Set In Stone

<Chapter 4 - Set In Stone>

Focus Aizza:

Flipping through her impaired and chaotic thoughts, Aizza attempted to find a single sentence or word that would convince Shin to take her with him. 

She didn't want to be alone, and for some odd reason, she strongly felt that the boy walking away from her was the only chance she had. Her only chance to survive. Her only chance to live.

"I-I need you. I wo- *hic* won't be a burden!" 

She knew that begging and giving unbackable promises meant nothing, but she was barely able to deal with the struggle to catch her breath. Her irregular and rapid convulsions betrayed her voice, and betrayed her chances. The tactic to stall the unyielding boy failed, buying her no more time. Reading the weaves surrounding him, she found that he had somehow stopped the Lux from repeating his thoughts aloud, making her blind to the inner monologue was surely having.

The only thing the luminescent strings displayed now were the echoes of Titian's chaotic emotions.

Step after step, he was closing in on the opposite exit where he had entered, climbing the hill of garbage. There was little time left.

Her emotions muddied her mind, making it more challenging to procure a valid justification to take her with him. It didn't help that her very memories were strangely suppressed. Not forgotten, not erased, but held back by some sort of flood gate.

She continued to plead, becoming vocal and loud. That fired back.

Shin quickened his pace, not wanting to remain around the ruckus and become the head of attention. The last thing he wanted was attention.

She rummaged through every possibility her young mind could produce. Shin was different, but he still valued himself over a random stranger, even though it clearly hurt him. So the only thing that would change his mind wasn't if she could promise not to be an obstacle, to not be a useless stone in his shoe. He didn't want to hear that, as they were definitely empty words.

No, what he would be willing to risk was something that would benefit him. A trade. And she had one thing he hadn't.

The ability to see Lux.

Titian was clearly a curious person by nature. The memory of him almost choosing to spend precious time learning more about her ability stuck out like a nail to her.

All she had to do was entice him with knowledge!

That was it!

"I can teach you how to use Lux!" 

Her last stunt to bring Shin back had not seemed to work at first. But as Shin reached the peak of the tower of trash, he peaked around, scouting the area as if to see if he was alone.

Having seemingly decided something, most likely that no one caught onto the strange commotion Aizza created, he began to descend the pile of trash towards her.

As he slowly stepped back, his shoulders lowered in a contemplative state. He was rushing through a hoard of pros and cons, weighing each option as he made his decision.

He turned around. His head was lowered to the ground, never lifting his steely gaze from the rugged trash he walked on.

Aizza could no longer read the weaves of Shin's thoughts, but she could clearly see the chaotic strings dancing along with its one-sided partner.

Sulking on closer, he took a seat on a pile of trash lower than where Aizza sat, over a meter away. He had his head draped in front of him, his face was darkened as if light itself decided to avoid him.

With him remaining unshakably motionless, she was unsure on what to do. She couldn't be absolutely positive that he had chosen to take her along, after all. As much as she wished it to be, his brief return was all on his terms.

Unable to wait in a silence that was only broken by her occasional hiccups, she began to speak, wanting to reinforce and defend her position.

"*hic* I can-" 

She was cut short by the slow raising of Shin's right hand. His dirty palm was flat, sticking out as if he had just pushed away an unseen object. His arm was parallel to the ground as it hovered, waiving her chance to speak. 

Understanding it as a command to refrain from speaking, Aizza dutifully remained silent. If she couldn't obey such a clear instruction, then it would only prove that she had no chance of following him along.

His arm hung there still for a prolonged second. Aizza couldn't help but feel a rising tension, fearing that a response may never come more than the response itself.

Unable to see his face, Aizza was left with nothing to reasonably do other than working to control her unstable breathing.

^*Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me alone!*^ 

Despite her past being hazy, the intense fear of loneliness dug deeply into her heart. It was a familiar, gnawing sensation she wished to never experience again. Even though her head was failing to exactly recall why, her soul was scarred with terror.

But she tried to keep it at bay, so that she could appear composed. Every little bit contributed to whether Shin would take her on in the end or not.

Her actions were somewhat dramatic overall, but fate seemed to refuse to let her drop this superficially only beacon of hope.

She trusted her gut.

Finally, after a wait longer than Aizza would have liked, Shin ushered a break in the heavy silence.

