I looked up at Kuronuma. My thoughts wandered again back to my small village. It was hidden; surrounded on all sides by a thick forest, yet it played a large part in the fate of the nation. Everyone worked hard to tend to the fields and try to make a living out of what the land gave us. One of my favorite villagers was Ayanami’s Grandmother, a woman who lived long past her time. Even though she was old, she was in no way frail. Her name was Lilihana and I treated her like the Grandmother I never had.

Ayanami’s family was large. Her mother had a small vendor at the village square where she sold the best radishes in the land. Ayanami’s father worked as a blacksmith making swords and sometimes chainmail if he had free time to spare. His thick, calloused hands had a difficult time weaving the metal rings together, so Ayanami’s younger sister, Kokashi, helped her father out.

“Ko…” I said aloud, remembering the girl all too small with a few teeth missing and a strong work ethic. She always carried herbs around, helping those that she could. The bitter-tasting herbs had saved many whom fell off a cliff.

I could only dream that my family was like hers. My grandmother was a stuffy woman who always pushed me to be proper and lead an enriched life. Her daughter was no different, pushing her own childhood desires of being a medical priestess onto me.

We were by no means nobile, but we were just made a part of the court for our family’s natural adeptness when it comes to our natural medical ability. “We are divine,” My Grandmother told me multiple times after she scolded and hit me for messing up a treatment. “We are true. We do not mess up for if we do, the land will turn to ash.”

“Is your name Koe?” Kuronoma asked. I straightened my back, forcing tears away. I nodded my head, agreeing, accepting the fake name I had made up. “Is that your surname?”

Surname? Crap! I forgot about that strange tradition! The people in my village only went by a single name, and no one had the same name at the same time, so mixing up names was almost impossible. “N-No,” I mentally slapped myself for stuttering. I cleared my throat and tried again. “My name is… Koekura. I just like going by the name Koe.”

“I can see why.” I rubbed my throat. My voicebox hurt from talking this much. Kuronuma handed me a bottle of water he had set up in the tin box. I struggled to unscrew the cap. Kuronuma twisted the cap while I held it tight (so that’s how you open it?). I drank from the bottle greedily, loving the feeling of the water on my tongue. “So where’s Shiganuma Temple?”

I choked on the last sip of the water. I held a hand to my mouth, wiping the water away from my lips. “What did you say?” Kuronoma repeated himself. “Shiganuma Temple is a little bit aways from the house of Gouro.” I looked at Kuronoma’s clothes, it suddenly bothering me. “That aside, why aren’t you more properly dressed?”

He examined his shirt. “This is normal clothing. You’re the one not properly dressed.” He glowers at me intimidatingly. “Who would wear a kimono in this day and age, especially a pure white one with no design?”

“It’s not my fault!” I sneered, my voice suddenly rising. I know I should control myself more. This form of behaviour is simply not acceptable, but I can’t help it. “I just woke up in the forest after a long night in these clothes. Quit judging people, you fool.”

Kuronoma’s face flushes, his anger sizzling through his skin. “You’re the fool!” He stands up and I soon follow afterwords. “You were in the middle of the forest at night! What were you doing in the first place?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, ‘you don’t know?’” He s a hand outwards and I flinched, thinking he was going to hit me.

“I don’t know.”

“Like I said, What do you--”

“I can’t remember!” That’s it, it’s out. Might as well continue. “I woke up after I was killed, alright?” I turned around, not wanting him to see me on the verge of tears.

“You’re delusional, aren’t you?” He sighs. I turn my head to look at him, only to see him ruffle his hair. “Why do I always get the crazy ones?”