Jericho stirs lethargically on the ground and finds the worst luck has fallen upon him.
He's landed, out of all places, in this open patch of grass, a muddy soil. Mud and dirt, warm and wet from being baked under the midday sun, cover his clothes and even part of his face.
Instinctively, he tries to stand up from the dirt but finds a nasty headache quickly assaulting his head followed by stars filling his vision. His legs buckle and he falls back on the ground.
Gasping, Jericho curses under his breath when he realizes he's back on the pool of mud again.
He looks around from his prone position. He spots Chariot lying a few feet away from him.
She lies facing away from him. He couldn't see her face, and couldn't tell if she's alright or hurt.
Jericho feels his stomach drop. His heart aches oddly at the thought of hurting the stranger. Suddenly he's no longer worried about getting dirty with mud.
He sees movement from the girl, slow at the beginning, but turns to quick and alert moves in a few seconds.
That's a good sign.
She's well.
He sighs in relief the moment she turns and he could see her face, scared and worried, but no sign of a grimace of pain. He's glad to find there's no injury or even a scratch to her youthful face.
"Chariot", Jericho calls out, but his voice only comes out as a weak mutter.
Her eyes frantically search for him, sharing what he guessed the same terrified look on his when he first saw him on the ground earlier. Unlike him, however, that terrified look didn't disappear when she finally found him. It only worsens.
She hurries towards him, dropping to sit on the ground next to him.
"I'm so sorry!" Chariot cries. For some reason, she apologizes. "I couldn't just fly down and hold you from falling. You'd drag the whole broom down immediately. That's why I had to break your fall like that".
That's… quite clever actually. But still…
"Don't apologize. I messed up. I miscalculated—"
"What are you talking about?!" Chariot interrupts him.
"But you're going to be late—"
She raises her hands. For a moment it seemed like she meant to hold his face, but she pauses at the last moment, looking hesitant. "Look, I don't care. Stop worrying about that!"
The wizard tries to sit up again but quickly collapses back onto the ground. This time however it's not because of the headache. He felt a sharp pain on his right hand the moment he tried to use it for support.
"Don't move!" Chariot cries. "I need to get you to my school. They can fix you up".
Jericho slowly looks to his right hand, dread building up inside him. Even hidden under the sleeve, he can tell his right hand is slightly bent at an odd angle. Yet no blood comes out of it.
He realizes Chariot had noticed this, thus her panic, yet she's refused to look at his hand for long since the beginning.
"I can go there myself", Jericho says, trying to stay calm. His hand hurts like hell. He can't imagine how much more it'll hurt the moment adrenaline leaves his systems.
He stands up, awkwardly supporting himself with only one hand. Chariot keeps close at all times, hands hanging ready to catch him should he fall.
"Careful!"
Jericho's head spins. Did he rise too quickly? No. He was rising slowly and awkwardly.
Suddenly, Jericho feels Chariot's hand on his. It surprises him, and he's further alerted when she slings his arm over her shoulder. Jericho now stands with Chariot's support.
"I can stand on my…" Jericho couldn't finish the sentence. He's no idea why he's slurring so much and why his head spins like all hell like last time he tried to get up.
"The broom snapped in half". The girl says quickly and without looking at him. "I can't let you walk all the way to school like this".
"But Chariot, weren't you late for something? I can handle this… I can walk my way to the infirmary. I'm not going to drop dead if you leave me".
Chariot stares at him for a moment. She seemed hesitant and… scared? Why is she scared? At my face? She's the 'how do I tell this?' look completely written on her face.
"It's just my hand", he reassures her. It does hurt like hell and his head does spin endlessly, but that won't stop him from just walking.
"You… you also hit your head", she says. And without another word, the girl looks away, refusing to look at him as she takes the lead and leads him towards the academy.
The words came to Jericho's ears slowly and took even longer for his head to process it. He hangs his head, inadvertently making him see the drops of liquid that trail on the soil behind them. They'd dripped from his chin.
He wants to touch his face but finds that unwise with only his broken arm free.
He sticks his tongue out, tasting the liquid.
