Episode 12

"Lesker, are you alright? You seem stressed"

"Do I? It must be the pressure. I'll be fine"

"Are you sure? You haven't got a fever, have you?"

"You know I don't get sick"

"Still, I'm worried. I'll get big sister Aiyla to look at you"

"If that'll make you happy, sure"

Ilan left him to go get Aiyla. Lesker sighed deeply. The days following the time he had the dream, he had been feeling really restless. They were about to pack up and leave for Aiyla's home since they had a mage supreme there. It was in a different direction to the capital but if they couldn't see mage supreme there, they could take a transportation portal to the capital from there. Lesker was still worried about the fee for getting himself checked by a mage supreme.

"Are you alright? You look stressed" Quella said, stopping by him as she passed by.

"Ilan said the same thing but I'm really fine. The move may be getting to me that's all"

"Hmm, is that so?"

"Yes. There's no need to get worried, really"

"Okay. I must say, you got really lucky this time, getting to see a mage supreme right away"

"Well, I've always been really lucky, ever since I awoke on that mountain, I mean"

"You're telling me you have no idea where you came from still? It's been quite a while. Have you not returned to that mountain till date?"

"Not really. I was planning to go there during this adventure of ours"

"Adventure?"

"Yeah, Yuli likes to call it that so it stuck, I guess. I don't remember exactly where this mountain is but Ilan does. However, the events that happened to him there prevented me from going back there with him. With Aiyla here, I'm sure he'll have enough courage to go with me"

"Hmm, you're right"

"So, Miss Quella, would you tell me now the real reason you tagged along? I mean, we're not headed to capital now so there's no need to follow us anymore"

Quella smiled.

"You're right, there's no need. However, I'm someone who likes adventure so I'm tagging along purely because of curiosity. Also, that spell on you is one I've never seen before so it has me really hooked, as a mage"

"Alright"

Ever since Lesker lost his memories, he relied purely on his instincts. Him trusting Ilan, mixing in the village and trusting the adventurers he just met, all were guided by his instincts. Even if his memories were gone, he believed his basic human instincts were at least dependable.

However since he met Quella, his judgement gained a huge flaw. The spell that was supposed to keep all women away from him dulled to nonexistent around her. Of course he could pass it off as him getting used to her but he lived in the village for far longer than he had met her.

That fueled his suspicion. So, he decided to get closer. He watched as she helped them, all without getting nothing in return. Everything she had done was so confusing that he didn't know what to do. However, one thing was clear; he couldn't trust her.

"By the way Miss Quella, we've gotten quite close. I'm sure we can drop the honorifics"

"Of course. I don't know why you still use them. You call me Quella and I'll call you Lesker"

"Haha, it's because it sounds so strange. Quella, what a beautiful name you have. What does it mean?"

"It means the spirit of the ocean"

"Interesting. Oh, Ilan is back with Aiyla"

"So it appears. We would talk later"

"Of course"

Quella walked away as Aiyla examined Lesker. His eyes followed her till she left his sight.

After Aiyla left, Lesker decided to ask Ilan if he remembered where the mountain was. Ilan froze and couldn't talk for a while. Lesker told him it was okay to take his time. Ilan spent a while silent, the gears in his head turning fast. He breathed deeply and decided to tell him.

"Yes, I remember. It's on the way to the southern border, our home. However, a very dangerous beast resides there, where the mountains meet the forest. It was that same monster that killed my friends"

"I'm sorry my friend but we have to go there"

"It's alright. You have waited long enough"

"I have another request though. Tell me exactly what happened that day"

"It'll be hard but I'll try. What exactly do you want to know?"

"How many of you went on that hunting trip?"

"Seven of us"

"And only you survived?"

"Yes"

"By chance, were you the most powerful there?"

"No. I was the third most powerful there. The other two risked their lives to make sure the rest of us survived. However, they all died in the end"

"How did you survive?"

"Now that I think about it, it was quite strange. There was a flash of light from one of the mountains and a huge explosion followed. The beast stopped fighting with me and left as fast as it could. I stayed for two days to recuperate since I was at death's door. While I was wandering, I found you"

"It is strange indeed. We leave tonight so we can get a move on. Tell the others. However, only two of us will climb the mountain"

"Alright. I'll go get ready"