I woke in the dark, gasping for air. My head spun and throbbed. I tried to move, but I was constricted in a small space. The smell of wood and dirt permeated my nose; I was in a coffin! I buried the fright that was rising in my throat. I need to get out of here. I had a million thoughts that rushed through my head but they had to wait till I was free. With this, I turned on my side and gave a hard kick to the side of the coffin.
The side gave out and dirt began replacing it; good the dirt loosened up. I closed my eyes and dug myself to the surface. I busted through the grass and breathed in the fresh air. I got the rest of the way out and laid flat on the ground staring up at the sky. It was orange and red, the sun was only now rising up above the trees. I focused my attention on the thoughts that continuously piled up in my mind.
How did I end up here? Why do I have no memory? Who am I? Do I have a family? What year is it? Do they think I’m dead? All that came from these questions was a sharp pain in my head and what I believed to be a memory of me being stabbed in the chest. I quickly looked down only to see a rip in the tattered shirt I was wearing. While the rip was where I got stabbed, I had no wound.
After a few more minutes, I sat up and only then did I notice a single crow perched on a tree not far from me. It stared at me as if it knew what was going on. I shook my head and slowly stood up. I looked around; turning in a circle. I was in the middle of a large field, filled with flowers. No roads or villages were in sight.
With no idea of where I was, I decided to head East. Hopefully I’ll come across someone or someplace soon. I headed off East, and the crow that stayed perched in the tree took flight in the same direction as myself. I guess it’ll be nice to have a little companion.
***
When the sun was high in the sky, I came across a stream of water. My long fought off thirst took control as I immediately lowered myself to drink from the stream. Relief washed over me as my once dry and hoarse feeling throat became soothed. I splashed the water on myself to wash some of the grime away. It was only then that I focused on my reflection.
I was pale in complexion, my shoulder length hair was white and looked as if it glowed. My eyes were perhaps the most interesting; they shone brightly like the sun with flicks of orange and yellow blending together. I felt my face as if my body was not my own. I was pulled from my reflection from the deep pain in my stomach. I got up and searched the bushes near me, surely there were some berries for me to eat.
After looking for a few minutes, I still had no luck finding any berries. That was until the crow that had been perched nearby flew down and landed on a branch above a bush a little ways away. I walked over and to my surprise it had berries.
“Thanks little friend, I appreciate your help.” I said.
Like I figured, it gave no response other than a shifting of its wings. I pulled the berries from the bush before washing them in the stream. I scarfed the berries down, but I still felt hungry. It was manageable, but I’d need to find some more food soon. I set off again, hoping to make it farther before sun down.
As I walked, I noticed all the animals that crossed my path. Many were friendly and allowed me to pet them. The birds sang the songs only they knew as I walked on. Animals continually walked with me, as if they were walking with just another animal of their kind. I didn’t mind it, it provided me company.
It wasn’t long before the sun began to set. I found a peculiar tree with an opening at the base of its trunk and decided to take shelter inside. While I may not feel tired; I would rather not travel at night in the woods. This tree cave provided protection from the elements and predatory animals.
***
Morning came and I set off again. The sunlight still had not reached some places in the forest due to the thick foliage. As I continued to walk, I noticed a decrease in the trees; hopefully that means I’m coming to the end of the forest. The sun hadn’t even reached its highest point in the sky when I exited the forests and came across a road. I rejoiced and decided to follow it.
After some time, I came across a group of people who were stopped on the side of the road. They had a horse drawn wagon. One of the men from the group spotted me and came over, “Hello there, would you like to join us?”
“Sure, thank you,” I responded a little surprised. I definitely wasn’t expecting him to invite me to join them.
He held his hand out to me, “I’m being rude, my name is Glen, nice to meet you.”
I grabbed his hand and shook it, “Hello, I’m-,” I felt nervous as I couldn’t remember my own name. I looked up to the crow before responding, “I’m Crow, nice to meet you.”
“Funny name you have there, but that doesn’t matter. Let me introduce you to my party members,” he said.
