Chapter 8: Punishment
Seraphine walked slowly into the dorm room, anticipating the mess they had left behind. Much to her surprise, the place was spotless.
"Whoa…" Lorelei said.
"Um, do they have maids here?" Seraphine asked, glancing around.
Jayden scoffed. "I wish."
"Hi!" A voice came from the room next to Sera's
All three girls turned to look at their new roommate. Seraphine was actually shocked by her hair. It was white as snow, something Sera had never seen on a person her age. Other than that, she seemed perfectly normal; her eyes were a pretty emerald green and her skin was fair. She wore a powder blue, spaghetti strapped dress and blue violet flats. A huge smile was on her face.
"Oh no…" Sera heard Lorelei murmur under her breathe.
"I'm Kya!" The girl said.
She promptly, vigorously shook Seraphine's hand.
"Um…" Sera struggled to stay standing. "Hi?"
Kya let go of her halfway through the shake and grabbed Jayden's hand. She shook it violently, nearly knocking Jayden off her feet.
"I cleaned up the room! It was an absolute mess! My room is never this messy!"
She yanked her hand away and squeezed between Jayden and Sera to shake Lorelei's hand. The blonde quickly backed away.
"Don't do hand shakes." She said.
"Oh! Ok! So what are your names?!"
Seraphine rubbed her ears. "Do you have to yell?"
"Oh! Sorry! I mean—sorry. I'm just so excited to be here. What are your names again?"
"Jayden."
"Lorelei."
"Seraphine."
"Cool names! They're so long!"
"It's only 7 letters." Lorelei murmured.
"You're yelling again." Seraphine said.
"Sorry! So I moved into that room since the other one is taken."
"There are two beds in each room." Jayden said matter-of-factly.
"I know. But I want the next person who comes to have a chance to choose their room too!"
"What about the last person?" Lorelei retorted.
"Oh…well, they'll have to get what's left."
"Obviously." Jayden rolled her eyes.
An awkward silence set in with Kya smiling at her roommates. They looked away, avoiding her uncomfortable stare. Seraphine cleared her throat.
"Um…so, is anyone hungry?"
"Oh! I am!" Kya yelled, raising her hand.
"Oh my gosh." Lorelei muttered, turning away completely.
"Uh, great, let's go." Jayden said, spinning on her heel. She walked to the door.
"Go where?" Seraphine asked.
"To the kitchen, duh." Jayden slipped out.
"Oh! I love cooking!" Kya screamed, running out of the dorm.
Seraphine looked at Lorelei. The blonde had frustration written all over her face.
"Too loud?" Sera asked.
"Too annoying." Lorelei answered, tossing another gum in her mouth. She chewed madly, taking out her emotions on the sticky substance to keep from exploding. She nodded to the door and she and Sera left the room.
Raven brushed a strand of her blue-violet hair away from her face. She sat at a table with her roommates in the main dining area. All of the tables rested on landings that protruded from a huge spiral staircase. That was one thing she liked about Cloud Tower; the structure of the place was so bizarre, it made it stand out from all the other schools in Magix. She lifted her eyes from her bowl of eerie green gelatin and scanned the level she was on. Girls in dark, gothic clothes strolled to and fro, from one level to another. Others sat at tables, eating their lunch. Raven's eyes moved to the giant purple doors off to her right. They swung open and in came a group of toasty witches. Raven felt a grin play with the corner of her mouth.
She turned to the seat on her left, where one of her roommates sat.
"Hey, check out Cadette."
The roommate looked up from her plate; her dirty blond hair swayed with the movement as she looked at Cadette. The blue-haired witch was so fried, her hair stood straight up like a Mohawk. Her black eye liner sprinkled her face in flakes. Her lips were pursed so tightly together, that they were just a little black dot on her face.
"Whoa-ho-ho!" The roommate laughed.
"Ugh, Gail, shut up." The third girl at the table said. She sat across from Raven. Her dark red hair hung down her shoulders to her waist. Her hazel eyes glared at Gail.
"Aw, come on! She looks hilarious!" Gail said between chortles.
"That's anything but funny. She's a fashion disaster!"
Raven smirked. "Let's go ask her what happened."
"Yeah!" Gail said, stabbing her gelatin with her fork. She shoved a piece in her mouth before rising out of her seat with Raven.
