When morning came, Erik woke Raeyla gently before moving on to Derk, who received a more abrupt awakening by being shoved off his bed with a loud shout of "Rise and shine!"
Derk groaned at the rude awakening, rubbing his head as he fought off the beginnings of a hangover.
As they left the inn, the sun began to peek from behind the mountains, illuminating their path forward. Raeyla paused to look at the sights and saw Yggdrasil in the distance. The magical tree loomed far above the mountains and forests of Erdrea, its radiant light touching the world below and bringing life to it. The memory of the promise she had flickered in her mind again, dangling at the front of her thoughts like a cruel joke. Any attempts she made at reaching for the memory felt like hitting a wall - an impenetrable barrier preventing her from accessing any knowledge of her life. The frustration of knowing something should be there, yet being blocked by her own mind, frustrated her.
She wanted to claw at the wall, to tear it down until her memories were freed, but Erik's voice interrupted her thoughts and urged her to keep moving. They had a long day of walking ahead, and he didn't want to lose her at the start.
Their journey exposed Raeyla to a variety of new experiences. In the first few days, she discovered the harsh reality of snow; cold, hard on top, and soft beneath. As she pushed through it, the snow melted against her boots, chilling her legs. She wished for warmer clothes, her bare legs exposed to the biting air. The only comfort she had was the oversized cloak around her shoulders. It didn't seem like it belonged to her, but Erik and Derk said they found her wearing it. Since then, she found herself clinging to it, hoping that it meant someone out there was looking for her.
After about a week, the landscape started to change. They started to see less snow and forests appeared in the distance. The warming weather made her cloak more of a burden, forcing her to carry it in her arms, it being too big to fit in her bag. One day, they decided to take a break, and Raeyla had another memorable experience. They had veered off of the road to set up a small campfire and cook some food. Erik went to gather firewood, leaving Raeyla and Derk to handle the rest. Raeyla's task was to dig a small pit for the firewood and find rocks to place around it to prevent the fire from spreading to the grass.
Derk was digging through the bags when Raeyla stood up to find some rocks. She made sure not to venture far from their temporary camp, keeping herself in sight to avoid getting lost. As she scanned the ground, she heard a small sound from her left. Turning, she saw a peculiar creature, small, blue and shaped like a large teardrop with bright, curious eyes.
On their journey out of the snowfield, Raeyla had been exposed to monsters, but this one looked different - more innocent. Erik had warned her about monsters, but this one seemed innocent. She briefly thought that it couldn't do her much harm as it continued to stare up at her.
She crouched down to get a closer look, cautiously extending out her hand towards the creature. The peaceful interaction was short-lived however, when the light blue monster suddenly lunged at her. A spark of fear rose up in her chest and she fell back on the forest floor when a flash of blue and green overtook her vision. "Get out of here!" Erik's voice cut through the trees as he gave the monster a swift kick back toward the tree line. Raeyla looked around the Thief's form to see the monster bounce a few more times before turning and running.
Once it was out of sight, Erik turned to her, his arms full of firewood, "Found some friends I see, you ok?" he asked while making a small motion with his head toward where the creature had been.
The girl nodded in response and stood, still feeling a bit anxious over the sudden attack. "I'm alright thanks, it looked so peaceful before."
Erik gave a small smile in response to her words, almost envying her trusting nature. "A slime. They look adorable but they'll catch you by surprise. You gotta be more careful, don't stray from the camp."
"I was just trying to find some rocks for the fire." The brunette explained.
"I'll help you look then, come on." Erik said as he placed the firewood down on the ground to help her make a small pile.
Together, they found enough rocks and returned to the camp with enough firewood and stone to build the fire and make a stew. While Erik cooked, Derk explained to Reayla how they were making it. Not long after everything was cleaned up, they packed everything up and continued south.
A few days after that, two monsters approached them on the road, forcing Erik to take control and fight. Derk wasn't a fighter, leaving Erik alone against what they called a "Dracky". A large bat-like creature, black in color, with wings on either side of its body that it used to stay in the air. It had antennae on top of its head, two round feet and a thin tail that extended toward the ground. It smiled at the group with its two white fangs sticking out in a permanent smile.
Erik managed well enough with the two until another wandered over to join the fight, throwing him off guard and causing him to fall and drop one of his daggers.
A sense of urgency overcame Raeyla and before she could think twice, she rushed forward, picked up the dagger, and threw it toward one of the Drackies hovering over Erik. Erik had steadied himself in that time, slicing at one of the closer Drackies and giving himself room to get back up. When he saw the flying knife hit a different Dracky, he turned to look back at the source of the throw, quickly glancing at the girl before rushing forward to grab the knife on the ground to finish off the remaining monster.
When the threat was gone, the brunette couldn't contain her excitement. "I got one!" she shouted, giving Derk a high five as he cheered with her. Erik came over, a look of amusement on his face at the two's antics.
"That was a good throw. You saved my butt back there." He said.
