Chapter 5 - New Face in Town

Knock! Knock!

"Hello? Tez?"

"Come on in." A man's voice said from inside the building. "That voice, is that Lady Aira?"

"Yes Tez, it's me." She replied with a smile on her face.

"Come right in, I'll be with you soon!"

"Take your time!"

Mai and Kaden entered Tez's establishment which was filled with various garments being displayed. From different arrangements of shirts and pants to various shoes and accessories.

"Just one guy runs this place?" Kaden asks.

"His two nieces also help out, but most of the time it's only him."

Kaden watched Mai for a few seconds as she browsed through the contents in the store with an innocent smile on her face.

"I was starting to wonder if you were capable of smiling." Kaden stated.

"Of course I would be." She replied as the smile left her face.

"That's the first time I've seen it. To be living in a place like this I'd assume there'd be endless things to smile about, but so far you've worn a frown more than anyone I've met here."

...

No response? I guess that means something is up then. I'll leave it alone for now, since I don't think I'm close enough to pry into any personal issues right now. Can't damage the this relationship. It would be nice if I could finesse this one before I return home.

"Alright Lady Aira, how can I be of assistance today." Said a large man as he entered the room.

He paused once he noticed Kaden and then walked over to him, inspecting the clothes he was wearing.

"I'm not with those Ignus people, this is just a coincidence." Kaden quickly cleared up.

He stroked his beard as he walked around Kaden and examined his attire.

"The Elders asked if you can sort him out with some new apparel Tez." Mai stated.

"You wear some interesting clothes boy. What's this for?" Tez asked as he lifted the hood on Kaden's jacket.

"It's a hoodie... you pull it over your head like this when it's raining or it gets cold."

Tez slapped both of his hands on Kaden's shoulders and shook him a bit while laughing.

"Very resourceful! I love it." Tez exclaimed as he released Kaden. "What exactly are you looking for boy."

"Um, clothes." Kaden replied holding his head.

"We do have plenty of that, yes."

"As you can tell Tez, he isn't from this land and doesn't know much to anything about appearances." Mai stated.

"Then how about this kid. Leave your current attire here with me, and in one week I'll have a custom uniform for you." Tez offered.

"I wouldn't mind that, but I can't walk out of here naked now can I?"

"It would be amusing but I wouldn't want my nieces to see that." Tez replied.

"I guess I'll take the cheapest t-shirt and pants you have then."

"Cheapest?" Mai asked.

"Yeah, I don't like being in debt to people so I don't want you spending too much on me." Kaden explained.

"I think you're misunderstanding something kid." Tez said. "There is no monetary system in Aestus."

"...There's no money? Then how does the hierarchy work?"

"All of the Elders were chosen by previous seat holders." Mai stated. "My family has had a member as one of the Elders for four generations now, but everyone in Aestus are candidates to hold a seat."

"Men too?" Kaden asked.

"There's only one man among the current Elders."

"I see... so, I could have anything in this store?"

"Only get one change of clothes right now, you can come back for something else if you want."

This place has no economy whatsoever huh. Kaden thought. My money back home surmount to nothing here.

"I guess this'll do for now then." He said gesturing at an outfit.

"You can change in that first room there." Tez said. "Leave your current clothes in there, I'll store them properly later."

Kaden took the change of clothes to the other room and stayed in their for about five minutes.

"Good day Uncle." Said a cheerful young girl that entered the store.

"Welcome back Kumori." Tez replied.

"Oh, good day Miss Aira."

"I told you it's okay to call me Mai Kumori. Is Kuria not with you?"

"She'll be here soon. Is it true there's someone from another land staying here?"

"How-... who'd you hear that from?" Mai asked hesitantly.

"Word travels fast. A friend said he saw you walking in with a suspicious man dressed in red."

"I don't think I'm all that suspicious looking." Kaden said entering the room.

Without a second of hesitation Kumori raised her hand into a fist and a needle like shape of water appeared in front of Kaden.

"Don't worry Miss Mai, I'll detain the suspicious man for you!"

"Wait Kumori!" Mai yelled jumping in front of her. "He is a friend of the village, not a suspicious person!"

The water needle then evaporated into the air as fast as it was formed.

"Oh, sorry Miss Mai! I thought he infiltrated Aestus and was trying to bring us down from the inside." Kumori explained with a smile on her face.

"You're a little too quick on the trigger Kumo." Mai stated.

"If she wants to be an adventure, I've taught her to never hesitate in the face of an enemy." Tez stated.

Kenzo was the same way. Even Mai aimed an arrow at me when she first saw me. I guess everyone in this village is gung-ho to a fault. So much for a peaceful nation.

"Thanks for the fit, if that's all I'll be waiting outside." Kaden said as he walked pass Mai and Kumori.

Everyone watched him as he exited the store after not saying another word.

Violence is present no matter what world you're living in. As long as their are two people with individual minds, there will always be disagreement. Disagreements will always set flame to violence. "Peaceful nation" my ass.

"Are you okay mister?"

Kaden peered over to his right to find another girl that looks exactly like Kumori.

Didn't I walk passed this girl inside? Actually this isn't that same girl, the one inside had a ponytail lower than her shoulders. This one's hair is down but it barely reaches to her neck. Same face, same clothes, same brown eyes and dark blue hair color. Almost an exact replica but, this girl is looking at me different.

