My finals were evil, I tell you. EVIL!! AAAAARGH STUPID MATH 21C! But now, I'm just glad they're over with. Hohohohohohohohohohohoho....
This chapter focuses a bit less on our Comodo-bound group, and more on Tabby and the political workings of Yuno Academy. Just a little heads up.
FireyFlames: I'd planned for Eurie to be blind a long time ago. In fact, I had the idea for a blind character even before I thought of Eurie. :P Now, the question is whether or not I pulled it off successfully (i.e. whether or not it sounds like I pulled it out of my ass). In fact, if you read some of the earlier scenes in which she appears, you might catch some small clues.
Seiyo: HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BECOME ANOTHER MINIO- I MEAN ADDIC- I MEAN READER. :) Here is the next chapter as I said! ~('-' ~)
Wow I feel hyper.
Morroc Orphanage, Eight hours ago
"The truth is, I am blind; I have been for years," Eurie said, gesturing to herself. "I have a difficult time traversing around Morroc, so I often need someone to guide me. And holding onto my brother's arm in public... well that would send quite the wrong image."
Daphne was at loss for words. She couldn't believe what the dancer was telling her. Was it some sort of joke in bad taste? Did she get some sort of perverse rush from taunting her like this? She opened her mouth to counter with a sarcastic, cutting remark when she realized something.
"You're... really telling the truth, aren't you?" she asked slowly. "You've never once looked me directly in the eye. You seem unsure about your surroundings."
"As a result, I ended up holding onto your boyfriend's arm for support; everything is my fault. I am very sorry for the misunderstanding."
"B-boyfriend!?" Daphne yelped softly. She turned red
"Am I wrong?"
"Kristoph and I are just f-friends..." the young witch said, still a little flushed. "We've just known each other for a long time."
"Is that so?" Eurie beamed. "Then that's a relief!"
But there was a nagging question at the back of her head that she could not help but voice.
"Wait, so if you are blind, then how do you expect to guide us to Comodo?" asked Daphne.
"Nicholas tells me where to go and where to step. He functions as my eyes as we travel."
"But... he's..." Daphne had trouble saying the word. It seemed a little... tactless.
"Ah... yes, he can't speak," Eurie said, looking downwards. "To work around that problem, the two of us have developed a type of musical code. As long as I can hear the pitches, he can tell me through his harp."
"That's..." Daphne breathed.
"It's sad, isn't it?" Eurie sighed.
"...I was about to say amazing," responded Daphne. "Remarkable!"
"Please keep it a secret," the dancer whispered. "Although you may find it amazing, we do have a reputation to uphold as guides. It is difficult for a blind and mute pair of guides to find work."
Daphne discovered a newfound respect in the brother-sister pair. She had initially assumed the dancer was some sort of klutzy bimbo who used her body to wind men around her little finger. But instead, here was a young woman who managed to overcome a profound hardship with ingenuity and hard work (how difficult it must be for a blind girl to learn dance steps!) and constantly displayed a smile and minded her manners. Not to mention that it must have been frustrating and overwhelming for a blind girl and her mute brother to communicate enough to develop a musical code.
"How... how did you do it?" Daphne asked disbelievingly. "How did you manage so much?"
For a second, she saw a sense of weariness in Eurie's face before the dancer smiled again.
"Well!" Eurie said. "Whenever I felt particularly tired, I would just force a smile!" She placed her index fingers on her cheeks. "I can't help but feel better each time I do it."
"I'm sorry. I must apologize," Daphne said. "I have to admit that I thought less of you when I first saw you. I let my emotions rather than my head judge you."
"No, no it's quite alright," Eurie dismissed lightly. "It's quite understandable considering your position."
They stood in silence in each other's presence for a moment, lost in their thoughts.
"Could you tell me what sort of man Sir Graves is?" Eurie asked. "Since I feel wrong holding onto Kristoph's arm for guidance – "
"Oh, no, I can't have that," Daphne interrupted quickly. "Please, use Kristoph in whatever way you feel like. Have him carry you if you should so need. Besides, Sir Graves is engaged; it wouldn't do to hold onto his arm."
"Oh, that is wonderful!" Eurie smiled. "Would you happen to know when the wedding takes place?"
"It's been delayed a long time because of their work, but I suspect within the next year," Daphne said.
They fell silent again.
"I have a favor to ask of you," Eurie started.
"Of course!"
"If it's not too much could you tell me about the people whom we are traveling with? It is not often that I find the chance to know my traveling companions. I feel as though I can know them better when someone describes them to me."
