CHAPTER 341: MEETING AN EMBERIN LADY

When I next came to, I awoke inside of an ornate looking chamber, decorated with various red tapestry’s woven with a fine golden silk adorning the walls.

The bed I was in was also extremely fancy. Made out of and extremely well carved wooden frame with curtains on all sides. The mattress and bedding were also incredibly soft and comfortable.

So much so that I was about to snuggle up in them when I realised that I had already done that. Most likely in my sleep.

There were also several extremely well-furnished drawers, cabinets and wardrobes around the room as well.

I think I could also see some other types of furniture around the room as well, like a sofa, a desk and even a mirror.

And despite the fact that the lights weren’t on, I could still see perfectly fine, all thanks to my [True Sight].

The room itself seemed to be made with your typical Sandstone with gold inlaid into it in intricately designed patterns. Well, I say patterns, but it’s more or less just very fancy swirls to be honest.

Apart from that though, there wasn’t much else to the room aside from a couple of doors. No windows or curtains or anything like that.

It was honestly rather similar to my room back in the orphanage. Though, this one was obviously a lot more lavish, what with all the ornate furniture, as well as what I’m guessing is a bathroom of sorts behind one of those doors.

The other clearly leads out of the bedroom to somewhere either like a hallway or maybe some kind of greeting room or lounge or something. I don’t know.

And honestly? At this moment, right now, I didn’t want to find out. Not whilst I was still happily wrapped up in a bed as comfy as this one.

I genuinely just want to stay inside of it for the rest of my life, that’s how nice it felt.

And I probably would’ve fallen asleep again if not for the fact that after a few minutes, just as I was starting to doze off again, I heard a knocking at the door.

My brows furrowed and I grumbled as I reluctantly responded with an annoyed, "What?"

The door opened and light spilled into the room, and despite my [True Sight], I still felt a sting in my eyes as it shone over my eyes. It was irritating.

"Greetings, oh sacre-"

"Stop. Don’t address me with such honorifics. I hate it. Just call me by my name." I said, interrupting whoever this was as I rolled over.

"And what is your name?" The woman replied in a calm and reverent manner. I could tell that she was bowing by the sound of her robes sliding over her skin and scales.

"It’s Traytora. Traytora Arizaraa."

Still bowing, the woman started again, "Greetings, Traytora. I am the Emberin Lady of Fire. I came as soon as word got to me of your existence here."

"Uh huh." I acknowledged dully.

"I have to apologise for the abhorrent treatment you received from our former patrons on behalf of every member of the Sect. Please forgive us for not finding you sooner. Our Scaled Oracles had been searching through fate for you for-"

My eyes, which had been shut, snapped open upon hearing the word ’fate’.

And I also unintentionally released my Aura, which seemed to scare this high-ranking member of the Sect, Whom I believe is second only to the head of the faith, which is the Empyric Coil.

She winced as I released the power of my Bloodline and immediately started trembling in fear.

"Ha-have I done something wrong?" She asked fearfully.

"Fate." Was all I said in response, and in a rather strict tone at that too.

"Fate?" She questioned, trembling slightly less as I had lessened my Aura.

"Fate. It’s a word I might use occasionally, but is something that doesn’t apply to me due to my father. That would be why you couldn’t find me."

"O-Oh..."

"But that’s not the reason that I’m angry right now. Right now, I’m angry because I’ve come to the realisation that Fate, the literal concept and manifestations of Fate, are not good beings. They’re evil."

"I beg your pardon? What do you mean by ’evil’?"

"From what I can recall, they don’t seem to be good in the sense of acting in the benefit of the people, but rather they want to control everything. They’re supposedly the main driving force for most of the major conflicts going on in the world."

"And... How do you know this?"

"Partially because bad things, probably revolving around me, have happened. Scarring me so badly that my memories of it have been sealed. Not to mention I don’t conform to the path they’ve set out for the world. Being an outlier and all."

"All that, combined with someone I know, who is actively working to end their tyrannical hold on the mortal plane, has told me about them also. I don’t know why, but it’s only just fully clicked in my mind just now."

...

There was a silence that permeated the room for an awkward while.

Then the Emberin Lady spoke up and asked, "Then, as the Goddesses descendant, what do you want us to do? How should we proceed from now on?"

I was no longer in the mood to stay coiled up in bed, so I sat upright. But the sheets were still too comfortable, so I remained wrapped up in them, with only my head poking out the top as I gave my decree.

"Continue denouncing the oligarchs. But also denounce the notion of Fate, and have your Oracles find another way to see things. Having them look into the strands of fate is just playing into their hands."

She bowed, "It shall be done as you wish."

"Not only that, I want you to find a male Naga by the name Vorzara and bring him to me ALIVE. I want to torment this man myself." The pressure in the room rose as I emphasised my desires very openly.

The Emberin Lady flinched at my sudden threatening change in demeanour. "M-May I ask why you want this man?"

I looked her dead in the eyes, my gaze one filled with an unquenchable thirst for blood and revenge. "He killed my mother."

The temperature in the room dropped instantly as the Emberin Ladyshuddered, bowed, and then promptly left in a bit of a rush, shutting the door behind her. She didn’t even say goodbye.

I stared at the door blankly for a while, just thinking.

’How did my life come to this? I didn’t want to be part of this huge worldwide conspiracy plot to take over the world. I never wanted this. I just want to have a normal life, or at least, whatever semblances I can get of one.’

I looked down at the bedding that I was currently wrapping myself in and pondered further.

’What kind of life do I even want? What’s considered normal? Can I, of all people, really ever have a normal life?’

The next few hours went by in a flash as I continued to think about everything that had happened in my life and all that surrounded it.

But at some point, a pang of hunger hit. And it wasn’t your typical cravings for food either. I wanted something bigger, something that would struggle.

I wanted prey.