Chapter 3 – Explaining the World

The red Unicorn jumped ahead and ran at full speed with a screaming Cat-girl having a blast. He then made a tight turn and ran in the direction of the Orphanage.

Nozomu tapped the white Unicorn’s neck and said, “It’s better if we follow them, but go slowly, ok? I don’t know how to ride, and my head still hurts a bit.”

The white Unicorn walked slowly and made a turn. After a couple of minutes, he changed to a trot, with Nozomu holding the mane and squeezing his legs against the Unicorn’s sides, so as not to fall. Like that, it took them longer to reach the building where a smiling Cat-kind girl was already talking with an old man that was dressed in a long dark brown robe with a rope tied around his waist as a belt.

Nozomu slowly got down from the Unicorn, and made a slight smile to the worried Priest, who noticed the bandage on his head, “Nozo, are you alright?”

“If we don’t count the memory loss, I am. Suna already told me a few things, but there are many things that I don’t remember. Like you, for instance. I suppose you are the Priest that raised us, but I don’t have the faintest memory of ever seeing you, I am afraid.”

The Priest checked the bandage and nodded, “Yes, Suna told me that you had an accident after catching these Unicorns. Suna, put them in the stable, I need to disinfect Nozo’s wound. Since Healing Magic doesn’t work, we have to use other methods, like washing the wound and pouring some alcohol over it. I am also going to put on a proper bandage. Is that Suna’s blouse?”

“Yeah, she used it to stop the bleeding. I think I owe her a new blouse.”

Taisetsuna spoke while guiding the Unicorns to the stable on the left side of the building, “You owe me a lot more, you brat! Like a bucket of tears that I wasted because of you!”

Nozomu spoke as he followed the Priest, “I scared her a lot, there was so much blood on the floor! I am not even sure how I am still alive, after losing all that. I am a little thirsty, I may need to refill the liquids in my body and rest for a while, if that’s ok.”

The Priest said while opening the small cabinet in the room they were in, “Sit on that chair first and let me take care of your wound. There’s water on that jug over the table, and… here is a cup. Let me get a bowl to clean the wound.”

Nozomu drank two cups in a row, and he then took a slow deep breath, preparing himself for the pain of the removal of the soaked improvised bandage. As the Priest was slowly unravelling the lairs of cloth around his head, Nozomu was surprised because it didn’t hurt.

When the bandage was out, the Priest carefully washed his wound, and made a slight smile, “At least she gave you a Healing Potion. It’s almost healed, a few more minutes and it will close completely. Let me wash the dirt or you will end up with a dark line on the scar.”

While Nozomu was enjoying the freshness of the water, Taisetsuna entered and said while looking at the wound, “I cleaned it with my spit and tears because I didn’t have water nearby. It will leave a mark?”

The Priest unbottled the strange looking rectangular bottle that he had and said while carefully pouring the liquid on Nozomu’s head, “You did a fine job, and I bet you cried a lot, because the wound is very clean. Well, you learned over the years how to take care of his wounds, because every time he got hurt, we couldn’t use Healing Magic on him. And he got hurt a lot mostly because of him, he couldn’t ever stand still!”

Nozomu cleaned his face from the strong-smelly liquid with the clean cloth the Priest gave him. As he was staring at the old bandage drenched in dry blood, the Priest asked, “What do you remember, Nozomu? Or you don’t remember a thing?”

“Nothing, zero, a complete blank. Suna told me my name and that I was an orphan, because even that I don’t remember. She said something about leaving this Orphanage and living on our own, but I may need a few more explanations, because I have no clue of what I know or what I can do to earn a living.”

The Priest glanced at the worried Taisetsuna and said, “I did my best to teach you two how to defend yourselves in case of need, and you both always said that you wanted to work as an Adventurer. I talked with the Guild Master, and he has a job for the both of you, but not as Adventurers because you lack experience, and no Party will ever accept you without proper training. Suna has a job waiting for her as a waiter at the Guild, and you will be the cook’s helper and serve the tables as well, if needed. The Guild Master will see how much you know to work as an Adventurer, and one or two Adventurers might give you a couple of lessons. That’s the best I could do. Considering that you forgot your training, you may need to start all over. If you are not able to become an Adventurer at least you can help on the Guild, and Suna will be the only one to become an Adventurer.”

Taisetsuna bit her lower lip and spoke while nervously fiddling with her fingers, “Me and Nozo… We always said we would be Adventurers in the same Party and watch each other’s backs. But if he forgot everything… I don’t want to be in a Party without him, I won’t know anyone!”

