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Upon arrival at the city, it’s deep into the evening with purple skies, the faintest hue of orange sunlight peeking over the building-crowded horizon. The area is somewhat gothic in its architecture, though perhaps it's half-lent by the time of day casting dark shadows from the buildings. The buildings reach as high as four stories, making it rather small compared to a city from the world I came from, but it is a city nonetheless for the time period here.

Despite the late hour, the area is positively bustling as though it’s midday. I look to Ferenc with a mildly puzzled expression. At first he doesn’t respond, not paying attention to my confusion and instead minding not to collide with any of the bustling cityfolk. He notices me soon enough, though, his ears keening towards me while he deciphers my wordless expression.

“Ah, right. You had amnesia,” Ferenc reminds himself, bringing a hand up to gesture at the city’s buildings. “I guess Miss Vesti hadn’t told you; this location is known as Lisenby.”

“Lisenby, huh,” I mutter. I look to my left and down an alleyway; even through there, there are people taking shortcuts and stepping over street urchins to get to where they need to be faster before the sun officially sets. I refocus my gaze on Ferenc; “Why is it so busy?”

He glances around, and looks back at me. “There is an AAG headquarters here, which is likely why things are the way they are. With trials in a week, everyone must have something important on their plate, even at this hour.”

“Huh.” So Vestin chose a home close to a place we could easily enter the AAG’s trials?

We continue our trek through Lisenby, remaining dominantly on the same road we arrived on. We’re receiving stares as we explore. They're focused on Ferenc, his race a clear minority in the area. As much as I try to catch each one with eye contact, each person staring us down either looks away, scurries off, or a combination of the two. That is, until I turn a corner and collide with a boy no older than twelve.

A mop of messy dark-brown hair tops his head in a playfully unkempt fashion, as though the child had been rolling dirt and wilds all day. He freezes in place, staring directly at Ferenc first, transfixed by an apparently foreign concept such as a beastman in his local area. I clear my throat, commanding the child's attention, his eyes snapping to me nervously. I give my best smile. It's all for naught, though, because the boy tenses up rather sensitively and waves his hands in caution.

"Ah! S-sorry miss, I didn't mean to stare at your servant!"

"No worries," I say, not dispelling the idea that Ferenc is my 'servant,' but not encouraging it, either. "That being said, kiddo," I take an opportunity, tucking my hands in my pockets. "Think you could direct me to a furniture store?"

"Huh?" He's visibly perplexed for a moment, but once he gathers himself enough to make a response, he brings a finger up to point west. Something is on his mind. "Next street over, there's a furniture store called Oak and Company. Funny coincidence you ask though, 'cos my folks work there. I could show you the way."

I give a nod. "Sure. I'm new to the area, so lead the way," I say, gesturing idly. I glance to Ferenc. He has an inexplicable expression on his face, making it clear he has reservations on following a scrappy little boy to a new location we've never visited before, but I give him a reassuring grin. What's the worst that could happen?

Naturally, when that question's asked, something tragic or crazy happens. As long as we wind up at a furniture store, however, I'm rather certain nothing particularly interesting will occur.

Oak and Company is rather cleverly named, with an oak tree carved into the store entrance in such a way that the tree is still living, flourishing even, despite being an entryway. Inside the store, a vast array of elegant furniture is set up. I'm almost taken back by how lovely the place looks and smells -- rose potpourri permeates the air, originating from a center desk where a woman sits, half asleep despite a bell ringing on the door upon our entrance. It is deep in the evening after all, and for me, that calls for the kind of ill-advised nap time where one wakes up not remembering who or where they are.

"Mom!" Calls the boy, bounding across the room to rouse the woman from her slumber playfully. "Mom, you have customers!"

"Mmh-- hmmh!" The mother figure is roused successfully from her daydreams, straightening up and brushing her bangs from circle-rimmed glasses hanging on her nose. She's a mousy looking sort. She brings her son in wordlessly for a squeeze, launching herself headfirst into business without greeting her child beforehand. "Ah, welcome, welcome," She says, doing her best to energize her greeting despite shaking off her sleepyhead syndrome. She stifles a yawn and straightens up, rising from her seat. "What brings you in at such a late hour? We're close to closing, but I'll be the last person in Lumenis to show you the door without what you need."

"Actually, we need a few beds. Two twins and a queen."

