When the training for the day was over, Fenna first went to collect her new boots and handed the leatherworker the money after some small talk. They talked about the upcoming siege and Fenna explainer the role that was appointed to her. The jovial Nimuer expressed his complete faith in her abilities. Fenna tried her new boots on and the fit was perfect. She thanked Nimuer and praised his skills before leaving his shop to walk back to the Mended Drum. Sil circled in the air above her, sometimes flying ahead and then sitting on a roof to wait for her to catch up.
On the way, Fenna noticed a group of hooded figures, their clothes were the same as those she had seen come up some stairs in the underground spa. She slowed down a bit.
"People are talking about a disappearance and that the last time he was seen he was in the area of the spa." One of them said.
"We should increase security, no one may go down there," another added.
She couldn't hear the rest of the conversation as they had passed each other, but the words lingered in her mind. Disappearance? She and her friends had appeared in stone coffins from another world, could a disappearance mean a similar thing but to another world? Were they talking about a portal? A potential way home? Down there, that had to be those stairs in the spa. The Witch Queen had talked about a way of sending them home, there had to be more than just one. Wasn't that something Zell had said as well? She decided to check it out and if there was a portal she'd tell her friends about it.
Fenna took a right turn and went straight to the spa. The people at the entrance remembered her well, big spenders were always fondly remembered and when they asked how she was doing she told them about her new role in the defence of the city. It painted her in an even better picture, so she continued with a sob story about a precious heirloom that she had lost and she asked if she could go look for it. They allowed her access and one of the staff went with her to look at the spots in the dressing room that weren't cleaned on a daily basis, in case it was there. Perfect. She made sure to stay behind the employee and when they reached the junction leading into a "staff only" corridor, she went over the chains and quietly walked towards the stairs where the hooded people had come from. By the time she went down, the employee backtracked to see where she had gone.
The stone stairs led into a cave, her footsteps echoed as she went further in. There were lightsources at the wall, similar to other lights she had seen in the city, which meant people did walk here more often. There was a faint humming or buzzing sounds ahead, and a cold flickering light. At the end she rounded a corner and entered a room and she stopped. In the center of the room was something she could only describe as a tiny sun. It was mostly bright white light, but all colours appeared and disappeared on the surface and danced across it in irregular patterns. It was beautiful. Fenna approached it to have a good look. Was this a portal? She didn't want to touch it, but it was mesmerizing. The air felt heavier with every step she got closer. Was it even possible to get to it? She leaned on her spear and reached out a hand just to feel how different it was at arms lenght.
She didn't hear the footsteps echoing behind her. Hooded people were rushing towards the room.
The energy fluctuated and like a solar flare some of the energy arched out, making contact with her hand. It travelled through her arm, her body and out of her other arm, through her spear into the ground. It felt scorching hot and ice cold at the same time. It was over in a moment.
"H-hey, y-you can't be here," someone said and Fenna turned around. The hooded figures.
"Oh, sorry, I'll leave," Fenna said and she walked towards them, trying to play it cool. She did not expect the group to step aside and let her pass. She now had a good look at their faces; she recognised the tatoos she had seen the first time, all strange symbols she didn't know the meaning of. And for some reason they stared at her, jaws dropped, disbelief in their eyes. Like she was some kind of fish walking on land. She ignored it, her head hurt and she just wanted to get some fresh air now.
Inside her mind she felt Sil's fear. "Calm down darling, I'm on my way back," she whispered. What had gotten her falcon so agitated? She walked up the stairs, past the front desk and stepped outside. Sil immediately came down, took hold of her shoulder and upper arm and used her beak to touch Fenna's hair and cheek. "It's okay, I'm fine," she assured the falcon. Sil refused to let her go and Fenna walked back with her spear in one hand and the falcon on her shoulder.
All she wanted was to go to bed, she had a massive headache and her body was sore as if she had the flu. She didn't even notice her spear emitted a faint silvery light in the darkness of the night. When she reached the Mended Drum she went inside, she didn't stop to see if any of her party was in the common room and she didn't realize Sil was still holding on to her. She went straight to her room and flopped down on the bed as soon as it was in sight, still in armour, dropping her spear on the ground. Sil flew up and settled on the nearby chair.
At first she was just glad she could let her sore body rest, but sleep soon came over her.
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Pen Name
wanderingwolf
Zapdos
Marik
The Elvenqueen
MrSkimobile
a jellyfish
Festive
Candlelitsoul
