I woke up in a cold sweat.

I had no idea what I had been dreaming about, but whatever it was, it hadn't been pleasant. With a groan, I sat up on the couch and looked around with bleary eyes. It took me a moment to remember where I was and what I had been doing last night, but it all came back a few seconds later.

I sighed and rubbed a hand down my face before standing up. I was about to make my way to the bathroom when I happened to glance at the table and notice something that wasn't there last night.

I had put everything I got from Rosalyn in my bag save for the rifle and sword, both of which were placed alongside the bag. With all that done, the table was barren except for a couple of papers and a small roll of parchment. I couldn't see what was written on them from where I was, so with a wave of my hand, I floated them over to where I was standing.

Snatching them out of my own magenta aura, I quickly looked over the first paper, which seemed to be a note.

Have already left for the day, feel free to make yourself something from the icebox.

I noticed you don't seem to have anymore clothing than what your wearing so I've obtained some more travel wear for you as a thank you for what you've done for all of us. It's all there in your bag.

I've also left a small list of things you'll need for the trip to Ruvenbor that you can get in town. If you're worried about how the townsfolk will act, don't be. I've let everyone know you stayed over for the night and that I still have my head, so while you might get a few suspicious looks, no one should bother you.

Don't worry about Jacob and Jessie's grave markers either, I've already taken care of it.

One last thing I've included is another map. The map itself is of Ruvenbor and no newcomer to the city should ever be without one, lest you accidentally wander into the more dangerous or closed off parts of the city.

Also, if you don't know yet, learn how to write, preferably before you reach the city. It would be best not to use your magic out in the open as it will most likely draw unwanted attention to yourself, and I doubt you'd want that right now.

That should be all, and remember...

Don't steal any of my things.

I will know, and you will suffer for it.

~Rosalyn

Gee, thanks for the heartfelt message at the end there, Rose...

In all seriousness, I really was grateful for everything that Rosalyn had done for me, despite her initial suspicions and impromptu interrogation. I folded up the note and went to float it back over to the table.

After a moment's thought, I instead walked over and set it back down with my own hands instead.

Rosalyn's right. I shouldn't get into the habit of using my magic for everything, at least not yet.

With that thought in mind, I went over to my bag and pulled it open. I took out a fountain pen and a few blank pieces of paper and set those on the table before walking into the kitchen.

I chose to make myself a small breakfast of coleslaw and a roast beef sandwich—not exactly breakfast food, but I didn't really care all that much. As I sat down at the table with my food, I got to work learning how to write, deciding it would be better to start sooner rather than later.

I sat there trying to use both hands for what felt like hours before I finally started to make some headway. Thankfully I was able to pick up handwriting fairly quickly, finding it a lot easier than learning how to shoot a gun.

I had long since finished breakfast and had gone through several pieces of paper, but eventually I reached a level of handwriting skill I was satisfied with for both hands. It was by no means elegant, but it wasn't just chicken scratch either, and that was good enough for me for the moment.

I sighed and put down the almost empty fountain pen before turning to look out one of the windows. The sun had still been low in the sky when I first woke up, but now it had risen a decent amount and its rays shone brightly through the glass and into the cottage.

I frowned in annoyance.

It had taken me a lot longer than I would've like to learn how to write, but it couldn't be helped. Better to get it out of the way than have to worry about any awkward situations later.

I heaved another sigh and stood up from the table. Curious, I rummaged around in my bag and found the clothes Rosalyn had mentioned before. I pulled them out of the bag and looked them over.

She had gotten me what looked like a few simple dark colored blouses and long tartan skirts, another tunic similar to the one I was wearing currently—though this one was a lighter tan color, some undergarments, and some more leggings. I also found two day dresses—one white and one the same indigo color as my hair.

Just how much did all this cost?!

All of the clothing looked new and expensive, and had Rosalyn still been here, I most likely would've protested to her just giving me all of this, but seeing as how she wasn't here and how she had already spent the money, I couldn't very well decline her—in my opinion—way too generous gift of thanks.

I shook my head and put everything back but the tunic, a pair of black leggings, and some undergarments. Taking those with me, I headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

To my surprise and slight disturbance, everything fit perfectly.

When was she able to get my measurements?

I opted not to think too hard on the matter as I walked back out of the bathroom. I tossed my patchwork leggings in a trash bin, but that left me with a leather tunic I had no idea what to do with.

