Ajin walked out of the shop and headed back to where he had spent the night the day before. Past the shops around, past the stands he had looked through and past the two female guards. “Leaving the town?” The female guard in the skirt asked. “Yes, but I’ll be back tomorrow morning.” Ajin confessed, startled, not expecting to be talked to.

“Reason for leaving then?” She asked, looking at Ajin from his head and down suspiciously.

“Well, I live just shy of a mile away from here, but I want to move here, so I came here to find work, and I start work tomorrow. But I don’t have a home here yet, so I have to leave here and come back for work.” Ajin claimed with a slight smile, the work of a liar is never done. “Oh, well, see, you’d need to come with a known guide for you to enter, but I guess you wouldn’t be able to, we have no scheduled guides coming in tomorrow. Let’s see- where will you work?”

“Yuri’s Paint Shop in the afternoons and Akako Hano Seamstress Shop in the mornings.”

“Mmh, I know both owners. Darling?”

“Yes dear?” The female in pants answered her. “Can you check with the Yuris to see if they hired this young man, and ask Miss Hano as well.”

“Yes, I’ll be back.” The female in the pants shouted as she ran off. The female in the skirt then turned to Ajin. “Sorry, it’s protocol. We are required to check on people who need to come in and out. This was set due to many people before you stealing things. I’m not saying you will, you look like a nice young man, but it’s necessary.” She acknowledged, bowing, as she apologized. “Don’t worry about it, it’s fine, I understand, it’s a good rule.” Ajin smiled. She smiled back, then turned to look back at where the other female had gone. They both stared in that direction. Minutes went by and she wasn’t back. “Anyways,” The female started conversation, “Who is that on your back?”

“Oh, he is my sickly brother, I can’t leave him alone so I have to take him with me.”

“Oh, my apologies for asking, I hope he gets better.”

“It’s fine- I hope he gets better too.“ Ajin sorrowfully mumbled looking down at the ground. The fine sand was disturbed by his dirty shoes on the ground. Then he turned to face up, hearing pitter patter on the sand, it was the female in the pants. “I’m back, Miss Akiye Yuri, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Yuri hired him, and Miss Akako Hano herself hired him.”

“Ok, I’ll write him a pass.” The female in the skirt added. “What is your name?” She asked him, “Ajin.” He replied, looking at her writing on a small note pad. “Well Ajin, nice name, my name is Wakumi Aine.” The female in pants commented. “And my name is Urano Aine.” The female in the skirt chimed in, handing him a paper. The paper read, ‘Pass to enter town every day as please, signed Guard Urano.’

“Nice to meet you both, thank you so much.” Ajin said, bowing and turning around to leave. He walked a good distance and turned around to look in the direction he had gone through, the two female guards, Urano and Wakumi waved at him, he waved back with a smile.

Ajin arrived where he had spent the night the day before. He sat down and stared at the trees. “I miss talking.” Ajin sighed out loud. “But master, I am here for you.” Riki addressed, as he came out of Ajin’s chest, “Yes, you are, but its different from random human interactions, in the castle, I talked to every worker and my family, and once out into our land, I’d have random talks with anyone, they’d ask how I am and I’d ask back, and I’d hear them talk about their lives, it was nice.” He said, looking down the grass, Riki saw Ajin’s pain, knowing that wasn’t the only reason he was upset. He noticed Ajin’s hands were watering; Ajin did too, but he ignored it. “Well master, you’ll talk with people more often now that you have work.” Riki exclaimed, trying to become a source of happiness for him, “Yes, you’re right,” Ajin agreed, still not looking up, “I hope I do good, I’ve never had a job, what if they fire me?”

“Master, don’t worry, I’ll guide you as best as I can, and if even still they fire you, we can look for another job.”

Ajin stayed silent. He slowly lifted his head to look at Riki in the eyes. Riki sighed at their gazes meeting, he didn’t see Ajin anymore, he was a tired corpse, he had eyes bags, his eyes drooped, he was dirty, his hair a mess.

“Master, how about you eat a fruit?”

“Ok.” Ajin replied, reaching for the fruit basket, he pulled one out, moving aside the robes he purchased. “After you eat maybe you can put on your new robe?” Riki added, still attempting to get Ajin to smile even a bit. “No, I’ll put it on tomorrow morning, so it doesn't get dirty.”

“Oh, right.” Riki sighed. Ajin ate his fruit in silence, once done he looked back at the basket, “I’m still hungry.” He announced. “Then eat another fruit master.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not master?”

