The Stained Tower

The expedition is ending, and I would say it has gone better than anticipated. As of this moment, almost all the guests invited by the token holders are being led out of the People’s Gate by Dennis. Dennis is, of course, the wilderness specialist as well as our designated helper and crier for the day. 

We did not actually force the guest to leave first; it’s just that the atmosphere of Fairy’s Pantry made some of them nervous. With them gone, the only people left are the BDP researcher, the individual token holders, and then a handful of stragglers from the various groups. Right now, all of them are standing in Knight’s Respite amidst the many oak trees and sparse thickets of heavy fruit trees and berry bushes. 

Both the group and individual token holders share an expression of uncertainty and have taken to pointing things out, inspecting the vegetation, or are building their resolve.

I suppose the scale of the trees and the environment of Fairy’s Pantry has caused a touch of reality to set in, and their minds are being tested for the first time. Fairy’s Pantry is alien to them, and most of them look rather uncomfortable when they think about having to fight whatever may be in here in the future.

Their expressions somewhat remind me of how I felt when I first arrived in this era. The suddenness of being thrust into a foreign environment and situation can be a lot for the mind to bear. Still, they shall have to adapt, as I did, while also learning to become more accepting of exotic places and their possibilities.

As for myself, I am alone, standing far off to the side of everyone else near a tree thick in ripe plums. After the guests departed with Dennis for the gate, I decided to stand back here for any token holders that wanted to speak to me. The logic of standing way off to the side is that the likelihood of me being spotted is low unless they are actually looking for me. I do not mind speaking to people who genuinely have something they need from me, but the people who talk to me merely because I am there are those I do not have the time for.

The first people to spot and approach me are Owl, Rabbit, and Wolf, who are among the more accepting and excited people involved in the expedition.

“Miss Nightingale, it’s so beautiful here. I feel like I’m on an alien planet that’s in the middle of a planet-wide rave,” Owl says, picking a fig and inspecting it. “...Or a lizard under an ultraviolet light, ah, I’m not really sure, but I adore it.”

“It’s amazing. I...” Rabbit moves close and peers into my helmet. “...I love it too.”

Wolf looks at me and smiles. “I like it quite a lot also. Thank you for inviting us.”

I hold my whiteboard in a way that only allows the three Helping Hands to read it. “Aye, it was not an issue. We appreciate the hard work everyone at the Helping Hands has done for us over the past month.”

A group of whispering people walk up behind the three, waiting for the Helping Hands and me to finish our conversation with one another.

“Well, everyone wants to talk to the Fairy, so I guess we should give them their turn,” Owl says, gesturing toward his companions.

Rabbit and Wolf nod, but before leaving, Rabbit moves close to my ear and says, “I might have something special for you in the next couple weeks, and don’t ask. It’s a surprise!”

She laughs and then joins the other Helping Hands. ‘A surprise from Rabbit? I would not even know what to ask.’

While Rabbit, Owl, and Wolf wave farewell, and the other group shuffles forward.

The group stops and whispers some things before a man I recognize is goaded forward by the other. ‘Ah, this is the one that held ‘token #222,’ Chance Manfred. I have meant to see how he did today, but things have been rather hectic.’

“Long time no see,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m Chance Manfred, one of the leaders of Pilgrim Hill Schematics, and I wanted to see if I could possibly make a suggestion.”

I tilt my head and write, “That is fine. I am willing to listen.”

Chance nods and then goes on to explain that Pilgrim Hill Schematics is concerned with how enclosed and obstructed the forests of Fairy’s Pantry are, suggesting the forests are conducive to ambushes by monsters. They go on to state that the process of preparing a plot for camping would have high odds of attracting this sort of attention and leading to ambush.

“That’s why we’d like to offer our services for free and erect a handful of ready-made plots that have already been cleared along with some basic facilities, like an outhouse, dry toilet, or maybe even a treebog.” Chance motions toward the people behind him. “That way, people can have a few places that would just need some upkeep.”

