A/N: This installment is long overdue. To be honest, my laptop is on the fritz and the only computer currently at my disposal is so awkward and uncomfortable to type on. But, I finally sucked it up and brought myself to write this for my handful of faithful readers out there. ^^
Anyhoo, without further ado, here's the next chapter~!
A few weeks later…
The days had been warm, despite the fact that the winter months were looming dangerously close on the horizon. However, it seemed that this very night was when the northern providence finally resolved to discard the last heated shreds of its infamously sweltering summer and give way to the chilly transition of seasons. A breeze carrying the frigidness of the night swept through the cracked window and filtered into the boys' dormitory. The stinging cold fell on Boq's unblanketed sleeping form and he shuddered unconsciously. His small hands pawed mindlessly about the linens of his bed in search of a means of warmth while his psych was stricken by nostalgia brought on by the frosty wind.
The Munchkinlander braced his body against the whipping gusts of air and onslaught of raindrops as he walked through the seemingly abandoned campus. The foreign inconvenience of rain in the midst of such nice weather had taken the residents of Shiz off guard, but many had the fortune to be able to duck into a lecture hall or one of the various cafés that dotted the area. Many, save Boq. Prior obligations made him shake off the petty fear of getting dampened and pushed him through the storm and towards the cathedral-like history building. It was usually a pleasant-looking edifice; welcoming with the cheery vibrato voice of Dr. Dillamond audible through an open window. Today, however, the gloom of the storm made its towers look intimidating. And there was no Dr. Dillamond awaiting inside with a benevolent greeting.
And there wasn't going to be ever again.
The patter of a single pair of feet along the slippery cobbles ceased as Boq paused before the front entrance. A shiver ran down his spine, not entirely due to the harsh weather. He nervously adjusted his soaking red cap, not taking his eyes off of the large mahogany doorway.
Stop it, Boq. You're being foolish. He scolded himself. You've entered the building several times a day for months, both in the presence and the absence of others. Why is it so different now?
But that was an easily answered inquiry. The new professor made Boq uneasy since the first day of his arrival. Dr Nikidik had an air of presumption to him- he seemed to lack any sort of moral compass and was insensitive towards both Animals and humans alike.
But a cold-hearted professor was nothing to fear, right? It wouldn't be the first time he'd encountered one. So why the sudden mental block? Why couldn't he bring himself to go inside? Fulfill the simple little task and be on his merry way? Why couldn't he at least bring himself to navigate himself out of the rain?
And yet even as he asked himself these questions, the idea of pneumonia didn't size up too badly in comparison to confronting the eerie Dr. Nikidik. Boq sighed inwardly. This wasn't going to be as effortless an endeavor as he had initially hoped. The small boy lingered at the base of the stone stairway for a few anxiety-filled moments before making his way up the steps and plunging into the dry building.
I'm just a student getting out of the rain. That's all, Boq validated.
He walked hastily through the meagerly lit corridor, painfully aware of how every single one of his footsteps gave off a hollow echo, which ricocheted off of the stone walls and heightened in volume as the sound progress throughout the building. He quickened his step.
I'm just getting out of the rain. That's all. That's all.
He couldn't reach Dr. Dillamond's office- well, the office formerly belonging to Dr. Dillamond- fast enough. To his surprise, when he turned the knob, it offered no resistance and the door opened at his command. His heart skipped a beat. He had subconsciously been hoping for an obstacle beyond his ability to get around to botch the mission and allow him to retreat safely away. But, unfortunately, luck was on his side.
"Pardon me for the intrusion-" he began, but stopped upon realizing he was apologizing to an uninhabited room. He slid in with the most stealth he had exhibited on the entire journey and left the door ajar, fearing that it would lock from the outside and leave him trapped had he avoided the risk of capture and closed it. Creeping over to the large, rectangular desk at the front of the room, the Munchkin began to immediately sift through the assortment of papers cluttering the desk. Now that he was this far, he had to work quickly. No more reluctant movement.
The various papers were recent graded and ungraded assignments as well as absentee sheets. Worthless. He dropped to his knees and flung open the first cabinet. Unlike the face of the desk, this storage unit was by no means cluttered; in fact, it was utterly and hopelessly empty of any files or papers. Boq's morale withered slightly. What if his goal item isn't here? What is this risky escapade has been in vain?
He shook his head to clear his mind. No. By memory, he recalled that this specific drawer was for mindless footnotes made by Dr. Dillamond in his time working with him. It was always filled with scrap paper and tidbits of loosely stringed information that tended to just be discarded in the near future. There was still hope yet.
The next drawer held much more promise; it mirrored its predecessor with its sufficient lack of relevantly useful files, but it wasn't completely barren.
Just like he remembered, taped to the very back of the drawer was a small copper key.