In the end I just threw it back into the bag before pulling out the large pouch of bits and the envelope I was supposed to deliver. I put those, along with the note and list the old woman had left me, into the inner pockets of my new tunic.

With all that done, I saw no more reason to linger in the cottage anymore, so I strapped on my sword and the rifle. Hefting the bag onto one shoulder, I took one last look around and gave a silent nod of satisfaction.

I headed to the front door and pulled it open, stepping out into the bright morning just outside the cottage. I raised a hand to cover my eyes, trying to blink away the spots that danced in my vision from the sudden shift in light.

As it turned out, the town wasn't as far away from the isolated cottage as it had seemed when I first arrived last night. On top of that—aside from a few minor twists and turns here and there—the path back was fairly straight forward.

I turned and looked back to the cottage one last time, reflecting on everything that had happened within. I remembered the strange panic attacks I'd had last night, but it also felt like I was forgetting something important about them, and the thought frustrated me.

It wasn't the first time I'd felt like I'd forgotten something important, and somehow I doubted it'd be the last time. In any case, I didn't feel any kind of unwarranted nervousness at the moment, so I put the thought out of my mind for now. I didn't want to get sucked into any more problems than necessary.

I'm going to have enough to worry about after I leave town as it is...

Instead I turned my musing towards Rosalyn. Thinking back on her and what she was like as a person, an odd feeling of familiarity welled up within me, though I couldn't place a finger on what was so familiar about her.

Maybe she reminds me of someone I knew back before I lost my memory?

I kept my contemplative gaze on the cottage for another few moments before turning back around and heading down the stone pathway. As I walked, I took the opportunity to pull out the list Rosalyn had left for me and looked it over.

"Let's see..." I muttered, scanning the paper, "apparently I'm gonna need... an officially signed permit to enter Ruvenbor as a visitor, a few days worth of food and drink, she wants me to set some bits aside for something called a stagecoach... and she's recommending I stop by the Unyielding Blade to hire a mercenary for protection?"

I raised an eyebrow at the last two. I skimmed the list and saw that Rose had provided a description of a stagecoach and it's purpose near the bottom, which I was grateful for, but she gave no hint as to what the 'Unyielding Blade' was.

So a stagecoach will get me to Ruvenbor faster than walking, which is fine, I thought skeptically, but what's this 'Unyielding Blade'? And if I'm gonna be traveling by stagecoach, why do I need someone to protect me?

I had read that many of the roads between towns and cities were dangerous, so I guess hiring a mercenary to protect you on your travels would make sense.

I could still be attacked in the stagecoach, and even if I had my magic, I was supposed to be keeping it a secret. I knew how to use a rifle, but my skill was still unreliable and I knew next to nothing about how to wield the sword currently strapped to my back.

Given these reasons, it made sense to hire someone with more traveling and battle experience than I had. Still, the thought of hiring someone to keep me safe felt strange and made me a bit uncomfortable for some reason.

As I made a mental note to ask around about the Unyielding Blade, another thought hit me.

Just how far is Ruvenbor from here exactly?

Putting the list back into my tunic, I instead pulled the map of Vale out of my bag and looked it over. I couldn't tell the distance just from looking at the map, but I could at least see that the trip would more or less be a straight shot from Thatch.

There didn't seem to be many obstacles like forests, caves, or mountains. Thankfully Thatch sat at the end of the mountainous region I was in now according to what I was seeing, and like I had seen back on Demon's Peak, a lot of the land beyond the farms was all grassy valleys and hills.

There were some forests and smaller mountains here and there along the path, but they were few and, for the most part, well out of the way of where I'd need to go.

I'd have to ask someone how far it'd be to Ruvenbor exactly, but again, judging by what I'd seen from the mountain, it looked like it might be at least a day's travel by foot, if not longer.

Satisfied for the moment, I put the map away and this time pulled out my bag of bits. Opening the bag, I began counting them out, committing to memory just how much I had total.

Adding what I had obtained from Jack's house to what Rosalyn had given me, I had a total of eight gold bits, thirty silver bits, and eighty copper bits to work with.

I felt like this wasn't enough to cover everything I might need, but I had no point of reference for how much an average... well... anything would cost here. I hadn't yet made any kind of purchase, but it looked like that would soon change.

After a few more minutes of walking, I finally arrived back in Thatch, and the difference from what I had seen last night made me rather nervous—though not nearly as much as it would've last night. The town was bustling with the day-to-day activity of the townsfolk.