Daphne smiled.
"Well, Kristoph Reinbach, my childhood friend is a knight," she began. "He's eighteen seasons old, has short blond hair and gray eyes. He might have gotten the wrong impression of you and it looks like the two of you started off on the wrong foot, but usually, he is very courteous and gentlemanly."
"Oooh, congratulations," Eurie said. "He sounds very handsome."
"I-It's nothing like that," Daphne said, hoping that her red face didn't show in her voice. "Now Captain Grant Graves, on the other hand, is a paladin in his mid twenties..."
Morroc Desert, West Fortress Saint Darmain, present
They must have seemed like a sorry bunch; quite literally half-dead, staggering out of the ruins of Fortress Saint Darmain. Daphne, although uninjured, could barely stand by herself; her knees felt weak and trembled incessantly. Reinbach was half-carrying, half-dragging Argos, with the assassin's arm slung over his shoulders, while Nicholas carried in his arms Eurie's unconscious body. Daphne could see Grant Grave's unmoving form laying sideways at entrance to the bridge. There was a long fissure behind him where Remiel's Soul Breaker had shot through the paladin's back.
Without warning, Nicholas collapsed to his knees, clutching his stomach tightly. Eurie fell to the sand with a muffled thump.
"Nicholas!" Reinbach cried. He dropped Argos unceremoniously to the ground and limped towards the clown. Daphne herself was quick to follow.
Nicholas had his hands pressed tightly against his abdomen. He gave quick, labored breaths, his eyes began to gloss over, and beads of sweat formed on his face.
"What's wrong!?" she asked quickly, before she remembered that Nicholas could not respond to her.
The clown mouthed the words poison before falling straight on his face into the sand.
"No!" cried Daphne. She rolled the man over onto his back and caught sight of a small gash along the front of his tunic. An inch-long scrape sat between his left fifth and sixth rib. "This must be from Remiel!" she said. "He even poisoned his weapons!"
"We shouldn't try to move him too much," Reinbach said. "We don't want to spread the poison any more than it already has."
"Then what do we do?" She saw Reinbach bite his lower lip in anxiety.
"We'll have to get our injured to a place where they can rest," he sighed. "After that, we'll have to wait for Captain Graves to wake up so he can begin healing us."
Yuno, Sage Academy Faculty Meeting
Why does it seem like I'm always waiting?
Tabby tapped her fingers irritatedly on the wooden grain of the huge, circular desk in the faculty meeting room. There were seven chairs placed evenly around the desk, and only six of them were currently occupied. Another professor, sitting across from her, cleared his throat impatiently and crossed his arms.
As if on cue, the door to the faculty meeting room burst open and a befuddled-looking biochemist rushed into the room, with disheveled clothes and equally fly-away salt-and-pepper hair. He was out of breath. He adjusted the laboratory goggles over the glasses on his face with a chemical-stained glove and strode to the empty chair at the desk.
"Sorry I'm late everyone, I was busy – "
"Researching, yes, we know," the impatient professor across from Tabby said. "But do try to make it a habit of arriving to faculty meetings on time."
"Will do, will do, Professor Whitmoore," the biochemist said, sitting down. He straightened the brown collar to his shawl and smoothed out his shirt.
"Were you not informed by the student we sent to your office, Dr. Jacoby?" a male high wizard, in his seventies croaked. The long, white beard hanging from his chin dangled as he spoke. His receding hairline and wrinkled face spoke volumes about his age, and the length of his white hair was equally impressive.
High wizards were the highest ranking of the wizards and witches; pinnacles of the magic casting community, rivaled only by professors. The destructive might unleashed from their wands and staves were enough to level forests, if particularly potent. Although it was rumored that High Wizard Marbury in his prime was capable of such feats, he spent his days serving as a representative of the Wizard Association of Geffen and liaison for the Yuno Sage Academy. His days of leveling forests and wreaking magical destruction were long gone.
"Student?" Dr. Jacoby asked. He shifted upwards the laboratory goggles and wiped his fogged-up glasses with his gloved finger. Then, whether by habit or on purpose, the biochemist placed the goggles back over his eyes. "Student... student... Oh yes! Well, I did make it clear during my classes that I would rather not be bothered during my research hours, unless it was a matter of dire emergency – "
As Dr. Jacoby spoke, Professor Whitmoore clenched his hands tighter and tighter until he slammed his fist into the desk. His blue floor-length sleeve, a standard piece of the professor uniform, fluttered softly. Tabby stopped fiddling with the corner of her own red, gold-embroidered sleeve at the sight of this.