Metallic with a dash of bitter.
That's no mud.
Terrified, he wipes his cheeks on his shoulders. The deep blue colour of his vest turns dark red and brown—drying blood mixing with mud. Seeing that amount of blood out of his body ironically made him more awake than before.
The wizard looks up to Chariot with wide eyes and a white face. The girl had actively tried not to return the stare. "Let's just keep going, huh?" she says, keeping her eyes ahead.
"How bad do I look?"
"Aaaaaah…." Chariot squirms. She looks very uncomfortable suddenly.
"Chariot, for the love of God, tell me".
Chariot squirms again, audibly. She remains stubborn not to see his face.
"W-why do you look so scared? That bad?" the wizard chuckles mirthlessly.
As seconds follow and Chariot doesn't give any answer nor even a glance, Jericho knew it's that bad. Perhaps her lack of an answer is the best answer she could've given to describe his state.
"Ok, ok…." the wizard mutters.
The situation is that bad, then.
Despite the drowsiness and dizziness all the injury gave him, he's more awake than ever. Perhaps it's the adrenaline. He forces himself to remain calm and use that energy to think of the proper solutions to the situation instead of wasting it to panic.
Jericho's eyes dart here and there. "Do you know any healing spell?" he asks.
Chariot seems hesitant. "Aaaah… I don't want to use it on you. Not when there's no one else around to fix my mistake".
"Its fine, Chariot. It's fine. Stay calm". 'Stay calm'. It was directed to himself more than to Chariot. "I'm no better than you in white magic. We have to rely on the infirmary's help".
"That's why I'm not leaving you", says the girl. "You'll get nowhere and get lost in my school. It's like a maze".
That reminds him of something.
"But wait, didn't you say you're late for something?"
Chariot doesn't reply immediately. "Yes".
"I can… I can go there myself, you know? While you run to your thing". He knows the way. This is his school.
"I'm not going to leave you behind like this".
But she's right. Even though I know the way, I'd stumble so much I'd have to drag myself there. He looks to his legs, which both shudder and tremble as he tries to walk. I feel so… tired.
"Besides". This time Chariot looks at him, smiling, in spite of everything. "It isn't that important or anything. I'm not going to miss much by helping you".
"Really? This is true?"
"Yeah, really". Her smile and stare surprisingly persist, though it shows she's struggling to keep it so.
Regardless, it's the thought that counts and that comforts him, surprisingly.
"Okay. If you say so".
Chariot releases a long-held breath when the wizard finally looks away.
Luck seems to not be on their side. The hallways are mostly abandoned. He'd asked Chariot the reason, but she's suspiciously vague with her answers.
The girl's cries of help come unanswered, and she's forced to help the boy to the infirmary in this maze of a building. She follows his direction diligently until the tell-tale wooden sign that marks the infirmary room becomes visible down the hallway.
Their first luck of the day is that there's a nurse inside on standby. Chariot begins to leave the moment she's certain the wizard was safe. He wants to call out to her to at least thank her and wish her luck.
But the nurse's figure looms in front of him, eclipsing the light from the ceiling and putting herself between the wizard and Chariot. Her sudden presence effectively cut him off, and the series of antiseptics and needles she prepared on the tray she holds prevent his attention from moving anywhere else.
What follows was a series of painful treatment even in the cleaning stage of his wounds. Who knew that such a soft and white object like cotton could feel like needles when it's wet with just a few special waters? For his arm, Jericho was tricked into distraction by the nurse before she stabbed a needle into his arm to inject anaesthetics. He didn't appreciate that at all.
"Done? Are we done?" Jericho asks impatiently as the nurse returns the things she used to a metallic tray.
"We're done. For the day" she says. His brows arch. "You don't heal a broken bone overnight".
"So it's broken? My hand?"
"Lucky it's not a fracture. As for your head, you didn't dent a single spot on your skull. Only your skin broke there, albeit it's a big tear".
"I take it that's a good thing."
"It is, though it must've looked very scary and looks like something worse. Oh, and say hello to your little friends". She gestures at his right hand, which she's fashioned an elbow splint for.
