The peal of her laughter was like the melodious tinkle of a silver bell.
However, no sooner had it begun…
A violent cough racked the Keeper, interrupting her mirth.
Alden watched her wince, and his brows unconsciously furrowed with concern.
The old oracle waved away his worry.
A second cough, shorter and less intense, escaped her throat.
Eventually, the hacking died down.
Morrigan swiftly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, cleaning the edge of her mouth where a small trail of blood leaked down. Alden shifted uneasily in his seat. He didn't like the helplessness he currently felt. He didn't know what disease the Keeper had, but sitting here, incapable of doing anything to ease her pain, irked him quite a bit.
And while he was inwardly a little displeased that Morrigan had put him through such a tough Trial - even though he had given his full consent - all his displeasure vanished as soon as the old woman started coughing.
Trying to keep the worry from openly showing on his face, Alden waited for the Keeper to continue.
She composed herself very quickly.
Almost frighteningly so.
Shaking his head, the young man focused.
"What makes you think you'll do anything right now?"
The old oracle asked, her former mirth returning very quickly.
For some reason, he had assumed he would dive into another task.
Alden didn't know why he thought that, but seeing that the Keeper had no intentions of overworking him was nice. Or, at the very least, she had no intention of working him to the bone without giving him sufficient rest.
Alden was more than happy to oblige.
He really did need a break.
"As for what comes next, you will learn of that in due time."
That sounded good enough.
He took his time savouring the drink.
Eventually, it was time for him to leave.
Alden slowly stood up and hesitated, unsure of the proper protocol to excuse himself. The Keeper merely chucked, dismissing him with a nod of her head.
He bid Morrigan farewell.
Then, he headed for the stairs.
Along the way, Alden discovered that the crack in the Runic Circle had disappeared.
The Barrier was back.
Alden's gaze sharpened briefly before a current of relief washed over him. Descending the stairs, he tried to suppress the anticipation and quiet worry clashing within him. It was time for him to go back home.
Within the Territory of Flame, a white-haired young man hurried through the snow, eager to return to his sanctuary.
A while later, Alden approached his home.
His breath clouded over in front of him.
And while his Adept frame could handle the cold better than his Apprentice frame had, it was still a little chilly. Alden saw the black-clad guards straighten as soon as he neared. For some strange reason, they now wore grim expressions, their former hostility gone.
Alden inwardly wondered about the change. Before, it was easy to surmise that the guards believed he wasn't worthy to be in a relationship with Celeste. Now, however, they gazed at him with more… wariness.
Did they find out that he had become the Keeper's successor?
After some more thought, Alden ruled out that possibility.
It was more likely they had noticed him be summoned - having doubtless seen the Paladin that had come to escort him. And if an important figure had requested his presence, that meant he was also influential. Or at the very least, on his way to becoming important.
Fighting on the front lines during the invasion may have also played a part.
…Getting on Alden's bad side was an unwise idea.
Or so the guards thought.
Alden sighed and inwardly shook his head, ignoring the sentries in his usual fashion.
Then, he steeled himself and took a deep breath.
His crimson eyes held a mixture of hesitation and hope.
His precious familiar.
Alden didn't know how she had fared during this past week.
Internally, Alden wrestled with himself.
'Should I send a message through the bond?'
Hesitation wrapped around his figure like a constricting vine.
He feared there would be no response from the little phoenix.
That would be devastating.
To have his hope crushed like that, Alden was understandably reluctant.
He had mulled over the topic on his way back from the Keeper's Donjon, but any attempt to devise a plan of action dissolved into chaos as his mind and heart clashed. The logical choice would have been to use the bond. However, his heart, which had experienced numerous shocks during the Trial, could not endure another round of heartbreak.
Alden sighed and shook his head.
He forcefully put a stop to his rampaging thoughts.
At least there was a silver lining to this situation.
'If it can even be called that.'
Alden had discovered a new facet of his bond with Ignia.
He hadn't been aware of this when he had travelled to the Donjon to meet the Keeper for the first time - too preoccupied with thoughts of the de facto leader of the Sanctuary -, but his bond with his pet familiar had turned grey, or rather, faint.
It was still there, just less noticeable.
If Alden had to guess the reason for this phenomenon, it was that he had ventured past the range where he and Ignia could communicate. He theorised that a large part of this was because Ignia was still a baby. When she grew up, the range would doubtless increase.
Enough to perhaps cover large swathes of land…?
Shaking his head, Alden cut his musing short.
During his internal war and subsequent pondering, his body had already arrived at the doorstep.
He took a deep breath to dispel his anxiety.
Sensing the frigid air cool his lungs, he calmed his mind.
Alden placed a palm on the wooden door and closed his good eye.
'Looks like there's only one way to find out if she's awake.'
In the next second, he stepped inside.