It was still dark at night, but a twinge of sunlight pierced through the night sky, illuminating it orange.

They had transferred the memory loss victims to an old orphanage.

In front of the building, two soldiers stood guard. The entrance was cleared of all things and the orphanage only had windows on the second floor.

Going over to the guards, I introduced myself, “Hi, I’m Gregoire de Gargoyle, the one who saved these people alongside François. One of my friends is there and I want to see how she’s doing.”

“No one is to enter.” One said curtly. “If you do not have permission from the Lord, leave or be removed.” The guard, dressed in mail armour and halberd in hand looked down to me. They were equipped as if ready for war.

This made me ever more worried, the duke couldn’t have assigned these men here if nothing had happened. “I really need to see—”

“Leave now!” The guards slammed their poles into the ground.

Instinctively, I jumped back. These weren’t people I could face. Would I have to go beg to Frederick? No, wait. The head engineer seemed like someone close to the Lord, he might be able to help.

Looking over, Richard seemed lost. His hands were in his pockets, and I could hear the clinking of coins. Was he already itching to go back to the tavern?

“Let’s go. I think I know someone who can help.” This should at least keep his mind of gambling for a bit.

“Who? Even if we can see her, she won’t recognize me. I tried. Everyone who had someone they cared for, tried. We… I mean us. Those who have nothing can’t do anything about class holders. Life is unfair, all we can do is work and have as much fun as we can.” He let go of the coins in his pocket. “Don’t come after me tonight. It’s all I have.”

#

“Two fingers to the left!” The sun was out yet again today. But it was not only searing hot, but so humid our wooden chairs felt wet. A big storm was no doubt coming.

Thankfully, it was still early in the morning, so the metal pipes had yet to heat up too much, but I did not look forward to the late afternoon.

“Push!” The overseer yelled out his orders. Sliding the pipe into the other, Trey, the fire class holder, fused the two pieces together.

Stepping back, I sat on a mount of dirt and looked back to where we had been yesterday. In a day and a half, we’d laid about forty pipes and made it halfway down the main street. The stores above had started to complain that we were taking too long since they were getting fewer customers. I wondered when they’d fill up the holes. After all, the piles of dirt—

Argh! Who was I kidding; I couldn’t keep avoiding the thoughts.

When I got to the worksite today, I searched everywhere for the head engineer. But not only did I forget his name, which made the overseers question why a labourer like myself needed to see him, but the regular workers didn't even know we had such a thing as a lead engineer.

Eventually, after much begging, an overseer told me that the engineer showed up every other day, but at random hours.

I was tempted to go beg at the castle’s gates but seeing how the duke took to me leaving François, it would be beyond stupid to do so.

And so, all I could do was to wait for another pipe to be lowered, for another day to pass, for an engineer’s whim.

#

The next day was no different. The sun was out early, and by midday, every time we touched the metal pipes, our hands smelled of cooked meat while our faces were drenched in sweat, and our lungs with hot humid air.

Finally, the day after that it rained.

We didn’t work.

We couldn’t.

So strong was the storm and so beat our bodies that even those who gambled on the regular did not leave their beds, but for me it was the perfect chance to act.

I hadn’t been able to catch the engineer, I was no doubt deep in the trenches when he’d passed, so I’d need to act on my own.

Heading out, I was instantly drenched.

It had been raining for no more than a few hours, but the ground was already saturated with rain and where puddles normally formed; now rivers flowed. So dark grey were the clouds, it looked like night.

Using my hand to cover my eyes, I made my way to the old orphanage where Isabelle was being kept.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Rounding the corner, I jumped back. The guards were still outside, guarding the door as if we weren’t being drowned by rain. Well, I’d been expecting them to be inside guarding the place which would have made it harder to infiltrate. But seeing as they were here…

I ran to the back of the building. But there was no back of the building. A few shakes were built there. Cracking open one of their wooden blinds, I peered inside. No one seemed to be there.

Opening the door, I entered, but being here was no different from being outside. Time had pierced a million different holes into the roof from which rain poured down and the ground was rife with grass and weeds. Heading to the back of the house, I pried off three wooden planks. It wasn’t hard. The wood was rotted out and soft from the rain.

But now, I had access to the back of the orphanage, would I just enter? I didn’t know where I’d find myself. If I just waltzed around searching for Isabelle, someone would no doubt call for the guards.

Heading outside, I raised my arm. I wondered if he could fly in this storm. No birds could, but he was made of stone.

Thankfully, after a few minutes Ligothe landed on my arm. I hadn’t seen him until the last second as his grey stone melded perfectly with the storm clouds.

Perched on my arm, I told it to fly up and enter the building through the chimney. Inside, he just had to find Isabelle’s room and near it. I would use my artifact to find it. Of course, if inside there were too many people moving about in the orphanage, I told Ligothe to escape. But seeing as it was such a drab day and the people inside had suffered through so much, I doubted they’d be anywhere but their rooms.

