Searching Chapter 2: Strange Dreams

"C'mon, Yurick. A little shopping errand won't kill you. But be sure to come back before dark." A light red haired woman told me, hands on her hips with a wild smirk on her face.

"Whatever. Why would it matter if I'm not?" I mumbled, angry that I had to buy stuff for her. Why couldn't she do it herself?

"Because you won't be able to see where you're going on your way back." She told me, getting back to drinking her booze. I rolled my eyes, leaving the bar.

After I was done buying a few things, I had began walking back, but was suddenly pulled into an alley by someone...
Everything turned blurry, and I noticed I was in a cabin like place. A boat, perhaps.

"There's a shipwreck. And I want to investigate it." I told the person.

"A shipwreck? You're into boats or something?" The person asked, a slight trace of humor in their voice.

The shipwreck...

"-so dirty, I can't read a thing!" Someone said. But it sounded so foggy and blurry.

"It doesn't matter. I already know the name."

...It was my father's boat.

I was in pain...sitting down, leaning against the wall of the long-abandoned ship.

"I'll be back soon Yurick." The person told me...the one who accompanied me to the ship.

If he didn't come, I would have died...

I sat up, gasping for air, sweat pouring down my face. That person...that guy...who was he?

Zael.

That name...why did that name randomly pop into my head? Was that his name...? Zael...

Those were memories, right?

I gripped my head, which was in deep pain. It felt like it would split open.

The door to the room I was in opened. "Hello. I see your awake." A curly, browned haired girl said with a small smile.

"Alannia, prepare some tea and soup for our new guest!" She called, leaning out of the room before turning back to me. "Are you alright? You don't look well. Was it a nightmare?" She asked, walking over to the bed I was laying in.

I took a moment to glance around the room. There was a window to my left and I realized it was dark outside. The room looked fairly simple. A nightstand beside me with a candle on it, which was the only light in the room, and this bed. I guessed I was in an Inn.

I looked back at the girl. She must be either a woman in her twenties or maybe a teenager around the age of eighteen or nineteen.
"I-I don't really know...where am I?" I slowly asked.

"You're in my and my sister's Inn. Someone on the streets found you passed out and carried you here. Your leg was pretty messed up and you looked like you were in a fight. What happened to you, if you don't mind me asking?" The girl asked.

I frowned. "I...don't really know. I can't remember much. I just woke up in this cave...I guess I was attacked by someone...I don't know. I've been walking all day and found this place..." I explained, rubbing my aching head.

"Oh! You have amnesia!?" The girl asked worriedly.

I shrugged. "Yeah..."

The girl frowned. "Well, do you remember your name?" She carefully asked me, sitting down on the side of my bed, staring at me. I looked down, not wanting to meet her eyes. "Yurick..."

She smiled a little. "That's a lovely name. My name is Karulia. This is my sister, Alannia." The girl, Karulia, pointed at an older looking girl with blond hair that was tied up in a ponytail, who had just walked in the room holding a tray with a mug of hot tea and a bowl of hot soup. She set the tray on the nightstand.

"Hello." Alannia greeted me with a warm smile.

"Hi..." I mumbled.

"How old do you think he his?" Alanna mumbled to Karulia.

"Mm...he looks pretty young. Sixteen maybe? I might even put him around fourteen..." Karulia mumbled to her sister.

"I'm right here you know." I snapped, my face heating up a little.

"Oh, right. Sorry, that was rude of us..." Karulia mumbled. "Anyways, I noticed you don't have any coins on you. Which is fine. Since your injured and haven't got a clue about your past, we'll make an exception." She quickly said with a smile.

I nodded, grateful. "Thanks...I'll pay you back..." I mumbled, not really liking the idea of having something for free like that.
"Oh, it's fine, you don't have to. We have plenty of money, with a the travelers that come here from time to time." Alanna quickly said with a smile.

I nodded, not sure what to say to that. "Oh, uhh, where...what town is this?"

"Oh, we're in Saccharine." Karulia told me.

I nodded, not finding the name familiar. Though, I knew that all because it didn't sound familiar, doesn't mean this isn't where my friends are at. But surely I would remember something...

"Is...something wrong?" Karulia asked, concern in her eyes. Somewhere deep in my mind, I wondered, how could someone care for someone they don't know?

"No...I have...people I need to get back to." I explained.

"Oh, really? Like, friends, or maybe a family?" Alanna asked.

"I don't know...as soon as I woke up though, I knew...there was people I had to find. I don't know what they are to me...I feel like their family, but...I can't be sure..." I told them.

"Hmm, but you don't really remember them, right? They must mean a lot to you, if you know you have to find them without really remembering them." Karulia mumbled with a small smile.

"You won't want to stay long then, will you?" Alanna asked. I shook my head honestly. Though I was a bit shocked she knew that I wouldn't.

"Well, at least stay for a day. You need your rest. And please, eat your for food before it gets cold." Alanna told me, before walking out of the room.

"Right, I'll leave you to your food. Call me if you need something." Karulia said before standing up and leaving the room.

I looked over to the steaming bowl and carefully picked it up. I began eating the vegetable soup as I thought about...well, things.

In that dream I had...my father owned a boat, right? Or...was that just a dream? No, it was definitely a memory...I knew it was.
And Zael...he was one of my friends...or family. Was he my brother? But he didn't know much about me, from what it seemed like in my dream...so he was just a friend.

And who was that red haired girl who was drinking? Perhaps her name was...Rose? No, maybe Sara? Sarena...Sar-Ser...? I shook my head, the pain starting to get more intense from just thinking about that dream and my lost memories.

As soon I finished eating all of my soup and tea, and I laid back down, hoping to get some sleep.

But every time I thought I was drifting off, an image of someone would come in mind...people I didn't recognize.
I didn't want to sleep. I had an urge in me to fine my friends...or family, and it was only getting stronger.

I sat up with a sigh after a while of trying to sleep, and noticed the sun looked like it was starting to come up. It was still dark out though. I stood up carefully, noticing that all my wounds were mostly healed up...a mage must've came and healed me, or something. Looks like I'll be just fine to travel now.

I began looking around the room, and soon I found a piece of paper and a feather and ink. I wrote, "I'm sorry, I have to go now. Thanks for taking care of me." before putting it down on my nightstand and walking out of my room.

Thankfully, I didn't run into anyone, and I was able to leave the Inn without getting caught.

Since I had mostly searched this town, and was positive my friends weren't here, I left it, walking to who knows where.

I really wished I had a clue on where they might be at. This really would be a long journey.