2 Chapter Two - Growing Up In Ashen

It had gone six years ever since Ayato had arrived in this new world, 'Ashen', and assumed his new name Nagisa. During this time Nagisa had adapted to slowly walk and function normally on this world's gravity, but also picking up their language since birth.

Nagisa was overly excited to hear that once you come of age, in just a mere of fours year more, this world would bless you with a magic based affinity. Magic served well in daily functions, if you had water you would help with water related work, same goes for the rest. Fire was much desirable in blacksmithing foremost, and Ice to cooling related things.

Much like always, the young Nagisa found himself sleeping in the nearby woods to indulge in the full pleasure of the easy and nicely sounding winds.

"Soon to awaken my unknown aptitude, huh? Hope it will be something cool, like Fire, or Ice!"

Nagisa was lost in thought, fantasizing about the two most powerful affinities. During his six years already here, Nagisa had attempted to learn how to read since a young age which was applauded in his small village. However no one knew, that Nagisa had already started picking up on reading the Ancient Rune language, for the more advanced books and scrolls that lurked in the hard read library raft section.

"Arcane and Void huh… These two runes are so rare that they have become a myth…"

He talked aloud under the meadow of a large tree which covered the perfect amount of shadow for him to escape the blazing sun.

"N-Nagisa!!"

A man came shouting through the woods.

"Over here, what is it?"

Nagisa responded to the man who came rushing for him. Judging from the voice it was the Blacksmith, Odo.

"Y-your mother… She… collapsed…"

Odo crunched over and had both his hands on his knees, and was seen heavily panting out of fatigue when he had come in view of Nagisa.

"W-what?!"

Nagisa jumped up immediately with a kick from his previously laid-down position. In this world, gravity had made him very nimble.

"We must hurry!"

Odo had a pained and pale expression which made Nagisa shiver to his core for the ramifications that face might have foretold. Both made haste to Emiko's house.

"Mother!"

Nagisa slammed the door in, exhausted and way ahead of Odo who came running several seconds behind the young boy. He rushed over to Emiko who lied in bed.

"How is she doctor?"

The doctor shook his head. Nagisa feared the worst.

"She has been overexerting herself for a very long time now, this illness does not appear to be new…"

He continuously shook his head.

"Dammit, Emiko. I told you to rely on us more, this has happened ever since Nagisa's birth has it not?"

The doctor punched the wall loudly. The strained Emiko opened her eyes.

"Nagisa, are you there?"

She held up her hand and Nagisa instantly grabbed it.

"I am here, do not worry, everything will be alright!"

A sobbing Nagisa tried to encourage her health to recover.

"I feel weak… I feel like I have been declining for a long time now… Sorry for not telling you, or the rest…"

She looked up and stroke Nagisa's tears off both his cheeks. Then looked at the doctor.

"I know the rest of you have been trying to pitch your best, all behind Nagisa's back, with all the food, and whatever you could spare, please take care of Nagisa when I am gone."

Emiko smiled.

"What are you saying, you will make it!"

Nagisa yelled out sobbingly. Emiko shook her head slowly.

"I know my body the best… But listen, Nagisa… I have enough strength for one more short story…"

Emiko kept her brave smile and fought back her own tears to put on a fearless front, in front of Nagisa.

"Get out!"

Nagisa shouted for everyone to leave rudely. The stories which both of them shared was only between the two of them. Everyone bid their farewell and Nagisa stopped shedding his tears.

"You go first!"

A sad attempt of a smile came from his end. Emiko nodded and told another made up fairytale which Nagisa loved. He crawled in her arms and felt her warmth fade by every ticking minute. The story came to an end and the weakened Emiko kissed her son's forehead for one last time.

"Nagisa… tell me… you came from a different world, did you not?"

Emiko asked Nagisa with a grin.

"N-no… Well… yes… How did you figure it out?"

A shocking Nagisa was baffled by his mother's question which she had never asked before.

"I could tell from a young age… The way you function and pick up things are just different… And judging from how you are. You must have had your fair share of hardships in the other world, but do not worry. Your new mother always love you, no matter where I might be, I will be right in here."

Emiko explained on her mother based intuition and observation, then pulled with all her last strength her right index finger towards Nagisa's heart.

"Why… why… why?!"

Nagisa began sobbing again.

"When I finally find someone to love, they are taken away from me, why!"

Nagisa punched the wall furiously.

"Relax Nagisa… you might be awkward at reading people, but I know you will grow up being a smart child. Now… could you just please for a minute tell your mother about your world? Please… I want to know about my sweet, little dearly beloved Nagisa a bit more…"

Emiko pinched Nagisa's cheek to calm him down and smiled anew. The sobbing and furious Nagisa immediately quiet down, Emiko just saw through him too well. She knew how he functions entirely, and a sudden calm reached across Nagisa, he wanted to fulfill her last wish.

He told her about his life, all hardships and frustrations he had harbored, and how it all had ended. No detail was left behind.

"Oh, my little Nagisa…"

Emiko proceeded to hug him even tighter in her arms. They were still warm, even though the hug felt weaker, it had a certain strength, it must be a mother's charm and endless love.

"Close your eyes for a second, and listen, I think… I have time for one more lullaby…"

The young Nagisa tried to fighting back his new tears and closed his eyes. It was too important for him to make sure Emiko had the perfect send off, with him being attentive by her side, as she has been all these years for him.

