Chapter 92: Morning Blossom

Melanie: “Mmhmm~”

Melanie stretched her arms high into the air as she leaned up in bed. She didn’t understand what it was, but she felt oddly refreshed this morning. The sluggishness cause from the illness usually left her weak and in need of assistance to get out of bed, but today she was up early, the sweat that leisurely covered her body was not there, she felt like a brand-new person.

Melanie: “I haven’t felt this well in years, what could be the reason?”

Melanie thought about it for only a moment, before casting the thought aside. There was no need to know the reason why, only that she felt well. With a spring in her step she sprang out of bed, doing a quick morning stretch, before dis-robing and heading off to the shower. The morning air was chilly on her bare skin, but for once she enjoyed the feeling. Stepping into her bathroom, she turned on the shower, letting it run and giving it a chance to warm up. As she reached out to test the waters’ temperature, she turned to her bathroom mirror. For a moment her mind went blank, because what she was seeing was so surreal, she thought she was still dreaming. But the moment soon passed and realization kicked in.

Melanie: “KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?”

Melanie’s scream echoed through the hallways of the mansion, alerting several of the staff who made a beeline for their master’s bedroom. Barging into the room, they looked back in forth for their master.

Guard: “Master Melanie!?’

Melanie broke from her shock just in time to shut and lock the bathroom door, right before the guard barged in.

Guard: “Master Melanie, what’s wrong, please open the door.”

Melanie wanted to cry, just when she thought the day was going to be a good one, her reflection in the mirror made her thought otherwise.

The guard tried vigorously to open the door, to no avail.

Melanie: “I’m fine, please leave.”

Guard: “Master please open the door, we need to make sure you’re okay.”

Audrey: “That’s enough.”

Guard: “Captain Audrey.”

Audrey stepped into the bedroom which was now full of staff-workers, donning a rather strange head piece, not strange as in how it looked, but the fact that Audrey was wearing one at all.

Audrey: “All of you, leave here at once, I will handle things.”

Guard: “Captain Audrey, apologies, but we have secured our master safety before-”

Audrey: “I will do just that, you may go.”

The guards were hesitant to depart, but a glare from Audrey sent them scurrying away. The guards went on about their duties, but Melanie’s personal maid-staff remained outside the room. Once she was sure everyone was gone, she unlocked the bedroom door before heading over to the bathroom.

*Knock Knock*

Audrey: “Master Melanie, there all gone, please open the door.”

Melanie didn’t budge, in fact she wasn’t even at the door, she had gone back to the mirror and was staring at the foreign object sprouting from her head. She didn’t know what to do and she didn’t want anyone to see what had happened, but Audrey words in that moment sent her flying to the door.

Audrey: “……….Master, I know, there’s no reason you should be worried, everyone has one or two blemishes on their bodies.”

Melanie: “What?”

Audrey: “It’s true, even if they it ‘sprout’s from the top of your head, they are nothing to worry about.”

Audrey’s odd choice of words seemed to confuse the maids standing outside the door, but Melanie seemed to understand. She quickly opened the door, Audrey immediately entering and shutting and locking the door.

Melanie: “How-”

Audrey: “How do you think?”

Audrey looked up to see the same thing sprouting from Melanie’s head was a white flower, with the tips slowly turning black. Melanie then watched as Audrey removed her head gear revealing the same thing, a white flower that was slowly turning black.

Audrey: “See, I too have a similar blemish, but its best to let things like this, tend to itself.”

Melanie: “What on Leseres is happening to us?”

Audrey reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and handing over to Melanie. She placed a finger to her lips, imploring Melanie to remain silent. Audrey then began to cast a spell that kept anyone from hearing what they had to say.

Audrey: “This morning there was a noise outside my bedroom window, when I went to investigate, I found this. Melanie took the paper, viewed its content, her eyes went wide with shock.