Right above the skin where the bone broke is a clump of moving, living, things. Spirits. Luminescent, bubbly thing, he most often sees around Lotte.
"Healing, wait no, stitcher spirits?" Jericho takes a guess, raising his splinted right hand as best he can to inspect the little fellows.
"Correct, correct. Well, that's the layman's term at least. In any case, these things take time to stitch together the broken bone and tissues, so I'll leave you to go home with that. And after a few days and the spirits have healed you completely, you come back to me, here. There's no other place in town that has a licence to take these things off from you".
Jericho is irritated by all the pain she subjected onto him, but slowly, as her words sink in, he gradually perks up. He has to suppress a smile from showing.
"I know it could be uncomfortable going back here, but I'll ask for permission right away. The headmistress will understand".
The nurse continues, but he'd lost her as his mind works with schemes and ideas. Only when it seems fully necessary to respond does he force himself to.
"What happens if I don't come back and take them off?" he asks, out of pure curiosity.
"Your arms go dead numb", the nurse says hauntingly. The boy nods dubiously. "Just make sure you don't return late".
Having said enough, she turns to leave but pauses midway to add one last thing. "Also because those healing spirits are reusable so if you don't return them that's stealing. And I'll be the one responsible". She shrugs and turns, closing the curtains to his bed tightly.
Out of vision, Jericho lies his back to the sterile-white bed, its pillow brick-like and sheets smell of that indescribable sterile smell of all infirmaries in the world. The room is a boring one, with most of the things coloured sterile-white and old wooden furniture lining the room. The ceiling is the least interesting thing in the room. The ceiling fan hanging there casts faint and fast shadows across the room.
And in spite of all this, as Jericho stares up at the boring ceiling fan, he grins, because he's right where he wants to be. He's back at his school once again. And he's an excuse for a second or even more visit.
While the method isn't sustainable. It's still a good start. Not to mention, I have Chariot as an option, the boy ponders. Now I know someone from this school. I can use her as an excuse to linger around the school.
The wizard carefully turns on the bed and stares to the small window across his bed. The bed curtain was open enough for him to be able to see it. The sun's still bright outside, but he reckons it'll start to turn red in a few hours. If the windows open, he believes he'd hear the sound of nature. But closed, the endless back and forth of the pendulum clock sitting on the corner of the room and the spinning of the aged ceiling fan are the only audible things in the room.
Lying awake and alone, Jericho finds his smile, in spite of this victory, fading, slowly and quietly.
It feels hollow. He can't feel the joy of the victory.
It could be because the painkillers haven't yet left his systems, but Jericho knows there's a real reason.
It's Chariot.
A flock of birds flew outside, casting their shadows in the room as they pass by the window. Their flapping wings managed to break the monotone sound of the pendulum clock.
Jericho's worries she's late for something important. He knows she's reassured him again and again back then, but he can't help but think, just maybe, that she's lying.
The monotone silence was broken once again as the wizard finds himself sighing.
"Are you okay? Does it hurt somewhere?" It's the nurse's voice. It came from the other end of the infirmary.
The wizard sits up in surprise. He grunts at the immediate pain he feels on his hand and forehead—his suddenness surprised the mending spirits and they bit him hard.
But they hardly surprise him. It was the nurse that did. He thought he was alone. He couldn't see her with the curtains covering that side of his bed.
"Eh? No… I'm fine", he calls out from inside. Why ask?
"Really?" he could hear footsteps, and soon the curtains to his bed are pulled open. "You sounded like you're not fine".
Jericho blinks. "Why'd you think I didn't sound fine?" she couldn't have seen me through the covers…
The nurse shrugs. "Anyone ever told you you sigh loudly?"
The wizard's mouth snaps shut. His cheeks blush lightly. "Oh". He momentarily glances away from her. "I'm just worried about stuff. You know? Usual stuff".
The nurse easily rests her hands on her hips. "You need not worry about anything. It's not forbidden for us to allow a boy into the area if the situation calls for it".
