New Memories

Clouds drifted across the floating island, blanketing the mystical cottage in even more obscurity. The light was grey and cool in the early morning, as a pearlescent haze shone in the distance. It had been over a week since Tomita had summarized the book contents to Izhari, and now he had finished placing them in their desired orders on the shelves. His file system was complete. Looking at his work, Tomita could not help but smile to himself. This was the first work-related task whose completion had brought him any form of fulfillment.

Now, it was time to read the volumes for help. It was decided that they would begin with the magic-related books. Two days of nonstop reading and notetaking had given Tomita some clarity, but also left him more confused.

“It’s like there’s no specific criteria or requirements for spells or mage-works. It seems like it really is up to the caster…” Tomita explained to Izhari that morning.

They were past the stream and in an open field of glowing blue flowers. Ruins lined the perimeter of the field, hinting at long-forgotten grandeur that was now long gone. Tomita was squatting on an outcropping of large foundation stones, while Izhari stood in the center of the field with her eyes closed and her staff in hand.

“So it’s really just up to me?” she asked.

Tomita skimmed through several pages of multiple books and nodded to himself.

“So it seems. It must be up to you to clearly v-v-visualize what you are trying to achieve. Is that how you have done it thus far?" he asked.

“Yes,” Izhari responded.

Tomita closed the book and stood from his perch. As he approached her, glowing flecks of tiny memory orbs drifted around him.

“These orbs. Are they all ours?” he asked as he viewed the gold and blue glows.

“Yes. The rest were wiped away during his purges. They used to cover the land. Now, it seems they’re all gone, save for mine. There’s a place at the edge of the world where all memories are kept, though. That’s where I was trying to go,” Izhari explained.

“What do you mean?” Tomita asked.

Izhari inhaled and all of her golden orbs bobbed and pulled towards her in unison, before expanding away as she exhaled.

“Memory orbs, or Shards, as they were once called, hang around their creators for an unknown period, then eventually fade and go to the Shores of Time. That’s the edge of the world, where the veil of our realm fades into The Aether- the realm beyond. In The Aether, all Shards from all time reside.”

Izhari held out her hand, and a small orb drifted from nearby before landing on her palm, causing her to flinch as the memory rushed through her body and mind. Tomita moved towards her.

“What?” he asked.

Izhari exhaled and lowered her hand.

“Bad memory. But I guess most of mine are…” she sighed.

Tomita nodded to himself. He couldn’t imagine a life and psyche like hers could produce many positive instances worth recalling. Thinking on such things, Tomita was grateful that even in his mundane misery, he’d always had at least a few comforts to ease his spirit. His favorite yokocho, teeming with scents of fresh street food. The taste of oden broth on a cold day. The awe of the mountains in Nagano. A refreshing onsen after a miserable week. All of these small and large experiences had allowed him moments of reprieve from the hateful outlook of existence, and now, as he stood there watching his summoner reflecting with melancholy acceptance, he realized how fortunate he had been.

A small ping of humiliation pricked his chest as he wondered if he was a coward for taking his own life.

“What?” asked Izhari as her paw softly touched her chest.

“Sorry, I forget you can feel that sometimes…” Tomita said.

“It’s okay. Do you need to stop? You’ve been quite busy since you got here. Your stamina is quite incredible. Most would be exhausted for the day after a mere morning of labor,” she said.

“Really? Does this world not have a lot of stamina?” Tomita asked.

Izhari shrugged.

“I feel like most can only exert themselves for a small time before becoming depleted. Maybe your world was harsher in that sense. How long would you labor each day?” she asked.

Tomita scratched his chin as he thought about his commutes, full days, working lunches, after-hours client engagements, after-engagement drinks, and then commutes home.

“S-sixteen hours, I suppose.”

“Sixteen hours?! Were you a slave?!” Izhari gasped.

Thinking about it, suddenly Tomita found himself realizing how much of his life was similar to slavery, albeit slightly less brutal.

“Well, I guess, in some ways, yes. I had to work for food and shelter. Some people died of overwork. My masters could do with me what they wanted, send me to whatever city they decreed, and couldn’t care less if I survived or not. There may not have been whips and death camps like the old days, but there were some hints of that. Still, I had some freedom.”

Izhari whistled in surprise.

