“Are were there yet, Arc?” I groaned.

“Almost, Master Jean. A bit more walking and we will have reached the port town.” She replied cheerfully as she continued on with her task of carrying my luggage. “We should arrive in about an hour or so.”

I nodded and looked up at the sky again. It was still early morning, but it already felt hot out here compared to how cool everything had been back in Strahl. The sun was rising higher into the sky, its rays casting a golden glow across the area. It reminded me of the time that I had spent exploring the great forests in the north with my parents when I was younger. We would always go camping near a river while I was growing up. I missed those times. My mother would make a big fire for us every night, and I’d get to play with the other children who lived in the nearby village. They all knew that I enjoyed tinkering with stuff and creating tiny mechanical robots, which they saw as just cool little toys. I didn’t mind though, if an invention of mine can make someone happy, then they call it whatever they want.

“Master?” Arc was stopped in front of me, looking at me with a perplexed look on her face. “Is something the matter?”

Arc is an automaton created by the Gods and given to me as my Gift. She has pure white hair that was tied up into a ponytail, and the most beautiful pair of brown eyes that are almost hypnotic to stare into. Her skin tone is pale compared to humans, but her features resemble that of a human girl. She’s not exactly pretty either. In fact, she looks rather plain and dull. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t good-looking. There’s just something unique about Arc’s appearance. It draws you in and makes you wonder what lies beneath the blank expression she usually has on. She also likes to wear a maid outfit all the time and act as if I’m her master. She said when we first met that it was simply a natural condition that all Avatar type Gifts have towards their “masters”. It’s not something that bothers me much, so as long as she is happy, I’m happy. We’ve known each other for almost a year now. My birthday is in January and it’s late October currently.

“I’m good. Guess I just zoned out there for a moment.“ I spun in a circle and moved myself in front of her then grabbed her hand and bent down on one knee. “Must be your beautiful presence, Arc. It’s the Gods giving us a sign that we should be together.“

She removed her hand from mine. “No. I haven’t gotten an order of any kinda like that from Father.”

“Does it have to be an order?”

Arc kept walking forward. “Almost to Port Laurel. If the rumors are true you can ask him yourself.”

The rumor she is referring to is the one about a God arriving at Port Laurel. Arc said she received a directive to come find her Father, a God, somewhere on the planet. We don’t know where he could be, so we’ve traveled around in search of him, following rumors and clues. This specific rumor, in particular, is a long shot of being true. I mean, a God showing up at a random port town and there are now ceremonies or preparations being prepared for it? It’s most likely a fake rumor to drum up business for them, but, hey, can‘t hurt to take a look, right? As long as there is no danger, I have no issue with it.

***

Port Laurel is a small port town located on the western side of the continent. It is mostly used as a stopping point for travelers or to rest before continuing on their journey. In the town are a few inns, a tavern, several shops selling various goods, and even a shrine dedicated to a local deity. Port Laurel also has some places where people can buy fresh fish and other ocean life that they have caught. There is a large dock situated in the middle of the town, and boats can be seen arriving and departing throughout the day. There were two ships docked at the docks. One of them was a large trading vessel that belonged to the Skyfall Trading Company. This company was founded by a well-known entrepreneur, Leuel Bet, years ago, and it quickly became very successful.

“Well, we made it.” I said.

“Correct, Master Jean, very observant of you.”

“Was that sarcasm? “

“Whatever do you mean?” Arc responded with the same blank expression on her face.

“Seriously, I can’t tell with you.”

Arc went forward into the town and walked towards the docks. Before too long, we arrived at a large building that was called the “Inn of the Forgotten”. It was a strange name, but who am I to judge. It was built high above the water, allowing the waves to crash below it and create a soothing sound that helped relax me after the long trip. Once inside, there was no one at the counter. All that was there was a small sign that said 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮,𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘺. So, we did as the sign instructed and took a key. I checked our room and found it to be fairly spacious, with wooden walls and floors. It also contained a bed, table, chair, and a wardrobe. There was even a fireplace in the corner, which I thought was quite fancy.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Arc was looking around the room like she was searching for something. Checking under the sheets, opening the curtains, and checking every drawer.

“Everything OK?” I asked her.

“It’s strange. This isn’t normal procedure for an inn, so I figured something must be going on.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” I assured her, taking a seat on the bed. “It’s probably just a local thing.”

There was a knock on the door. When I opened it, a man in a dark blue uniform greeted me.

“Welcome to the Inn of the forgotten, sir.” He said. “I am the manager of this establishment, Tobias Forgotten. I apologize for the unusual procedure. Currently, I’m low on staff and have to do things differently in order to keep running smoothly. “

“Oh, so that's why the inn is called that. And you don't have to apologize” I told him. “Where can I buy some food around here?”.

“That depends. What kind of cuisine are you interested in?”

“Just something light and refreshing.” I answered.