I erase my whiteboard while thinking about their proposal. Some people in Chance’s group whisper to one another. From what I can gather, the whispers seem to be questions about whether or not they have offended me by bringing up something like a privy.

My marker squeaks as I write, making the group go quiet. “I can see thy reasoning. If it is thy wish to help for free, I do not mind as long as it is only where I specify, but anyone that chooses to stay in the Tower before it has been opened to the top one hundred token holders shan’t be allowed to leave.”

A mixture of relief and concern spread amongst the group’s numbers. 

“So we’d have to stay until the job is done, basically?” Chance asks.

“Aye, that includes the job the researchers will be doing. However, I do not see why thou could not take a day or two to gather supplies and think about it.”

Chance glances at his companions, some of whom nod and others who hesitate. “I think some of us are still interested. Either way, a few dry toilets and raised platforms aren’t too much of an issue for us.”

I nod back, gesture toward the ground, and then write, “Then I shall allow Pilgrim Hill Schematics to prepare some plots at the locations I designate. Be aware that the ground here is impenetrable, so any privy will need to be constructed with that in mind. If thou finish the plots early, then it will be thy responsibility to assist Byron with anything he requires.”

“Yeah, I’ll have a chat with the others, but I think that’s all fine.”

We talk for a moment longer until Dennis returns to escort more people to the gate, after which we say farewell, and they depart. 

Glancing around, I find only thirty or so people remaining, so with the numbers falling, I turn my attention to Byron, Shriek, Mollie, and the rest of the BDP. They are all assembling tents, canopies, and other equipment in preparation for their work. 

I walk toward a table that is stacked with the enclosures of insects. Leaning forward, I begin to inspect each one of them and think over everything I have learned about them.

“Ah, Fairy,” a familiar voice says.

Recognizing the voice as Byron, I stand and turn around to find him with a smile and a look of expectation on his face. 

I tilt my head. ‘What could he need so soon? We only just arrived.’

Byron looks around as if he wants to ensure we are alone before he says, “I hope you don’t mind, but I actually brought an extra specimen that I thought would work well in the environment you described to me.” With shaky hands, Byron motions toward an enclosure covered in cloth. “I… uh, well...” He hesitates but walks over to the enclosure—his face takes on a blush. “Well, I actually brought a bug that sorta… I guess, reminded me of you.”

‘He brought an insect that reminded him of me? One I did not ask for?’

Swallowing, Byron pulls back the cloth, revealing an enclosure full of little pink and yellow moths. “They’re… pretty cute, aren’t they?” he says, rubbing the back of his head.

Watching a drop of sweat running down Byron’s cheek, I look away and lean in closer to the moths. They have little feather-like antennae, hairy yellow bodies, and then pink and yellow wings. ‘These remind him of me? ...I suppose before I answer, I should ask for clarification.’

Byron watches me closely as I grab my whiteboard and write, “Thou believe I am cute like this little moth?”

His face turns red, and he nods. “Y-yeah.”

I nod back and then write beneath it, “And what does the word ‘cute’ mean? I have never heard that word before.”

The color drains from Byron’s face. He shakes his head and says, “G-gotcha. I was just joking.” He covers the enclosure and laughs. “It should work great here, but I should get back to unpacking.”

I watch Byron walk away and start picking through things erratically. Shrugging, I return to looking at the insects and stop at the lacewing larva. ‘We have so many of these they might be good to test my haze on. Once I know how the insects react, I can then decide what I can trust the BDP with.’

Looking left to right, I notice that Mollie is nearby, wiping drops of water from the sides of the enclosures. I write something on my whiteboard, walk over, and tap Mollie on the shoulder. Her body shoots up in surprise as I point at the lacewing and show her my whiteboard, “Prithee, may thou place eight of those insects into four separate containers of the same size?”

Mollie smiles. “Oh, sorry, you kind of scared me. I thought I was alone over here.” Her eyes drift to the larva, and her expression cracks. Forcing out an answer she nods, and says, “Sure… let me see if I can find some containers.” Speaking to Byron, she digs through a bag and then brings some glass jars stuffed with grass and a tiny stick with a net tied to the end. With a bit of hesitation, Mollie takes a breath and starts scooping in the larvae.

