The celebration lasted throughout the night, with a promise of more the following day. Korra and R’lissea dragged around the party until the stars were massed in number, when it beca obvious Luke wouldn’t be returning soon. At that point, I politely excused myself, exhausted from the turmoil of the day. Fable escorted to my room, where the Star Guard were sharing a cup of wine. Luxxa raised an eyebrow as I gave them a tired wave, slipping into my room with the wolf behind . To my relief, she didn’t bother reminding he wasn’t allowed in my bedroom.
I shed my clothes and wiggled into a nightgown. With a whispered spell, I lit the fireplace, setting the Aetherial Prism on the mantle. Fable stretched out before the small blaze, and I glanced between him and my bed, chewing on my lip. He looked at , and his lip curled in amusent. I blushed as his tail curled around , gently pulling to him.
"Fine, fine, but it’s not like I’m lonely or anything," I said, falling against his fur with a long sigh. He was soft and warm as always, filling the Luke-sized hole in my heart. "You’d better wake if R’lissea cos in. She’ll have a fit," I said, yawning contently.
The Aetherial Prism cast its gentle light across the walls and ceiling. The rainbow incandescence had faded the longer it had been with , reducing the colorful glitter to more muted gold and silver twinkles that reminded of stars.
As I settled down, Fable shifted, and I felt his great nose press against . I opened my eyes again, suppressing a yawn, to find him twisted about, staring at . His worry seeped through our bond.
"I’m alright. Just a little nervous. I’ve never loved anyone before. I don’t know what ca over , what pushed to just blurt it out like that. But Fable...he said yes. I was so worried, but he still said yes!"
I squird as a thrill ran through my heart, pushing my exhaustion back again. The mory was bright in my mind. Luke’s warm smile, his arms around ...the fire in his violet eyes as he said those words.
"He loves ," I whispered happily.
The mory kept comfort until I drifted off, and I clung to it even as I woke in the weave of fate. Visions drifted across my consciousness throughout the night, taking from battlefields to cities, from the mory of Aurle to a desperate battle against Risen hordes.
Eventually, I stirred, waking with the dawn. As I rose, one image lingered with , a place not unlike the ashen crater without Duskwood. Only, the massive crater was surrounded by a much younger forest than Sylvarus, and the inside was glassed and glowing with fate magic, not sun. It was day, but the air itself shimred with bright stars. A small island, much like the ones of Haven, floated in the exact center of the caldera, bearing a small, run-down building. The ambient fate mana was thickest around it, overflowing off the island in visible waves of shimring light like a fountain.
There was sothing about its shape, about the dusty, stained glassed windows and worn moulding that tugged at my mories, persisting even as I clothed and called for the maids to brush my hair. It was so distracting I nearly forgot to push Fable out the balcony doors as they knocked, praying they wouldn’t notice the thick strands of silver hair that littered the carpet before the hearth.
"Is sothing the matter? You seem distracted?" one of the maids asked as she pulled my hair back, running a long, ivory comb through the crimson waves.
"Just...thinking," I replied, my tail twitching slightly.
"You must be worried about the tournant. I heard the Water Hero and that Fire demonkin both signed up for it," another said.
"Really?" the first asked, seeming oblivious that the comnt had been directed to . "I wonder if they’ll let us watch the fight? Who do you think is going to win?"
"Oh, Lord Esvitt, for sure. Did you see how strong and noble he looked yesterday? They say he wasn’t born a noble, but how could that be? He was the first to stand with lord Aerion!"
The others swooned, their gossip shifting to the various elves rumored to compete. It seed the organizers had managed to find almost every soldier and adventurer stronger than sixth-level to participate. While I could imagine the purpose behind bringing them into the public notice, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, listening to them with feigned interest. Why was it that every celebration on this accursed world seed to include so sort of fight? Couldn’t people be happy without beating each other up?
Then again, knowing Korra, she was probably one of the organizers herself. It would be just like her to take advantage of the occasion to line up every strong opponent she could find to fight. I half hoped the strength of the arbiter might dampen her fires a bit, but they’d done the exact opposite. It wasn’t just her, either. I could sense the sa in Luke, Fyren, Gayron, and the rest.