“That’s quite incredible. I doubt anyone else in this realm, other than maybe him, has that sort of endurance. That’s impressive. And terrifying,” she admitted.

“Really?” Tomita laughed.

He finally had something resembling super strength. Decades of toxic work culture finally paid off slightly, and Tomita couldn’t help but high-five himself in celebration.

“What?” Izhari asked.

“Oh, nothing, just excited to have something physically impressive for the first time in my life. Lives…” Tomita laughed.

“Congratulations,” Izhari said, with a tired movement pulling her mouth up ever so slightly.

It was something close to a smile. Tomita noticed and pointed, letting out a noise of shock.

“Whoa! Oh! Was that a smile?!” he shouted as he patted her back.

Now she fully smiled and raised her eyebrows in confusion.

“I… I guess so?! I’m not sure I’ve smiled before. Or at least, I’ve never noticed if I have…”

Tomita’s hand stayed on her small, thin back without realizing it. He could feel the bones of her ribs against his palm. Her face seemed healthier as she hunched there before him, but she was still far from returned to any measure of strength. It seemed like a strong breeze might carry her away if they weren’t careful. After a moment, her ear twitched, and she turned her head in his direction.

“Thank you…” she said.

To his credit, Tomita didn’t press it, and merely agreed.

“Of course. Now, let’s get back to this training!” he said with one more soft pat before returning to his books.

As he turned to get his collection, he didn’t see Izhari introspectively touching her cheeks and lips, which had just performed such an unfamiliar action. In her mind, she paused to luxuriate in the sensation. That was, perhaps for the first time in decades, happiness. It was soft and warm. It was faint and had only lasted a moment, but she had to believe that was a smile of actual happiness.

While she stood there reflecting, the air before her glowed a pink hue. Tomita turned and watched as small white specks appeared within the pink glow, then silently spun together and glowed brighter. The specks met in a gentle current and bound themselves into one single orb, which then flickered and glowed a pure, bright pink.

“Izhari. Manager Izhari!” Tomita whispered.

“What?” she asked.

Tomita stepped towards the pink orb.

“I… Let me see, but stay there,” he said as he reached out and touched the orb.

Touching it sent a serene bath of gentle, uncertain happiness coursing through his body. Without meaning to, he smiled. It was subtle. In his mind, he heard his clap and laugh from a dark void, and the sensation grew ever so slightly as the warmth radiated across his heart. It was her memory. It was a positive memory.

“Izhari, you should touch this,” he said softly.

Izhari paused and gasped softly.

“It’s a different color than your other memories. And it was lovely!” Tomita exclaimed.

Izhari raised her trembling paw, then stopped. It surprised Tomita, but he stood there silently as she debated in her mind before lowering her hand and shaking her head. Her fingers came to rest over her chest.

“I… I already sense it in my chest. I am very grateful for this moment,” she said with another soft smile.

“I am as well! I’m very happy for you. You made a positive memory,” he said.

Izhari shook her head.

“No. You gave me a positive memory. Thank you, Tomita,” she whispered.

Her words struck him with quiet profundity. It had been quite some time since Tomita had created something positive, especially for another.

Winds blew across the grey and blue field, causing dozens of glowing blue petals to lift from the ground and dance across the air as they were carried away. Tomita could not help but be moved in the moment, as the experience of the sight and the pleasantness he felt in his heart sent waves of warmth over his body. For the first time in a very, very long time, he felt present and at peace.

Izhari sensed the sensation rising in her chest, and Tomita felt it as well. Their burdens subsided for the briefest of moments, and in their place, calm and relief pulsed between them. The two colleagues stood in the floating flowers and faced one another. Neither spoke, instead letting the pleasantness of the moment last as long as it could. When the sensation finally tapered, Izhari breathed in deep and stood a little taller. The color in her fur seemed to be slightly more vibrant. And though he didn’t notice it, Tomita’s hands were not shaking.

Without a word, the two of them returned to their studies and practices.

“Okay, so, it looks like clarity of mind and physical awareness are your most important components to your incantations and commands…” Tomita began as the winds softened into a breeze.

Behind him, a new orb had appeared without them noticing. It glowed a vibrant vermilion and pulsed with faint, calming beats as it bobbed weightlessly.