Chapter 3
I thought I saw a man brought to life
He was warm, he came around
And he was dignified
Showed me what is was to cry!
Well you couldn't be that man that I adore.
You don't seem to know, seem to care
What your heart is for.
I don't know him anymore!
~ Natalie Imbruglia
By the time Eiji woke up, Kayin was already up and dressed. "It's 'bout time you woke up. It's already half past noon." Eiji just blinked at him a few times and then looked at the clock. He couldn't believe that he had actually slept that late.
Kayin tossed Eiji's clothes at him and said, rather curtly, "Come on.... If we don't get going now... we wont make it in time...." Kayin went back to staring out the window. He seemed disturbed... no, that wasn't it. But there was something about him that was disturbing Eiji. Kayin seemed so distant. So....cold, even for him.
Eiji regarded his friend curiously, and perhaps a bit warily for a moment before pulling on his clothes. He picked up his sword, "I'm ready now." Kayin turned to face Eiji and nodded once. Then he turned and, picking up his own sword, he walked out the door. Eiji followed silently. All the while wondering what was wrong with Kayin.
"We're here Eiji," Kayin informed his friend. Eiji looked at the building dubiously, it seemed like just any bar. He turned to Kayin, "Are you sure?"
Kayin was silent a moment, unsure of himself. How did he know? But his lips formed the word of their own volition, "Yes." Eiji looked at Kayin for a long moment, then nodded. He'd been trusting Kayin's instincts for the majority of their journey.... now was not the time for a lack of trust. "Alright. Then let's go," Eiji walked toward the entrance, and Kayin walked beside him.
As Kayin pushed open the door, a small bell chimed. The men in the Tavern looked up, a few waved. Kayin didn't even acknowledge them. Eiji was nervous, Kayin could sense it. He smiled a little. One man came up to then and addressed Kayin.
"Hey Kayin! Long time no see, ne?" Kayin looked at the man. Who is this?
Tyrith watched the man standing before his little toy through Kayin's eyes. The game couldn't end too soon. Tyrith sifted through Kayin's memories until he found the man.... Tony. A friend of Kayin's. He worked for the guild. Informant. Tyrith smiled. This was the man responsible for sending Kayin after him. "Well.... I should be thankful to this man. Kayin can play nice."
"Hello Tony," Kayin responded. He startled himself for a moment. Where had he come up with that name?
Tony smiled. "So, who's yer friend?" Tony eyed Eiji warily. Kayin smiled without humor. "This is just a friend of mine. His name's Eiji." Kayin paused for a moment, "Tony... I need information. On Tyrith."
Tony looked a little startled, then said with disapproval in his voice, "You know it's against the regulations to bring outsiders here. No one but hunters are supposed to know about this." Kayin waved him off and assured his old friend, "Don't worry, Tony. Eiji's going to be helping me track down Tyrith. He's trustworthy. Don't worry yer pretty li'l head about a thing." Kayin paused for a few moments, "Tyrith is as good as dead." Kayin's voice was cold and full of hidden pain. Tony watched his friend worriedly for a few moments, then nodded and gestured for the two men to follow him.
Tony sat down at a computer in a room at the back of the bar. He began bringing up files on various criminals. Kayin's eyes searched the names as quickly as they appeared on the screen, in spit-second intervals. Eiji just waited until the file name came up. When it did, he found himself rather surprised that there wasn't that much information on him:
NAME: TYRITH
NATIONALLITY: UNKNOWN
DATE OF BIRTH: UNKNOWN
BLOOD TYPE: UNKNOWN
PREVIOUS OCCUPATION: UNKNOWN
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: UNKNOWN
INTERESTS: UNKNOWN
WANTED FOR: INCESSANT, BRUTAL MURDERS
EXTRA INFORMATION: HIS MURDERS ARE BRUTAL AND SEEMED FOCUSED TO MAKE THE VICTIM FEEL AS MUCH PAIN AS POSSIBLE BEFORE DEATH. ALL THE VICTIMS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED BOUNTY HUNTERS
Kayin reached over and began erasing some things and typing new information: DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: GREEN EYES EXTRA INFORMATION: ..... PSYCIC POWERS AND TELEPATHY.