He led me over to his group, “Everyone this is Crow. Crow, from left to right, that's Myla, Lloyd, and Ryley. Myla and Lloyd are twins in case you were curious.”
I nodded my head to them and sat down. Glen handed me some meat and bread, “You look like you’ve starved to death.”
I ate the food quickly, “Thank you for your generosity, I don’t know what would have happened to me had I not found y’all.”
“No worries, but I’m curious about why you look like this. Did you get attacked by bandits?” Myla replied.
I scratched my cheek, “I’m a bit clumsy, you see, I was walking through the forests and slipped and fell down an incline.”
They chuckled a bit, thankfully, believing the lie I told. I don't know how they’d take it if I told them the truth.
“Ah, I’m curious, but where are y’all headed?” I asked
“We are heading to Iyesgarth, it’s the second biggest city in the country besides the capital. Are you headed that way as well?” Ryley responded.
I nodded, “Yes, I am.” In reality I don’t know where I’m supposed to go.
“That’s good, you can just travel with us,” Glen spoke up.
The conversation quieted down and I could focus on their appearance, Myla carried a weird staff with a crystal at the top of it, Lloyd had multiple bottles of different colored substances in a belt wrapped around him, Glen was carrying a sword and a few daggers, and Ryley just felt off to me.
Myla cleared her throat, “You know Crow, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone quite like yourself. You have such flawless pale skin, white; nearly luminous hair, and golden eyes. If I had to say, you look ethereal, like a god.”
I felt my face heat up as I looked down quickly, “I think that is more than just a compliment.”
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“Myla, you barely know him but here you go saying whatever you want. When will you stop that?” Lloyd said.
She sighed, “I’ll just go tend to the horses.”
She got up and left, leaving just us.
“I apologize for my mindless sister,” Lloyd said, turning to me.
“Nevermind that, Crow, here are some spare clothes. They may be loose and short due to your tall frame but it’s better than those rags you have,” Glen interjected, handing me the clothes.
“Thank you very much, I appreciate it,” I said as I received the clothes.
I quickly changed into them and asked, “If you don’t mind, may I know why y’all are headed to Iyesgarth?”
“Well, we are a part of a guild and Iyesgarth is on the way to the guild, but a few days prior we received an urgent message asking for help from the Duke of Iyesgarth. So since it’s already on the way, we accepted it.” Glen explained.
I nodded my head without saying anything. I still felt awkward around these people, afterall I don’t really know them. Thankfully, they don’t seem to be bad, so it should be alright.
“Oh yeah, Ryley, finish telling us about that villain that threatened the country a couple decades ago,” Lloyd said.
Ryley shrugged, “There isn’t much else to say, he was killed by the hero, the crown prince at the time, nothing else happened afterwards. No one knew who he was because he always wore a mask. Some believe it was because he was a horrendous devil.”
While I was curious about that, it held no concern to me. It wasn’t long before we set off. I rode in the wagon with everyone else as Glen sat at the coach. Dusk came quickly and we stopped for the night. After setting up camp, we talked about various things before settling in for the night.
I learned quite a bit about everyone. Myla was a mage who specialized in defensive magic. Lloyd was an expert in medicines and poisons. In other words, he was the group's designated doctor. Glen was an expert in fighting, and lastly Ryley was from the Wolf Clan.
They of course learned of my memory loss, but there was nothing Myla could do. She wasn’t a mage specialized in magic concerning the mind. Exhaustion crept into my bones and I soon fell asleep. The next morning I woke with tears in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away as I tried to grasp at the fleeting dream I had. What did I dream about to make me upset?
Everyone was soon up and we set off once more. By noon, I spotted walls and a gate that allowed entry into those walls.
“That’s Iyesgarth up ahead,” Myla said as if she guessed my thoughts.
At the gates we were stopped and checked; after confirming our identities we were allowed in. The city was grand with beautiful buildings that stood tall. Vendors lined the streets selling foods and other things. Children ran about, laughing and playing. It felt so peaceful here.