‘It’s clear she does not like insects that much. I suppose if she spends enough time in Fairy’s Pantry working with Byron, she will either move past her fear or make it much worse.’

Noticing something, Mollie stops and looks away from the larvae just as a voice speaks into my head. {Constance, are you busy?} I hear Terra ask with her telepathy.

I wave farewell to Mollie and turn around to find Terra with the three government officials. {Nay. I do not believe so; I was just attempting to figure out what the word ‘cute’ means when I began talking to someone else.}

Terra is wearing her helmet, so I cannot see her face, but something about the air about her changes.

I tilt my head and ask, {Am I cute?} Pointing at the moths, I continue, {Like these moths.}

Taking a breath, she chuckles and says, {You’re very cute, like the moths, and I’ll have a chat with the person who said that to you later.} She gestures behind herself. {Right now, the general would like to introduce himself and speak to you.}

I look behind her to find a group of people following her. ‘Aye, I anticipated this, but I still hoped they might somehow forget to find me.’

Terra nods and steps out of the way, saying, “This is Fairy, the Fairy, or as some call her Miss Nightingale.” Moving from left to right, she introduces three of the people. “This is Manhattan Borough President Kenneth Blunts, Congresswoman Annette Callari, and U.S. Army General George Riddick.

{A General; I did not know he was a General!}

{He wasn’t until recently; only just promoted,} Terra responds without changing her outward demeanor.

The first person to step forward is Annette, who raises her hand, and announces, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fairy.” 

‘A handshake?’ My eyes stare at the woman’s clean and uncalloused hand. ‘I do not believe we are making a deal, but I suppose it’s a custom to shake hands for everything nowadays.’

I nod and shake her hand.

Anette has a clear but emotionless way of speaking, and her stiff smile makes me feel a touch uncomfortable. “I hadn’t heard that some people called you Miss Nightingale. Out of curiosity, may I ask if you have a first name?”

I shake my head and write, “I do, but please accept my apologies. Only those I am well acquainted with are aware of my name, so I am afraid I cannot provide it.”

“Oh, no need to apologize, and I really like your handwriting, by the way. I know that a lot of people that are active in the calligraphy community would be more than a little jealous.”

Straightening my back, I nod once more. ‘Finally! Someone that recognizes the effort it took to learn to write with such elegance! Perhaps, I shall seek out that community she mentioned someday.’

Annette steps back, allowing Kenneth to take her place. He too raises his hand. “Hi, Kenneth Blunts, it’s… it’s great to meet you, Fairy.”

I glance at Terra, who motions toward him with a subtle wave, so I nod and shake his hand too.

“I just wanted to say this is all….” His eyes glance off into space as he struggles to come up with the words. “Well, this is incredible. I feel like I’ve been transported to the west coast, but hundreds of years in the past.” He looks up to where the empyrean glows high in the mist. “Minus the… the whatever that is up there. Really it’s just incredible.”

“I am certain the Mistress would be thankful to hear thy kind words,” I write while placing a hand over my heart.

He nods and glances around before asking, “Is it possible for us to meet her? I’d like to thank her for the hospitality.”

Shaking my head, I write, “Nay. No one meets the Mistress. She will indirectly interact with people in the future, but the Mistress is not one for company.” I erase the board, hold up my finger and then add, “But she is aware that thou art thankful for the hospitality.”

“Is that so...” he says after a moment’s pause.

There’s a cough, and General Riddick steps forward. Kenneth and Annette glance at one another just as two familiar people approach, Lincoln and Pierce.

Pierce walks up and holds up a plump orange fruit. “Ken, Ane, someone found some fruit. I think you two might want to give it a try.”

“Naranjillas,” Lincoln says, tossing the naranjilla up and catching it with his remaining hand. “Don’t usually find them very often; they don’t transfer cross country very well.”