"I had killed you off in my head. I was ready to leave you to whatever this pit had in store for you.

And to be clear, I do not regret it."

As if trying to convince himself otherwise and failing, he attempted to raise his head and meet Aizza's eyes but faltered three times before he gave up.

His head dropped back to where it was with an inaudible sigh.

"I had made a choice, and that choice was to abandon you.

Some scum would have stolen you away and used you as some play thing at best.

At worst, your mystical sight would land you as a cruel test subject. And do believe me, you'd be better off dead at that point.

Knowing that, do you seriously think it's a good choice to follow me? " 

"I forgive you!" 

Aizza ignored most of what he said. He was back, so why worry about what didn't happen?

"No, seriously!

This isn't about forgiveness, but I'm trying to get through to you!

You want me, a stranger who is being hunted down, who had already been ready to leave you all by yourself, to be the one in charge of your life!?

What if I use you as bait? What if I ditch you as soon as it becomes even a bit inconvenient?

I get that you're young, but you seem smart.

Smart enough to grasp such a simple concept!" 

Shin finally raised his face and met Aizza's profound eyes, undeterred by the reasonable worries she should be concerned about that he had listed out for her.

"I'd do it again, given the situation. I only came back because you might have something I want.

I want something you may have, and I have something you want."

Shin's face expressed his discomfort at facing her. While he did not regret it, he still hated that he had to make such a callus decision.

"I don't have to worry. You won't leave me later, cause' I can tell you're not that mean, and I trust my gut!"

"Haaaaaa? That's your response!

It's like I'm talking to a wall…

And we'll see about that."

Shin paused for a moment, reconsidering his change of heart with this daft girl.

"I r-really won't be useless! I-I can help! And I will listen!" 

Shin shook his head.

"It's not just about whether you can behave or not. Well, that is a huge part of it, but that's besides the point right now.

This is a deal, Aizza. 

I know what I can offer you, and I know it's a service you can't refuse. I take on a huge risk letting you tag along.

That's a hefty price~

And let me assure you, I'm the only one who'd be able to keep you relatively safe down here. At least without ulterior motives.

That's just a fact.

So tell me, what can you offer me in return?"

A little overwhelmed after being put into perspective, Aizza truly began to understand the mountain of a request she was asking for. 

Titian's life was on the line, and she was selfishly begging him to let her basically drag him down in return for nothing.

Nothing is free.

But that was alright with her. Shin was a good person. She just knew it.

"I, I get it!

I am not super sure myself, but I can see Lux, right? I think I can help you learn how to use Lux."

"Go on. 'I think' won't cut it."

Getting somewhere, Aizza didn't let the moment fall from her grasp.

"Think about it, I can see Lux. A-As you said, no one else should be able to. So by that thinking, I would be very valuable in practicing how to use Lux."

"Do you know how to use Lux? Have you ever even seen someone able to use Lux? How do you know I will be able to become a Lux user to begin with, not everyone is able to, based on what I know."

"Euek!"

Aizza had not expected to be bombarded with so many questions, forcing her to run her brain to run in overdrive.

"N-No, I don't. But! I do know… Used to know people who used Lux. I-I don't know who, but people around me did. A lot of people! So I know the feeling.

Also, you have a lot of Lux surrounding you, and you're not even trying to weave Lux! No one else, even from what I barely remember, had Lux around them without using it! That must mean you can become really really good!

I… I may not know exactly how to teach you, but there's a good chance we can figure something out!"

Shin rubbed his thick, furrowed brows as he was considering.

"Hmmm.

Not enough…"

Aizza froze, that was all she had. That was all she could manage. If being somewhat more mature than her age still didn't give her enough of an edge to convince Shin, then anything else wouldn't work either. Nothing she could come up with, at least.

"...You also have to do everything I ask until I learn Lux, whether it's a few days, or your entire life.

I think that's a fair trade."

She was stunned, unable to quite get that it meant he agreed.

"Y-Yes?..."

Then it clicked.

"Y-Yes! Of c-course! That's very very fair!

Do you really mean it! You'll take me with you!?"

Shin stood up and offered her a hand. His torn clothing, greasy and messy hair, and permanently scowling face could do nothing to remove the radiance beaming around him as she stared up to his figure.

