Lunella sits on the gravel riverbank. Time seems to drag on as a knot messes with her throat. Every second that entering the city comes closer makes her feel even more unwell. Her injuries ache as vivid pictures of the previous day’s events reel through her head. Eventually, the sky appears just a bit lighter; Dawn is coming soon.

Hopping onto her feet, Lunella gathers her things. Spreading her wings, she takes to the air and glides high above the earth. In a matter of moments, she reaches the airspace above the town. Lunella observes the torchlight below. The gates are all well lit, but the space between them is mostly dark. Certain that the guards on the north gate have increased, she circles around to the southeast wall.

Lunella clenches her teeth as she feathers to the ground. All it would take was one guard to notice her coming down and it would be all over. Landing on the ground without incident, she immediately puts up her hood and tucks away her wings. From this moment forth, she is a human. At least that’s how she presents herself.

Having successfully entered the town, Lunella decides that her first order of business should be to find an inn. The thought of a warm bed seems tantalizing to her after having spent the night sleeping on a bed of gravel. Unfortunately, it is still night and even if she were to find the Inn, it wouldn’t be open yet.

Fearing a patrolling guard may find her while she waits, Lunella looks around for a hiding place. After walking around for a bit, she finds a group of bushes with enough space underneath for her to hide in. It’s by no means comfortable, but it’s just enough to keep her safe. She waits here patiently until sunlight filters in through the leaves.

With the streets beginning to brighten, the town comes to life. the girl glances from side to side before stepping away from the bushes. There are few people walking the streets, so she does her best to walk inconspicuously — Of course, walking in a hooded cloak tends to be very conspicuous.

Her heart races as she realizes that she is in the lion’s den. If anyone discovers who she is, things will immediately escalate. Her relaxed walk turns into a hasty and shaky movement as she searches left and right for something that appears to be an inn.

As she takes a turn around a corner, what appears to be an adventurer is walking her way. The burly man raises his hand and commences with some pleasantries.

“Good Morning!”

“Y-yeah, Morning…” Lunella manages to make a reply despite her nerve. The man then gazes around, scanning her. She lets out an objection. “U-uh, can I help you?” The man nods his head before responding to her query.

“Aren’t those horned rabbit tusks? You must be quite the adventurer carrying them in alone.”

“Thank you, but I’m still learning…” the girl forces a smile as she responds to the man’s compliment.

“Well, if you ever need a party, I wouldn’t mind having a strong beauty like you on my side. have a good day!” The man gives a short wave before walking off down the street.

That was close but I’m okay, I didn’t get discovered. the girl lets out a deep sigh as she continues to search for an inn.

The town isn’t that large and the girl finally manages to find an inn. Her heart beats as she approaches it. When she reaches the door, she places her hand on the handle and notices sweat beading up on her hand. Heres the real challenge. Will I be able to act human enough to barter a room? She twists the handle and pushes the door open. A small bell chimes as Lunella walks in.

The inside of the inn is a small, undecorated lobby area. There’s a counter covered in many things needed to run an inn. To the left is a staircase going up to the second floor, and to the right appears to be a dining room. It’s quaint, but it feels comfortable. the girl feels her heartbeat return to normal as a feeling of warmth washes over her. Civilization at last!

“Hello!”

Lunella calls out, hoping that the innkeeper might be around. She hears some creaking and after a while, a feminine voice floats down from the staircase.

“Ah, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. Just a sec!”

The voice is younger than the girl was expecting. After a few moments, a figure walks down the stairs. The figure belongs to a girl around her age. She wears a simple dress and has shorter brown hair, her amber eyes blending right in. If compared to a season, the innkeeper looks like autumn, and for a second Lunella’s breath is taken away.

“Are you here for a room?” The innkeeper asks Lunella.

“Y-yeah, sorry…” the girl apologizes, realizing she was staring.

“No worries! How long are you staying?”

“Uhhm… However long this gets me,” Lunella responds, placing a horned rabbit tusk on the counter.

“You, do realize this isn’t a place to sell those rights.” The innkeeper glares at Lunella.

“Yeah, I just…” Lunella fights back a knot in her throat. After everything that happened, she can’t make excuses with any confidence.

Noticing Lunella’s expression, the innkeeper agrees to bartering

“Oh fine… You’re the only one here, so I’ll just take care of it for you. You can stay for a week with meals” The innkeeper gives a slight smile to which Lunella’s expression brightens up.

“Thank you so much. Seriously, thank you” Lunella holds her hands to her heart, as she gives a soft gaze to the innkeeper.

“You’re welcome. Now, I do have a few questions for you.”