Kenneth glances at the pair before turning back to me. “Ane and I will be sticking around for a few more days, so we’ll have chances to talk later.” 

“The general will be leaving as soon as this is concluded, so we’ll just leave you two to get acquainted,” Annette says with a quick glance at George Riddick.

Watching the two moving away, I ask Terra, {Should they not stay for this conversation?}

{From what I understand, they aren’t allowed to because what General Riddick wants to discuss is on a need-to-know basis, and apparently, those two don’t need to know.}

“Let’s speak out of earshot over there,” General Riddick says, motioning off toward a quiet area away from everyone else.

Seeing Terra following his lead, I comply and do the same. We stop when we can only hear the louder people in the distance. 

“First of all, I’d like to introduce myself.” He raises his hand for a handshake. “I am General George Riddick of the United States Army. May I call you Miss Nightingale, or do you prefer Fairy?”

“Call me what thou wish, General Riddick.” After he has read my message, I tuck it beneath my arm and shake his hand.

“Then a pleasure, Miss Nightingale.” We separate, and he places his hands in front of himself and then asks, “Is it okay if I start by asking you some questions about the tokens you’re distributing?”

I glance at Terra. {It may be better if thou answers his questions. I am not certain what I should and should not say.}

Glancing back at me, Terra indicates she will handle the talking, and I merely need to listen. 

{Aye, I thank thee.} On my whiteboard, I write, “It is fine, but the Speaker of Speakers will be answering. That way, thou doth not have to wait for me to write large sentences.”

He nods. “Very well, I don’t see a problem with that. Then I’ll just ask if you’re willing to donate some of them to the U.S. Military for our own private use.”

“The military is interested in tokens? If it’s for the awakening they grant, then we might be able to work something out in time, but at the moment, the amount we can awaken is limited.”

“Though I’m certain there are many in the military that would be interested in that, I’m actually more interested in the entrance privileges the tokens provide.”

“Entrance?” Terra pauses and then says, “Well, that’s a bit more complicated. The Mistress didn’t intend for the Tower to be for military soldiers with high-powered rifles. It’s meant for the common people of the world as an opportunity to not just survive but thrive on their own two feet and beneath the heels of no one.”

“That’s very admirable, but we wouldn’t be bringing in anything destructive. Moreover, it’s the military that’s putting their lives on the line, and those tokens could be the difference between life and death.”

{Ask him how many people they are wanting to bring into the Tower,} I tell Terra.

“Well, General, the military is certainly appreciated, but before this conversation can go anywhere, I need to know what you’re expecting. It would help if you told me how many people you’re wanting to bring into the Mistress’s Tower.”

“I would want to bring in a few small groups, but I’d also want them to have a more developed plot of land with a barracks.”

“Are you saying that you’d want to build a barracks then have them essentially live in the Tower? I don’t think a barracks is doable at this time, and we don’t recommend anyone living within the Tower.”

“Well, the barracks are a discussion we can revisit. Right now, I’m more interested in the privilege of entrance.”

“I understand, General, but I’m afraid that’s also impossible. Even if they’re small groups, we only have a hundred spots, and we aren’t sure when we’ll be expanding that number. The people who traveled to New York would feel cheated if we gave so many places to the military.”

He nods. “Well, I think you should first consider Miss Nightingale’s position.”

“Position? Please, enlighten me, General. I don’t think I know what you mean.”

“Are you aware that Miss Nightingale and all nonhuman entities have been labeled as potential foreign enemies and threats to the stability of the United States?”

General Riddick’s words cause thoughts of England and Roanoke to pass through my mind. ‘Nay, not again. This is England all over again! How can this happen to the same person twice?!’

“A foreign enemy of the United States of America?” Terra says with a touch of doubt in her tone. “I don’t think you can just label someone an enemy without some sort of due process.”

Looking between the two of us, General Riddick nods and states, “If she’s not human as you’ve been claiming, there doesn’t need to be a due process. Miss Nightingale has no formally recognized rights or protections under the laws of mankind.”