People had long since set up shop, horse drawn carriages and wagons holding various supplies moved about, kids ran and played in the streets, men laughed heartily and women gossiped as they walked up and down the sides of the road.

It was all so much to take in, and for a moment I stood there transfixed by the sheer energy the small town exuded.

That is, until I was shoved to the side by a large man carrying a burlap sack.

"Oi, stop standin' about in the middle of the road, girl!" the man growled, not even looking in my direction as he walked away, "some of us have got places to be!"

"Oh, s-sorry... about that," I called out with a raised hand, but the man had already moved on and I slowly lowered my hand again, "well, alright then..."

I looked around once more and shifted the bag on my shoulder before moving to the side of the street. Once I was out of the way, I pulled out the list again and checked the first item.

I should probably get the permit first...

I looked up from the list and scanned the buildings briefly before realizing Rosalyn had neglected to include a location to go along with the name of the place I was supposed to go, in fact, a map of the town itself would've been nice now that I thought about it.

I had a feeling I'd be asking quite a few things from the townsfolk before I left.

Casting a searching gaze over the crowd of people traveling the paved roads, I tried to find the friendliest looking person I could. Eventually my eyes settled on a tall thin woman in a white and yellow day dress. She was alone and heading in my direction, so I swallowed my nervousness and went for it.

"Um... e-excuse me, ma'am?"

The woman stopped and turned to me with an expectant raise of her brow.

"I'm terribly sorry to bother you," I continued quickly, "but... would you happen to know where Thatch's Town Hall is? I need to get a permit to enter Ruvenbor and—"

"Keep going south and you should eventually see a tall white domed building to your left," the woman replied curtly before continuing on her way, "good day to you, Miss."

"Oh, um... thank you!" I called back, "and good day to you too... I guess..."

Just like with the man from earlier, the woman didn't respond or even look back. The exchange left me oddly put out, but I shook my head, refusing to dwell on it as I wouldn't be much longer here any way.

Following the woman's directions, I made my way further south while keeping an eye out for the domed building. A few streets later and I finally saw the top of the domed structure peeking out over some of the smaller buildings in front of it.

I breathed a small sigh of relief and walked across the street. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a stone pathway leading directly to the large white structure.

After only a few minutes of walking I was standing before the large, brown wooden double doors that made up the entrance.

I moved until I was standing a little ways off to the side, watching as several townsfolk stepped in and out of Town Hall. I watched them go about their business for a few minutes as I bit my lip nervously.

In all honestly, I had no idea how I was supposed to go about this. I just assumed I'd have to answer some questions and maybe fill out a few forms before getting my permit... but would it be that easy?

I snorted at the thought, already knowing full well that this was in no way going to go to plan. Still, I wasn't going to make any kind of progress standing around, so I took a deep, calming breath and briskly walked over to, and pushed open, the double doors.

I honestly didn't know what I was expecting going in, but I somehow got the impression that a normal town hall was supposed to be... bigger.

Sure, it looked large on the outside, but in reality, there wasn't much to look at here. I was in what looked like a small rectangular room that seemed to be almost completely made of off-white marble.

On the right side of the room was a single door, and two more behind and on either side of the large front desk a few dozen feet from the entrance. I assumed the 'hall' part of the town hall sat behind the doors in the back, but I had no idea what lay behind the door on the right.

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

I snapped my gaze towards the polite feminine voice that had just spoken and saw a thin and kindly looking middle aged woman with greying hair tied in a bun watching me from behind the front desk.

She wasn't the only one either. Several of the people in the room were eyeing me with various looks ranging from annoyance to curiosity to suspicion to outright disapproval.

I had to fight back the sudden urge to make a hasty retreat right back out the front doors.

"Y-Yes?" I replied, feeling my face grow hot from the attention, "is something wrong?"

"My name is Lynda, if you have an appointment you can sign in over here," she continued in a friendly voice, "if you have any questions or requests, you may speak with Samson here."

She gestured towards a slightly rotund and rather bored looking sandy haired man sitting next to her. The man, Samson, made no move to introduce himself or acknowledge that I was there.

He simply continued to speak to the person currently standing before him in a dull practiced sort of tone as he leaned to one side, one hand propping his head up and the other scribbling something down on a piece of paper in front of him.

Lynda spoke again, dragging my attention away from the man.

