After we put our belongings in our rooms’ at the guild’s inn, we were able to relax. The other members of my party thought that the perfect way to celebrate me joining the party was to go drinking. And thus, that is where I am at this very moment. I didn’t see Adam, the man who had a problem with me, so I guess things have been resolved.

“Come on Crow, drink up. We are celebrating you joining our party,” Myla urged.

I smiled and took a sip from my glass of alcohol that was given to me. It’s not really to my taste but I don’t wanna bring the mood down.

“No, no, you gotta chug it. Like this,” Glen said before tipping my glass back, making me drink more of it.

It soon began dripping down my neck and onto my shirt which is when he felt he should stop. I coughed a bit as the alcohol burned my throat. I wiped my face and neck off the best I could. I understand that this is how they celebrate, but it’s a bit too much for me. It made me feel uncomfortable even.

I stood up, “Please excuse me.”

Myla looked up and nodded before returning to what she was doing. I exited the guild hall and took in a deep breath of air. Maybe I should explore the city as I calm my nerves. The night is beautiful and it’s nice out.

I walked throughout the city, taking in the sites before coming across the temple of the moon goddess. I could see a temple attendant inside, and out of some strange curiosity, decided to enter the temple. Upon entering, one of the temple’s attendants came to me, “Sir, is there something I can do for you?”

“Um, I’m not sure, I entered out of curiosity, but I’m not sure of what I should do,” I truthfully responded.

She smiled, “Do we ever truly know what we should? We go through life making decisions that shape our future. Just like the phases of the moon, we all go through life experiencing the light and the dark. Please, just sit, and pray, I’m sure what you should do next will come to you.”

I nodded and went to sit down and thought for a second. Let’s give this praying thing a try. Luna, Goddess of Moon, Protector of the creatures of the Night, Guide of Travelers, I come to ask you to guide me to what I should do. I’m but a lost traveler in my mind and wish to collect the pieces of my memories. Please, point me in the direction that I should go.

A few minutes passed by before I felt a strange and calming presence. I cracked my eye open and saw what looked to be moonlight illuminating me. I nearly gasped out of surprise, but a whisper stopped me,

“๏гเɭ๏ภ. ๏гเɭ๏ภ เร ฬђєгє ץ๏ย รђ๏ยɭ๔ ﻮ๏.”

Startled, my eyes flew open as I stood up. I was no longer covered in moonlight, and upon inspection, there was no one near me. I rushed to the attendant who was cleaning one of the pillars,

“Excuse me, but was there anyone else here just now?”

“Hmm? No, just you. Why do you ask?” she responded.

“It’s nothing, but thank you. You were a great help,” I replied.

I exited the temple and looked back at it, what happened? Was that Luna? Was that the Moon Goddess that whispered in my ear? And Orilon? What is Orilon? Shaking my head, I left and went back to the inn.

Arriving back at my room, I was met with Glen.

“Glen? What are you doing here?” I asked.

He rubbed his head, “It came to my attention that I might have overstepped some boundaries. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.”

He must be talking about when he had me drink the whole glass of alcohol.

“You’re fine. While I was uncomfortable; I know you didn’t mean any harm. I’m just not the type to celebrate like that,” I replied.

“Oh, I’m glad. I’ll definitely make it up to you though,” He said with a relieved sigh, “I’ll let you be, get some sleep.”

I nodded, “Thanks, you too.”

The next morning, I awoke and went to check on everyone. As I figured, they were in no state to get up yet. Even Glen, who appeared pretty sober when I saw him, was still fast asleep. Asmara walked beside me as we headed down to the dining area. Finding a vacant table, I sat down and picked Asmara up.

I glanced at the other people who were either eating or leaving out. Some spared me glances but ultimately left me be.

“You look like a fish out of water,” a familiar voice said.

I jumped at her voice and turned around. How did she sneak up on me? “Guildmaster Alisha, you surprised me.”

“I apologize, do you mind?” she said as she gestured at the chair across from me.

“Not at all,” I replied.

She sat down, “First off, I was told of Adam’s behavior towards you. Drunk or not, he shouldn’t have acted that way, so he has been kicked from the guild. I apologize for his behavior, and I would just like you to know that while some may look shady the people here are good.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to apologize. I thank you for your apology, but it was only Adam who acted out, not you,” I responded.

“While that may be the case, everyone in the guild has been handpicked by me. So for Adam to act such a way is not only shame for him but for myself,” she stated.

“I see, but Guildmaster Alisha, if everyone was handpicked by you, why did you let me join when you don’t even know me?” I asked.

She laughed, “Glen and I go way back; I trust him and his judgment. So, if he thinks you are good for our guild, then so do I.”

