied, slowly regaining his brightness.

Eager to leave on a better note, Teri opened the chest, and the items inside were so shitty that both of them had to laugh harder than before. They spent the next minute pushing the chest to each other, smiling even more as they did.

But of course, promises need to be kept.

Teri had to reinforce that.

They split the ration of stale bread and dried berries evenly. Taku volunteered to carry their solitary waterskin, explaining that Teri would most likely be at the front and it could be dangerous if they were to lose their only source of drinking water.

Then, they picked their starting items. Taku started with an unidentified scroll. Teri chose the dagger on his turn, wanting to craft some stuff with it. Taku got the next unidentified scroll, leaving Teri with what looked like a dark blue ranger’s cloak. After giving it some thought, he wordlessly handed it over to Taku.

Taku raised a brow, failing to keep his grin under wraps. “You don’t want it?”

“We’re friends, right?” Teri stifled a chuckle, making his words less convincing. It was technically a perfect fit, but blue just looked bad on him—especially when it’s darker. “I mean… The more I look at it, the more I’m convinced that this is a wizard’s cloak. Wanna have it?”

Taku’s eyes beamed. “Well, if you insist.”

The man’s positive energy shone like a goddamn lighthouse in a starless sky. He snatched the cloak from Teri’s hand, and for that sudden sharp display of skill, Teri got to watch a grown man struggle to wear a cloak that didn’t fit him and run around so he could see its smooth fabric flap along a non-existent wind.

It seemed like he made a good choice. Teri found himself laughing along with the man's antics, especially when he bent his body in unnatural ways and called it a reference of some kind.

By then, Teri felt like it was natural to do one last thing.

Teri fished out the ring from his pockets and tossed it over to Taku. It slipped through his fingers, but he caught it with his other hand before it hit the ground. He posed again, grabbing the cloak and making it flap. He thought he was being cute. However, that stupid grin of his shifted first to surprise, then to confusion.

“You could tell it too, huh?”

Taku left his jaw hanging. “It’s… magic?”

“It’s weird, no? Picked it up from the pile, and somehow, my brain just tells me that it’s magic. I’m even sure of it even though I don’t know what exactly it is I am sure about.” Teri widened his smile. “You look like a proper wizard now, so you might as well try to be one. Maybe the right can help you do some magic-type shit—”

“Yooooooo.” Taku furrowed his brows. “I think it’s trying to tell me something.” He looked at Teri, gleaming. “You think it’s safe?”

“Absolutely not.”

“I think it’s absolutely cool.”

Teri blinked. He didn’t expect that watching a grown man lick his lips while inspecting a ring would make him feel things. It was a bit unsettling, but it didn’t make him want to gouge his eyes out. That was good.

“Actually, maybe don’t wear it?” Teri looked down, scratching the back of his neck. “You can turn it into a necklace. Think about it. We don't know about what it does yet—”

“Oh fuck—”

The dumbass wore the ring.

Taku’s entire body froze with a breath escaping his gritting teeth. He fell backward with a satisfying thud and started convulsing. But before Teri could rush to his side, almost out of instinct, Taku held up his hand and mumbled that he was okay. It wasn’t as reassuring as what Taku probably thought, but Teri stopped being too worried when the man picked himself up from the ground and pretended like what he did was cool.

“So…” Taku continued. “It spoke to me. It told me to put it on. I did, and I figured that I needed to focus and listen to what it was saying.” Taku widened his smile, the blood from his nose staining his teeth. “I’m a wizard, Teri!”