"Oh, that's good to hear!" Jericho responds, feigning relief and surprise. That's right. I'm supposed to be worried about that. I'm already used to this place but I should learn to act surprised as a normal person would.
He says, "But that's not it, see. I'm worried about that girl that brought me here. We were flying together and it's my fault that I hurt myself. She told me she was late for something, yet she wasted more time by helping me to get here".
The nurse smiles. She leans herself on a table facing his bed. "That's good of you to worry, but don't. To be honest with you, I just started working here 2 or 3 months ago. I heard about this place's strictness, and they're not to my liking. Turns out, I was worrying too much. The headmistress was surprisingly a nice woman. Others said she's much nicer than the previous one. I hear talk there's some here that don't like that, but I like that".
"Holbrooke, Miranda Holbrooke you mean?"
The nurse nods impressed. "She must be famous then! If you know her, then you'd know not to worry. I can't see her doing something cruel to a student for helping others in need". She gets off the table and walks towards the wizard.
He won't lie that the headmistress's presence sets him at ease. She's indeed a lenient and benevolent person. And aside from that, his own headmistress being here helps him some way. Anything familiar counts; these white walls, the look of Blytonbury, the Headmistress… they're all something familiar in this unfamiliar world.
"I suppose there's some right in what you say", he says, a slight smile forming on his lips. "I shouldn't worry". Chariot did say I shouldn't worry about her being late.
He looks up and is surprised to find the nurse up close. She holds his shoulders and forces him to lie back on the bed. "In other words", she says, a tinge of frustration in her voice. "Get some rest already".
He frowns. "How long am I supposed to rest?"
The nurse was already by the doorway. "The stitcher spirits", she begins, "takes about an hour or more to heal your worst damages to your bones and tissues. Their quickness depends on your state of mind. The more negative your thoughts are, the less it likes your body—the slower it'll work on it. You have to let go of your worries!"
"That… doesn't make any sense?" He's read about this, back when he was researching on blood magic.
"Oh, it does! I'm telling you, kid, emotions could influence one's magic in their body. And the spirits wouldn't like the 'taste' of your magic when you're emotionally stressed or depressed".
He's not really in a position to argue.
She closes the door behind her.
Now alone, the boy is with no one but his thoughts once again. The constant humming of the ceiling fan coupled with the ticking of the old clock on the wall runs like a tempo in his head. With enough imagination, he could add a few sheep and he'll have a way to fall asleep quickly.
Miss Holbrooke, huh? So she's already in the office.
Jericho stirs on the bed but stops himself when he remembers about his injury. He must get used to that, lest he'll make more moves like this and hurt himself.
His major worries and curiosities quenched and pain subdued, it really is the time to sleep. So, thinking about sheep, the wizard shuts his eyes, and he drifts into the land of peaceful slumber.
By the time Jericho's allowed to leave the infirmary, the sun has already dipped through the horizon, setting a violet colour on the sky that'll soon be followed by dark blue.
He slept through the afternoon. He's surprised to find it a good sleep; there were no disturbing dreams that prevented him from a peaceful slumber. But now's not the time to think about that; he'll give more thought to that in the future.
His initial stage of healing is done. Other than the splint, he walks out the infirmary with a bandage wrapped around his forehead and bandaids peppering one side of his cheek.
He's surprised to find a familiar face waiting outside the infirmary. It's Miss Finnelan, with a lot fewer wrinkles. He also notices some differences in her outfit, mainly that she doesn't sport a particular badge that she always wears in his time. It must've indicated her rank of some sort, and means she's yet to reach it in this time.
"A taxi has been called for you. If you follow me, I'll take you to the exit of the school. The walk there is enough for the taxi to arrive. All expenses are on us". She speaks with the same no-nonsense style she had in his time, but with much more formal politeness one would use on a guest. He'll have to get used to being treated this way by the people he knew from his time.
"Sorry to bother", Jericho replies, awed and distracted. This is the first time he meets someone he already knew in his time. Of course, he'd expected something like this to happen and pondered how things will go, but the reality is often different than the scenarios in our head makes us feel.