"Shake on it."

Hastily grabbing onto her opportunity, and by extension, Shin's hand, she let him lift her to a stand as well, followed by a stern handshake.

Aizza was in a wisp of bewilderment of why he was shaking her so firmly. Despite that, he went on without explaining further.

"Okay, let's start over." 

"Start… Over?"

It dawned on him just the trouble he was getting himself into.

- - - - - -

Focus Titian:

"Haaaaaa, you know… A redo for sorts.

Just…

I'm Titian, you can call me Shin."

Aizza sat there like a log. The concept wasn't very clear to her, so she didn't catch onto the meaning behind his words.

"But I already know that? 

Do you want me to pretend to forget?"

With her head tilting slightly as if a curious puppy, Shin dragged his hand over his face in frustration. 

His face was still covered from whatever mixed into his sweat and dried during his desperate flee. It was uncomfortable to say the least.

"No…

Ah, forget it. It's not that important."

"I, I am Aizza, and you can call me Ai!"

Not wanting to disappoint him, she played along as best as she could. Without the weaves delivering his thoughts anymore, she felt blind to his intentions.

"Sure sure, that works. I suppose…

Give me a moment to think."

Sorting his lingering emotions into check, Shin went over the list of current threats he faced once more, restarting from the bottom to incorporate Aizza.

*Now that I have Aizza following along, this certainly makes things more challenging.*

He wanted to begin right away, to probe the young girl of everything she knew. He wanted to start their attempts right away, but a distant memory hit him as he thought about Aizza's end of the deal. He reflected back to the stories he's read and old newspapers scattered throughout the streets. More than a few contained stories of Lux users.

In one of the few damaged books, "The Tales Of Sherwin: Book One," pictured a young man set on climbing the layers, reaching the top to find his 'aspect.'

The unfinished story within described how he channeled Lux into bursts of endless flames, conquering every layer and rivaling those around him. Each impasse and hurdle was defeated as he journeyed with his close friends and got stronger.

With the promises of power, authority, wealth, and other desires to be fulfilled by making the journey, he would change the ordinances and policies back on his mother layer to improve life there. 

The worldly layer of arid deserts and dry, frigid mountains called Ganhan Shejie.

Within the land, there was a city called Ard-Jafa which resided within the fervorous hot deserts and suffered from a scarcity of resources. 

It was not that the simmering desert lacked them, but rather that the rivaling city of Kataktihike Kryo had extorted and monopolized what did belong in the boundaries of Ard-Jafa. 

Containing dozens of powerful Households, Kata-Kryo, as it's commonly shortened to, had claimed many outposts on both sides of the continental lands, leaving close to nothing for any else.

This left Ard-Jafa lacking clean water for cleaning, washing, and even drinking. Along with their water crisis, growing crops was out of the question in the cracked soil, and the few remaining hunting grounds 'left' for Ard-Jafa were dangerous. With no strong households, hunting was simply out of the question.

Ard-Jafa, living off the scraps of the layer, had no strength to fight for more. Anyone who could have possibly done something simple relocated to Kata-Kryo or another layer, if they could. This left those without the means, or the will, to leave severely thin and sickly. Life was tough in Ard-Jafa.

Being one of the few who could wield the intricacies of Lux with skill, Sherwin went on to find that he was actually talented enough to make a change. And with that goal set in mind, to return the city to its former grace, he set out. He would gain the authority that came with being one of the strongest to change his homeland.

Of the precious book Shin had found, the first half of Sherwin's story gave Shin more information about the higher layers and the inner workings of Lux than most of everything else he's read combined. While he enjoyed it as entertainment too, it was a strong resource for information he'd never be able to learn otherwise.

It was a shame the second half of the first book was unreadable, the soaked ink of the pages becoming nothing more than blurry dots. It left Shin in shreds that he would likely never find the second half, let alone another book in the series.

But having some knowledge, he could probe Aizza to accurately tell what she could possibly do for him in the future.

*But it doesn't make sense to start questioning her just yet.

First, we should eat. Since I'll now be forced to work twice as hard to get ourselves out alive, I can't go around starving.

