CH 67 - A Barrage of Growth

Fall of Autumn, Week 4, Day 2

Exhausted, I fell into the plush couch in the Love of Zorya once Melinda had left. It was a soft orange color, with sun designs pressed into it. The dark wood making up the base complemented it well. I kicked up my feet onto one of the matching cushions and stared into space.

“I’m here. In Fellan. I made it.” I said to myself.

>It’s a miracle, isn’t it? That you’ve been able to survive outside the estate.Monsters.It always brings more monsters.There’s no proof, you know. It could be a corrupted mana source went undisturbed last season.Against you. You should say it, at least. Since you’ve taken my name.Well, at least there’s that–< Her voice cut off, and I felt [Eternal Communion] run out of steam.

What use was it in denying it, for even a moment? I was Eunora Dawn. —- is the past. She is of elsewhere. And I am too far gone here. Even my blood is corrupted by the Divinity on my [Status]. Any chance to go back relies on a Divine. A useless, malicious Divine. Or Morloch, I thought.

But Morloch was clear. I needed to grow by myself. He would not help me. Not yet. Not until I proved my worth, I was sure of it.

I took a moment to look over the Fellan estate. Unlike at the main house, there was no hedge maze here. Just two circular gardens, one on either side of the main road that led to the front entrance. The road itself was paved with three different colored stones, a grey stone that served as the background, a terracotta red brick that served as the first sun, and a burnished yellow stone that served as the second sun. The pattern repeated down the road. The two suns overlapped, then there was a span of grey background, then they appeared and overlapped again and again until they reached the golden gate that separated the estate from the wilderness outside. There was a small forest that separated the estate from the town of Fellan. Only thirty minutes from the main entrance of the town, the estate was settled just off the main road. When we had arrived, I’d been able to see the walls of the town before we veered to the right and up a steep incline.

Before Melinda had left, she’d told me that if I went up to the top of the bell tower, I would be able to see the town stretched out below. She’d even offered to show me. I was too exhausted to take her up on it, though. I’d likely find my way there soon enough. This estate had a much simpler design than the main estate, with fewer turns and stories.

Another chill came through me as the wind whipped my braid around me.

[Shadow Manipulation]

Even from the second floor, I could sense the items I’d crafted resting on the front stoop of the manor. I could feel each plushie in the crates, smaller than I’d made them, and the oversized blanket I’d hand-woven was folded and placed on top of a stack of crates.

I reached my hand out and closed my eyes. There was no need to see when I could feel the presence of my shadows around me.

Come to me.

At once, the blanket began to shift and unfold. I heard yelps from the lower floor and smiled to myself, hopefully none of the staff would worry about it. The black blanket flew through the air, whipping in the wind. It turned a corner and flew straight toward me, then wrapped itself around my shoulders like a long-lost friend.

Did I mentally control the blanket? Yes. Did that matter in that moment? No. So I enjoyed the crisp air on my nose and sank to my knees, wrapping myself tighter in the blanket. Leaning backward, I looked up at the cloud-ridden sky, where snow still occasionally fell.

It was later now, almost dinner time. After a few minutes of calm, I unwrapped myself and dragged the blanket back inside to get ready. I needed to get the road dust off my clothes and re-plait my hair. Two of the delicately braided roses had come undone during my nap, so I would have to spend some time on that, as well as generally straightening up my appearance.

By the time I was finished, it was definitely time for dinner. I headed out of the Love of Zorya and made my way back to the main entryway. Someone was bound to be there, waiting. I’d actually probably run into them on the way if they were still unloading the carriage. They would probably be ready to take the crates up and unpack soon.

Where they would put it all was beyond me. I mean, they had practically stripped the crown molding off my previous bedroom. I snorted at that thought, then I froze.

Wait a minute– I whipped my head up and around, narrowing my eyes. I thought back to my final days before leaving for Fellan. “If they were just going to give me a new room here, why’d I have to bring all my old furniture? They had me sleeping in a bare room for three days!”