Molly III

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The sun has not come up yet and Molly is pretty sure at least half a day has passed. The moon has moved, all the way along the sky until it reached the horizon and disappeared, leaving the night sky, and subsequently everything in the city, even darker than before, with only stars to give some light—and isn't that a sight, Molly has never seen so many stars, the sky, while dark, is filled with enough colors to make her wonder if this world is even in the same universe as her own.

Enma, Dag and Alma had left soon after their strange feast, and had reminded Molly to visit Nima as soon as possible, that he would have all the answers she required, and then, Molly was alone with the excitable Cira and the very boring and quiet Knoll.

The house—the ancestral home of the Zasya family, she had been told, an old noble family even if their title had been taken away— was not boring for long, Knoll disappeared after the guests left, to work he had said, and then Molly followed Cira around the house as she talked and talked about things Molly could only understand the half of.

But then, a new player appeared. Cira's mom and Molly's…adoptive grandmother?

Chrysas Zasya was as loud in the outside as in the inside, a short plump woman with very bright yellow hair and dark skin that was covered in very colorful makeup, her lips a bright shade of blue and eyeshadow a violent golden, her voice a torrent of loudness that hurt Molly's ears when the woman entered the house, a tired looking butler behind her and carrying paper bags upon paper bags in his arms. All things for Molly, had said Chrysas.

"Such a sweet thing you are, I always thought all nomads were beasts! But you seem very civilized and polite" says Chrysas conversationally as she puts the many many clothes in Molly new room's wardrobe.

Thick looking dresses in many cold colors and embroidered with golden thread, long sleeved woolen shirts, long simple skirts and even some soft and comfortable looking woolen pants. Beautiful things that belonged in a very fancy renaissance fair. Chrysas throws one of the dresses at Molly as she talks and Molly catches it by mere coincidence and puts it on after Chrysas looks at her expectantly.

Beautiful, blue and gold, sleeveless and no cleavage at all thanks to a thick woolen long sleeves shirt worn under it alongside a pair of snug woolen pants that felt more like leggings than pants, a long and almost straight skirt that reached her ankles and a dark green scarf that tied itself under her chest that gave some shape to the dress itself and made her not feel like she was wearing a potato sack.

Molly turns and turns as she looks at herself in the room's full body mirror. It's so nice. So very nice.

"That type of dress is the proper one to walk about in the terrible weather we have right now" Says Chrysas smoothing down the skirt of her similar dress. "When the heat arrives, we shall buy you new ones, you may come to the tailor with me when the time arrives"

Molly nods absentmindedly, still looking at herself.

"I picked some boots for the snow and shoes for public appearances" says Chrysas as she leaves the room "Wait here"

She had tried not to think about it, but there in that room, dressed in fine clothing and almost enjoying it, Molly realizes that she is trapped here. This world, this city. Dagma had made it sound like a disaster, like she was forever trapped and that soon she would forget everything about her old life.

The feeling of escapism that had been her fuel to not break down was dissipating. She had been adopted by a local family and renamed, like a dog from an animal shelter.

But also…

The food was nice and the people, with the exception of some comments, were welcoming. They fed her and dressed her like a princess, she felt no need to give back to thanks for the treatment she was receiving, no guilt in wearing clearly expensive clothing, no worries about high school or what she had to do after. Not like at home.

It felt freeing, but also deceiving. Like a golden cage. There had to be a catch to all of this, more so if in a week she was going to get magic powers.

It was a strange balance. Magic powers and a very comfortable life or her family, their love but also all the problems of the real world.

Molly could not truly believe what Dag had said, that she would forget everything, how could that even happen? How could they be just…stuck?

If there was a way in, there had to be a way out.

Breathe in, breath out.

She was okay.

At that moment, as Molly finished her breathing exercise, Chrysas returned armed with too many pairs of shoes and a bright smile. Molly's returned smile was wobbly at best.

"Come one, you need to try them on" says Chrysas "Then, we shall go downstairs for supper, I told Knoll to dove Jeza, I don't care if that murderer she is catching is right in front of her, it's your first family supper, she needs to be here"

"Okay" mumbles Molly, still overwhelmed by everything going on.

"Cira told me you had quite the feast at breakfast! But supper is much more relaxed in relation to food quantity" Explains Chrysas as she passes Molly a pair of boots "No need to fill up one selves right before bed"

Molly nodded along as she put on shoes. The boots were sturdy, lined with fur and stopping just before reaching her knees. The rest of the shoes were mostly fancy, but no high heels, more like very elaborate flats that fit more with the style of dress.

It didn't take long at all to put all of the shoes and the moment Molly put on some comfortable looking slippers that were completely covered in fur in the inside, Chrysas bodily dragged her downstairs and into the dining room, where the whole family was already seated.

