The Path He Ran

Remorse overtook his eyes before he snapped up again. "Haha, just kidding." He chewed down on his thumb nail. "That erchis, can't it talk?"

Em nodded. That was obvious. Not only could they talk, they could also transform into a figure similar to a human body, each made some things incredibly easier.

"So... what's your name anyway?"Winter questioned, no longer feeling the need to hide her voice.

The old man narrowed his eyes before announcing it merrily. "Norman, Norman Warren."

"Well Norman, I suggest you take a shower. Cats have a sensitive nose, you know. I'm really suffering here."

Norman laughed. "I don't want someone who licks themselves clean to lecture me about that."

"Heh." Winter gave a meow before cuddling her head against Em's chest. He stroked her hair. "Were you here during the plague?"

There was confusion on Norman's face. "Plague? What plague?"

"The plague that demolished this city. I believe it was around 15 years ago."

Norman’s eyes grew big, and his fat lips squished together in anger. "Is that what they said? A plague?" He slammed his fist on the crate. "There was no freaking plague! It was war!"

He trembled as he sat down again. "No, no. You cannot even call it a war, it was a one sided massacre."

His eyes became glassy, and Em drew back in discomfort, at a loss for what to say.

"It was a massacre; the Jonoth Empire was fighting a war with my home continent, Visis. I had my fiancée in this city while I was working hard in the army." he cupped his face in his hands. "We won the war, and I was looking forward to bringing her the good news."

"But when I got back, this whole city was filled with dead and rotten bodies." Em could see signs of tears from behind his fingers. "While Jonoth was attacking my continent, they also placed a part of their army here. I had no idea. I thought she was busy and so she didn't reply to the letters I sent her."

The next few minutes was spent in silence, no one found it convenient to sprout words. Em looked out the only muddy window and saw he saw the city in a brand new way.

"I'm sorry." He spoke earnestly. "Is this why... you're staying here?"

He shook his head as if in disappointment with himself. "I have to, how can I not? There's nothing I can do to make up for it."

"Maybe you should go back to your own continent." Winter meowed. "You family could be worried about you."

"No." He replied simply.

Em frowned and drummed his fingers on Winter's head. "Why don't you give him one?"

"An aura?"

"Yea." He smiled down at her.

She said nothing, obviously reluctant. Her aura's aren't things she gives to just anyone.

"What are you two whispering about?" Norman eyed them suspiciously. "If you're going to make a run for it, I advice you don't."

Winter signed, she put her paws together and a blue light shone in between. "We're leaving after this." She muttered to Em.

He nodded.

A blue flower appeared in the mist of her hands. Its petals floating upwards like it defied gravity, little sparkles of transparent ice reaching out from the middle like a splashing puddle. Towards the flower's center was a cold, glowing blue light.

"Old man." She called him. "I'll give you this, so take the opportunity and go back to where you came from."

Norman froze in shock as the flower sped toward him. It disappeared in a soft explosion before it hit his forehead. He felt body relaxed as his emotion cooled, as if there had been a blizzard within him. And for the first time in many years, he was able to think clearly.

"What am I doing?" He choked to himself. "Staying here like some hermit is putting her name to shame."

"I will rebuild this city." He declared, as if making a grand speech. "I will allow people to be happy here, I renew the buildings, the roads, and fill it again with life."

"Don't get so ahead of yourself." Winter retorted. "A guy like you still has a long way to go." She dragged out the word long for many seconds.

"Can I ask you a favour?" Em picked up his bag. "I want the directions to your continent."

"It's just up east." He pointed to the opposite way from where they came. "Just keep on going that way along the road and you'll make it. If you walk fast, it's around 5 hours."

5 hours, he winced. "I'll be going then. I really don't have much time, seeing as the sun is setting."

"Wait, why did you even come here?" Norman asked before they got the chance the leave.

Em looked back at him, as if pondering whether he should answer. "I'm looking for someone. I thought this city might have held clues, but I'm guessing it doesn't."

He gave him a sad smile before he twirled around towards the door.

Norman opened his mouth, but said nothing; he just watched them gather their things and head to the entrance. Thank you, he thought silently as he bit back a smile.

----------------------

"Five hours!" Em groaned. "And there aren’t even any cabs." He looked down at his legs, feeling sorry for them already.

"It's not that bad." Winter said in a soothing voice. "We've been through more than that."

He laughed as he remembered their first adventure. "Yeah, that was pretty brutal."

It was around two months ago, Em had woken up in a cave behind a waterfall, and without any memories. But that wasn't the big problem at the time. The big was that he had nothing but a necklace on him. He couldn't go out in the open, and at first they thought there was no way to ever get him an outfit. But that was only before Winter had gone exploring and found a hermit's cabin. She observed his daily routines and realized that on Wednesdays and Fridays he would leave the cabin all day.

They had to go through the forest and snuck into the hermit's cabin. He had clothing hanging on ropes inside and outside of his dwelling. Winter nabbed some garments from his clothe lines and quickly ran back to deliver them. After that they did some odd jobs around the nearby town and brought their own clothes before they returned his attires.

"Hey, I've been wondering, but do you live in that cave?" Em returned into focus from his flashback.

"Yup."

"I didn't know cats lived in caves."

"Well I do."

An evident lie, he thought to himself.

"Whatever, let's just hurry up." He crossed his arms behind his head. "We've got to be there before all the shops close down."