"It was a matter of dire emergency, you dolt!" Whitmoore snapped, interrupting the biochemist, voicing what Tabby wanted to say.
"Emergen... wh-what? What happened? What's going on?" Jacoby stammered. He looked utterly lost.
"If you would have stuck your head out of your lab for one moment to listen to the ruckus above," another professor said, a woman in her forties. "You would have realized that the academy was being attacked."
"Attacked!" yelped Jacoby. "Who? Why?"
"The Prontera church," High Wizard Marbury said, in his feeble old voice. "More particularly, a small faction of monks led by the Champion Penmeyer. He took several students hostage and demanded the surrender of Professor Tabby Williams for questioning, on the Pope's orders."
Jacoby fell silent, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
"We currently have four reported students with minor injuries, one student unconcious, and one student unaccounted for," another biochemist said, this one a woman the same age as Tabby. She slid him a sheet of paper. "I believe all of your students are unharmed, Franz."
"That's a relief to know," Jacoby sighed, adjusting the goggles on his face again as he scanned the paper. "Er, I mean it's still terrible that other students were attacked. Whose student was unconscious?"
"He would be mine," Tabby said, the first words she spoke in the meeting. "Tolby Neptunia should be waking up in a few hours; he used a Frost Nova magic scroll and ended up freezing himself and his captors."
"Now that we're all on the same page," the other female professor, Professor Leander started, shooting a mixed look of disapproval and resignation at Jacoby. "We can commence with the executive decision that this academy will take regarding the incident a few hours ago."
"Regarding our missing student," Marbury murmured. "I believe it was Caroline Cook? Yes, Dr. Gianino's student. What is your suggested course of action?"
"We need to send letters to all the parents immediately," Dr. Gianino, the female biochemist said. "Some students believe that Miss Cook was last seen escorting Mr Neptunia to the infirmary, but she seems to have disappeared completely after that."
"I asked her to take Mr. Neptunia to the infirmary after the monks teleported out of Yuno academy," Tabby said. "Rest assured, she was not taken as a hostage."
"The one who lives with her grandmother?" Professor Leander asked. "I'm sure she'll be worried sick if she hears about this. Wouldn't it be better if we hold off on sending those letters until we've found her?"
"I agree," Marbury said. A general murmur of consent floated around the desk. "Then there's the matter of Tolby Neptunia," he continued. "He has attacked Salathiel Penmeyer and his men. This is legally considered an affront to the church."
"We will have to decide whether this would be ruled a independent action or whether we shall take responsibility for Mr. Neptunia's actions," Dr. Gianino sighed.
"Independent action," Dr. Jacoby said, almost immediately. "We don't want to rouse Prontera's ire because of one student's decisions."Professor Whitmoore glared daggers at the biochemist. Tabby had a feeling she knew exactly what the other professor was thinking.
"I say we take responsibility," the older professor said. "By all rights, Mr. Neptunia was acting out in justifiable self-defense. How can we –"
"Professor Whitmoore," High Wizard Marbury wheezed. "It is your vote that matters right now; your opinion can wait. Dr. Gianino?"
Whitmoore scowled, then leaned back in his chair.
"Independent action," Dr. Gianino said, after a long pause.
"We need to assume responsibility," Professor Leander cut in.
"Independent action," a hooded high wizard deadpanned, his first words the entire meeting.
"Assume responsibility," Tabby said.
"I see," High Wizard Marbury said. "Then with my vote that Mr. Neptunia has acted out as an individual, it is decided that Yuno Academy will not assume responsibility for his actions. As he is not sanctioned by Yuno Academy to defend its grounds as he sees fit, he will be expelled."
Tabby rubbed her temples; she could feel the early stages of a powerful migraine.
"Now onto the question of whether we should keep the academy running in light of this recent event. Professor Whitmoore?"
"Close it," he said tersely. "We never know when those ruffians will attack again. We can't risk putting our students in danger now that we know they want to take Professor Williams in."
High Wizard Marbury turned his gaze to Professor Leander.
"I agree with Professor Whitmoore," she said. "Unfortunately, we will have to close the academy until this whole issue with Prontera is resolved. Close the academy."
"High Wizard Expagarus?"
The other high wizard, the hooded man in his fifties had been silent for most of the meeting.
"Close it," Expagarus said. "I'll try to convince the Geffen Wizard Association to transfer our students there."
