Chapter 511: High Tensions
When next I awoke, the tent was dark, and I was alone. There was a faint red hue on the western face of the canvas, meaning nightfall hadn’t come long ago, but everything around me was still.
It was too quiet, and as I sat up and looked around, I found the lingering mana of a sound ward. The mana bore R’lissea’s soul’s residue, and I smiled faintly. Leave it to her to make sure I enjoyed a peaceful sleep amongst a horde of literal demons.
I yawned, rolled out of bed, and stretched before slipping into a crimson dress. My hand lingered on my shoulder, tracing the smooth, flawless skin where the sun purge had once stained me. All my dresses were off-shoulder, designed to accommodate that scar, but now even that mark was gone, another layer of freedom I hadn’t realized I was missing.
Perhaps, if I ever reached a city again, I could try a dress with sleeves that didn’t leave so much skin exposed. Not that I disliked the off-shoulder style—quite the opposite—but it was nice to have the option.
My body still felt weak, but nothing like my exhaustion after reuniting with Fyren. The memory of that encounter sent a thrill through me, and I smiled, my eyes growing moist. His betrayal had been a defining moment in my life, and the realization that I had been wrong, that it hadn’t been my fault, filled me with a bittersweet relief. Bitter for all the pain the misunderstanding had caused me, but sweet now that he had returned.
I reached out and grasped my staff, summoning it in a burst of stars. Judging by the gradual fading of my strength, I had perhaps an hour or two before my body demanded rest, giving me twice as much time as I’d had before. There was no time to waste.
"Come, Fable," I called, waving my staff.
A shimmering golden portal spun into existence, filling the small tent with a blinding light and making the space feel cramped. Less than a second later, it opened into a swirling vortex, and Fable came hurtling through. My soul bond, which had felt distant and muted, suddenly flared with renewed intensity, his emotions bleeding into mine. Tears of relief welled in my eyes, and I threw myself forward, meeting Fable as he lunged towards me.
The impact of my eager wolf nearly knocked the wind out of me, but I sank to my knees, wrapping my arms around his neck and sobbing quietly into his fur. I hadn’t realized how much a part of me he had become, just how much I had missed his presence. Meeting Fyren had awakened a longing within me, a yearning for connection, and now I craved Fable’s warmth and unwavering loyalty.