Later that night, I had found good favor with an older townsman. In exchange for a place to stay for the night, I would offer the man physical labor. The deal brought a smile to the old man's face.
"Thank you, kind sir," I said with a smile of gratitude. Cres buried his face into my shoulder as I patted his head.
"Of course," the old man replied while still holding his welcoming smile. "You must be tired," he said as he noticed my weary appearance and dirty clothes. "Come, I'm sure you're hungry. Let's get you cleaned up with a hot meal in your stomach."
Sitting me down at a small wooden table, the old man brought me a hot bowl of soup. Studying the soup, I gently ran the spoon through the contents of the bowl. The light broth was almost clear despite the small hue of yellow in its color. Bits and pieces of potatoes floated around like small islands in a large ocean.
Taking my first bite, I could feel the hot steam hit my face. My lips quivered under the sensation of the hot steam. The savory broth nearly drooled down my face as I scuffed down the hot soup. The remnants of potatoes melted perfectly on my tongue after having survived the small bites from my teeth. Before I knew it, the soup was nearly finished.
With a mouth full of soup, I froze at the realization. The old man looked at me with a pleasant smile before bursting out into a small chuckle.
"I've never seen somebody so excited to eat potato soup," he said. "Well, I guess that's not a bad thing. That's just about all we eat. Easy, affordable, and nourishable."
"Thank you," I muttered softly. A tear hung in the window of my eye, but I refused to let it slither through and fall. "You really didn't have to do this." I pressed the bowl against Cres's mouth and allowed him to finish the soup.
"It's fine. It looked like you could use a helping hand."
"Come," he whispered as he walked past the kitchen and into a narrow hallway in which five other rooms met.
Straight ahead was the bathroom. The inside composed of a tub, sink, toilet, and wooden cabinets.
Having turned the faucet on, the old man took a few steps out of the room. Waiting for me to come, he pointed and directed me to the room in which I'd be staying. While the water ran, he went to open the door of the room. Stepping back inside, he returned with two towels and a folded set of clothing.
"Now, if you excuse me, I'll be going to sleep," he said. "See you in the morning."
Cres followed the man out of the bathroom and flew into the room we'd be staying in.
Stripping out of my clothes, I stepped into the tub. Desperately, I wanted to lay down and rest, but my body curled up at the touch of the tub. The lukewarm water ran across the surface of my skin as I sat in a fetal position. My mind was empty and void of all thoughts, but I could still feel the sensations of fear, guilt, and pain pressing against the back of my mind.
My hand clutched my chest under the small aching that had emerged. The room spun around as my head pounded against itself.
"Ares," I heard.
"Ares," repeated the murmur.
I wanted to answer the voice, but my body refused to cooperate. It was as if I had lost all control of my body; my teeth chattered under the trembling of my body.
Flashes of that dark day reemerged.
Bodies surrounded me, ashes blew with the wind, and the air reeked of death. The sun was turning its back and the sky had fallen victim to the bloody massacre before it. Every muscle in my body ached but obeyed my will to continue standing. With every ounce of willpower, I marched toward my enemy. The flames across the surface of my body spiraled out of control and burned anything nearby. Even the air around me succumbed to my passion.
It was at that moment that I had become the embodiment of sheer determination and willpower. Without wavering in the face of death, my strong will kept me moving forward regardless of how many times the mysterious, powerful man had knocked me down.
The flames around me increased in size and intensity as I felt the ground break under the pressure of my foot. Launching from the ground, I rushed at the man.
He muttered something again and my body was sent flying back.
That was all I could remember. The aching sensation in my head and chest ceased to continue, but I could still feel the adrenaline and rush from the moment before.
Shaken from its lukewarm temperature, the water had grown colder. It was now at my chest and ready to overflow from the tub.
Quickly turning the faucet off, I let out a silent sigh and rested my head against the back of the tub as I extended my legs out from the fetal position.
"What a pain in my ass," I said with a hand covering half my face. My eyelids were growing weary. The cold water felt relaxing... almost therapeutic. It eased most of my worries for the moment.
Desperately, I wanted to cry. I just wanted to let everything out. My cheeks quivered and my lips frowned heavily, but my eyes refused to let out much. Short-lived trails of tears slithered from my eyes as I buried my face in the palms of my hands.
"It's all unfair!" I cried. "Why me?"
It felt as if I had lost everything: a home, a family, friends, my life. I couldn't even properly comprehend why I was crying. It was as if my body remembered everything: every memory, every experience, every face, every emotion, but I couldn't remember it at all. All I had was the tiny fragments of the moment leading up to my banishment.
Even then, it felt as if I was important in that past-time. Now, I was reduced to a nobody. In the memories I could grasp, it seemed as if I was capable of magic, but now it felt as if I couldn't even use magic. Was it a blessing from Aerodom? I thought. So many mysteries flooded my mind.
Calming down, I finished my bath and dried off. After drying off with the towel, I wrapped it around my neck before putting on the fresh set of clothes before me. Holding up the brown shirt, it appeared to be a perfect fit. Even the black trousers had fit perfectly.
It'd be best if I slept. I walked across the hall until I reached the last door. Opening it, I saw Cres curled up and sleeping near the center of the bed. The window and curtains had allowed just enough moonlight in to barely illuminate the room. Despite the darkness, I was capable of making out most of the room: small closet, a drawer beside the bed, and a desk sitting under the window.
Picking up Cres from the red covers, I placed him beside the pillow as I got underneath the sheets.
"Goodnight, Cres," I said after throwing my arms behind my head.