Chapter 312 - Old journals
Scarlett woke to the weight of accumulated exhaustion from the past couple of days pressing down on her like a thick fog. The chamber was shrouded in darkness, save for a faint glimmer of light slipping in from beneath the door. Even so, she doubted she could return to sleep.
She lay still for a while, staring up at the featureless ceiling before letting out a soft, resigned sigh. Pushing the covers off, she sat up, and the magical crystals embedded in the walls responded with a gentle, greenish glow. Running a hand through her slightly dishevelled hair, she stood and crossed the room to the small cupboard opposite her bed. From it, she retrieved a comb and a towel, dampening it with her hydrokinesis before refreshing her face and wiping herself off. Feeling marginally more awake, she activated her [Charm of Expeditious Change], swapping her nightwear for a simple yet elegant emerald-green dress with silver trim.
She cast a glance around the chamber.
These quarters, temporary as they were, weren’t bad. Provided by the Rising Isle, they were better than what most inns could provide. That said, it didn’t look particularly lived in, since she kept most of her belongings in her [Pouch of Holding] and the [Bag of Juham]. Along with her [Charm of Expeditious Change], it was a convenient arrangement — maybe even more so than what she had access to in her original world.
Food, however, was another matter entirely. The [Pouch of Holding] could store rations, but nothing that would pass for a proper meal. If she wanted anything decent, she’d have to venture out.
Her eyes flicked to the enchanted clock mounted on the far wall, its overly intricate, luminescent runes marking the early hour. She hadn’t gotten as much sleep as she might have wanted, but at least it wasn’t the dead of night. She could make up for any lost sleep in the days ahead.
Hopefully.
Leaving her room, she stepped into a dimly lit hallway where more crystals brightened at her presence. The quiet was broken only by the low echo of her footsteps as she passed several closed doors, eventually reaching the common area of their accommodations. She moved past it and through the building towards the canteen, the lingering haze of sleep gradually fading.
Their party had returned from the Hall of Echoes late yesterday evening. Scarlett hadn’t felt inclined to wait for all the wizards to recover before leaving with her own group, even if her impatience had irritated Gaspar a bit. But she had been reasonably confident their journey back would be safe, and the man wasn’t exactly in a position to order her around.
The trek itself hadn’t been the most convenient, not with both Fynn and Rosa unconscious. Shin had carried Fynn, while Scarlett managed Rosa using the strength-enhancing power of her [Crown of Flame’s Benediction]. Slow, awkward, and somewhat mana-intensive, maybe — but it worked. Just to be safe, though, she had extracted a promise from both Shin and Allyssa not to tell the bard about it later.
The Isle Wizards stationed outside the Hall of Echoes had, somewhat understandably, been visibly anxious at only their small party’s return. Scarlett had offered them a brief explanation, assuring them the rest of the wizards were alive and that the immediate threat had been dealt with, leaving the rest for Gaspar to explain.
By now, she presumed the Isle had sent reinforcements and withdrawn the others.