Lunella immediately freezes up unsure of what to do; The innkeeper notices the girl’s panic and reassures her.

“It’s standard stuff really, an inn needs to know who its guests are.”

“Standard stuff really, it’s just what we do.”

“Okay…”

“Let’s start with you name.”

“It’s….”

“Yes?”

“Lunella…”

“Is that an alias?”

“No…”

“Okay, how about your family name?”

“I don’t know…”

“You don’t know your family name?” The innkeeper says in a skeptical tone of voice, this causes Lunella to panic a bit. Debating in her head what to do, she can only tell the truth, just a little.

“I just… can’t remember anything. When I came to, I was in the wilderness without any memory. Fearing that I wouldn’t be able to get any help without money, I risked my life to defeat that horned rabbit. As you can see, I was injured pretty heavily in the process.” Lunella says, fighting with tears in her eyes. This prompts the innkeeper to take Lunella into a close hug.

“It must have been hard on you; I can’t even begin to imagine how painful it must be. You can stay here as long as you need or at least until my Mother gets back and kicks you out. I’ll even give you this tusk back. My name is Amara, I’m just the daughter of the owner. She’s out of town at the moment but will be back in a few weeks.”

Amara continues to hold Lunella, who doesn’t resist at all. The warmth of another body is exactly what she needs right now. For a minute, Lunella feels completely at ease. After a minute or so, Amara pulls back from Lunella and looks into her eyes softly.

“Feel a bit better now?”

Lunella reaches up to her face and wipes the tears off of her eyes before giving back a small smile. Amara pats Lunella on the shoulder.

“That’s good. Now forgive me for saying, you look like you were hit by a carriage. You should really get some rest. I’ll take you to your room. Don’t worry about a thing, I’ll bring you some lunch a little later. I’m going to get you up and going in no-time.”

“Thank you. Can I ask why you’re going so far for me.”

“Oh, come on, this is just what anyone would do.”

“I’m not so sure…” the girl thinks back to the guards who openly attacked her without any prompting.

Amara leads Lunella up the stairs. She points at the first door on the right. “That’s my room, in case you need me for anything. Seriously anything, just let me know.”

The pair continues walking before reaching the last door on the left.

“And this one will be your room.”

Amara gently opens the door before handing an old iron key to Lunella.

The room is quaint, with a simple straw bed atop a box of wood. To the right of the bed is a small nightstand, and to the left a chest. A small table and chair set sits on the opposite wall. A ray of light filters in past the red curtains, illuminating dots of dust speckled through the air. Its scent manages to evoke a sense of home.

Lunella begins to feel her guard slipping away. Is this a dream? First, a human girl treats me, well… like a human. Now I get to stay in an actual room. Leaving Amara at the door, Lunella quickly walks over to the bed and flops over onto the straw mattress.

“Aaaahhh, I’ve forgotten what a bed feels like. Well, I guess in terms of memories, this is my first time sleeping on one.” Lunella chips out praises of the inn, as Amara walks in and casually sits down on the bed next to her. Amara lets out a small laugh as she responds.

“I’m glad it’s up to your standards. Is there anything else you need from me?”

“Of course not! You’ve already given me everything I could want. I’m really, truly, grateful for you Amara.” Lunella looks at her with a sparkle in her eyes. Amara looks away and responds somewhat jokingly.

“Yeah yeah, get some rest now okay?”

“Okay…”

Amara gets up from the straw bed, closes the curtains and then leaves the room, carefully making sure that the door doesn’t slam shut. Lunella is left laying silently in the bed.

Amara returns to the counter and immediately takes to filling out some paperwork on the desk. Counting money, then tracking how much supplies they have at the Inn. As several hours pass, she begins to think about lunch and the clueless girl who just arrived.

Poor girl, to be lost and alone in this world without any memory, seems like a painful ordeal. I really want to cheer her up even just a bit. I’ll put some extra effort into making a really yummy lunch. Amara clenches her fist in determination as she walks off into the kitchen; She often had to cook, since an inn is only as good as its food and drink. She gets to work making her favorite dish to cook, a delicious boar stew. After a while, a knock can be heard on the door.

“Come In!” Amara shouts a little. A young town guard walks into the Inn.

“Oh hey Amara, is your mother around.” The town guard asks.

“No, she’s actually out of town at the moment. Is there anything I can help you with?” Amara responds quizzically.

“Yeah, so there was an incident yesterday, so we’re all kinda on edge. Anyway, there was a demon that attacked the north gate yesterday. We managed to land a shot with a holy arrow, but unfortunately, it still got away. The chief’s super paranoid that the demon might fly into town. So I guess, have you seen anything suspicious?”