TheFallenHer0: Again, thank you so, so much for pointing out my mistake with the last posting.


Chapter 8

Luca's POV

I'll admit it. I was avoiding Marelda. She was looking for me, and I knew it. She had almost found me twice. Once during the lunch break in the archives. I heard the opening of the door and quickly cast a silent spell that allowed me to blend in with my surroundings as long as I stayed very, very still. My heart had almost stopped when she looked right at me, furrowed her brow, then sighed as she turned around to head out. Thank goodness she couldn't sense magic very well yet.

The next time she almost caught me was a little under an hour before curfew. I was sketching at the place where we had been talking the previous evening when I felt her approach. I'd become so familiar with her magical aura I could sense her from a good distance. I hurriedly shoved my stuff in my bag and began climbing the tree I had been leaning against. Something fell out of a pocket in my bag and fell to the ground, rolling a bit. I cursed under my breath and pulled myself one branch higher. I was at the point where I had a good vantage point, but wouldn't be easily seen. People rarely looked up unless they were looking for something specifically found in that direction.

Marelda walked into the little clearing. "Dang it, he's not here either." then she began searching a little more closely on the ground, and then seemed to spot something. She went and picked it up, "Aha, so you were here. At least I've found one of two things." The thing that had fallen out of my bag was her emblem. Crap. Or maybe this was a good thing? She had it back and I didn't have to confront her. "I give up. Clearly he doesn't want to be found. Sure as heck can't figure out why." I had noticed that she'll talk to herself, when she thinks she's alone. I don't think she realized she did, and I sure as heck wasn't going to be the one to tell her. It was cute, in a way. "And after last night especially. I wonder what I did to scare him off. Either that, or that cat-like boy got bored. Hard to believe that, though…" She smacked both of her hands to her cheeks, "Stop that, Marelda. Pity party over. You need to start refocusing. What would Sir Vargas say if he knew you slacking off just because of some guy? I mean, it's not like we're friends or anything. I don't have time for friends. There's work to be done." She walked off in the direction of the girls dorm.

Now I feel bad for avoiding her. Judging from what she said, she had, at some point, considered us friendly, and perhaps she still does. I know her well enough that she's reluctant to get at all attached to people. Honestly, I'm just as bad. The only person I'd consider is as a real friend would be Selene, and I'm not entirely sure she counts. I mean, she worms her way into being anybody's friend, if she decides that she wants to be friends with that person, I mean. And plus, we might actually be cousins, so that changes things a bit.

As I felt her get far enough away, I climbed down from the tree and started walking towards my own dorm. I wasn't really in the mood to get scolded by Prince Elias or the dormmother tonight for missing curfew. And tomorrow's Saturday. It shouldn't be hard to avoid her then, too. Perhaps I'll head into town or something.

…. …. ….

The next morning I awoke to something repeatedly tapping on my dorm window. I opened it and a magic note fluttered in and landed in my hand. It unfolded itself and I read the words that were written in the headmaster's neat script.

Mr. Luca Orlem,

It has come to my attention that you gained a buddy and did not report it. I would appreciate it if you came to my office this morning. Your new buddy will be summoned as well.

Best,

Headmaster Randolph

(Please do not think you can skip, Luca. I will teleport you here if you try.)

I sighed. Looks like I'm not going to be able to get out of this.

…. …. ….

I knocked on the headmaster's door about forty minutes later. I was a little later than I was going to be—I ran into Katalina outside the boys' dorm and couldn't resist teasing her for a bit. Translation: I was stalling. But, I eventually made it to the intended destination.

"Come in."

I opened the door to see the headmaster at his desk, and a slightly ruffled Marelda sitting in one of the chairs in front of it.

"Good morning, Mr. Orlem. Please, take a seat."

I silently did as he said so. Marelda tried to catch my eye, but I blatantly ignored her.

"Sir," Marelda began, "might I ask what I've done to warrant such a summons?"

The headmaster smiled, "Don't worry, Ms. Kramer. Neither of you are in trouble. Well, Mr. Orlem will be receiving a bit of a scolding, but for nothing too serious. It is merely for not reporting a change in events."

"A change in events, sir? What do you mean?"

"Mr. Orlem, would you care to tell her."

I shook my head slightly and shifted uncomfortably.

The headmaster sighed, "Well then, I guess it will be I, Ms. Kramer, who will inform you that you have been buddied with someone."

"E-excuse me, sir?" Marelda sounded confused. I don't blame her. "I thought two emblems had to react to one another. As far as I'm aware, mine hasn't done that."

I might as well speak now. "It did. After you left the clearing the other evening, I saw it on the ground. It lit up...and so did mine."

She slowly turned to look at me, eyes wide. It was a moment before she spoke. Her voice was calm and collected, but a bit sharp. "And you didn't think to tell me this, why?"

I shrugged, unable to say anything. Why did I not tell her? Easy. Because she didn't deserve to get stuck with me, that's why.

"That's not an answer, Luca." She was looking so exactly into my eyes I had to look away. I looked at the headmaster, trying to pull of my normal devil-may-care act.