Tony looked up at Kayin, confused to say the least. "Kayin.... how do you know this?" Kayin stared at the screen and then looked at both Tony and Eiji. He found he could not give them an answer. He couldn't even give himself one. "I... don't know."
"Then why'd you put it in the computer?"
Kayin looked at Tony, "It's just something I know. Don't ask me how, because I can't answer that."
Eiji watched the two for a moment, it was clear that Kayin wasn't going to say anything more. Eiji cleared his throat, bringing both men's attention to him. He looked to Kayin and the latter nodded to the unspoken question. Eiji then turned his gaze to Tony. If this man was to help them track down Tyrith, he might as well know as much of the story as Kayin and himself knew.
"Twelve days ago, Kayin had woken up in the hospital after being nearly killed by Tyrith. When he woke up, he had no real memory of anything. Me and some of our friends have been trying to help him remember things. So far.... some things are working. Bits and pieces here and there. But then.... about a week ago, we where spending the day with another friend of ours, when he passed out for no reason. He woke up a couple of days later. And he had said something about Tyrith. The doctor and I tried to get him to tell us what had happened.... I knew a little bit about Tyrith because Kayin had told me."
Eiji paused to clear his throat again. Tony looked a little skeptical, but when he looked at Kayin, his expression and eyes told Tony that it was all true. Tony turned his gaze back to Eiji. "I explained that we had found him in a fight with Tyrith. Kayin lost, which was why he ended up in the hospital in the first place. Kayin decided to go after Tyrith and I wanted to help him. So here we are." Tony nodded slowly, trying to take all of this in. If Kayin had lost his memory.... then how did he remember all of this? He decided to keep a close eye on Kayin, and send some others to shadow him.
Kayin had been about to say something, when a loud commotion came from the tavern area. The three men ran out to see what was the problem. It appeared that some of the men had shown quite a bit of interest in a young woman who had came into the bar, definitely not a regular. Eiji nearly fell over when he saw who the young woman was, "Alexia...."
"Let me alone, you son of a bitch!" Alexia yelled as she kicked away another of the drunken bastards. She was beginning to think that coming to Scotland was a bad idea. If she found Kayin before she left, she was going to make him make it up to her. In a big way.
But before she could begin thinking on what to make Kayin do, she was seized from behind by a man. Her arms were pinned behind her back. She had gotten a lot of these guys mad, and now they didn't just want to take her out for the night. One man was approaching her, he had a bloody lip because of her. He was ready to do some major damage. Someone in the crowd blared out, "Fuck her up!"
Alexia felt a stinging slap across her face. She looked back at the man in front of her and felt a little scared now. The man had picked up a broken bottle from somewhere and was intending to give her a "makeover." The man's arm drew back, intending to slash at her--
But he never got that far. Alexia stared at the broken edges of the bottle, hovering mere centimeters away from her nose. The man's wrist had been grabbed and twisted so that he was on his knees. Kayin held the man's wrist in his right hand and his left applied pressure to his shoulder, keeping him down. "Five guys.... for one woman? Is that what a real man does?" Kayin gave the man's arm a fast twist, causing the bone to snap. The man that was holding Alexia let her go and went to attack Kayin. More and more men in the bar jumped up to take on this upstart who dared to try and pick a fight with their friends and drinking mates.
Alexia still stood there, a little surprised by Kayin's sudden appearance. She didn't see that she was right in the way of a flying bottle until she was jerked backwards and the bottle smashed right in front of her. She looked back to see the one who saved her so she could thank him. And she saw who it was, "Eiji!!" Eiji smiled his trade mark grin at her.
"Hey, long time no see, ne?" he asked.
"You got that right."
Eiji led her slowly away from the fight, insisting Kayin could take care of it. The real reason he didn't want her in there, was how would Kayin react? Would he remember her? Suddenly, Alexia laughed. She said in response to his questioning look, "It's funny.... I came here looking for Kayin... and he found me!" Eiji smiled briefly, then turned serious as he turned to watch Kayin.
