By the morning on the sixth of March and the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-two, the world was struct with a calamity they deemed the "wrath of God". It reached anywhere in the world and thus brought pandemonium to the people. The continent of Licus was no exception as people began to flood the gates of the capital - seeking shelter and aid. It was only for that night and that night brought other unfortunate events that plagued
Diseases became prevalent, desperation and hope was left to those in power. Nonetheless, some were recovering with few casualties of the storm and the storm that is silently brewing. Such was the case of Kraman village - a village along the borders of Alluvia. It was there and then that the lady finally awoke inside an unfamiliar room. She was then awoken by the commotion outside where people began to rebuild the village, livestock being herded nearby, and clamour coming from the nearby market.
As she tried to stand, a sudden acute pain in the temple greeted her and lost balance in the process; which led to her falling off the bed.
There, a linen cloth was tightly wrapped on her head indicating that she had a concussion. Her fall was sonorous a few feet away from the room and suddenly a slow galloping strides began to approach. A woman's voice can be heard as she reached the door and slammed it open. An old lady with a curled-up short brown hair, almond eyes, and a mole on her lower left cheek appeared while wearing a deep olive green blouse with voluminous sleeves and a long black skirt with a black belt. She looks to be in her late sixties and seemingly worried.
"Oh dear! You should not get off bed yet. Your body's in a really bad shape." The elder lady pointed outwhile helping the lady lie down before sitting beside her.
"Don't get up yet dear, your body needs to recover first. And a lady of your calibre needs all the rest it could get." The Elder spoke somewhat in awe of her beauty.
"Oh! I'm Margaret Berdandi by the way. They call me missus Berdandi on official business but Nana for the children. You can call me either if you so want."
"...Apologies if I left you here unattended, the village is very busy at the moment you see. Alot of our people are enduring because of such happenstance and we need all the help we can get. The reliefs of king Dominique hasn't reached here yet and I hope it arrives soon but we're managing as we can."
"I almost forgot, what's your name dear? I know you don't belong to this humble village and I haven't seen a person as beautiful as a sculpture, such as you. Your body is as cherry as a peach and plum in figure. In addition, your hair and eyes stand out like the sun, as if light bent itself to you."
Before the lady could even answer, they were startled by a loud growl coming from the lady's thin belly. Embarrassed, the lady's cheeks glowed like a candle freshly lit and swiftly, she covered her face with a blanket. Elder Margaret smiled ear to ear and glanced at the door inhaling slowly; filling her lungs to the brim and then exploded with a bawl.
"HUBERT! BRING A PLATE OF PORRIDGE WILL YA!" Her scream was loud enough to reach all the nooks and crannies of the house.
"Ok sweetheart! I'll be right there shortly." Softly answered by an elderly man from his office. The lady, even with a ringing to her ears was amused by how they fit the bill as a couple. She then let out a smile in relief.
While listening to the couple argue and tease each other in her presence, she silently swallowed a spoonful of porridge while being entertained of their antics. Moments passed and she figured that they address her as "dear, lass, or miss" and so her mind slowly drifted afar - trying to recall her name. And yet she couldn't.
"I'm..." She muttered with a long pause.
Troubled, she closed her eyes and dove deeper into her clouded memory. A rough figure of a man suddenly appeared - speaking her name repeatedly as if calling out to her; yet to the lady it was inaudible. Only his tone and voice was familiar as she recalled.
During the same day in the afternoon, the said man, Layne Sinclair was still burried under the earth. He was awoken however, by the burrowing of a dog and its barks were within earshot to send a loud ringing to his ears. A voice of a young lad followed in which he started to dig on his arrival. The boy was enthusiastic as if digging for treasures but was surprised instead. What he saw was a supposed-to-be corpse of a man where coincidentally, they locked eye to eye. The boy was frightened and tumbled on his two feet before swiftly launching himself into a sprint.
"IT'S A DEMON!" with his voice cracking in fright, he screamed without fail and climbed a collapsed opening above ground - leading to a plateau.
