Fall of Autumn, Week 4, Day 3
I must have been more exhausted than I’d felt because once I laid down in the luxurious bed, I was out until well past mid-morning. For once, I had not had a nightmare. Despite the light shining around the room, I’d slept like a rock. So, when I awoke, my eyes fluttering open, I immediately slammed my face into my pillow.
“It’s so bright,” I grumbled, my voice muffled by the pillow.
After a few seconds, I pulled my head back and groggily blinked my eyes, testing out the brightness for a final time before deciding to get up. I rose with a stretch of my arms and slid my legs off the bed. My heels sunk into the rug, and I let out a little sigh. It was a good sleep. I’d clearly needed it. My muscles felt immeasurably better already after a single day off the road. Not to mention that the claustrophobic carriage was a thing of the past —at least for the day. Soon enough, I’d be heading out to the Swordsmanship Academy and the Magic Tower on the daily.
As I walked through the Love of Zorya, I ran my fingers along the golden embellishments and wooden carvings adorned with embedded amethysts. The light purple contrasted with the orange and red hues of the room. It was rather a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to save it. I curled my lip in disgust.
It was such a Dawn color scheme.
Pulling back my hand, I went to the bathroom and prepared for the day. After washing up, I once again went all out on my braid. Rather than a single braid, I pulled half my hair up and braided eight smaller plaits. Then I wove them around the back of my head —creating a crown-like fixture that had light swirls of braids running through it. I let the rest of my curls fall where they would, the refined-yet-wild look becoming a staple of my appearance. Next up came grabbing my black sweater and as pale of a dress as I could get. Of the clothes unpacked during dinner, only one met my criteria. A purple so pale you barely recognized it as such. It was something I’d have to fix myself. I had plenty of bolts of fabric made with [Weave of Darkness], I just needed to learn to sew. Or pay someone to do it for me. Then it was just another bit of shadow I could control. I slid on some matching stockings and a pair of dark purple leather mules.
Finally, I did what I’d forgotten to do the day before.
[Shadow Conjuration+Shadow Manipulation]
The room filled to the brim with shadows, and I pushed them down. Tearing the shadows was easy. Pressurizing them came naturally. And so, they became reformed. I had my nails back. Next came a series of chains I used to make a bracelet out of. Condensed shadows were more difficult to move, but the gentle chill they put out was soothing to me. I needed the darkness to feel safe.
Abelia. Poisionously, that day flashed behind my eyes. The blood, the gore, the death. I swallowed thickly and opened my eyes. My stomach was churning, and I had to swallow the bile that was creeping up my throat.
I pressed my mouth down as I met my own eyes in the mirror. I didn’t look disturbed. I didn’t look kind. No, I looked indifferent. Sharp. That’s what I’d decided to become. Strong.
In my head, I made a list.
Brel.
Grel.
Scylla.
Abelia.
Eve.
I ripped my stare away and made for the main bedroom. I snatched Noir, tucking him into my bag, and left the Love of Zorya behind.
I eyed the bell hanging by the door on my way out, the bell that allowed me to call one of the maids to be at my beck and call. I had no interest in that. No interest in being stuck in this room like a prison. No interest in having yet another warden.
If I needed something, I’d find it myself.
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“Excuse me,” I said half-heartedly, “but I think I’m turned around.”
The maid I’d gone up to had neatly pulled-back silver hair and light pink eyes. She looked young enough to still be on the cusp of adulthood. She’d been in the middle of polishing a metal sculpture. The girl only seemed to pause polishing at the last second before she spoke.
“How can I help, my Lady?” She said dully, tilting her head as she looked down at me —her arm still raised and holding a rag.
“I’m looking for a training room? Or a wide open space?”
In fact, I’d been wandering around for the better part of an hour, going up and looking at the third and second floors. Now, after searching through the first floor, I wasn’t really sure where to go next. Eunora had never been to the training room at the main estate —those kinds of Skills were reserved for after Awakening. The only place I knew of was the knight barracks with their sand pit. But after seeing Perry Manor, I was sure this one had to have somewhere similar. I just wasn’t about to go tromping down random staircases that could lead god knows where.
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“There’s the barracks, of course,” the girl said, “But for the training room, only Gristle has the key.”
I waited a beat, but she didn’t continue.
“Right, do you know where Gristle is?” I asked, looking down the hall and preening my head up so I was on my tippy toes.
The maid looked between me and the rag in her hand and seemed to resign herself if the way she let out a sigh and lowered herself from cleaning the statue was a sign. A prick of irritation hit my stomach rather than anxiety, but I didn’t feel like paying it any mind.
“He’s usually in the office at this time. I’ll show you.” She didn’t seem very pleased to be showing me, but who cared about that? I only cared about getting where I was going.
You are the God of Nora. It doesn’t matter that she isn’t a fan. You have bigger problems. Like being weak.
The silver-haired girl led me deeper into the estate, and I felt my mind drifting as we walked. I began planning which Skills I would train and how I would train them. Now that we weren’t on the road, it was free reign to practice whenever I wanted.