“As far as seafood goes, we serve the best crab cakes in town.” He turned his head towards Arc. “Uh, would your maid like anything?”

“Crab cakes work, and she’s not my maid. She’s my girlfriend.”

“I’m arc, his not-girlfriend.” She quickly corrected. “Thank you for asking, but I don’t need food.”

He looked at us like we were aliens. “Very well then. I’ll just need you to fill out this form quickly to show us you have signed in. As for payment, I’ll just add that to your crab cakes order. How long will you be staying with us?”

Arc responded first. “Until either we find Father or find that this rumor is false. Whichever comes first.”

The manager looked even more confused than before.

“We’ll be leaving in the morning.” I told him.

“Very well. I’ll return shortly.”

He left, closing the door behind him. I turned back to Arc.

“Well?”

“It’s clear something is amiss.” She answered.

“I thought the same thing, lack of staff, my ass. So what’s the plan?”

“Ever since we got here, I’ve been hearing noises.”

“Noises?”

“Yes, voices, to be more specific. It sounds almost like crying.”

“Can you tell where from?”

Arc pointed downwards. “It was hard to tell at first, but it’s definitely the basement.”

“Ok.” I got up from the bed. “Let’s get this over with quickly.”

“Understood, Master.” Arc replied with a nod. “Best to get this done quickly.”

Arc and I exited the room and walked down the hallway. We stopped at the top of the staircase that led down into the main lobby. At the bottom of the stairs stood the manager. He was holding the crab cakes on the plate, but had an angry expression on his face.

“Oh! You were really gonna bring my crab cakes? Drugged, I presume.” I jested.

“You think that you’re funny, do you?” He yelled at me.

“Well, I kinda am.”

“Why do you people make me do this?!” He threw the tray at me. The plates shattered, and the crab cakes spilled onto the floor.

Arc bent over to pick up the crab cakes.

Meanwhile, I continued speaking to the manager. “I don’t remember ever making you do anything? Now, can you kindly show us to the basement where you keep those other guests?”

Arc sniffed and then ate one of the crab cakes. “Definitely drugged with a numbing effect.”

The manager looked at Arc in shock. “How?!”

I sighed. “Listen man, we don’t have all day, so easy way or hard way and all that nonsense.”

“Screw both of you!” The manager screamed, pulling out a piston and pointing it towards me.

He shot the gun, but just before the bullet can hit me, Arc caught it in her hand.

“Arc.”

“On it, Master.”

Arc jumped down from the top of the stairs quickly, reaching the manager before he can fire another bullet. She grabbed the gun away from him and tossed it aside. Arc then grabbed his other arm and lifted him into the air. His body was completely in the air with his feet towards the ceiling and with one fluid motion, Arc slammed the manager into the ground, creating a small crater in the lobby. In that crater lay the manager, lifeless.

She bent over and began checking his pockets. After rummaging for a little, she found a master key. She picked it up and handed it to me. We searched for a little, looking for the basement door. It didn’t take us long to find it. In fact, it was easy to spot, as it was the only door that said 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺.

I opened the key to see a stairway that led to nothing but darkness.

We heard a faint voice. It sounded weak and scared. “Hello? Is he dead?”

“Yes, you are safe. The manager is gone.” I responded.

Figures began emerging from the darkness and walking up the stairs. Men, women, children, all trapped down there, starving and suffering. Some of them thanked us as they walked by. Some even hugged us, despite how weak they felt. Once the basement was the empty, we followed everyone outside the inn.

I put my chin in between my pointer finger and thumb. “Now that I think about it, why didn’t the rest of the town do anything?”

“Because they didn’t know.” An unfamiliar voice spoke from behind us. “More accurately, the basement they were held in could make people forget your existence as long as you are in it. Of course, the caster isn’t affected, nor are Avatar types, it seems.”

“Sorry, uh, who are you?” I asked.

“The name’s Robert. I’m the captain of the ship you see docked over there. Originally, I stopped here to rest before continuing on my voyage to Arkphis, but got stuck in the basement before you two came along. I owe you guys, so if there is anyway I can help you guys out, just let me know.”

I was thinking about it, but Arc spoke up almost immediately. “Take us to Arkphis with you.”

“Huh?” I said. “But what about your Father?”

“He’s not here. The rumor was a fake. But Arkphis...” Arc looked into the horizon over the sea. “My new directive is to go there.”

Robert raised his hand. “I have no issues taking you there for free. I’m heading to Arkphis academy because I’m delivering supplies for their upcoming entrance exam in December.”

Arc quickly turned to me. “Master Jean! That’s it!”

“What’s it?!”

“The academy! Please, we have to pass those exams. That academy must hold a connection to my father.”

Very rarely does Arc ask me for anything. It’s usually her just following whatever I say. So whenever she does ask for something, I have no choice but to comply.

“Ok, Robert, my man! Take us to Arkphis!”