6.

6.

    Shoden and Trigger sat under a valentine (the odd fruit he'd come across in the grazing field outside of Cloud Valley) tree, eating their lunches. Shoden ate from the bread and cheese that he had packed into his bag at Cloud Scraper and Trigger was eating at the innards of a valentine. He yipped happily from time to time, as if to say there was nothing wrong in the world. But Shoden knew better. The void and shadow in his heart told him so. It was stronger now, more than ever, with Grimwall's death. And the dying wasn't over yet. The Empress had told him that there would be two deaths he'd encounter before he would be able to bring the Character, his Guardian, into the world. Shoden wasn't sure he'd be able to survive the next one. 
    As he looked over the small field the two of them had come to, just off the Road, he didn't see the bright day. He didn't see the beautiful butterflies fluttering around him and Trigger, the dog clapping his jaws at them as they breezed by. What Shoden saw was a dark landscape as dreary as the Devi'ls Keep itself. The butterflies were the dark gray ashes of his parents and the Magician. The adorable Trigger was a gnarly hellhound with blood dripping from its jowls. The void and shadow had put a veil over Shoden's eyes, not allowing him to see even a hint of happiness. Another death would destroy him. He wouldn't be able to avenge his parents deaths.
    The boy closed his eyes and thought to himself: No, you can't think like this. You can't let this hole in you defeat you. You have to push on. There is still good in this world. There is the High Priestess with her wise and truthful advice. There is the Empress who was there when you needed her. You can carry on. It'll be hard, but you can do it.

    Shoden opened his eyes and saw that, with his internal speech, the world wasn't so horrible. The butterflies were butterflies and Trigger was Trigger. It was as though they were in a gray, but they were what they were supposed to be.

   Trigger barked happily at Shoden and the boy said, "Ready to get going, boy?" 

The dog barked in agreement and the two of them got up and began to walk again.

___________________________________________

    Wolf Heart was a small town, only two sizes bigger than Cloud Valley. It's streets were buzzing with life in the late afternoon. People came to and fro from buildings and schoolboys and girls ran around in their school uniforms, laughing and enjoying the day. Shoden took in all the sights and sounds as he tried to find someone to ask directions to Morning Side from. 

    When they reached the edge of town, Trigger seemed to pick out the person to give them directions, or rather people. A man and woman, hands locked together, sat on a bench in a small park, watching a dog of their own run around. While Trigger approached the dog, Shoden approached the Lovers. 

    "Why hello there," the woman smiled as Shoden came up to them. "What can I help you with?"

    "I was wondering," Shoden said. "If you know where the town of Morning Side is."

The couple looked at one another for a moment in thought and then the man said, "Can't say we do, kiddo, sorry. Farthest we've ever been that way has to be," he looked at the woman who finished the sentence.

    "The Bridge," she said, smiling at her Lover. "It lies just south of here. It's a large metal bridge over the Orange River, you can't miss it. I know Morning Side is somewhere past it, just not where."

    "Thank you both so much," Shoden said. He was about to call Trigger to leave when the woman touched his shoulder.

    "Why are you heading that way, anyway?" She asked.

    "I have to find something," Shoden said, not wanting to relay his whole story to these Lovers. They were, obviously, madly in love and the gods were smiling on them. He didn't want to overcast them as he was.

    "Seems as though, from the look of your face, kiddo, that this something is weighing heavy on your heart and soul," the man said. 

Shoden gave him a weak smile and said, "Kind of, yeah."

    "That's rough, hon," the woman replied. "Who's traveling with you?"

Shoden pointed over to Trigger. "My dog over there."

    The Lovers gave each other a sad look and the woman said, "That's sad, sugar. You need a companion, a human companion."

    "Why's that?" Shoden asked.

The man took over. "You need someone to share your thoughts and feelings with and someone who can do the same. Get input on what's going on, y'know?"

    Shoden nodded.

"You can't be complete unless you have someone with you." the woman added. "It's just not human nature to be alone."

    Shoden nodded again and, thinking of his parents, a tear came to his eye.

"I'm sorry, kiddo," the man apologized. "We didn't mean to make you cry."

    "It's not your fault," Shoden said, wiping tears from his eyes. "Just thinking about someone."

The Lovers nodded in unison and the woman said, "Can we do anything to help you?"

    Shoden shook his head. "No, thank you for the directions and the advice. I'm gonna get going." He turned to Trigger and called, "Come on, boy."

Trigger, who'd been playing with the Lovers' dog, came trotting up and the two of them took off, south of Wolf Heart.

_____________________________________________

    When the Third Sun fell over the horizon that night, the Bridge the Lovers had mentioned was just in the distance. Shoden thought it must've been a good three or four miles off, but he could see it perfectly. The woman wasn't lying when she said he couldn't miss it. In the night its metal structure gleamed in the Lesser Moons' lights. The Orange River below created an upside-down exact double of it, making it seem far larger than it was.

    Shoden stared at it for a good amount of time and only stopped when Trigger began barking to get going again. The boy turned to his dog and said, "no, Trigger, I"m too tired to keep going. Let's make camp here tonight."

    Trigger seemed to understand and sat down on the cold cobblestone Road. Shoden pulled his sleeping bag from his pack and unrolled it on the grass right beside the Road. He curled up inside of it and closed his eyes, his mind pondering.

    The day had been an emotional downpour with the execution of Grimwall. The happiness of the Lovers had also made the void and shadow grip his heart, with their complete love and devotion to one another. Would he ever find such completeness? Would it come to him after his quest for the raiders' blood? Maybe before?

    Would this Character, his to-be Guardian, be the companion to complete him? It seemed only a little possible in the dead of this night, but possible it seemed.

    Shoden opened his tired eyes for a moment, looking out at the Bridge. Tomorrow he'd reach it and be a step closer to bringing the Character into this world. He closed his eyes and slept.