Chapter 4 - Memories

As the man advanced, Tetsuo struggled to block each hit. For each strike he managed to block, two more met his sides, filling him with more regret for every bruise that formed. The adrenaline had left his body following the air forced out of his lungs. He grunted and tried to swing back, but the man ducked underneath it and grabbed his waist. Tetsuo thrashed at his back but the man dismissed it and wound up a throw that sent him flying backwards. As Tetsuo got up again, he could make out an ecstatic grin and hungry eyes, eager for more. He began running at Tetsuo, each step eagerly accelerating his pace. Tetsuo sighed as he stood and forced his arms up to prepare for the next onslaught of blows.

“How demeaning.”

Tetsuo was startled as a knight clad in full silver armor stepped forward from behind him. Her voice resonated within her helmet and froze the air around her, startling both Tetsuo and the man. Her body shifted for a moment and before Tetsuo realized, she had struck the man. He folded onto the ground silently, as the knight continued towards Alon. She leaned over him, observing through the slits in her visor. Tetsuo could hear a slight chuckle echo in her helmet before she continued.

“You have both made an embarrassment of Alvania’s West Ranks.” She turned to the man. “Veera, come with me. The damages to the road will be taken out of your pay. Additionally, I’ll be notifying every tavern on this side of the city that if they serve you even a drop of ale, I will personally dismantle the establishment.” The man stood up and began staggering towards her. “Alon.” The knight stifled another chuckle before turning to him. “As a knight of Alvania you’re expected to endure far longer than this. You’ll need to participate in extra training sessions to compensate for your premature defeat.” Alon attempted to swat the knight away, prompting her to leave. “Carry on!” Tetsuo was surprised as the crowd of onlookers that had formed started to dissipate. The man, Veera, turned back to Tetsuo and waved before following the knight. Tetsuo returned the wave, confused and unsure of what to make of the brawl he had just survived.

Alon carefully got up and tried to wipe the dirt off himself. “Thanks. Sorry you got caught up in all that. It’s not like him to lose it.”

“He mentioned something about his daughter?”

“Yeah… her…” Alon paused for a moment, cringing. “She was someone I was seeing. For a bit, anyways.”

“So that’s why he was looking for you?”

Alon nodded, although Tetsuo noticed that he was irritably scratching his head. “...Did you do something?”

“No! I mean…I’m pretty sure I didn’t. She was the one who decided to end things.” Tetsuo waited for Alon to continue. “Look, she's just crazy. I mean, you saw how she was.” Tetsuo was confused until he realized he had been referring to the silver knight. His eyes grew with concern. “Yeah, you get it now. I was excited at first since she’s someone everybody looks up to… and I guess she’s pretty too. But yeah, I should have known better.”

The two of them sat around in an uncomfortable silence before Alon interrupted again. “That’s a marriage ring, right? The one you’re wearing?”

Tetsuo replied softly. ”Yeah, it is. My wife’s waiting for me back home, so I can’t spend too much time here.”

Alon smiled to himself. “I had a feeling that was the case. Eleanor should have paid more attention before trying to make a move. Then again, maybe she should just learn how to hold her liquor. Anyway, we don’t really do that here, but some Earthens still like to imitate it.” Alon shifted anxiously, his brow furrowed in thought. “How did you uh… know? Like… It means you guys are supposed to be partners for life right? So uh…” Alon turned away. “...how’d you know you were sure?”

Tetsuo glanced down at his ring and began to twist it, as he paused and processed the question. “You know how everyone has doubts? Things they regret, or wish they could take back. I had those about her too. We didn’t start perfectly, and we definitely didn’t start in love.” Alon seemed surprised by this. “I wanted it to work, and she wanted it to work. I think that’s what mattered most.” Tetsuo chuckled to himself a bit before continuing. “I still have my doubts, trust me, but they always seem to disappear when I’m with her. I don’t know if that makes sense, or if that's supposed to be normal, but it was enough for me.”

“Wanted it to work huh…” Alon quickly stood up, dusting himself off. “Well, I guess if she’s so beautiful that you forget your worries, it must have been an easy decision.”

“That’s not quite what I meant…”

“Alright!” Alon ignored. “Come with me.”

“Huh? Why? It’s late, and we’re both hurt. I want to sleep.”

“C’mon, it won’t even take that long.” Alon started, leaving without Tetsuo.

Left with little choice, Tetsuo followed Alon past a few streets to a small building with a worn-down sign that read “Photo.” Upon entering, Tetsuo saw that the interior was decorated with sheets of fabric and leather with prints of people and monuments from Earth. The loose strands and uneven edges seemed to imply that these images were dissected from transported clothing.

“Welcome!” Behind the desk, an older woman with long, dramatic robes greeted them. “What can I do for you both? Looking to reprint?”

“We’re actually here for a memory photo.”

The woman’s demeanor shifted as she grumbled. “...very well, come with me.”

The worker opened a back door and led them into a rundown room filled with general supplies. In the center of the room was a clearing with a chair and a pit in front of it with colorful sands. She wiped off the dust from the chair and pulled up a stool behind it. “Sit. Whichever one is going first. Hurry it up.”

Alon pushed Tetsuo forwards, which confused him. “Wait, it’s for me?”

“Well, yeah. She can make photos from your memories. I thought that maybe you’d like to have a picture of your wife. While the memories are still fresh.”

“I see.” Tetsuo sat down in the chair, nervously keeping his back straight.

“Close your eyes and focus on the memory you want to see. Keep the center of the memory as clear as possible.”

“Don’t worry if it turns out bad,” Alon interrupted. “Most people consider this place a scam with how bad they end up, so she doesn’t charge anyone up front anymore.”

“Pah! It’s their fault for not being able to focus. Now, quiet. I must focus.”

Tetsuo closed his eyes as the woman placed her cold fingertips on his temple. He tried to remember Bianca’s face from the day of their wedding. He remembered the way her cinnamon eyes watered, trying not to get emotional. He began to remember a month after, the way she proudly smiled at him after they had assembled their first bed. He remembered the way she complained about her freckles, which decorated the bridge of her nose. The feeling of her hair on his face, glowing with the morning sun as she creeped to his side of the mattress. He knew the way she smelled after work didn’t matter for an image, but to remember her without remembering everything felt impossible. As he reminisced, he listened to the sands in front of him shift.

“We’re done.” The woman’s voice startled Tetsuo. “Any more, and it’ll be ruined.”

“Woah.” Alon looked surprised at the image of her in the sand. The background was misty and unrecognizable, but she was as clear as an actual portrait. The woman beamed proudly. “See what happens when someone actually follows the instruction?”

Tetsuo stood in awe, reunited with a face he felt he had lost. He held his breath, scared to move any of the grains. He was unable to speak, afraid to ruin this moment, where they had been reunited.

The woman interrupted. “Since you seem happy, it’ll be 500 Sivs.” Tetsuo reached for his wallet before recalling how it was replaced with a pouch that Alon had.

“Hey, don’t worry, it’s on me. ‘Least I can do for earlier.” Alon handed the lady a sheet of paper and stamped it with his thumb. The lady placed a piece of parchment over the sand, then picked it back up and took it behind another door. She returned with the portrait inside a small frame, no larger than a book.

Alon sighed. “What did I tell you, a scam.”

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Tetsuo looked at her portrait sitting on his nightstand. He returned her smile before laying on his bed. He reached out and gently touched the photo before closing his eyes to sleep.

“Night. Love you too.”