"Dr. Jacoby," Marbury turned to the biochemist. The biochemist seemed as if he had trouble saying his vote.
"I'm sorry to bring this up, so sorry," he started, wiping his glasses clean again. "Sorry, but isn't there an easy way to avoid having to close down the academy? There's a simple solution, quite simple."
"Pray, do tell," the old high wizard said.
"Well, going by my understanding of the situation thus far," Jacoby muttered, "And the facts listed here on this paper, it appears that the Prontera Church would have liked to take in Professor Williams for questioning."
The acrid taste of bile rose in the back of Tabbys throat. The other staff members were beginning to look at Jacoby with alarm and incredulity.
Oh no, he wouldn't. He wouldn't dare say it...
"What I'm saying is all Professor Williams needed to do is quietly follow them to Prontera and we could have avoided this entire – "
There was a loud bang as Professor Whitmoore slammed his fists into the desk again. Magical energies sizzled and crackled down the length of his arms, causing the wood finish under his knuckles to smolder. A crack formed in the wood of his portion of the desk.
"Do you even have any idea of what you are suggesting, Jacoby!?" he almost shouted. "They broke their end of the agreement, and you want to hand over to them one of us!?"
"Let's not get out of control here," Marbury insisted.
Jacoby looked alarmed at Whitmoore's outburst.
"Surely, you're not suggesting that we aggravate Prontera needlessly?" the biochemist responded.
"You're just saying that because you've benefited so much from the Pope's rulings regarding homunculi research!" Professor Leander accused.
"Now, now," Marbury wheezed. "Let's not get in over our heads."
"My dear Professor Leander," said Jacoby. "That is quite a serious accusation you are throwing at me."
"Because it's true!" Tabby finally burst out. "You've only stopped your research for the first time today because of this meeting right now!"
"Now see here, Professor Williams," Jacoby countered. "I'll be the first to admit that I've gained a great deal because of the Pope's rulings, a great deal, but you need to look at the situation here with an impartial perspective, see."
"Impartial, my – "
"Now, now," Marbury repeated mildly. "Let's settle down and cool our heads, shall we?"
"If you'd have gone quietly with Mr. Salathiel in the first place, young Mr. Neptune wouldn't be in the infirmary right now, would he?"
"It's Neptunia!" Gianino corrected.
"If the Prontera church hadn't broken their end of the agreement, then we wouldn't be having this meeting at all!" Professor Whitmoore snarled.
"SILENCE, YOU GREEN SAPLINGS!" High Wizard Marbury roared, slashing his wand downward. There was a deafening krakoom and the smell of burnt ozone permeating their nostrils. The round desk snapped cleanly in half before collapsing to the ground.
The following silence was broken only by the lingering, sizzling, magical energy sparking from Marbury's wand.
"It is clear that we cannot have a civilized discussion amongst ourselves," the old high wizard rumbled, glaring dangerously at the other faculty members. "Perhaps it is long due for a discussion of staff reformation. This meeting will be adjourned for twenty minutes. Take your time and reflect upon your allegiances and your purpose here!"
West of Morroc Desert
They had long since passed Morroc Desert; the endless expanses of sand turned into scattered splotches of lush tropical foliage, and in the distance, Reinbach could hear the sound of waves lapping against the shore and smell the salty ocean breeze.
It had been tiring, but he and Daphne managed to carry their unconscious and wounded across the bridge where Remiel had ambushed them, to a shaded clearing not too far from the beach. From there, the murmuring of the stream under the bridge could be heard, roughly a ten minute walk's distance. They lay the bodies of Grant, Eurie, Argos and Nicholas on a large cloth next to a tree, then sat down for a break.
"...Is your arm alright?" Daphne asked. She looked concerned.
"It'll be okay," replied the knight. He looked down at his right wrist and tried to rotate it slowly, before a hiss of pain escaped from his mouth.
"I-It's broken, isn't it?" she asked. "And you're right handed. When Remiel kicked you, I thought I heard something crack."
"There's nothing to be done about this wrist for now," Reinbach stated, shaking his head. "More importantly, we need to wake up Captain Graves, if we want him to start healing our injured."
"He's... he's injured also..." said Daphne sadly. "We're the only two who are even awake."
"I'll bring us some water," Reinbach said, standing up with a grunt.
"Shouldn't I be..."
"No!" Reinbach said firmly, allowing no room for argument. "It's dangerous! What if Remiel comes back?"
"But your wrist – "
"Not a chance! I'll be back in twenty minutes. Stay quiet and out of sight."
