Am I dead?
If I was, I wouldn't be feeling like my head is being pounded by a hammer.
The pain was sharp, relentless, like a blacksmith forging a weapon out of my skull.
Slowly, I opened my eyes. My vision was blurry, shapes and colors merging until they gradually came into focus.
The room was large and cozy, with a windowsill across from the bed, a small fireplace flickering beside it, a coat hanger by the door, and a small table by my bedside.
The scent of burning wood and something faintly floral filled the air.
How did I end up here? I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to piece together my last memory.
A bear chasing me, the ground giving way beneath my feet, the sharp pain as my head struck a rock, and...an angel?
My left hand instinctively reached up to my forehead. No wounds, no stitches.
That's strange.
My fingers traced the unbroken skin, confusion deepening. There was no mirror, no reflection to verify what I felt.
My head throbbed, my body ached, and my throat was parched.
Every muscle screamed in protest as I swung my legs off the bed. I could walk, but each step came with a limp.
Opening the door slightly, I peeked out into an empty hallway, doors identical to mine lining the walls, each illuminated by soft candlelight.
Muffled laughter and chatter, accompanied by the strains of string and percussion instruments, wafted up from downstairs.
Cautiously, I descended the stairs. The inn was alive with activity. People lined up at a counter exchanging money for keys, tables were filled with patrons enjoying food and drink, and waitresses darted between them with trays held high.
A carved wooden sign over the door read:
Welcome to Chalice Inn!
Relief washed over me. At least I knew where I was now.
"You are awake," a soft female voice said behind me.
I turned, and my eyes were graced with a beautiful sight.
A waitress stood there, balancing a tray of food in one hand and a stein of beer in the other.
Her dark blonde hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and her eyes were a deep, dark blue.
"Do I know you?" I asked, taking in more details.
Strands of hair stuck to the side of her face and neck, damp with sweat. "No, of course not. You were barely conscious when I found you in Achovell," she replied.
Was she the angel I saw?
"Thank you for saving me."
"It was no problem," she said, her voice trailing off as curiosity filled her eyes. "What is your name?"
"I'm Koen Dayne. It's nice to meet you...?"
"Helena Tallene." She nodded as a greeting, her hands too full to offer anything else.
She excused herself for a moment so she could deliver the food and drinks to their respective tables.
Later that day, when the inn was less busy, she sat down with me at a table I had found so we could talk.
"If I may ask, what were you doing in Achovell?" She spoke first as soon as she sat down, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"I was trying to find my, uh, friend." I replied.
I was unsure of how to address Baynard; he wasn't my father, and calling him my caretaker sounded a bit insulting to him.
"Did he disappear in the woods?"
"No, he went inside it like he knew his way in there."
"Then why did you go after him, Koen?"
"I was worried, and he's the only one I have left…closest thing to a family, actually." I explained, my heart feeling heavy as the possibility of him being gone forever started setting itself in my mind.
"I am so sorry that you had to go through this. I wish there was something I could do to help you," Helena expressed her sympathies.
"Well, have you seen him?"
"Maybe. Would you describe him for me, please?"
"Uh, he's around his early 50s, has a receding hairline, and is a bit too short for the average." I told her. She snickered a bit at his description and quickly apologized over and over again for her apparent rudeness.
"By chance, does he have somewhat big eyes?" She asked after composing herself.
"Yes."
"Oh! Then I certainly have seen him, Koen." Helena stood up excitedly, happy that she could help me.
"Would you mind pointing me in the direction he went?" She agreed enthusiastically and led me outside the inn so she could show me the way.
I was beyond confusion when I finally saw what was outside Chalice Inn.
It looked like a city. The roads were paved, street lamps adorned the sides, as well as stores like boutiques, cake shops, antique stores, and many more.
Carriages filled the road, and many people dressed in fancy clothing walked by the sidelines.
"This is not Bayhelm…" I muttered to myself, but it seems that Helena heard me.
"That's because this is Neria," she said, smiling at me as if she thought I was joking about the Bayhelm part.
"No, I'm supposed to be in Bayhelm."
"What do you mean?"
"I live there, Helena." She looked at me with confusion, her eyes assessing and observing every detail about me as if trying to figure out if what I had just said was a lie.
"Are you saying you managed to go through the Achovell Woods without dying or going insane?" Helena asked, her right eyebrow raised at me with her arms crossed.
"Yes, I am."
"Koen, everyone knows it's impossible to get through that damned forest."
"To be fair, I nearly died until you came along and saved me." I clarified.
"I guess that's fair." She muttered, her face softening once again.
Helena raised her hand towards the left side, her index finger pointing toward the distance, "Your friend went that way."
I went back inside the inn and started packing what little things I had and bought myself as many rations as I could buy in that inn.
The lady who tended the counter earlier was very kind to me and made Helena guide me through the Kingdom, at least until we either found Baynard or reached the bridge that bordered Neria and Berene Kingdom.
And here I thought Helena couldn't be someone to be ordered around, until I found out the lady was her mother.
We both decided to stay in the inn for one night before we set out tomorrow.
Hopefully, Baynard is safe and alive somewhere.
Just wait for me, please.