Shadows In The Fog

Chapter Three - Jack

As soon as I told Rose, or rather, Alyx, she actually started laughing.
"Haha! No way! You're...you're joking, right?" She wiped a tear from her cheek. "Tell me you're joking."
I shake my head.
Her face changed from humored, to astonishment, to disbelief.
"No. No way. I'm...I'm just a human. A regular person. You can't be serious."
I shrugged. "Regardless, it's the truth. I've known you as long as I can remember, and I can remember quite a ways back."
She said nothing.
I fought every temptation i had to hug her, embrace her, to feel her again. But I knew she didn't remember. She didn't trust me yet. I was about to say something to her, but just before I did, the door swung open and a guard walked in. He stared right at me. "Who are you?"
I quickly jumped into action. I just hoped that Alyx would play along.
"Good morning, officer! How's it going?" I put my arm around Alyx's shoulder. "I was just passing by and decided to visit my sister." Alyx flinched at my sudden touch but otherwise didn't do much. The guard looked skeptical, looking from Alyx to me. "There is no way you two are related."
Alyx shrugged. "My parents adopted him when we were five. At least thats what I've been told. My parents sent him here with a letter saying that we should get aquatinted again."
The guard nodded slowly. "Okay, well I still need to check. You know the drill." Alyx nodded. "Go right ahead."
The guard did his check and left. I looked at Alyx in absolute disbelief. "Wow. Thanks for that."
She shrugged. "I promised I wouldn't turn you in, didn't I?"
I grinned. "I guess so."
Alyx went on silently for several minutes, then asked, "how did you do that yesterday? I mean all of it. That mute spell, the lanterns? Even opening your door from the other side of the room?"
I nodded. "Well, as you could have guessed, I'm a magician. Like you." I looked down at my hands. "But unlike you, I don't exactly have just one ability, and I'm not the best at any of the things that I can do."
A small smile tugged at Alyx's lips. "So...Jack of all trades, master of none?" I can tell she's about to start laughing.
"Well, actually, yeah. Jack is just a nickname. That's why I had called you Rose before. Within all your plant magic, you used roses the most."
Alyx nodded. "Strange. I barely use roses for myself anymore."
A grin crosses my face. "Ah, what a shame. The rose is the finest symbol of love."
Her face reddened, but other than that she just looks confused. Right. I used to crack things like that all the time, but...she's not the same. She has no idea who I am. My smile faded. "Sorry. That was uncalled for. I'm...used to being around people who loved that stuff."
Alyx shook her head. "No, no, it's fine! It's really okay. I love inside jokes. I just...didn't remember that one, I guess." She smiled a little. That made me relax a bit.
"So..." A smile tugged at my lips. "Care to show me around the daytime side of your little town? I'm sure it's not nearly as exciting as the night views, but as long as I'm staying here, I might as well see it."
Alyx reflected my smile. "Sure thing." She grabbed a coin purse and an unfamiliar leather pouch, tied them both to her belt, and headed for the door.
I followed. "So...uh...what do you have in that bag?"
"Seeds."
"Why?"
"My abilities don't work unless I have a plant to start from, and it's easiest to manipulate them straight from the seeds. I thought you knew this."
"I..."
I didn't. In the past, she had always been able to just...make the plants appear. Out of nowhere, if she wanted to. She must have become weaker since her memory loss. She has to use the seeds as a base now.
I just shook my head. "It...it doesn't matter now, I guess. What kind of seeds are they?"
She pulled the pouch off of her belt. It soon became clear that it was rectangular, with vertical lines sewn in to create barriers. She pointed from left to right. "Oak, evergreen, creeper vine, rose, and..." She hesitated on the last one. "...p-poison ivy."
I glance at her. "Why sound ashamed?"
She looked down and attached the pouch to her belt. "What I chose to do with it. I've decided to use it as a weapon, because even I can't seem to find a use for it anywhere else."
I put my hand on hers, attempting to console her with a gentle smile. "Well, you've managed to do what no one else was able to do. Find a purpose for it."
She relaxed slightly. I guess it worked.
"So what's first?"
Alyx smiled. "So, remember the house you were about to rob? Last night?"
My face flushed. "Yep."
"He's a baker. Makes the best fruit bread in the world. I normally go there for breakfast."
I smiled a bit. "Care to introduce me?"
Alyx shrugged. "If you want."
She began walking through the town, a bustling, busy little place. I'd seen bigger, but the smaller town seemed cozy.
It certainly was a place Rose would settle in.
Street vendors yelled almost constantly, always trying to sell something.
"Fresh fruit!"
"Clothes from distant lands!"
"Jewelry! Trinkets!"
"Magical artifacts!"
I stopped and glanced at the table. Surely enough, there were magic-esque items.
Most of them were fake, though. Aromatic incense, though nice, has no effect of magic or spells. Foax Tarot decks sat on the counter. A crystal ball was set in the middle. I sighed and looked at the vendor. "This is a total scam. All of this is superstitious nonsense. None of these items hold magic in them. You're making people waste their money."
The vendor, a scrawny man in a silk cloak, chuckled. "And what would you know of magic? I'm clearly a magician. Can't you tell?" He gestured to his shiny garments.
"Beads and baubles say nothing. Your proof would be your skill." I snapped my fingers and the candles strewn across the table lit up. The supposed magician's eyes went wide.
"You- you're a-" he gulped, but soon regained his composure. "No matter. I could beat you any day."
He said it loud enough to gain the attention of a few people. A small child jumped with excitement. "Magic fight! Magic fight!" It didn't take long for a crowd to surround us.
Damn it.