Chapter 51: 2-4: Dirt

Terra

I pulled my hood up over myself as I made my way slowly into the all too familiar town. Of course, I had ended up in this area. And it had already been a hell for me. I chewed on some meat while remembering that weird old man who had tried to attack me for walking to slow. He had tried using some magic, but DS had stopped that and when I had used it against him... well he lost his head. I would have cared more but I didn't know him, and I was still upset over literally everything that had happened to me.

Hayli...

No. Not now, Terra. Worry about your girlfriend, who definitely doesn't know that you are her girlfriend now, later. I needed to hope my family would believe me that I was myself- just you know not a boy.

I could see Ulther's home. The kids should be at the babysitter's and Callie should be at work. Today should be Ulther's day off, I think. I steeled my nerves as I walked through the center of the town where I so often was chased by an ax-wielding Fredericka. As I reached the door, I carefully knocked in the same rhythm I always did and waited.

I heard the usual sounds of the locks and tumblers and then slowly the door opened, and I was greeted by a rested looking Ulther in his casual attire. He looked at me and then asked, "May I help you?"

"It's me, Terra?" I replied. It took my brain a few seconds to realize the mistake my tongue had made and began to try and fix it, "I mean I'm- or rather I guess was E-"

"Oh, Terra! Come in." He ushered me inside. "How have you been?" He asked as he went into the kitchen and began to brew some tea.

I sat down at the table and asked, "Ulther, who do you think I am?"

"My sister, Terra. That or the ghost of mom."

"Okay... wait, I never came out to you."

"But the prophecy letter said Terra, so I put things together pretty well."

"But how do you remember that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Okay, twelve days ago, what were you doing around about..." I calculated the time zones from the north to here. "Ten at night?"

"Well, I had received some very special dirty and was baking it into some brownies and was digesting the first batch of them around then."

"Dirt from where?"

"Some Holy Site."

Did Ulther's dirt eating finally do something positive? "Okay, and when you mention me to Callie?"

"It's weird. She doesn't seem to remember the prophecy letter even though I read it to her. No one does. They all remember Earth though."

"Okay. Well, I'm glad you remember me."

Ulther poured tea into a dainty little cup and handed it to me, "What brings you here sis?"

"I was teleported to the area and I kind of just walked in the direction I was familiar with."

"Why are you here? I thought you'd be avoiding human territory being a traitor."

"I'm not a traitor. I just had to agree to a blood ritual so Quaza wouldn't kill me."

"Oh, you met Quaza again. I see. How did Vern take that?"

"He wasn't with me."

"How's Avery? I mean is she actually alive?"

"Yes, and she goes by Nox now."

"Well, at least she's alive. Now, this Hero that also became a traitor with you, Hayli, what can you tell me about her."

"H-Hayli was- was- my g-g-g-g--" I tried to reply but I instead found myself choking back tears again.

"Terra? Are you good?" Ulther asked worried.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. I just- just-"

"I take it Hayli is important to you and something happened?"

"Yeah. The same thing that made everyone forget me. Terra me. Real me. Well not just that thing, there was a thing before that and- I just want her back but as things are I'm a stranger to her."

Ulther patted me the shoulder, "There, there. I'm sure she still like you as well."

"Ulther, she doesn't remember me. No one but you and I remember Terra at all. Even the word."

"Yes, but the heart stores memories better than the heart. My brain forgets anniversaries a lot, but my heart always makes sure to make me buy a gift around the time, so I am never a bad husband."

"I do not know how you ever managed to get Callie to marry you." I joked.

"It was my dirt recipes."

"Okay. Say, Ulther do you know anything about this Tournament I heard about?"

"Urk. That. The Duchess hates it and is trying to ban it since it's dangerous."

"Where is it?"

"Otterburgh. Why?"

"Seems like a good way to make cash. I kind of need it to get back to the demon capital."

"Why would you want to go back there?"

"Hayli."

"Oh, right. Wait a minute... you were in the Demon Capital?"

"Well, I was in Honiville before the finalization."

"That close and you didn't visit?"

"Again, I was under threat of being killed."

"That is no excuse young lady."

"Can you just get me a horse or carriage to Otterburgh?"