"Ugh, you guys go. I'm not done eating yet." Ignatia scoffed with her chin high in the air. She lifted a spoonful of the green goo to her mouth. Before she could even close her mouth on it, she took it out.
"Eew!" Her face twisted with disgust. "Never mind."
She tossed her spoon back into the bowl and stood. Neatly, like a lady, she folded her napkin and set it on the table. She then crossed her utensils over her bowl.
"There, now let's go."
Raven rolled her eyes. "Right…"
The trio of witches clopped down the stairwell in their sharp heels down to the table where Cadette had planted herself. The scowl on her face was so deep, it looked like it was engraved into her face. Raven swayed her long locks of hair as she approached the table. Whispers filled the stairway as the other witches present turned to see what would happen.
Raven put her hands on the table and leaned against it like a detective ready to interrogate a suspect. She controlled the air around her, the atmosphere of the conversation. She loved feeling in charge, in complete control. The tension around Cadette did nothing to stop her from asking the question.
"Having trouble playing with fire, Cadette?"
"Get lost, Raven." Cadette growled.
"Ya know, Cadette, if you need a fireproof spell, I'm sure Ignatia would love to teach you one."
Gail snickered behind her. Ignatia, on the other hand, scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Cadette's countenance darkened. "You idiot. I didn't do this to myself!"
Raven smirked. "Really? That's a surprise."
Cadette's hands balled up into tight fists. They shook and paled with blazing anger.
"If you didn't do it, then who did?" Raven asked, lowering onto her elbows. She angled her face to give Cadette a glare as cold and as cool as ice.
Cadette's eyes looked up past her tightly furrowed brow. The muscles in her neck were so tight, her voice came out dark and low. "Jayden."
Seraphine was surprised by how small the kitchen was. It was only about ten or so feet wide and at most twenty feet long. Two island counters sat in the middle of the room. The cabinets under them were red with white handles and trimming. Half of the counter was occupied by a countertop stove. To the right of the doorway, against the wall, were several ovens and stoves. Above each one was a large metal vent. On the wall left of the doorway was a long countertop. Above and below it were cabinets that matched the island counters. Orange fans whirled slowly on the ceiling. The place was spotlessly clean.
"Um…are you sure we're allowed to cook here?" Seraphine asked, feeling nervous. Cooking was no more her cup of tea than marathons were.
"Duh, it's a kitchen." Jayden replied, strolling over to a cupboard on the left. She started rummaging through it.
"We missed lunch." Lorelei said after popping her gum.
Kya suddenly burst. "You have gum?! Can I have some?!"
Then, Lorelei did something Seraphine never thought she would do; she freaked.
"NO!"
Seraphine nearly jumped out her skin. Her eyes flashed at Lorelei. The blonde's face seemed normal, but her eyes were on fire. The air around her crackled with tension. Sera gulped.
"Um…are you…okay?" Sera took a step away from her.
Jayden peeked out from behind the cupboard like a cartoon character.
"She's obsessed with her candy; don't ask her for any. Sera,"
"Hmm?"
"Gimme a hand, will ya?"
Seraphine carefully worked her way out from between the glaring Lorelei and smiling Kya. She was relieved to escape the delicate situation. She quickly walked to Jayden.
"That was scary."
"You'll get used to it." Jayden said, yanking at a huge bag of flour.
How can anyone get used to this?
"Sera, pay attention!" Jayden suddenly yelled.
Seraphine gasped as she rushed to grab and lift the bag of flour. Her hands gripped the corners and she pulled with all her strength.
"Sera! No!"
Fwoosh! The bag tore, releasing a huge cloud of white flour into the room.
She and Jayden burst into coughs and sneezes as Lorelei and Kya cried out. Silence covered the environment as the cloud settled. It revealed the two girls, white as ghosts. Kya and Lorelei, completely untouched, burst out laughing. Sera grimaced as Jayden groaned.
"That was classic." Lorelei said with a grin.
"Yeah! You should see your faces!" Kya yelled.
Jayden's brow furrowed until…she got an idea. Grabbing a fistful of flour, she hurled it at Kya.
"In your face!" The flour powdered Kya's entire visage.
