Memories Lost - First of Apocalyptic Hell Series

Hidden History

    “Sayuri! Sayuri, darling, where did you run off to again?” a warm lilting voice echoed through the darkness. It was singsongy like bells at Christmas time and was as warm as a hug. I knew this voice as if I knew my own, yet I don’t remember the being it belonged to. Where was this voice coming from? 

    “Mikrí peristéri, come, come now, your father has returned!” The darkness began to fill with swirling color as if someone had begun to drop droplets of dye into black waters. I knew this was another dream, one of a long forgotten memory.

    There was a sunlit room with marble floors and smooth alabaster walls with marble pillars and a dome like ceiling. I was standing in a long hallway as I watched the tapestries blow in the breeze and I could see a figure standing in the doorway. It was a woman with silver blonde hair and was wearing a flowing white peplos with silver fittings and jewelry. It suddenly hit me, I was looking at Mitéra. I had not seen my mother in so long I had forgotten what she looked like.  

    I was walking towards her, my sandals softening my footsteps on the marble floor, when I saw another figure appear in the doorway next to her. He had hair black as night, wore armor with a flowing red cape and armor of polished bronze with dark leather rigging. It was patéras, finally home from the war! Excitement welled up in my chest as he wrapped his muscular arms around Mitéra before lifting her and spinning her around, her laughter filled the room and echoed off the alabaster walls. When he gently set her on her feet, he pulled her into a deep kiss. Once I was closer they separated and he looked down at me, before he scooped me up and spun me around. I squealed in delight and hugged his neck as tightly as I could. 

    “Oh how I have missed you, to mikró peristéri mou!” He held me close to him, even though he had just returned from war I could still smell the fragrant oils that he would wear. 

    “Patéras!” I held him, hoping if I held him tight enough he wouldn’t leave for war again. 

    I jolted awake, I hadn’t dreamt of that day in so long and to think that happened over 2500 years ago. If it weren’t for the time I was in limbo I wouldn’t remember my father’s face anymore, I had forgotten what my mother’s face looked like. His scented oils that he wore I could never forget. They reminded me of driftwood and sea breeze with a hint of musk. He always wore it, my mother would always smell like orchids and my father would always bring me back oils that reminded him of the beach because that was his favorite place to take me when he would return from being gone a long time. I could almost swear that I could smell my father’s oils now. I sat up and looked around to see the door to the building was open. I quietly rose from my bedroll, geared up, then made my way out the door. I scanned around to find Orus at one of the livestock water troughs and was bathing in a way. The closer I got to him the stronger the smell was, I realized that he was the one with the same scented oils as my father. 

    “Is there something that I can assist you with, Sayuri?” Orus asked without even turning to look at me. 

    “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your privacy.” I said, I could feel the blush on my cheeks from embarrassment. 

    “No need to apologize,” he looked over his shoulder and could see something was off, “Something is troubling you.” I sighed, telepaths are hard to lie to. 

    “I had a dream about my parents.” I walked up and sat on a large stone that was near the trough, “I haven’t dreamt of them in decades, since before I lost my memory, but suddenly I have a dream of my parents the day my father returned from one of the many wars he fought in. At the time it was Ancient Greece in 490 BCE after the first Persian War, unfortunately my father fell during the Battle of Thermopylae and I never saw him again. He was of high rank in the Greece army, back then Fae were safe to be out in the open during the time of Ancient Greece. Mortals worshipped so many of the gods and goddesses, even simple Fae were worshipped by some. We were safe, but that ended after the Battle of Corinth when Rome invaded Greece. Many Fae were forced to flee when the Romans came, even though the Romans worshipped many of the same gods and goddesses, they weren’t as kind to Fae kinds as the Greeks were. Luckily many of us were able to hide amongst them, others were not as lucky.” I shivered as I remembered how many Fae were slaughtered, many were those that didn’t look like mortals. 

    “I’m truly sorry to hear that, is there anything I can do to help?” Orus asked. I chuckled at his offer. 

    “There isn’t anything to be done honestly, it’s just a dream, but it was odd for me to have one after so long. The only thing I can think that triggered it was the scent of your oils. They are the same as what my father wore.” I looked away from Orus and towards the star filled sky, at least now I know they were watching over me. 

    “I can stop wearing this oil if it will help you.” Orus offered as he began to bottle it up. 

    “No I couldn’t ask that of you, besides it was nice to dream of them. Those dreams help keep their memories alive. It’s been nearly 2500 years since I last saw my father alive, aside from recently being visited by his soul while I was in limbo. My mother died during the Black Death in 1348 in England, even though she was an immortal, due to drinking blood from an infected host she contracted the Black Death and died because of it. I’ve been on my own for over 670 years. I have been on my own and spent many of those years alone. I lost nearly 500 years worth of memories, try as I might I cannot remember what happened. The only thing I remember was one minute I was living in France around 1720, next I woke up on a muddy river bank wearing nothing but a linen shift about 10 years ago. It was quite a shock, but I have managed to adjust and survive in this modern world.” I sighed as I looked at Orus. 

    “I could help you with your lost memories if you’d like. My powers should be strong enough to release those memories.” He reached out to offer his hand. I flinched away before I shook my head. 

    “There is a reason those memories are gone, I do not want to remember. For now they will remain a mystery.” I didn’t want to go through another memory tour with Orus, the last one was rough enough on my psyche. Orus looked almost wounded and ashamed for a moment. I sighed and chastised myself for being too cross with him. “Orus, I didn’t mean to be cold and I appreciate the offer. I know you are only trying to help. But some memories are locked away for a reason. I know that I have lived with the nightmares long enough, those memories are locked away because I lived them once, I don’t wish to do so again. Remember that and be courteous of those wards, especially for those who have suffered.” 

    I watched as Orus looked at me, a myriad of emotions flashed through his eyes as he thought about what I had said and seemed to understand the point I was trying to make. I stood to leave when he grasped my hand, at first I thought he was going to try to work his talents anyway, but he didn’t. He just held my hand for a moment before speaking. 

    “Normally I wouldn’t tell anyone else's memories to others, but I feel it is important that Aulcmid know who he truly is. He isn’t just some Uruk-hai that was created different.” Orus looked at me for what felt like ages before there was a flash of blinding white light. 

    I was standing next to Orus, but we weren’t next to the trough anymore. We were standing on a battlefield, well what was left of a battlefield. As I looked around the ground was littered with the fallen soldiers of an Uruk-hai and High-elf armies, it seemed as if there were more Elves than there were Uruk-hai. We watched as a group of Uruk-hai were going through the fallen and looking for soldiers that were still alive, but barely. 

    “This is Aulcmid’s memory that shows who he truly is, one that was buried deep in his subconscious. He once was a High-elf of good breeding, when he fell during battle with an Uruk-hai army, one that was in allegiance with Queen Lilith.” Orus motioned for me to look at the elf that was lying at our feet, he was struggling to breathe but he was very much alive. His armor had great detail and he wore a circlet made of silver that showed his high status. There was a medallion around his neck made of silver, it held a beautiful topaz stone. It struck me that I had seen this medallion before with the exact same stone, it was one that Caethrynna had. 

    “You mean to tell me that Aulcmid is in fact Eldar! Caethrynna’s love and the father of her two babes!”