"Aw, leaving already?"

"Ulther would you stay in an enemy camp during war?"

"Yes. They might be talked with."

"Just get me transport to the fight place, please."

"Okay. I am happy to see you safe. Though I am worried about Vern."

"Oh, he's fine. I heard he's taken up skiing."

"That sounds the opposite of fine. I think he might be brain damaged."

I laughed, "I shall wait here."

"And if my lovely and beautiful wife comes home early before I return?"

"I will defenestrate myself."

"Not what my choice would have been, dear sister, but good enough." And with that he left me alone.

I decided to check on my room. It was as I had left it. The same bare bed, boring decor and bland walls. My drawers and closets were full of clothes I felt like selling now since they only gave me bad memories. I flipped my mirror around so I could use it for the first time since Callie had bought it for me and took myself in. I was a fucking mess. I sniffed myself and gagged. I really shouldn't risk it, but I really need to relax. So, I disrobed, tossing my clothes under my bed and made my way to enjoy a nice hot bath.

After enjoying myself in my own tub, I found some clothes that could fit me in the very back of Callie's closet. I made my way to the kitchen and was snacking on some crackers when the bag of dirt my idiot big brother had eaten from caught my eye. I opened it and looked at it and shifted through it with my hands. It didn't seem anything special. I tried to detect any magic from it. Nothing.

"What do you think, Dione?" I thought.

"Maybe it's runes. I think shrines often had runes."

"What rune would make Ulther remember me?"

"I have no idea."

"If I fed Hayli this, would she-"

"No. I'm guessing it's because he ate it shortly before that he remembers you."

"Makes sense. And I really wouldn't want to make any of the girls eat dirt." I shuddered.

The door opened behind me and Ulther whistled. "I got a carriage for you, sis."

"Thanks, Ulther. Hey, where did you get this dirt exactly. Like what was the area it was from for or whatever?"

"Oh, some shrine that was said to give you a mind unclouded."

"Huh. Well, I guess it worked."

"By the way, do you remember my old cadet, Ia? They have a hotel that you might stay in. Just give them this letter of recommendation from me and they should give you a discount."

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"Or make me pay more." I replied stuffing it into my bag as Ulther chuckled.

I followed him out to where a carriage was waiting. I jumped inside after hugging Ulther goodbye. I really hoped I could get enough to pay for my trip back to Hay- The capitol. I shuffled on the seat until I was comfortable and let the carriage take me away.

 

Hayli

"Are you sure this hat will work?" Caela asked as I place the largest hat the town milliner had in stock on her. I had put on some robes I had borrowed from the church that the tall girl who had controlled me was a part of. It was the simplest way to lessen the assholes in the area, though I had still been clocked by some people as... you know. But if that's the worst I had to 'suffer' then things were going well.

"Maybe if you didn't have a horn crown it'd be easier to hide them, Cae."

"Can't we just paint it gold or do my hair?"

"I tried to put your hair into a bun, and you cried."

"It hurt." She pouted.

I shook my head. "Come on, we need to get information on where the target may be." I said pulling her into town. We made our way to the local library- they were usually the least likely places to care about us not being humans and everything else, plus they did often have the best information since besides bartenders, librarians often knew what people were doing in the area but how I never could figure out.

The sweet smell of paper and ink hit us as we entered. We made our way to the front desk where a short haired woman was absentmindedly tapping a quill on the counter. At the sound of our approaching footsteps, she looked up and greeted us with the standard, "Hello, how may I help you today?"

"Well, me and my friend here are travelling around and well I wanted to know of things that are popular to do around here. And well, you can see clearly why I can't really ask about this in a bar."

"Yes, those drunks would not care you were a priestess, would they? Now, let's see... well, there's Duchess Nathers a bit aways. That's been popular because the Hero Vern is from there. The traitor Earth as well. There's a very popular lake for boating to the west. But if you really want to know the most popular thing to do around hereabout, well I reckon that would be this little Magic Tournament thing they've been holding over in Otterburgh."

"Magic Tournament?" I ask.

"Yeah, a few months ago these fellas came and set it up. It's gotten quite popular, and a lot of well-known people have participated in it. Course Nathers doesn't like it, but she's always been cautious about things like this?"