"I think we should dissolve this buddy contract. I mean, I can't have someone tying me down, ya know?" I heard a surprised sort of choking noise from Marelda, who clearly wasn't expecting this sudden shift in my attitude, and had to fight to keep myself from visibly cringing.

"I'm sorry to inform you that dissolving a buddy contract isn't possible." the headmaster replied.

I laughed, "Wow. You're the last person I expected to lie about something, headmaster. You and I both know it's possible, and that you're more than capable of doing so."

His eyes widened ever-so-slightly. He clearly didn't expect me to know about that little loophole. Well, he can get over it. I'm the master at finding all the loopholes. But he in turn surprised my by smiling pleasantly and saying, "Then I'm sorry to inform you that I refuse to do so."

I sighed, shrugging, "Well, it was worth a try." I got up, slung my bag over one shoulder, and left, hurrying even as I tried to appear as if I wasn't. I headed down an open-air hallway that would lead me towards the lake.

Less than a minute later I heard loud, angry-sounding footsteps approaching me. I paused and turned around only for something to slam into my cheek, knocking me to the ground as light fluttered in my vision for a moment before going black.

"Damn you, Luca!" was the last thing I heard before I could hear no more.

Marelda's POV

I shook out my now-sore hand. Punching someone hurt both parties, and I probably should have done it. But to say I was furious was an understatement. No matter what act he was trying to pull, I saw right through it. He was lying and saying he "didn't want to be tied down" and that sort of crap. Translation: he didn't want to be in a position where he would have to get to close to another person. Moron. Like I'd accept that. He's not getting out of this so easily.

I grabbed his arms and yanked him up, to where I was pretty much carry/dragging him, and started pulling him along. I saw a frightened underclassmen off to the side. Great. That moment of uncontrolled anger is going to get me in a lot of trouble with Sir Vargas if he finds out.

"Hey kid!" I called over to him

"Y-yes?" he yelped.

I smiled kindly at him, "Don't worry. I only punch idiots like this one. You've done nothing wrong. I'd appreciate it if you grabbed his bag. I'm going to take him to the nurse."

The poor boy nodded rapidly and darted forward to grab the bag, stuffing a few things that had fallen out back into it.

"Also, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about that. I'd rather not have my master yell at me for such a display. It wouldn't matter how much this sod deserved it."

He nodded again, a little too quickly, "Y-yes ma'am!"

"Thanks." A few minutes later I dragged Luca into the nurse's office and dumped him unceremoniously onto one of the beds. The underclassman dropped Luca's bag on a chair and ran off.

"Ah, Marelda. Good to see you. What happened this time?" Nurse Asta said with a raised brow. I was a regular patient of hers. This is the first time I've dragged someone else in, though.

"I'm ashamed to say I got a little mad and punched him. And hit him a little harder than I meant to." I said calmly.

She turned him over on the bed, "Oh my, did you do this?" The nurse started inspecting his face, "You got him good, that's for sure. What'd he do?"

"Nurse Asta, meet my new buddy, Luca Orlem. An idiot who had the gall to suggest dissolving the contract for ridiculous reasons that he didn't really mean. And the real reasons were just as stupid." Was my simple reply.

She whistled, "Well, I'll have to wait until he wakes up before I can do anything. It's risky to heal…"

"When a patient's not conscious." I finished. I'd heard it several times over the years. A person's subconscious, dreaming mind can affect a healing and make the magic do something it shouldn't. A healer will only do it if the situation is critical or the person was put under using magic. "Yeah, I know."

She smiled, "Good girl. You might have the qualifications to be both a warrior and a healer by the time you graduate. Wouldn't that be something."

"I'd rather save it for emergencies than do it on the regular." I said, "How badly did I hurt him? I'd feel kind of bad if I hit him to the point where I damaged his brain. I really just meant to knock some sense into him…"

The nurse laughed, "From what I saw, he'll be perfectly fine. I'd rather let it heal on it's own, in fact, but I'll do you a favor and fix it when he wakes up. Wouldn't want Sir Vargas to find out, do we?"

"No…" I bowed my head and slumped my shoulders. I quite liked Nurse Asta. She was fairly young, and had actually started at the academy the same year I had. In fact, she had earned her legal healer's license shortly before she was hired. She was an alumni of the academy, but, like many healers-in-training, had spent the last three years of where normal students would spend at the academy in an apprenticeship.

Her master in particular was a extremely-well known healer who was amazing at her job. Part of what had made the woman so famous was the fact that she was so good that she could get a job anywhere she liked, but instead chose to wander around healing the poor and working in battleside healer's tents around the continent. She only charged what people could afford, if that. Oftentimes she didn't, saying the paychecks individual governments gave her for helping their soldiers was enough.

Admirable, for sure, but I'd rather be a soldier who was able to protect people.

"Just make sure that next time you remember that what wouldn't even phase a trained soldier tends to injure the average person." Nurse Asta reminded me.

"Yes, ma'am."


Marelda has one set of brass knuckles, designed for use of her left (dominant) hand. However, they're not really brass. They're made of an aluminum alloy, just as strong as normal ones but a lot lighter, as Marelda's fighting styles rely more on speed and agility that brute strength.