Afterwards, it's probably best to get going. It's been far too long. I have no idea what the situation outside this alley is.*

Luckily, throughout the whole wild chase, his bag still contained everything he purchased yesterday. Taking the old and falling apart sack off his back and bringing it to the front, he took out a food packet that read, <Starzen Nutritional Sauce - Type Human> and was about to hand it to the horned girl facing him.

"Wait, what race are you? 

I haven't seen any humanoids with horns before." 

Each and every nutrition packet was designed for each and every specific race and their needs. While most would be fine consuming another species' packet, there was still a chance for everything to go awry.

And although he's never witnessed it himself, he did hear enough talk about deaths caused by doing exactly that. 

Most humanoids generally all could and eat the same thing, Shin had no clue what exactly Aizza was.

He had seen many of those with horns, but all those humanoids were of the half-variety. Beastmen and the sort. But Aizza more closely fit with those like elves or dwarfs. But he didn't know of any who'd fit Aizza's bill. No to mention her pure white hair. It was not uncommon, but precisely nonexistent. Some people had gray fur or gray hairs, but unadulterated white? 

It just didn't happen.

And with all that information leading to the essential fact he had no clue what Aizza was, how was he supposed to give her something that very well may be poison?

At least his brain decided to work when it needed to. 

Most of the time…

The very last thing he'd like was for her to become sick after taking her in. 

Or worse.

But the question that remained went over her head.

"I-I don't really know? 

I look like you, don't I? 

Why does it matter?" 

Trying to understand what difference it made, she rubbed the two protrusions on the sides of her head. 

*Great, guess she'll have to get by until we figure it out. Sorry Aizza, can't have you dropping dead from something so mundane as poison.

It'd be great if you were as resilient as me…* 

Shin, having expected that it was pointless to mention the same thing twice, since Aizza could supposedly read his mind, remained silent as he prepared his meal.

Taking the bland packet, he removed the lid and downed the whole packet in one go so that he could be revitalized. He'd need all the energy he could get at this point.

Taking merely a few seconds to finish the pack, he tossed it to the side and began searching for one of the two drinks of water stored in his bag.

*I should have gotten a few more. 

Looks like I'll have to get water another way. 

We'll also need to stop at another drone next week. At least I'll have enough for a few things still.

That means we'll also be stuck stretching what we do have out. Not to mention I gotta find something for Aizza to eat.

I can easily go a few days without food, but her?...*

-grrrrrrrr-

Shin was interrupted by the sound of grumbling as he was in the process of unscrewing the cap of the bottle. It came from Aizza, who was now staring intently at him.

Her face flushed pink, feeling embarrassed.

"Um, d-do you, have anything, t-that I could e-eat?"

Her eyes swayed down, not wanting to show her shame of having asked. While she was minimally aware of where she truly was, she was at least able to pick up that food wasn't easy to come by. She asked the question still, despite knowing the weight of the request.

"I already told you it could be deadly. Unless you wanna risk foaming from your mouth, you'll just have to wait."

Tinged with pity, he found it a bit strange that she bothered to ask. Was she that hungry, or was she a little less mature than he made her out to be?

"I-I, uh, I don't think you did though…? W-Why would it be bad for me? You're eating it, aren't you?"

*Haaaaa, did I not explain it clearly?*

"Because you're not human, Aizza, and I have no idea what you are. And since you didn't give me an answer, I'm going to go and guess you don't either." 

"O-Oh. I guess I don't."

Her face dimmed, having been reminded of just how little she didn't know. Or maybe, didn't remember? 

It was strange for Shin, as it seemed Aizza was no longer…

"Wait, are you not reading my mind anymore?" 

Catching on to the minute change in the way Aizza talked to him, along with that fact she needed a verbal explanation, that she must have lost the ability.

"Oh, uh… Didn't you know?"

"...So, you can't see my thoughts anymore?"

"N-No, not really. You've been stopping the Lux from uh, copying your thoughts… Though I can still see your emotions!"

Shin was unsure how to process the information, having already tried adapting to her strangeness, only for that adaptation to be rendered null!

"What do you mean 'I've' been stopping it? You already know I can't use Lux, let alone see or feel it!"

"Um, I just thought you did it yourself. I'm sorry."

The situation was confusing at best.

"Don't apologize as if it's your fault. Haaaaaaa."

Although he sighed, it wasn't all bad news.