Sera gasped as Lorelei burst into another round of laughs. Kya sputtered like an automobile. Jayden grinned like the Chester Cat. Sera could feel her temper rising. She never could take a joke, and the fact that Kya didn't say anything made it worse. She still held a piece of the bag in her hands. They still had flour in them. With anger flaring in her chest, she threw it at Lorelei. She had aimed for her shirt; at least that's what she planned on hitting. Unfortunately, her aim was bad and it collided with Lorelei's face. Sera gasped and silence crashed into the room.
Lorelei blinked the flour out of her eyes. Her hands smeared it off her cheeks. Her gray eyes pierced through the powder and into Sera's soul.
"Dang, Sera," Jayden chuckled.
Sera gulped for a moment as Lorelei stepped toward her. She cringed, putting her arms in front of her chest to protect herself. The blonde glared down at her. Sera's eyes widened as Lorelei lifted a fist. Then—Fwoosh! Flour landed on her face. Sera exhaled, blowing a cloud of dust in to Lorelei's face. She used the back of her hands to clear her eyes. When she opened them, she found Lorelei smiling. She left a laugh rise from her heart to her mouth. She let it out.
"Hahahaha!"
Everyone else joined in for a moment, filling the kitchen with a chorus of laughter. Then the war continued. Kya dived into the flour on the floor and flushed it onto Jayden. Jayden yanked Sera down, who landed on her rear in the pile of white. Lorelei howled with amusement until all three girls pummeled her with sprinkles of dust. Then, round they went, chasing Lorelei to and fro the kitchen. But the blonde was quick, so Jayden devised a plan her head to nail her. With a touch of magic, the bag of flour whizzed through the air and zoomed on a collision course with the fairy of metal.
"Whoa!" Lorelei did a dolphin dive.
She dodged the bag, but just then, the door of the kitchen opened. Fwoosh!
When the dust cleared, there stood a very white (and very angry) Ms. Griselda. All the girls gasped.
The woman removed her clouded glasses and pulled a handkerchief out of her dress pocket. Quietly, to keep from losing her temper, Ms. Griselda cleaned the lenses then placed them back on her nose. She cleared her throat and said:
"This is unacceptable. The kitchen is for cooking, not for playing."
Sera bit her lip. Lorelei looked down at her white boots. Kya dusted off her dress. Jayden stood up slowly.
"Clean up this instant. Without using magic."
Her eyes glared at Jayden as the last words left her lips. The dark haired girl smiled nervously.
"When I come back, I want this room spotless. If it isn't, or if I sense a magic spell, even the smallest spell, you can kiss your night at the annual gala goodbye. Get to work, you have thirty minutes."
With that, Ms. Griselda took her leave.
Everyone turned to Jayden. The smile fell off her face.
"What?"
"I don't like to point fingers, but all this was your fault." Lorelei said, brushing flour off her jacket.
"My fault? You joined in!"
"That's because Sera threw flour in my face."
"I thought you hurt Kya." Sera answered, looking down at her white converse.
Kya blew a raspberry. "Nah! I was just surprised!"
"Even so, I think Jayden should do all cleaning." Lorelei said with a serious face.
Jayden eyed her friend. She knew she was kidding, but she couldn't resist the temptation. She clenched some flour and threw it at Lorelei's eyes, blinding her.
"Ow! I was kidding! I was kidding!" The blonde screamed, rubbing her eyes.
Kya laughed loudly while Sera scolded Jayden.
"Jayden!"
"Relax, mother. I knew she was kidding."
"You did?!" Lorelei growled. Her cheeks turned red with anger. Seraphine thought she looked an awful lot like Tinkerbell.
"Duh, you're my best friend, of course I knew. Now let's get cleaning."
Darkness. Like a blanket it shrouded Jasper's eyes. Coldness. It caressed his skin like the claws of death. He shivered. It was so dark, he couldn't even see his breath rise from his lips. His eyes looked around him, searching for light. The light. How he longed for the light. The warmth of the rays of the sun. The brilliant white of the cloud in that beautiful stretch of blue sky.
Yet here he was instead, in a world of darkness, a world void of all things bright and beautiful. He shifted his arms. Although he could not see them, he did know that while they were outstretched above his head, they were chained. The clinking of metal was a constant reminder that he was not free.
