Sworded Affair

That could be a problem, Emma realised. Even if we get multiple tries at this, if resources aren\'t replenished, each loop will leave us worse off for the next attempt.

Emma commanded Sir Bearington to halt before the palace gardens, determined to do some research before charging in blindly once more.

Earthbound immortal.

The earth elemental emerged at her command, extending two small, humanlike hands to take custody of the Black Candle and the matchbox.

[Matchbox stored.

Candle withdrawn.

Soothing Candle withdrawn.

Hallowed Candle (Demonic) withdrawn.]

One of each remaining candle was added to the pile, forcing the creation of a few more hands to hold them all, before the Earthbound Immortal made its way up the lawn, retracing Emma\'s steps from the previous timeline. Halfway to the palace gates, he stopped in place and lit the ordinary candle. Unlike before, there was no hint of the unsettling presence that had grated at Emma\'s nerves. Thinking this might be due to her own position, Emma took a few steps inside the palace garden, but nothing changed.

Drop the candle.

Her summon obeyed, tossing the still-lit candle into the nearest patch of grass. The moment it landed, Emma heard the same ghastly shriek from before, and the Candle popped, for lack of a better word, splattering the lawn with chunks of wax. Emma kept an eye out for the perpetrator as she caught up to her summon, but nothing showed itself, allowing her to examine the remains of the candle.

Flash frozen?

Picking up a piece revealed it to be cold to the touch, and extremely brittle. Just a bit of pressure from her fingertips was enough to turn the wax into powder.

The Soothing Candle, next.

A calming fragrance filled the air; one that Emma couldn\'t place exactly, but reminded her of the rose garden she passed each day on her way to school.

[Status condition: Sleep resisted.]

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The soporific effect was wholly ineffective on Emma and her summon, as expected. She was hopeful that it would catch the hitherto unseen presence destroying her candles, but as the minutes ticked by, there was no reaction, even as the Soothing Candle burned down to its halfway point.

Hold on, Emma realised. That candle should be good to burn for hours, not minutes.

[Status condition: Wither resisted.]

That\'s a new one, Emma noted, trying and failing to recall seeing it before.

[Wither rapidly consumes the lifespan of those affected. You don\'t really have a fixed lifespan anymore, so it\'s nothing to worry about.]

Still scary though, good thing I came here alone.

[Those who are affected will feel it immediately; they might lose a few months, but nobody is going to stand around while their life drains away. Those who run in the right direction might even survive.]

Emma considered that for a moment, as she watched the last remnants of the Soothing Candle burn itself out to no avail. When only a tenth of it was remaining, she ordered it tossed to the ground; watching as it fell onto the lawn - and right through it into the depths unknown.

A different outcome, compared to the ordinary candle. Is it the magic it detects, or something else? Try the Black Candle now.

As before, the Earthbound Immortal raised a match to the candle, lighting a wick that did not fully exist. Black smoke began to form around the candle, spreading sluggishly in a far cry from the instant darkness Emma was used to.

[Stop!]

The Black Candle was crushed to a pulp, a casualty of Emma\'s sudden order; she\'d ordered it smothered, without any thought spared for proportionate force. As the smoke cleared and she got a proper look at her surroundings, Emma realised the urgency behind Edith\'s command. The lawn gradually returned to normality, the lower layers regaining their colouring inch by inch, from what had been remarkably translucent just moments ago, reminding Emma of her own intangibility.

[That which cannot be observed is not certain to exist. You\'re free to speak verbally again, that particular danger has passed. In its place, a new rule from this point onward: no darkness.]

"I have no idea what\'s going on here," Emma complained, taking advantage of her returned speaking privileges to issue her final order of the session. "Light the Hallowed Candle."

[It\'s About Time resisted.]

This time, Emma saw the notification of her Trait activating before the candle vanished in blinding white light.

"Does this count as progress-"

—

"...Not that I know of," the rifleman grunted. "We\'ll take a look, want to come with us?"

Emma checked her inventory again, ignoring the rifleman as she glanced down the list.

Inventory - Eden\'s Echo A ring containing fifty cubic metres of storage space, capable of instant transfer. Living beings stored are held in stasis and slowly heal. All sapient creatures are less likely to attack the wearer. This item is invisible except to the wearer, who cannot wear other jewellery. Currently contains:

5050 Thrones

Victorian Gown (3-piece)

5x Black Candle

5x Candle

4x Hallowed Candle (Demonic)

5x Soothing Candle

Browning Hi-Power (13/13)

30x Meals, Ready to Eat

10x Bottled Mineral Water (2L)

Leftovers (Home Made)

2x Stainless Steel Pot

Shovel

British Army Knife]

True to her expectations, the resources expended before were gone; everything Emma thought might have an impact, short of firing arrows at random, and she wasn\'t that far gone just yet.

"Sure, let\'s go take a look at this church," Emma agreed, before the rifleman could prompt her again. "Somehow, I have the feeling I\'m not meant to visit Blenheim Palace just yet."