New Employee Onboarding

It was quiet now. For the moment, the rains had stopped and allowed the melancholy, omnipresent fog to return and blanket the hut in idyllic isolation. In the day that followed the burden share, Izhari had barely stayed awake for more than a few minutes. Tomita also seemed to be trapped in a battle with fatigue the likes of which he’d never experienced. His essence felt different. He felt lighter, but also unfamiliar with his own spirit. Something was missing, but he didn’t dwell on it as it seemed answers would have to wait.

Eventually Izhari did wake, and without a word she grabbed her staff and made her way across the hut towards the pail. To her surprise, it was in the correct place, but was full of fresh water.

“I filled it a few hours ago…” Tomita said from the corner nook he had claimed as his resting spot.

Izhari’s head turned to him even though she could not see him.

“Thank you…” she whispered.

Grey ambient light broke through the window, casting white, cold rays onto the ground between them. It seemed as though Izhari wanted to say something, but she stopped herself and made her way to the door.

“Is there anything you need me to do?” Tomita asked.

Days of sitting around in an unfamiliar world had not done anything positive to his mental state, but he did at least feel a little less in need of inebriation. The worst of the detox was over it seemed. Now, he was merely exhausted, lost, confused, wayward, and even a little bored. It felt like home. He was a salaryman once more. Employed by a boss that was disappointed in him, unable to rest, but also unable to do any sort of tasks of value. Instead of pointless meetings, empty briefcases, and a million memos to fax, he had whatever this current situation was.

Still, he wanted to be useful. Something about the broken rage of this cat-girl felt familiar. It was as though she was also a lost soul, and even though she was unpleasant, spiteful, strange, aloof, and thus far a mystery, he still found himself wanting to be near her and help her. Perhaps it was the guardian familiar pact from her summoning him. Perhaps it was something else.

Izhari didn’t answer him at first. There was a pause as something caught in her throat. Instead, she turned away from him in a swift motion then merely shook her head.

With that, she left him once more. Accepting that it would be another day of idle, Tomita resigned himself to observe and better understand the hut, which he now viewed as his new cubicle more than his new home.

Looking around the small space, if felt like an intentional hoarder’s den. Books were stacked in unmanageable piles, but they were grouped in a specific corner. Scrolls, banners, and torn artwork were on the walls near the window. Things that Tomita assumed were ingredients of some sort were all laid in structured order, even as they piled on top of each other. Then there were a few cabinets with different shaped vials, which Tomita assumed were chosen to help Izhari remember and differentiate their contents.

Then there was Izhari’s space. It was neglected, barely maintained, and uninviting. Her mat was tattered and frayed. A handful of well-worn, oft-patched robes and tunics hung from their collars.

It was a lonely, quiet room.

After an hour alone with his thoughts, Tomita decided to take a stroll to the stream once more. As he sat up, he realized, to his great shame, that he had not bathed since he’d been here. The smells of the realm and hut were so strong and earthen, he hadn’t even noticed that he might be reeking of sweat and must. Looking at his outfit was no inspiration either. His suit was torn, dirtied, and loose from wear. His shirt was more brown than white. Not even the best dry cleaner in Ueno could save this wardrobe.

Harshly judging himself as any dignified Japanese person would, Tomita decided the stream would also be providing him a bath. Thus he exited the hut and set off towards his destination. Entering the open grove revealed even more of the floating, glowing orbs were congregating before them now. Some were a different, faint, cold blue, with slower, softer pulses. Tomita couldn’t help but touch one.

Fascinatingly, it was his memory. Images, sounds, and feelings of him first arriving in the Summoning Sanctum flooded his mind with perfect clarity. The experience was even in his perspective. That was more than enough to convince Tomita that these were some form of memory capture. With a chuckle and smirk, Tomita stepped away from his memories and made his way into the winding trail.

Soon, he reached the stream. Flowing water danced along rocks, ever flowing and crystal clear. Without a second of pause, Tomita began to undress and slowly stepped into the water. Cold, swift currents met his ankles and his neglected muscles tensed as he moved further in. Thankfully the center of the stream was deep enough to welcome his waist, just below his ribs.

As Tomita stood there feeling the cold sliding along his body, he closed his eyes and inhaled, trying to remember his meditations from years ago.

“Is it not freezing?” Izhari’s voice came from above him.

The unseen voice spooked Tomita and he flinched as he spun to see her curled up on a rocky ledge above him. In his rush to enter the water for relief, he hadn’t even scanned the surroundings.

“I am grateful you’re not an assassin or thief. I’d be out of luck!” Tomita tried to laugh.

Her face was blank and tired.

“What is luck?” she asked.

Trying to explain luck was a new challenge.

“It’s… like when something good happens, but you had no part in it happening. Like, you didn’t plan for it, you didn’t try to bring it fruition. It just happens. Some people are born with lots of good luck. Others… they have….”

Her thoughts seemed distant.

“Bad luck?” she asked.

“Yes. It’s the opposite. Sometimes bad things just happen, and for some people… they…” Tomita stopped.

He realized she was crying.

“I’m sorry…” was all he could say.

“We are both cursed with this bad luck, it seems…” she sighed as she wiped her eyes.

