Part 1: http://ask-yami-the-warrior.tumblr.com/post/106270636171/a-memory
Part 2: http://ask-yami-the-warrior.tumblr.com/post/106426137566/a-memory-pt-2
"So... you're supposed to wrap it like that? Doesn't it use up a lot of bandages?" Yami was talking to the nurse when Kakube trotted back into her house, a bit out of breath. She had gotten sidetracked and lost track of time!
"Yes, but some of your wounds are deep and need pressure. So, more bandages." The nurse explained patiently as she wrapped his splint with ease, "Greetings, caretaker."
"Hi, nurse." Kakube echoed back, sitting on a tree root nearby.
"He's healing remarkably well. Except for two burn marks on his shoulders, but those seem to be old wounds." The nurse said as she lifted the gladiator's shirt. Yami straightened up as she carefully peeled off a large gauze pad off his skin. Kakube walked closer, trying to see the wound. A slash. It seemed have a thin scab over it, parts of the scab was already falling off to reveal new skin. "He should be ready to present to the elders in a few days, actually."
"Oh!" That meant she had to work on her report sooner! "Okay! Is he okay?"
"Give him rest and food. Try walking around tommorow." The nurse finished putting a gauze over his slash mark and left quickly. Yami huffed, he had been walking around since he first woke up. Not that he was going to tell her that.
"You're going to present me to the elders...?" Yami asked, lightly touching his new bandages.
"Yeah. They'll figure out what to do with you there." Kakube said.
"Any ideas as to what they'll do with me yet?" Yami asked. Not that he would be staying here for whatever it was.
"They're thinking that they'll make you a community slave, as in, you'll help out anyone who needs help in the city."
"Ugh. I want to escape even more now." Yami said as he lowered himself back onto his bed. Or his temporary bed.
"I hear ya."
"Do you think we can escape before that meeting?"
"No. It'll take some time for your strength to come back."
"Ugh... Why are the elves... Why do you want to hide Arendel from the humans so much?" Yami asked, picking up a leaf and taking it apart slowly.
"Humans as a whole do not respect our values. They disturb the spirits and groups of them only come here for money. I know they're not all the same, but..." Kakube trailed off, "But you're a good human. I think."
"You think? Why?"
"You don't have any bad intentions."
"Except wanting to clobber the heads of the elves that are keeping me here?" Yami huffed, throwing the leaf parts aside and glaring at the ceiling, "Except you, of course."
"I'm honored." Kaku chuckled. The two of them shared a smile as they thought of what to talk about next.
"Tommorow... mind taking me for a tour?" Yami asked. He really was tired of being locked up in this tree.
"I'm afraid they ordered me not to let you leave here under any circumstances except to take you in for the meeting... I've asked plenty of times." Kakube grmbled. She stood up and brought over some water, "Drink... you need to drink lots of water."
Yami took the canteen and sipped at it quietly.
---
Recovery was an annoying process. Yami felt increasingly more and more restless as his energy recovered. He quietly did some pullups and pushups while Kakube was asleep until he felt tired himself. He and Kakube got to know each other a bit more through their conversations. She kept him updated about what the elves thought of him.
--
Flanked by guards, Yami and Kakube approached the Elven Elder and a group of other elves.
"We have decided to let the elder pass judgement on you, human." An elf spoke up, glaring at him. Yami looked to the Elder and waited, putting his hands behind his back so he wouldn't fidget. The elves had gotten him the usual short shorts and a long-sleeved womanly shirt that went past his hands. He felt ridiculous and exposed. Hey, maybe that's what they wanted him to feel.
"Yamiranpu, was it?" The Elder said, approaching him with a gentle smile, "Come, take a walk with me. Kakube may come along as well."
Were we caught? Yami wondered, and tried his best not to react to that thought.
"And the rest of the guards may leave as well. Do not worry." He said to the guards, and then back to Yami. "Do not be so wary. I mean you no harm. " The elder gestured for the warrior to follow him. Eh? Yami looked to Kakube as he walked towards the elder, and Kakube gave a smile shrug that seemed to say 'I have no idea what's going on but of course I'm coming with' as she followed him.
"Did you want to talk about something?" He asked the elder.
"What do you want to do in your situation?"
The question came as a complete surprise. "I want...to fight monsters." He answered, adding silently, and get the hell out of here.
"Oh?" The elder was amused, of all emotions, "I would think you would want to escape."
"... Yeah. I do." Yami admitted sheepishly, and looked up hopefully, "Why? Are you thinking of letting me-"
"No. I am asking what you would like to do during your time here. You may be staying here for the rest of your life, afterall. Would you like to be a soldier of a sort?"
"Uh... That would be cool." Yami lied. Living caged peacefully for the rest of his life? Disgusting.
"You do not seem too happy about the prospect."
"What choice do I have?"
"He seems to be happy living with me, Elder." Kakube spoke up.
"Ah, Kakube is a fighter. A windwalker, to be exact. Perhaps you could help her out with her duties."
"Yeah..." Yami trailed off uncertainly as he actually considered that. He wanted to see Kaku fight. "... I might do that." Nah, I won't.
"How did you come across this place, Yamiranpu? You say you wandered, but is that all?"
"I... Yeah. I just went where the stronger monsters were." Yami said.
"Did you feel a... pull of some sort?"
"... No."
"I see. Do you wish to have more time to pick what you would like to do here?"
"Yes. Please."
"Alright, you may return. Bring him back please, Kakube."
"Yessir."
"Come see me with your decision in a few days. You may go out to try different jobs if you like."
Kakube took Yami by his arm and walked with him back to their house. Well... Kaku's house.
"He's a nice elf." Yami muttered. He felt bad for having to lie to him.
"He does have a mouth on him when he's mad." Kakube said.