Nozomu held her hands, “Don’t worry, I will learn whatever I can and join you the fast I can. If I am not able, I will make sure to help the Guild and I will not be a burden to you. You can live your life without me around, you are strong and powerful, you don’t need someone like me near you, one that is not even able to use Magic.”

“What are you talking about, you moron? You can’t use Magic, but being able to disrupt Magic like you do, you are way more powerful than me or any Mage that exists! That’s why we never told anyone what you can do, for sure the army would draft you to join their ranks and send you ahead on every drill, to protect them from any Magic attack!”

Nozomu frowned, “Wait a minute, this country is at war with someone?”

Taisetsuna shook her head, “No, but the army has to protect our borders if needed, it catches criminals and rogue Mages, and also fights Magical Beings and Monsters that threaten everyone.”

Nozomu widened his eyes, “What kind of Magical Beings exist? And Monsters? Like, Orcs, Goblins, Harpies, Lamias, those kinds of Monsters?”

Taisetsuna vigorously nodded, “Yeah, those kinds of Monsters! And violent and mean Magical Beings, like Unicorns, Dragons, Drakes, Gailies, and sometimes, Fairies. Humans, Elfians, Dwarfs and Beast-kind normally are not a problem, but there were cases of some of them becoming criminals.”

Nozomu gulped, “I understand… I think! What are Drakes and Gailies? And there are Dragons around? They spit fire and use Magic?”

“Drakes are smaller than Dragons, they can fly and have long claws, tough skin and sharp teeth. They don’t use Magic, but Dragons do. Those big guys use Wind, Water, Earth or Fire Magic. Nasty fellows, Dragons. They can also be tamed, but at great cost. Well, maybe not for you, because they are Magical Beings.”

Nozomu made a slight smile, “And like that, their Magic doesn’t work on me, and they can’t touch me. It’s sounding better and better, my weird ability! What about Gailies? What are they?”

“Plant people. Or people plant. Walking, breathing, Human-like plants. Not all of them are violent and mean, many Humans married to Gailie and are quite happy, but that’s not for everyone, because they like to live in the forest, and Humans tend to prefer living in a City or village.”

“Amazing! What about Beast-kind? What kind of… I don’t know if half-animal or half-person is the right designation.”

Taisetsuna frowned, “No, it’s not. In fact, it’s a great insult. I will let it slide because of your memory loss, but don’t you say something like that to another Beast-kind. There are Cat-kind like me, free spirits and strong-minded with these ears and tail. Dog-kind that are different in behaviour, ears and tail. They are very loyal to their friends, and they are very peaceful. They can also be dangerous when needed. There are Rabbit-kind, a violent branch, all of them. Lion-kind, always looking for trouble or an excuse for a fight, don’t mess with them. Centaurs, half-Human, half-horse or Unicorn, if you want. Snake-kind, treacherous, defying, and rude most of them, with some rare exceptions. It’s better to be always on your guard with them until you find out if they can be trusted or not. There is also Bovine-kind, with pointy, dangerous horns. The males are big and able to crumble a house all by themselves, but they are very friendly, and the females have three big boobs. Human men tend to like them a lot, I suppose there is some weird attraction over their breasts, among the male population.”

Nozomu spoke with wide open eyes, “Yeah, I can totally understand the attraction over a woman with three breasts! What about the Fairies? How can a little Fairy be dangerous and life threatening, with what, five centimetres tall?

“You wouldn’t say that if you had to flee from a flock of them! They never fly alone, and two of them can easily kill a young Human such as you. They use Earth Magic and can make vines to grow from the ground and squeeze you to death. Or they can make you swallow a few seeds and turn you into a nice table garment, from the inside out.”

Nozomu made a disgusted frown, “Nasty little buggers, aren’t they?”

The Priest returned from the other room to where he went when Taisetsuna started to explain the Magical Beings and he gave three books to Nozomu, “Here, go to your room to rest for a while, and if your head doesn’t hurt, read these. It explains a lot of things. You do remember how to read, right?”

Nozomu opened the book and stared at the pages. He frowned and said, “I can, but there are some weird words in here, and runes. I don’t recognize them. Is this the normal writing?”

“Those are Elfian terms. You may need to know the runes and the words that Elfians use because they have been around longer than Humans. At least for three thousand years, because no one knows what happened before. We all know there used to live other civilizations in this World because of what they left behind, but no one knows why they disappeared. We have abandoned Cities, Magical Circles that allow for travels between them, and many caves with hidden relics from the past. Those are very profitable, at least the ones that still work or that people manage to understand how to use them, but most caves are infested with Monsters and it’s very dangerous to go inside. Only a big and strong Party of Adventurers dares to enter a cave, and even they lose a few members on a Quest to one of the most dangerous caves.”