While Miss Finnelan looks different, she still acts very familiarly. Even the way she walks is familiar.
The familiarity made Jericho both comforted and unnerved at the same time. Being comforted with the presence of Miss Finnelan was something he never expected to happen.
Despite his budding curiosity, Jericho didn't dare speak much. He'd rather not keep lengthy conversations that could incite questions that would make him need to come up with lies. He also needs to keep greater care when speaking with someone who knows him from his time.
That reminds me… Jericho gazes at his reflection every time they pass through windows. What if I'm too recognizable and someone who knows me like Finnelan recognizes me in the future?
Again, Jericho promises himself he'll think about this later when the time and place allows it.
The two soon arrive at the front doors of the academy. The tall double doors are slightly ajar, allowing the lamplight from inside to spill outside in a narrow ray. He stops just in front of the doors, hesitant, forcing the teacher too to stop.
"What's the matter?" she asks.
Jericho glances to the hallway they walked through. Eyes searching.
Hesitantly, Jericho asks her, "This might sound weird but… do I have to leave right now? Is it possible for me to see someone before I leave?"
He's made up his mind previously. He'd like to see Chariot just so he knows what really happened to her after she helped him.
"A friend of yours, I presume?" the professor raises a brow. "The opening ceremony is done, but the new students are having orientation right away and the older ones are told to retire". Miss Finnelan checks her watch. "I'm afraid dinner time—the last break of the day—just ended. Unfortunately, you missed the chance to meet this person you wanted".
When Miss Finnelan looks up from her watch, she's surprised to find the boy shocked.
Wide-eyed, the wizard blinks and stammers, "s-sorry, can you say that again?"
"The opening ceremony—our school's ceremony when the semester starts—ended a few hours ago. All the students should have just finished with their dinner and have schedules now. Sorry, but I don't think you can see anyone— is something the matter?"
Jericho realizes he was gaping. "No! Nothing!" He can tell Miss Finnealan was about to ask more, but he quickly stomps past her to end the conversation. "Let's just leave, then!"
"If you wish so…" she says, one brow raised as she curiously eyes the wizard.
He hurriedly goes through the double doors. The low sun greets him. The entire view is familiar. And yet no sign of the taxi.
The teacher had yet to follow him outside. Standing alone on the front porch, the wizard finds himself unable to stand still. He paces back and forth as his mind scrambles to think.
Quiet, seemingly abandoned hallways.
A bazaar that only comes bi-annually, both near the beginning of semesters.
And Chariot's initial grim anxiousness.
Then he stands completely still.
Today is the day of the opening ceremony! She'd be dead if she was late!
She could even be expelled if her track record compels the headmistress to do so. Headmistress Holbrooke is a lenient and understanding person, but no one is without their limits.
And of course, the worst part of this whole ordeal: I could be the one to blame! Chariot going to be so angry at me!
Still inside, Miss Finnelan watches with indifference as the wizard anxiously glances to and fro, searching the driveway for any sign of the taxi.
Eventually, he returns inside.
"So, when's the taxi coming?" Jericho asks. The wizard does well in mimicking a calmly curious tone and gait.
"Apparently not right now", she replies calmly. "We'll have to wait".
"I see!" the wizard replies, a minuscule crack in his voice. He stands beside the teacher and waits. "Of course. Waiting".
30 seconds pass in waiting. It felt like minutes for the wizard.
Jericho begins to rock on his heels.
Back and forth.
And back and forth.
Just one minute into waiting and he can't contain himself from moving. Jericho starts pacing again, from one end of the hallway to the other, garnering a curious eyeing from the still-stationary teacher.
Finally, she feels it's time to comment. "You're worried about something?"
"Well, it's…." he stops on his spot and spins on his heels till he faces the teacher, hand clasped together in front of his chest. He remains quiet for a second. "Do you… are you sure you called the taxi?"
Jericho freezes. His whole body stiffens when he hears something. Footsteps. Heavy and quick. Towards their direction.
Wizard and professor turn just in time to find someone running and stopping a few paces from them. It's the red-haired Chariot. Exhausted, she rests her hands on her knees as she gasps for air.
