No One Stands Alone

Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

Tsukki blinked.

Surrounding him were towering trees that casted a patchwork of shadows on the ground. An occasional noise made by scurrying animals in the undergrowth drew his attention, and he took his time taking in the vivid colors around him. The air felt pleasantly cool under the shade, and a breeze gently whisked away the beads of sweat that formed on his pale skin as it tumbled by. An odd sense of belonging wormed its way into his heart.

Moon child

Tsukki raised his guard. The warmth disappeared, and the almost-smile fell off his face. He glanced around to find who spoke. A shower of leaves descended from above, and he tried to catch the movement of whatever caused it. The forest was still for a minute. With a start, the blond noticed a looming mountain in the background.

Come

Tsukki's eyebrows gathered in confusion as the voice sounded once again. The blond wasn't sure he actually heard it. He could hear the swaying trees and the far off sounds of animals calling for one another. Those were loud, definite, and real. The voice was soft, practically faint if he strained to listen for it. It was such a contrast that he wrestled with the possibility that the voice wasn't speaking, but communicating through thought—it was all in his head.

A gust of wind picked up and shoved against his back. He stumbled forward a few steps, unbalanced from his thoughts being suddenly interrupted. The wind rushed him again, unrelenting. Tsukki resisted for a moment, but soon he allowed the wind to dictate his course. He was here to make a contract and this was their territory.

Night fell without Tsukki noticing. He missed the sun sinking below the sky, and he didn't see the silver sliver of the moon rise. He slowed to a stop. That guiding, impatient wind died down as the blond became aware of his surroundings. A sigh escaped his lips as he shrugged off his backpack and began to unpack some of its contents.

Although Junko instructed he pack flint and kindling, he couldn't entertain the idea of lighting a fire in this forest. The image of hungry flames leaping from the burning logs to the surrounding trees and undergrowth seemed more stark, more real than ever before. So Tsukki settled for leaning against a tree and wrapping himself with a blanket. The stars glittered above as he slipped into a forgettable dream.

The wind picked up once the sun peeked over the horizon the next day, and the blond awoke to the absence of his blanket. He found it snagged on a nearby branch. The blond quickly pack up his belongings, leaving no trace of his stay, and he followed the wind to... his destination.

When the sky darken, he ate the non-perishable food he brought along. Tsukki then slept under the clear sky and watchful moon, grateful the nights never grew too cold.

To his surprise, the voice stayed silent ever since his first day. As he traveled, Tsukki puzzled over the name the voice gave him: moon child. It was odd. He knew the name was hinting at his surname, but that wasn't why it continued to linger in his thoughts. Familiarity was embedded in the two words. And after a few day, he gradually realized the whole forest contained a touch of familiarity. Even the mysterious voice itself yanked on the strings of forgotten memories and lost dreams.

~*~*~

As suddenly as it appeared, the directional gust died on his sixth day. He checked the sky, but the sun was still high and bright—every night the wind calmed for him to rest. But now it was still daytime. Paying more attention to his surroundings, he realized that he was left standing at the edge of the forest with the base of the mountain before him. This must have been his destination; the wind had served its purpose.