After a long night's rest, I felt much better the next morning. I’m still a little wary of everyone, but it should be fine for now. After getting dressed, I went down to the dining room where everyone else was seated.

“Thank you for joining us, Crow. We will eat first before we discuss anything else,” Duke Lobelia said.

I nodded and took my seat. I tried to eat as slowly as possible due to the nervousness of what they might ask.

***

“Right, Crow, you didn’t share much information with us yesterday, would you be more inclined to tell us today?” Duke Lobelia stated.

I looked around the room and noticed all the knights. What does he think I am? Some monster? I took a deep breath and steeled my nerves,

“Duke Lobelia, what I said yesterday is all I had to say. My memory from then is hazy but I can confirm the Griffin left as simply as that. Perhaps everyone’s shouts scared it off?”

“That may be the case, but I had my knights scour the whole Northern forest and didn’t find the Griffin anywhere. I just want to know if you had a hand in this,” He retorted.

“Duke Lobelia, please excuse my rudeness, but I was personally attacked by that Griffin, why would I help it escape? I can understand your concern, but don’t you think this is a bit much,” I answered.

His eyes widened slightly, “Ah, please excuse me instead. It appears I was the one being rude to you. I apologize.”

“Thank you,” I said as I let the breath I was holding go.

We talked some more before a knock was heard at the door.

“Come in,” Duke Lobelia said.

An older woman somewhat resembling Duke Lobelia walked in. Is she his mother?

“Mother, what brings you here?” he asked.

“Well, I just wanted to meet the young man who put his life on the line to save a young child. Am I not allowed to do that?” She responded.

Duke Lobelia had nothing to say.

She walked over to me and gave a warm smile, “May I speak with you privately?”

I found it odd but decided to go with it, “If you don’t mind Madam.”

I stood and followed her out of the room and the estate. She led us to a beautiful garden. At the center of it was a plaza with a table and chairs.

“Please sit,” she said.

I did as she said and sat. After a few moments of silence I felt a bit awkward, “Um, Madam, was there something you wished to talk about?”

“Yes, forgive me, I was setting up a wind barrier to prevent our conversation from being heard to unwanted ears,” she answered.

“Oh, thank you,” I said.

“You are hiding the fact that you are a Beast Tamer, it’s the least I could do,” she responded.

My eyes widened in shock, “H-how did you know?”

“A Griffin wouldn’t simply leave you be, especially if you are already injured. Please don’t fret, I have no intentions of telling anyone this,” She said with a knowing smile

Her perception made chills run down my spin, “So is there anything in particular you wanted to say concerning this?”

“Do not share that you are a beast tamer so easily with others. It can be quite dangerous in this country,” she said as her smile dropped.

“What do you mean?” I inquired

“Beast Tamers are very valuable in this country. This country no longer has any Beast Tamers. If people found out you were a Beast Tamer; you’d be the most sought out person in all of Eskya,” she answered.

“Why are there no longer any Beast Tamers?” I asked.

Her brows furrowed, “I-I’m not sure why, it’s been so long. I can’t really recall, but there was a noble family of Beast Tamers directly under the King. Something happened to them… what was it? I can’t remember.”

My head spun from confusion; a noble family? They were all Beast Tamers? Do I have a connection to them? I shook my head to rid me of these questions for now.

“If that is all you had to say, I’ll take my leave madam,” I said with a smile.

“Alright, bye dear and remember what I said,” she replied

I nodded, “I will, thank you.”

I walked back to the estate. I want to see how Haiden is; I wonder if I could visit him and his mother.

I went to find Duke Lobelia; thankfully he was still in the dining room.

“Excuse the rudeness, but would it be possible for me to visit the boy I saved yesterday?” I said

“Ah, perfect timing. The mother of the boy actually sent a letter. She would love it if you could visit. I’ll have an escort ready,” he replied.

“Thank you,” I replied with a slight bow.

***

It wasn’t long before I got to their house. I knocked on the door and waited. I could hear the sound of someone coming closer.

The door opened to reveal Haiden’s mother, “Oh my, thank you! I wasn’t expecting you to visit this soon. Please, come in.”

“Thank you for having me,” I replied as I followed her in. She led me to a room where Haiden was laid on a bed.

As soon as he saw us, his face lit up, “Mister! You’re here!”

“How are you doing?” I asked.

“I’m alright, my leg was mostly healed by a mage but I still have some problems moving it,” he answered.

“I’m happy to hear that. I’m sure your leg will get better soon and you can run around all you want,” I said.

He smiled big, “What about you mister? You got hurt too.”

I placed my hands on my hips and boasted, “I’m all fine. The injury wasn’t all that bad.”

He laughed in response to this. Good, I’d rather him not think too much about the events that happened.

“Haiden, this mister and I will go talk. You continue to rest up.” Haiden’s mom said.

She led me to another room, “Please sit, I’ll prepare some tea.”