For Nagisa, he would come to discover Emiko's final lullaby to leave nothing but happy memories behind. Being barely a minute long, it would stick with him forever through thick and thin times at night. By the end of the lullaby, there were more tears overflowing than before, as for each sentence the warmth had come to fade, bit by bit. And by the time Emiko had finished, nothing remained but a smiling person, with a grip of a hug which had entirely faded. The entire thing could have been described as something hauntingly beautiful being forged by one's last energy of their soul.

A scream was heard within the house from the sobbing Nagisa. The rest of the people who had left previously returned and bid their final sorrowful farewells. Only dark days passed, and people would not see Nagisa come out of the house until a month had passed.

Odo was hammering away at his forge loud and clear in the morning. For most people, that served as the waking clock more than rooster waking them up.

"Morning Odo!"

Nagisa cheerfully greeted him unnoticed, standing behind him, inspecting and grabbing some tools.

"M-morning! Are you… okay now?"

He was taken by surprise and hesitated with approaching Nagisa with his question.

"Yup! Like mother always said, have to stay productive, today I am turning a new leaf in memory of her!"

The young boy seemed to have entirely recovered. Odo let out a sigh of relief and put a smile behind his face.

"Are you interested in Blacksmithing?"

Nagisa nodded.

"Want me to teach you?"

Nagisa shook his head. Odo sighed again.

"Do you know anything about Blacksmithing?"

Odo continued to interact and ask away.

"Yeah… I read that even though you awaken your magic at the age of 10. Nothing stops you from picking up and practicing your Swordsmanship early. I want to produce some swords and perhaps sell a few before I leave for the capital if possible. I also want to be enlisted in the Magical Knight's Academy!"

The man had finally gotten Nagisa to talk out honestly about his life plans. Odo laughed, pleased by the young boy's enthusiasm.

"You know it is hard for commoners to enter there?"

A nodding Nagisa nodded twice rapidly again excitingly for the challenge.

"Well! Let old Odo know if you need anything!"

Odo almost regretted as he had said this, hence Nagisa immediately turned with a mischievous grin that seemed costly.

"Would you please be kind to provide me with these materials then?"

At this point Odo was shaking his head heavily then looked up with a bright smile. He felt now that Emiko was gone, he had to try his best to match Nagisa's enthusiasm and decided to take a gamble on him.

For the next coming ten years, everyone were beyond impressed by Nagisa's action. Every morning he would help everyone in the village with small choirs and then pick up where he left at Odo's Blacksmithery. A sword of unspoken quality would be produced, once, each year. Even the first three wooden swords sold for a high amount of gold by the quality and durability they provided, before Nagisa had chosen to buy raw magical material to forge real ones. Nagisa spent about an hour every day Blacksmithing with an unrelenting focused, which most people would come by during the day and admire. No one could usher a word to break his sheer focus, it was almost as he was lost in a transit thought.

After the Blacksmithing had been done, Nagisa did the usual, he would walk to the library and eat lunch while reading a few books at the same time. Then he would proceed to the woods, where he was secretly practicing alone his Swords skills.

When people had asked which magical affinity he had awoken, Nagisa smiled and said 'Wind'. Even though it was seen as the weakest, it did not discourage Nagisa at all to everyone's surprise. After all, Nagisa had hid some of the details during the date of his awakening.

"Wind and Arcane? Dual-trait?"

A scenery flashed back with Nagisa speaking out loud to himself. The affinity stone which only the user could read with his eyes closed and holding it in his hands had shown two colors. Nagisa gritted his teeth. Amongst every element out there, Void and Arcane were two being myths. Nagisa had been quietly reading up on the Arcane part on whatever books he could find in the small village library.

The day had come to an end, when Nagisa stopped reminiscing about his dual-trait awakening, he decided to look up at the sky.

"It is finally time. Tomorrow, I will leave on my journey."

Nagisa beamed. After ten years, Nagisa had finally turned sixteen and was eligible for entrance this time around for the Magical Knight's Academy. Nagisa stared at the setting sun, and by the time he walked home, a bright full moon shone through peacefully across the village's landscape.

Nagisa made sure to remember this scenery one more time as he laid down in bed, eagerly waiting tomorrow. The village's small water well, its rough and tiny roads, and the many fields and small river streams that ran along. The forest in which he had cultivated his skills or gone for serene afternoon naps. But lastly the library of reading various books and the Blacksmith of listening to Odo's neverending hammering away at his anvil. All the fond memories during his entire childhood came flooding back through the night until the first morning light.

Just as usual, Nagisa would wash himself and dress up, however this would be the final time in this house at the very least for now. It felt saddening in his chest as he did had completed his morning routine and finished packing up. At the doorway he looked at the small and cramped little room one more time before leaving.

"Good-bye mother… I am leaving now! Hope I will make you proud!"

Nagisa smiled and closed the door, reminiscing how his mother would usually still be around in the kitchen during morning after they had finished eating breakfast.

In the middle of the village people were gathering.

"Nagisa!"

Several people yelled his name and joined him towards his farewell walk that let towards the capital's road. Countless people wished him good fortune for the trip and journey to come. However others gave him small things like a loaf of bread or a small snack in case hunger struck on the road. Nagisa attempted hard to fight back the tears. How could he ever let the first people who cared for him down? It was hard enough to leave them! At last they were at the cross road and everyone waved him farewell.

"Good-bye everyone! I promise I will return one day as a full fledged Magical Knight!"

A saddened Nagisa yelled out, and thus a new chapter had begun, one he had looked forward to ever since that dark day, to make her proud.