"Du Nord", the teacher remarks dryly.
"Chariot!" The boy, in contrast, exclaims her name.
Chariot replies to neither. She still keeps her face down, still catching her breath.
The wizard wishes he could just step away and leave the building and shut himself in the taxi, but he forces himself to sit still and face the incoming wave.
Please don't say you're late.
Please don't say you're late.
Please don't say you're late and want my blood!
She looks up and finally walks up to him, stopping close enough for him to realize she's frowning deeply. Jericho gulps, imagining the worst reason for that frown.
"I was looking for you!" Chariot says, still panting occasionally. "You just up and went from the infirmary without telling me! You made me worried sick!"
"What?!"
Chariot comes closer, eyes are fixated on his bandaged parts. He, meanwhile, is transfixed on Chariot's worrying, caring face. He's surprised to realize there wasn't anger in that frown but worry, and worry for him.
"You're… worried?"
She lifts her eyes to meet his. He froze immediately when those eyes are now directed at his own. Such strong emotion behind them. Red, striking, yet warm and caring.
"I was the one that made you fall. And you bled so much I was just so scared. You are okay, right?"
"But your ceremony!" the boy argues. "Today's the ceremony day, right?"
"Huh? Yeah". She answers quietly at first—confused at the sudden turn of the topic. "I would've gotten into the worst trouble if I were late, but I wasn't".
Jericho just notices she was holding onto something. It's a witch hat, with a beige ribbon.
She puts it on her head. "See? Prove that I wasn't late; I got to keep my hat", she chuckles.
It happens in an instant.
Jericho feels instant, genuine relief the moment he sees her with that hat. It's as if her words weren't enough to convince him she's fine, him fearing she's lying again for his own good. But now, seeing her wear the hat, a symbol of being—or remaining—a student in this school is the proof he needs.
Chariot's eyes trail off. She shyly takes off her hat. "What's the matter, don't like the colour?" she asks, her chuckle becoming mirthless.
Jericho blinks, realizing he was staring at Chariot this whole time. He consciously forces himself to look at the hat and not her face.
"No, no! It's not that. The hat's…"
He trails off.
On second thought, the colour is super nice.
Jericho holds her hat, feeling the familiar texture of the ribbon and the fabric. It's the same kind of fabric as his time. It feels comforting holding such a familiar thing.
"I... love the colour", he says, surprised to find himself growing excited. "It goes nicely with the rest of the uniform. Especially the blue dominant outing uniform".
Damn. Should I go for this colour instead back then?
Seeing the wizard's excitement encourages Chariot. "Yeah! Yeah! Isn't it nice?" she nods enthusiastically. It seems as if he's the first person to care about the ribbon's colour. "I've been saying that since the beginning but my friends just don't see it. I mean, I kinda understand since the colour was chosen for us, but still!"
Jericho looks up to her. "Really? That's weird. I was allowed to choose my colour when I got here".
This gets the attention of both student and teacher, yet Miss Finnelan remains silent, contend in only listening.
"When you got here?" asks Chariot.
"Here to my school, I mean". the wizard hurriedly replies. "They also have colour schemes and such, you know? And yeah I was just remarking how better it is to be able to choose my own colour. Not saying your system is worse than ours".
"Oh, that's cool", Chariot says. She leans forward. "Is this your uniform over there? It looks good!"
"Yes!" Jericho says, glancing down to see what he's wearing: his Luna Nova indoors uniform, the same one he wore when he ventured outside in the night the Blue Moon shone.
He regrets answering too quickly.
Chariot studies his clothes. "It doesn't look that different from—"
"You're mistaken", Jericho says, keeping a polite smile.
"No seriously, yours look—"
"You're mistaken", he says again, hardening that smile and tone. That was enough to make Chariot pause in surprise, but the wizard immediately hands the hat back to Chariot, hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere. Nodding, Jericho says, "But your luck is not mistaken! You're lucky to get such a good colour! Very lucky indeed. Yes!"
"Uh, yes, the colour!" Chariot nods along.
