Memories

Again? I… I must stay awake this time...

The piping sound continued to echo in Tony’s mind. Heart pumping, he struggled with a headache to escape from the luggage that was about to fall from the lockers above. It fell. Covered his vision from the fuzzy background as it accelerated towards him.

He shuddered, looked away. Waiting for what felt like minutes until the luggage would make impact, yet it never came. Taking a tiny peek, he found the luggage on the floor below the locker, covered by a pair of large shoes at the front.

He mustered his strength, pushed himself up from the floor to find out who it was, though it proved to be futile as all he did was plop back the second after.

Weightlessly, The firm hands picked him up onto unknown person’s arms. Giving him a familiar fragrance of a cigar smoke while the broad chest embraced him tightly.

Tony frowned from the pain, but the warmth given by the man made up for it as he laid him back onto the passenger seats.

The plane kept shaking, most of the passengers followed the emergency guide, lowering their head, tears fell from their eyes as they sat with their seat belts on. Others balanced themselves between the seats, trying to return before another wobble would come without warning. One that Tony could recall from the itching pain on the back of his head. The man on the other hand was undisturbed as he turned around, vanishing from Tony's sight.

Even with the blurry vision and headache, he could guess from the strong resemblance that it was his father. Trying to raise his head to look around once more, he couldn’t. Forced to stare at the blurry ceiling, he could eventually hear a faint conversation.

“That’s a lot of blood..."

“Please help him, doctor!”

“Calm down… You being like the other passengers wouldn't help… And if you want to make yourself useful, go get the crew and see if they can help us. Tell them that we need anything that can stop the bleeding.”

“Ah, yes…”

The stench of alcohol together with the smell of blood covered Tony’s nose. A wet hand stung his wounds, as it raised his head slowly, the doctor said, “Don’t struggle, stay strong and calm, I know you can do it…”

Even though it was blurry, he could still guess that it was a woman. Someone he didn’t know, but had a natural pink lipstick. Cheeks tingled from the long hair as she turned him around. Later brushing his own hair away so that she could see the wound. A wobble stronger than before forced the doctor to balance herself between the seats. As she did, the plane tilted to the side as a metallic screeching sound scratched on the side of the plane.

“What the?!” she said, grabbing the arm rests of the seats while tilting her body with the friction so that she wouldn’t slide to the side. It was as if the plane took a strong turn to the left, barely causing everything and everyone to fall with the gravity to the side of the plane.

After a while, the plane returned to it’s normal axis towards the earth, but kept the wobbling and screaming passengers.

“Tch… Damn storm” The doctor ranted and then returned to Tony.

As she did, her eyes turned wide, staring through the small window to the outside, her chest tightened and soon after she ran to the other side of the seats. Positioning herself opposed to the window, she tucked her legs under the seat and finally grabbed Tony’s feets until it turned red.

Within a second, the plane tilted, the cabin got ripped open on the side. Causing a strong explosion of pressure to tear the hole open even larger, including pulling the unsuspecting passengers out along with the seats and the floor around them.

The oxygen mask fell from the ceiling, Tony breathed heavily as the strong wind tried to pull him outside. He shivered as the air got drained out of his lungs, trying his best to keep them inside, he was about to hold his breath.

“Keep breathing!” The doctor shouted, struggling to keep the boy from being ejected to the outside. One would wonder why she didn't save herself. Pride as a doctor? Either way, Tony couldn't be more thankful for her.

As the decompression continued, the cold frigid air created a fog of water vapor, her grip started to get loose as the wind made her hair flutter. The thunder soared, the roar that was once blocked by the hull and the echoing sound in Tony’s mind. The rain drizzled into the cabin, shattering into pieces as it stole his warmth on the cheeks.

A strong flapping noise grew louder, as if it was a large bird flying closing in towards the plane. The wind which was already strong from the cruising speed, got stronger with each flap together with a wobble that kept tilting the plane from its axis further. Eventually, he was looking through the hole upside down.

“I’m sorry… I can’t…”

The grip was released, Tony fell into the hole, revealing the darkened sky, gray as the clouds that kept releasing thunders. Thunders that illuminated the pouring rain and even himself. His heavy body started to itch, pain and cold enveloped his shivering body as he tried to reach the smoking plane that passed by his vision.

This is it… I must remember! I need to find out... How I've gotten to the other world...

A few seconds after, a large silhouette of a bird dived through the gray clouds. leaving a large hole as it left him speechless as the thunder illuminated the creature. He couldn’t see the details properly, but from the wings, the diving posture and the reptile eyes. He knew that it was a creature of legends and books, a dragon.