Ferenc gives me a look, awed I actually went for two twins and a queen bed. I wasn't kidding, I wanted that queen.

"You'll certainly need those before bedtime!" The boy quips, nudging his mom excitedly. He seems proud to have found his family some business.

His mother lets off a soft laugh at her son's wit, and nods to me gently. "Yes, well, I'm sure we can arrange something for you. Where do you live?"

"Just outside the city, up north on the hill," I say, and the woman seems impressed.

"On the hill up north! That house has been abandoned for quite some time. It's good to hear it has some new souls inside. Well, as a housewarming gift, I'll include some bedding for free. Does that sound alright?"

"That's actually so kind of you," I say in surprise, bowing my head in thanks.

"I don't assume you have an automobile, do you?" She inquires.

"Not at all. We came here on our own two feet. We can try to lug the purchase home, but it might kill us," I joke somewhat dramatically to the woman.

"That's alright. For a fee, my husband can drive these beds out to your house," the woman says, seating herself back at her desk, operating an ornate metal register to presumably make up our total. "... With the mattresses, bed frames, free bedding and delivery charge, you'll be dealing with about 440 marks. Does this sound palatable?"

I catch myself before I go to reply. I realize something rather important.

I don't have a wallet.

I have no means to pay for anything.

"Er..." I pause, giving Ferenc a glance. He's realized what I'm sweating over. "I would love to purchase these mattresses. I just... realized I forgot my money back at home."

"Oh, dear," she says, pursing her lips. "Well... Hold on one moment. I'll speak with my husband."

The woman stands again, heading into a back room, her son tagging along like an eager, limitlessly energized puppy. In the meantime, we both wait awkwardly.

"How could you forget your wallet?" Ferenc inquires incredulously.

"I don't know where it's packed," I hiss, scratching the back of my head in perplex. I don't know what Vestin even has our funds stored in. I really hope this kid and his mom can work a miracle to let me go home with some beds tonight, I really don't want Vestin making more items with her magic when there are more important things she could be doing.

The two emerge from the back room with a bird-chested, wide man just a little taller than myself. He walks with a sort of unspoken pride, but his worst enemy looks like a china shop with how he navigates so wide. He comes to the desk where his wife reseats herself, the boy peeping over the desk in curiosity.

"So Margaret here tells me ya wanna buy some beds, but forgot yer wallet?" He says, eyeing me and Ferenc with an look on his face that's hard to pin. He's getting a feel for our character.

"That's just right," I say, letting off a nervous laugh to soothe my nerves. "... We've been sleeping on the floor since moving in. I really was hoping to get some proper beds, but maybe I was a bit too eager to get out of the house. Do you think maybe we could write an IOU...?"

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"An IOU won't be necessary. I already got a better idea for ya. Really must be a big stress forgettin' somethin' so far out. How's about this -- we drive the goods out, and you run inside and get your wallet when we arrive. I'll be chargin' an additional fee -- making it about 500 marks -- for the trouble, but I think we can make some magic happen for the both of us if we meet halfway like this, don'tcha think?"

"Why are you allowing us such kindness?" I inquire thoughtlessly, looking a gift horse in the mouth like I shouldn't be.

The man glints a golden tooth in his grin.

"The house up north on the hill, right? Must be empty in there. You'll need more furniture than this, won't you? We're the only furniture store worth a hoot for miles, truly."

"Ohh... I see," I murmur, rubbing my chin. "You're confident I'll return for more business. Well, you're not wrong. We'll definitely need more furnishings once we can afford it..."

"And we'll be here to provide those for you," injected the wife, smiling warmly.

"Well!" I say, clapping my hands together decisively. "You've got yourself a deal! I'll help load up."

"Oh, no! You don't need to lift a finger. However, if I could enlist your beastman servant's strength to load up the truck, I'll reduce the price a few marks."

"You mean Ferenc?" I look to the fox boy who had been silent this whole time, practically invisible beside me. He seems nonplussed, but his ears are keened back nonetheless at the attention. "You wanna?"

Ferenc is following some sort of decorum I'm apparently aloof to as an alleged amnesiac. Instead of declining as his ears indicate him wanting to do, he dips into a bow. "I am at your service," he says, and goes to follow the bird-chested man into a different backroom.