Terra’s tone becomes slow and serious as she gestures at him, saying, “Please clarify, General, because right now I’m concerned you might be threatening Miss Nightingale with laws that couldn’t have possibly been updated so quickly after the Cosmic System’s arrival.”

“I’m not threatening her, but if she were helping the military, I’m sure that would open a lot of doors for her and a lot of eyes looking the other way.” Glancing at me, General Riddick looks back at Terra and says, “I find it hard to believe that you wouldn’t know the military has a... ‘shaky’ opinion on Miss Nightingale after everything that has happened.”

“I would think the military has more to worry about than Miss Nightingale.” Terra gestures toward the forest where the gates are. “Like the city outside.”

“I’d think your Mistress should be just as worried about that, seeing as the north of the city is in a precarious place.”

“Hmm, is the military having trouble with the fungal infection? I thought they reported things were going well.”

“Well, those reports don’t really go into specifics, but things aren’t going as well as they say. In which case, if the military decides to pull out, then they’ll make a quick advance into the central area of the city, I’m sure.”

Terra goes quiet while the two of us have a conversation using telepathy.

“We can’t offer you any tokens.” The General raises an eyebrow and is about to say something when Terra continues, “...but we can offer a provisional exception until we understand exactly the type of people you intend to bring and have enter the Tower.”

“Then, I’ll have them here in two days, and then we’ll continue this discussion.”

I nod. “Take thy time. The Tower shan’t be prepared for entrance for at least a couple of weeks.”

“Understood.”

With that, the three of us shake hands once more, exchange some small talk, and then General Riddick reaffirms that we will speak again in a few days.

{Should we be concerned?} I ask Terra watching the General walk away.

{No, the whole ‘no rights’ thing is mostly hollow talk, they’d never commit people to you, but having them on our side is still less complicated and might offer benefits. That being said, I think you need to stay inside your Tower for a bit.} 

{I suppose that is not an issue. It was essentially what I intended to do regardless, but art thou sure it will not be an issue?}

{Every day that passes, things get more and more complicated for the government, and along with that, the Kiln increase in number. Thanks to the Kiln, I maintain that we’ll be isolated in time, though it’ll take longer than I initially thought. The military seems to be getting fed up with lobbyists and political leadership. They aren’t involving either of them as much from what I’ve heard through the grapevines.} She sighs and then turns to watch Byron and the others. {Anyway, I need to have a chat with Byron about his thoughts and where his head is.}

‘...?’

As the morning drags on and the remaining people depart, and while the researchers finish settling in, I disappear into the nearby treeline alone.

---

---

---

A day later, I am in the Forbidden Forest with Earl, four jars of lacewing larvae, and the supplies I placed within Fairy’s Pantry before entering hibernation. This includes the jar full of paste, which I am interested in, but I shan’t be using it just yet. All of that is tucked away in a hidey-hole at the base of a tree. As for myself, I am at the top of a redwood tree, sitting at the highest point of the highest branch, staring out over Fairy’s Pantry. 

After a lot of effort, I have cleared a spot and installed a board that allows me to sit and see Knight’s Respite and the southeast of the Foggy Forest. With the empyreans violet lighting, the misty environment, and my high Perception, this has proven to be the perfect spot to watch them without watching me.

From here, I have been trying to get my stat points spread out while watching over BDP, Pilgrim Hill Schematics, and the lacewings. In the south, I can see the misty figures of Pilgrim Hill Schematics near where Fey’s casket was, stamping down the grass and hammering away at a small raised platform where a tent will be placed and a second platform that will be privy. This is one of five plots I asked them to prepare, and I chose the area around the casket because, like I told Terra, it shall make an excellent landmark. 

Along with what I am now calling ‘Camp Casket,’ there will be two additional camp plots in Knight’s Respite and then two in the middle of the Foggy Forest. I believe these five plots shall be enough since predicting what will become people’s preferred routes through Fairy’s Pantry is no easy task. Hence, it’s better to only give them a few plots and then allow them to stamp out their own plots in the future.

