Chapter 13

The journey to Notia was hazardous seeing that it was only Reith and Justina. On a number of occasions they came close to being defeated. It was now nearing evening and the hot, humid weather was beginning to agitate Reith. She flopped down on a nearby stone to catch her breath.

"It's not long now," Justina informed her, looking as flawless as always. The heat didn't appear to bother her in the least.

"Aren't you hot?" Reith asked, exasperated. The priestess shook her head, her long blonde hair swaying in motion.

"I grew up in weather hotter than this so it isn't that unfamiliar to me,"

"Oh…"

"Perhaps one day you'll go to Efor, it's a really lovely place now,"

"Efor? That's where you're from?"

"Round about. Efor is the most well known town in those parts though,"

"I see…"

They continued on further over the Erestine bridge and towards Caska. Reith wanted to ask more about Justina's past but the young priestess didn't seem in the mood to talk. In fact, she never really seemed in the mood to talk. As much as Reith liked her, she sensed a great sadness around her. A loneliness that surpassed her meagre years. Eventually she couldn't bare the silence any longer and decided to brave the question.

"So why did you leave Efor, Justina?" Justina gave her a quick sideways glance before setting her eyes firmly on the road ahead.

"The region was under attack by the Yason,"

"That must have been awful…Did you flee with your family?" There was silence for a moment and Reith wondered if Justina had even heard her. Finally, she sighed and spoke.

"No, it was just me, Reith. My family were all killed…" No wonder she's always so sad, Reith thought. How terrible it must be for everyone you know to be wiped out, to have no one to confide in or speak to.

"Justina…I'm so sorry," Reith didn't know what else to say. What else could she say after she had been told something like that?

"Don't be. The past cannot be changed now. It…was a long time ago, I try my best to forget about it," Even through her stern expression Reith could see an underlying fragility. The way every so often she would frown when no one was looking, or the way her eyebrows would crease in melancholy.

"I understand…Have you never been back there since?"

"No, as I said I don't want to bring back memories of it so I don't go to the places that do,"

"But surely there must be some good memories there too?" Justina sighed and immediately Reith knew she shouldn't have pryed.

"I'm sorry…" she said. The pain was evident in Justina's pretty face only for a few seconds before she smiled timidly, wiping any signs of her true emotions away like a wave consuming the shore.

"It's alright, Reith, don't worry about it. Let's just get to Notia now,"

"Alright!"

Notia was huge to say the least. It was a place Reith could never have imagined she would set eyes on. People bustled around in a hurry, vendors stood shouting their produce, commoners stood in doors conversing about the days events. There was life here. A life that would have seemed normal, untouched by fear, if it wasn't for the evident Alliance soldiers dotted around the city's perimeter. She wondered if there had been any attacks, if any lives had been taken, any tears shed. However, as the two walked further into the centre of the glorious city, there was little evidence of strife and unrest. Reith breathed in the various scents of flowers, baking, sizzling meat, smoke and paper. The sun coated the tall, grey buildings in gold, making them shimmer and sparkle like solid temples of night.

"There it is," Justina said, pointing to a small building a few feet away from them.

"An inn?" Reith replied, noticing the bold, red letters stating the building's purpose.

"The doctor will be there,"

Could this small building be the cure to her troubles? Would this doctor be able to help her? As they walked further, a fear began to grip Reith. She didn't know what it was or why she felt it, but it seemed to physically pull her back, prevent her from taking a step further.

"Reith? What's wrong?" Justina enquired, noticing she had not followed to the door.

"I…I…don't know…I feel so scared…" She clutched her hands to her chest, tightly, shutting her eyes. A soft hand fell upon her shoulder.

"What are you scared of?"

"I don't know. I just don't know!" Reith blurted out, her voice high and laced with desperation.

"It'll be alright. I'm sure the doctor will be able to help you get you're memory back," The words "memory back" sent a wave of panic through Reith. It confused her. Didn't she want to get her memory back? Wasn't that why she came here? Wasn't that why Calintz had helped her? If she ran now…then…then I'll have betrayed Calintz! After all he did for me, I can't just walk away…After all everyone's done…She swallowed and nodded her head.

