Dark, very dark, a deep night that seems to contain endless mysteries. I was lying looking up at the sky, on a grass stretching to the horizon or rather I was on a hill. Empty, my memories are completely lost, I don't remember anything, where I've been, who I've met and maybe even myself. I lay looking up at the night sky, rummaging through my own memories, and then:
"Skyle...."
A name popped into my head, I'm sure it was mine. Wandering for a long time, I sat up and looked around, here was a lawn on a high hill. Ambient air filled my nasal cavity carrying a large amount of information. The scent of sweet flowers, the scent of fresh grass, and the endless rustling of branches, insects (probably) and the little glowing flying animals I later learned were called fireflies. The sound of running water in the distance made me realize my throat was dry, I searched for a source of water and came to a creek below the hill. Thanks to the reflection of the water, I know what I look like. I appear to be a teenager around 17 years old, with short hair as black as the night sky, red eyes and a rather immature look. I was wearing a simple long-sleeve outfit, what caught my attention was that my left arm was covered with strange characters. At first I guessed it was just some kind of tattoo but every now and then the letters and drawings would glow a monstrous purple that made me think again. Disorientation and memory aroused a sense of panic inside me, I kept moving forward instinctively, across the vast grasslands and forests, the scenery around me no matter how beautiful it was. The part that scares me. With no memory, no destination, I could only walk unconsciously even though hours had passed. The feeling of fatigue quickly came to make me want to stop at this forest. At that moment, I saw a figure approaching. That person looked quite tall, thin, perhaps showing a cautious attitude because he discovered my existence. After a few manipulations, the person shines a light on me and I reflexively jump back. When he could see me clearly, he breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"You startled me."
It was a young man who was probably my age, a boy with wavy blue hair of the sky, his gentle and friendly face matched his brown eyes, he was wearing a suit light and suitable for movement, especially his left eye has a cloth tied over it. But what surprised me all was...
"You know me?"
I asked him in a surprised voice, hoping he knew something about me, unfortunately
"I think this is the first time we've met," he replied nonchalantly
I felt quite disappointed but at least I met someone here after many hours of wandering around. The young man looked at me for a long time with a puzzled expression, but then he spoke
"I'm Amano, Shogen's scout, and you?" He said as he held out his hand
-"I'm Skyle, just got here from the hill over there"-I took his handshake
However, Amano seemed to think of something, pointing at my left arm.
-"Did you get it too? Your left arm" - Amano kept his gaze on my left arm.
-"It? What's my left hand?" - I replied, without question
Amano seemed to sympathize with me not knowing this, he just took off his eyepatch and revealed that his eyes were also full of strange green characters.
-"You're like me, I got it too, um... what's it called, you probably know that Shogen just destroyed the shrine so I don't often read about it in the holy books but it's kind of a power is bestowed on a part of the body when a person's energy on that part reaches the maximum threshold beyond the normal limit" - Amano explained to me
I was stunned by the amount of information just loaded into my head, amazed at how much my former self had trained my left hand.
-"But... you have to trade... something important..." - Amano said the last few sentences staccatoly with a deep voice
I looked at my strange left arm and thought to myself that I must have traded something in return, if so maybe...
"I think what was exchanged for this arm is my memory" - I said to Amano
-"Really?" - Amano just replied with an unsurprised expression
I told Amano how I forgot everything until I woke up on that hill over there. Amano seemed to understand my situation, he seemed very interested and said:
"This is the first time I've encountered such an interesting case since 2 years as a scout, so what do you plan to do now?"
"I think I'll find a place to stop and find out who I am first" - I replied
-"You can follow me back to Shogen village, where you wake up is also near here, maybe you can find something. I'll also arrange a place for you to sleep and find out what's on your arm," Amano said excitedly.
At the enthusiasm of this Amano boy, I had a feeling that rejection would be a big crime in front of someone who was no different from the excited boy. I had to follow Amano to Shogen village. Along the way, Amano told me some basic things about this world. The simple summary of what I heard is that Shogen village in the territory of Enecia kingdom is protected by the power of blessings and curses. There is a long-standing tradition that when people are born, they will be watched by gods to grant them tasks, manage their fates and recognize special individuals. Amano was chosen as a scout because of his extraordinary eyesight. Shogen Village was quite close so soon the talk ended and we arrived
"You don't need to be scared, just follow me" - Amano said with a smile
We walked through a gate, called the gate just because it was bigger and more luxurious than other buildings in the village. I followed Amano, many eyes of the people around me turned to us. I guess the village isn't that big, as evidenced by everyone either recognizing me as a strange face here or just because I was led by scout Amano. Going through many blocks, I was exposed to a crowded place for the first time in my erased memory, so I felt a strong impression. The lights from the buildings, the sounds of shopping or the sounds of children playing in the street make me feel both familiar and strange. Amano seemed to have noticed as well, so he asked me
-"Does this place make you feel familiar? Maybe this is your home"
"No, I don't think so" - I replied without hesitation
Shogen Village has a peaceful feeling, but according to my intuition, this is definitely not where I belong. Upon hearing my answer, Amano was slightly disappointed
"I just feel like you're a bit familiar with this place, Skyle."
Hearing that sentence, I could only laugh. We walked for a while, and Amano turned and walked into what looked like a shop. I was wondering what he was up to when Amano said
"The character seal on your hand is too prominent, your long-sleeve shirt can't even cover it, it's not good to let it show. I'm going to buy you a pair of gloves" - Amano said with a serious expression. suffocating
I immediately felt rather guilty for letting Amano take care of me like this, to dispel that feeling, I quickly refused.
"You don't have to be shy, this is not worth much. Um... if you still care, you can give me back the money some other time" - Amano smiled and said
No way, it's hard to refuse this man's generosity - I thought to myself
I received a gift from this new friend, thanked me, and tried it. The warmth from these gloves that were probably used for combat made me feel extremely comfortable, I enjoyed it while walking with Amano. We walked towards the back of the village, the noise and lights gradually replaced the darkness and strange silence. Suddenly Amano stopped at an old house, I watched him climb inside through the window. After a while he came out the same way, carrying an old book.
"Fortunately it is still here, the book that I have kept since they destroyed the cathedral," said Amano, flipping the book.
This was probably the book he told me about earlier, the book that had to do with the characters on my hand and on his eyes. Watching him flip through the pages of the book, I couldn't help but feel nervous. Amano stopped at a page and read
-"The ability of a part of the body to reach the transcendent threshold, beyond the limit will be noticed by the gods and evil gods. The benevolent gods bring power, paving the way for the chosen person to achieve. to a higher level. The evil god offers the challenger the limit of trade-off, at the expense of something important to the one who blessed. That's Armento's concept."
I was silent for a long time when I heard what was written in that book, with complicated emotions in my heart. Realizing that the atmosphere between us was turning strange, Amano opened up
-"My Armento is in the eye, and yours is in the left hand. For now, let's leave here to get something to eat, then I will take you to a place to sleep for the night"
"It's impossible to refuse you" - I said when I saw his enthusiasm
Amano looked at me when he heard that, we both laughed and walked towards the light of the distant lights together. I looked up at the night sky and thought, "Perhaps this journey has only just begun."
The teenager Skythe with Armento on his left arm and his new friend Amano do not know that they are about to face a thrilling and difficult adventure.