The creature followed the plane that was long gone from his vision. Not being able to reach out for the plane anymore, he sought to reach the gray clouds. The clouds that might lead him to heaven for salvation. Trying to grab the clouds, he struggled to stay awake as the first stages of the frostbites started to build on top of the tip of his fingers.

His eyelids got heavier, so heavy that he was barely able to keep them open. Frowning as a last resort. Darkness finally shrouded his vision as something soothing and warm grabbed hold of his hand. Removing the cold, the pain, the struggle and gravity, as if it all was just a dream.

Something silky tingled his nose as it pulled him somewhere. He slowly opened his heavy eyes, in return, he got blinded by the edges of the sun that was straight above him as someone held his hand.

Is this how I had gotten to the other world? No... He thought, but soon after realized that he had once again awoken before recalling the whole story.

After pondering for a second, he then watched the silhouette with two red dots above him. Blinking a dozen times to focus properly. He could see Rin gazing at him with her teary blue iris that matched the bright sky as she held his hand that reached out towards the sun.

That tears doesn’t suit you… He was about to say, but kept it to himself. Wondering if he should tell her that her physical trait is also crushing his hand.

“Lad, you awake yet?”

“Barely…” He answered, poking her pale hands that expectedly lightened her grip.

“Well…”, The old man scratched the back of his head. “I shouldn’t prey into your privacy, but… You were shivering and breathing heavily, you know? Maybe you should go to one of the healing clinics for a quick therapy? One magic or two should fix it, temporarily if not.”

“Nah, I’m fine, it’s just a dream...”

“A dream? Well… If you say so… Just make sure that you don’t scare the girl, otherwise you have me to worry about.”

Tony chuckled and with his free hand, he patted Rin’s head, “Hopefully it won’t happen.” he said, ending the conversation as he removed her soft hands. Pushing himself up to take a seat instead.

With his back on the stack of hay, he gazed upon the vast potato field that stretched out as far as he could see. Farmers with their own wagon filled with pumpkins and other vegetables passed by one by one on the road. Even Merchants with their large bags walked by as Rin eventually took a seat next to him.

After a while, a large tree could be seen. Under the tree, children shrouded in shadows with their long sticks, imitating knights or simply dueling each other as they laughed. Rin grasped her chest, stuck her body forwards towards them with her wide eyes, as if she wanted to play with them.

He sighed, Kids… Hopefully I don’t have to be that strict about her eyes, unless we are in the populated cities. “Old…” He paused, remembering that they hadn’t introduced themselves once in the entire journey. He visualized a facepalm, how could he ask now? “Sir, I presume that we are close by, right?”

“Sir, I presume that we are close by, right?”

“Sir?”, he scratched his chin as he took a look at Tony, “Now that I think about it, we’ve never introduced ourselves to each other, right?”

Avoiding the gaze, he turned towards the drenched farmers on the potato field. “Eh, Yeah… That’s right.”

He laughed, “I’ll start then! I’m Merlin.”

At first, he let out a sigh from dodging the bullet, but soon after turned around and asked, “Merlin?”

“Yeah, Merlin Edingrey to be exact. Once a farmer, now a traveler who travels around the world to visit the world wonders. And… You don’t have to be polite around me, it’s kinda embarrassing.”

Shrugging, Tony answered, “Merlin eh, I’m Tony, Tony the magician. Traveling around the world with my apprentice, Rin, just like you, but instead, I do it in search for clues.”

“Clues? Actually, I too am in search for clues to be precise, but anyways... Rise and shine. We have arrived”

As they passed the stone bridge over a large river, he stood on his knees, peeking over the stack of hay together with Rin. Eyes wide, they both let out a “Wow…”

“Cool right? Probably the largest capital in the whole world, fit with four anti magic walls. One inner wall for the magnificent palace. The one at the top of the hill near the center, which is also the thickest of them all. The second surrounding the wealthiest and the storage rooms. The third wall that surrounds the common citizens. And lastly, there is another wall that we passed whilst you guys were asleep, the wall that protects the farmers, the fourth wall.”

Listening to Merlin as he gazed upon the street filled with citizens. The citizens bright like the white clouds as they walked between the row of houses that stretched towards the third wall, Tony then asked, “Isn’t it hard to protect this city? I barely see any soldiers at all...”

“Not really, most of the soldiers are stationed at the fourth wall. At most, invaders will only be able to break through the fourth wall and plunder the farm fields. Not only that, if you take a closer look on the citizens, you’ll notice something peculiar.”

