Arkon handed it over to Vy and explained, "The Jeweller's Guild received this letter earlier today, addressed to you. It came from Timbretune,"
Vy received it with thanks and opened to read it immediately. Her expression remained emotionless throughout.
"Is something wrong, you don't look so good," Alias asked out of concern.
Vy folded the letter and placed it back in its envelope, she turned to her acquaintances and apologised, "I'm afraid I will need to cut my trip short. There's an emergency in Timbretune that I need to take care of."
"Oh dear, is there anything we can do to help," Clare asked.
Vy shook her head, "I am afraid not. I will leave immediately, once everything is settled I will return."
With that, Vyrena proceeded back up to her room, packed up her belongings and left the room. She paid her bill for the room and made sure to leave Rosie a tip for all the help she had provided. Then, she left the hotel and headed towards the gates of the sector.
Once she travelled through the portal and was back in the cave, Vy made sure that there was no one around her. She closed her eyes and transformed into her raven form. Her black feathered coat blends in with the darkness of the cave. It was her second time in this form; Vy was still getting the hang of it.
But with each step she took, she became more confident. Once she was out of the cave, she noticed that the sun had already set. This worked to her advantage as there would be fewer people about.
Vy extended her wings and took flight into the open sky. She ensured that she was hidden above the clouds before checking with Dotty on the direction she needed to fly. The cool breeze and the view from above was a beautiful sight to behold, but there was no time to stop and admire the scenery. Vy remembered when she had a bad feeling in her gut, she cursed under her breath; she should have gone back as she had originally planned.
Dotty remained silent the entire time, riding on Vy's back.
-Dotty-
-Could I have prevented it?-
Dotty was surprised, was Vy asking for her opinion?
Vy nodded.
Dotty thought for a second and replied.
Dotty was right. With all that had happened, everything was with uncertainty. Vy could not predict half the things she had seen and done. But she still felt guilty about what was happening. Afterall, Lycster was just a boy, but she still felt that she should not have left him alone. If she had not extended her trip, maybe she could have prevented it from happening too.
But regardless of all that was happening, it had already happened. Now, she had to do everything in her power to make up for it.
By the time Vy reached Timbretune, it was about an hour away from midnight. The moon hung high in the dark sky. Vy landed lightly under the cover of the forest and transformed back into her human form. She went straight to the market square.
The stall owners had ended their work for the day and they were having their supper as usual. The atmosphere was vastly different. There was minimal chatter and you could hardly hear any laughter or merrymaking. Lycster's arrest had impacted everyone. They had tried various ways to get him back but all efforts had been in vain.
Furthermore, the Baron has taken Lycster out of the town and back to his estate. It was all beyond their control. No one could be more upset than Carole. After receiving Vy's letter that she would return later than expected, Carole was distraught. But her letter gave them Vy's location so they were able to send the emergency message to her.
The message read: Vy, Lycster has been taken by the Baron, we need you. From Carole.
It was a short message, but straight to the point.
As Carole was listlessly eating her supper, she could hear a commotion in the distance. It was accompanied by the shouts of a familiar name.
"Carole! Vy is back!"