Chapter 1415 (Patreon)

With Yaneth leading the way, we had a lot less trouble in the forest. Luckily, the rain had largely abated, though the ground remained a muddy mess. Still, between Luna and me, neither the moisture nor the darkness was an actual issue. At least not after we realised Yaneth was hindered by the darkness, unable to perceive much, as the foliage above us blocked out what little Moon and Starlight managed to make their way through the clouds. 

Luckily, creating Light was apparently something rather trivial for a divine Spellcaster, even if their deity wasn’t aligned with any sort of Light. Though Luna had no trouble on that front, as one of Lady Hecate’s symbols was a pair of torches. While she obviously wasn’t able to conjure up the real thing, creating a magically sustained image of two burning torches was trivial. 

On my end, things were a little harder, since I was trying to be thorough. Meaning, I pushed the water itself away from our path, dried the surface mud and then made sure the ground that had been soggy moments earlier was neatly compacted, creating a hard, stable surface for us to walk on. Almost certainly complete and utter overkill, but it was quite interesting, and it gave me something to amuse myself with, as Yaneth remained somewhat intimidated by my presence. 

“Give me a moment; I need to orient myself.” Yaneth stopped us after a bit of walking. “Things look different in the night, even under the Maiden’s light.”

“I told you, you should call me Luna,” my younger daughter interjected, pouting a little when addressed by her title.

“But you are the Maiden,” Yaneth replied, her voice just a little confused. “I could feel your presence back in the Shrine, and you look like the Statue there. I would have thought that Lady Morgana was the Mother, but…” she paused, her confusion now very evident on her face. “That’s not quite right. Are you the Aunt?” she asked, making Lia snort with laughter. 

“The divine Aunty- that would be a great title, right?” my daughter laughed before reigning it in a little and merely giggling softly.

“Let’s just say it’s complicated and leave it at that. Or do you really need to know the exact circumstances, even if that knowledge might prove hazardous to you and your mind? Even before all this happened, there were myths about ‘Knowledge not meant for mortal minds’, if you recall. Would you really want to peer behind the curtain, or would you prefer to dwell in blissful ignorance?” I asked, letting more and more of my power seep out, deliberately dimming the torches in Luna’s hand with Darkness and making the forest darker, adding an ominous feeling and even lowering the temperature around Yaneth, making her shiver in fear.

“Ignorance is just fine,” she choked out, clearly unable to comprehend the situation and already shivering in fear. Maybe I had overdone things a little, but the look on her face made it clear that she wouldn’t ask questions like that any longer. Not if she might get an answer. 

“Coward,” Lia whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. Maybe Luna, too, but I doubted it, simply because Lia was next to me and I barely heard her. 

“Now, do you think you can keep guiding us, even if you are limited by your eyesight? Or you can simply describe Cassie’s Den to us. You do know that I’ve lived nearby for years, so I actually know some of the local landmarks and believe I could find them again,” I prodded her, only to have her shake her head at me, looking at me with disbelief. 

“Lady Morgana, I’m sure you knew the area, but you don’t know how much things have changed. I grew up here, too,” she let out a soft sigh, her eyes flickering closed for a moment, as if quietly remembering the past.

“Nothing is as it once was. The local geography has changed; there are now rivers where none were before, hills have grown, practically overnight; it’s impossible. Or at least it should be impossible. These changes make no sense, but the world stopped making sense two years ago. Quite a few people still wonder if this is some incredibly long-lasting, weird fever-dream, and I know a few have gone to…” She swallowed convulsively before continuing, “have gone to terminal lengths to prove their idea correct. Maybe they are now in a better place, but I don’t believe so.” 

“Neither do I,” I replied, uncertain what else to say. Though after two years, people should have come to terms with our situation, no matter their doubts. But maybe they had; they just kept that little hope alive in the depths of their hearts, just because they wanted ot believe something. 

“Regardless, let us push onwards,” I decided, giving Yaneth a look that finally got her to move again, though I wasn’t sure how confident she was in the direction we were going in. Luckily, I was fairly certain we were heading in the general direction of Apple Gate Farm, with only minor deviations. 

Staying the course, we eventually made it out of the forest, just as the sun started to peek over the horizon. Looking at Lia, I could easily see her discomfort, but I didn’t want to break off right away, especially since it would cost us our guide. Sure, I could ask Yaneth to stay here, or even demand it, but it would cost me something. I wasn’t sure what- maybe lessons, maybe an item, or maybe she would agree in the beginning but leave as soon as we left; I wasn’t sure. But the last would be the worst case, as it would require me to repay the slight, or it might become an issue in the future. 

“Lia, how well have you adapted to the Sun?” I quietly asked, glancing at my daughter, who looked up at the sky and the clouds covering parts of it. 

“With weather like this, I should be okay, at least if you give me a bit of aid if needed. But it would be rather obvious that something weird is happening,” she replied, speaking just as softly as I did.

“Certainly.” I nodded, then looked over at Yaneth. “Now, you should have enough light to guide your way now, right?”

“Ah, yes, Lady Morgana.” I wasn’t sure when she had adopted the rather respectful address, but from the strange look on her face, I didn’t think she would drop it. “But could we take a break? Just for a bit; I’m getting exhausted,” she asked, though her tone was almost pleading.

“So be it,” I allowed, knowing that she was relatively low-level, but even with her being as weak as she was, a single sleepless night shouldn’t be enough to exhaust her. Apparently, I was wrong, or maybe she had been exhausted when seeking shelter in the Shrine and had simply pushed on, driven by our presence.

“Now, as you have done us a service, I give you the choice between two options. One promises comforts you have not enjoyed for years, but it will cost you a few moments of disorientation and discomfort. The other is much simpler shelter, without any particular comforts, but there won’t be any additional discomfort,” I told her, pausing for a second. “The choice is yours.”

For a moment, she just looked at me uncomprehendingly, while I started to work a little. The ground beneath us started to shake as stone started to rise from the ground, forming into a small, artificial cavern, or maybe calling it a bunker would be more appropriate. It remained halfway buried, the other half sticking out like a beacon. 

“Let me,” Luna chimed in, placing her hands atop the bunker. I felt a strange power fluctuate, and the two torches in her hand became real and physical, adhering to the bunker I had created as a guiding beacon and turning it into a minor shrine of Lady Hecate. 

“Well done,” I complimented her, then looked down the stairs into the interior. “Now, Yaneth, your decision? Comfort, or rest for a bit in here?” I repeated my question, challenging her a little. 

“Comfort, please,” she asked, though a bit of apprehension coloured her voice. Which was fair, as she had no idea what she was getting into. 

“Excellent,” I grinned, pushing a bit of power into the shrine and creating a simple anchor. The proper pattern would have to wait until we got back, as it took a fair amount of time, more than I wanted to spend right now. 

“Take my hands,” I told my daughter, reaching out to grab hold of Yaneth as well. Then, I flexed my magic, transporting us all to the top of Jademoon Tower, grinning all the way as we stepped out of the shadow there. 

“Welcome to Jademoon Tower. And what once was Denver, Colorado,” I grandly gestured, watching with a bit of glee as Yaneth’s eyes went wide in disbelief as she gaped at the mountains surrounding my tower.

Somebody else had their definition of ‘Normal’ irrevocably shattered.