"You can either wait in line, or have a seat at one of the benches against the wall," she nodded to something behind me and I turned to see several benches lined up against the wall on either side of the front entrance.

"Oh, alright," I replied with an awkward sort of smile, "thanks then."

"And please, miss," she added, almost as an afterthought, "if you would leave your weapons here with us?"

"My..." I blinked and glanced back at the rifle and sword strapped to my back before giving the lady a sheepish smile, "right, sorry, just... gimme a minute..."

I took a moment to unstrap my weapons and placed them on the counter, my face going slightly red as I desperately tried to ignore the few odd looks I was getting.

I should've known it wouldn't have been appropriate to just walk into a government building bearing arms like that, but truth be told, I had kind of forgotten they were even there.

Honestly I was surprised I wasn't getting more looks than I was at the moment.

They must be used to mercenaries and the like passing through here on some kind of business or another.

In any case, I wasn't about to complain. Instead I watched as the woman behind the counter hefted the rifle and sword—albeit with some difficulty due to the combined weight—and placed them beneath the counter.

"Thank you," Lynda said somewhat breathlessly, "we'll be sure to return them to you once you've completed your business here."

I said nothing in response, simply nodding with an understanding smile. Seeing the long line in front of Samson, I sighed and headed towards the benches near the entrance.

I sat down with a small groan and brushed a gloved hand through my hair. Looking around, I could see I was still getting the odd look or two, but when I met anyone's eye, they turned away and went back to whatever they were doing.

I let out another longer sigh and settled in for a long wait, trying to ignore the crowd around me. In the meantime I thought back to my list of things to get.

If I have enough, I should probably get a bigger bag for all the supplies. I don't know if I can carry much more than what I have on me now with this one.

I hefted the bag I had slightly, feeling its weight. The weight itself was no problem, but I didn't know how much more I would need to carry, and I didn't know if the bag I had now could hold it all.

I didn't know how much a stagecoach cost, but I assumed it wasn't cheap, given the possible danger of traversing the lands beyond the cities and towns.

With nothing else to do, I once again pulled out the bit pouch Rose gave me and recounted the bits inside, quietly groaning at the thought of all the expenses I had to take care of. What worried me the most was that once these bits were gone, I didn't know how I'd be able to get more.

I could try to find some work in Ruvenbor, but it wasn't a sure thing, and there was still a lot I didn't know about how this world worked or what its rules were.

And then there was the traveler's permit.

What was I going to do in the very likely event they denied me one?

I wanted to believe there'd be another way around the issue, but I had no idea what it would've possibly been. Not helping matters was the thought of actually traveling with a mercenary... a stranger.

Sure, Jack and the thing that I thought was Jessie were both strangers when I first met them, but back then, I wasn't really in a position to decide whether or not I wanted to interact with them.

This was different.

This time I'd be actively seeking out a companion to come with me on my travels, and as much as I hated the thought of being all alone in this unfamiliar world, I was still nervous and wary of others—something I don't think I could be blamed for given what had happened to me so far.

That thought made me remember Rosalyn's words about how I should find others I could rely on... friends I could count on to have my back, and she was right.

I wouldn't get anywhere by isolating myself from others, but that didn't mean I had to be so trusting either. I had learned that lesson the hard way, both from 'Jessie' and Rose.

She may have been willing to help me in the end, and for that I was extremely grateful... but she had still lied to me, poisoned me, forced me into an interrogation, and flat out threatened to kill me.

It may have been a good idea to find friends, or at least friendly strangers who were willing to help me along the way, but I needed to choose my friends and companions carefully.

I frowned slightly and returned my bit pouch to the pocket in my tunic before looking around. I don't know how long I'd been sitting there, but the crowd seemed to have thinned out a bit.

I waited for another half hour or so, cursing the fact that I had neglected to get any books to pass the time, before I finally heard my name called out by the bored looking man behind the counter.

I've made a decision, and in light of how stupidly long it's taking me to release these chapters, I've decided to post them in parts (Episode III ~ Part I, Part II, Part III, etc.) from now on. I feel it'll be more manageable that way. The first few parts are gonna be cut a bit roughly, but it'll smooth out after this Episode, so I just ask that you guys bear with the awkward editing for now.

Ah, FYI, I'm gonna try to make each chapter round out to about 4k to 5k words in the hopes that it'll eventually become the new norm for me, so just a heads up.