"I didn't think I would actually hit it. I was aiming to distract it." Raeyla admitted with a small grin on her face.
"It was such a lucky shot!" Derk chimed in, applauding her efforts before Erik got their attention once more. "Come with me, I wanna test your aim."
He set up some items from his bag on a nearby log, then came back and placed some rocks in her hand. He instructed her to try and hit the objects from there. To her surprise, she hit all but two.
"Not bad. How would you feel about helping me out in the fights?" Erik asked.
His question scared her a bit. She suddenly felt unsure of her abilities and worried about missing an attack at a crucial time. At the same time, she wanted to help Erik, feeling bad that he had to fight all the monsters they had encountered this past week on his own. "I can try. But what if I miss?"
"It's alright, I'll give you a few pointers. Besides, all I have on me is a small slingshot, so you're only throwing rocks. We'll look for smaller ones next time we stop." He held out the slingshot and a few stones that he had on hand, settling her nerves about using such a dangerous weapon so quickly. "You'll shoot them to distract them, and I'll go in for the final blow."
Days later, Erik and Derk pointed Raeyla's gaze toward the horizon, where she could see what looked like two large towers far in the distance. "See that? It's Heliodor! We'll be there by tomorrow!" Derk said with a chirp in his voice.
Raeyla spent the day feeling both anxious and excited. There was hope that she would find someone who knew her, but she was also anxious. What if there was no one there who knew her, would she then be on her own in a large city? What if the person they found hated her? These thoughts swirled in her head throughout the day, even as she tried to focus on helping Erik fight off the occasional monster that stumbled into their path. She had been trying to recall memories as the days went on, but she was making no progress, and so she felt her only hope lay with finding someone who knew her.
In the late afternoon, when the sun started to go down, the trio set up camp for the last night. Over the last couple of weeks, Raeyla had taken on various tasks in setting up the camp, but had learned that there was a settled rhythm in the way that they handled camp tasks. Erik typically set up the fire and cooked. Derk could do it, but the night she saw him try, he fumbled with everything. Derk always knew where to find the edible wild mushrooms and herbs. He'd taught her what ones were safe, but he always knew where best to look. The last tasks, setting up the rest of camp, seemed to fall to her. She'd set up the fire pit, get out the pot for the food and make the land as flat as possible for them to sleep on.
By the time night settled in, they were all sitting comfortably around the fire, eating stew and laughing together as the thief duo shared their adventures with their new traveling companion.
After Derk went to sleep on that final night, Erik started cleaning up from dinner, and Raeyla went to a nearby hill to look at the horizon. They were now close enough to Heliodor to see the lights from the city and the castle walls surrounding the two towers she'd been watching all day. At the sight of it, she felt a mix of emotions. Tomorrow, she would reach the city, and her travels with Erik and Derk would come to an end. The thought made her a bit sad, having enjoyed her time with the boys. She knew their companionship would be temporary, but she had quickly grown fond of the thieving duo. In all the confusion and uncertainty of her future, they brought her a sense of relief and a way to distract herself from her worries.
High above her, the stars shone down, reminding her of the star chart that sat in her bag. She didn't understand her previous infatuation with the stars, but she clung to the book as her only memento from her lost life. She was so engrossed with the stars that she hadn't heard Erik's approach until he spoke, "Getting back into star-gazing, are ya?"
He sat down next to her on the hill, looking over the horizon toward Heliodor. She shook her head in response and replied, "Heliodor, what is the city like?"
"There's a lot of people all going about their lives at once. So much that you almost drown in the crowds sometimes. It's perfect for guys like me and Derk." He said with a smile on his face, a slight sparkle in his eye at the idea of an easy mark.
"So many people…" She stated, leaving the question hanging in the air. What if she didn't find anyone that knew her?
Erik sensed her unease and spoke up. "You're worried you won't find anyone that you know."
"A bit. I don't know what I'll do if I can't find anyone." She pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them with her arms, almost to protect herself from the possibility of being alone in such a big city.
"We'll help you look. Derk and I have a couple of contacts in the city that should be able to give us an idea on where to look." Erik offered simply, earning a surprised yet hopeful look on the girl's face. "You'll really help? Thank you."
He laughed slightly at her comment, "Did you think we were going to just leave you high and dry in Heliodor?"
She held a thoughtful look on her face for a moment before speaking in a matter of fact tone, "You've already done so much in freeing me and getting me back to the city. So yes."
Erik smiled, a reassuring warmth in his eyes. "Raeyla, you're one of us now. We look out for each other." He chuckled softly, and she found herself smiling back, the weight of her worries lifting just a bit. Seeing her smile, Erik continued, "Even if we find someone you know, just come to us if you need anything."
The brunette nodded with a smile still present on her face, "Thank's Erik." For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence, the lights of Heliodor twinkling in the distance like the stars above. Raeyla took a deep breath and thought that whatever tomorrow brought, she knew she now had friends by her side.