Despite his smile and warm demeanour, Jericho is screaming internally. I need to work on my mouth.
Eventually, Chariot's cheerful smile softens into that of melancholy. She looks at her hat, looking at it wistfully.
"I got lucky," she says, lifting her eyes to see him. Smiling. "I would've lost this if I didn't run into you. So thank you. I'm glad I ran into you and braved myself to ask for help".
"Y-yeah", Jericho says, trying his best to return that smile.
What is he supposed to say at this point?
'Your welcome?'
Jericho finds himself unable to say anything like that.
Because deep down, where feelings of elation and relief should fill his heart, there's only guilt instead.
It surprises himself that he's feeling this way.
He was helping himself, not her.
Does he regret thinking of her like that? It's hard not to when he's lost in her red eyes. They gleam impossibly warm and strong. That should've been impossible in such a time of day and dim lighting. He feels his eyes drift towards them more. And similarly, his heart falls deeper and deeper to guilt—
"Technically you didn't arrive on time. You were late". It's Miss Finnelan's voice, curt and stern, rebuking Chariot causing her to shut her mouth and the boy to tense up. With just that sentence she commanded the comfortable atmosphere to a pause. "You were late, but the headmistress decided to make a special exception for her because of her 'heroic act of selfless sacrifice'".
She makes Chariot turn away from Jericho.
Chariot turns red and scratches the back of her head sheepishly. She's smiling, however, with a stupid stick of the tongue. "Oh, stop it, miss! You're making me blush."
"I am quoting," Miss Finnelan says evenly, scowling darkly at the red-headed witch. "In fact, I remember arguing against the headmistress's decision".
The comfortable atmosphere was not put on pause—it was shattered.
Chariot flinches under the woman's scowl, her posture seemingly shrinking by the minute.
Luckily for her, the professor's gaze soon relaxes as she turns to the wizard, who's been awkwardly watching the interaction unfolding in silence.
"That being said, I didn't base my argument on the fact that the girl helped you. I based it on her general sloppiness and lack of discipline; she wouldn't have been lost if she followed the map correctly and or left from home earlier. I think she did right in helping you. I would ask my students the same".
The boy blinks. That surprised him completely. That's the closest thing of a compliment I'd ever heard her say to anyone besides Diana!
It was a compliment from one of the most compliment-frugal people in his life. Scarcity makes it invaluable. In retrospect, it might've done his heart better if Finnelan just straight up ridiculed Chariot instead of giving him a heart attack by complementing Chariot.
Nonetheless, it's a nice note to end this roller coaster of emotions of a day.
"Yes. I chose the right thing", Chariot says proudly. She seems to have recovered from her fright during the time Finnelan was distracted with him. "If it wasn't for him, I'd be lost in town and be even later".
Chariot turns to him again. And once again, Jericho's back in the centre of attention again,
"Let's not forget I gloriously made us fall. I made you technically late," he says, keeping a cynical tone in hopes that it'll stop Chariot from showering him with gratitude.
He'd choke on it. Again.
"Well, it turns out good in the end, doesn't it?" Chariot argues. "And besides, it's as you said: it was an accident. It's not like you did it intentionally to make me late. You intended to help me and that's good enough in my book".
He's starting to choke again.
The sound of tires rolling on dirt echoes from outside, cutting their conversation short. The three turns to find a yellow-cab taxi waiting in front of the main entrance. Odd that now he nearly loathes its arrival when he was searching for it minutes ago.
"Looks like your ride is here, young man", Finnelan says. She turns to Chariot again. "Now should be the time for you to return inside. Isn't dinner time nearly ending? I don't want you to bother the kitchen staff after they're closed for the night. They worked extra hard for today's events".
Chariot straightens her back and gives a saluting gesture to the professor. "No worries! I already had them. Ate my meals quickly so I can catch him before he leaves".
This impresses the wizard.
But then she hunches her back and clutches her stomach, a single tear pooling on the edge of her eye. "And I got cramps because I ran here right after eating".
