The Eldest Marked

5. Judgement, Reversed

Pyxidis was bouncing off the walls of the inn, scurrying all around to inspect their lodgings. Winona could hardly keep her eyes open after staying up all night, and the excitement of the day. Demeter grumbled from her bed opposite her, demanding she either keep her familiar occupied or return him to the stones. She could feel his emotions tremble at the thought of going away so soon.

And so, with the last of her energy, Winona got up to open the window just wide enough for Pyxidis to squeeze through. She whispered a list of fibers for him to collect while she slept, and off he went.

When the sun rose Winona awoke cloaked in scraps of plant and animal. Pyxidis slept on the bedside table, his white paws stained green and yellow from striping plants. She sat upright in bed, watching bits and pieces of all different colors cascade down her front. There was definitely what she requested, but more as well. There were some down feathers, plants she hadn't used before, even scraps of wool she had no idea how he could have acquired.

"Great job Pyx," she whispered as she gathered up all the material to stuff into her cloak.

She tried to read as much as she could on the ride to Cyrille's home. She learned basic manners, how money works, and learned she should stay out of places called roads to not get hit by things called cars. It should have had pictures, admittedly. But she thought she got the picture more or less.

The woods opened up into a large field of rolling hills. On the flattest part of the meadow was a home so smooth it looked more like a sheet of paper than a wall. Its windows were smoother too, and absolutely clear. She ran her hand across the surface. It was like no stone or wood or brick she had ever felt.

Cyrille opened the door before they knocked. He looked so different than how she remembered him. She wasn't expecting such a man. If he didn't have his very memorable cleft lip, she might not have recognized him. His skin was tan, his hair black, his eyes hazel, and his large nose rather crooked. What was most surprising about him though, was the child he held in his arms.

They said their hellos, exchanged their pleasantries, sat down in the parlor, but Winona could not stop feeling the wall behind them. For the most part their furniture was like what she was used to, but in such a stark white box she felt strange.

"Where is Julie, and the new child?" Demeter asked.

"Oh, they are in the Origin right now. She has some friends she made over there so she is visiting and showing them the baby," Cyrille said.

"Your house is so different than anything I've seen before," Winona said over whatever Demeter was starting to say.

"It's how some of them are made in the Origin. It took a long time to bring over the materials, and even longer to make it. I only just finished every room, for a long time it was just this living space," Cyrille said.

"I'm so nervous about going there, I can't even imagine how shocking it will be if I can't get over something like a wall. And that's not even talking about the actual act of making a pact," Winona said.

"Yes, it will be shocking. But then it won't be. You have two whole years to get used to it and pick your pact. The first few days will suck but if you are having a horrible time you can take a break and come home. Or send your familiar to give mom a message to tell her to visit. You do have a familiar right?" he asked.

Pyxidis popped his head out from the top of her cloak, before burrowing back into his bed of soft fibers he collected the night before. "We just came from the market," she said.

"Well, he seems perfectly capable of keeping you safe," he said with a laugh. With a flick of the wrist he summoned his own familiar, a badger who almost immediately bared its teeth.