As the maids finished their work and left my quarters, Luxxa knocked on the door, poking her head through. "My Lady, have you decided what you wish to do today? Perhaps view the tournant?"
"Oh, yes please!" Jenna said, pushing her way past her. She twirled into the room, wearing a dress I’d never seen before. It was airy and blue, stylized like the local fashion but cut with an embarrassingly low neckline. "Can we, my Lady? These kinds of events are simply wonderful! There are so many chances to et new people and pick up so of the techniques and skills of the experienced mages."
"Oh, please," Luxxa snorted, "You’ve been hanging around a literal ninth-level mage, not to ntion my Lady, for months now. What could you possibly learn from so soldiers?"
Jenna stuck her tongue out. "There’s always sothing to learn, Luxxa. You’d be surprised what opportunities seemingly normal people can give you."
"Sohow, I doubt those opportunities have anything to do with learning magic," Luxxa muttered.
I couldn’t help a smile, their banter soothing my irritation away. "You can go if you want, Jenna. I don’t mind."
The mage frowned. "You an you’re not? I’m not sure I could get away with leaving you for a day in the city."
"Indeed," Kahlen rumbled from their room, having listened in. "The city is unstable right now. There’s no shortage of opportunists looking for a chance to earn so fa and glory."
"Not to ntion those seeking revenge. We’d best be on our guard for the foreseeable future."
"Actually, I was planning on visiting Haven today. There’s so much I have to show Fate," I explained. "You’ve been tireless during the last few months, protecting day and night. It ans a lot to , but you should all have a chance to rest, too. I can have Fyren and Fable stay closer than normal and watch the gate. You can all have the day off!"
"My Lady! We don’t deserve such thoughtfulness. We’ve only done our duty," Luxxa said, lowering her head.
"Speak for yourself. If you’re so gracious to offer, it would be rude to decline," Jenna said.
"Please do. With Korra in the tournant, Elise working with Luke, and R’lissea studying the shard with Selena, there’s no reason for to go out at all. I’ll be just fine in Haven."
"What of the young foxkin?" Kahlen asked.
"Hmm? Oh, she wanted to see Haven. I’ll invite her along; otherwise, Sari’s old enough to explore the markets on her own. Wisp’s still watching her, right?"
The blade demon nodded, and I collected the lantern, holding it as we left the room behind. The manor had recovered from the night well before I had awoken, and nobles and visitors trailed through the halls. Butlers moved between them, offering platters of bread and cheese in place of the wine and pastries they served later in the day. I stole a few slices, nibbling as we made our way to the courtyards.
Outside the Sunsinger Manor, we were greeted by so guards. I nodded in passing, gripping the lantern a little tighter as they shied away from my aura. How many of them had been caught up in the currents of fate during the coronation?
"Starlight!"
Sari’s enthusiastic greeting caused to turn, and the breath knocked from my lungs as she tackled in a hug.
"Sari, slow down," I gasped, frantically patting her shoulder.
She loosened her squeeze, beaming up at , her tail wagging. "Wisp said we’re going to Haven today!"
I nodded. "Yes, if you want. But I also heard the commoners are still celebrating the coronation in the markets. You could explore those, if you wanted."
She hesitated, ears twitching indecisively. I smiled, fighting the feeling to ruffle her hair. As much as I still wanted to view her as that young, sweet child from Heartland, she’d changed too much for that. Her words to yesterday had proven as much.
As I thought about encouraging her to join and leave the city for later, I paused, a strange stirring in fate causing to turn. The ambient mana of the city stirred, drawn toward the distant cathedral, where Selena and R’lissea were. But there was sothing strange about it: a breath of expectation, like the trepidation of a distant thunderstorm.
A shockwave rolled over the city, stiff as a sumr breeze, tugging at my hair and dress. I tightened my grip on the lantern, tail flicking anxiously. Waves of mana rose into the sky, coalescing into shimring vortexes of gold and green.
"What’s that?" Sari asked, staring at the distant light. "Is that R’lissea?"
"No," I whispered, my chest tightening as I stared at the shimring vortexes. The light intensified, attracting the attention of even those incapable of seeing the mana. Another shockwave rolled across the city, stronger this ti. My eyes widened as I finally recognized it. "That’s not her magic. Soone just triggered a teleportation array."
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