Chapter 236: Sun Up Sum-Up
Coop startled himself awake. He had been completely enveloped in cozy fabrics, peaceful and comfortable, but he sat straight up as soon as he roused himself. The feeling that he had let his guard down was like a ringing alarm clock. His sudden movement removed the draping covers that blanketed his limbs and he unceremoniously tossed sheets to the side, exposing his skin to the tranquil morning air. It was refreshingly cool, especially compared to the pocket of heat his body had generated during his unintended hibernation.
The dimly lit surroundings were familiar, yet strangely unfamiliar, and it took several moments of wide-eyed scanning before his sleep deprived mind recognized his location. It had been far too long since he slept in an actual bed with a roof above his head. Morning sunlight trickled in from the uppermost floors, as his comprehension slowly played catch up.
Instead of the rainforest echoing with the sounds of wildlife hidden throughout, he could hear gentle waves lapping on a sandy shore. Sandpipers and seagulls called to each other while palm fronds rustled in the ocean breeze. A mourning dove cooed, letting its song gradually fade into the ambience, and harbor bells tolled in the distance. Coop smiled to himself as he remembered he was already back home. It had been late in the night when he arrived in Ghost Reef, but he’d made it back in time to fall into a well-deserved deep sleep.
Jett emerged from where she was buried by the piled sheets that he’d abruptly thrown off, squirming her way to freedom before she curled back into a ball of fur, flopping against Coop’s vacated pillow, irritated that he had woken her too early in the day. She resumed her bid to rest after giving Coop an agitated side-eye for disturbing her peaceful slumber. Coop apologetically rubbed her forehead, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut.
A little black ribbon was tied into a bow and rested behind the lighthouse cat’s shoulders, decorating her dark fur with a fashionable flourish of fabric. A shiny black gemstone, the professionally refined Eye of Shadow, decorated the center of the adornment. Apparently, her new unique item was similar to Coop’s custom equipment in that it wasn’t exactly armor, and it was flexible. More importantly, the bonuses were equally potent. She wore it to her preference, either as a black bow, a decorative collar, or a ribbon on her tail, depending on what she was up to. She seemed satisfied with the crafted gift, perhaps accepting it as an apology for Coop’s trips abroad and the extra time he spent with Felix.
Coop shifted to the side of the bed and scratched at his own arm before stretching, falling into an easy routine that helped get on with the day. He had no idea why the newly formed limb itched so much, but Madison had assured him that the feeling was completely normal. She suggested that he think of the irritation as his body running diagnostics on the regrown parts. He wasn’t sure how she could be so confident in what was normal and what wasn’t, given the magic employed in her treatment. No matter how much experience she had, there was no way she had grown limbs from scratch before mana had activated on Earth.
As he worked his newly corporeal fingers, massaging them with his other hand, he could accept that it was good as new, even if it was a bit uncomfortable. There was no disparaging Madison’s skill, whether it was magic enhanced by experience or some other combination of factors, she was something special. The truth was in the results. He clenched his fist, flexing his forearm, forcing the sleep inertia out of his muscles, and found no room to complain. His new arm was in perfect condition.
The exhaustion that had smothered him by the end of his adventure in the Yucatan hadn’t quite subsided, even after sleeping in his own bed. He yawned before bouncing to his feet, rubbing the blurriness from his eyes with the heels of his palms. He had already used up his entire allotted rest time, but it was woefully inadequate. It would take a month of relaxation to make up for the fatigue that had accumulated during the extended campaign through the rainforests. Coop jogged down the spiraling stairs until he reached the ground floor of the lighthouse, attempting to stave off his lethargy with some energetic movement.
“Time to get the mists flowing.” He murmured with a husky morning voice, remembering how his last skill, Infusion, had both changed him and completed the Path of the Mistwalker. He was pretty sure he still had blood in his veins, but he doubted he’d ever see himself bleed so long as his protective mists had any resources left in reserve, and that was assuming his layered defenses failed to shield him from injuries.
Sunny was impatiently waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, happiest of all that they were back on Ghost Reef. The retriever was bouncing on his front paws, alternating back and forth as he listened to Coop’s footsteps draw nearer and nearer, adding his own tippy taps to the normally quiet chambers. The bustle alerted the spectral bird that nested all the way up in the lightroom, and some curious chirps were added to growing commotion. Poor Jett had enjoyed peace and quiet in the lighthouse for long enough. The rest of the lighthouse residents were already conspiring against her.
Like Jett, Sunny also had his own new unique equipment. His was a red collar that was nestled in his golden fur, giving off a subtle fiery illumination thanks to the Splinter of Ashen Legacy’s influence. Where Jett’s was able to be manipulated by the cat’s wishes, Sunny’s was a fixed accoutrement that significantly enhanced his capacity to draw on his powers. The Herald of Dawn had a magical focus more similar to Jones’s Bloodstone Cane than to Coop’s Under Armor and Jett’s Ribbon of Shadow. Sunny had already proudly demonstrated the efficacy of his new equipment when delivering the crippling blow to the Empowered Bone Titan back in the Yucatan settlement.
Coop rubbed the dog behind his ears before opening the front door of the lighthouse. The blissful vistas of the tropical beaches greeted them both. A pair of pelicans swooped along the coast, diving into the shallow water with identical splashes while Coop took a deep revitalizing breath. He enjoyed the ocean breeze and tropical sun as much as physically possible, doing his best to draw the serenity into his being. It was good to be home.