Tomita sighed to himself in agreement.

“I saw some of your memories, in those floating orbs. I assume they were memories. You have been alone your whole life…” Tomita said softly.

Her lip trembled and she nodded.

“And I am sorry, I didn’t mean for it to happen, but during the burden transfer, I saw your memories as well. I only meant to drain the burden from your heart, but I felt and saw the hardship you have endured through your life as well. I am sorry I called you weak, and pathetic. You are very strong, in your own way. Please, forgive me…” she said as she wiped her eyes.

Tomita was surprised. More by her apology and vulnerability than her admission.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind that you saw that. I am just grateful you saved our lives,” he answered.

“You are?” Izhari asked in sincere surprise.

The words confused Tomita as well. It took him a moment to process why he was suddenly okay with living.

“I… I guess that felt like dying in terror. When I jumped the other day, I was at peace with it. This felt like greeting the afterlife against my will, and that’s not what I wanted. My death was supposed to be the one thing I had a say in,” Tomita explained.

“What was THAT, by the way? That drink? I’ve never felt such pain or sorrow,” Tomita asked.

Izhari inhaled as though slightly ashamed. Her tail flicked along the rocky edge.

“That was my draught of sorrow. For years, every time I felt truly broken, hateful, lost,or hurt, I put a bit of that feeling into that draught. I was going to pour all of it down his throat one day…” she explained.

“Was he the one that locked you away?” asked Tomita.

Izhari shook her head.

“He is not directly the reason I am what I am. But he is the reason the world is the way it is.”

She paused and tried to steady her voice.

“But now that your lips have touched the vial, it is corrupted and would have no effect on him.”

Tomita felt humiliated. This was far from the first time he had broken something while drinking. Usually it was something of his. Doing something damaging to another was never what he wanted.

Izhari sat and leaned her cheek against her staff. Sounds of nature’s ancient song whispered between them as Izhari breathed slow, hollow breaths.

“Izhari, I’m sorry. I’m sorry you got me. I promise I didn’t mean for it to happen. And I know it’s not what you wanted,” Tomita offered.

“It’s my fault. I made mistakes on the incantation,” she sighed.

“...Well, you did at least summon me, so you at least achieved the summoning component. And that’s pretty incredible,” Tomita said.

Izhari laughed heavily and sighed.

“Perhaps.”

Tomita cupped some water and splashed his face.

“Ahhh. Refreshing,” Tomita sighed as the water ran down his slightly drooping chest.

Looking at his declining pecks, Tomita laughed slightly. Indeed, he was far from intimidating as a guardian. Reaching up to his exposed brain, he softly prodded it with his finger in earnest inquisition.

It didn’t hurt, but it registered as a touch.

“So what am I, exactly? I feel like I’m not a regular mortal human,” he posited.

Izhari shook her head.

“You’re part of the spirit realm. Since you died. You’re here in semi-corporeal form, so you need to eat, drink, that sort of thing, but you won’t age, and many regular physical attacks won’t hurt you. Spirit, essence, and memory damage will still hurt you, as those go beyond the physical realm,” Izhari explained.

“Really? Like, what kind of physical attacks?” Tomita asked with excitement.

“Like this…” said Izhari.

Before Tomita could respond, a rock the size of his fist floated then burst down from Izhari’s post and struck him in the face.

“Owww! That… Didn’t hurt?...” Tomita laughed.

“No. Because it wasn’t imbued with anything. But if that rock had been dipped in poison, or cursed, it would be a different story. And many of those things are hidden to the naked eye. So don’t assume you can just take a hit from any old sword or spear and be fine. Better safe than sorry.”

Tomita sighed. His dreams of super defense were shattered.

“Aw. Okay,” he sighed.

With that, Izhari stood and slowly made her way down the outcropping until she was nearer to him. Once she reached the edge of the stream, she sat facing him and removed her boots before dipping her small,clawed,paws into the water.

‘So, this is it, then?” she asked.

“Hm?” Tomita asked.

“I guess you really are my familiar. I don’t know what to do anymore. I need some time to regain mana to my full power, and I need to reformulate a plan. I think we shall need to stay at the hut for at least a month while I figure out my new strategy…” she said.

“Well, if we are in this together, and you’re stuck with me, I want to be of proper service I guess. I’m tired of being a failure,” Tomita said in sincerity.

Her ears perked slightly. Tremors shook Tomita’s hands and he knew there was still a very long internal battle ahead, but for now, his mind was clear.

“I might not be incredibly strong, but I can be other things for you. During this down time, I would like to discuss your goals and objectives for me as an employee, so that I can best achieve satisfactory results,” Tomita said without realizing he had fully returned to salaryman mode.

“Imp…loyee?” Izhari laughed to herself.

“I guess so!” smirked Tomita.

“Okay. We can do that. Just give me a little more time to rest,” Izhari replied.

Something stirred in his chest, and Tomita wondered if Izhari felt it as well.

“Ok, well, for my first task, I would like to organize our workstation a little more, for better collaboration, productivity, and efficiency,” he said.

“Organize our workstation?” she asked.

“Yes. I’m going to clean up your hut,” replied Tomita.