Memories

By

Archdruid Unacera

Sekhmet meditated until he felt a breeze. He opened his eyes cautiously. A smile came easily to his face as he gazed at the tree above him fill of cherry blossoms. As the branches swayed he could see the clear sky. Only a few small clouds took it upon themselves to cross from one horizon to another.
As normal with the small natural urge, Sekhmet yawned and stretched. He raised his head enough to place his hands under it. How relaxing this always was. It was still summer, but soon his favorite season would come. Still it was quite warm. A white kimono or other light colors were a necessity to not get overwhelmed by the temperature. Absently, Sekhmet thought about his white kimono. He'd have to brush the dirt off it when he finally got up.
"Konnichiwa Sekhmet." He sat up against the tree at the familiar voice. His knees were bent before him. A woman a little over twice his age walked up the green hill to the tree. A basket was in her arms. Her long black hair was tied up due to the weather, but a few reluctant strands floated in the breeze. "There you go." She placed the basket near Sekhmet. Her deep brown eyes lovingly met his small black eyes.
"Mother." He began as he gazed at the basket. It was filled to the top with berries. "You shouldn't have."
"They are your favorite." She sat down near Sekhmet for a moment to rest.
"If you'd let me know you were going through the trouble, I would have helped."
She waved a hand at the offer. "I don't see you much anymore. Besides, do you think I'll ever stop caring about you?"
He smiled as he reached his right arm and gently took a handful of berries. Sekhmet then placed his left hand on his chest on his kimono. He let the berries fall into his left palm. Then his fingers took one and he raised his right hand as he gladly popped it in his mouth. He chewed slowly to enjoy the taste.
"Ah!" His mother smiled as she watched her only son. "You see? I remember what you like!" She chuckled softly.
Unable to resist, Sekhmet placed more berries in his mouth. He chewed more rapidly and soon was reaching for another handful.
"I remember the years as a child you would ask if the berries were ripe enough to pick yet. One time you had such a craving for them that you asked me during winter."
"It must have been when I was really young because I don't remember it." A momentary pause as he ate more berries. "Although I remember how you always tell me about it."
Sekhmet's mother gazed off into the distance. She looked past their village, eyes following the course of the nearby stream. "When will you be leaving again? Soon?"
Sekhmet nodded sadly. "I'm lucky to have this time in the first place! Our lord really appreciates my skills." He looked down at the basket and saw a noticeable difference in the level. "Are you having any mother?"
She smiled. "Oh I already had my fill. These are all for you." With that she stood up again. "Well you know where to find me." Her hand gently brushed her light pink kimono. Those deep brown eyes once again met his. "You always remind me so much of your father." She sighed.
"I wish I knew him."
"Merely look at your own reflection Sekhmet. Your father is there, a part of you."
"You always say that."
"Only because it's true." She lightly replied back to his tease. "Well I have to go now."
"Let me help you."
"Oh no. I am still quite capable." She stopped her son as he bent to stand. Then she walked back down the green hill to the village.
Sekhmet sat against the tree again. He had paused in his munching, not wanting to finish the berries too soon. His hand moved over his brow and through his green hair. The kimono raised and fell as Sekhmet took a deep breath to smell more of the pleasant scent of his favorite spot.
A couple of days later he stood in his house. His mother stepped back to admire him. She had, rather insistently, helped him into his armor.
His mother sighed. "You remind me so much of your father. My Samurai son!"
"You know I'll return when I can."
"Damn all this fighting! Ah but I know you'll bring back nothing except more honor."
Sekhmet smiled again. "The first thing I shall do is thank our lord for this time he gave me."
His mother hugged him lovingly. She tried to hold back tears. "Your father's armor. You look..."
"I'll return mother don't worry." Sekhmet checked the swords by his side again. He nodded in silent approval as he placed on his helmet. Outside a few armored men waited on horseback. Sekhmet quickly mounted, knowing these men were fellow Samurai of their land's lord. They turned and rode off.
Sekhmet's mother stood in the open doorway and watched. She remained there even after the figures vanished from sight. Be well my son.
The battles were long. It was years before Sekhmet could once again return home. He rode, his heart lightening the closer he was. He urged the horse faster through the snow. Finally he reached his village. He placed his horse in a stable. It was late and the majority of the houses were dark. Still Sekhmet walked to his home without much thought. He quickly entered and shut the door tightly behind him. As usual a table was nearby for him to put his helmet on. Quietly as able, he walked to his mother's room. He reached out his right hand and slowly opened the door. Sekhmet didn't want to wake her but felt the need to check up on her. At first he was relieved to see her sleeping. Though when he started to turn, he caught her shivering.
Now that's odd. He walked in and stood beside her bed. Sekhmet pulled down the blankets a bit. "Mother?," he whispered. Then fear filled him. Her face was pale and she continued to shiver. Quickly he knelt and felt her forehead. "Mother?," he said more loudly.
Her eyelids slowly opened and her deep brown eyes focused on the face. "Sekhmet you've come back." Her voice whispered.
"What happened? What's wrong? How long have you been ill?"
"I waited for you every night until I got sick. I still tried to work and eat but..." She sighed deeply then shivered again. "I'm so tired Sekhmet. So very tired."
"I'm here now. Don't worry."
His mother smiled. "I'm glad you're home again."
Sekhmet cooked food and placed a damp cloth on his mother's forehead. He pulled up a seat by the bed. Then he helped his mother to sit up and eat.
After having her fill, she lied back under the covers. Sekhmet watched her shiver and soon she fell asleep. He checked the cloth when it was time to dampen it again. His black eyes watched her chest rise and fall. Eventually sleep nagged at him after the battles and the long ride home. Sekhmet fought to keep his eyes open but still he was tired. Soon he also drifted asleep, his head on his folded arms on his mother's bed.
Sekhmet awoke with a start, realizing it was daylight. He cursed himself for sleeping for so long. Fingers of his hands touched the covers. He pulled the covers back again. His mother was facing away from him. At least she's not shivering now. Gently he nudged her. "Mother?" His eyes opened wide and he shook more vigorously as he stood. "Mother?!" Panic flooded him and his heart pounded in his chest. Fearfully he locked his gaze to her chest. It didn't move. "NO!" He bent over her face, hoping to feel for breath. "Don't be dead! Oh please don't be dead!" Tears filled his eyes and he slowly sat back down. What was the point of trying so hard if she was going to die? His head sank back on his folded arms on the bed covers. His shoulders and back shook with his sobs and tears that he couldn't deny. "Why? Why?" The blanket began to grow damp from his tears. Why did no one help? Because of me, of what I am? Because of my father? He cried more. "I'll make them pay! I'll make them all pay! If the battle ended sooner she would still be alive." His hands curled into fists and he pounded his right hand on the bed. "She was the last person in the world that deserved to suffer like this." Sekhmet raised his hand, feeling a tear on his left cheek. "Well I'll make them suffer more for what they did! I'll raise an army of my own and stop this once and for all! I don't care if it's winter!"
The vision ended. Sekhmet found tears on his cheeks. He hated that memory. He would have preferred to remember how he found a poisonous snake as a child. Not knowing exactly why, he always played with it. It was a sort of tease. A "You can't hurt me." game that he always won against the snake. His mother wanted him to get rid of it. Every night Sekhmet had to put it outside away from the house, but everyday he got it again. He even swam with the snake.
Then one day a group of boys found him. Everyone always teased him and his looks. Feeling especially cruel they jabbed a sharp stick at the snake and watched it wriggle in agony as it died. Sekhmet frowned and treaded the water more slowly. The snake was his only childhood friend for years. Sekhmet went up to it after the boys had cheerfully left. He wrapped it in a cloth and carried it home. His mother found him sleeping in bed with the dead snake in the cloth. She frowned in sadness at her son's loss of it and remembered his attachment to the poor creature. The next day they buried it under the cherry blossom tree. From that day that green hill was his favorite spot. It was far enough away from the village to not be bothered, but high enough to see his home. As for the teasing, it died down a bit after the tales of Sekhmet's fighting skill spread.
Sekhmet looked around the room, at the different snake and snake like creatures carved on the walls. He stood and felt them with his hands. Then he came upon a strange carving. There were two figures, one snake shaped and the other a man with a jackal head. Symbols of an old language were between them. The Warlord's finger traced the symbols and suddenly they started to make sense.