“I understand,” I replied, “Guildmaster Alisha, if you don’t mind I have a question.”

“Sure, what is it?” she responded.

“Do you have any information on a noble family of Beast Tamers that served directly under the king?” I inquired.

Her eyes widened slightly, “Oh all things I expected you to ask, that wasn’t one of them. But to answer your question, yes I do.”

“Then-” I began.

“But, I’d like to know why you are interested in a dead family?” she questioned, her eyes becoming cold.

What the hell is this pressure? How could her eyes look like that? I gulped, “I-I recently came across someone who spoke of them and I was only interested.”

The pressure evaporated as her eyes became normal once more, “I see, well I guess it wouldn’t hurt to share.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“The Noble family, Alistair. A family of talented Beast Tamers who served directly under the king.. They were the country’s greatest asset,” she said.

“Did you know them personally?” I asked.

She scoffed, “As if, they made a habit of not being seen publicly. I only know of them because of their achievements and the tragedy that befell them. I especially remember hearing about their oldest son, a prodigy who at the age of eight, tamed a Griffin.”

“What do you mean by tragedy? What exactly happened?” I pushed.

“No one is really sure, but one thing is for certain. In a single night, all members of their household including their attendants, were slaughtered,” She answered.

“How long ago was this?” I asked

She sighed, “A little over two decades ago.”

“Right, thank you for your time, Guildmaster Alisha. You’ve been very helpful,” I responded.

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She nodded and left. While I received the answer to my question, it just left me with more questions. Deep in me, I felt the need to find out more about the family, but from what Guildmaster Alisha said, there is no one left of it. How did the family even get slaughtered if they had beasts?

I was pulled from my thoughts by Asmara’s stomach growling.

“Crow, I’m hungry,” she whined.

I chuckled, “Alright, I’ll get some food.”

After getting my food, I ate it while giving pieces of meat to Asmara. She happily ate them until nothing was left. We had just finished up when everyone else came down. Upon spotting me, they came over and sat down.

“Last night was great, but this morning, not so much,” Ryley said with a sigh.

Myla laughed, “I hear you, I guess we are getting too old to be celebrating like that.”

“Speak for yourself,” he responded.

We all laughed a bit before Glen cleared his throat, “So, because we did two job requests back to back, Guildmaster Alisha saw fit to allow us a few weeks off.”

Everyone cheered happily at this. I guess they normally don’t get this much time off.

“You all can do what you want during this time,” Glen continued.

“Can I use that time to explore?” I asked.

“Of course, is there anywhere you want to go?” Glen responded.

I remembered what I was told in the temple, “Orilon, I’d like to go there.”

“The capital? Why? Did you remember something?” Myla asked.

“Uh, not exactly, but it’s the capital so I’m bound to have been there at least once, right? So it doesn’t hurt to go there,” I answered.

“When do you plan to leave?” Glen replied.

“Hopefully by today. I really appreciate all the help y’all have been, but I’d rather get some clues of myself sooner rather than later,” I stated.

“I see, it’ll be more beneficial to go via horseback, would that be alright with you?” Glen said.

I can just ride Asmara, but I don’t want to raise suspicions. I could just get a horse and ride to the next town and give it to a stable there and continue on with Asmara. Flying will be much faster than horseback so it's preferable,

“Sure, that sounds good to me.”

***

After buying a horse with some of the money I got from Duke Lobelia, I got rations and a knapsack to hold them. Myla provided me with a crystal orb that could allow for communication between two people. Lloyd gave me a few medicines and poisons and a map where he circled the larger cities of the country. Ryley handed me a necklace with a charm on it.

“That’s a warding necklace, it’ll ward off evil. It’s specifically made by Beast Clans like mine so it should help protect you.” Ryley explained.

“Thank you, you all have been very helpful and I’ll use these gifts well,” I responded.

Glen clapped me on the back, “I wish you much luck, Crow.”

I nodded and got on the horse with Asmara seated in front of me. After traveling for a day and a half, I arrived at the small village Southwest from Lullin. After selling the horse to one of the stables, I left town and got a bit away before having Asmara revert back to her original size.

While I didn’t have a saddle or reins, it felt natural to be on Asmara. She skillfully flew through the air, keeping steady.

“I’m so happy to be flying again!” she said happily.

I laughed, “I’m glad, I also find it quite fun. Just don’t get too excited and fly constantly. There should be a larger town called Malton, I want you to land outside of the town so you aren’t seen.”

“You can count on me Crow!” she responded.

I nodded my head. I’m glad we can fly because it will take less time to get to Orilon, but I can’t help worrying about someone seeing us. That’s why we must fly as discreetly as possible. After a few days' travel, we made it to the town of Malton and rested there for the night.

