Chapter 3 — Chapter 3

Pressing my hands to my stomach, I tried to stop the tears. But suddenly, the baby gently nudged inside me, leaving a feeling as if a butterfly had brushed me with its wing.

"I'm alive, that's the main thing," I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand. "And with such powers... I can even seek revenge!"

I got up and walked towards the cottage. I had decided that I wouldn't cry anymore! No point in shedding tears and feeling sorry for myself. I should be happy I got rid of that unworthy man in time!

And Tanya - she's just a fool, she'll regret her choice. After all, he told everyone he worked for an IT company, making big bucks... But in reality, he was fixing computers, installing software, and spending the money only on himself...

I approached the house. A sizable chest was visible on the doorstep. I stepped closer, admiring the elegant piece, squatted down, and peered under the lid.

"Hm, it seems the gnomes believe in me and my magic!" I thought it was cute as I picked up the item from the steps.

The chest was wooden, lined with velvet inside, and adorned with a fine gold pattern on the outside. Inside, I found a substantial pile of gold jewelry. And there were clearly precious stones of good quality mixed in.

"Where did you get this?" the book asked in bewilderment.

"It was a gift!" I smirked. "From the gnomes, in gratitude for being saved!"

"The gnomes - 'in gratitude'?" she couldn't believe it.

"Of course, the lava almost buried them!" I protested.

"Well, alright..." the book suddenly calmed down.

"So, how do you know about the incidents in the mountains?" I headed back to the kitchen. I needed to prepare lunch. I imagined the whole set for borscht, potatoes, meat, and a fresh vegetable salad. I also asked for an apron and sleeves (I didn't want to dirty this beautiful dress), and everything appeared in the same cupboard.

"I'm magically connected to every stone here in the mountains. You don't feel it yet, but soon you will, once you fully merge with the magic," the book hovered nearby.

"You'll tell me if anything else happens, right?"

"Of course! What are you cooking? I'm not familiar with this dish..."

"It's borscht! We make it back on Earth."

"And 'Earth' is..."

"Don't you know everything?" I teased.

"Everything about this world - yes!" the book replied seriously. "I've been the assistant to the Mistress twelve times now. I've recorded all the knowledge they brought."

So, she's a woman after all.

"Do you have a name?"

"You can call me Mia. My real name is very long and hard to pronounce, so I don't like it!"

"Okay, Mia, how does stuff I need appear here," I gestured towards the cupboard, "whenever I need it?"

"This cupboard has been here for a thousand years..." she began.

"So, you don't know..." I interrupted her.

"No, I don't know, it's always been here. It's a spatial pocket that provides whatever the Mistress desires."

"That's pretty cool too," I agreed. "And my dress?"

"That's my doing," I imagined her puffing up with pride, like a cute toad that's been prodded and inflates its cheek pouches in fright. "All the maidens arrive naked when the Firstborn Fire births you."

"Thanks," I nodded. "And where can I get more clothes?"

"You have to buy them..." she sighed. "The clothes on you, made by magic, will disintegrate in a few hours."

"And you couldn't tell me that right away?" I protested. "Did the last mistress leave anything behind?"

"You wouldn't like what she wore..."

"Show me!" I headed towards the kitchen exit. Opposite was a door, which must be the bedroom.

The door opened, and I stepped into the room...

"I didn't have time to tidy up here..." the book apologized.

"It's not about tidying up," I surveyed the room full of old furniture, scraps of fabric, and a rotten mattress...

I risked a peek inside the crooked closet door. Inside hung scraps of some fabrics...

"Well, if we just dust it off..." she tried to justify herself.

"We need everything new, or we need to restore this with magic!" I looked at her.

"I can only restore the furniture, not the fabrics..."

"So, where do I buy everything?"

"At the market in the city. But wear a cloak, don't show yourself openly... And if you appear as a phoenix, they'll hunt you!" the book advised.

"Okay," I returned to the kitchen, "you, tidy up the bedroom, and I'll be back in two hours."

The borscht will cook on the hot stove, I haven't even started boiling the potatoes yet, and I haven't even begun frying the meat.

"The cloak is on the hook by the door, the basket is in the kitchen!" she instructed me.

I walked to the door, looked at the not-so-new, rather extremely old cloak. I threw it over my shoulders, fastened the buckle, and picked up the large woven basket.

"How long ago was the last Mistress here?" I picked up a pouch with stones and gold sand that I had taken from the stone.