Jericho stifles a chuckle. He's surprised he can do that. He should be doing that; today's a victory. Let's not think about the unnecessary bad things for now. He shakes his head and turns around to hide the small smile that creeps into his lips.
The professor pinches the bridge of her nose. "You don't need to rush", she sighs. "He's going to return here the next few days to take off his stitcher spirits. No place else in town that could do that so we have no choice but to welcome him again".
'No choice', the wizard thought wryly. Glad I'm welcomed here.
"Heh, I didn't know that! Awesome!"
Finnelan's trying to say there's no need to make this goodbye too dramatic. "It means we'll see each other when I return".
Jericho turns to look at Chariot before leaving, smiling. "Good luck with your semester, Chariot".
"Oh, thank you! So nice to say that!" Chariot waves, not stopping that even as he closes the passenger door.
The wizard rolls down the window when he sees Chariot shouting something he couldn't listen.
"If you're going to come back, tell me! I could pick you up and take you here".
That's right. Now that Chariot and I know each other, I can use her to get to Luna Nova.
That's one more problem resolved. But unlike before, he doesn't feel relief and success.
He doesn't look her in the eye when he answers. "Only if you promise me we won't fall again".
The cab rolls out of the school grounds and into the dark forest road connecting the school to Blytonbury. The day was a roller coaster of emotions, but now everything is silent and slow. The radio system plays a song—a jazzy tune that must've been popular in this year—in a comfortable low volume. The world outside becomes muffled and darkened by the window's rather thick tinting. The taxi's like a little box of personal space, if one counts out the driver.
Jericho slumps his back on the taxi's comfortable seat. It's a good seat. He could easily fall asleep on it if he wants to. Despite his body yearning for it, his mind is still restless, begging him to stay and think.
Unconsciously, Jericho makes scribbling motions with his finger on the cab's door as he thinks, taking mental notes of his day and his plans in the next. Indeed, so many things happened today, and tomorrow holds many guesses. There are so many things to think about.
What am I supposed to do next? Jericho finds himself ask that the most.
Of course, he knows what to do on the bigger picture, but on the micro level—the how and when—proposes a huge question mark for him.
Then Jericho abruptly pauses his scribbling.
Chariot crosses his mind.
What was that guilt I felt there?
That's a hard question. So hard Jericho pretends it never crossed his mind so he wouldn't need to answer it. Like erasing a note with an eraser, he moves on to other thoughts.
Yes, there are so many different things to think and plan about.
So many things…
Yet he's so tired...
"So… where to, mister?" Jericho hears the driver ask. Immediately his eyes open wide. He fell asleep for a second there.
Awake and alert, the wizard straightens his back and looks to the road ahead. "Right… let me think…."
That's a good question. Where do I stay at this time? Do I even have money?
But then something clicks inside him, something he realizes too slowly.
'Mister?'
Surprised, Jericho grabs the front seat and to help himself forward so he can peak at the driver's seat.
That accessory on the rearview mirror, that old but well-kept leather steering wheel, that coffee aroma on the air conditioner… and the driver's seat that's seemingly empty at first glance. This is the taxi of…
Jericho glances down on the driver's seat and indeed, finds a gnome sitting there, driving. The gnome only offered a glance back and a salute before focusing on the road again. A block of wood is attached to his feet so he can reach the pedals.
"Decided yet, mister?" Rahjaesh the gnome driver asks offhandedly. His usual beard is trimmed shorter than Jericho remembers. Anything else about him is the same. Gnomes, as they said, age differently.
The wizard keeps on blinking. He eventually lets go of the seat, landing back onto the backseat.
What a bizarre, bizarre day.
Author's Notes:
Another chapter delivered. Apologize if this one takes a bit longer than you expected. Some problems were met but now resolved. I'm afraid for the next chapter I can't promise when exactly I can have it ready. But fear not, I'm working on it right away. I got nothing better to do. : ^))
And of course, thank you for the follows and favourites and you're welcome to hit those buttons if you haven't already. Stop hiding and show yourselves : D
And thanks for the reviews! They're always welcome. Don't be afraid to tell me what you think. : ^)