Accept a ring from a witch? That sounded like an incredible way to get herself cursed and doomed to fail. Fiona was many things but she was no fool, the Church might have been a bit overbearing at times but occasionally they were right about some things. Fiona shook her head slowly. “I’m afraid I must decline. Mother told me to not take rings from strange witches you see.”

 

There was a flash of annoyance that went through Maribelle’s golden eyes, so quick that it would have been easy to dismiss it as a trick of the light. Whatever the case the ring vanished between her fingers in a puff of blue and silver, the woman shrugging slightly. “Ah well. Suppose you would be wary just meeting someone at the gate and accepting that. Very well, as I said you are free to enter. Ah, if I may offer some advice however. If the daughter of the Countess makes you an offer, it is in your best interest to decline. The games she plays are far less kind than mine.”

 

Fiona was about to ask what the woman meant by that before she simply vanished in a flash. She had been standing there one moment and was gone the next, truly a strange woman. Still, at least Fiona was free to continue on. The blonde looked toward the city and took a deep breath. She made the right call. The warning did ring in her head a bit. The daughter of the Countess was it? Was this city fractured rather than united in truth? She supposed she’d find out. As well there was her words regarding the adventurers in the city. She seemed to imply they were still alive, or at the very least that some of them were still alive. Some of the people that came here were stronger than her, so that certainly tracked. She had no idea who was here or what she might find inside but there was only one way to find out for sure.

 

With Maribelle seemingly bored of her or at least not interested in pressing the topic of accepting her sigil, Fiona was free to continue onward. At last she stepped through the gates of Istrel and walked through them. As soon as she passed them however she started to feel… nauseous. Sick. Like there was some force that was taking hold of her. She felt weak as well. As soon as she passed into the city proper the world started to spin and she held a hand to her head.

 

“Gah… what…” Fiona felt her knees buckle beneath her and there was a spinning sensation. She fell forward, only just catching herself with her sword. She felt so heavy. She felt like she was about to buckle under her own weight it was so bad really. It was like a feeling of just such complete and utter fatigue that there was no relief from it. It felt like her very vitality was being sucked dry from her without any chance to stop it.

 



To be continued…