Learning To Trust

Food, grain, a leather pouch for Tomita, and other nondescript goods were purchased in the colossus shops. After their transactions were completed, the duo left with haste. This was not a place they wished to linger, and even Tomita could still feel a sense of unease around every corner. Any random pirate or bounty hunter could decide that the two of them seemed too strange and decide they would be the next target.

With the enormous colossus corpse peering over them, Izhari and Tomita exited and made their way towards the teleportation crystal. As they were leaving, Tomita noticed Izhari’s limp and labored breathing was already intensifying. Indeed, it seemed her stamina was already depleted. Tomita himself felt fine. It wasn’t even his lunch break yet.

“Manager, y-y-you are tired,” he said as they walked at their slow, deliberate pace.

“Having one functional leg does make things a bit more challenging. And having to rely on scent and sound versus sight doesn’t help,” she admitted.

“Would you like me to carry you again?” he asked.

Izhari shook her head.

“No, save your strength. I’ll be fine, we will just need to slow soon.”

Ahead of them, a merchant was unloading goods from a floating wagon and into a floating cart. As the merchant worked, Tomita had another idea.

“Merchant!” Tomita called as he extended his arm for attention.

The merchant paused its work and wiped its dirty paws on its tunic.

“I wish to trade for your cart,” said Tomita.

The merchant’s eyes glinted as it observed Tomita. Tiny silver lines coursed with energy within the merchant’s memory crown.

“I believe you w-will see I have great wisdom for you to utilize. In exchange for your cart, you can have my wisdom. May it bring you bountiful rewards,” Tomita said as the merchant clicked its tongue in debate.

After a pause, it glanced back at its other two carts and nodded in agreement. Tomita didn’t know what else to do, so he made his way to the cart. The merchant stopped him and extended his hand towards Tomita’s head. Tomita panicked and glanced back to Izhari, who was also terrified but nodded in swift agreement.

Tomita accepted, and the creature touched his head, then sighed and took Tomita’s hand and pressed it to the merchant’s scaled skin above its eyes. There was a pulling, draining sensation in Tomita’s throat and head. It wasn’t painful or depleting; it merely felt like something within him was flowing from his presence into the merchant’s. It was over almost instantly. The merchant nodded in approval and tilted its head towards the cart.

Tomita grabbed the cart and levitated it to Izhari.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Well, I had an idea, but I didn’t know you had to touch one another to share memories and wisdom! Is it like that every time?!” he whispered.

“Of course! There must be a connection to fully unlock the memory, either through a memory holder or a Lexicon stone. The memory crowns merely confirm that the knowledge is there,” she replied beneath her breath.

“Totally misunderstood that! Well, regardless, we have this now! Climb in,” said Tomita.

“What?” Izhari asked.

“I’ll make it more padded and comfortable once we are back to the hut, but now I can help you this way. You need to preserve your strength as well, so let me move you like this.”

Izhari paused. The unfamiliar sensation of trust flickered in her heart like a tiny ember once more. He was offering her ideas and help without her asking. It was a strange, surreal experience for her. After some hesitation, she agreed.

“I will pick you up to set you in, if I may,” Tomita said as he took her paw.

“O-okay,” she replied.

Tomita carefully hoisted her into the cart and set the goods beside her. Her staff rested against her shoulder. Even with her body and the supplies, the cart barely seemed to lower. Tomita couldn’t help but peer under to see how it was being powered. A handful of polished grey stones were embedded into the bottom of the barrow.

“How’s it doing this?” he asked.

“Same levitation ore that is in the island cores, I imagine,” Izhari said.

Tomita stood and took the handle.

“Neat,” he replied as he pushed off and let the feedback of the cart become familiar in his hands.

Izhari found herself wanting to say something, but no words came to her mind as she felt the world move by her without her exerting any effort. It was strange to move at a slightly faster pace than usual but feel no strain to do so. Steady currents of thinned air grazed along her whiskers and the fur of her cheeks as she listened to the padded clanking of Tomita’s footfall and his constant, measured breaths.

“Tomita, thank you again. You are… You did very well back there, and I am very grateful,” said Izhari.

“Of course. Might as well be useful if I’m here,” he replied.

Tomita smiled and wiped a bit of sweat from his brow as he let out a soft groan. The sound caused Izhari to feel a desire to listen to his breathing. His breaths were more audible than usual, soft yet deepened as he pushed. They were slow, with quiet inhales followed by shallow pants of exhales. Occasionally, he would grunt or groan in strain, but Izhari felt that even if she asked if he needed to stop, he would say no. Without realizing it, she settled in and closed her eyes, letting his sounds occupy her thoughts.

Soon, they reached the teleportation crystal and were transported back to the hut’s island. The familiar creak of the wood floors greeted them, and Izhari sat up. Tomita’s hand grazed along the back of her legs and around her small waist as he lifted her out of the cart and onto the ground. Her hand touched his shoulder for support before sliding off it once her feet and staff were on the ground.

Items were unpacked and placed in their designated areas. Simple bits of salted meat and a tart green root were eaten for dinner. Izhari could not yet speak. Tomita sat on the ground and picked up another magic tome to begin reading for notes. That piqued Izhari’s mind.

“Can you grab the map books?” she asked.

“Of course,” said Tomita as he stood with a grunt.

“You’re strained,” she responded.

“No more than I usually am after a workday. I’m fine,” said Tomita as he scanned the shelves for the map tomes.

His hands found their targets, and he returned to his sitting area beside Izhari.

“Can you look through them to find a location for me?” she asked.

“Certainly. Where are you looking for?” he asked.

She paused in hesitation. Weeks of debate, of pulling herself out of despair, of learning to trust in this unfamiliar hume, all came together in the moment. After all of this doubt and sorrow, she was not yet ready to give up.

“I… I wanted to see if the books gave any insight into the Shores of Time. And how to get there,” she said.

Tomita understood.

“Your original destination.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“I wanted answers. I wanted insight. I wanted hope. Something that would help me understand how all of this happened, and what the world was before. Maybe there’s a way to undo it. To be rid of him. I wanted to see if maybe those shores at the edge of the world might hold that hope,” she confessed.

Tomita could not yet speak a response, and waited to see if she had anything else to add.

“It will be hazardous, though. I’m sorry, but I have to try. I cannot resign myself to living out our days in isolation without at least trying to fix this,” she said.

“I will be with you, no matter what,” was all Tomita said.

“Really? Just like that? You could die, and you are willing to trust me?” she asked in genuine surprise.

Tomita laughed and stretched as he leaned back.

“Well, as someone who’s already died, that part doesn’t frighten me. But I am here because of you. This is your world, not mine, and you want to make it better. It is my duty as your employee to help you to the best of my ability. Whenever you are ready, I will take you to wherever we must go. Simple as that,” he explained.

“As simple as that,” she smiled.

Tomita opened the first book and began to scan for hints. Inside their hearts, both of them felt a nervous aspiration. They now had a clear goal and destination. No matter what danger and cruelty awaited beyond the familiar paths they had tread, they had something to work towards. That understanding flowed between them, even after Izhari had fallen asleep. Beside her, Tomita continued reading as he looked for guidance to formulate their official plan. He took another sip of etherdrop to steady his hands and looked at the bottle as he swallowed the thick liquid. His mind still required the drink’s numbing effect to sleep. It would soon be time to set out, and he knew he would need to bring the drink with him.