Lack of Memory

Suddenly, they were there.

 

How did they get there? Where was there, anyway? They were not sure. They looked down at themselves, down at their shining blue scales and their speckled, brown hide. That seemed right, so far.

 

Invaa. A name came to them - or she, she felt like the more appropriate word - and she assumed that it was her name. She looked down again and she saw that she was standing in grass, the blades tickling the spots between her hoofed toes. Then she looked up, the night sky illuminated by stars and planets that Invaa couldn't name. The brilliant purples and blues extended as far as she could see.

 

"Um, hello?"

 

Invaa startled. Someone was there? She turned to look and spotted a red-orange figure peering around an object. A tree, she remembered trees. The other looked a bit like her, but not. They looked at her with large eyes. A little scared, perhaps, but fascinated.

 

Invaa worked her jaw, then managed a hoarse 'hello' back. She knew how to speak and seemed to understand language, but actually forming words seemed like a challenge. 

 

Seeing that there was no danger, the figure stepped out from her hiding place and flicked her dark mane away from her face. "I felt a rush of magic here, or something.... it seems gone now, though. Was it you?" She seemed disappointed.

 

"I don't know," Invaa rasped after a moment. Then she cleared her throat, and spoke a little more strongly. "Where are we?"

 

"The Elvarin Plains, in the kingdom of Marriss," the other replied, then frowned when Invaa didn't seem to recognize any of her words. "Who are you? I am called Morgana, a Wanderer of this place. But I haven't seen you before."

 

"Invaa, I think..." Invaa replied, somewhat reluctantly. "I don't really know."

 

"How can you not know? What's wrong with you?" Morgana squinted coldly at Invaa, her wariness returning. 

 

"I don't know that either! I just... woke up here. Then you were there and that's all I really remember," Invaa blurted, starting to get frustrated with herself and the situation. "I know what things are and how to talk and I think my name? But that is completely it. There's nothing else I can say."

 

Morgana's expression softened ever so slightly. "Hmm... I believe you, for now. So what are you going to do?"

 

"I... have no idea," Invaa said, shaking her head. "This is very confusing, I didn't even think about that yet."

 

Morgana frowned again, then an idea seemed to strike her. "Well, there's a small settlement nearby. There's an inn and some little shops. Maybe you can stock up there, ask around for help? They might not trust you, though."

 

"Why?"

 

"You are a Nightmare, a purebred one at that. Some people aren't very fond of your kind. You can be an... aggressive sort."

 

"Oh. I didn't know that. I am not quite sure how I look." Invaa looked back at her sweeping tail, her long legs, and the scales she could see. Morgan was right, she did seem different from Morgana, anyway. 

 

"Listen... Follow me, I'll take you to town. I am not sure if you could get there on your own. Maybe we could find a mirror or a puddle or something along the way."

 

Invaa didn't have anything else to say, so she waited until Morgana decided to take the lead. They walked through the soft grass and the occasional trees. Something caught Invaa's hoof and she tripped.

 

"Whoa, aren't you Nightmares supposed to be able to see in the dark?" Morgana scoffed. "You really do need help."

 

They continued until they came to a worn path. It looked like it was just wide enough for a traveler or two to pass and just used enough for those who wanted to pass by, but not a popular route for large convoys. Morgana eagerly set to the path, so Invaa followed suit.

 

"If I remember correctly, this will take us right there. I would just leave you to go on your own, but we can't have you getting lost in the dark," Morgana snickered, and Invaa couldn't tell if she was being made fun of or not. 

 

Morgana continued. "I tend to avoid the big cities, they are so crowded. You can hardly find enough room to breathe. But they are good places to get information, too. Even I have to visit them sometimes. See the lights in the distance? There's the town. It's a lot smaller than a city, so you should be fine."

 

Invaa nodded, suddenly feeling a bit nervous about entering the inhabited place.

 

"I'll leave you here now.... I have other places to be. Good luck, Invaa." Morgana bowed her head slightly, then retreated from where they came.

 

Invaa took a deep breath and stepped towards the lights.