"Excuse me?", I had so many questions like how this was able to converse me.
Ok what is going on here?
"Do you have any questions, Fern?"
"Fern?"
"I shortened your name to show friendliness, is that acceptable?", it asked
"Umm... I guess, but..."
"Thats great now let's get you cleaned up. Ready?"
"Yes I'm..."
A beam of light from the blob of light shot straight at me.
I didn't even have the time to react before it reached me, the only reaction I could complete was closing my eyes bracing for impact.
I felt the heat come in contact with me, but it was not enough to kill me.
I manage to open my eyes to see myself naked, I for sure was not disappointing whoever I was with before I lost my memories.
[I sure have developed a unique sense of humor]
It did not take a genius to know that the blob had burnt my clothes probably at Alexa's behest.
"Incineration complete... please follow me... Let's get you cleaned up"
Just as I predicted
I followed right behind the moving blob of light into a room connected to this room.
...
After thirty minutes of awkward body washing, the blob of light gave me my nightwear.
I remembered it calling the clothes Pajamas, what a name that was.
Then I was sent to a mirror to take a look at myself.
I was an absolute stunner; I didn't even know I had white hair it looked like it had been cut short by an amateur. My eyes were red.
Deep red like Alexa in her magic-eye-voodoo mode.
The realization that a person could forget what they looked like but not their knowledge of flowers was quite puzzling.
After analyzing myself, I was escorted out of the room to meet Alexa.
...
I was then escorted to a large cream brown empty table, and like everything in this estate, it was beautified with different gemstones and a Flower vase containing Emeral orchids and black honey roses, orchids were definitely a favorite around here. The blob of light had instructed me to wait for the mistress of the manor and vanished from plain sight.
I sat at the side next to the head sit that was definitely reserviced for the head of the mansion
After about twenty minutes since the blob vanished the goddess of beautify appeared from her chambers.
*Thump*
The pressure was on.
I didn't need to look back to know she was present in the room, there was a heat in the room that alerted me of her presence
I realized how ridiculous I was calling this lady the goddess of beauty but that was the only word that could describe the heat that was let out by just her beauty alone.
The reason why most people stayed away from here in the institute was probable because of that animal that she happened to be betrothed to.
She walked past me to take a sit in the head chair.
It was no surprise, thinking about how it was to live in such a big place alone gave me new found pity for Alexa.
...
We sat down quietly for hours without saying a word, it was kind of offsetting how she was so calm it kind of added a bitter tune to her beauty. The kind of beauty I could only wish to have but never able to possess.
"Alex..."
"You just love to talk huh, Fern?"
"Fern?"
"Don't like the shortening"
"What does Fern mean?", i asked curiously
"Honorless...'
"What?", I was very disdained by the quick and nonchalant response, she wasn't even trying to hide it no humor at all "Why do you call me such a name?"
"It was you that introduced yourself as such. But without further meaningless talk I could not find any of your memories, I searched thoroughly and..."
"I knew you were in my head...", she flashed me a look of disdain signaling for me to quiet down.
"Your mind has a mental blockade, even I with my... gifts." Why did she pause on 'gifts' does she not like her ability? "I could not permeate this blockade. I have two options going forward, one you forget about gaining those memories back and like your life at my mercy or you can grow your power and break the limitation put on your mind yourself, with my help of course."
What?
This wasn't the agreement.
It was outrageous but yelling wouldn't really fix the issue at hand. I must approach this calmly
"Live at your mercy? You and I had an agreement...", I got up to leave "In that case I'm leaving forget about my servitude"
I took only two steps when my legs lost its balance, and I landed face flat on the ground it was like gravity had increased exponentially but on only me.
"Do not walk out on me Fern Lun, I Alexa Lantara have been too lenient with you..."
*Snap*
It was the sound of fingers snapping, and before I knew it i was back to the seat I had previously abandoned
"Fern Lun, you have my word, all that you have lost I would do all in my power to retrieve it for you, but you would treat me with respect lest I help you forfeit your life
The environment in the room changed immediately.
A complete one-eighty
"May I speak Al... Lady" she turned to look into my soul
"You may speak..."
"Why did you let me face such humiliation"
"Things are much more complicated for you to understand at this moment, it was beyond my ability to help you. I had warned you not to do anything but you failed to comply"
"Did you expect me to stay and get attacked by a stranger?"
"He would have killed you..."
"You don't know that"
"Fern Lun, I will not have this debate with you right now... or ever. Do you even know how to use that power that you have such pride and confidence in?"
"No, but...", look who's cutting people off mid-speech now huh.
"You cannot stand with a prodigy like Deag he would massacre you....", She got up quickly.
So fast it had me flinching for a second.
"Follow me..."
I wonder what it's going to be this time, from the look of things this is a 'lesson' on how the great Deag could easily kill me.
I doubt...
"Alexa?"
She stopped briefly to look back at me.
"Hmmm?"
"Who is the king? I think his name was Ferd..."
The expression on her face turned from neutral calculative to panic in less than a second.
"Where... did you hear that name?"
I couldn't exactly tell her that I said that name before and got killed by the instructor, it also appears that these memories are subconsciously blockaded by my magic power so she couldn't access this information even if she wanted to.
"I think it had something to do with my forgotten past"
"Seems like we have some research to do Fern... It is important that you never say that name lest a curse be put on you and all you value. Let's move"
We walked through the mansion which I never knew would be this big.
Everything I see just seems to leave me awestruck, maybe that's a good thing.
We reached a purple door no particular lavishing designs with two knight amours in the entrance guarding the right and left side of the doors respectively, there was a shield on the center of the door with two swords making a cross on it.
"This is my war room..." reaching to pull a sword and shield handing it to me "I come here to free myself of my burdens" then grabbing the last sword.
She then touched the center of the door where the shield once was and it slid open.
For some reason the idea of crossing sword with this angel in front of me had me excited, it was obvious from my quick stride.
To quick.
I had moved too quickly and had to suffer the consequences, bumping into Alexa.
It was like moving into a stone wall but as my flesh touched hers i felt something. It was hard to explain what it was; it was that of oppression, i did not ask questions it was a shock how skin contact with someone could do that.
There was just so much I had to learn about the world.
I was scared that Alexa would incinerate me for touching her, usually anytime she moved there was a pattern on how I followed behind, usually a stride or three behind her.
It was like now that she was alone, she was a completely different person, this was the angel whose beauty i had fallen for.
"Watch your step Fern Lun a true warrior never losses balance"
I must admit to myself that the off-balance was embarrassing it made me want to crawl into a hole and die or not.
"...Sorry", was all i could muster.
"Let us come to an agreement", she paused looking me in the eyes giving me time to regain my footing and to get off her. "If you can best me in the art of the sword, I would set you free. Is that a deal?"
This statement put a smile on my face. Maybe my cockiness came from subconscious experience in the art of swordsmanship from my life before.
If there was any to begin with.
"Thats a deal... Lady Alexa", I said gripping the sword and shield in my arms tightly
She reciprocated a genuine smile for the first time since I met her.
We walked into a pure white room, I took the time to ready a battle stance while she watched me with a blank yet happy expression
This was the real Alexa, and I don't think anyone knew about this side of her but me
"Do you have another shield lying around Alexa?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"I have a sword and a shield but..."
"Don't worry....", her beautiful smile lightened up again "It's not a handicap for me..."
She proceeded to dramatically shut her eyes.
"I am a master of the sword, personally trained by my mother General Lantara herself I lose to no one. Let us begin"
She opened her eyes to reveal the scarlet eyes.
....