Alicia's POV

 

"Now that we're three and have two horses, wouldn't it be better to buy a small carriage?" I ask, starting to feel exhausted from the long walk.  We left the town three days ago, and we will still need to walk for about a week before reaching the next one, at the borders of Cheliax.

 

"Maybe we should, yeah." Kisara replies, seemingly still full of energy. "It would be easier to rest and sleep, and also to allow Irina to hide her religious belongings while we'll be crossing Cheliax."

 

Irina grimaces at the mention of Cheliax. It is a country that mainly venerated Asmodeus, an evil deity, one that believes that the strong should govern the weak. As such, this country allows slavery freely, and, even if there are still laws to keep some semblance of order, it is often ruled by strength.  And it obviously is the antithesis of Iomedae's precepts, who think that the strong should protect the weak. 

Despite that, though, Asmodeus is the only evil deity that Iomedae treats with even the tiniest amount of respect, for he always honors contracts made with him.

 

"I really pray that our journey through Cheliax will be fast. I don't want to spend more time than necessary on the territory of these demon fanatics." Irina complains.

 

"Well, it's either going to Cheliax and taking a boat to Korvosa or crossing Nidal and us getting killed by even worse demon fanatics." Kisara speaks.

 

"I prefer the first option… Nidal is way too dangerous for us." Irina mutters, obviously still displeased, especially considering that she won't be able to properly help people in Cheliax, but it is either crossing through it or having to travel a few more months through a few other regions to avoid Nidal, and Kisara doesn't want to delay our journey for so long.

 

The sun is starting to set, so we stop when we find a good spot for camping, one with enough space for the tent while being hidden enough so that bandits wouldn't find it easily.

When it was just Kisara and I, we would usually take turns of four hours, one sleeping while the other kept watch, and then we switched.  Now that we are three, though, it will make things easier.

 

Once we settle down, we light a bonfire and cook a hare that Kisara has hunted on the way. 

 

I want to know more about Irina, so I ask her something. "Is there a specific reason as to why you chose to become a Cleric, Irina?"

 

She holds her chin, taking a pensive expression. "Hmm, well, I always admired Iomedae and wanted to feel useful, to help other people. Especially after witnessing the misery of the poorest districts of Absalom. I just can't stand seeing people suffer. I know that I don't have the power to change the world by myself, but I still want to contribute to make it a better place."

 

"As expected of a worshipper of Iomedae." Kisara replies.

 

"By the way, Syliana, what deity do you mainly worship?" Irina asks. "I know that Alicia follows Shelyn, but I don't know about you. Do you follow a deity specifically?"

 

Kisara snickers. "I am a follower of a goddess, yes, but maybe not one you are particularly fond of."

 

Irina raises an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

 

Kisara reveals a necklace from under her tunic, a necklace with the shape of three daggers. "I'm a follower of Calistria."

 

"I see. I had my doubts since we met. I'm not particularly fond of her teachings, but I don't hate her either. She's not a force of evil, in my eyes."

Calistria is the goddess of lust, trickery, and revenge, a goddess who promotes true freedom above all else, in an hedonistic way. Her motto is to take revenge on those who wronged you, to live freely, ignoring the laws if they go against your freedom, and just take pleasure in life. Calistria and Shelyn, my own goddess, are on good terms, as Shelyn is a goddess of love and beauty.

 

"Oh? So you're different from the stuck-up Clerics of Iomedae I've met in the past, then. Alicia really has good tastes." Kisara adds, smiling, as I feel myself blushing with embarrassment.

 

"Living on Absalom for too long does that to you. I wasn't satisfied with the passivity of most of my fellow Clerics, who didn't want to interfere even if they recognised that some parts of the system were unfair." Irina replies as she points her fork at Kisara.  "I believe that a system that lets poor people rot and considers money to be above all else shouldn't be blindly followed, but be changed instead."

 

"Heh, I think we'll get along just fine, then." Kisara chuckles before biting into the meat.

 

Irina then looks back at me, more serious.  "By the way, where were you when you lost your memories? Knowing that might help."

 

"I found her near the borders of Geb, in the Mwangi Expanse." Kisara replies.

 

"Geb?" Irina's eyes widen. "What were you doing near a place like that, you two?!"

