Chapter 3: Habit

To start off, the Old Man had me gather firewood. It wasn't very difficult, though it isn't surprising considering this body is blessed with good muscle. I could lift a few hundred pounds with ease, despite being smaller in height than the slouching old man.

He continues to watch over me, but his gaze is starting to feel fierce. When I couldn't take it any longer, I asked him, "Is there a reason you're looking at me like that?"

He sighs, me seeming to break his concentration. "The body has memories of its own, often known as habits. It's why, despite when someone loses their memories, there's something that remains. Whether it be a feeling of holding something you used to know or a motion you subconsciously enact. I should be able to find out what kind of person you used to be if I keep watching long enough." 

'So, he's trying to understand who I was through my habits.'

With knowledge of what he's trying to look for, I continue doing what is needed while ignoring the old man's eyes... Or at least I thought I could, but it's hard to ignore the feeling of eyes burning into the back of my skull... 

After finishing all the tasks given to me, his main findings are that my body is well developed despite being 5'2 in height. Stuff that sounds like you could understand by just making me take off my shirt, but what makes him curious was that this is the body of someone who swings a weapon every day for who knows how many years.

I ponder who this person I used to be was, but more than that, I wonder if this was my original body before getting Amnesia. But I still need to compare by testing the female's compatibility as well as her capabilities. 

Besides gathering firewood, another moment of note was when he had me skin some of the rabbits with horns he brought back. Though the process was clumsy at first, I steadily got better as I continued, but he had me stop when half the rabbits were skinned and separated. 

"Quite a fast learner with the blade." He commented. "Though this was your first time, you'll get used to cooking before long." 

I nod, noticing what he means. 'I never cooked before.' meaning I may have had someone else cook for me. 

After having me cut vegetables and learn how to start a fire using nothing but wood, he raises the staff to poke me as my male body falls unconscious. 

The female body steadily regained consciousness soon after and the first thing I checked was the positioning of the sun, the same as before, so it wasn't long since my male counterpart was put to sleep.

"Remember what we learned?" the old man asked.

I answer, "Yes, I remember it all."

Giving me a nod, he begins walking as he did when starting my male counterpart's tasks. "Then we will test your female's habits the same way. I shouldn't have to tell you where to start."

I nod my head as I begin picking up more firewood, but that's when I notice many of the differences. I was used to the male counterpart's stature and with her being taller, it made every step feel off. I have to get used to moving once again if I'm going to begin again.

A few minutes after getting used to walking in the tall slender body of the female counterpart, I had to take on the next realization. Though she's taller, this body is physically weaker. I can barely lift 50 pounds when 200 wasn't breaking a sweat for the male body. I was expecting at least 100.

"Well now that's odd..." says the old man.

Dropping the stack of wood next to the rest, I take deep breaths. "Is something... different?"

"It's just that... You're definitely working on habit but you keep shuffling around how you do things. Seeing as you haven't noticed, my guess is you're subconsciously correcting what your body remembers." 

'What? I'm correcting myself?'

Seeing as I didn't understand the first time, he waved me off to continue as I have.

I sigh as I continue moving the wood, except I'm being more conscious of my actions now. That's when I began to recognize what he meant. I'm swapping between holding it in my arms and trying to do as my male counterpart had done, by resting it on my shoulder. The two bodies have their separate habits and some are taking hold over others. At this rate, I might drop everything I hold if I can't decide how this body should move.

By the end of the task, I was worn out. 'Whoever had this body definitely hadn't done manual labor herself. But I still have more to do...'

The old man interjects. "For now, let's skip to cooking. Cut up the last of the rabbits and the vegetables before we start up the fire once more."

'Is the old man taking pity on me? Well, I won't say no as I would rather skip the heavy stuff till I get this body used to doing the bare minimum.' I grab the knife and begin cutting everything up. 

The rabbits went more smoothly than with the male body because the cuts weren't deep. I didn't pierce organs that the male body cut up the first time I tried. My first comparison was his were clumsy but it's probably the first time her hands tried to cook, yet both weren't terrible. 

Cutting vegetables was slower as I cut fewer bundles together compared to my male counterpart, but the cuts were consistent whereas his attempts were rushed and uneven.

"So, this body is a natural, not physically strong but overly refined to an almost perfectionist degree." 

'Refined...' A part of me felt pained by that word but I don't know why. I can't even tell if it was a bad pain or a good one?  'Or am I being reminded of a good memory turned sour?' 

I can only continue. Especially seeing as the old man is choosing to ignore my reaction.

As I was getting ready to restart the fire the old man, apparently, put out to make me do it over again, but he stops me. "I think that body of yours will be capable of something different." 

I was confused but he continued regardless, "Repeat these words I'm about to say to you." 

[[Light a fire for me to decide]] 

When I repeat, I feel something in my veins, a chill coming throughout my body, all converging to my hands before finally, a small flame appears between them. 

