As she said that, he looked ahead at the wall, his thoughts dull and heavy.
What the fuck was he supposed to do? Why is he even here? Why did the Watcher bring him here? From what little the Watcher had told him, the only thing it made him suspect was it was all tied to crypts. If not, why else would this downfall and struggle of this world be the only thing worth knowing?
He looked over at Freyja, "Can I be honest? The only desire in my mind up until now has been to live. That's it. I don't have ambition, or goals, or even a path to walk. I don't even know this world well enough to pretend to you that I've got it under control. I feel... lost, in a sense. I don't know anyone besides you pretty much."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, frowning. "It's so strange. I have words in my head but nothing behind them. I know what money is, what a tavern is, what a temple is. But I've no memory of touching a coin, or walking into a tavern, or visiting a temple. I know this is a bed, yet I don't have any memory of waking up on one."
His voice grew thinner, "It's like knowing the pieces but not getting the picture. Just a bunch of holes in my head where something should be."
He sighs, "Now that I'm safe, not in dire need of blood - I have no idea what path to take."
Freyja sat the and listened. Her silver brows knitting as he spoke his heart. As he finished, she gave a small, slightly sad smile.
Hero noticed something about her, she wore her heart on her sleeve. Her expressions are easy to read, and her emotions change rapidly.
She wasn't like the whimsical Watcher or the nonsensical hunchback.
"It makes sense you feel this way, Hero. I couldn't imagine waking up with no memories or ties, I'd probably feel the same. But... I wouldn't say you have nothing to give at all."
She leans back in her seat, her fingers tapping her legs. "Here's the thing, this broken world? It doesn't wait for people to find themselves. We live with crypts on our doorsteps, tearing open reality and crushing any life they have the power to."
Her smile fades as her voice cracks a little, "People die because there aren't enough hands to fight, or guard, or guide. That's why mercenary companies exist more now than ever before in history - to do the jobs that can't be done by normal folk. To be hired when soldiers can't. It's dangerous, but it's also lucrative and gives the world a fighting chance."
Her gaze drifted off as he thought about Garrick. He had a wife and a kid waiting for their Dad to come home, like he always did.
She coughs, clearing her throat and steadying her voice. "I myself am part of one. The Kynesguard, under Baron Licht alongside the other two you saved, Anders and Celiac. We take contracts, escort supply caravans, defend towns, and descend into crypts. We hold the line where others can't, surviving only through each other."
"Listen, I'm not trying to rope you in, but me and the others owe you a great debt for saving our lives that day. I've seen a glimpse of your potential... and it'd be a great place for you to start, at least. The company could at least educate you on the world, and teach you what's what. And after that, you'd be free to do whatever you want."
She softened again, a little shy. "I-I'm not saying it'll give you your memories back. But it could maybe give you a direction that leads somewhere - instead of nowhere."
Hero tilted his head at her, watching the earnest way she spoke. To him - it didn't seem like she was trying to tie him in with anything, but offering some help. Her wasn't sure what to make of it.
"A mercenary company, huh..." He scratched his chin, his blood red eyes narrowing in thought. "Tell me Freyja, are there any vampires in the company?"
These words surprised Freyja, but also highlighted something she was overlooking.
Hero is bloodspawn. They are a proud, solitary group of races. Perhaps she had forgotten that with how Hero acted with such humility.
It was rare to see a vampire outside of their clan crypts. Vampires came into this world with the most knowledge of crypts to date, so much so, they could create their own pocket crypts. Their own little worlds anchored on Yule.
She thought that maybe Hero wanted to go back to his kin, and she'd overlooked this.
"Ah... sorry, Hero. I somehow let the thought of your kin slip past my thoughts. Truthfully... there's only one bloodspawn in Kynesguard, and they're not a vampire but a thrall from Clan Sanguine."
That term rings a bell in Hero's mind, "A thrall?"
"Humans who serve a vampire master, instead of choosing a god's path, they chose to pact with a powerful vampire and share the vampiric version of the system." She explained.
"Right..." That left Hero with more questions than answers. He decided to delve into that later.
"I was asking out of pure curiosity. With no memories of anyone, I don't have ties to any clan. It was just I was hoping to talk with a fellow vampire."
He leaned back against the stiff pillow, exhaling through his nose. "I don't know much about caravan escorts, guarding, or even crypts for that matter, but if it let's me get a grasp on the world then I think it's worth a try."
His lips quirked faintly, "Besides... If you and the other two are in this 'Kynesguard' company, then I'd rather fumble my way through the world with people who at the very least don't want me dead."
The tone was flat, but it wasn't cold - he just didn't have many options at the moment. "Alright. I'll meet this Baron Licht of yours. Worst case scenario is that I find mercenary work isn't for me. It's better than doing nothing."
Freyja smiles gently, "That's great! I was hoping you'd agree. He wanted to meet you anyway to thank you for saving our lives."
She stood up to take her leave, "Meet me outside when you've gotten dressed."
Once the door had closed, Hero was left alone. He got up and walked toward the table, where his apparel was neatly folded.
'A meeting with a Baron. Aren't I important.' He lampooned, as he donned his robe and wrapped his arms, picking his silver sword up.
The temple was relatively small. Smaller than he'd though with only a few rooms, somehow he'd landed himself in the only private room, as the others were more like infirmaries and prayer halls.
There were people seated on pews with their hands clasped and eyes closed. They seemed to be in deep thought.
'Is that praying?' He wondered.
He saw depictions of a beautiful elven lady on colored stained glass consistently as he walked through the corridors. She was in thin white robes, with pointed ears, behind her was a projection of a large golden bell.
"Suppose that's the goddess of this place, maybe a saint or something, who knows." He commented.
Once Hero got outside he saw he was located on a hill a few minute walk away from the town. The temple was in quite secluded area, he saw a graveyard on one side, and a garden on the other.
Scanning over the area he found the priestess, who was waving him over. "Over here!"
Wandering over to Freyja he got a good view of the town of Kynesfall.
It was a bustling town. It didn't look rich, but it didn't look like a shabby village. He could see streets of brick buildings, smoke rising from the chimneys. He could see the town square in the middle, and a castle that looked over the entire settlement adjacent to it.
Freyja looked down at his sword that he was carrying with a questioning look, "Why are you holding the sword, do you not have a scabbard?"
Hero shook his head, "No, when I awoke all I had was these robes and the sword, no scabbard in sight. Makes me wonder if I've always walked about with it like this."
She scoffs, "I wonder why you were even that deep in the forest in the first place. It's not exactly a quick walk to reach the heart of Kynesfall Forest you know."
He stared at her blankly, "No, I don't."
She rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighs, "...right you are, of course you don't."
"It's about 2 days of trekking through relatively dangerous land to get to where the crypt is." She explained.
Hero nodded, following her lead as she lead him down the hill toward the town.
'I wonder what the town is like.'