So, I decided I would start by shaping more detailed objects. Daggers, swords, statues, fruit, anything. I wanted to get so good at mimicking items that, aside from their color, they were indistinguishable from the real thing. Not to mention that I wanted to be able to do it in an instant. I would also practice summoning a smaller amount of shadow, shadow that didn’t need to be condensed into my nails and bangles—shadow that would become my nails and bangles permanently.
Next, I would work on creating a shadow animation that was a weapon and a spirit both. Perhaps imbuing a dagger with Commander. Upon leveling up [Shadow Animation], I gained the ability to choose which spirits I summoned, but I hardly even used it. Commander, Advocate, and Entertainer showed up more often than not, though, so maybe I was choosing. Just subconsciously.
Then came seeing if I could get [Sophism] to Level 10 and [Steal Nerves] to the competency threshold at Level 5. If I was going to have the cursed Skill, I wanted to use it without being forced to announce what it does to everyone within earshot. I’d need a practice partner for that. Someone combative. I had a thought on that already, perhaps one of the Dusk could help. I also needed to purposefully empower [Otherworldly] and get it to Level 5 —if I ever needed it, I needed to be able to mentally command it.
Once I got everything to Level 10, I’d work on pushing further. Going past my limits. Rewriting what my Divinity means.
I mentally commanded my [Status] up.
[Status Summary]
[Name: Eunora Dawn]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 8]
[Unallocated Stat Points: 0]
[Vitality: 55 Endurance: 28]
[Strength: 30 Dexterity: 56]
[Perception: 105 Magic: 55]
[Luck: 45 Divinity: 132]
[0th Tier Class: Child of the Gods, Level Max]
[Boon: Morloch’s Blessing]
[1st Tier Class: Young Lady of Darkness, Level 12/20, 18.1%]
[Skills:
0th Tier: Inspect Lv. 8, Weaving Lv. 10, Mana Sense Lv. 10, Mana Manipulation Lv. 10
1st Tier: Quick Calculation Lv. 5, Silent as a Shadow Lv. 5, Weave of Darkness Lv. 10
2nd Tier: Otherworldly Lv. 1, Mental Fortitude Lv. 12, Shadow Conjuration Lv. 10, Shadow Manipulation Lv. 10
3rd Tier: Shadow Animation Lv. 10
Untiered: Eyes of Gospel Lv. 1, Tight Lips Lv. 1, Steal Nerves Lv. 2, Sophism Lv. 5, Eternal Communion Lv. 3
Finally, I’d have to push the limits of my Perception. See what 105 could really do. Maybe I’d have one of the knights sneak around so I could find them.
Oh, I would be so good at tag with [Silent as a Shadow]. Or hide and seek. I smiled to myself, suppressing a huff.
“He should be in here, one second.”
I jumped at the maid’s voice. I’d almost forgotten she existed. That’s how deep in thought I’d gone. We stopped outside a simple wooden door—well, simple compared to the rest of the ornate carvings I’d seen in the estate so far. We’d gone to the back of the building, near where I presumed the staff quarters were.
She knocked, and when she spoke, her voice was softer now, “Gristle, I’ve brought the Lady. She was looking for you.”
Immediately, there was loud shuffling from behind the door, and within moments, it was swinging open to reveal the same green-haired man I’d spoken with the night before. Only now, he looked rather flustered.
“Yes, yes, thank you, Sylvie,” he said to the girl distractedly. Then, when she didn’t leave, he sighed, “You may go.”
“Of course, sir, I’ll return to my station.”
Sylvie had a simple smile. A smile that said, ‘got you.’ What she was so smug about, I didn’t know. Or care. Staff politics would come to matter eventually, but that time wasn’t now.
As she left, I called after her, “Thanks, Sylvie!”
Her steps stuttered, but she didn’t stop. I did, however, hear a huff of acknowledgment.
Weird.
I smoothed my furrowed brow and looked back to Gristle, putting a smile on my face, “I have a question.”
Gristle, to his credit, did not even look the least bit put upon, “And I, my Lady, surely have an answer. How can I help?”
“I’m looking for a training room?” I said tentatively, “Or, if there isn’t one, a wide open space that’s still rather private?”
Gristle blinked before beginning to pat himself down. He started with his pant pockets, then went for his shirt pockets. Not finding what he was looking for, Gristle gave a soft smile and leaned down to be at eye level with me.
“No worries, Lady Nora, we have just the place. It’s meant just for you. I just have to grab the key.”
He disappeared into the small office I could peek at through the halfway-open door. There were organized stacks of paper coating every surface, with meticulous labels atop each pile. There were several open drawers in the back cabinets that revealed even more documents, and books lined the office walls. The main source of light was a single magelight tinted yellow at the center of the room, supplemented by a large window that oversaw a leafless tree. All I could see out the window was branches.
It only took Gristle half a minute to go to his desk and unlock a small chest.
When he returned, he held a velvet box emblazoned with the crest of the Dawns.
Two rising Suns. One after the other.