That night, I tossed and turned as I dreamed of confusing and terrifying events. I stood behind someone who looked to be talking. My hand gripped on something and I looked down to see a dagger held in my hand. I could feel a seething hatred boiling beneath the surface of my skin.

Before I knew it, I had come up right behind them. They turned around to me but I couldn’t see their face, but I could tell they knew me. I slit their throat in the blink of an eye, their blood coated me as they gripped my garments. I stared at them coldly as I watched them collapse to the floor, their life drained from them.

My hatred didn’t cease, it bubbled up more.

I woke with a gasp, sweating and out of breath. I place my hand to my head as it throbbed. Just what the hell was that? Why did I dream of killing someone? Is it a memory of mine? Am I- am I a murderer? These thoughts rushed through my head as the room spun. I felt sick just from remembering that dream. The feeling of their blood squirting out on me was still apparent.

I held myself as chills racked my spine. I felt a nudge and looked over to see a worried Asmara,

“Crow, are you alright?”

I hesitated, “I-I don’t know, I’m confused and scared. I had a horrible dream and I don’t know if it is a memory of mine or not. I just don’t understand anything.”

“It’s okay Crow, you are suffering from memory loss. Don’t try and force anything, okay?” she said as she cuddled up with me.

I rubbed her head, soothing my nerves, “Thanks Asmara, I’m glad I have you with me. Let’s try to get some more sleep, it’s still dark out.”

“Okay,” she responded.

With that, I laid back down with Asmara on top of me. Asmara fell asleep not long after and her soft purring lulled me to sleep as well.

The next morning, we ate and left the city. Making sure there weren’t any onlookers, Asmara transformed and we took off once more. Despite my insisting, Asmara ended up flying all day and all night, only landing when I told her my legs were sore and numb.

It felt great to walk and get some feeling back in them.

Asmara looked down, “I’m sorry Crow.”

“Don’t worry about it, thanks to you we are about a day away from Orilon,” I laughed.

She perked up from this and jumped around excitedly. This didn’t last long as we both heard the sound of people. Asmara immediately transformed into a cat and jumped into my arms. Just as she did that, some people appeared on the road.

It looked to be some merchants with some soldiers. Seeing as we were at a rest stop, I should’ve expected to see people. They halted their wagon and stopped here. One of the people, a merchant I presumed, came over to me.

“Why hello there, I wasn’t expecting to see someone here. Say, did you travel here by foot?” he asked.

I nodded my head, “I did, are you traveling to Orilon as well?”

“Of course, oh forgive my rudeness, please call me Simmon. You don’t mind if we rest here with you, do you?” He replied.

“I’m Crow, and please do, it’s not like this resting area is owned by me,” I answered.

“Wonderful, if you like, you could join us. I wouldn’t mind giving you a ride to Orilon from here,” he offered.

I smiled, “I thank you for your kind offer, but I should be fine on my own.”

“Hmm, if you won't accept a ride, then you could just follow behind us. It’ll at least provide you some protection,” He insisted.

I see he isn’t going to let this go for some reason, “Alright, I’ll take you up on that.”

“Excellent, till then my blessed traveler,” he said before walking back to his party.

Blessed traveler? Does he think I was blessed by a god? No matter, so long as they don’t become troublesome, it’ll be fine. I sat down on a log, Asmara still in my arms. She was watching the others carefully, not letting them out of her sight.

I rubbed her head, “Don’t worry Asmara, it’s fine.”

“Alright, if you say so,” she purred in response.

After a few hours, we left the rest spot with the merchant. I stayed a little ways back from everyone else. I didn’t know any of them and therefore didn’t trust them. I was lucky I met Glen and the others, but I’ve learned not everybody can be trusted. We soon entered the city of Orilon and I parted ways from the merchant party.

I searched for a low-priced inn and thankfully found one. It was a bit shabby, but I didn’t mind. After resting for a bit, Asmara and I made our way around the city streets. Ever since I entered the city, I've had a sense of familiarity, but no memories would surface. This caused a dull headache.

As I walked the streets of the lower and middle class citizens, I felt more and more familiar with my surroundings. I don’t know how far I walked, but when I snapped out of my trance I found myself in front of an apothecary shop. My once dull headache was now throbbing, perhaps I frequented this place?

I looked to Asmara and we both nodded before I pushed the door open. The bell above it chimed, alerting the person behind the desk.

“Welcome to the Golden Root, how may I-” they started before halting abruptly when they saw me, “Is this some sick jest?”

“I’m sorry? What do you mean?” I responded, confused.

“Get out! Don’t you ever show that face around here, shapeshifter! This joke isn’t funny! If I see you again, I’ll alert the knights!” they shouted in return.

I was in a state of shock as they threw me out, “I don’t understand!”