Chapter 63 — The Courage to Face One’s Fears, Part III

After visiting the chapel, Ria had wandered off in a daze, lost in her thoughts and emotions until she had arrived at Miss Patricia's tea shop. Ranger was upset with her that she broke her promise to Jarrel about not walking around alone, but he was also worried about her emotional state and didn’t badger her about it.

Patricia seemed to have a sense of her mood and left her alone after quietly serving her tea and a small platter of confections, saying nothing about the dog curled up under the table.

During the journey across the highland wilds, Ria had thought she had made peace with her family's fate—as much as she could with the seething fury she felt against the king and those who had knowingly gone along with his plan. But the divination had shaken that resolve.

If the divination had simply confirmed that her family was dead as expected, Ria thought the closure would allow her to move forward with her new life until the time when she was strong enough to achieve her vengeance. Of course, she was as glad that her brothers were still alive as she was sad that their father had died. But, for her to just happily continue her new life here while her brothers were at risk and her mom and Jeni continued to suffer...

Ria let her gaze drift from the festival decorations outside to the fake cobwebs and little spider dolls placed around the shop on the inside. Patricia even worked the festive theme into the confections, which featured sickly colors and the shapes of various monsters. Wolves, goblin heads, slimes, ghosts…

Her mom and Jeni were ghosts now, weren’t they? Would she have to learn necromancy to save them?

Ria took a bite of one of the wolves. The confection had a dark, richly-bitter flavor with a heavy texture. Something she’d never tasted before and undoubtedly expensive. The heavy tea Patricia had served teased of citrus instead of the usual mild flavor.

Though she arrived at Patricia’s shop unintentionally, Ria was glad her feet had brought her there. And thankfully, the other guests, a group of four older women, were too engrossed in their own gossip to pay her much attention. They did make wondering comments about Ranger but didn’t seem offended.

“Feeling any better?” Patricia inquired gently as she refilled Ria’s teacup sometime later.

Ria nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Patricia. I don’t know what I would have done if not for your shop.”

“You’re most welcome. If it’s something you want to talk through, I’ve been told that I am a good listener,” Patricia offered.

With an awkward smile, Ria changed the subject. “Sorry about bringing Ranger inside the shop. He's watching out for me today.”

“Woof…”

Patricia raised an eyebrow at Ranger's quietly voiced complaint. “Don't mind it. He seems well enough behaved, and the other guests aren't complaining. Also don't worry about paying for today. It's the least I can do when you're looking so down.”

"Are you sure?" Ria protested in surprise.

"Certain. All I ask is that you bring someone new with you next time." Patricia gave her a wink and a smile. "I'll be around preparing for the festival if you change your mind about wanting some company."

Ria thanked her again and watched the skilled tea-shop owner head over to refill the tea for the group of gossipers, easily joining in their conversation.

Not wanting to stare, Ria returned her attention to the tea and confections.

Someone new to bring along… Emily was the only friend she thought would meet Patricia's intent. Or maybe, Jess? Ria doubted Jess had ever been to Patricia's shop, but could her older friend afford such luxury? Leon probably could… once he'd earned some more coin, and he'd probably like trying out Patricia's confections and bread, but Ria couldn't see him being a new regular.

Thinking of her friends returned her thoughts to the surprise gifts from Hemse. Tapping her finger on the basket and casting Sensing Sphere, Ria confirmed what she had sensed upon receiving the items. The stalk of grains contained an essence of fire; the turnip, earth; and the pansies, the light of the sun. Was Hemse trying to tell her something about the importance of Leon and Keira to her future?

Ria reached up to touch the new amulet. The amulet was something different. A protection charm if she had to guess. Or maybe something else, but it didn’t feel to be a focus tool.

A cloud passed in front of the sun, momentarily shadowing the garden outside the window. The day wasn't getting any earlier. Whether facing her fear of learning about her family's fate had helped her gather her courage to face Amilee—it hadn't.

If anything, she didn't want to deal with anything else for a while. She procrastinated by finishing up the confections and tea, pushing the plate and teacup away so Patricia would know not to refill them.

When Ria had to admit to herself that she was stalling, she pushed herself up from the chair and straightened her skirts. "Ranger we're going."

He grumbled again about her walking around by herself.

"Don't worry. We're going to visit the north barracks now. We'll head straight home from there, and I might be able to get one of the guardsmen to escort me. Okay?"

His rawr-rawr of reluctant acceptance was drawn out as he stretched while getting up.

Ria waved farewell and thanks to Patricia and politely dipped her head and skirts to the gossip group as she left.

Lieutenant Gesler greeted Ria when she entered the barracks, his expression became a bit put-upon when hearing that she wanted to visit with Amilee.

"Not that you haven't proven trustworthy, Ria. But I'll need to have you wear voidstone restraints to visit with her." He gave her an eyebrow raise. "Are you sure you're okay with that?"

