I opened my eyes, staring at a wooden ceiling. I rubbed my head, why... Don't I feel or remember anything. I looked around, I'm in a cabin, laying down on a comfy bed. There are books, armors and weapons everywhere. Where am I?

There is a tall woman by the bonfire wearing long green clothes. She is cooking something in the pot, stirring. She looked at me.

"Oh, you're awake" she said to me with a beautiful voice

She stood up and took a bottle from the table. She went to me and took my left hand. There is a bandage wrapped around it with blood visible on the cloth. Her arms are so soft as she holds my arm.

"Hush hush, this is going to hurt" she said as she opens the lid of the bottle

She raised the bottle and poured it into my wound. I groaned in agony for how painful it is. She poured until she stopped.

"Don't worry, this thing will heal your wound. My name is Moira by the way" she said while caressing my wound

"I found you near my house on the ground lifeless. I am not sure what happened to you, do you remember anything?"

Remember... Anything? I closed my eyes, my..... Memory is such a complete void. I don't remember anything. I opened my eyes and shook my head.

"You don't remember anything? Even since childhood?"

I shooked my head again

"Huh, looks like your memory is very gone"

She stood, went to the window and stared outside the window.

"I have a friend of mine who might help you bring your memories back"

I raised my body and stood up, my seam aching.

"Her name is Ionora, you can find her by following the road outside. I also found you with a sword and armor, they are near the door"

I looked at the door, there was a full-knight armor standing and a sword on the hand. I took the armor top to bottom and wore it, it felt light.

I opened the door, I was met by a dark environment. The sky and clouds are dark, it is coming from somewhere, coming from a castle. I took a step on the ground. A hand touched my armor on the shoulder, it was Moira.

"Before you go, I have something for you"

She gave me three bottles, glowing green.

"The world outside is dangerous so you will need this, it will heal your wounds just by drinking it, it will feel like your body is relaxed" she said and silently closed the door

I looked behind again to see my environment. I followed the road, downwards. It is very silent, not a single chirp from a bird. I saw a small old broken down cabin on the side of the road. I went to it and knocked but the door opened. I went inside, there is no one here.

There are holes around, broken bed, cabinet and table. There is a green bundled herb on the table. I picked it up and put it on my pouch tied on my waist.

I went outside again and continued on the road, I was met by a big area with big spiky wooden walls around. I went downwards and entered. On the left, I saw a woman, sitting by a campfire. I approached her, she noticed me.

"Friend or foe?" She asked looking back at the fire, with an angelic voice like Moira

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

I remained silent, she looked at me again.

"Looks like you are one of them, come, sit"

I went and sat down by the fire

"My name is Ionora, maybe my friend Moira introduced you to me. You want your memories back?"

I nodded, her appearance, is different. She looked corrupted, there were black veins on her body and looked like they were approaching her head.

"I am a god, god of memory which I can restore people's memory no matter what. However, the corruption caught me, making me a fallen god. Corrupted by the artifact's influence or consumed by a power I cannot control. My powers were consumed by the artifact where it can be found there" she said pointing at the castle where the darkness is coming from

"I have already sent a lot of people to destroy the artifact, but not a single one survived from the guardian of the artifact. You will be the next since the recent didn't come back. You will be the next hope of the people to destroy the artifact. We will have faith for you to destroy it, you will gain fame, and my powers will come back to me. I will give you your memories again"

She leaned to me, she took off my helmet. She held my cheek and moved her head closer to my face. She kissed me, lips to lips. Our mouth started glowing yellow, until it died out. She took out her mouth off my mouth.

"I gave you a gift from me as a god, you have my first kiss and you are the first one I gave this gift.  I gave you the power, to predict your enemies move. You, shall not continuously use it, for it has a duration and a cooldown of 45 seconds so try to use it at the best time. Now go"

She let go of my face and watched the bonfire again. I stood up and about to go.

"Before you go, here, take this" she said as she held out some kind of blue stone

I took the stone from her hand

"Using that stone, will teleport you to me if you want to rest in that tent. We can also talk with that stone, and I can guide you through your journey. You can also go back to the place where you recently are and the portal will close. If a body part of yours is cuted off, you can come back to me and I will heal it"

I started on my way, I opened the gate of the path to the castle. I closed the gate, and started on my way. I was met by a statue, it looked like a woman weeping with her hands catching her tears. I touched the statue.

*Floom*

A blue fire was summoned on the statue's hand. I don't know what I did but I just ignored it. I followed the path, I was met by a knight. Armors are broken,  his sword dull, his body is corrupted with dark veins.

