An Owl's Rise

Being around eight meters tall when she was an owl, she would have found it hard to find space among the crowd of burrowing owls and been afraid that she might accidentally step on them. Plus, having to look down on them from so far up would have been a pain.

"Lady Evelyn, allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your evolution. Truly, your new form must be blessed by the heavens. A more majestic has surely never existed before." Po said, laying on his praise even thicker than he ever had before.

And he was not the only one, all of the burrowing owls present began extoling Evelyn's grandeur.

"Thank you for your kind words." Evelyn replied stiffly. "But before anything else, I would like to know exactly how long has passed since I began my evolution?"

"Ah yes, the sun has set fifty-seven times while you were evolving. We've all been waiting expectantly for you to emerge from your cocoon, and at the first sign of it today we all gathered to watch your exultant rebirth." Po said, his eyes filled with reverence as he addressed Evelyn.

At first, she wasn't sure if she understood Po properly, but upon asking for clarification, it became clear that she really had been asleep for fifty-seven days.

Stunned by this information, Evelyn lowered her head and attempted to wrap her mind around the fairly long amount of time that had passed by without her.

'I suppose this isn't as bad as the time I nearly killed myself by using the Unleashed Potential Potion. I was out for five months after that. Fifty-seven days isn't even half as long.' Evelyn thought, trying to calm herself down.

Still, she could not help but be unnerved by how the passage of time had left her behind.

While she had not seen either of her siblings or any of her friends since they parted ways to train alone, they had been in relatively frequent contact. Including her time away at the Inferno Filed and the fifty-seven days she spent undergoing her evolution, Evelyn had not heard from her friends or family in nearly three months.

There was no telling what could have happened during such a length of time.

'Of course, they haven't heard from me either. They'll definitely be worrying about at this point.'

Unfortunately, there was little Evelyn could do about her lost time other than suck it up and move on. Counting to dwell on it would only make her feel more depressed.

Shaking her head to rest her thoughts, Evelyn turned towards Po intently and thanked him for his and the other burrowing owls' hospitality.

"It is only natural that we offer to you what we can. You saved us from the brink of annihilation and returned our home to us after all."

Po then told Evelyn that they would prepare the most lavish feast they could muster to celebrate her evolution.

However, Evelyn raised a hand to stop him.

"I'm afraid that I don't have time right now. More time than I was expecting passed while I was evolving. My allies with undoubtedly be concerned for me and I need to return to them."

"I see." Po responded despondently.

Yet he perked up soon after and told Evelyn that she could return with her companions later and they would throw her a grand celebration.

"Sure. I look forward to it." Evelyn said, a pained expression she could not fully hide on her face.

She knew that she was lying straight to Po's face, but she felt it too difficult to tell him that she never planned to return.

'It is for the best. I've imposed on them more then enough, and keeping a connection with them will only drag them into danger. Over time they'll completely forget about me and go back to the way they were before I showed up.'

Her resolve steeled; Evelyn walked towards the exit of the burrowing owls' home as nearly every single one of the burrowing owls saw her off.

When she finally reached the exit and looked out into the starry night sky a heaviness set into her heart. Once she ascended into the sky and flew away, that would be it.

"Lady Evelyn, I know that your world is far vaster than ours, and that you carry many burdens you've not spoken of to us. As much as it pains me to admit, I understand that there is little any of us could do for one as great as you. Still, I want to tell you that no matter what, you will be accepted with us. Perhaps you don't see it this way, but we all think of our home as yours as well.

Should you ever grow weary and wish to find a place to settle down, please feel free to return. Even if I am gone, or even so far in the future that none of us that are here now remain, I'll make sure that your name is passed down. Forever us burrowing owls of the Velinis Desert shall remember you as our savior." Po said, having realized Evelyn's intention to never come back.

Evelyn almost teared up at his kind words, but she managed to force the tears down and keep up her unshakable façade.

With a quick nod of her head, she for the final time thanked Po for everything he and his brethren had done for her.

After saying a quick farewell, Evelyn flapped the wings extending out of her back and flew up into the sky.

From up high she gazed down at the burrowing owls that had gathered to see her off and the tears she had been holding back began to fall now that she was out of view.

"Otis, just wait a bit longer. I promise that I will avenge you." Evelyn muttered before turning away from the burrowing owls and flying in the direction of the Forest of Giants where the entrance to the Verdant Warlord's Domain was located.