In her room, Seraphine was on her knees, with all sorts of magical items laid out on the carpet in front of her. She sensed Nyra quietly approaching. Turning her head, she blinked her eyes at the creature striding in elegantly and asked in a slightly flustered voice.
"Nyra, how did I do?"
The large cat sat on her hind legs and started to clean herself. "Not too bad. The previous mistress would be pleased."
She humphed. It was to be expected, as she had been preparing for this for a long time. At last, she could temporarily sever her bond with this place and venture to the outside world for a time.
She studied the artefacts in front of her, each more valuable than the previous. Unable to decide, she swept everything into her sub-space. Unlike the shop's store, which held the payment for people's wishes, this sub-space stored her personal belongings only. She stood up and, after thinking about it, took out the mirror shard from the sub-space and brought it close to a window.
The broken mirror piece reflected nothing at first, only darkness. Then, once moonlight hit its surface, a clear image appeared: a frail-looking young man and a pale-faced girl, running desperately across a snowy landscape.
The girl, barely any taller than the pile of snow surrounding them, tripped and fell. Hurriedly, the boy picked her up on her shoulder and continued running.
Seraphine could not see who - or what - was chasing them, but she could guess.
Nyra, now curled up on her bed, lifted her golden eyes. "It's not time yet."
She sighed. "I know. I wish I could help them somehow."
"You can't."
"I know."
The time of their meeting was near. She just had to make sure they were in the right place at the right time. She felt guilty because while she knew this period was crucial, she felt an excitement that she had not felt for a long time. She was wondering how much the outside world had changed.
Her mind went to the guests who came today. The younger one was a familiar figure, an adorable kid full of bravery and curiosity. The other one was someone she felt responsible for. And the last one, the striking young man clad in plated armour decorated with the emblem of the World Tree, was the Commander of the Holy Knight.
He would not have known it, but she had seen his young self in her memory, held tightly by his mother. She had asked 'Mizan' to foretell his fate. She refused in the beginning, as no divination related to humans' fate ever had a happy ending. However, an encounter with a Wishkeeper had always been less of a coincidence than a fated meeting, so 'Mizan' agreed.
She could feel the voices murmuring inside her, and decided to abandon the train of memory - she would reach out when she needed the information.
Curling up beside Nyra, she ran her fingers through her thick fur, enjoying its silkiness and warmth.
"I will miss you, Nyra."
"Me too, kid."
****
"Good morning."
"..good morning, Lady Mizan."
The three men looked up from their breakfast - steamed bread, lightly spiced meat and preserved vegetables - as Seraphine entered. Armand stood up to pull her chair, but Seraphine waved him away.
"Please sit down and continue your breakfast, gentlemen."
She sat down but made no attempt to join in. "I trust you all slept well?"
"Yes, Lady Mizan. Thank you for your hospitality." Armand was as polite as always.
"Yes..! The bed was very comfortable!" Darryl chipped in cheerfully. In fact, he had been so fired up that he spent the night tossing and turning.
"Not too bad, thanks." Flint cleared his throat. He would not admit it, but it was one of the best nights he had in a very long time. He had almost forgotten how it felt to sleep without having nightmares and woke up without any splitting headaches.
Seraphine nodded, noting that their plates were almost empty. While she did not need sustenance while staying in this place, she poured herself a cup of steaming green tea. "Then, when you are ready, we will head to see Istaroth in a bit. I have something to discuss with that old woman."
"Who..?"
"Ah.. that person you referred to as 'Anya' of Dohara."
"Ah..." Even Darryl, who had spent years under her in the underworld, did not know her actual name.
After the guests finished their breakfast, they all stood up and were about to follow Seraphine outside of the room when Nyra sauntered in.
"Wait." Her voice was a low growl.
"Bring all the dirty dishes into the kitchen! Do you think they're just going to wash themselves??"
"..."
"...sorry, Nyra."