Boq took it between his thumb and forefinger and perused it, as if trying to make sure that this was , in fact, a tangible and, moreover, beneficial finding and not just a fabrication of his overly-optimistic imagination. There was only one way to really find out. He slid the thin brass shaft into the slot of the third and last drawer directly below the first two. His fingers twisted it and eagerly gave a soft tug and the small compartment followed the outward impact. The insides were unchanged as far as Boq was concerned- Dr. Dillamond's research all compiled neatly in several organized files. The Munchkin gave way to a grin as he tucked the files gingerly into a brown messenger bag and returned the cabinet to its original locked state. The key also went in to its hiding position in the back of the second drawer; everything must seem untouched.
Satisfied and filled with a newfound confidence, he all but swaggered from the room; his previous fears that had been peeling at the back of his mind were ousted completely. However, they flooded back in immediately when he collided with the dreaded Dr. Nikidik upon exiting. The professor uttered a startled grunt as he knocked into the Munchkinlander.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing in here?" the professor demanded.
Boq's mind seemed to void itself of all forms of intelligible thought. What was his excuse? Something about the weather?
"I…. um," he spluttered, casting down his gaze to his ragged bag. "..was looking for the notes I left behind." The professor raised one eyebrow in response.
"I-I found them," Boq mumbled, patting his bag assuringly. He offered a shallow laugh. "I was a nervous wreck, thinking I had lost them due to my own foolishness. All that work- gone! What waste that would be."
Dr. Nikidik offered a noncommittal grunt. "I was actually in the process of giving this place a good sweep through- discard the straggling pieces of loose-leaf and all that. Especially all the clutter that's accumulated in there." He made a gesture towards the desk. "You'd think being one of the most renowned schools in the country, they'd possess the decency to clean out an ex-staff member's desk before replacing him." Another grunt. "Apparently not." He turned his cold, dark eyes back onto the Munchkin and Boq made an effort not squirm uncomfortably under the firm gaze. "Just be a little more… conscientious next time. You really are lucky to have gotten here when you did."
"You're telling me," Boq mumbled, still staring at the bag.
As Nikidik pushed passed him, he took heed in finally escaping the room and made his way to the entrance where he had come in. As he opened it, he was greeted by a gust of cold air…
Another breeze wafted into the room and Boq jerked into consciousness. The dim orange light from the parallel oil lamp was still glowing without much vigor, dully illuminating the room. Boq peered through the shadows and was able to make out the silhouetted form of his roommate with the lamplight as the glowing backsplash.
"Fiyero?" his vocal chords were still rusty from slumber and his question came out a harsh whisper. The figure beyond remained dormant. The Munchkinlander tentatively slipped out of the thin covers and approached the silent figure. "Fiyero?"
The sleeping Vinkus boy was lazily cradling his head in the nook between his bronze, crossed arms, which had found a textbook worthy of a makeshift pillow. Even in the poor lighting, the dark crescents below Fiyero's eyes that had been taking on a darker hue as the days went by were exceedingly blatant. A pang of sympathy struck Boq as he regarded the exhausted Winkie. Despite himself, he couldn't help but admire how persistent Fiyero was. The past few weeks have no doubt been a hellish experience for him; making the sharp and sudden transition of doing literally nothing productive to throwing himself head-on into his schoolwork had clearly physically drained him.
The Munchkin reached over to shut off the lamp and retire once more but paused, noticing that Fiyero was still loosely gripping a quill pen in his right hand. He removed the utensil from the prince's grasp and peered down at the essay that was suspended mid-thought; a sentence interrupted by slumber overcoming its author. A memory tugged at the recesses of the small boy's mind; he recalled Fiyero mentioning something about "putting off writing an essay for his philosophy class, which, he had added with a tone of bewildered disappointment evident in his tone, bore absolutely no resemblance to the Philosophy Club. Boq gingerly removed the paper from under Fiyero's limp hand and skimmed over the meager collection of sentences that his roommate had written.
The subject of the essay was Animal rights and their biological connection to the human race; this connection, if proven, would be a significant step forward to making society regard Animals as equal citizens. Boq found all of this very coincidental, recalling the eerie dream- or reverie- he had just unpleasantly awoken from. Dr Dillamond's notes- which were now residing in the safe cranny of his bedside table drawer- focused on just this.
Boq hesitated, shooting a glance in the sleeping prince's direction. He's been running himself ragged lately.
His gaze returned to the unfinished essay he was clutching. Perhaps, he could "expand" on what had already been written. He does have all the necessary resources at his disposal to make it possible…
No. The Munchkin gave his head a slight shake. That would be plagiarism. It would be unorthodox…
Another thought flashed into his mind. It was uncalled for, but it made an appearance nonetheless.
Galinda Upland acknowledging him. Galinda Upland willingly letting him into to her immediate social circle. Galinda Upland insisting that he walk her to class.
All that had become a reality as of late thanks to the help of his roommate.
I suppose I do owe him this…
Boq seated himself in the vacant chair and began to write, not stopping until the light of dawn began to trickle in from behind.