Focusing his eyes, he then realised that the leather sheaths behind their waist wasn’t for farming tools like sickles, but rather for swords.

“They are trained to fight?”

“Half right, they are actually soldiers working as farmers part time. It’s a good way to strengthen the soldiers while also providing the necessary food.”

“Oh, they really planned this thoroughly.”

“Indeed, though it wasn’t this until recently.”

“What do you mean?”

“Around 30 years ago, the Afauthien Empire was actually one of the countries corrupted to it’s core. Those with power controlled over the weak. Citizens lived in poverty, forced to work until they collapsed to the ground. Everyday you’ll usually sit at front of the empty dinner table, just to find out that the soldiers have plundered your own storage room.”

He lowered his head and continued, “The stench, the disease from the dead started to fill the city in a cloudy miasma. Eventually… None would ever want to leave their homes, including the wealthy ones”

What about the leader? The King or the Queen? With glittering eyes, Tony was about to ask so that he could satisfy his curiosity. But was soon after interrupted as Merlin continued the story.

“You might wonder, how did this happen? How did they let the corruption go that far? Why didn’t the King foresee this?”

“That’s because he was ill, so sick that he couldn’t even leave his bed. And to add, he had no family members left, they were said to have been assassinated the year before. Heartbroken and ill. All he could rely on was his advisors, to lead the country for him as he rested on his bed. Little did he know that they lived for money, not for the people but wealth... ”

Tony muttered, “Such a high status, yet they still want more… Greedy bastards…”

“That’s right, it was not until 17 years later, the people rose under one banner… A banner filled with hope…”, He grinned and then asked, “Young apprentice, want to take a guess?”

Twitching once from the unexpected question, she quietly answered, “The… the princess?”

“Heh, that’s right… The daughter of the king they had thought had perished, returned with an army of armed civilians and soldiers that have had enough of the corrupted leaders. Long story short, the princess took back the throne and restored peace as the new queen. Though, she wouldn’t have been able to do it alone. A man… A man just like you Tony. Black eyes, black hair, a man filled with knowledge, knowledge none would have ever thought of…”

“What kind of knowledge?”

“Advanced agriculture, new tactics, system, trades, blueprints, techniques, culture, ethics, medical knowledge, martial arts, new rules, and so much more…”

“Wow… What’s his background?”

“No one knows… All we know now is that he was promoted to archduke, the rank just below the king himself and had full authority over the advisors… Though, one year later, he became a marshall and later a commander instead.”

“What? Why did he get demoted?”

“Beats me… They say that he was so lazy that he actually resigned from the position and turned himself into a commander… He was famous for having his desk filled with towers of papers afterall… I don’t blame him. The new system changed everything. In return, all he was forced to do all day was monitor it.”

“Oh... I see…”

Merlin shrugged, “Well, either way… The result is as you can see, a country under the rule of their new queen that prosper with each coming day. This includes expanding their borders.”

Tony whistled, looked around upon the citizens that walked around laughing. Never would he had thought that this country was one of the most despised place to live in 17 years ago. He let out a smile, but a sudden stop on the wagon, made him fall head first onto the hay.

Rin chuckled as the old man said, “Anyways, we have finally arrived dear magicians.”

Tony scrubbed his hair from the hay as he rose to stretch himself. “So Merlin, what are your plans in the beautiful capital city?”

He jumped of the wagon, landing with a thud, he then patted on his chest pocket and answered, “First, I'll search around for someone that would want to buy these scales for a hefty price. Afterwards, I guess that I’ll have to restock the hay, my horses eats a lot.”

“Heh, I noticed.” Tony giggled, while simultaneously helping Rin who had her eyelids closed. He gently placed her on the street beside wagon. Not forgetting to also hold her hand.

Merlin brushed the hair of the horses, “Actually, I think we’ll part our ways here. Gotta lead the horses to the stables first.”

“Need help?”

He smiled towards them, “Nah… Besides, I am sure that we will meet each other in the near future anyways…” He said, stretching out a hand towards him.

Smiling back, he grabbed the hand and answered, “I believe so, this cannot be a coincidence after all”

Laughing, he patted Tony’s shoulder. “Yeah, now go… This is getting embarrassing, it is as if I am parting with my son and daughter…” he answered, bright red whilst crouching down to the same level as Rin, waving her goodbye.

Rin who had shrouded herself in the tattered cloak, waved back.

“Maybe you are?” Tony continued as he turned around and walked away with Rin, leaving Merlin alone, tending his horses as they went into the large gate.

Leading the horses to the nearby stable, Merlin muttered, “That red cloak…”

Sorry, super busy these days xD