 

"I…don't… know…" A sharp pain flashes in my head as soon as I try to remember, like every other time I tried to think about it, and I would have fallen to the ground had Kisara not swiftly caught me beforehand. She knows about this symptom.

 

"Before you say anything, no, she's not an undead, I checked when I found her." Kisara says, glaring at Irina.

 

"I… can't… remember… no matter… how hard… I try…" I speak, panting heavily, still leaning against Kisara. "It's… as if… these memories… were locked… If I try to… remember this moment… I suddenly feel pain… But I… have the feeling that… I don't want to know… what happened…"

 

It is true. I fear what I would learn, and prefer to stay ignorant. I may not be an undead, but Geb is a country of cultists and necromancers, ruled by a powerful and immortal necromancer.

I find myself shivering, and need some comforting.

 

"Let's not talk about this again, okay?" Kisara says in my stead, as I hug her more tightly. "It's okay, Ali. All that matters is that you're safe…" she softly speak, patting my head.

 

"S-sorry…" Irina sheepishly replies. "I will… try to communicate with my goddess, to see if she can guide me. Should I give you some medicine, Alicia?" she adds as she opens the pouch she's been carrying.

 

"What kind?" Kisara asks as I am still calming down in her arms. "Alicia is allergic to certain types. When I found her, I tried to give her a healing potion, but she didn't take it well at all."

 

I remember that. I felt myself convulsing and vomiting as soon as I took a sip. It was a truly awful feeling. People allergic to potions were pretty rare, but not unheard of. That's why I decided to learn a healing spell soon after I met Kisara. To be able to heal myself in case I got hurt.

 

"Oh…" is all Irina can say.

 

I turn to face Irina, and try to make a reassuring smile. "D-don't worry… I'm alright… I just… need some rest."

 

Kisara carries me to the tent and makes me lie down. "Irina and I will take care of tonight's watch, just sleep, alright?"she says as she brushes some hair away from my face.

 

"Thank you…" I whisper, raising my hand and caressing her face. "I'll get better tomorrow…"

I then drift to sleep, with Kisara holding my hand…

 

<~><~><~><~>

 

Kisara's POV

 

"I hope that you'll have sweet dreams, Ali…" I murmur as I see Alicia falling asleep.

After making sure that she is sleeping soundly, I let go of her hand and get out of the tent, seeing Irina watching us nervously.

 

"This reaction…" she starts. "I believe that her memory loss is either due to an extreme trauma or a powerful curse. Maybe both."

 

"We tried to see Clerics, Oracles and Wizards, but no one detected any curse on her. If there is a curse, only a highly-skilled person can detect it." I reply, crossing my arms.

 

"Can you tell me how you found her?"

 

I nod and walk to sit next to her. "I was hunting in the jungles of the Mwangi Expense, needing to… vent some frustration, when I found her, near the delimitation between the jungle and the mountains that serve as frontiers between it and Geb. But judging from the blood she left behind her, she seemed to have been running towards Geb, fleeing from something."

 

"Now, the question is: what was she doing in the jungles of the Mangwi Expense in the first place. She's a bard, not a hunter or an adventurer. She had no reason to be there." Irina says, caressing her chin as she stare at the lantern.

 

"That's unfortunately something we won't know for sure until she regains her memories, which might be never." I sigh. "Although, I'm fairly certain that she was kidnapped."

 

"Kidnapped?" Irina gasps.

 

Memories of when I found Ali come to my mind. "It was faint, but I noticed marks of shackles on her body when I found her. And what makes me believe this is that we found a young man in a similar situation a few days later. He was unconscious, injured from the wildlife, and with similar marks. For a moment, Alicia seemed to have recognised him, but she somehow repressed this memory, and has been acting a bit differently ever since."

 

"Differently how?" Irina asks.

 

"She lost consciousness a moment after we found the man, and woke up as if she completely forgot about him. When I found her, she was frail and fearful. It took some time for her to start trusting me, but she suddenly became more relaxed and cheerful after regaining consciousness."

 

"Hmm, then it might indeed be more because of a trauma than a curse…"

 

I nod and continue as I take a bite of some dried meat we kept for travels. "We brought the man to the nearest village to have him healed up and left him there, as he wouldn't have woken up anytime soon and Alicia needed to get away from this region. We walked north until we found ourselves in Merab, and took a ship to reach Taldor, to find a Cleric of Shelyn that could maybe help Ali."