Jeza included.

The young woman—how old was she anyway? She looked to be no older than twenty five—looked extremely stressed, muttering to herself as she tapped at the table, she still wore her light armor, but some parts of it were missing, leaving her in the chainmail shirt and a grey shirt underneath that looked to be from some type of leather. Cira smiled at Molly and waved at her excitedly, Knoll looked a second away from falling asleep.

Molly took a seat next to Cira and in front of Jeza, with Knoll and Chrysas leading an end of the table and leaving an open seat next to Jeza.

The moment she sat, the small door Molly suspected lead to the kitchen, opened and two butlers entered carrying a tray each and then they subsequently started to distribute its content.

A stew of some kind with delicious smelling bread buns to the side, and then a small bowl with some fruit cut in slices. It kind of looked like mango, yellow and cut in pretty big slices.

"Bao stew and sliced Ygg" whispers the butler closest to Molly with a smile "Enjoy"

Molly smiles back and accidentally locks eyes with Jeza, that clears her throat.

"It's seems like you are feeling better"she says, picking up her spoon "I was worried when you fainted"

"I invited Enma and Dagma and Alma!" Interrupts Cira, thumping the spoon on the table "And gave her a lot of food! All of my favorites!"

Jeza chuckles lightly, and starts eating.

"While I adore my unexpected and lovely granddaughter, I wished you would have told me of your intentions, Jeza" says Chrysas with a very passive aggressive tone that makes Molly want to bury her head under her arms and groan.

"It was an unexpected for me as it was for you, mother" says Jeza coldly "I felt it was necessary, I did not have time to make sure you were okay with it"

"Stew delicious as always, give Leor my compliments" is saying Knoll to one of the butlers, completely ignoring what is happening on the other side of the table.

"I hope you accommodate to the strangest of Neth as soon as possible" says Jeza to Molly, completely ignoring her mother and making her sputter "I know it is very different from the Outside and it takes a while to become accustomed to everything"

"It's all very…different, yes" says Molly as she takes a bite from the stew "I was thinking of visiting another nomad called Nima, Enma told me he knows a lot and he will explain everything"

"Yes, of course, Vyshe Ardashir could help" nods Jeza, but also looks uncomfortable "I booked a session at the Ogdra with a Master of the Integration program, Master Sipho is very good at his job, he shall answer the questions Vyshe Ardashir fails to resolve"

"Oh! Vyshe Ardashir! What an honor, Enuma" smiles Chrysas "I suppose his status will be explained in these lessons, right, Jeza?"

Jeza swallows a spoonful of stew and finally stares at her mother for a second.

"Of course, mother" she answers, then, she looks at Molly " Vyshe Ardashir is a very respected member of the Creed, it is important to understand this as soon as possible, I'm sure Master Sipho will explain better, as Vyshe Ardashir will probably forget to mention"

"Hush, Jeza" snaps Chrysas "Do not teach your daughter to be rude to a Vyshe, an insult to the closest servant to the Og could be considered as an insult to the Og themselves!"

Jeza makes a noise that could had been a groan followed by an eye movement that Molly could interpret as an eye roll.

"I'll make sure to be polite, Mrs Chrysas" says Molly, clearing her throat and calling attention to herself.

"I'm sure you will, my sweet" smiles Chrysas, then she frowns "And what is that Mrs business!? You shall refer to people as ladies and lords, maybe master if they are very experienced in a field!"

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Scrambles Molly to correct, but Chrysas just tuts at her with a smile and a hand wave.

"Do not worry, nothing can be learned in a night"

Molly nods and takes another sip from her stew, trying to fill her mouth so she doesn't say anything stupid again.

When some silence takes over the room, Molly thinks.

The fact that there's a person to teach nomads makes her wonder about how normal it is for someone from her world to just enter this place. What's this place anyway? She hopes this Nima person—Vyshe Ardashir, she reminds herself— is able to answer every question she has. Anything was better than being forced to attend classes again. Not even in another world could on escape school.

"I'll tell the stable boy to ready a carriage, if you must visit the Haruspex" mumbles Knoll suddenly, making Molly flinch and almost drop her spoon. Every head turns to him, but the man is concentrated on his own plate.

"Of course!" Harrumphs Chrysas "Vyshe Adarshir's home is outside the walls, and so close to the south gate, the last thing we need is for you to wander so close to the Mud District"

After that, the dinner stays quiet, only Cira's ramblings filling the void, Molly wonders if they're always like this or if the awkwardness that fills the room is her fault somehow.

She hopes it's not her and decides to simply enjoy the food and ponder on her next steps before bed. Because, even though the sun has not yet made an appearance, it feels like a whole day has gone by.