Still, he was determined to slip through them. He leaned forward, like he always did and used his weight to try to pull his hands out of the clamps. He could feel his hair hanging over his face as he growled with effort. The clamps pressed deep into the skin of his hands. The pain did not stop him. He pushed forward more, taking a step into the darkness. With teeth clenched tightly, he pulled until he could almost feel his hands pop out of their sockets. Then, something wet oozed from his wrists. Gasping, he brought his foot back. He touched his wrists. They were wet. His heart raced as he brought one of them to his lips. The taste of blood came on his tongue. Panicking, he fell to his knees and tucked his wrists under his arms. The pain escalated as he pressed them against his body.
"Foolish boy." A deep, voice came through the darkness.
Jasper felt his heart and body quiver with fear. His nightmare was back, the tormentor of his mind, the master of his terror, the oppressor of his dreams.
"N-no!" Jasper's voice came as a whisper in the dark.
"You've done it again."
"No, no please!" Jasper felt tears leak out of his eyes. He felt them fall down into the void.
"Your disobedience will be punished."
"No, no!"
"You are mine, boy. Mine."
Then, in the darkness, Jasper's eyes watched as a swirl of purple essence formed in front of him. It slowly twisted into a long, angular face and a broad pair of shoulders. The rest of him remained floating like the tail of a comet. His eyes, sharp and red, pierced into Jasper's soul. Paralyzed by fear, he gazed up at his Nightmare King.
"Please, please don't…" he begged.
The essence grabbed his throat with a shadowy, long-fingered hand. Jasper struggled for air as the King's grip tightened. The apparition grinned. His teeth were and sharp at swords.
"You are MINE!"
Then, much to Jasper's horror, the King dived head first into his mouth. Coughing, choking on the scepter of darkness, Jasper fell on his hands and knees. He could feel it crawling through his body, blackening his heart, gripping his mind. Especially his mind. Jasper held his skull in both hands. He fought for control, but his effort remained powerless. He fell as the King swallowed him whole. Into the abyss, Jasper fell.
"Ah!" Jasper screamed.
He jerked to a sitting position, panting for air and for life. His eyes flashed around the dim room, searching for the King. Save the cot, an old cabinet, and a rusty lantern, the room was empty. His pulse and his breathing slowed. He looked down at his bare chest. A layer of sweat covered his flawed skin. Small scales scattered along his lower abdomen. However, it was his ribs that ached. The skin of his sides folded and paled into three bulging lines of flesh. These were half-developed gills that he had inherited from his triton father. The sweat had penetrated the tender skin, causing the gills to scream for water. Jasper groaned. Wrapping an arm around his middle, he slipped out of his cot. His lungs burned as he stood. His sides; his gills, ached as he took in a deep breath. He wheezed as the air passed through his throat. This sent him into a coughing fit.
Struggling to breathe, Jasper walked out of the room and under a low stone arch to the "living room". Here, there was an old crate that served as a table. A rickety old chair rested next to it, and another dimly lit lantern sat on the "table". Next to the lantern was a jar of something.
Jasper made his way to the table slowly. He continued to wheeze as his gills ached for water. He stumbled onto the table, grabbing the jar. The contents in it were an ugly yellow-green color. Only a thin layer stuck to the bottom. Jasper groaned.
I don't have enough…
Desperate, he opened the jar, his nose wrinkled up as a rotten fish smell assailed his nostrils. He stuck his hand inside and scrapped out whatever he could. This oil not only soothed gills, but sealed them as well, allowing him to breathe with his lungs when he was out of water. Unfortunately, he only had enough to coat the gills enough to pacify the pain. He panted for air as he pushed himself to his feet. His head felt like a balloon as he continued to wheeze.
I have to get to Lake Roccaluce…
He stumbled to the wall on his left. Leaning against it, he walked to a pile of rocks. Here, a small pile of clothes sat in disarray. He grabbed his sweater and pulled it on. Carefully, he zipped it shut. Then, he sat on the ground and pulled on his only pair of shoes. They used to be black, but now, they were so faded and dirty, they were now grayish brown.
Jasper hated feeling like a fish out of water, but he knew he couldn't let anyone know what he really was. At Red Fountain, only Saladin knew that Jasper was half triton. Had Jasper been more habitual with the oil then, the old man would've never found out. Unfortunately, when Jasper passed out during exercises, Saladin recognized the markings on Jasper's forehead. Everyone else thought they were tattoos, since the small dots lined his arms and chest as well. Only Pierce and Codatorta questioned that. Surprisingly, they didn't ask him about it. It wasn't until Saladin had Jasper's uniform removed that his true identity was revealed. The headmaster allowed Jasper to rest in a tub of water until he recovered. When he did, Jasper begged the old wizard to keep the truth a secret. He did. When his friends asked what happened, Saladin told them it was an asthma attack. From then on, Jasper was exempt from doing exercises outside of swordsmanship. Additionally, Jasper was given special permission to go to Lake Roccaluce once a week to use his gills.