Meanwhile, in the middle of Knight’s Respite is BDP, who are waiting for my instruction. Which brings things back to the lacewings.

Dropping off my platform, I float to the branch beneath me, landing a few feet away from the humming girl with white eyes. {Let’s check for any new changes,} I say to Earl.

Though she does not respond, she does cease tapping her nails against her lantern, which is acknowledgment enough for me. So to the tune of Earl’s hums, I approach my jars of lacewing larva that have a single copepod. These are actually the second batch of lacewings I have attempted this with. This is something I would have BDP doing, but then I would have to make copepods in front of everyone. Doing that is something I think is unnecessary because, at any moment, I expect the Consortium to arrive with a few canisters of haze siphoned from a node outside. Soon I shall have BDP take over these more mild tests while I move on to testing the paste pearl adaptation as well as the kiln paste.

Arriving at a particularly wide part of a branch, I drop to my knees and then wiggle my way from jar to jar. To know what has changed, one must first understand what they were like before, and I have had a conversation with Byron on the subject already. 

Lacewing larvae have long brown and white bodies, sickle-shaped mandibles, and will grow to around a half-inch. They are, unfortunately, predators that use their hollow mandibles to inject and then drain the insides of some insects. This has given them the name, ‘aphid lions.’ Their adult counterparts have green bodies, long wings and are not predators. Instead, the adults feed on plant sap. The larvae sometimes carry the carcasses of their prey on their back as a form of disguise, and this is where their second name, ‘trash bug,’ comes from.

I wished Byron had mentioned some of these things before I had them brought in, but it does not matter. They are useful for testing at least.

Inspecting each jar, I find the sable, vermillion, and heliotrope larva are all changing and evolving while the hoary larvae are dead.

My eyes sweep across the three living samples. 

The sable larvae have grown around six times larger, to around the size of a walnut. They have many of the same habits as their smaller counterparts, yet they seem to be eating plants as well as the food bugs. Their mandibles have also disappeared, which I presume is due to the change in diet. Along with the change in diet, their bodies have become sleek, lower to the ground, and a fourth pair of legs has sprouted. All of these changes hint toward a creature more focused on escape and ease of movement rather than hunting.

Looking at the vermillion jar, there is only a single larva as the first cannibalized the second. The remaining larva has legs that look like spikes, its back has vertebrae-like needles, and it has the habit of hissing before slamming against the side of the jar. It’s around the size of a grape, and its sickle jaws have receded but have been replaced by shorter sickle protrusions along its side instead. Whenever I give the larva food, it will stab it with its leg and inject fluid into its prey. They then lift the prey and skewer it on one of its back vertebrae. The prey stays skewered like this until it is drained hollow. 

It’s clear the vermillion larva is highly aggressive compared to the sable. However, it does make me think that vermillion may be better for making predators while sable could make suitable prey. I do not think I shall be introducing more than a single vermillion lacewing into the Tower, but I will continue to have it studied.

Then there are the heliotrope larvae. These larvae are more confusing, and I cannot really understand what’s happening. They have taken on a glow and have grown some glass around their heads and backsides, making it look like they are wearing helmets with long club-like tails. I notice that occasionally one of their helmets will glow bright, and then the other responds by making their own helmet glow. 

This flashing will sometimes end there, but other times it will turn into a sort of battle of lights until one of them seems to… win, I suppose? Then after their battle of light, the loser starts gathering food for both himself and the winner. As for the tails, I think they are merely a counterbalance for the heads. I suppose they could be a form of defense, but without predators, I do not know.

Lastly, as stated before, the hoary larvae are dead. At least, I believe they are dead. After the Wretched Rat, the line of dead and alive has been moved, so I shan’t be taking any chances, and I will continue watching them.

An important note about all of these larvae is none of them have outgrown their jars. Unless this is a coincidence, I believe it’s an important discovery as it may be a way to control their size. All I would need to do is give them enclosures of a reasonable size, and then I shan’t have to worry about a hundred-foot-tall creature of Hell roaming my Tower’s interior. Of course, this could all change the second I remove them from the jar, but that is what all the testing is for.

