An Owl's Rise

'I cannot go on.'

Slumping her head down and letting her body go limp, Evelyn had reached her absolute limits trying to manifest pure magical energy.

She had been at it now for nearly four and a half hours and she simply could not continue even if she was refilled with magical energy.

"Hm, you have impressed me again. I figured you would collapse around thirty minutes into the second round, but you made it almost an hour." Melisandre said as Evelyn slowly fell onto the floor, unable to even keep herself upright.

Unfortunately, as much as Evelyn had given it her all and Melisandre was impressed with her, she had still failed to gleam any sort of insight into controlling pure magical energy.

All she was still capable of was creating basic phenomenon using her affinities.

"Now go ahead and go back to your room and get some rest. And make sure not to try experimenting with any of the magical tools I left you this time." Melisandre said with a sharp look in her eyes that would not accept any dissent.

However, Evelyn as she pulled herself up after resting a couple of minutes held her head down in embarrassment.

"I do not think I could find my room again from where we are right now. This place is just so huge that I barely know where anything is."

Hearing this Melisandre just stared blankly at Evelyn and remembered that she had not even been here a week.  And that most of that time she spent unconscious.

"Ah I kind of forgot you have only been here a little while. You just go with the motions so easily and fit in so well it just felt natural that you were here." Melisandre said. "Now what do we do. I would normally have Anneli, or Katrina take you back to your room, but I imagine that they are busy getting ready."

Melisandre then sighed and looked around contemplatively.

Though seeing this Evelyn was confused since she figured that it would be easier for Melisandre to just show her the way.

But when she asked this of her master, she just scratched her face awkwardly, and said, "I do not know how to get to your room either. It is in a part of the estate I rarely go to, and I do not know it all that well."

Stunned by this, Evelyn could not imagine how Melisandre did not know her own home enough to find where Evelyn's room was.

Still, the place was massive, and it was not like she could navigate it, so she at least understood why Melisandre did not know every nook and cranny.

"Um well, I think I can find it if we can make it back to the front entrance. Do you think you could take me there?" Evelyn said.

"Yeah, I can get to the entrance from anywhere, that is not a problem." Melisandre said as she moved closer to Evelyn and took out a ball made of pure silver that had magical formations etched all over it.

Melisandre swiftly tossed the sphere into the air, and it opened up and spilt apart into a ring that descended down upon both her and Evelyn

In just a few instances they arrived back at the front entrance, and the sliver ball that Melisandre used closed back together and fell down into her hand.

It was at this point that Evelyn realized why Melisandre did not know her entire mansion. She could simply teleport around everywhere she wanted to go.

"Oh, are you interested in this?" Melisandre said as she noticed Evelyn looking at the silver ball. "I had this made so that I can always return home instantly from almost anywhere in the Roost. It is very convenient."

'So magic can even do that in this world.' Evelyn thought as she stared at the sphere, wanting something like it that would take her back to her room.

"Sorry, it is not so easy to get one of these made." Melisandre said noticing what Evelyn was thinking.

"I understand." Evelyn said, already understanding that it was a pipe dream.

She then moved to head to her room now that she knew where she was, but Melisandre stopped her.

"Actually, I have something else I want to tell you. Tomorrow I will be showing you around the facility that is housed in the tree below us that I am in charge of. I imagine that it will be an enjoyable time for us both and allow me to introduce you to some of my colleagues."

As soon as her master said this curiosity began to well up inside Evelyn.

She had nearly forgotten that they were positioned above one of the massive sixteen trees that sat in the middle of the Roost and that there was still so much for her to discover here.

The fatigue she was filling almost entirely vanished and feelings of exploration began to take over.

"Now no need to be too eager. Go on and relax for a bit. Tomorrow will come when it does." Melisandre said seeing Evelyn's posture and general feel change.

After that Evelyn flew to her room filled with excitement of the coming day when she would be able to get to learn more about the place she had come to be.

'There really is so much I do not know. Are there shops here, how many owls live here, what kind of professions there are, and all manner of things.'

Starting to get giddy Evelyn found it difficult for her to go to sleep at first, but quickly the fatigue of the day caught back up with her and she drifted off to sleep.

The next day she patiently awaited Melisandre's arrival, and when Anneli came to get her, she flew out of her room with a happy spring in her wings.

When she arrived where Melisandre was, she was surprised to see it was not at the front entrance, but in what was obviously an alchemical lab.

"Oh, is this your personal lab Melisandre?" Evelyn asked the second Melisandre connected to her with a thread of magical energy.

"Yes, this is where I do the majority of my brewing and such. But we are not looking around here today. It is just where the entrance to my office inside the tree is." Melisandre said with a smile on her face.

Swiftly she led Evelyn and Anneli over to a platform in one corner of the room, and it began descending lower into the tree.

Within around a minute they finally stopped and had arrived in an ornate office that had a number of shelves filled with documents all around.

"This is my office given to me as the master of the alchemy hall." Melisandre said with a proud expression written all over her face.

It was clear that she wanted praise from Evelyn who obliged, telling her that she must be truly amazing to be the master of such an important place.

"Okay, I think that is enough flattery for now. It is time I show the hall. I imagine once you get started on learning more about alchemy you will be a frequent visitor here."