"Alright…let's go…"

The inn was small with a worn, panelled floor and a bored looking assistant behind the desk. The man they sought was sitting in a worn armchair at the back of the small area. He wore an orange frock and small, thin glasses atop his broad nose. A grin creased his face as he saw the two approach.

"You must be Reith and Justina?" he said, his voice jolly and enthusiastic. Justina nodded.

"This is Reith," she gestured to the dark haired girl. The doctor smiled and extended his hand. Reith remembered from her previous experience with Justina that she was to shake it.

"Well, my names Alex. So I've been told that you have some issues with you're memory?" Reith nodded.

"Yes…I can't remember anything…only my name," He rubbed his chin for a moment, his thick brows creasing.

"So I have been told. Why don't we all go back to my house and have some tea before we get down to any serious work?" His smile was inviting and Reith couldn't help but be pulled into the aura of his bright, optimistic glow.

After a meal of homemade soup, bread, cheese, and tea, Reith was taken into the back room of Alex's house. It small and dimly lit as if it had many secrets, many memories that could be revealed with the light. Alex pulled the thick, crimson curtains and Reith was momentarily blinded by the powerful rays of sunlight. When her eyes had adjusted she saw many dust particles floating in the stuffy air. The room obviously hadn't been cleaned in a long time as piles of papers and ancient books lay in disorganised stacks precociously leaning to the side as if they would topple at any given moment. There was small desk with a feather pen and ink pool which Alex seated himself at. He gestured at the moth eaten sofa beside the wall.

"Please, make yourself comfortable,"

Reith sat down. The couch was surprisingly comfortable for it's age and seemed to mould to her shape. However, her nervousness was still not alleviated, like an impending rainstorm looming in the distance. She was scared of what she would find, but at the same she knew she had to conquer this fear. She wasn't doing this just for herself, it was for everyone who had helped her. She couldn't let them down now. She couldn't let herself down now.

"Do not worry, Reith, this will not hurt at all," Alex said, his voice laced with concern as he set a pad of paper on his lap and turned to face her. "What I am going to do is put you into a state of unconsciousness. You're memories may be locked away in your subconscious, unable for your conscious mind to reach. Have you been having any dreams lately?"

The question was sudden and she was not sure how to answer. Of course she had been having dreams. Dreams, day dreams, night dreams, whatever you would call them. But she didn't have a clue what they were about, or even if the woman in them was actually her.

"Yes…but I don't understand them,"

"Can you tell me what you see in them?"

"I see someone…I don't know if it's me…I see fire…" She shut her eyes, trying to concentrate.

"Is there anything else? What happens?"

"Orha…A man called Orha..."

"Orha…? Hmm…" He wrote a few notes in his book, mumbling something beneath his breath.

"Is there something wrong?" Reith asked timidly. Alex looked up and smiled.

"Nothing at all. I think it would be best if I tried to take you back now,"

"Take me back?"

"Back into you're subconscious. Sometimes we cannot unlock memories in our waking hours, even in sleep things can be distorted. I will attempt to disable the barriers of your mind. There are things, Reith, that you're mind hides from you in order to protect your sanity,"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean things that are too painful for one to comprehend. But sometimes these things leak through the subconscious and interfere with our lives, such as in our dreams,"

Reith nodded slowly trying to take in all the information at once. But it was hard. It was hard to understand things she couldn't even imagine.

"Lie back and relax," Alex said. She lay back on the couch, trying to steady her breathing. Was this such a good idea after all? What if…what if she never came out of this trance?

"Listen to my voice, Reith, and only my voice. Concentrate on every word I am saying, every syllable, every sound of my speech…"

Every sound…Every sound…Every sound…

"You feel tired, exhausted. Every inch of your body is pleading for rest. Feel it from the top of your skull…to your neck…all the way down…"

All the way down…All the way down…

"Try and think, Reith. Feel yourself falling into the depths of darkness…falling into a place you thought you had forgotten…"

A place forgotten…What's happening to me…? Everything's slowing down…Getting darker…I...don't understand...

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Nextheaven: well here it is finally! I was away on holiday so didn't get much change to write more to this story, but back now, so hopefully i'll keep the chapters comming. Please share your comments with me - good, bad, maybe? Anyways, next chapter will be fun!