"I wanna help too!" Says the scrappy boy, scrambling to follow the two adults into the backroom.

I'm left with the wife.

"You're quite casual with your beastman," she says, as though testing the waters for something she's curious about. "Where are you from? Ramhnai?"

"Ah... I don't know actually," I state simply, scratching a cheek. "I've had amnesia."

"Amnesia!" She gasps, a hand going to her heart. "Were you able to recall anything when you came to? Your name?"

"Well, yes, my name... But I'm having to relearn everything. Even my roommate doesn't seem to know much about my past from before I had the big wipe," I fib flawlessly, but keep my eyes trained on the door to the backrooms every chance I can get.

"Oh, that's just awful! And you've just moved in too, so I'm sure it's a lot for you to handle right now."

"It's alright. I have Ferenc and that roommate I mentioned to help me through it."

"You've certainly made a lucky break then," she says, a hint of relief in her voice.

I'm about to respond when the door opens and out come Ferenc, carrying the queen mattress with little complaint, a light pink on his face from exertion. The mattresses don't look light. The bird-chested man comes out next, carrying the two twins in each arm like its nothing, his son trailing the back in simulated assistance, though all he's really doing is shifting the mattresses ever so slightly enough for them to slip out of his father's grip and plop on the floor for him to heft back up.The father, as any would, says nothing about it.

The two head outside through the front, and I can hear the father shouting directions to Ferenc on where to head -- the alleyway beside the store has their truck, and that's where they're headed. I give a calm nod to the mother, and break away from our awkward conversation to watch the men work.

"I'll gather the bedding," I hear her say as I walk off, and I return her decree with a wave.

Outside, the streetlamps are lit, illuminating our path until the mattress-carrying men turn a dark corner, entering the aforementioned alleyway. It's dimly illuminated by interior lights shining through windows to prevent everyone from tripping over one another, but hardly lit enough to call the road visible by any means.

Once I see the mattresses loaded up, the men double back inside to gather the bed frame materials. Within only a few more minutes, we were packed up and ready to go.

"Alrighty, we're off!" Says the man as he climbs into the driver's seat, Ferenc taking refuge in the back seat only once I've climbed into the passenger seat in the front. The son tries to scramble in, but his father stops him. "Oh, no you don't! Stay with your mother."

The boy goes to protest, but I lean out the open window with a grin. "Don'tcha wanna be man of the house while your pops is gone? Go have fun! We're just gonna have a boring trip anyway."

Enlightened by my mildly chaotic encouragement, the boy scampers off to reunite with his mother inside of the shop, shouting, "No more rules! I'm man of the house!"

I break off into a wild snicker as his father lets off a deep sigh, though nothing seemed to be able to wipe that smile off his bearded and mustachioed lips.

"I swear, he's only getting more and more unruly the longer time goes on..."

"Maybe he needs more of a challenge to keep him busy," I suggest.

"Hm. Maybe I'll put his little arse in charge of deliveries soon," he muses, cranking the engine to life. The truck sputters to life, the entire thing shaking. In the rearview mirror I can see Ferenc's tail bristle before the thing is adjusted. Poor fellow must not be used to cars.

The trip takes only ten minutes by truck, held up only by the foot traffic that still had hardly died down in the city streets. Once we pull into the house's unpaved yard, the man gave off a hearty whistle.

"You cleaned this place up," he says.

"Did I?" I reply, not aware of how the place looked beforehand. "Well, thanks!"

"Well... Go on, then!" The man encourages me, and for a moment I stare blankly.

"Oh! Right! Wallet!"

I hop from the passenger's seat with the door swung open and run inside. The interior of the house is just like I left it, though I only realize this after I find the archaic light switch hiding in the pitch black entryway. Once the light comes on, I see Vestin still asleep on the floor, though the flash of light seems to rouse her. As much as I want to let her resume her slumber in peace, I can't waste time digging through boxes.

"Vestin. Vestin, wake up," I say, shaking her shoulder to rouse her gently.

"Whu... What is it?" Vestin mumbles, her voice cracking in grogginess.

"Where is our money? The two thousand marks you mentioned when we got here?"

"In the third box to the right of the kitchen..." Vestin yawns, her eyes still shut. She lifts a finger to point in the direction of the box in question, but she's pointing the complete wrong way.

"Thanks. Now try to wake up, we have company," I say, moving to the instructed box and digging about.