He noticed me, he growled and started approaching me. I raised my sword, he looked dead. I approached him and swung my sword at him on his chest. I only did a slash on his chest, black blood came out. I looked up, the knight swung his sword at my neck.

*Schlk*

.......... I......... Am only......... Seeing darkness........... Am I........ Dead? Now I can see white then flash. I opened my eyes, I am laying down looking up the dark sky. I raised my upper body, I am back again from the statue I touched.

I stood up and touched my neck, it was perfectly fine. I stood up and stretched, that...... Was weird. I followed the path again, I saw the knight again with a slash on his neck. He is standing at the spot I..... Maybe died. He doesn't look aggressive, I approached him. He heard my footsteps, he turned and looked at me. 

He started growling and walking towards me. I raised my sword again. The knight raised his sword and swung it on my face.

*Schlk*

I am seeing darkness again, then white, then woke up, laying down looking at the sky. I went to the knight again.... And again....... And again........ And again........ And again.

I woke up again near the statue, I rubbed my face.

"I could sense that you keep dying my love" a beautiful familiar voice out of nowhere

It was the stone Ionara gave me

"You will never make progress with that, but it makes sense for someone who lost their memories. Try practicing dodging, rolling, parrying, perfect timing and predicting your enemy's move. This might help you in a battle. Dodging is where you avoid your enem's attacks, try to predict their move and try to dodge it. Rolling is by rolling to the ground, it's like dodging but gives you distance or you can go behind the enemy and make a finishing blow. Parrying, is where you use perfect timing. When the enemy has his sword halfway to you, use your shield to bash the sword away and make a counter attack. Since you have no swords, you can use your sword to hit it away"

That advice seems helpful, maybe. I stood and went to the corrupted knight again. I readied my sword as he approached me. I dodged to the right when he swung his sword. I rolled, stood up and gave the knight a slash at the back.

The knight groaned in agony and looked at me, I swung my sword to his neck, taking his head off. The head rolled to the ground. The body, including the head, started to vanish away by turning into black ashes.

It took two hits for him to defeat while he only did one  hit to me. I followed the path again, suddenly, I saw two skeletons with bows roaming. They noticed me, both of them raised their bows and aimed. I waited for them to realese the string.

*Tsuk*

I rolled below, I ran to them and hit the nearest one, I killed it with three hits with my sword, the other one just watched me murder its friend. The left skeleton raised its bow, I ran to it and hit its bow with my sword. I strike it on the head, defeating it with only one hit. Phew, good thing I didn't die again and defeated this two in one time.

I followed the road again, and again, I saw 2 knights roaming. Give me a break, I approached them. They heard my footsteps and started walking towards me. I rolled and slash the knight on the right side head off.

*Schlk*

My vision is black, then white, then woke up again near the statue. Did I just die? Did the other one killed me? I followed the path again, the lonely knight where I died multiple times at, is there. He is not dead and looked like in good condition like before. I found this stressful. I went to the knight, he walked towards me. I raised my arm but suddenly he raised his arm also for a hit.

*Schlk*

My...... My left arm........ Came....... Off....... My left arm,  landed on the ground with a thud. It is very painful, very very painful. I swung my sword with my right arm to the knight, taking his head off, vanishing into dark dust. Iiiit's so painful, very painful. I picked up my arm from the ground. What am I going to do without a left arm? Oh yeah, the reason why Iorona gave me the stone is that I can teleport to her and communicate. 

I took out the stone and activate it, it summoned a blue portal from the air. I raised my hand to the portal, it disappeared from the others side I entered the portal, then suddenly, I am back again to the place I met Ionora.

I looked at Ionora, she is still sitting by the bonfire. I walk towards her. She heard my footsteps, she looked at me, then to my missing arm

"Oh my, looks like my knight is badly injured, cone here" she said

I went to her, she took off my helmet and kissed me again lips to lips. Something is growing on my left arm, I could feel again my left arm. She stopped kissing and pull me to her, making me lay down on her  lap.

I raised my left arm, it looked like the left I arm I knew and saw. It looked brand new and I can move it.

"The stone detects how many times the holder died, and it seems that you died about like 15 times? Right?"

I nodded

"Oh poor you, fighting the same opponent again and again and again. Just next time, don't attack and attac

k and attack, just defence and patience okay?" 

She started to caress my head

"Shhh shhh shh, c'mon, take a sleep now. Shhh shhhh shhh"