I closed my eyes and smiled, after how I woke up this morning, this was a welcoming peace.
“I see you are enjoying this,” Myla said
I looked at her, “Yes, I am, it’s all very peaceful and calm.”
She smiled, “That’s all because of the King. His Majesty, Nikolas Ivor Eskya, killed the White Devil which led to this time of peace in our country.”
“Is the White Devil related to the story Ryley told us previously?” I asked as my head faintly throbbed.
“It is indeed, the White Devil was called that because he was extremely cruel and cold-hearted. He was always adorned in white clothes and a devilish looking mask, hence the name. The King, who was the Crown Prince at the time, killed the White Devil. For some reason however, the king never revealed the White Devil’s identity,” Myla explained.
I nodded my head, “Oh, I see, thank you for explaining.”
We soon entered the inner parts of the city. While there were less people, their clothing looked more refined and tailored. It wasn’t long before the wagon stopped in front of a large and glorious estate.
We got off the wagon and were greeted by a young lady, “Welcome adventures to the Lobelia Estate. We are delighted that you have taken our request. Please follow me inside.”
She led us inside and to an adjacent room which held a long table plated with food, “Please be seated, Duke Lobelia will be with you in a moment, but please help yourselves to some food.”
We all sat and ate while we waited. I looked around the room that was beautifully adorned with painting and carvings. The door opened and in walked a young looking man, was he perhaps the Duke?
He sat at the head of the table, “I cannot express my gratitude enough for you esteemed adventurers who took our request. As you’ve probably read from the letter, we’ve been having problems from a beast of some sort in our northern woods. Previously, we had no problems, but a few weeks ago; a cargo wagon was destroyed and people were killed. We originally thought that it was bandits that did this, but the nature of the killings was too animalistic. And besides, all of the cargo was destroyed. This has happened repeatedly with other cargo wagons and just travelers. I hope you understand the predicament we are in.”
“Duke Lobelia, it is because that we understand the severity of the situation that we are here. Please rest assured that we will do everything in our power to get rid of the beast,” Glen responded.
“Do you have the bodies of the people attacked? If so, I could analyze the wounds and determine what type of beast it is. That way we can prepare accordingly,” Lloyd added.
Duke Lobelia nodded, “Yes, we figured that preserving the bodies who come in handy, please come with me.” He got up and motioned for us to follow. We walked down a hallway and then down a spiral of steps that led us deep underground. We arrived in a room that had bodies laid on tables.
The bodies themselves were covered in this veil like coating.
“With our family mage and doctor, we preserved the bodies the best we could,” Duke Lobelia stated.
Then that veil must be magic that is preserving the bodies. Lloyd walked over to the bodies before putting gloves on. He then began examining the bodies, “It’ll take me some time and I’ll need help for turning the bodies over.”
No one seemed willing to help so I decided, “I’ll help you.”
“Are you sure? This isn’t for weak-stomached people,” Lloyd questioned.
“I’ll be fine, but thank you for your concern,” I responded.
The others appeared relieved as they headed back up the stairs.
“Once you are finished, ask one of the butlers to show you to your rooms. We can discuss your findings tomorrow morning,” Duke Lobelia said before heading up the stairs as well.
***
After a few hours, Lloyd was finished examining the bodies. His face appeared grim as he removed his gloves.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“Unfortunately, we are dealing with a Griffin. This is going to be very troublesome and dangerous,” He answered with a sigh.
I racked my brain, piecing together the little information it had on beasts. If I’m not wrong, Griffins are magical beasts with the head and front legs and wings of a bird and the torso and back legs of a lion. They are extremely dangerous.
“If it’s a Griffin, I assume there is something of value to the Griffin in the Northern forest. Perhaps that is the reason for the attacks,” Lloyd continued.
“Okay,” I said.
“We will discuss everything in the morning, for now, let’s go to bed. But before that, ask them to prepare a bath for you, you need it,” he said before going up the stairs.