 

"But they didn't prove themselves useful either, is that right?" she asks as she takes a sip of her flask.

 

I shake my head. "No luck there. The goddess is strangely silent. As I was already planning on returning to Varisia, I thought of bringing Alicia with me. In Korvosa are some of the most powerful wizards and sorcerers of the whole continent, after all. I am certain that one could help her."

 

"Shelyn, silent? Why wouldn't she help someone like Ali? Ali is the living embodiment of her values!" Irina looks at me in shock.

 

"You're the one specialised in divine matters, so tell me?" I shrug. "Why would she stay silent?"

 

"I… don't know… It's really strange…" Irina seems perturbed by what I said, scratching her chin as she looks at the stars. "Maybe what she lived was so traumatic that the goddess thinks it's better for Ali not to remember? That's the only explanation I have, right now."

 

"Maybe. Ali is goodness incarnate, she doesn't deserve anything bad to happen to her." I say, making a weak smile.

 

"Indeed." Irina nods. "I want to protect her happiness."

 

We stay like this for a few minutes, not talking, as I keep watching over the tent where Alicia is sleeping. She eased my pain, she accepted me for what I was… I wish I could do something to help her as well.

 

"I'll keep watch for now, you can go rest with her." Irina speaks as she stretches her arms.

 

"Alright, thanks Irina." I stand up and walk back to the tent, being as stealthy as possible to not wake Alicia up. 

 

I lay next to her, and observe her face. Her angelic face is somewhat distorted, as if she is having a nightmare. "I-I'm sorry… I… never… wanted that…" Alicia murmurs in her sleep as I see tears starting to form. 

 

I don''t know if this nightmare is related to her memory loss, but I want to comfort her. I gently grab her hand, caressing it. "I'm here for you, Ali…" I whisper before falling asleep alongside her.

I don't dream, and get woken up by Irina gently shaking me up. "It's… your turn to keep watch, Syliana."

 

I glance at Alicia, who is apparently sleeping more peacefully, making me relieved.

I stretch and get up, letting out a small yawn as I grab my weapons again. "Alright, anything happened?"

 

"No, it's quiet for now." Irina says as she walks towards her sleeping bag. "Goodnight and good luck, Syliana."

 

"Goodnight", I reply, sitting on the stool and focusing on my surroundings.

Even if I have the shape of an Elf, my senses are still that of a Kitsune. My vision and my hearing are better than that of an average Elf.

 

Fortunately, the night seems peaceful, so I am left with my own thoughts.

We will need to travel for about one more week before reaching the border with Cheliax, and it will take about a month to cross the country and reach Varisia. From what we've heard, Cheliax is in a fairly peaceful situation at the moment, with only a few bandits and monsters. The army went on a bloody purge to exterminate most criminals and dangerous monsters roaming near trading routes, a year ago. People may dislike how harsh the government is, but no one could deny how effective its army is at keeping the peace.

 

I then look at Irina, asleep in her sleeping bag. I liked to travel with Alicia, but I have to admit that I feel slightly uncomfortable around Irina. Again, I had to keep my persona on for some time, as I wouldn't get any private time until we reached an inn.

 

I let out a weak chuckle as I think of how easily I ended up trusting Alicia, considering that I used to keep everything to myself and never bothered getting closer to other people since Camelia's disappearance. I didn't grow up being able to easily trust others, but Alicia's presence comforts me. 

She is too kind and innocent for her own good, but I want to protect this side of her, since it is this same kindness that accepted me.

 

<~><~><~><~>

 

The next day, after an uneventful night, Alicia wakes up, and I go to check on her. 

 

"Sorry about last night, Ki- Syl." Alicia mumbles, almost calling me by my real name and staring down, before smiling at me. "But I'm feeling good, now."

 

I gently hold her hand. "Don't apologise, Ali. I'll always be there for you, alright? We're friends, after all."

 

"Y-yeah… Thanks, Syl…" she replies, looking away. "I just… feel like a burden, sometimes…"

 

"You're not a burden! You're one of the most important people in my life, Ali, and I wouldn't be the same without your support." I say as I tenderly hug her. She reciprocates the hug, a serene expression on her face.

 

"I can say the same to you, Syl. You are a very important person to me. You saved me…"

 

I gently pat her head for a few minutes. Alicia has this strange ability of making me feel better just by being there.