Chapter 4 – Furnace and Rampage

Nozomu widened his eyes, "Or someone like me that can be used as a shield for the Monsters! Yeah, better to hide my ability, or I may be kidnapped and forced to enter one of those caves!"

the Priest spoke with a worried look, "Another good reason why I told the Guild Master to take you in. No one messes with a Guild of Adventurers, unless they want to die. They have a saying, ‘mess with one, you get all of us’, and they always protect their members against another Guild, any kind of Monster, an army or a foreign country."

Nozomu got up and when he was about to leave the room, he asked, "What about the Unicorns? What do we do with them?"

"You can keep them. The Guild Master will for sure be impressed, but you may have to come up with a cover story, instead of saying what you really did to catch them. Unicorns are very low maintenance, they can eat grass or Magic. Suna might need to take care of that, because if it is going to depend on you, they will starve."

Nozomu made a slight smile and went for the door. He then looked back with a puzzled face and Taisetsuna said, "Second door on the right."

Nozomu winked and opened the door. As he was walking along the corridor, the Priest asked, "Suna, do you think he is pretending?"

"I don’t think so. You didn’t notice that he didn’t say one of his stupid jokes? Even his eyes seem different, they have a strange glow, as if he is continuously amazed and surprised by everything. I like him as he is now, he looks more mature and serious than he ever was."

The Priest slowly nodded and cleaned the remains of Nozomu’s treatment. As for him, he was seated on the chair in his room, reading a book and looking at the map of the World. At least, the known part, because there was a big blank space up North and another on the right side of the mainland, as if no one ever went there.

Nozomu was thinking for himself, trying to put his thoughts in order, “||... What happened to me? I got reincarnated or transported to another World? And I am now inside a teenage boy? I hated my teenage years, and I have to do it all over? My family… How much time went by since I passed away? My wife, son, daughter, how are they? I was supposed to get Mia from School! I must learn more about this World if I am going to live here from now on. They use Magic, shields and swords. There are Monsters and Magical Beings. I need to find out how is the technology they use, if any. Let me see, a book about Magic, this one is History of the World, and it has maps. …|"

Nozomu spent the rest of the afternoon reading in his room, and he only came out when Taisetsuna called him for dinner. He sat at the dining table and stared at the food on his plate. Roasted manioc and some kind of meat. He touched the meat with his fork, and the Priest frowned, "What? Too fancy for your taste?"

"No… I don’t know this kind of meat. It’s yellow, what’s this? It’s not chicken, I suppose."

"That’s fish, not meat. You caught it early in the morning. You really forgot everything, didn’t you? Not even the slightest memory?"

Nozomu shook his head while munching a piece of the yellow fish, "Nothing, but this fish is tasty. I read in the History book that there is a theory claiming that the World might be older than what everyone thinks because there are remains of different civilizations, some more advanced than others. While one civilization was better with Magic, another was not and created several devices that could do many things that are now made with Magic, but no one knows why they disappeared or when. We are in the ‘Principality of Khiz’, right? It’s a peaceful country at least, or the Emperor of the ‘Infraluan Empire’ is always trying to increase the borders of his country by conquering the neighbouring countries?"

The Priest shook his fork in front of Nozomu, "My boy, it’s never a good idea to voice out things like that, you never know who could be listening. To answer your question, despite the several tries some years ago, the Empire has fixed boundaries and the countries around made an alliance to prevent further invasions to enlarge the Empire. If their army gets their hands on you, who knows what might happen, maybe the Empire will try again, and succeed. In a Guild of Adventurers, you will always have someone to protect you, just in case a spy of the Empire tries to kidnap you."

"I see. What about you, Priest? After we leave, you will be all alone, right? You won’t be lonely?"

The Priest tilted his head, "You think I will miss your craziness around here? It will feel like I am on holidays! Don’t worry, I have plenty of things to keep me occupied. I have service at the City’s Church, and there is always someone in need of Healing Magic. I may find a new orphan to raise now that I will have two rooms available when you and Suna go live in the Guild. There are two rooms for both of you on the upper level, but you will have to pay the rent for that, of course."

Nozomu nodded, and Suna asked with a worried look, "That means we will live at the Guild? We can visit you sometimes, right?"

"Of course, my dear. My door is always open for you, but you have to learn how to live and earn money for your expenses, like every adult. I did my best to teach you two, and I think everything will be alright."

Taisetsuna Kawa slowly nodded and glanced at the distracted Nozomu Shinchaku, who was eating the fish and the manioc with a puzzled look. He noticed her looking at him, and asked, "What? Do you feel nervous about living all alone? I will be right there, remember? I am not going anywhere."