Now that Jasper was living alone in the underground tunnels, he had to take care of himself. It had its advantages; he didn't have to worry about someone walking in on him when he changing, and he didn't have to explain what "that smell" was. But he wasn't problem free, either. He had to walk quite a bit to get out of the tunnels to the Lake. Another problem, one of the biggest ones, was the people who came to the lake to swim. Jasper had to not only be quick, but silent as well. That was hard when he was completely surrounded by water.
Grabbing the lantern near the cave entrance, Jasper slipped through the long, thin crack that gave him access to the tunnel system. He struggled through it, trying not to bump his sides into the cragged walls, but it never ceased to put a strain on him. He entered the tunnel, wheezing for air. The cold damp air of the tunnel system chilled his body. He shivered, rubbing his opposite arm with his left hand (the right carried the lantern). Having lived on Andros, a warm, ocean planet, Jasper was accustomed to warm climates. He still hadn't adjusted to the cold of caves. The dampness clung to him, soaking through his sweater, offered temporary relief.
He walked through the dark tunnels, holding the lantern up to see before him. He had already memorized his way to the lake, but it was still a long way off. His feet trudged on stone floor as quickly as they could.
Can't go too fast…or I'll really be in trouble then.
The sound of dripping water echoed across the hollow walls. His footsteps clip clopped off the stone, creating a steady song as he made his way passed corners and turns. Jasper swallowed the air, trying to replenish the lack of oxygen in his head. He wheezed instead. Everything stopped, his feet and his movement, as he bent forward into a cough attack. His gills ached like a sore wound as the coughs shook his lean frame. After a few seconds, he managed to recover. Rasping, he straightened and continued, but the lack of water was taking a toll on him. His body, not only his lungs, was yearning for the oxygen he couldn't breathe in. He was growing weak, the aching cramped his sides. Gasping for air, Jasper leaned against a wall.
Keep…going… He told himself.
He pushed himself off the wall and stumbled forward. His arm could no longer hold up the lantern. His arm fell to his side, wearily. It hit his gills.
"Ah!"
The sudden pain brought him to his knees. Clatter! The lantern went out. Rasping behind clenched teeth, he bent over the floor, searching for his only source of light. He coughed violently, trying to breathe. His lungs burned, his gills ached. He could feel his throat closing as he choked for air. His head swam on clouds of helplessness. The world spun around him as his body met with the cold stone floor.
Can't…breathe…
Seraphine wiped the sweat off her forehead. For her, it was fine to do the cleaning without magic, but Jayden and Lorelei were having problems. Especially Lorelei. The girl didn't know what a broom was or how to use it. She stood there, scrubbing the floor as if she was using a mop. Sera smiled lightly.
She's not that far off but she's still not right.
Unlike everyone else, Kya positively enjoyed cleaning.
With an italicized 'positively'. Sera thought as she went back to wiping down the counter.
She was really surprised by Griselda's "punishment". She thought the woman would ground them for life or something.
Or make us clean the whole school.
Right when she thought of this, the tall, thin woman entered the room. Sera's heart skipped a beat as she scrambled to finish the counter. Jayden stumbled slightly as she swept. Quickly regaining her balance, she moved the broom across the floor. Kya went on brushed the wasted flour onto her dustpan, completely unaffected by the Ms. Griselda's presence. Lorelei didn't even flinch. She went on "mopping" the floor.
"Your work is sufficient, young ladies." Griselda said. "However, this is not the end of your punishment.
Oh no, here it comes…Sera bit her lip.
"Since you are so eager to cook, you will be in charge of cooking dinner for the entire school this evening."
"What?!" Jayden exploded.
A small, aloof smile spread across Ms. Griselda's face.
"That's right. And Maestro Sfoglia will supervise to make sure you don't get out of hand."