"He does?"
"Yeah. A passive-aggressive mouth." Kakube smiled a bit as she remembered past arguments that she saw.
"I see..."
"Did his words sway your decision at all?" Kakube let go of his arm and Yami walked besides her.
"No." He answered, looking up at the golden sky and stumbling over a tree root.
"Whoah there!" Kakube reached to catch him but Yami lifted a hand, catching his balance.
"I'm okay."
"... Yami, I have something to ask you."
"Hm? What?" Yami scanned the tree-houses and then looked to Kaku.
"Could I..." Kakube walked closer, her voice lowering into a whisper, "... Come with you? When you escape?"
"Huh?" Yami was completely confused, backing away a bit as he looked at her, "Why?"
"Your free lifestyle... it seems fun. I want to get stronger too." Kakube explained.
"Are you sure? It's really dangerous... you'll get hurt..." Yami whispered.
"I'm tough enough! Danger is part of the fun." Kakube said, "It's too peaceful here, anyway. I can barely find any frogs unless I go deep into the forest."
"... Okay. You can come. You're free to leave whenever you want."
"Why are you making that face? Do you think it'll be too tough for me?"
"Yes."
"Geez..." Kakube muttered. She was probably 5 lifetimes older than this boy!, "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."
"... Okay." Yami muttered back.
----
"Yamiranpu!"
"Kakube!" Yami shouted back, hanging from a tree root. Kaku ran into the house and looked around, before looking up slowly and spotting him grinning at her. Yami swung up onto the thick root and sat there. Kakube simply leapt up and landed sitting on the tree root next to him with a rush of cushioning wind. Gosh, windwalkers could jump high.
"I found your gear." She whispered to him. Yami's eyes widened.
"Really?!" He shouted, and then slapped both hands over his mouth, his face turning a bit red.
"Shh! We'll escape tonight. Is that okay?"
Yami glanced at Kakube. The way the sunlight fell on her hair made it glow brighter than usual... She tilted her head at him, and Yami's eyes followed the movement before he shook himself out of it. Okay, she was an elf. Of course she was fascinating to watch.
"Th-that's fine. I wanted to leave a long time ago." Yami said evenly, "C..." He trailed off. No. He couldn't ask that. "Um... Since you're going to come with me, I gotta warn you..." He looked up at Kaku with a slight frown. She nodded for him to continue. "I get weird when I fight, so don't take anything I say in battle personally."
"I gotcha." Kakube said.
"When do we leave?"
"Now."
"Huh? But it's daylight!"
"Exactly when they least expect us to leave. Don't worry... I told the guards you were going to try hunting with me."
"They really trust you, don't they?" Yami sighed, leaning back in a stretch.
"Yes... I wrote my escape note already." Kakube chuckled, "They'll find it in my room."
"... Okay." Yami said. If she didn't want to leave, then she would have told him. She was the one who had the power now, anyway. He wasn't forcing her to do anything. "Tell me the plan."
---
"Do you want a leash for your pack fluffalo?" An elf guard asked. Kaku put her hands on her hips with a huff as Yami gave the guard a blank 'oh ho ho that is so funny' look. Okay, so he was carrying four packs of clothes, food, and other items. But he was not a cow!
"No, hahaha!" Kakube laughed, a bit forced, "I do need his equipment though. We're going hunting."
"Why doesn't he use ours?" Another elf asked.
"Do you think that his human equipment is superior enough to be dangerous to ours?!" Kakube huffed. Playing on the guard's racial pride worked like a charm.
"Well... I suppose the boy could hunt in his own armor." The guard stepped aside, and after a moment's hesitation the other stepped aside as well. Yami rushed inside and his packs caught in the doorway, stopping him. Whoops. Yami spotted his gear lying out on a table and hung up on a wall and pulled against all the straps.
Kakube pushed him through with a mighty shove, and Yami fell over, packs landing on top of him. He untangled himself from the mess of straps and quickly started to clip his gear on, shoving himself against walls and twisting to get certain straps.
"Do you need help?" Kakube asked.
"No thank you-ugh." Yami responded, wincing as he twisted his arm the wrong way. He stood and shook himself out make sure everything was secured right. Oh Goddess, it felt great to put on armor again. He grabbed his sword and concentrated. The gears in both his gauntlet and sword buzzed with speed and they lit up the room.
"Oooo." Kakube squinted at the light, "They double as a torch?"
"As long as they're charged with magic." Yami explained cheerfully. He let the magic go and the lights on his weapons went out, the gears grinding to a their usual slow pace. He hummed, taking a few stances with his sword. He felt like he could cry with happiness. Kakube was vaguely reminded of a child being reunited with his teddy bear. Yami put his sword in its sheathe on his back and gathered up his packs. He rushed at the doorway and got stuck again. Kakube shoved him through, and he stumbled forward but remained balanced.
They looked from the inquisitive guards to one another before Kakube grabbed his arm and pulled him to the forest. The broke into a run. Kakube eventually let of his arm and Yami jogged behind her. He had a bit of trouble jumping with the extra weight and mass, but powered through it. They ran for what felt like hours.
"We're out of the perimeter of Arendel now!" Kakube shouted back. Yami howled and glomped her down in his ecstasy. Kakube yelped. They rolled to a stop and Yami used the remaining momentum to roll off her, laughing.
"Hey!" Kakube protested, that had scared her. Yami laid on top of the packs before waving around like a turtle on its back. Kakube rolled him over.
"Thanks." Yami stood back up.
"Where to?" Kakube asked.
"I dunno..." Yami pointed ahead of them, and waved his hand around before stopping it and adding, "Let's go that way!"
"Alright!"
And thus, the windwalker and gladiator were off to goddess-knows-where.