A few minutes later, she returned with the tea. She poured my cup and handed it to me. I accepted and took a sip.

“I’m Marylynn Greenwood, I can’t thank you enough for saving my son. If there is anything I can do to repay you, please tell me,” she stated.

I smiled, “Miss Greenwood, I merely acted on my own accord. I did so because I wanted to save your son, not to be rewarded. I wish for nothing in return other than to see you both safe and sound.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. Whenever you come here, you’ll always have a place here in my house. I’m sure Haiden would like it if you stayed here whenever you pass by Iyesgarth,” she said as tears fell.

“Thank you, I will take you up on your offer,” I replied.

***

After seeing Haiden once more, I left their house and went back to the estate. When I walked in, I was met with my party members preparing their stuff.

“Oh Crow, we are leaving in a bit so get ready to go,” Lloyd said.

“Huh? Where are we going?” I asked, confused.

“To Lullin, the City of Night, as others call it. It’s where our guild, Midnight Adventurers, is located,” he replied.

“Oh, okay, well I don’t really have anything I own so I’m good to go when you all are,” I said.

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***

After giving our farewells, we headed North and traveled the whole day until dusk. We stopped at a rest spot off the road and settled in for the night. I decided to take the night watch so I could speak with the Griffin once more.

“Griffin, are you there?” I called out with my mind.

“I’m here master, would you like me to come to you?” It responded.

“Yes, please.” I answered

After waiting for a bit, I spotted the Griffin from a distance. It had come as I wanted it to.

“Master! I missed you!” It said.

“Make sure not to make too much noise, the others might wake up,” I responded.

“Okay, you can count on me, Master!” it assured me.

I sighed, “Well, I thought about it, and if we really are bonded, I can’t keep calling you Griffin. So your name shall be Asmara,”

“Really? Really? I love that name! Thank you, Master!” Asmara responded.

“Also, please stop calling me Master, I don’t like it. Just call me Crow,” I added.

“Crow is such a splendid name! Very well, I shall also call you Crow!” she replied.

“Alright, now let’s get to what I wanted to talk to you about. Asmara, what did you mean when you said you felt under control of something?” I asked.

She sat down, “I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s like something was commanding me to attack others. I really didn’t want to do it.”

I thought for a moment. I guess because of our bond, but I can tell that she is telling the truth. But what could control a Griffin to do something it didn’t want to do? Maybe another Beast Tamer? Or another intelligent beast stronger than her? I shook my head, those questions will have to wait for later. What’s important now is that she is no longer under control.

Now that we are bonded, I have to be careful to not expose her to others. Who knows what would happen if it was discovered that I was a Beast Tamer.

“Asmara, is there a way you can change your form? Like make yourself smaller or take on a different appearance?” I suggested.

“That’s easy,” she said as she shrunk down to the size of a house cat. She then altered herself further by assuming the appearance of a house cat.

“Wow, that’s amazing! Now no one will suspect you of being a Griffin. Very good, this will make things easier. Now all I have to do is come up with some story of how I found you to tell the others.” I said.

She jumped up onto my shoulder, “Did I do good? Did I? Did I?”

“Yes, very good. I’m proud of you.” I smiled.

After this, the night passed on without any problems. Asmara and I talked more about different stuff until Ryley woke up for his turn of night watch.

“Crow, why do you have a cat?” he asked.

“Oh, this is Asmara. Earlier I had heard some meowing and upon looking around, I found her. I gave her some of my dried jerky and she wouldn’t leave me be. So, I decided to take her in, isn’t she adorable?” I said as I held her up in my arms.

He looked at Asmara for a moment, “Yes, she is quite adorable. Anyways, go ahead and get some sleep.”

I nearly exhaled from the nervousness. For a moment, I thought he figured out that Asmara was actually a Griffin. I guess Asmara covered up her scent as well. After getting settled, I fell asleep to a wonderful dream that felt like a memory.

I stood in a field with multiple flowers, all different colors. I could hear the buzz of bees and the singing of the birds. There were beasts and animals alike in the field, all living peacefully together. I turned in a full circle, admiring the view.

“Big brother, come, the picnic is set!” said a child's voice from a little bit away. Why was the voice familiar?

Without any command of my own, my body turned and walked to the source of the voice. I was met with a woman and three children, and while I could see their bodies, their faces were distorted and blurred. Pain shot through my head, but my hands made no move to support it.

“What are you rushing me for? The food won’t go anywhere,” my own voice said. Just what was going on?

The other two children giggled while the other huffed, “Yeah, but it’ll get cold and I don’t want it to get cold.”

“Alright, alright, that’s enough. Let’s just eat, yeah?” the woman said as she laughed.

As soon as I sat down, my eyes flew open to the dark sky. I sat up and looked around, everyone was asleep except for Ryley. He was actually walking over; I guess to check on me.