Ria grimaced. She had a fairly good idea what the voidstone would do from her experience with it at Master Rigure's workshop and was loathe to waste the energy she currently had built up since the morning.

Gesler eyed her warily as she retrieved her phoenix quill from its case and stored all her energy into it.

"Okay. I'm ready," Ria told him after returning the quill and case to her satchel.

Gesler nodded and stood. "Wait here, I'll be back."

While she waited, Ria smiled and nodded at the other guardsmen as they came and went. When Gesler returned with the black manacles, Ria held out her wrists to be bound.

Any energy that she didn't consciously hold near the core of her body was quickly drawn out by the restraints. Ria felt frail. How much had she been subconsciously supplementing with body-strengthening of late?

"Harvin!" Gesler called into the bunkroom's open door, and when the familiar face poked out, Gesler gave the guardsman his instructions. "Take Ria down to visit with the Clearwell girl."

"Yes, sir." Harvin's eyes widened briefly at the sight of the voidstone restraints, but he saluted and led her along the corridors to the back of the building where a set of stone stairs descended into the earth.

Light was provided by dim glowstones mounted to the ceiling, and the only prisoner Ria saw on her way to Amilee’s cell was a disheveled man who smelled of alcohol and was sleeping on a stone bench.

Amilee’s cell was clearly different from the others. With the voidstone restraints, Ria couldn’t sense the magic, but the meager light readily caught on the silver patterns inlaid into the bars and surfaces. An uncomfortable feeling pressed against Ria, slight enough to not be noticeable until arriving directly in front of the bars.

The dress-wearing girl scrunched up on the stone bunk, wrists bound by the same magic-stealing restraints as Ria had been required to wear, really was the same freckled, sandy-haired girl from the encounter at the alchemist’s shop.

Amilee’s gaze darted to Ranger before snapping to Ria, eyeing her like a wary cat.

“So, you’ve come to gloat, witch,” the girl venomously growled. “Taking away my sponsorship to the Academy wasn’t enough. You even had to make sure I was completely out the picture so you could take my place at Young Lady Keira’s side.”

“I would never do that!” Ria objected. “I didn’t know… didn’t know that you were the one sacrificing animals, that the shapeshifter was your familiar. That you were Keira’s friend. I didn’t know any of it!”

“Hah! Are you going to lie to my face?” Amilee’s eyes narrowed, and the girl shifted her weight, gaining a tension like a cat positioning itself to launch at its prey.

Guardsman Harvin stiffened at the sudden tension but didn’t move to interfere.

Without access to the energy around her, Ria felt vulnerable and intimidated, taking in a not-quite-pleasant breath and slowly let it out to buttress her courage.

“Well?” Amilee snarled and glared.

“It’s the truth!” Ria insisted. “Why would I want Keira to hate me? She’s so terribly worried for you, you know…”

“Hmm.” Amilee sneered, giving an impression of baring fangs. “At least, I can comfort myself that your plan is not proceeding as smoothly as intended. Be cursed to be hated, witch!”

Harvin flinched at the curse. “Ria, how much longer?”

Amilee rolled to her feet, aggression in her movements as she approached the bars. “I’ve been cursing your name to the gods since I heard it uttered from Young Lady Keira’s mouth. If I die because of you, I’ll haunt you to your end, and beyond.”

“Just a bit longer, Harvin,” Ria implored him with a determined glance. The guardsman appeared increasingly uncomfortable. She wouldn’t have much longer.

“Don’t ignore me, witch!” Amilee snapped. The girl lunged at Ria but drew up short to loom threateningly at the last moment, not wanting to touch the enchanted bars.

“Ria…” Harvin warned.

“Amilee… Keira and I are working very hard to present a defense on your behalf. I understand why you have reason to hate me, but please believe that we are doing our best to get you a more lenient sentence,” Ria tried.

A snorted scoff came from Amilee. “And now I’m so pitiful that you’re throwing me a bone of offered mercy? That’s sure nice of you after charming the village. At least, I never stole anyone’s youth and beauty, unlike you, witch!”

“Why would I want to steal anyone’s youth when I’m already this short?!” Ria huffed. “And I’m not even that pretty!”

“Bet you were an ugly hag of a woman before!”

“Was not!” Ria puffed her cheeks in annoyance. How could this girl be so infuriatingly petty and ungrateful?!

“Enough!” Amilee declared with a strained whisper, suddenly looking weak and frail as she unsteadily returned to her bunk. “It’s too exhausting… dealing with someone so brazenly shameless.”

“Wha-?” Rude!

From angry and intimidating to retiring and weary, Ria couldn’t understand the sudden change that had come over the necromancer girl. Was Amilee’s mind unstable?

“Geez, you’re dumb," Amilee wheezed at Ria's clear confusion. "It’s the restraints! I'm surprised you even let them be put on you…”

Ah! Ria nodded in understanding. She had lost her composure as well but not to the extent Amilee had. Just that small lapse in concentration had allowed the restraints to siphon off more of her remaining energy, making her feel even weaker.