Tony watched in amazement for a moment, then began to guide the bystanders out of the bar. When he got all of the innocents out, he turned back to Kayin, who was holding a man up by the collar of the shirt. "Well, yer the last one," then he punched the man out. "Sweet dreams."
Alexia smiled brightly, then ran to Kayin. Throwing her arms about his neck, she laughed and said cliché like, "My hero!!" Kayin looked at her, a bit surprised, then he smiled.
"Well, if this is what I get every time I save you lass.... I think I'll be yer personal body guard." He pushed her back enough to look her in the face. "Now.... who are you?"
Alexia stepped back, and looked as though Kayin had hit her. "K... Kayin...?" It seemed the room froze for ten minutes when only a few seconds passed. "You know me?" Kayin asked.
Alexia looked like she was going to break out in tears. "Kayin... how.. how could you!?" Alexia cried out as she ran out the door. Eiji had been hoping that Kayin would remember her like he remembered Tony. No such luck it seemed. It looked as if he was going to have to patch things up before she decided to never forgive him. "Kayin... don't move," Eiji said as he too, ran out the door.
Kayin stared at the door each of them had left through.... a slight feeling of dread was beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. As he thought about the girl, a growing sense of realization began to creep into his mind. He should know her.... he did know her. But from where? From when? He knew they knew each other for a long time. But he felt.... afraid.
He had a terrible feeling he was going lose her forever this time.
This time?
"Alexia! Alexia wait!" Eiji was running after her as fast as he could possible run. He hadn't had any idea how fast she was! She didn't want to stop. Didn'tthe idea of falling in love, and him falling for you. Well, you certainly were wrong this time.
But she shouldn't run from Eiji. He was her friend. And despite her feelings on the subject of Love and Kayin.... she still strongly believed in Friendship.
She stopped running and turned to face Eiji as he slowed down a little. He was glad that she had stopped running. So, still breathing hard, he went up to her, and began what would be a long and complicated explanation.
"Alexia.... listen. Kayin didn't mean to hurt you in any way," Eiji began. Alexia just snorted disdainfully, showing Eiji she didn't believe one word of it. Eiji sighed and asked if they could go talk someplace not as wet, as it had begun to rain, yet again. She nodded stiffly and he led her to a coffee shop around the corner to talk.
"Listen Alexia. What I said before was true. Kayin didn't mean to hurt you. And the truth is.... he doesn't know you, really. You see.... Kayin got really messed up in a fight a while ago.... he'd been put in the hospital afterwards...." Alexia couldn't help but feel terribly worried for a moment. She refrained from asking questions until Eiji could finish.
"When he woke up.... he couldn't remember anything. Not me, not any of the fighters, not his friends... not even his own daughter Naru or his father! He's been getting little pieces back here and there.... but nothing really whole. Please don't be mad at him...."
Alexia couldn't help but smile at Eiji sincerity. A grown man, yet sometimes he seemed to be so innocent and even a little naive at times. He was the type of guy who just made you smile, and who you couldn't help but like. Of all the things she knew Eiji to be, it was not a liar. He spoke with his heart and with compassion. She knew he was telling her the truth. Looking in his dark eyes, she knew she should never have doubted Kayin or her feelings. Kayin would have remembered her... had he remembered anything at all. And she meant to get revenge on whoever it was that had almost taken him away from her.
"Who was it? That he fought?" she prompted. Eiji looked down, and for a while, was silent. Then he cleared his throat and went over the whole story for her....
End Chapter 3
Whew! It's finally done! This so far, has been the hardest chapter for me to write. Hopefully I'll get a little more action going now.... Maybe that'll be easier... I was trying to develop the characters a little more in this chapter, seeing as I'll be handing this in for a grade come September to a teacher who has no clue what Toshinden is.... ah well... such is life... now on to me little warning..... *achem!*
Who so ever tries to plagiarize my story.... I'll send Tyrith after you!!!!