Audrey by the time you read this I will have left the city, it was too dangerous for me to speak up before, so burn this letter after you read it. You’ll probably notice the flower now sprouting from yours and Melanie’s head, it was my doing, but do not pull it out. The flower is slowly cleansing your and Melanie’s body of the poison you are being infected with. Yes, neither of you are sick, or have an incurable disease, your both were being slowly poisoned to death to make it seem like an illness. Your favorite candle is the way they introduce the poison to your body and by ‘they’ I mean the people who are working for you. I realized this when we sat down to chat, the poison is released every time you light the candle, that is also the reason why you are never disturbed by any of your staff or why they promptly evacuate the room after lighting it. I don’t know how many there are, but from the moment I entered your home I felt eyes observing me, even when the three of us were alone, I always felt eyes on us. Someone wants you two dead and they wanted it to look like natural causes. I don’t know who, but I wanna at least give you a fighting chance. If you don’t believe me, you can yank the flower out and be done with it. Otherwise, you and Melanie should leave quickly and quietly, before they realize what the flower is doing to you. Again, you’re in danger, get out as soon as possible and get somewhere safe.

-Nathan

Melanie looked back in forth between the letter and Audrey in disbelief.

Melanie: “Do you believe this?”

Audrey: “I didn’t at first; however I made a strange discovery this morning.”

After reading the message this morning, Audrey quickly made a beeline for the storage room. Making sure she wasn’t spotted by any of the staff, she entered the store room and secured it so no-one may enter. Upon her investigation, she found that, the candles that should have been stored there were nowhere to be found.

Melanie: “We received a supply of them just this month, how can they not be there?”

Audrey: “Exactly, there are no other store rooms for such things, besides the one for the staffs personal effects, sadly my investigation won’t permit me entering there without drawing suspicion.”

Melanie: “What…I…but why?”

A sudden feeling of dread came across Melanie, for the longest time she believed she was dying. If what Nathan said is true, then someone close to her wanted her and Audrey dead.

Audrey: “Milady, please calm down, breathe.”

Melanie took a deep breath and regained her composure.

Melanie wouldn’t waste time pondering who it was that wanted her dead, when there were only a few who would go through such a meticulous method. What they needed to do now was to leave in a way that would not look suspicious, a way that they were sure not to be followed.

Melanie: “Is there anyone here we can trust?”

Audrey: “I wouldn’t know where to begin. Many different servants have one time or another, lit that candle several times throughout the years. It would be impossible to tell who exactly is trustworthy and who is not.”

Melanie: “Then we must assume that, everyone except the ones hired off-hand is.

Audrey: “Master.”

Melanie was angrier than she had ever been in her life. She had come to believe the people here as her family, but the entire time they were out to kill her and Audrey. She should have guessed this long ago, where she came from there is no one you can trust. Melanie tossed the letter into a waste basket and then quickly tossed a fireball in, burning the contents to ash.

Audrey: “I have already begun preparation, we are leaving.”

Melanie: “Audrey?”

Audrey: “It hard for me to say, but I no longer believe I can protect you here. A ocean between us and that family is still causing us problems. We are surrounded by invisible foes, hiding in plain sight. However, if you wish to stay, I could slay everyone in this mansion; it wouldn’t take much effort.”

Melanie: “Audrey, you can’t, some of them could be innocent.”

Audrey: “And it’s with thoughts like that we must leave, as quickly and as quietly as possible, for your sake and theirs.”

Melanie: “Alright what do we do?”

Audrey: “First we get out of this bathroom and get you dressed, I think been nude long enough.”

Melanie: “Ah!?”

Melanie blushed a bit, realizing for the first time that she was standing there buck-naked. She grabbed a towel and wrapped around her, taking another towel and wrapping it around her head to hide the flower.

Audrey: “Just continue the day as if you would any other, I will come for you later this evening. Everything we’ll be ready by tonight, take anything you need, but remember to carry light.”

Melanie: “Where will we go?”

Audrey: “Let’s not worry about that just yet, for now let’s just get as far away as possible.”

Audrey suddenly turned her attention to the door.