"It's been a hundred years..." Mia responded from the bedroom.

I looked around, noting the details. Everything here was old and dilapidated, even the house itself...

Even considering the average human lifespan, the house is a thousand years old!

"Seems like the gnomes are good builders," I pondered.

Why waste magic on renovating walls when you can hire someone to do a good job? The house is made of stone, which means there's a good chance to make it comfortable and convenient... I haven't even seen the bathroom yet, and there's no guarantee it even exists...

I remembered the toilet in the village, and it made me shudder.

I need to prepare the house for the baby's arrival!

I went out to the lake, transformed into a bird, and took to the sky. I thought I saw a city to the south... What did Mia say, they shouldn't see me as a bird?..

I imagined myself invisible, but there was no way to check it.

The city started to come into view after about ten minutes; my speed was truly astonishing. As I approached, I curiously examined its high fortress walls. I needed to find a market or something similar. Suddenly, a dragon came out of nowhere and caught up with me!

I was blown away by the wind from its huge wings...

"Jerk!" I squeaked, tumbling through the air. Just as I steadied my flight, another roar came from behind...

I squeaked again and dove towards the city streets. They definitely couldn't see me, or they would have hit me! Landing on the roof of one of the tall buildings, I looked up at the sky. From a huge hole hanging in the air, dragons of all colors and sizes were flying out one after another.

After catching my breath, I flew down the street, examining the houses and looking for any signs. I found the tailor's shop after three streets, and since I didn't have much time to search, I descended, diving into an alley.

Wrapped in a tattered cloak, I emerged from the shadows of the houses and headed towards the shop. Two men caught up to me, literally knocking me off the sidewalk onto the road.

"Hey, old lady, you should stay home, not wander the streets! Otherwise, the garbage collectors might mistake you for trash..." said one, and the other laughed at the joke.

I wanted to retort to the jerks, but I froze: one of them held my feather. Apparently, when I was blown away, I dropped it...

The men, no longer paying attention to me, moved on. I hurried after them; I had to find a way to get my feather back.

"Do you think the Mountain Mistress has returned?" one of them asked.

"Of course, where else would the feather come from?"

"We should report it to the king..."

"Do you think so? And which of the two?" the second one suddenly replied with such venom in his voice.

"Oh, come on, last time it was just an ancient old woman, she lived for three hundred years!"

"But what if it's the one from the prophecy?"

"And if it is, it's better for us, we could lift the curse from all the dragons!"

"Wait before telling him... Let's visit the Mountain Mistress ourselves!"

"Well, if you want to..."

I didn't listen further as we reached the tailor's shop. I would find out more about the prophecy and the curse related to me and the dragons later, from Mia.

I opened the door and stepped inside.

"What can I do for you?" a girl popped out from somewhere within the shop.

"I need a dress, underwear, and a cloak," I said, pulling back my hood.

"From our ready stock?" she looked at me in surprise.

"One from the ready stock, and some can be custom-made," I placed a pouch on the counter. The girl grabbed it, untied it, and peeked inside.

"Just a moment..." she disappeared behind a door.

"I don't have much time," I started to get anxious.

"I'm back," she quickly returned, locked the door, and rushed to the counter, which was piled high with clothes, apparently. "How about these?"

She showed me some quite nice dresses.

"And the size?"

"Everything can be adjusted with ribbons," she showed me the silk ties.

"Underwear, cloak," I urged her.

"I can only offer this one, the others are too simple for a lady!" she showed me a dark blue cloak with embroidery along the edge and a silver clasp.

"And a plain, black one, from a thicker fabric, add that too," I agreed.

"Alright," another black cloak was placed on the counter. "Underwear is only available by custom order, unfortunately..."

"Then take my order," I nodded. The girl packed what I had chosen first. Then she brought a long rope and a sheet.

"I need to take your measurements..."

I opened my cloak. She quickly started wrapping the rope around me, tying knots and cutting it. Meanwhile, she scribbled something on the sheet.

"How many sets, what kind of dresses, do you need stockings... Chemises and robes? A house dress?"

"Ten sets of underwear, ten different dresses, a couple of chemises, and a robe. And stockings, of course. And where can I buy shoes?" I calculated how much time I had left.

"Everything ordered will be ready in a couple of days! And for shoes, it's across the street, I'll walk you over, and let them know you've paid. It's my brother's shop!"

"Let's go..."