"Wha, company...!" She gasps softly, eyes flying open. "Wh-who did you bring at this hour?"

"It's only like, eight? The furniture store owner drove his truck to the house to deliver the beds." A-ha! I find a case, and once opened, a flood of marks reveals itself inside. I parse out five hundred. No, five hundred and twenty. I'm feeling generous.

Vestin scrambles up, flattening out her dress nervously. "I'm up, okay?"

"Good work. I've got the money, I'm heading back outside."

"'Kay," Vestin says, rubbing her eyes.

I go back outside where Ferenc and the store owner were waiting patiently in the truck. The man holds out his hand and I sink five hundred marks into his calloused palm, the store owner accepting the money with a tight grasp on the bills. He shoves the cash into his trouser pocket and hops out of the vehicle.

"Whelp! Let's get you set up!" He says.

"With it being so late, do you mind if I help out this time?"

"A lady shouldn't have to lift a finger if it can be helped!"

"At that rate you'll be out til midnight," I suggest. "Come on, let me help."

The man puffs his cheeks, his mustache bristling. He's feeling slightly cornered. "Well... Ah... F-fine," he stammers.

"I appreciate your flexibility, sir," I say, patting him on the shoulder. I'm sure it was difficult for him to go against his typical chivalry for the sake of making it to bed on time.

With my assistive hands in tow, we clear the bed assembly process in a little over an hour, and are left with three fully assembled beds. The queen is in the master bedroom; in the second bedroom, the twins rival each other on either side of the room. I give the man a tip of 20 extra marks, having no solid idea how much value that holds, and see him off as his truck backs out of our lawn and hits the somewhat overgrown path home.

Back inside, Vestin rather wordlessly flops onto her twin mattress and immediately curls up into a ball, going back to sleep within moments. Ferenc, on the other hand, isn't approaching his new bed. Instead, he's in the kitchen, thumbing at a splinter in the wooden countertop.

"That other bed's yours," I clarify to him, and he looks up from the countertop he was fiddling with.

"Ah... So it is," he says, and his ears keen indescribably. I'm not sure what he's thinking.

"Is everything alright?" I ask, moving to sit on the countertop where the books still rest from earlier.

Ferenc, realizing he was caught in his thoughts, shakes his head. "No, all is well. It's just perhaps been some time since I had a proper bed." He looks like he wants to say more, but resists the temptation.

I can't just let him keep his discontent from me.

"You're hiding something from me," I say, taking a chance to fish a little deeper for what's bothering the beastman. Ferenc is silent for some time, but finally gathers the nerve to look at me directly and speak.

"What am I?" He asks me. Easily, I'm thoroughly confused.

"Huh?" I blink and tilt my head, folding my arms in thought. "I thought you were a beastman."

"No, no. A servant? Or a free man? If you intend to make me free, I cannot let such a kindness go unpaid. What can I do for you?"

"Hmmm..." I rub my chin. I really don't want to spend my first day in Lumenis obtaining a slave of any sort, so.... "You're already in charge of teaching me proper combat," I muse. "Vesti and I plan on joining the Aetherum Ascendance Guild. Actually, I would really like it if you joined alongside us."

"The AAG?" He says, widening his eyes a touch at the idea. His eyes downcast after a moment, and he sucks in a slow breath. "... If there's anywhere I can get back on my feet, it'd have to be there, yes."

"Just fight alongside me once you train me up. Consider the debt repaid after that, yeah?"

"If this is your wish, then... I will swear my allegiance to you."

"A bit further than I was thinking, but I'll take it."

I can't complain any. With that resolution, Ferenc looks sleepy and at ease, no longer worrying about unpaid debts in his head. Honestly, having him relieved like this is much better than sending him on his way with perceived debts left in the air. I hop down off the countertop to the floor and gesture for him to follow along as the city's bell struck ten at night. It was past our bedtimes. With my guidance, Ferenc found his way into the guest bedroom where Vestin was already curled up in her respective bed. I watch from the living room as he climbs into his bed and practically passes out on contact. I slip into the room and cover them both with blankets we'd gathered from the packed boxes in the living room earlier.

It seems like the moment I touch my bed, I am similarly out cold before I know it. I wake the next morning with no memories on how I even got in bed, much less how quickly I fell asleep.