"Like what?"

"Rumors say she thinks it's a military recruitment tool or something. Seems more like dumb fun to me, but what do I know?"

"Where is Otterburgh?"

"Um, like a few miles east of here? You interested in it?"

"Maybe. I mean they probably won't let us compete."

"Nah, the fellas who run it have let some demons compete. Seem more interested in it being a spectacle than caring what some old coots complain about."

"Really. Then we shall try it out. One last question, I'm sorry for bothering you, but would there be a safe place to stay in Otterburgh for us."

"Luckily for you, yes. There's a hotel for... well, deviants as the old coots would say, you can stay in. It's in the west side of town, purple building. Probably can't miss it."

"Thank you." I curtsied and drug Caela away from where she was staring at the romance novel section and back outside and out of town. We moved towards the path out of town and started down the one marked as being towards an "Otterburgh". We only made it a mile down the road before we had to set up camp and rest. I would just skip ahead but I am almost done with this page, and I did have a very, weird dream. I think it was a dream. 

("Hayli, Hayli." Sairah snapped her fingers in front of me. "You listening to me?"

I started, jolting up in bed. "Yeah, I was."

Sairah sighed, "What was I saying, Hayli?"

"Um, that I needed to entertain myself on the island?"

"No. I was mentioning about the memory change spell."

"Oh, yeah that."

"And what are you going to do if Terra isn't Terra by then?

Who the hell was Terra my dream brain tried to say but instead I replied confidently, "I'm sure I can get her to come out by then."

"Really. You can barely get ready before you hang out."

"Excuse me for wanting to look good."

"Hayli, I doubt Terra cares."

"I care. By the way, what time is it?"

"Noon."

"Terra should be alone now. I should go and take her to LDC."

"If you're hungry you can just go without Terra. I'm sure she'd be fine spending time alone for one day."

"She's going to be on an island with fifteen other people, she should get used to being around me."

"I am so worried for that girl."

"What does that mean?" I huffed.

"Just she's going to be dependent on you if this is what you're doing."

"So?"

Sairah shook her head. "I swear to the twins... eh, she does seem like the type to be fine with that I suppose."

"She would take offense to that."

"She would also take offense to being called Terra."

"Well, I don't like calling her by her living deadname." I said standing up. "I am going to eat with or without her."

"I'm not stopping you. Just don't bring her back tonight, Bianca is having some of her pets over."

"Terra likes animals."

"Not those types of pets."

"Oh." I replied before making my way to see if Terra was up for some lunch.)

I sat up around sunrise and shook my head. Who was Terra? I mean, I remember a conversation like that one but... huh... I think there was some name I mentioned, but... I shook my head clear. Terra. Terra. I felt something in my heart clench whenever I thought that name. I should stop that for now. Whatever character my brain created wasn't important right now. 

I ripped the blanket of Caela who mumbled angrily as she got up. "Asshole."

"We have a job to do, Cae."

"Yeah, yeah. How'd you sleep. I kept dreaming about being chased by apple monsters and eaten."

That seemed much weirder than my dream. "Is that so?" I replied frying some meat in a skillet above the fire.

"What about you?"

"Oh, just a memory of a conversation I had some months ago but like it added a random girl's name to it."

"Oh, really? You really that gay?"

"Shut up. I'm not the one who keeps ogling women in every town we're in."

"Fuck you. So, what was this dream cutie looking like."

"I woke up before I could see her."

"Shame. I could know your type then. What was her name?"

"Why do you care?"

"Not to tease you."

"Terra."

Caela blinked and seemed to have some cogs turning in her head, "Terra? Terra..." She stared at the dirt for a few seconds.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm good. Just, that name made me remember something for a second."

"Well, we should get going, need to probably register for a tournament and I'd rather not wait another day to test out what the humans are doing there."

Caela nodded and grabbed some of the meat as she threw her bag onto her back, "I'm winning it, you know."

"It's a magic tournament, that probably means magic only, sword girl."

"Let's just see, Hayli. In fact, if I win it, you... have to give me the nicer bed in the house we're staying in."

"And if I win, I'll get it." 

"Deal." We shook hands and laughed before starting up back down the road.

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