They reached the city gates by noon the next day, and the young girl could instantly see what Erik had meant by the crowds last night. After getting past the gates, they walked into the city square, where she almost lost sight of the boys several times. The buildings were tall, with the castle in the back towering over all of it. None of it looked familiar at all, and her heart sank a little at the thought. She didn't tell her new friends about her thoughts as they took her through the city, checking in every bar, inn, and store they could find. Her thoughts grew more grim as each of the shop owners told them they hadn't seen her.
There was one report of a missing girl, and they spent a significant amount of time trying to find where the person lived, only to find that she wasn't the one they were looking for. With a look of pity, the old couple closed the door on the trio, leaving Erik and Derk to suggest looking downtown, where all the other thieves, homeless and lower class citizens of the city lived. They suggested that maybe their inn-keep, Ruby, might be able to help. She had a knack for collecting information and was Erik and Derk's last contact.
"Sorry love, I ain't seen ya before. Dun reckon I 'eard about anyone like ya missin' either." Ruby said. After the day's events, Raeyla hadn't been very hopeful, but hearing that their final chance had no results, she couldn't help but zone out. What was she to do now? Perhaps she could get Erik and Derk to help her mark a map to another city. Her thoughts swirled as she moved to a small window that was cut into the plywood of the downtown inn. She looked out at the area, full of homeless and the city's poorest citizens. It was where her friends could live without much trouble from guards. Raeyla didn't mind, especially now that her mind was filled with panic at the realization that she now had nowhere to go. She briefly thought that perhaps she would soon be one of the homeless here.
The short portly man noticed her distress and approached quietly, placing a reassuring hand on her back, "Hey we're not giving up yet. We'll figure somethin out Raeyla! There's always other cities and villages!"
She turned to Derk, trying to keep her voice steady with her reply. "What if we don't? My home is gone right? What if there isn't anyone?"
Erik approached behind the two and gave her a confident smile, "Then we'll find you something."
Derk chimed back in, "You can also always join us!"
At the mention of joining the duo officially, Raeyla's breath hitched in her throat. Up until now, she hadn't thought that continuing to journey with Erik and Derk would be possible.
The young thief gave Derk a pointed look before turning back to the girl. "Look, I said it last night, you're one of us now. But Raeyla, running with us means less than honest work. You can get arrested or hurt."
"Don't scare her away Erik!" The shorter man shouted up at his partner, and Erik didn't hesitate to retort. "She has to know, she's not joining otherwise."
Raeyla looked down at her feet, and Erik continued to speak to her. "Look, our normal room doesn't have three beds, so Derk got you one just for you. Take the night and think about it. There's no pressure. If you want to continue to search for people who know you, we'll see how we can help."
"Thank you Erik." Was all she could respond with.
That night, Raeyla took a long time looking up at the night sky, trying to find the comfort she once believed it held. Instead, her thoughts turned to Ruby, the redheaded innkeeper who had knocked on her door. "Here ya go, love! Some nice hot tea to 'elp ya relax!"
"Thank you Ruby, you're very kind." She smiled at the older woman and took the teacup from her to drink.
"How ya 'oldin up hun? I can't imagin what it's like to lose yer memories like that." She empathized with her, causing the younger girl to shrug in response. "I don't know what it was like before, so it's all mostly just empty. But Erik and Derk have been really kind to me."
"Derk and my favorite little tea leaf are a lovely bunch they are. I reckon yer got lucky with them findin ya." The compliment to her two new friends brought a smile to her face.
The brunette took a sip of the tea and looked down at the cup, debating Derk and Erik's earlier offer before asking Ruby for advice. "Yeah? Do you think I should join them?"
"I don't like ta stick my nose in people's business, but I think ya could do worse love. Besides, maybe you'll get yer memories back by travelin with them!"
Ruby's words of advice stuck with Raeyla that night, as she thanked her and tried to go to sleep. She weighed her options and the risks that Erik warned her about. When morning came, Derk knocked on her door and wished her a good morning. They all met downstairs for breakfast, where Derk broke the silence. "So, did you decide on anything yet Raeyla?"
"Derk" Erik chided quickly.
"What? I'm not forcin her to do anything!" Derk quickly defended himself, causing Raeyla to smile at their antics.
"No it's ok." Raeyla interrupted, "Actually, if it's still alright with you. I'd like to join you guys."
"Really!? That's great!" Derk celebrated, jumping in his place at the table.
Erik looked over at Raeyla with a serious expression. "Are you sure?"
As Derk danced in the background, Raeyla reasoned with Erik. "I have no idea if anyone will ever recognize me, or when I'll get my memories back. But I might as well do something while I try to find that out. Considering I have no money, anything I do wouldn't be exactly honest or easy work. I thought that I should take the offer I've been given. Plus this way I can stay with you and Derk!"
Raeyla was up most of the night thinking about her decision, and found that even without logical reasoning, she wanted to stay with the boys. They were her only friends in this world at the moment, and she wanted to keep the comfort they brought her.
He gave her a smirk and said "Welcome to the team then."