Feyra hadn't noticed that she had started sleeping after a while, listening to nature and the wild life.
I guess the best way to sleep is indeed to just listen to water or something soothing like nature or a lullaby.
She rubbed her eyes and patted her hair, so that any hairs standing away from her head would go back to where they belonged.
She took out the map, looking at it and figuring out where she was. If she would walk for a few days she would arrive at a village.
Hopefully this village isn't like the last one...
Feyra took up her pace and continued on. Occasionally she found plants or mushrooms she took with her, and when the sun was out she would try to stay in that area to dry some of the herbs.
Birds were flying around and animals scurried around, trying to find food. Occasionally Feyra was able to see some birds in the sky and even knew which ones they were. Some she knew, while others she had no idea about.
She sat down for a while, waving her hand, using it like a fan, to cool down a bit. Summer was a time she hated, and while it didn't seem to be as hot in the Alliance, it was still hot.
Summer is horrible... I just wish I could go to the Norther State or so at such a time. It was said after all that there is snow all the time so it must be cold.
After a while, Feyra looked for a water source to drink a bit of water. She saw her reflection in the water. With the water's slight ripples it made for a calming view.
Feyra smiled before continuing on, looking at various trees too. Some of them were quite rare, while others were infected. Feyra knew about the differences between various trees and also how a healthy tree had to look. It's just a shame I can't help it... I'm not someone who has the power of Nature or so.
She shook her head before she continued on to a hill that she found quite interesting. It had been marked in the map as a part called 'Dead Hill'. It's name mostly came from the fact that the hill was silent and only grass was growing on it. No animals, trees or other plants in sight.
Feyra had reached this place and stood in front of it. Looking up, she found the view was quite ominous, which came from how the light fell.
Let me look around. I wonder why it's called this way... Is there an underlying reason?
She was just walking as the ground gave in and Feyra fell down into a hole.
How was that with the cursed days? Perhaps this one is cursed too! Ouch...
She had fallen to the end, landing on some hard and spiky stuff. Feyra adjusted to the light, before she noticed the hill was illuminated inside by the shimmer of Memory Stones.
Wow... So many! Though most of them are attached to the walls so I have no way to take them with me. Unless I use the power of Destruction... Which would likely damage the stones too.
She thought a little further, before she stepped down from the place she had fallen into, to walk further inside.
The cave was winding, going further down. It became cooler and Feyra was quite relieved.
Inside she had also seen some other stones that were used for jewelry, but upon further inspection they couldn't be used anymore as something had corroded them.
Even diamonds are corroded!? How is that possible? Which higher power is playing here their game? Diamonds are the hardest material... Oh over there is bort too... This is also a type of diamond which just isn't usable for jewelry... Based on society's standards of wanting a shining diamond. Bort also has its charm. Though it also finds use such as helping to work on diamonds that can be used for jewelry.
Feyra stood in front of the wall, looking at the stones for a long time, being in thought. Other than the diamond she had seen, she couldn't be sure if this bort in front of her had been corroded too or not.
Not long after, an ominous feeling made Feyra shiver, prompting her to look to her left. There the light had changed colour to a red shimmer.
Just what is that? It feels so... Argh... My head... What is that?
She stumbled towards the light to try to see what it was. Every step was pain for her, and her mind was unable to grasp a clear thought.
Come here, child who has been abandoned, a voice came from this direction. Yet Feyra only heard it in her mind. It didn't actually speak aloud. It was just speaking into her mind.
Come child. Let us reunite. Let us destroy those who had done you wrong, the voice continued, luring Feyra even more. At the edge of the path, Feyra fell to her knees and was finally able to see what had caused that light. It was a red Memory Stone.
What?
Some time after, Feyra woke up again and looked at the stone in front of her. Just what had that been?
Have I passed out? Was the mental strain too much? Oh?
She looked down next to the red Memory Stone, which was hovering in the air, slowly losing its glow. Next to it were even more Memory Stones which looked to be of high grade.
Feyra jumped down and locked at them. Most of these had also been corroded by this red Memory Stone, but some were usable even if they would only be of the lowest grade.
At least something. I have enough coins but if I can help people then I'll take them. Just what am I going to do with this red one?
Feyra looked at it from every side until a picture appeared in front of her mind.
There was a person who wore blue robes and a crown on their head. Beads were dangling in front of their face, having their hands behind their back.