The dog, a giant woolly Brown Husky with sky-blue eyes stayed and continued to dig and Layne was eventually freed from the clasp of the earth. The dog licked his face as if saying hello and he responded with a subtle laugh and a pet to its head. Not long after, he began to dig and rummage the earthen debri up until he found the lady's left hand gloves; hiding a small emerald ring. Layne attached it to his locket and placed the gloves below the nose of the dog for it to smell its scent. Apathetically, the dog responded with a blank stare towards Layne; a sign he interpreted as the object in question was absent in place.
He sat on a bedrock for a while and inhaled deeply. In his exhale his heart was at ease, as though in relief that the lady is alive and well.
Brimming with strength, the man felt light as a feather and noticed that his clothes were a mess. He then removed his ragged vest and bloodied linen shirt to inspect his body including the wounds he received during their escape. He could not believe his eyes as the bullet wound on his chest had a scar roughly shaped like an inclined cresent moon with a diagonal slit on its two corners, forming roughly the character "D".
After a while of inspecting his body, a loud sound that of a metal echoed inside the half-burried cave. A rusted metal pipe was dropped and the man shifted his gaze up above the opening. He saw a peasant girl in her late teens with tanned skin, short black hair, turquoise coloured eyes and clothed in a hand-me-down off white blouse with a long brown skirt. The same goes for the lad who popped out from her behind wearing an off white tunic top and a brown outworn pantalettes.
"LOOK AMELI! IT'S REALLY A DEMON SEE?!" the little boy shouted in claim.
The peasant girl named Amelia Taylor or as called by the boy, Ameli confronted her little brother and took glances at the man.
"... Anthony, you know that's a man right? A big.... strong... handsome man?". She answered with a red rosey cheeks, seemingly surprised by his figure and scars; accompanied by black hair and eyes, fair skin, and an alluring face in his late twenties.
"DON'T BE FOOLED SISTER! That's a demon! He rose from the ground and looked me in the eyes like t-that corpse I told you the other day!"
"Ok, calm down... Anthony was it? I'm Layne Sinclair, heir to the house of Sinclair and an alchemist from Dannan City.
Amelia fixed her brother's composure and spoke looking a little nervous."I'm sorry for my brother's remarks against you, sir Layne. He was traumatized by what we saw a few days ago. Bodies began to pile in this village due to an illness unbeknownst to us. He might've hallucinated in his fear, as such relentless disease caught us villagers in dismay."
"But... what are you doing here at Prima village, sir Layne? It's a long way for a noble from the center to come here." Amellia curiously asked.
"It's quite a long story, you see. But regardless, I'm looking for a lady named Charlotte De Garde. She has long golden hair, pale skin, emerald green eyes, defined nose, and pinkish lips. She wears a dark blue tarlatan dress before we got separated by the storm."
"THEN WHY WERE YOU BURIED AND YET HERE YOU ARE, STILL ALIVE AND BREATHING!?" Anthony exclamated.
"There was a cave-in after we took shelter here and we were surprised by the sudden surge of water. It swept Charlotte away while I was pinned down by debris. Lucky, I survived and I believe she did so too."
"I see... Then we can look inside the village and ask for help from the chief later if we're to look outside on the neighbouring villages." Amelli suggested.
"Alright, I'll take you up on that offer. But forgive my rudeness, may i ask for your help? I don't have any spare clothes or even a place to stay. I'll give you this as payment, one silver coin for your service."
"Oh!" Amelia, in her surprise accepted his request without his brother's opinion.
"If you don't mind... we have a humble home a bit far up the plateau. It's not in good shape but it's a home no less. Why don't we head there and patch you up sir?"
"NO SISTER!" Anthony aggressively objects but was then pulled by his sister.
"Shhh! It'll be fine Anthony, we might get a favor from this noble and even receive alot of coin for it." She whispered on her brother's ear. During a slight pause, he agreed but glared at Layne who just smiled blankly.