Audrey: “………..We’ll continue this later.”

She walked over to the door and place an ear to the door, she could hear the sound of people just outside. Even after she cleared them out, a few seem to have returned.

Audrey: “Get yourself together, I’m opening it.”

Audrey opened the door of the bathroom to find several of the maid staff, waiting outside.

Maid: “Master, is everything alright?”

Audrey: “She’s fine, she happened to find a blemish in an undesirable place.”

Maid B: “Oh, dear.”

Audrey: “It was dealt with; she was just a bit surprised.”

Melanie: “Yes it was as Melaine says, I’m sorry to worry you all.”

Maid A: “Master need not apologize; I too overreact on occasion in the case of problematic blemishes.”

Maid B: “Yes, it is all too common, especially you’re first. I’ve never see one on you before.”

Melanie laughed awkwardly, as the maids made small talk about similar situations.

Maid B: “Then shall we get you dressed?”

Melanie: “Ah, today I will deal with it myself, you need not worry.”

Maid A: “Oh?”

Melanie: “I still a bit embarrassed, I rather no one sees it.”

Maid A: “We don’t really mind, but if that what you wish then we will excuse ourselves.”

The maids bowed their heads respectfully and with peace of mind let the bedroom.

Melanie: “If they are indeed wolves, they play sheep exceptionally well; they could have very well been sincere.”

Audrey: “nevertheless, this will be the last time. I must go finish preparing, continue to play the sheep until tonight. Be ready, it will be difficult now that the ignorance of yesterday is gone.”

Audrey bowed to Melanie before leaving the room, after which Melanie swiftly locked the door. She immediately went to her drawer and pulled out some clothes and other essentials and stuffing them into a sack she had for carrying. Then she got dressed, stuffing the sack under her bed and out of sight. She then got dressed and headed out of her room. On her way-out, Melanie, took notice of the empty candle holder, which just last night a candle was there, slowly killing her under the guise of therapy.

She thought back to just how much she loved the scent of those candles and how she would burn several a day and, just like those times, she would have to let the candles burn throughout the day. Melanie felt a since of dread, the thought of allowing herself to be poisoned all day made her go pale, but what choice did she have. Anything but the usual would seem odd, so for the last time she would grin and bear it. To allow death one last embrace; before their joyful parting.

_

_

Ramol: “Is he always like this when he sleeps?”

Ramol, Iris, Anais, Ash, and Kyr watched on as Nathan lay down in the cart asleep. He remained asleep, even into the late hours of the morning. The cart had already been packed and they had continued on their way, with only thirty or so minutes until they reached the dungeon.

Anais: “Yeah, but he’s fine.”

Ramol: “Are you sure we shouldn’t wake him, we’re almost there?”

Iris: “That isn’t necessary, Master doesn’t sleep much to begin with, so I want him to get as much as he can when he does.”

Ash: “It kinda weird, the way he doesn’t move or react to anything at all. It’s like he’s dead. Why does it seem like that?”

Iris: “He says that whenever he sleeps, he has a dream he could never recall, but he always feels as though he understands what he should do next. As if he was enlightened”

Ash: “Like a prophetic dream?”

Anais: “I wouldn’t go that far, it not like he knows what going to happen next. It’s more like the choices he has to make; he makes one and sticks with it.”

Ash: “Ah I gotcha, so how long before he wakes up”

Anais: “Don’t know, it could be hours or a few minutes.”

Nathan: “Mmm.”

Anais: “Or right now.”

Nathan leaned up in the cart and stretched his arm into the air.

Nathan: “Hmm, what’s going on, we left camp already?”

Ash: “Hours ago.”

Nathan looked around with a blink stare, before it suddenly dawned on him what Ash had just said. He quickly turned to the front of the cart, with up ahead being a forest and they were headed straight into it. It looked like any other forest, but if they were headed toward it, it could only be one thing.

Nathan: “That’s it isn’t it?”

Ramol: “That’s it. The dungeon known as Viridi Wilds.”