"Sorry," Ria muttered.

"You know…" Amilee shook her head and made a disgusted face. "…suppose you could be telling the truth. You seem too stupid to have actually planned all this out." The necromancer girl groaned and lay back on the stone. "Denied my future by someone this stupid. How depressing is that…?"

Ria wasn't sure whether to grind her teeth at being called 'stupid' or to consider the concession progress. With a sigh, she let it go and focused on a more useful question. “Just a bit more, Amilee. There's something I want to know. Why people’s pets? Couldn’t you have chosen any animals in the forest?”

The girl stared at the ceiling, and Ria wasn't sure she would answer until she began speaking, "…Keth`yan felt that domesticated animals would be easier to assimilate because they had a willing relationship with humans."

Ria was aghast. “But they had families that cared for them!”

"You think I don't know exactly how much their families cared for them?! They weren't as lovingly cared for as you seem to believe!" Amilee snapped, then added more quietly, "You think only their spirit essence comes across the binding? Everything comes across. Their memories. Their emotions. Their instincts. Everything."

Ria could only stare in horror. Knowing that, how could Amilee have kept performing the ritual?! Again, and again. Ria desperately wanted power of her own, but did she have the determination to do such a thing? If it meant she could free her mom and Jeni and her brothers sooner, would she really not do it? No, she couldn't rule out that she wouldn't do such things as well. Thankfully, her path hadn't required any such terrible tests of her resolve yet.

Even so, Ria couldn't help feeling that Amilee's choice was wrong. No one was going to needlessly suffer just because Amilee couldn't live up to her family's expectations. And surely there were other ways for her to grow as a mage.

"Would you do it again?" Ria quietly asked.

Silence greeted Ria's question for several long moments before Amilee sighed. "Go away. I'm tired."

"Ria, let's go. That's enough, isn't it?" Harvin prompted her.

Ria nodded. Though the results weren't as productive as she would have hoped, she had done what she needed to do. For herself, and hopefully for Amilee as well.

Once that damnable witch’s footsteps could no longer be heard, Amilee let the tears and frustration flow. A witch moralizing to her? Get off your high horse!

The wolf, sensing weakness, rose to challenge her again. Images of snapping fangs and aggression tried to overwhelm her mind. Stripes rubbed up against her consciousness to comfort her, and Lucky put herself in the way of the wolf’s assault to protect Amilee. The others attacked the wolf to drive it back down into the depths where it would lurk for another chance. Keth`yan had been right. But it was all too late now.

With the voidstone, Keth`yan couldn’t risk coming close. He couldn’t rescue her even if he could still tunnel under Master Rigure’s barrier. Where would she even go?

If only she could have kept everything hidden just a few more months. Once at the Grand Academy, she could have joined the Order of Soulkeepers and become properly licensed. Now all her effort, all her suffering, it was for nothing!

She let the voidstone steal away the last of her energy, and the restful darkness came.

Ria was able to convince Gesler to let Harvin accompany her home, and Grandpa Orlan gifted the guardsman a choice cut of meat to drop off with his wife on the way back as thanks.

To Ria’s surprise, when dinner came, not only did Oscar join them but Yuri was there as well. Oscar proudly introduced his 1-year-old son, Toben, and newborn daughter, Sammy.

Ria was happy to meet Yuri. The young woman was more petite and delicately feminine than expected, and she was an avid reader, often frequenting Simon’s shop for the latest fiction works!

For dessert, Grandma Fana further surprised Ria (and everyone else) with a starfruit pie. At times during the evening, Ria felt guilty enjoying being with her new family but put on a brave face, not wanting to ruin the mood.

Afterward, Grandma Fana came upstairs to sit down with Ria and ask how the chapel visit went. Ria was reluctant to talk about it and burden Jarrel’s parents, but she had to tell Grandma Fana about Danny, which meant the truth was eventually drawn out, and while being encouraged and comforted, Ria let herself cry and rage about what had happened… and was still happening to her family members in Revant.

When Ria finally calmed down, Jarrel’s mom offered to consult with Master Rigure about using the gifts from Hemse to cook special treats for Ria and her friends. Ria enthusiastically accepted, fiercely hugging the dependable woman and promising not to keep any more secrets from her.

Grandma Fana chuckled. “Every girl needs her secrets, dear. It’s just that trusting and believing in others is important too.”

Ria nodded, wiping the snot and drying her eyes with her sleeves.

“Hmm. Guess we’ll need to find you something else to wear for tomorrow,” Grandma Fana chided.

“Ah-!” Ria sheepishly realized that there wouldn’t be time to clean her dress now, unless… “There’s still time! If we use my waterstone and heatstone, we can still get it washed and dried in time!”

Grandma Fana laughed. “I keep forgetting that we can now solve such things with your magic. Well? What are you waiting for? Let’s get to it. We should give you a good washing too while we’re at it.”