This figure didn't do anything, just looking at the person falling down into nothingness.
"Liar!", the female voice screamed, before she seemed to hit something that wasn't there, bursting into many tiny pieces. All that remained of her was this stone, which drifted through the universe, until it fell into the Alliance's territory.
Throughout this journey, changes had happened. People seemed to speak of Origin and also the Emperor of Memories.
Yes! This Emperor! This Emperor of Memories has done us wrong!, the voice cried out again one last time, before the glow faded away. Feyra was about to take the stone, before she saw a new vision.
"You call yourself an Outer God?", a male voice said. The image was blurry, but Feyra could make out a man, who barely wore armour, looking more like a berserker.
"Hah! How wouldn't I be an Outer God? I stand in front of you!", the woman said. She seemed to smirk viciously.
The man looked at her with disdain, before he took his big sword and swung it at her.
"That's not how you greet a woman... Let me show you how you greet someone properly!", the woman took out her own weapon, stabbing the man in front of her.
"Oh Outer God of Destruction... Another one of you has fallen. All of you are the same. Not a single one knows how to properly greet me, a woman with such amazing features, known as the Outer God of Malice! Each single one of you men will fall at my hand, if necessary!"
Shortly after, the woman walked away from the body that had already fallen into tiny pieces, leaving also a red Memory Stone behind. She walked away with confidence and a malicious smile.
"My next target... I heard there is someone who even managed to defeat a higher being... Yes it was the Outer God of Memories. Also known as the Emperor of Memories. If he is a true gentleman, I may discuss with him, but if not... Then he'll fall at my blade!", she giggled, with a brighter, more vicious smile, before she disappeared.
Not long after, the scene had shifted to her waiting for the Emperor of Memories.
"You let a Lady wait!? You are not a true gentleman! Fall at my blade!", she said, pulling out her weapon.
The figure, the Emperor of Memories, didn't say anything, nor moved his hands a lot. He just shook his head slightly, before the woman lunged at him, failing to hit him.
The picture went black not long after, and Feyra saw the things in front of her again.
Seriously... She deserved it... Is this the Memory Stone of an Outer God then? I'll take it with me... I suppose there could be some people interested in it.
Feyra took up all the salvageable stones as well as the red Memory Stone, before she made her way back up again, getting outside of the cave underneath the hill.
It wasn't a cursed day in that sense... Still not great either.
She shortly shook her head, before she looked at the map again and walked towards the village. In perhaps two days she would reach it.
Her journey brought her through a big forest in which quite a few herbs grew, as well as mushrooms and berries. Feyra picked a lot of them.
I think I may need some jars too...
She picked up only as much as she could, without accidentally crushing the berries while transporting them. She also found a few landside mushrooms, which were called this way because they often grew on fields. The farmers hated them, but often they had children at home, thus picking them rather than destroying them.
What is unique about them is their sweetness. They're slightly sweet but not too sweet. This way they fit to a lot of dishes and often have a slightly sweet taste to them.
Feyra picked them before she set up her pot and prepared the mushrooms with a few berries and some seasonings.
Across from her was a tree that had an injured root. Feyra went over to look at it. This liar..., Feyra thought upon closer inspection, realising this was a tree looking injured to make animals stay away. However, its roots could be used in medicine so Feyra took the root she had seen and pulled on it.
It doesn't want to budge!
She pulled as hard as she could, until she finally felt that she had the root in her hand. Some noises next to her got her attention, when the tree started to make noises of falling over.
I just pulled out one root! This shouldn't let the tree fall over!
Feyra jumped to the side and saw how the tree fell down. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that she had likely used a bit too much strength while pulling out the root.
Let me see... There are quite a few other roots I can take with me. The knife I have won't do... I likely need a sturdier knife that isn't meant for food.
She shook her head before she pulled out some more roots. After that she went over to the tree, which had fallen onto the path, and lifted it up to put it back into the hole where it stood previously.
With some heavy stones she secured it in place, by placing them on each side. Now the tree couldn't move again.
Phew... I'm not used to using that much strength... I feel exhausted... Is that what Jann meant?
She packed her stuff together, thinking back on the time in the Capital and the people she had met. Multiple of them had given her advise or helped her.
Not long after, Feyra was able to already see houses in front of her. Children were laughing and people seemed to be in a cheerful mood.
Next village here I come!