Chapter 18

"It smells like fish." He informed her finally, knowing that probably made no sense at all unless she thought he was taking a jab at the fishmonger thing, her family, which he wasn't. Slumping back against the headboard, Crow let his hands drop in his lap, just staring at Melyssa. "In my… dream, it always smells like fish, and salt… and rancid water, like… water in a barrel that's… briny. Someone is trapped in this dark place, and it's small, and she's crying for help, but it gets weaker and weaker. I'm trying to find her and I don't, I never do, and the crying stops, but the smell gets stronger. I think she died."

Fish…salt…water…that all linked to Jurai since it was just off the ocean, which was how the city originally made trades and whatnot. Melyssa didn't move from where she sat and honestly had no idea what to say either. He dreamt of a girl crying out for help in a dark place and he thought she was dead. What in Aidios' name had this man been through these past few years to make him dream something like that?

"She died in the dream, you mean?"

He nodded and she clasped her hands together tightly in her lap. It would be pretty presumptuous to think it was her since Crow had no memories of her, but…the environment and surroundings of the dream, again, reminded her of their home. It was a little too convenient and, as far as she knew, Crow didn't have any other friends that were girls in Jurai.

"Do…do you know who the girl in your dream is? Have you been in that kind of situation before in real life?"

"I don't know, it feels real. It smells real." Crow said after a long moment, considering it as he studied her. "I've had the dream for a long time and maybe once I knew it, or what it went, but… this is the first time I've had it since I've, um, come back." Fish and brine, a barrel, dark and a young child crying. "To the best of my knowledge, I have never been trapped in a fish barrel. You tell me, fishmonger's daughter, have I?" She may know since she knew things about him he had forgotten.

Trapped in a fish barrel…Melyssa's brows drew together because something zipped through her mind, a very faint memory…

"Help me! Please! I'm scared!" The five-year-old little girl screamed at the top of her lungs, the darkness surrounding her.

"Hold on, I'm…trying…" A boy's voice could be heard through the barrel and he was struggling to pop the top on it.

"PLEASE! MOMMY! DADDY!"

The silver-haired boy gritted his teeth, having a wrench in hand and sweat rolled down the sides of his face. "Hold on! I'll get help!"

"HELP ME!" The little girl was near hysterics by now since she was sitting in very old water and it smelled horrible in here, like rotten fish.

Her eyes snapped open when she felt a hand on her shoulder, bewildered teal eyes wide while they stared into confused crimson. "W-What was that?" She whispered, more to herself than Crow, and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, sorry…I just…" What was she supposed to say? The truth. "Crow…" She swallowed hard, wondering how he would react to what she was about to say. "T-That…dream…I don't think it's just a dream. I think it's a memory…from Jurai." At 5-years-old, little girls didn't have the greatest memory, but certain events stuck with even the youngest. "I'm not sure, mind you, but I just…something just struck me when you told me what the dream was about and it felt like a memory."

If that dream, that nightmare, he had wasn't a dream but a memory replaying itself out in his head, the Goddess had the oddest sense of humor. He was dreaming about an event of a girl he didn't remember. An event she didn't remember, but she remembered him. He felt the weirdest sensation, not exactly déjà vu, but something very close to it.

"In my dream, I can't get to her and the screaming just…tapers off." But obviously, Melyssa was alive and well, and not pickled and brined in a fish barrel. "What do you remember?"

"The flashback I just had was of a little girl in a barrel, screaming for help. Screaming for her Mom and Dad. It's dark, so I couldn't see who the little girl is. And a little boy's voice is telling her he's trying and he's straining to open the barrel the little girl is in. I don't even know if it's a barrel, but…there is water in it." Her hands began to tremble and she clenched them tightly in her lap, taking a few deep breaths to slow her suddenly racing heart. "Does that sound like your dream? I mean there are similarities…" That vision had come out of NOWHERE, only when Crow described what his nightmare was about. "I DO know that those fish barrels are used to transport fish across the ocean in Zemuria for trade." That hadn't stopped in Jurai. "So the water in them smells really bad."

"You sound like you're describing something you saw and not experienced." Crow pointed out, like it was a dream she had had as well. He idly wondered if she had any siblings or something, emphasis on had, and swallowed hard. Where were these grim thoughts coming from? "I need water." He muttered, his throat suddenly parched and tossed back the sheet, revealing nothing beneath but his sleep shorts. "I don't know… it just smelled briny… and was dark and dank, and I wasn't in there, but… maybe I was." He didn't know, it was starting to fade. "Maybe when we go to Jurai, things will become clearer."

"Maybe…sorry, it was…I don't know if it was…I mean…" Groaning in frustration, Melyssa stood up as well and grabbed her bag while Crow pulled pants on. "I'm gonna shower and then go train downstairs until class starts. If you need me, you know where to find me."

Crow looked like he needed time alone and, honestly, Melyssa was thrown after that vision or memory she'd had. Was it her in that barrel? Her parents would know, but she hadn't spoken to them in over a year, so that wasn't an option to question them.

"Oh…" She stopped and turned to face him, suddenly remembering what she'd told Rean and Ash already about Jurai. "My parents don't know I'm here. I told Rean last night and I was hoping you'd stick around to hear everything, but you didn't, so I'm telling you now. That's another reason why I'm hesitant about this upcoming trip to Jurai. I really don't know if I want to see them, but…if it'll help jog your memory, I'm willing to grin and bear it. I'll leave the decision up to you and we'll talk about it later." Then, she left the room and went to take a much-needed shower.

