ENG-Leriana-Messages in the Wind

CHAPTER 30 "Messages in the Wind" Morning arrives in Jores with a different feeling. There are no shouts. No chaos. But neither is there the usual calm. The village streets fill early, more than usual. Small groups of neighbors speak in low voices in front of their homes, exchanging uneasy glances and nervous gestures. Some point toward the forest. Others simply watch the main road, as if expecting to see something appear at any moment. The rumor has spread. The monster is still alive. Inside Anastasia’s house, the atmosphere is quieter, but no less serious. Forau sits in a chair beside the window, observing the movement in the village through the glass. His expression is calm, though his eyes remain alert. He spent the night in the house, just as Anastasia insisted, after the conversation they had. It was not an order. It was concern. And he accepted it. His body feels better than the day before, but still heavy. The rest has helped, though the curse continues to remind him of its presence with every movement. In the kitchen, the aroma of breakfast begins to fill the house. Leriana moves naturally among the utensils, preparing warm bread and a gentle infusion. Her gestures are calm, but her gaze reveals that she, too, has sensed the change in the village’s atmosphere. She does not ask questions. Not yet. Anastasia enters the kitchen with firm steps, holding a small metal cylinder in her hands. It is about the size of a finger and engraved with ancient symbols that glow faintly under the morning light. Forau lifts his gaze when he sees it. He recognizes the object immediately. “Is it ready?” he asks in a low voice. Anastasia nods. “Yes.” She approaches the table and carefully places the cylinder on the wooden surface. Leriana watches the object with curiosity. “What is that?” Anastasia looks at her for a few seconds before answering. “A sealed message.” Her tone is calm. But direct. “It is addressed to the Order of Knights of Cedria.” The silence that follows is brief. But meaningful. Leriana blinks once, surprised. “To the capital?” Anastasia nods. “Yesterday’s incident cannot be ignored.” Her gaze grows serious. “The monster escaped. And if it returns, we need to be prepared.” Forau watches Leriana’s reaction closely. He does not see fear. He sees focus. Responsibility. Leriana lowers her gaze to the cylinder. “Will soldiers come?” The question comes out softly, but firmly. Anastasia answers without hesitation. “Investigators will come first.” A pause. “Then they will decide what to do.” Silence settles in the kitchen. Leriana nods slowly, processing the information. She does not protest. She does not complain. She simply accepts reality. Anastasia picks up the cylinder again and walks toward the front door. Forau follows her with his eyes. “Will you send it now?” “Yes.” The healer steps outside. The fresh morning air surrounds her as she stops in the small courtyard in front of the house. She raises the cylinder with both hands and murmurs a few words in a low voice, speaking an ancient incantation. The symbols engraved in the metal begin to glow brightly. A soft light surrounds the object. For a moment, time seems to stand still. And then— The cylinder rises into the air. Without noise. Without explosion. Only a gentle vibration. Then it disappears in a brief flash, as if it had been absorbed by the sky itself. The message has departed. Directly toward Durgen. Anastasia remains still for a few seconds longer, watching the empty space where the cylinder had been. Then she exhales slowly. And returns inside the house. Forau waits for her beside the table. “It will take a few days,” she says without preamble. Forau nods. “Long enough for the village to grow nervous.” A faint smile appears on Anastasia’s face. “It already is.” Silence settles between them again. But this time there is another concern in the air. A more personal one. More delicate. Anastasia turns slightly and looks toward the kitchen, where Leriana continues preparing breakfast. Her movements are calm. But her mind is clearly alert. Observing. Listening. Learning. The healer looks back at Forau. Her expression becomes thoughtful. “I should also send a message to Arcanis.” The sentence falls with weight. Forau does not respond immediately. He simply watches her. “He trusted you,” Anastasia continues. “He asked me to take care of his granddaughter.” A pause. “And now that granddaughter has taken part in a real battle against a dangerous creature.” The silence grows heavy. Forau slowly crosses his arms. “She did nothing reckless.” His tone is firm. Defensive. Anastasia knows it. “I know.” A pause. “But that does not mean I should not inform him.” Forau sighs softly. He does not argue. Because he understands. Anastasia looks again toward the kitchen. Her expression softens. “I will have to speak with her.” It is not a threat. It is not a reprimand. It is a decision. A necessary conversation. An inevitable conversation. At that moment, Leriana appears in the doorway holding a tray in her hands. “Breakfast is ready,” she says with a gentle smile. The tension in the room does not disappear. But it changes. It becomes more human. Closer. More real. The day has just begun. And the world, little by little, begins to move.