"I'm watching you... come on Blue! Let's go!" The dog named Blue responded with a bark of affirmation and followed closely to Anthony.
The group then headed towards the sibling's abode; with Anthony and Blue at the forefront, Layne at the center and Amelia at the back - quietly taking glances at Layne's allure and toned body - a young lass' discovery of love, more or less.
The sun sets and then came a cold night. The group of Layne reached the far outskirts of the village, bearing a home in poor conditions. The structural frame was barely holding the two storey house upright and the exterior cladding has long been faded. The entrance greeted them with a make shift door - rustic and with a weak lock system. In general it looks abandoned and yet these children live in such a home.
"We're home at last. Please make yourself comfortable." Amelia swallowed her embarrassment on how their home was a mess, in and on itself.
"Please use this for now, it's our late father's surviving garments. I hope it fits, given that you have a bigger build than his." She then handed an off white billowy shirt and black trousers with suspended belts.
Layne accepted and wore them inside the storage room. He observed the worn down house and gently sighed with worry and yet he understood that it carries alot of memories for the two children.
"Hey! You can only stay here for a week with the silver coin you gave!" Anthony reminded Layne by setting an ubsurd term.
"Please, call me Layne. Or if you want, you can call me brother instead." Layne blankly smiled at Anthony, waiting for a gullible response.
"You're not the boss of me! I'm the man of this house you see! So show some respect!"
"Yes, yes, sir Anthony! Head of the house of rags. Rich with the love of a sister and a dog. A man of such calibre is respectable! Please accept my humblest of bows my lord!" Layne put on an act and elegantly executed it.
Silently, Amelia was struggling to hold in her laughter; knowing her little brother is weak to praises and yet could not comprehend gaslighting even at face value.
"While you're at it my Lord Anthony, I shall prepare supper. Fit for a respectable man such as yourself." Amelia bowed in second with a grin on her face to her brother.
"I will help mademoiselle in the kitchen as I am a fine chef myself. They call me the Haute Cuisine of Dannan; well received by the pope for such delicacies served on the table."
"Then I gladly accept the offer, Haute Cuisine sir Layne of Dannan." Ameli and Layne bowed to one another and again with a grin on their faces.
When Anthony realised, he frowned as it only dawned on him too late of their playful act. He then stomped heavily on the stairs heading to his room and finally slammed the door shut; making a worndown wooden slab unhinge and fall.
"Did i overdo it?" Layne worriedly asked due to his spectacle.
"No, it's fine. Anthony is just warry of everything, that's all... After what happened to our house and our family and now even with this sickness growing by the day, he needed to become the man of this house in his age; and as such, he acts that way to protect it - Me and Blue included." Amelia answered while worriying just the same on how she can help her little brother being the eldest of the two.
When they were about to prepare potato stew - a favourite dish of Anthony as a form of their apology, Layne glanced at a small painting on the wall - bearing a family of four. There stood a small Amelia at the front, their father at the back with his right hand on her shoulder, and Anthony resting on the arms of their mother sitting on the left side of her husband. As he stared blankly, he was reminded of his past - his biological family.
On the other side of the story, the lady named Charlotte De Garde has recovered a little; enought to roam the house with ease. At the same time, she stared at a painting on the wall with both the elderly couple and a daughter. Curious as she was, they looked the happiest on the frame. She was called abruptly and so she left but was able to remember their expressions - happy as before but only a little less now.
"May we call you Edea for the time being?" Elder Margaret proposed.
The lady was baffled and knew nothing of such a name nor word, so she tilted her head - a manner of curiosity.
"Oh it's just a nickname we use for lost children. In the history of our country, many migrated on the borders of Alluvia after the great war a hundred years ago and many children too were orphaned. And so the benevolent King at the time extended his hand and provided land for the people such as here in Kraman. He then named the lost children, Edea. It is befitting for you to be called as such, while you fail to recall your name or where you're from."
The lady nodded and smiled as she received a name given to her by the two elders. "Edea... I like it."