I felt a weight in my lap and looked down at Asmara who looked up at me, “Crow, are you alright? I felt your emotions.”

“Yeah, I am. It was just an odd dream,” I replied as I rubbed her head.

She curled up in my lap as I continued to pet her. It eased my nerves a bit, but what was with that dream? Who were those kids and that woman? One of the kids called me ‘big brother’, are they my family? Why can’t I recall their faces?

The pain in my head worsened and I gasped. I held my head in my hands, what the hell is going on?

“Crow, what’s the matter?” Ryley asked.

I carefully lifted my head, “It’s just some head pain, nothing to be concerned about.”

“Are you sure?” he responded.

“I am, but thank you. I’ll just head back to sleep and hope it goes away quickly,” I replied with a small smile.

He nodded and walked back to where he was. I laid back down and closed my eyes. After countless questions filled my mind, I soon drifted back off to sleep.

***

The next morning, we got up and after explaining Asmara to everyone else, we set off again. Lullin was still about four to five days away. And so we traveled and rested until we finally made it to Lullin.

It was night time, and from what I heard, the sun wouldn’t rise for another week. It had all sorts of beastman and people. It was much different than all the other cities and villages I’ve seen. Asmara, who was laid in my arms, seemed a little wary of everyone.

I rubbed her head, “It’s okay Asmara, no need to be wary.”

She calmed down and I was led to a tall building.

“Crow, this is our guild, please come with me,” Glen said.

I nodded my head and followed him inside and was met with people drinking and laughing. Is this really how members of a guild should be?

“Crow, this way,” Glen said.

I peeled my eyes from the people and followed Glen up the stairs and to a room. He knocked on the door.

“Come in,” a voice from the room called out.

He opened the door and we both walked in. A woman was seated at a desk, reading over some documents, “Ah, Glen, you’re back and you seem to have brought someone with you.”

“Yes Guildmaster Alisha, this is Crow, and while I had temporarily accepted him into my party, I’d like for him to become a permanent guild member,” Glen responded.

I was taken aback, “Glen this is the first I’ve heard of this, why would you want me to be a guild member?”

“I apologize for not telling you, but I feel like you’ll be a great asset and member to have in the future,” Glen answered.

“Well, what can he do?” Alisha asked.

“Crow is currently suffering from memory loss, but as the report you got from me says, he did something most wouldn’t do. I believe he has been trained in some way. In other words, I think he’ll become quite the important member when his memory starts to return,” Glen explained.

“Yes, I did see that, but what if his memory doesn’t return?” Alisha said.

“Then, I’ll just train him,” Glen replied.

I cleared my throat, “I appreciate this, really I do, but I never agreed to this, nor do I know how I feel about it. I’m grateful to you for taking me in when you found me, but I was planning to travel the country to try and find at least one person who knows me.”

They both fell silent for a moment before Glen spoke up, “I’m sorry Crow, I didn’t take your feelings into account, please forgive me.”

“Hmmm… you could still join the guild and travel around. If Glen believes you would be that beneficial then I see no problem with you joining. At this point and time, I would be willing to let you explore the country. So, what do you say?” Guildmaster Alisha said.

I thought for a moment, joining the guild wouldn’t be all that bad. I would even be allowed to explore the country.

“Alright, I’ll join,” I agreed.

***

After some additional talking and paperwork, I was an official member of the Midnight Adventurers Guild. I walked down the stairs and into the dining area where everyone was still drinking and laughing. Glen had some additional things to go over with Guildmaster Alisha.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard somebody yelling. I looked up to see this drunken man, was he yelling at me? I decided to ignore him and went to walk out of the doors but felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, you fucking pretty boy, you think that because you got to meet the Guildmaster, you can act however you want?!” He yelled

I cut my eyes at him.

“Who does he think he is? I will make him regret placing his filthy hands on you,” Asmara said.

I shook my head, “It’s not worth it Asmara, I’ll deal with him.”

“What the hell are you spacing out for when I’m talking to you?!” He continued.

I grabbed the wrist of the hand that rested on my shoulder, “Get your filthy hand off my shoulder. I don’t like being touched by someone I don’t know. You repulse me, so leave me alone while I’m asking nicely.”

He laughed, “Look at this cute little fucker, he thinks he is hot shit, doesn’t he? You’re going to regret running your mouth at me!”

He reared his arm back, but before he could do anything Glen walked down the stairs, “What is going on here?”

The man turned to Glen, “Ah, well you see, he was being snarky so I just wanted to put him in his place.”

“Adam, how many times do I have to tell you? I’ve excused your actions before and just gave you warnings, but this is the last time. I’ll have a talk with the Guildmaster and have you kicked from the guild. We do not need members that act like this, especially to their newest guild member,” Glen stated.

“W-what?! You can’t do that!” Adam responded.

“Yes, I can. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your time here,” Glen said before passing him, “Come on Crow, I’ll take you to the inn.”