 

We have to stop to pack our belongings, and, after eating a quick breakfast, we go on our way to Cheliax's borders.

 

We are currently in Andorran, and the two countries have… bad relationships to say the least, but they aren't openly in war. Andorran has a strong anti-slavery stance, and even helps fund groups that seek to free slaves in Cheliax. As we aren't Andorrans, we should be able to avoid trouble.

 

We continue our journey peacefully. Irina avoids talking about Alicia's trauma, and the three of us instead talk about more mundane things. Irina also prays to her goddess every night, but didn't receive any answer yet.

I am not versed into divine matters, but I find this pretty strange. The deities seemed to have abandoned Alicia. 

 

Finally, one week after the incident with Alicia, we reach the border town, which is on Cheliax's side. We are met by a gate and a dozen soldiers posted around the place.

 

"Please identify yourselves, misses." a guard asks, suspicious.

 

"My name is Syliana, and these ladies are Irina and Alicia. We're a group of travellers going to Varisia." I speak, bowing slightly. "We want to go to Kintargo and find a boat that could transport us to Korvosa."

 

"Where are you from?" he asks, eying us.

 

"I am from the River Kingdoms, and my friends are from Taldor." For me, it is most likely true, but I lie about Alicia and Irina. The guards don't need to know their origins.

 

"Hmm…" the guard observes us for a moment. His gaze lingers on Alicia for longer, making her slightly uncomfortable. He then shifts to a slightly more cordial tone and stance before speaking. "You can pass. You should go to the town hall to get the documents you need to travel freely through Cheliax. And if you're looking for a place to stay for the night, the inn is next to the town hall. It's the biggest building, you can't miss it."

 

"Thank you, sir." Alicia answers in a courteous manner. We walk past the gate, the guards still keeping an eye on us. I notice that they seem to pay more attention to Alicia.

 

"Is it because she's an Aasimar?" Her beauty is impossible to miss, and I can get why people would stare at her. She looks like the mortal incarnation of a goddess.

 

"That went well." Irina comments, relief all over her face. "Since it's a peaceful time, I suppose they're a bit more welcoming."

 

"I didn't like the way these men were staring at me…" Alicia says. She comes next to me and hugs my arm. "I… want to be with you tonight, Syl."

 

I give her a reassuring smile. "I'll protect you if anything happens, Ali."

 

We find ourselves inside the town hall, and, like with the guards, I notice that the person in charge is surprised by Alicia's presence, but quickly regains her composure.  We deal with the bureaucracy and get ourselves three passports allowing us to cross Cheliax to reach the port. We then go to the inn and rent two rooms. One for me and Ali, and another for Irina.

 

Alicia removes her clothes and immediately jumps onto the bed as soon as we enter our room, before letting out a loud sigh. "Ah, a bed is so much better!" she says, enjoying the softness of the mattress and the sheets.

 

I giggle, glad to see Ali being herself again after the incident from last week. "Shall we go to sleep, then?" I ask, unstrapping my weapons, and only keeping my dagger.

It is only dusk, but I can see how tired Ali is from the journey.

 

"You want to do something?"

 

"No, a good night of sleep will do me good." I reply, removing my own clothes and laying next to her on the bed. My dagger is hidden underneath the pillow. It is always better to keep a weapon at hand no matter what.

 

"We're getting closer to Korvosa." Alicia states, looking at the ceiling. "Will they really be able to help me retrieve my lost memories?"

 

I shrugs. "I honestly don't know, but it's worth a shot. Camelia's family is known on the whole continent for their incredible magical abilities."

 

"Was Camelia also a magician?"

 

I smile weakly, taking a more pensive expression. Speaking of Camelia always makes me in that state. "She wasn't when I was with her. She always preferred spears and crossbows to magic, even if she had the potential to be a very skilled magician, like the rest of her family." I then look back at Alicia. "Although, you are also very skilled. You managed to learn the healing and fire stream spells in no time."

 

"I just… wanted to be useful." Alicia sheepishly replies, hugging me. "I couldn't let you shoulder everything during our travels."

 

"I'm grateful to have you by my side, Ali." I reciprocate the hug until she peacefully falls asleep. But I don't. I have a bad feeling about what happened, so I stay awake, on guard. I have a few energy potions to spare to keep me in shape for the next day, anyway.

 

"I hope I'm just overthinking this…"