Both Margaret and Hubert were happy that the lady accepted. "In a few day's time, Edea. You'll be helping with the village. They are eager to meet you. You're a new visitor in a while you see." Elder Hubert spoke while pulling a curtain, showing people of all ages staring curiously at the window directly to the living room where they stood.
There the people outside tried to hide but were already caught red handed. In her response, she laughed subtly and waved at them. They then all smiled back and joyfully entered the village chief's home. As Edea met those that came, they all felt she is most welcome to the village. And of course not all, and some says otherwise due to the alarming situation at hand.
On the twenty-first of March in the year one thousand eight hundred forty-two, Edea has recovered enough to roam the village and so the elderly couple gave her the task to help in her own way. She wore a white blouse under a dark brown laced-up corsette, paired with two layers of petticoats, a plain white bonnet on her head, and to finish her outfit, a hand-me-down pointed flats from elder Margaret.
Rosemary Renfield, a white haired, blue eyes and pale white skinned village girl wore the same but with a shade of dark blue to contrast her albinism. She waited for Edea on the village chief's porch after dawn and greeted her. Rosemary became her new friend since she was the most that left an impression. A shy young lady with a stuttering disorder but has a bold personality to share her thoughts and feelings directly - a person with a flaw that cannot lie. Edea felt a good connection to Rosemary and so they bonded instantly.
"G-good morning... Edea. Shall we h-head to the church and... h-help sister Rebecca?" Rosemary shily suggested.
"Of course. May I ask that you lead the way, Rosemary?"
"Y-yes! S-sure thing... E-Edea."
As they walked along the main road of the village, the people Edea met on the village chief's home greeted them along the public market but one unfamiliar fellow directly called out to them. He is a wandering merchant named Gordo Hansen - a brown haired, one eye, one legged fluffy man wearing a white undergarment beneath a black collared jacket, loose pants and a pair of steel toe boots. His items were stored in a big backpack on his broad back and a grey donkey pulling a small wooden wagon.
"Heaven's be blessin' me eyes! We have a new lassy in town. Now, what do we call the name, me lassy?" He clamoured which startled the nearby shops and people.
"H-her name is of E-dea. One t-that suffers amnesia, p-perhaps." Rosemary replied while hiding behind Edea.
"Thank you Rosemary, you can just call me Edea... Mister?"
"Gordo! Gordo Hansen! A merchant far beyond the place. A wandering merchant indeed!"
"Come! Have a look at me wares! Hoho!" As he dropped down his backpack, both the ladies were startled by its weight and left to wonder how strong Gordo is despite him looking past the age of sixties.
"W-what is this? A p-potion?" Curiously asked by Rosemary.
Swiftly, Gordo snatched the flask from the hand of Rosemary. "Ney! Be dare to hold that! This be an aprodi - Ahem! Ahem! Ney! Be known to you lassy!" Embarrassed as he was, he stored it carefully on the back of the wagon.
As both the ladies rummaged on Gordo's backpack, Rosemary saw a hand-carried mirror with an oak wooden frame. While Edea stumbled upon a sun shaped necklace, almost identical to her birthmark behind her neck. She held it in hand and felt oddly familiar.
"Ahh! The crest of the Sun. It be the symbol of Abundance - a goddess told be the bearer of life. Some say it grants me wishes; but some, miracles! Old as a tale, it be the necklace from a fallen religion."
"How much would it cost me if I bought it from you?" Edea asked, eager to buy the necklace.
"Ney! Take it both as you go, but do me a favor will ya? Give this to miss Rebecca and say it's from Gordo Hansen!" He winked in jolly as he handed them portions of medicine and bread for the needy and the sick.
The ladies carried the wares by hand and were happy to receive a gift from Gordo with which their task aligned with the favor. "Thank you Gordo!" And with elegance, they both bowed.
"Aye! No problem me lassies, hoho! if ya need Gordo! G.O.R.D.O be the wor~da!"
"Aye! Mr. Gordo!" Both the ladies giggled as they were genuinely amused by Gordo the wandering merchant.