“I won’t have enough for tomorrow and I’m more than sure I won’t be paid tomorrow.”

“Right.” Riki choked, he felt a sense of guilt, he could create coins with his magic power, he could create food and here was his master still hungry, having to sleep on the ground after his entire family had died. “Master, please eat as much as you’d like, I am able to create coins and food, I just need to eat before I make it.” Riki confessed, feeling the sense of guilt become more of a burden.

“Oh, then here,” Ajin said, reaching for the basket and holding a fruit up to Riki to eat, Riki took it. “Thank you master.”

“Of course, I have to take care of you, as good as my dad did.”

Ajin and Riki ate in silence. Riki finished first, he stuck out his paws and a white light started to form. The light intensity increased and coin after coin started to appear. As the pile increased Riki moved back in order to make more room for the coins. Ajin watched in amazement. Then Riki stopped and made a pouch. He lifted the coins and floated them in the pouch. Riki motioned for Ajin to take the pouch, he scooted closer and took it, “Thank you so much.” Ajin smiled. Riki smiled back, happy his master was now happy, “Of course master, perhaps tomorrow we can also look for a home to purchase.”

“You’re able to make enough coins to buy a home? That’s a lot.”

Riki laughed, “Yes master, I am.”

Ajin laughed too, “Master, would you like me to try to find a river, so perhaps, you could wash this robe you have on? Or for you to bathe?”

“Oh, well, sure, it’d be very helpful.“

“Ok master, I’ll be right back, if you need me, just yell out my name, and I’ll come back.”

“Ok that’s fine.” Ajin said and Riki disappeared. 

Left with just his thoughts Ajin stared at the ground, slowly tears started to form, “How much I’d do for you to come back to me Akimatsu.” Ajin cried, he bottled up the tears the entire time he was with Riki, ashamed to let Riki hear his cries. He stood up, wiping his eyes, and sat next to Akimatsu’s head, his eyes, closed, laying lifeless. Ajin slowly lifted Akimatsu’s head and placed it on his lap. “Don’t worry Akimatsu, we will have a home now, a new one, and you will have your own room again, but this time it’ll be you and me living together.” Tears deluged. “I’m sorry Akimatsu, in a few months me and you will have another life.” He wiped his face. “Don’t worry, I’ll find you, ok?” Ajin stuttered with a smile, hoping for an answer he knew he wouldn’t get, he cried more. His emotions settled once his headache started to bother him. He wiped his tears again. “What’d I'd do to get him back, he is the only one I have left that has hope of living aAjin arrived where he had spent the night the day before. He sat down and stared at the trees. “I miss talking.” Ajin sighed out loud. “But master, I am here for you.” Riki addressed, as he came out of Ajin’s chest, “Yes, you are, but its different from random human interactions, in the castle, I talked to every worker and my family, and once out into our land, I’d have random talks with anyone, they’d ask how I am and I’d ask back, and I’d hear them talk about their lives, it was nice.” He said, looking down the grass, Riki saw Ajin’s pain, knowing that wasn’t the only reason he was upset. He noticed Ajin’s hands were watering; Ajin did too, but he ignored it. “Well master, you’ll talk with people more often now that you have work.” Riki exclaimed, trying to become a source of happiness for him, “Yes, you’re right,” Ajin agreed, still not looking up, “I hope I do good, I’ve never had a job, what if they fire me?”

“Master, don’t worry, I’ll guide you as best as I can, and if even still they fire you, we can look for another job.”

Ajin stayed silent. He slowly lifted his head to look at Riki in the eyes. Riki sighed at their gazes meeting, he didn’t see Ajin anymore, he was a tired corpse, he had eyes bags, his eyes drooped, he was dirty, his hair a mess.

“Master, how about you eat a fruit of yours?”

“Ok.” Ajin replied, reaching for the fruit basket, he pulled one out, moving aside the robes he purchased. “After you eat maybe you can put on your new robe?” Riki added, still attempting to get Ajin to smile even a bit. “No, I’ll put it on tomorrow morning, so it doesn't get dirty.”

“Oh, right.” Riki sighed. Ajin ate his fruit in silence, once done he looked back at the basket, “I’m still hungry.” He announced. “Then eat another fruit master.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not master?”

“I won’t have enough for tomorrow and I’m more than sure I won’t be paid tomorrow.”

“Right.” Riki choked, he felt a sense of guilt, he could create coins with his magic power, he could create food and here was his master still hungry, having to sleep on the ground after his entire family had died. “Master, please eat as much as you’d like, I am able to create coins and food, I just need to eat before I make it.” Riki confessed, feeling the sense of guilt become more of a burden.