*Having her read my thoughts was scary, but at the same time it could've been helpful in situations where we won't be able to talk. 

But if she isn't the one 'stopping' the Lux, that means it must've been me, right? Does that mean I'll be able to use Lux?

Or rather, does this mean I'll be very proficient, since I can apparently subconsciously wield it?*

More and more questions flooded Shin's head, threatening to lead him into an imagined fantasy. Before he could get much further, Aizza made him jump back to reality.

"I, I think it'll be fine to eat it." 

She spoke with a hidden confidence, which made Shin give her words some weight.

"How do you know that it isn't toxic for you? What are you basing that on?

Did you remember what race you are?"

Aizza shifted in her makeshift seat of garbage.

"I am not sure, but I don't think it'll hurt me.

My feelings are usually right." 

Bringing his hand to his chin, Shin contemplated the strangeness he's seen since meeting her. Taking into account her innate power, besides her lack of memories, he uncharacteristically decided to trust her.

"Alright, fine. If you end up dying, I won't be happy for you wasting my time and supplies."

Placing the unopened bottle in his hand to the floor, he reached for one of the remaining sauce packets, with its bland unreflective-gray material, and plucked it from his sack. The soft package was the size of an adult man's hand.

Stretching it out to Aizza, she swiftly grasped it, slightly struggling to hold the non-rigid container in small hand. 

Her other hand reached to the covering, removing it as Shin had, and took a sip of the dirt-brown blended semi-liquid. 

Her eyes went wide and began to tear once more. Every musccel in her body was begging her to spit out whatever chemical atrocity was now in her mouth. Somehow, she managed to resist the temptation, and forced herself to swallow. Immediately, her stomach felt hot, and she felt sluggish.

It would be a short struggle to keep it down.

Letting out a cough, she let her dissatisfaction show.

"This is - *cough* - food?"

"It's what's available here. You get used to it, I guess? 

It's all I've ever eaten, so don't be so ungrateful."

Feeling ashamed that she complained despite receiving food that others couldn't likely couldn't, she finished off the rest in three gulps without another word of its taste.

Letting out a hiss of repugnance, she looked towards Shin, who had held out a half-full bottle of water for her. It was half full, with its first being drunk by Titian.

Wanting to remove the foul taste from her mouth, along with the dryness of her throat, she accepted the water. Drinking the rest, she swished the last gulp around, flushing the remaining residue away.

Getting rid of most of it, she simply had to deal with the surviving aftertaste for now.

Seeing how she was done, Shin went down to business. 

"Alrighty, now that we aren't distracted, we have to get some ground rules straight."

With a furious nod, Aizza was steeling herself to be on her best behavior.

"You must follow my every word, and only mine. 

Don't talk or respond to anyone else, no matter what they say to me or you. If I need you to say something, I will tell you, or give you some kind of obvious sign.

You must stay close to me at all times. Leave me, and I can't promise I'll spare the effort to find you if you get lost.

Even if you think I'm asking something ridiculous, or asking you to perform something that may hurt a little, you must push through it without complaint."

Making sure he got every rule that'd make sense layed out for Aizza, a realization came to him.

*This could actually work out for me… 

What thug on the lookout for a teen on the run would expect him to be going around with a little kid?

Assuming they know me enough, I'd never do something so foolish!*

"I-I understand!" 

With a bit too much excitement, she shouted with glee, prompting Shin to shoot her a glare.

"Shh, you also need to keep your voice down. If I say something to you, respond with a nod when you can. A whisper at most. 

Less attention, the better.

Got it?"

"Y-Yes."

She spoke in a hushed whisper of confirmation.

Digging underneath him, Shin dug out one of the large trash bags and ripped off the yellow band that kept the unknown trash within. Flipping it upside down, he emptied the contents of damp innards to the side. 

Holding the empty bag, he shook it until it filled with air, making sure there were no large rips present.

Confirming it was the case, he swiveled towards Aizza with a devious smile that only furthered his already sinister look.

"Good~

Now, put this over yourself."

He signaled for her to wear the wet and nasty black bag. Surely he didn't want her to actually put it on herself, right? She wanted nothing to do with it!

"Huh?"

*This daft girl.* 

Shin wasn't happy with her hesitation.