Along with this first discovery, another very important thing is that I have learned that the evolutions of the creatures follow a similar path, at least at first. This is evidenced by all the creatures introduced to the haze in the same way all turned into the same things. That is also supported by the Elderly Rats, all becoming similar to one another. It’s something that requires more testing.

“Notice: The Gate of the Rich and Destitute has been opened by the Acolyte.”

{Aye, that is the canisters and...} I raise a finger, pointing at the jars of larvae. {I believe they shall also be bringing some creatures that were gathered from the chamber pot tunnels by people who are participating in the quest. I might release some of them into Fairy’s Pantry.}

Earl’s lantern squeaks as she smiles and stands. “Response: This one wishes to join the Mistress. This one wants to see the creatures that shall be providing this one entertainment in the near future.”

I walk to the edge of a limb and stare down into a white cloud that tends to cling to the trees of the Forbidden Forest more than anywhere else in Fairy’s Pantry. My guess is that this is a combination of the empyreans being near and the sheer amount of vegetation I packed into this area.

I look back at Earl. {Then let us be on our way.} 

With those words, I hop off the side of the giant branch, sending a plume of white mist upward. The haze that makes up my hair and gown rises skyward as mist drifts around my body’s outer membrane, and my hearing is overwhelmed by the whip of the wind.  

Feeling the air of Fairy’s Pantry flowing around my kiln, I glance down and notice the shadow of another branch. Adjusting my arms, my body spins to the side just as the branch passes by. I readjust my arms, removing myself from the spin, and then tuck my arms and legs because I already know what comes next. With my arms pressed tight against my sides, I fall between a fork in a tree limb.

Some leaves slap against the side of the shell, causing me to shake my head as I continue to fall. ‘That one really hurt last time!’

Having avoided the limb, I spread my arms and reach toward the trunk of the redwood. As my nails and fingers are being scraped away, I begin losing speed, and when I have lost enough, I place my feet against the redwood’s trunk and kick. This sends me away from the enormous trunk just in time to miss the sharpened end of a broken branch. The mist begins to clear as yet another limb comes into view. Stiffening one of my legs, it catches the limb. My foot bursts into a black puff of haze but it reforms as I continue my fall.

Having avoided crashing into anything, I extend my cattail and its tendrils. The tendrils scratch at the redwood’s trunk, slowing me down further, allowing me to glide downward. 

When my foot touches the grass, I raise my arms. ‘Good lord, I did it! Huzzah! I honestly thought I was going to end up with another point of Sturdiness! ‘With that thought, a small cloud of black haze I lost on the way down hits the ground and spreads outward. I perform a small spin, bringing the haze back into my body and removing any ‘wrinkles’ from the gown.

Though jumping from the top of a redwood is a bit of a dubious action, my body is floaty enough that I do not have to worry about any major hits to my kiln. Moreover, not only do I enjoy heights, this proved to be a better and more fun way to raise my Studerness than hitting myself with a stick. It’s also been a great way to become more familiar with my body and the cattail. That being said, this is the twenty-second time I have done this and the first time it went as intended.

Dropping my arms, I do another spin, but this time it’s just for my own enjoyment.’ And it’s so great to be able to do what I wish without worrying about being seen!’

Behind me, I can hear Earl’s lantern squeaking, indicating she’s also come down and is watching me. 

My body stops spinning, and my back straightens. ‘...I pray Earl did not see any of that... Nay, it’s impossible. Just act like a normal, crisp, individual.’ 

Throwing back my hair, I begin to walk toward the empty arc suit with leisure. {Ah, I thought it would be a bit more of a challenge for me.}

“Query: Did the Mistress not shout, ‘I did it. I did it’ or is there something wrong with this one’s light?”

My haze drifts into the arc suit while I shrug and wave Earl’s words away. {Must be something with thy lantern. I do hope there is nothing wrong with it; it’s rather important after all.}