Who? Sera thought just as a big-bellied, broad shouldered man came into the kitchen. He wore a chef's hat and outfit, complete with a curly, black mustache. His eyebrows were thick and furrowed, and his thick chin jutted out with authority. Sera wasn't sure if she should laugh or cringe. This man looked like the stereotypical chef, but if that was true, then she had better be afraid.
His stern, black eyes glanced at all the girls. Then, the chef crossed his front of his chest.
"Good luck, ladies." With a smile and a wave, Ms. Griselda slipped out of the kitchen.
Great…I have to make dinner and I can't cook. Seraphine thought.
"You!" The man suddenly boomed.
Seraphine nearly leapt out of her skin. Cringing, she turned to the man. A huge sausage of a finger was pointed directly at her nose. Surprised, she jumped back and looked up.
"You the Earthling, no?"
"Um…yes."
"What?!" his voice rattled in her head. "Speak up! I can notta hear you!"
"Yes." Seraphine said an octave louder.
A smile broke onto his face. Sera bit her lip. From some reason, this man did not look normal wearing a grin.
"Welcome to Magix!" He thundered.
Sera squinted and rubbed her ears. "Um…thank you, Maestro…"
Oh no, I forgot his name.
Then, his smile shattered into oblivion. "Now get to work!" His voice filled the kitchen. Its lightning zapped all the girls back to work. This time, they hurriedly swept and wiped the kitchen clean. In a matter of minutes they were done and after putting the cleaning supplies away, they stood before Maestro Sfoglia.
"Very good." He said, walking in front of them like a drill sergeant. "Everyone will have a job. Jayden, you fry a the fish. Lorelei will cut the vegetables. Kya, you boil the vegetables. And Earthling…"
"Her name is Seraphine." Jayden said, mimicking Sera's voice.
Sera and the maestro glared at Jayden. All the girl did was smile mischievously.
"A Sarah will make the rice."
Oh, that'll be easy.
There was an awkward silence as Maestro Sfoglia walked to the door. The great man looked over his shoulder briefly then spun around.
"Whatta waitin' for?!" He roared like a lion.
Sera knew for a fact that every single one of them jumped. From the corner of her eye, she saw all of her roommates leapt backward before they scrambled around the kitchen like eggs in a pan.
And the maestro will cook us if we don't do well!
The cooking of dinner turned into a marathon. All the girls ran around gathering the ingredients they needed. They fumbled over each other, dropping jars and packages and the like all over the floor. The maestro shook as his head as he watched them rush to different ends of the kitchen. Finally, they all started working. Jayden cleaned the fish (which took forever). Lorelei chopped the vegetables (that did a number on her wrist). Kya prepped the water (she stood over it, waiting for the bubbles to appear). And Seraphine…well, she stood there, reading the bag of rice, unsure of what to do.
Maestro Sfoglia noticed this at once and immediately approached her.
"What's tha matta, Earthling?! You neva cooked before?"
Seraphine flinched and rubbed her left ear (that was the one he had yelled into).
"Um…no, sir. I don't normally cook at home."
"What are ya, a princess?!"
"N-no. My mom just does all the cooking."
"Spoiled brat!"
Sera's hair whipped back as his bellow blew in her face.
"Move, I show you what to do."
She quickly stepped back; staying clear of his voluminous stomach. She imagined herself getting squeezed between it and the counter.
That would be unpleasant.
He studied everything she had gathered; a pot of water and a bag of rice.
"This rice no feed everybody. Go get another one."
Seraphine jogged to the storage cabinet and pulled out another 10 pound bag of rice. This alone was enough to strain her muscles. Exhaling sharply, she rolled her eyes.
I am so out of shape.
"Hurrya up!"
Groaning, she knelt down and scooped the sack into her arms. Her legs quivered with effort as she wobbled back to the counter. She throw it down, panting. The maestro put a finger in the water she had put in the pot.
"This water's too cold! It a take foreva tryin' to boil the rice! Go fix it!" He shoved the pot in her arms. The water sloshed onto her shirt, darkening the red fabric.
Seraphine gasped, gripping the pot to keep the water from spilling to the floor. Upset, she glared at the man. He completely ignored her. With a furrowed brow, Sera walked to the sink and dumped out the pot.
Great, now I really need a shower! First the flour, now I'm soaked!
"Hurrya up!" The maestro called to her.
Frustration festered in Sera's chest.
I'm coming, I'm coming! Keep your mustache on!