Ligothe flew off, and my artifact drifted followed the gargoyles movement. Delving down into the chimney, the pendant pulled down on my neck before moving left… then left again. And again, and again.

Finally, it stopped. It was clear that I couldn’t get through from this house, so I went back outside.

The thundering shower fell on me all at once, shocking my body cold, but I pushed through and followed the pendant down the street. Finally, it stopped pulling on my neck when I was in between two houses.

Crouching down, I pried off the wooden board’s nails. Setting the old piece of wood aside, I peered inside. Warm air rushed out. Looking to the side, there was a small bed, and on it, sat Isabelle, she was aimlessly staring at the wall.

Quickly prying out two other boards, I crawled in. She didn’t react.

“Are you not going to say anything?” Even if she didn’t remember me, shouldn’t she have screamed that someone had broken in.

But not reacting at all, what had they done to her.

“Isabelle, do you recognize me? It’s Gregoire.” I stayed near the exit.

“I don’t know who you are,” she said, seemingly tired and hopeless. “I don’t know who anyone is. But since you know mine, I assume you used to know me.” It was as if she had no emotions, no memories.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” I asked.

“Waking up, six days ago.”

“Nothing else? Not your childhood, not the dead-ends?”

“I don’t know either of those.” There wasn’t even a glint of regret in her eyes. Nothing at all. What kind of person could do such a thing?

Well, that was well known.

The Northmen. The people of the seas. Pagans. Once pillagers, now slave merchants, and mercenaries.

It was that Northman in Bayeux, the one belonging to the Triste gang that had sold them. I know there are a few Northmen settlements alongside the channel coast. They were probably going to be sent to the nearest one to Fécamp before being shipped out to who knows where. How could the duke, no, even the king permit such a thing? Slavery, gambling, etc.

Were they not the lords of this land, those charged with protecting its people? Why give them all this authority if they do nothing with it?

“I’ll be back, I promise to find a way to get back your memory.”

#

At the duke’s castle, I saw that the guard was the same man whom I’d met when I came to the castle with Damien.

“It’s me Gregoire, I really need to speak to the Lord.”

“Oh, if it isn’t the one always sleeping on the training fields. Well, I can’t let you in. His excellency kicked you out for a month. Come back then.”

“No…” It was hard to talk. The rain was too cold, and my teeth clattered together. “I really need…I really need to see him. It’s about my friend, I can’t see her like that—"

“Hmmm… then why did you leave François all alone with them at the church. If you cared so much for her, then shouldn’t you have stayed by her side. But now on a whim you decide that you want to save her?”

I was tired of being talked down to, lectured by everyone around me. “YES, NOW I WANT TO!”

“You are quite the narcissist, aren’t you?” He smiled, what for, I don’t know. “Well, I’m interested in what will happen so head on in. The Lord should be in the training grounds.”

In the training ground? What was he doing there in such weather? Regardless, if that’s where he was, then that’s where I’d go.

Following the outdoors corridor, I headed to the training field. There, standing in the rain, Frederick’s image was distorted by a bubble of crystallizing water. He seemed to be meditating inside. Was this his class? Some sort of water or ice manipulation.

Standing to the side, I waited for him to finish.

And there, under the torrential rains I waited for more than an hour.

#

My throat had gone soar, and I couldn’t stop sneezing, but still I waited, waited, and waited, until finally, the water encapsulating him collapsed.

“Frederick!” I couldn’t help but yell. And as if nothing had happened, he turned to face me.

“What is it?” He spoke as if it were only natural, I’d be here.

“I need help curing my friend who was in that incident.” I got on my knees. “I’m sorry I left François there all alone, I promise it won’t happen again. I understand what it means to stay by someone’s side now. It won’t happen again. So please, help me save my friend’s memories.”

As my eyes were set on the ever-muddier ground, I couldn’t see the duke approach me, but I could hear the mud sucking in his steps each time he got closer. “You know nothing of anything. Do you think two days of manual labour will teach you anything? Even a month, no even a decade isn’t enough. You need to have your body break down, to see your mind slow, and your emotions dull. Only then, when you need to rely on others, but see everyone ignore you because your body is old and ugly, and because your mind is dull and boring will you understand that concept.” The scorn in his voice was evident. But from where this came, I didn’t know, especially when he was a duke in his twenties who’d had the throne since even his earliest teen years.

“Please.” I could only beg.

“I will put you on the front line in the upcoming battles. That is the only way for you to understand anything. Now, never disturb me when I’m meditating is that understood.” His voice was low, and the amicability that had always drenched his being had long disappeared.

But I needed confirmation. “You will try and restore her memories—”

“Their memories. This is not just for you. Now return to your place. I will send someone to fetch you when the troops are to depart.”

“Thank you.” I could say no more. I got what I came for. Now I just needed to wait.