What in the blue realms was up with this woman and either walking out without a word or walking out and leaving a guy hanging? Crow could only stare at the door, scratching the top of his head before going to get that glass of water. Why didn't her parents know she was here? Wasn't that kind of a requirement for getting into Thors, to begin with? Groaning, he filled a bottle and retreated back to the bedroom, already knowing he wasn't going to get any more sleep, but he lay down anyway, making sure the drawer his pistols were in was locked this time, not about to EVER greet her with one again. If it was going to cause her distress, he had no problem in holding off on that visit.

It wasn't like he couldn't go to Jurai on his own.

She hadn't meant to rush out on him, but…having a pistol pointed at her and then hearing Crow's dream, nightmare, whatever he wanted to call it, somewhat scared her. There was no way she could tell him that, though. The last thing she wanted to do was push him farther away or put more space between them. Standing in the middle of the training room, alone, Melyssa held her Cutlass in a stance that did not leave any openings. Her guard was up and she closed her eyes, feeling and hearing each swing of her weapon. Complete and total concentration, she just wanted to escape for a while in training and could tell her footwork was much more fluid.

Friday morning arrived sooner than Melyssa would have liked as she boarded the bullet and bomb-proof train, the Derfflinger, that would take them all the way to Jurai. It would take around 6 hours to get there, so Rean instructed everyone to eat breakfast before take-off. Melyssa hadn't talked to Crow because he was gone by the time she arrived back at the dorms last night. He didn't return until late and she was already asleep by then. It was like they'd swapped places with him being out late and her in the dorm. Finding her room – each student had their own on the train – Melyssa set her bag down and looked out the window, watching the scenery fly by.

"Melyssa."

She knew that voice anywhere and turned around, smiling at the sight of none other than Principal Aurelia Le Guin. "Good morning, General."

"How many times must I tell you not to call me that, child?" Aurelia chastised playfully, walking up to stand in front of the student. "How are you getting along with Class VII thus far? Are you comfortable with them and the ARCUS II?"

"Yes, General."

Aurelia decided not to hound her about using the title since she had been a General for the Noble Alliance during the civil war. "Good, I was just checking up on you. You haven't told anyone how you came to be here, right?"

"I have, but I did not mention your name at all. I gave you my word and I stand by it. Nobody will find out you're the one who helped me get into Thors."

Aurelia smiled at that, proud of the girl standing in front of her, and patted her shoulder. "Very well, thank you for being discreet and keeping your word. That's very honorable. I will take my leave then. Rest up, Class VII has a very busy day ahead of them when we arrive in Jurai SEZ later today."

"Yes, General."

Rean, who had been standing in the narrow hall, guiding the students to their rooms, had spotted Aurelia stepping into Melyssa's room and then coming out. He didn't think overly much about it since she also visited a few other students, knowing she was just checking in and getting a measure of everything. This was Class VII's first excursion of the year and after everything that had happened last year, and what they were also investigating while in Jurai, he would have been surprised to NOT see her. Once everyone was in their compartment, he made his way down to his own, halting to knock on the open door to Melyssa's, and grinned when she glanced over at him.

"Nervous?"

"A little, yeah." The nervous energy she used to feel with Rean wasn't there anymore and it made her feel a little more at ease. "You can come in, you don't have to hover in the doorway." Rean looked a little sheepish and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. That erotic dream with him and Crow suddenly sprung to mind and Melyssa cursed her brain for bringing up something like that at the worst time. "I take it you were worried about me, Rean?" Why else would he be hovering in her doorway with a pensive smile on his face? "I won't be distracted during the field study, I promise."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried," He admitted, sitting down beside her, though he was mindful enough to leave space between them.

This wasn't like the other night when they had had gelato together. This was an official school trip and he was here as her Instructor, he could probably wind up in a sling being in here with her with the door shut. He also would probably get out of it because he was still fairly popular and revered as the Ashen Chevalier, but it wasn't in Rean's nature to capitalize on things like that. "You look a little flushed," He leaned in towards her, bringing his fingers up to press against her forehead. "Are you all right?" His hand moved to the back of her neck. "You're warm, but not burning hot."

She swallowed hard at the feeling of his hand against her forehead and then her neck, that nervous energy back for an entirely different reason. "I-I'm fine. Really."

Melyssa firmly pushed the image of Rean and Crow in the back of her mind, needing to focus. There was a very good reason why she was flushed and warm to the touch…and one of them was currently in her room. Those fuchsia eyes were full of concern and confusion, making her stomach tighten.

"Just thinking about what I'll say when I see my parents again. I think…we should go see them and see if we can't jog Crow's memory. He remembered something, I think, in a dream and he said he's been having the same dream on and off since he left Jurai. I know my parents won't be happy about it, but…Crow is more important and I want to help him any way I can. What do you think, Rean?" Oh goddess, she managed to avoid an awkward situation with her Instructor with the change in subject.

"Now, I think that's a good idea, but…" There was a but because this was a class field study and he had to think about the entire class. Crow's memory issues had not been a problem up until Melyssa informing a few people that Crow did not have all his memories back. He didn't have his memories of her. "It will also depend on how much time we have. We have to investigate Ouroboros since we'll be in the region." When he had initially planned the trip, he had thought that being in familiar territory would help the pair bond, he had gotten a lot more than he had bargained for. "You two together will be able to make that excursion, but the class as a whole… I don't know yet."

"Right, I understand completely."

There was a mystery here with Crow's nightmare and Jurai and it was obvious Rean didn't know anything about it. If they didn't have time during this trip, they would simply have to come back to Jurai another time together…outside of the academy. Her face turned serious as she turned to fully face Rean, clasping her hands in her lap. The flush was gone for the moment and she had cooled down.

"What exactly are we investigating with Ouroboros? You never did tell us the specifics."