“Oh, then here,” Ajin said, reaching for the basket and holding a fruit up to Riki to eat, Riki took it. “Thank you master.”

“Of course, I have to take care of you, as good as my dad did.”

Ajin and Riki ate in silence. Riki finished first, he stuck out his paws and a white started to form. The light intensity increased and coin after coin started to appear. As the pile increased Riki moved back in order to make more room for the coins. Ajin watched in amazement. Then Riki stopped and made a pouch. He lifted the coins and floated them in the pouch. Riki motioned for Ajin to take the pouch, Akim scooted closer and took it, “Thank you so much.” Ajin smiled. Riki smiled back, happy his master was now happy, “Of course master, perhaps tomorrow we can also look for a home to purchase.”

“You’re able to make enough coins to buy a home? That’s a lot.”

Riki laughed, “Yes master, I am.”

Ajin laughed too, “Master, would you like me to try to find a river, so perhaps, you could wash this robe you have on? Or for you to bathe?”

“Oh, well, sure, it’d be very helpful.“

“Ok master, I’ll be right back, if you need me, just yell out my name, and I’ll come back.”

“Ok that’s fine.” Ajin said and Riki disappeared. Ajin then stared at the ground, slowly tears started to form, “How much I’d do for you to come back to me Akimatsu.” Ajin cried, he bottled up the tears the entire time he was with Riki, ashamed to let Riki hear his cries. He stood up, wiping his eyes, and sat next to Akimatsu’s head, his eyes, closed, laying lifeless. Ajin slowly lifted Akimatsu’s head and placed it on his lap. “Don’t worry Akimatsu, we will have a home now, a new one, and you will have your own room again, but this time it’ll be you and me living together.” Tears deluged. “I’m sorry Akimatsu, in a few months me and you will have another life.” He wiped his face. “Don’t worry, I’ll find you, ok?” Ajin stuttered with a smile, hoping for an answer he knew he wouldn’t get, he cried more. His emotions settled once his headache started to bother him. He wiped his tears again. “What’d I'd do to get him back, he is the only one I have left that has hope of living again.” Ajin thought. 

Ajin cried, sniffling, holding Akimatsu’s face. He rubbed Akimatsu’s cheek and he slowly lowered his head and placed his own forehead onto Akimatsu’s. He closed his eyes.

Riki came back and sat on the grass, looking at Ajin with tears flowing down his face and dropping on Akimatsu’s face. He dared not speak. Minutes went by and Ajin didn’t move, he opened his eyes to see Riki staring at him and Akimatsu. “OH RIKI YOU'RE BACK, HI!” Ajin yelled startled, “Oh- I, I’m just sad, since he- my friend, is now basically lifeless- you know, I miss him.” Ajin fretted, stumbling over his words. “It’s ok to like him.” Riki simply approved. “What?” Ajin asked. “It’s ok to like him, master. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Riki affirmed, not breaking eye contact. “No- you have the wrong idea, I don’t like him- I do- but because he’s my friend you see.” Ajin stuttered, trying to reason with Riki and himself. “No master, I understand, it’s ok for you to like him in a form that isn’t just friendship.”

“No- no, no, no, see, that isn’t something that would be approved by my dad, you see, I was supposed to get married to a girl when I turned 17, or well, at least look for a girl to marry.” Ajin implied, still stumbling over his words. “Me and the king talked, he did approve, he wouldn't approve of you not being monogamous however.”

“What..” Ajin whispered. More tears flowed, he covered his beet red face and sniffled. “Let’s never speak of this, it’s embarrassing.“ Ajin muttered, “Whatever you’d like, master.”

Ajin covered his face for minutes none stop. Once he finally did , his nose was red and so were his cheeks. “Umm..” Ajin muttered, “Did you find a body of water?”

“I did master, there is still at least an hour of sunlight, and the river is a 13 minute walk, if you’d like, we can head there now so we don’t lose the sunlight.”

“Oh uh- yes, let’s do that.” Ajin said, slowly moving off Akimatsu’s head from his lap and standing up, he picked up the basket that now only contained the robes and then he went back to sit Akimatsu up and then got him on his back. He sniffled and wiped his nose, “Umm, let’s go now.” Ajin said to Riki. “Ok come this way, master.”gain.” Ajin thought. 

Ajin cried, sniffling, holding Akimatsu’s face. He rubbed Akimatsu’s cheek and he slowly lowered his head and placed his own forehead onto Akimatsu’s. He closed his eyes.