"Yeah, thanks. We have to do our best, right?"

Nozomu Shinchaku made a big smile and nodded, making Taisetsuna feel more at ease.

...

After finishing and cleaning the plates, Nozomu went to the stable with Taisetsuna, and watched as she made a Fireball for the red Unicorn and a Wind Tornado for the white one, to feed them.

While brooming the white Unicorn's mane, Nozomu asked, "Did you think of a name for your guy?"

"I thought of calling him Furnace. What about yours?"

Nozomu looked at the curious white Unicorn that was staring at him as if he was waiting, and said, "I suppose Pikachu would be a stupid name. Maybe Rampage would be more appropriate, considering his bad temper. Or White Virus. What do you think, you crazy Unicorn?"

The Unicorn vigorously nodded, and Nozomu repeated the names, watching his reaction. He then smiled and said while facing Taisetsuna, "Rampage it is. You said they could be sold for a bunch of money, are Unicorns that valuable?"

"Yes, they sure are, and yours is the most valuable one, because Lightning Magic is very powerful and rare. If you sell him, you won’t need to work for the rest of your life, and you can have a very pleasant life if you buy a farm."

Nozomu caressed the snout of the frowning white Unicorn, "I am not going to sell him, he is my friend aren’t you, you cute little thing? Yes, you are! Stop frowning at me like that, geez! Mind your temper, will you? You look like you are about to pierce me with that horn, and we both know it will only give you a headache. Suna, you said that Dragons can also be tamed, maybe one day we can catch two of them, and we can use them to fly around. That would be cool."

Taisetsuna Kawa answered while holding the stable door for him, "It sure would, but it is also a lot more dangerous. There are always Adventurers trying to catch one, and some of them don’t return from that kind of Quest. Maybe with you we could accomplish it, but we may need a few years to get a chance of joining one of those Quests."

"Maybe one of these days we will get lucky, and we are attacked by two Dragons like what happened with the Unicorns."

Taisetsuna Kawa answered while entering the main building, "I will pass. Dragons are extremely dangerous and scary for just the two of us to go against one, not to mention two of them. Are you going to your room to read those books? Do you want some company? It’s still early."

"I wouldn’t mind, maybe I have some doubts and you could enlighten me."

Taisetsuna Kawa opened the door to her room and said, "Go ahead, I will go in a moment. I am going to grab a book as well about herbs and medicines. I want to make another Healing Potion just in case you get hurt again."

Nozomu Shinchaku nodded and went to his room while thinking, "|... She is still worried about what happened, I could see in her eyes. She got quite a scare, I bet. No wonder, if she and Nozomu grew up together, she cares for him and probably sees him as family. Me, as her family, I mean. This is a little confusing. ..:|"

When Nozomu was studying the World Map, Suna knocked on his door and entered, going straight to the table where he was and sat on the empty chair ahead of him.

She pointed at the drawing of one plant and said, "See this? This is a very difficult plant to find, but the Priest once told me that he found one in the forest from where the Unicorns came. Maybe we can show this to them tomorrow and ask them to help us find one. We have three days before going to the Guild, that will give us little time to get the plants, let them dry and make the Potion."

She then asked while Nozomu was looking at the recipe for the Healing Potion, "You… are not nervous about leaving the Orphanage? We went to the City several times with the Priest, and we visited the farms around with him, but this time we will be all alone. I am a bit scared."

"I am, but what can we do? We have to leave this nest and find a place for us in society. We can visit the Priest from time to time, but I am sure everything will work out."

Taisetsuna bit her lower lip and said, after a few seconds of silence, "I may need your help with that. Except for you and the Priest, I never had any patience for anyone else. I get easily annoyed and people tend to think that I am rude and mean. You never had problems with talking with people and making friends, but I always preferred to be left alone. Like any other Cat-kind, I guess…"

"Maybe I used to be like that, but I think I am not so amiable right now. I guess I also prefer to be left alone, instead of being surrounded by a bunch of beings that I don’t know. Besides, with your cute face and pretty smile, I am sure you will be just fine."

Taisetsuna stared at him with a red face, "You know, this is the third time today that you said I am cute, and you never said I have a pretty smile. Are you mocking me? Because if you are, I will slap you!"

"What are you talking about? Did you look in the mirror lately? You have a nice and sexy figure, a cute face, big and round breasts, an amazing hair colour, not to mention those yellow eyes of yours! I could stare into your eyes for hours! If I never said that, then I was too stupid for my own good! You may need to be careful out there in the World, you can’t be naive. I bet there are a lot of men that will try to gain some kind of advantage over you or fool you to get you into a bed."