Chapter 107: Collapse
The evening had settled over Wolfrine.
Anaria sat on the edge of her bed. The room was quiet. Ana was with Kenai, Rylan and kai for the night. They had taken her to the next room so Anaria could rest.
She was alone.
The system chimed.
[How was your day?]
Anaria looked at the message. She almost smiled. The system did not usually ask questions like that. It was strange but yet atleast it has a hint of humanity.
"Busy," she said. "Long."
[Would you like a report?]
She thought for a moment. She had been meaning to check on things. She had been meaning to do a lot of things. But the days had blurred together. One recovery. Then another. Then another.
"Yes. Scan Wolfrine for. Check for corruption. I want to know if all these has truly ended"
[Scanning...]
She waited. Her hands rested in her lap. She looked at the window. The sky was dark. The fire lanterns outside were lit. A few people were still moving between the shelters. Their shadows stretched across the ground.
[No corruption detected.]
She let out a breath she did not know she had been holding.
"Good."
She paused, a thought came into her mind. Then she spoke again.
"Now scan Ana, Rylan, kai and Kenai for me, please"
[Sure host, Scanning them...]
She waited again. This time her heart beat a little faster. She told herself it was nothing. They were fine. They definitely had to be fine.
[Scanning completed, All clear. No abnormalities detected.]
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"Good... That’s good. Thank God"
She sat down on the bed properly. Her body was tired, so was her mind. But for the first time in days, she felt something close to peace. Her family was safe. The settlement was clean. The corruption was gone.
She looked at the system. It was still there. Waiting for ananria as if she has forgotten to feed it.
"Is there anything else?"
[Host have unused rewards.]
Anaria sighed. She had forgotten about the rewards. The 50% boost. The farming skill. The healing skill. The construction skill. She had not touched any of it.
"I have been busy," she said.
[It is advised that you review them.]
"I will. Later."
The system did not respond.
Then another message appeared.
[New Task Available.]
She frowned immediately
[Task: Check on the southern settlement.]
[Objective: Visit the settlement you assisted previously. Ensure the people are recovering properly.]
Anaria rubbed her eyes "Now?"
[At your earliest convenience.]
[Possibly, tomorrow]
She was already feeling sleepy. Her body was heavy. Her eyes were closing. She did not want to think about another journey nor does she wants to think about any settlement for now, She just wanted to sleep.
"Fine," she said. "I will go. But not tonight. Do not disturb me. I am busy."
[Understood. Good night.]
The system chimed off.
Anaria murmured something. She did not even know what she said. She lay back on the bed and closed her eyes.
Sleep came quickly than expected.
The next morning, Anaria woke up feeling tired.
Her body was sore. Her muscles ached. Her head felt heavy. She lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling. She had slept through the night. She should feel rested. She did not. Her limbs felt like they were filled with sand.
She sat up slowly. Her back protested. Her arms felt weak. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and paused. The room was quiet cause Ana was still with Kenai, Rylan and Kai.
She called the system.
"Can you scan me."
[Scanning host...]
She waited. Her hands rested on her lap. She looked at the window. The sun was already up. Light was coming through the cracks in the shutters. The settlement was already moving. She could hear voices outside. Someone was laughing. Someone else was calling out a name while others were busy with some chores and she is here feeling weak.
[You are experiencing body aches and an elevated temperature. This is not normal. It may be due to stress.]
[Host is advised to rest for sometime]
Anaria frowned "I thought you said I was okay."
[You did not ask for a scan.]
She sighed. "Leave it. I will get better."
She stood up. Her legs were unsteady. She ignored it. She walked to the basin and washed her face. The cold water helped a little. She dried her face with a cloth.
"Is the task still on?"
[Yes. The southern settlement still requires a check.]
Anaria rubbed her forehead.
[You could send your mates instead. They are capable. It would also allow you to rest.]
"I do not want to disturb anyone."
[They would not be disturbed. They would want to help.]
Anaria waved her hand at the screen.
"That’s very considerate of you, little one."
[That is not a recognized classification.]
She shook her head. She looked at herself in the small mirror. Her face was pale. Her eyes were tired. She did not look like herself. She touched her cheek. It was warm.
A knock came at the door.
"Enter."
A servant stepped inside. She bowed.
"My lady. Your mates request your presence at the hall."
Anaria looked at her "Did they say why?"
"No, my lady. Only that they wish to see you."
Anaria nodded. "Tell them I will be there soon."
The servant bowed and left.
Anaria stood in front of the mirror for a moment. She did not want them to see her like this. But she could not avoid them forever.
She splashed more water on her face. She straightened her clothes. She took a slow breath. She steadied herself against the basin. Her hands were trembling. She did not know why.
Then she left the room. The walk to the hall felt longer than it should have. Her legs were heavy. The sun was too bright. She kept her eyes on the ground and kept moving.