"Forever more a single vow
Between these two armors
Always to fight on the same side
And deadly combined powers."

His eyes opened wide again as he chanted the strange poem to himself. "The woman said someone wore it before me. And I do remember a man from my childhood. His hair was blonde, short, with brown tints. His eyes were brown too. He took care of me and my mother for a time. Oh what was his name? Michael? Yes that's it. I remembered it so easily because it was so strange. He left promising to return. Humph. My mother said my father left us in full armor before I was born. Though I know the truth, my father was a snake demon!"
He stood before the well, gazing down at the glittering red liquid. It seemed like it was alive. Sekhmet felt himself getting swallowed up by the room. He felt as if he was choking. His mind screamed out in the terror and primitive drive for survival. The kanji on his head glowed brightly. He cried out for his armor reflexively. A huge dark green flame shot straight up from the well. Sekhmet tried to scream as he thought the flame would burn his hands and arms over the well. Instead the mystic flame danced like a snake itself.
The Warlord felt himself calming. Everything was making sense now. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply and relaxed. He felt the breezes of fall, could see the multicolored leaves. He felt autumn all around his body, mind, heart and soul. "Piety, my kanji symbol, and my Armor of the Cobra." When he opened his eyes he was wearing his armor again except it gleamed. Light danced off it like the strange dance of a snake. New yet simple truths came to him. Sekhmet spoke the first as like a vow. "I will never again be corroded by the poison of Talpa or any other demons like him."
Unacera still sat outside. She rubbed Dragon Wind who finally reached her again. A shadow caused the Archdruid to look up. Her lips formed a smile. "It's been a long time since we were last together, hasn't it Isis-chan?"