"Knock, knock..."
"Are you feeling better, young lady?"
With a crisp knock at the door, it slowly swung open to reveal Heidlin, looking a bit worried outside.
She was pushing a silver-white food cart laden with food, mostly traditional thick soups from the Northern Realm, specially prepared for Valentina, whose body hadn’t fully recovered yet.
Unexpectedly, the sudden opening of the door startled Valentina inside, and she hurriedly spread her wings around herself. Among the slightly trembling azure-colored feathers, Heidlin could only see those clear, watery eyes.
Upon realizing it was Heidlin who entered, and not so dreadful creature from the chaotic creation, Valentina breathed a sigh of relief and slowly lowered her guarded wings.
"A little... better..."
Heidlin tilted her head slightly puzzled but proceeded to push the cart inside.
"Did I scare you, young lady?"
Valentina shook her head with a smile, then said,
"...Of course not, Heidlin. You are the person I trust most, not so terrifying monster. How could you scare ? It’s just... I was just lost in thought..."
Heidlin cupped her cheek, causing her jade hair crown to slant slightly as she looked at Valentina with a puzzled expression.
"Young lady, about Fisher’s situation..."
"...I don’t believe Fisher is dead. He’s so formidable; he must be alive sowhere, just that I don’t know where he is yet. Heidlin, I want to find him, can you... help ?"
Heidlin looked at her quietly, observing Valentina’s resolute gaze, and after a mont’s silence, she said with a wry smile,
"When have I ever gone against the young lady’s wishes? I will help you, young lady. But before that, have sothing to eat first. By the way, I also brought the clothes, specially prepared for our Lord Phoenix..."
Heidlin cheerfully retrieved a rather luxurious garnt from beneath the cart. Its style was peculiar; Valentina had never seen anything like it, though it reminded her of the Phoenix attire she had seen in Dream Magic.
At that mont, Master Tao yawned in her mind and said,
"Not bad, it’s the style Wu and Tong prefer, they should be your Phoenix garnts too."
Unable to hear Master Tao’s voice, Heidlin showed Valentina the front and back of the elegant clothes, explaining them as Valentina sipped her soup.
"There are quite a few Phoenix garnts in the Frost Snow Phoenix Tree, but they’re mostly old and worn. So I had to imitate the style for you to try on, young lady."
Valentina took a sip of Heidlin’s mushroom soup and nodded with a smile. The food tasted as delicious as ever, warming her from head to toe, as if awakening every part of her body that had been asleep for four and a half years.
Just then, she rembered sothing and said to Heidlin,
"By the way, Heidlin, did you say earlier that the Iceberg Queen rescued from the roots of the World Tree? That Alagina? Why did she co to Wutong Tree?"
"Ah, her..."
Heidlin briefly explained Alagina’s current situation to Valentina, especially how she was backstabbed by her ally, the Black Chief, hunted by Nali, and even after reaching the Northern Realm, she was betrayed by the Turand Family, intended to be offered to Nali.
Eventually, it was the Sli who discovered them, extending an olive branch and leading them to the Snow Mountain.
As she spoke, Heidlin recalled sothing, nodded, and said to Valentina,
"And, oh... they have so very interesting machinery, the kind that glows blue. It might be just my imagination, but it reminds slightly of the devices with the Snowflake Knights. But compared to them, the pirates have more machinery, and it seems like they can even speak, though we can’t understand what they’re saying..."
"The Cardinal, huh..."
Valentina swallowed the last of her soup, pondered for a mont, then placed the bowl down and picked up the clothes to try them on.
"I want to et her... Heidlin, how do I wear this outfit anyway? How do I fit my wings... in here?"
"Do you want to et her right now, young lady? They’re probably discussing matters with the leaders of the Six Clans. While it’s necessary to et them, it’s better to rest a bit first..."
"It’s alright, I’ve been asleep for so long; if I sleep any longer, my body will rust."
"...Alright then."
Heidlin smiled helplessly, helping Valentina to don the outfit, dressing her from the undergarnts to the outer skirts.
Outside the door was the standard suspended tower tunnel of the Phoenixes; Heidlin usually took the stairs down slowly, but as a Phoenix, Valentina could easily fly up.
Though she lacked flight experience, her attempts in Dream Magic had prepared her, and now she readily flapped her great wings.
"I’m setting off, Heidlin."
"Hmm, be careful, young lady. You’ve just sprouted your wings..."
"Alright."
"Boom!"
But in the next mont, Valentina abruptly spread her wings, surging upwards with a blast of icy winds and the explosive sound of the air, making Heidlin’s reminder seem completely unnecessary.
User Comments
0 comments from readers