"Did Uncle do something to make you mad mister?" She asked. "He can be very enthusiastic at times but I never thought about it as something people wouldn't like."

"...Do you have a twin sister?" Kaden asked.

"Oh, Kumo?"

"So you're Kuria right?"

"Mhm." She replied nodding her head.

"So far you're personality is a lot different than hers." Kaden said as he walked up to her and kneeled down.

"Hmm?"

They both stared at each other for a while as if they both had just came across a creature they've never seen before.

"Say mister, are you a bad guy?" Kuria asked.

"I think that's a question you have to find an answer for yourself. If you ask that question to a bad person they'll just lie and say they aren't. So you have to observe and come to a conclusion yourself."

"Hmm, I see... too much work." She said as she softly slapped his forehead causing him to fall backwards.

"Oh you were out here Kuria." Mai said as she came outside.

"Miss Aira."

"Call me Mai please Kuria." She replied with a grin. "Come on stranger, next up is where you'll be staying."

"Bye stranger." Kuria said walking inside.

"That's not my-... everyone in this village is gonna be calling me stranger because of you."

"I wonder why?" Mai asked as she walked off.

With Kaden's new outfit, traversing the village became possible without the gaze of every villager following him. He sported a dark blue and gray long sleeve jacket, which covered a plain blue shirt. Knee length blue pants and his same all black tennis.

"Good day Miss Aira." A woman said as Mai and Kaden passed her.

"Hello." Mai replied with a smile.

"Hi Miss Aira!" Said some kids that were playing.

"Play safely everyone." She replied.

"Seems like everyone knows you pretty well." Kaden exclaimed.

"My family is well known in Aestus." She replied.

"Oh yeah. So your mom's gonna take the seat as an Elder some day huh?"

"That's impossible."

"How come?"

"...both my mom and my dad died eleven years ago."

Kaden peeked over at Mai but didn't say anything right away.

Her facial expression or tone of voice didn't change at all when she said that. Maybe she isn't bothered by it anymore.

"My dad passed away four years ago." Kaden said.

"What about your mom?"

"She's fine, I think. I haven't spoken to her in almost a year but I know she's alive."

"How do you think she reacted to your death?" Mai asked.

"... she probably cried."

"Probably?"

"... she definitely cried."

...

"You can eat something from here. This establishment is ran by the Preeman family, they're very friendly and much more reserved than Tez and the twins. And over there is where you'll be staying."

She pointed to the end of the trail at a treehouse that was unoccupied by anyone.

"I wasn't expecting a very nice cabin like the ones we've been passing, but I really didn't expect some ran down tree house." Kaden stated.

"It's not run down, it has actually been kept in very good condition up to now. That house is very special so please take good care of it." Mai said as she smiled at Kaden.

"...fine, I'll be sleeping if you need me then." Kaden said walking away.

"I thought you were hungry."

"I was, and now I'm tired from walking all day. I'll eat after some sleep."

"See you tomorrow then stranger."

A sturdy wooden ladder lead up to the hatch door entrance of Kaden's new home. As he climbed in, a feint sent of mangoes rushed into Kaden's nose. However there's nothing inside the tree house besides a bed made from thatch, rope and what seemed to be the skin of some animal. He lied on the bad, gazing at the wooden roof as he thought to himself...

The fuck is special about this place.

.....

Somewhere in the outside world.

"Great deities of this world, please hear my cries! I've suffered for long enough! If you could grant me just one wish, please! Breathe life back into this body and return my brother to me!"

A female with short and messy purple and black hair, dressed in a black cloak with short and torn up black pants, stood before a small lake with a naked male body. The lake didn't contain water, but instead a sludge like milky substance and was surrounded with a thick layer of fog. The body she carried had slice markings all over and was missing its entire right arm. A full head of gray hair and hid the scars and burn marks on his face and neck.

"Aioroúmai eis ton aéra." She sad softly over the body.

A purple haze formed under the body as it began to levitate off of the ground. She guided the body over the lake and slowly descended it into the unknown substance.

"Anastaíno." She said as she brought her hands together and closed her eyes.

Please, I'm begging. Give me something to live for.

After a few seconds the lake started to bubble around where the body was submerged. Steam was released from each bubble that surfaced as the lake began to rapidly heat up. This caused the fog in the area to begin dispersing, revealing all of the dead trees that littered the area around the lake. As a few more minutes passed, the bubbles started to rise at an even faster rate. Then finally a hand busted out of the substance. The hand reached out and then slapped the surface of the lake again. Afterwards another hand stretched out and began struggling to pull its body to the service. As the body arose from the lake, it was completely covered by the slimy contents of the lake. Steam was being emitted from his body as he began wiping away the slime from his face. His hair was the first part of him to be exposed and it was now much shorter and fully black.

"Huh. Venmi?"

He dragged himself out of the lake as the slime dripped off of him. As more of his body became exposed, it was revealed that all of the cuts and scars on him were completely healed. His body seemed smaller and he was shorter in height now. He climbed out to where the girl was standing and collapsed to the ground in front of her.

"Venmi! It's me, Via. Can you hear me?"

"...who..."

"Venmi?"

She kneeled down and held who she thought was her brother in her arms. When she turned him over however, she was stunned that the person that just crawled out of the lake wasn't her brother.

"Who, is Venmi?" He asked.

"Who... who are you?"

"My name... is Aaron."