"You need to listen to me from now on without question, otherwise I won't take you with me.

Or is that going to be an issue for you?"

He explained without remorse, not wanting to be tested.

"N-No, it w-won't…"

Showing her discontent, she obediently fitted the bag over herself, and her vision blacked out. 

With the bottom of the bag sitting on her head, the opening fell down to her ankles, almost matching her oversized t-shirt. 

She felt sick. 

The sticky texture of the bag along with the horrendous smell almost made her want to vomit. Multiplied by the lingering 'food' she had ingested, it was no small feat managing her stomach. 

With all of her will, she tried to ignore the slimy chunks that touched her bare skin, sending shivers up her back.

Luckily for Shin, due to her short stature, the trash bag was long enough to cover her attention-seeking hair.

Shin, taking slight amusement in the situation, gave a warning before he continued.

"I am going to rip a hole for your face, and only your face, along with arm holes. 

I don't want your horns showing, as they bring too much attention.

So don't squirm around or else we'll have to do this again."

"A-Alright Shin."

*She's catching on quick. 

Good.*

He took his hand and planted them softly to where he presumed her face was, given away by the short bumps that hid within the bag. He felt a slight flinch from the girl but ignored it as he pinched his fingers to the soft plastic. Using little force, he stretched and ripped a small hole into the bag, revealing a radiantly captivating orange eye.

Continuing, he formed the hole to fit most of her front. Her face couldn't stick out, but the opening was wide enough for her to see and breathe. Her expression showed her relief to be 'freed' and be granted fresh air.

Next, Shin ripped a hole to each side, and Aizza's thin arms poked through, her baggy sleeves caught on the bag for a moment before she forced her way through. 

She matched many of the other residents, most who were unable to find unmanaged clothing. They at the very least wanted to protect their nudity, and opted to use trash bags as well. But in the end, there were always a few who went without.

*Now she fits in with the residents here.

While the trash bags are to disguise ourselves for other reasons, it works pretty well since her shirt is in too good a condition to go unnoticed as well.*

Although stained and dirty, the shirt would stand out against the rived and frayed clothing others wore.

Finished with Aizza, he dressed himself just the same. Tearing himself holes through the moist interior of a trash bag, used to doing so in the past. 

The bag only went down to between his knees and waist, but that was good enough, as in his case, his pants were in no way a good condition.

Though it was a concern he could be recognized by them, the chance they'd be able to pick one pair of random pants colored, torn, and dirtied all the same was practically null.

Making sure his hair was hidden, he walked to one of the few clear spots free of trash bags in the alley. With a patch of dirt where the cement had long been cracked, broken, and moved, it was perfect for what Shin needed.

Dirt was preferable to random grime from who knows what.

Bending down, he took a handful of damp dirt. Closing his eyes, he pressed the clump against his face, both hands moving vigorously to ingrain his face with even more muck. 

Eventually satisfied, let the remaining dirt fall back down.

"Why'd you go and do that? Don't t-tell me I have to do that t-too?"

Struck with fear of doing what Shin had done, he cleared her worries.

"No no. It's so I am not recognized, since I am explicitly being chased. 

You don't have to do it as well for now, since you have no one after you. Plus, your face is already pretty dirty.

Enough of that, we are ready.

It's time to go.

I've been hidden pretty long, so they probably have a wider than necessary search right now. It's impossible to search the whole city, so that'll work in our favor.

But once we meet up where their net has spread to, the danger will ramp up. You must listen to me.

We are going to be heading to the outer city, which will be a long trip. We can't stop or rest until I say we can. 

That is going to take a toll on us, especially you. You're gonna have to tough through it.

Do you understand?"

Informing her of the difficulties they would face, Aizza understood what he was implying. 

Even though she was a little scared, she felt elated that she wouldn't be alone in this strange new world. That Shin would really be taking her, not changing his mind one last time as she feared in the back of her head.

"Yes."

With a firm and hushed agreement, followed by a dedicated nod, she was ready.

"Alright then, Aizza. Get closer and right behind me. We are first going to head to th-"

"Hey! You two!"

Shin stiffened into a wall of pure alarm, barely being able to turn towards the source of the brute-ish voice. A man peeked over the tower of trash, calling out to Aizza and himself in the solitary alley.