"Now concentrate, push it forward where you want it to go. Just below the logs, into the batch of leaves." I try to do as he says and keep my concentration while gently aiming the flame at the wood, it catching fire the moment it hits the center of the pile. 

"Well done. We've found that your male body has no talent in magic whatsoever yet holds strength above the average warrior while your female body is weak physically yet appears to have a vast quantity of mana." 

"How can you tell he can't use magic?" 

"It was difficult. I'm not good at magic either so I've had to train to tell what another person's capabilities are. When you've fought as many mages as I have, you start to get sensitive about their existence. Either way, whoever those two used to be, they were proficient in their own fields. Now then..." 

He taps the stick and the male body awakens. But with both awake once more, I returned to two perspectives that could easily cause enough confusion for a migraine, and it doesn't help I'm more conscious of the bodily differences after being separated for a time. 

Groaning I ask, "If you're not good at magic, then what do you call that stick trick you're using?!" 

He chuckles as he waves me off. "You'll learn about that later, for right now I need to focus on cooking. Go ahead and re-train your steps while I prepare dinner." 

Though I'm annoyed he's keeping secrets again, I can't do much more than follow what he says. I did have to work once again to regain my ability to walk on my own two feet, but I'm not at least more conscious and therefore more capable of moving one person at a time. 

My arms must move separately, my legs separately, and most of all, my mouth being vocally retrained to speak without choking on air. 

But I hadn't realized yet that the hardest task today was just ahead. 

-------- 

With rabbit stew served to each of us, I had to work hard to not only keep from spilling stew on myself but also to not choke on the food that made it into my mouth. But the stock was too easy at going where it shouldn't. Coughing at the same time, it was my female counterpart that failed this attempt. 

Sitting back to watch my coughing fit, the old man had enough, "Alright enough...Just take turns having one eat instead of forcing it down." 

When my breathing steadies, I reluctantly agree. Even if the feeling of food going down my other's throat was uncomfortable; it wasn't going to be consistent no matter how hard I tried to eat like this. 

Regrettably, I ate one at a time, making my other's throat feel like something was slithering around due to the liquid. And I had to do it for both if I didn't want to starve.

I decided to attempt to distract myself from this by asking a question. "I forgot to ask, what's your name?"

The old man was caught off guard but got another scoop before saying, "For now, just call me Teacher or Master. I will tell you my name when I'm ready." 

I want to know why his name was a big secret but I can't focus on that as the next spoonful sent a shiver down my spine, but at least I didn't throw it back up. 

It sucks too, the soup tastes so good but I can't enjoy it. 

-------- 

After pushing through the worst experience in my life, I happily return to the easy training of running laps around the area to work on my balance. Then on stretching, picking different things up at the same time and setting them down without dropping them, but then there is alternating between which body steps on the log, and stretching while the other has to remain standing completely straight. All until the female counterpart felt like collapsing, which began having an effect on the male counterpart's own fatigue despite not even working up a sweat as of yet. 

With the sky turned red by the setting sun; the old man got my attention. "That's enough for today! Head inside so we can get you set up." 

I was worn out but thanks to all that training I was capable of the minimum for walking.

Despite my complaints, I'm glad he made me practice separately before. It helped me adjust to the height difference between the two forms, though I still have to keep a rhythm in their steps if I don't want to fall on my face as I did when I started. 

Having entered the shack for the first time, it's a comfortable place despite its size, with a fireplace inside meant for heating instead of cooking. With only a chair by the first and a table next to the chair, this room looks comfy... except for that chill coming through the cracks in the walls. 

But besides the living room with only a chair, table, and chimney, there are two more rooms. One is the old man's room and the other is a storage room. I noticed there wasn't a bath but when I asked, he told me there was a river nearby I could use in the morning. 

The thought of a cold bath makes me shiver more, but better than nothing. 

Gesturing to the storage room, the old man says, "This room is for you two. Just move some stuff around and take the mattress off the top." This might be the biggest room in the shack if you take out the clutter, though I haven't seen how big the old man's room is for comparison. On top of the storage room's clutter, I see the mattress he mentioned that I'll be using from now on sitting on top of a dresser.

"If you need me, knock on my door. I'm a pretty light sleeper so I'll hear you." With that, the old man went to his room, closing the door behind him.

Shrugging, I get to work, mainly with the male body but the female body being tall helps to at least drag the mattress down. 

With it set up, the only way I can think to test now is its comfort as both bodies collapse onto it. A nice soft landing despite it being an old mattress.

The most comfortable thing I've gotten to feel since I awoke in that crater. 

As I look over and stare at my other, a feeling comes over me. While lying in a bed with my other self; completely different size, different gender, and different hair color. The only thing that's the same is our green-colored eyes. 

Our souls are the same in the old man's eyes, saying they were like two flames moving completely in tune, and I think I can understand that as I compare and contrast every similarity between these eyes, the only thing in common between the two.

Till I fall asleep for the night.