Yuno Academy
Tabby trudged out of the faculty meeting room. It was inevitable; there was no way she could remain at the academy considering all that had happened to it.
"I guess all that's left is to finish packing my belongings and leave," she muttered.
No wait, that wasn't exactly right. She supposed she ought to pay her former student in the infirmary a visit. Tolby Neptunia was in her tutelage after all.
It wasn't before long when she found herself at the entrance to the infirmary. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself for anything, she pushed open the door.
"That's when I thought to myself, 'This could be my final moments,'" a young man's voice said. "I reached into my satchel and whipped out the Frost Nova scroll I purchased the other day and quickly ripped it open, roaring 'FROST NOVA!'"
Young Tolby Neptunia was sitting up in his bed, giving a blow-by-blow narration of his encounter with the Royal Justice of Monks, to a pair of female students by his bed. His animated, violet irises sparkled excitedly as he flipped a mop of black bangs to the side of his face. In the corner of the room behind a curtain, Caroline Cook sat on a stool, making small mumbling sounds as she slept. Her thick, round glasses were in danger of falling off her face, but the gelatinous vanilmirth in her arms kept pushing them back up the bridge of her nose.
Tabby buried her face into her palms. She had almost felt worried for the two of them! Unconscious and missing students on the minds of faculty, and here they were, carelessly oblivious to the situation on hand!
"What am I going to do with you?" she sighed. Tolby and the other two female students, one an alchemist and the other a witch, stopped talking and turned their attention to the professor.
"Oh hello Professor Williams!" Tolby said. "Would you care to listen to my story?" He returned his attention to the two students by his beside. "Professor Williams here came charging out of her office to my rescue, wringing down frost drivers as I was being held captive! I assure you, she was quite frightening, the perfect picture of retribution."
"Now's not the time for that," Tabby said. "Are you aware of the political ramifications of you actions?"
"Eh?" Tolby's smile faltered.
"You've attacked the newly sanctioned Royal Justice of Monks and his squadron. Did you think that Prontera would turn a blind eye to this?"
Tolby gaped at his professor, his half-smile still on his face. His cool facade was slipping away.
"Wh-what?" he asked. "What's going to happen to me now?" The two other young women slipped out of the infirmary.
"The other staff members have ruled your actions as independent and opted to expel you from the academy. You need to gather your possessions from your dorm by the end of today. Who knows when Prontera will come looking for us again."
"Expelled?" he protested. "But... but what's Prontera going to do to me... wait, you said 'us?'"
"Yes, I did," Tabby said. "I've resigned from the academy. Our presences in the school will only bring Prontera's attention here again."
"W-wait, so what are you going to do?"
"What am I going to do?" Tabby said. "Well, first of all, I'm going to go visit Lutie. I've always wanted to go there."
"Lutie?" Tolby asked, his voice growing more panicked. "Why there of all places? What about Prontera!?"
"Because I like snow. Now, since you were my student, I suppose I have some sort of fleeting obligation to protect you, but it's not required anymore since I'm no longer an instructor here. Besides, it would be a pain to protect someone who's isn't close by – "
"Pleasetakemewithyou," Tolby said quickly.
That was faster than expected.
Tabby crossed her arms and put a contemplative look on her face. I'm having too much fun here, she thought wickedly.
"Well..." she said, drawing out the syllable. "Two people travel slower than one..."
"I'll do anything!" he pleaded urgently.
Just as planned.
She stared at him for a few moments wordlessly, as if appraising him.
"Fine."
"Really?" His eyes shone brightly.
"Under one condition. From here on out, you must follow my ever word if you expect to survive. Have your possessions packed as soon as you can and we'll depart for the skyport immediately afterwards."
West of Morroc Desert
The water-skin hanging from Reinbach's belt sloshed sluggishly with each step he took, almost in tempo with the throbbing ache in his broken right wrist. Perceus Green's Zweihander felt awkward and cumbersome in his uninjured left hand. It was for all intents and purposes meant to be a two-handed weapon; wielding it effectively in battle with only his non-dominant hand would be out of the question. He could only hope to intimidate weaker-willed attackers away with a fierce glare.
It left him feeling hopelessly inadequate.
"I should have brought my Zephyrus instead..." he grumbled. It was lighter than the Zweihander.
Even if Captain Graves woke up before the sun set to set his bone and heal his wrist, it would still take at least two weeks for the arm to be completely recovered from damage; without magic, twice as long. The healing magic available to acolytes, crusaders and paladins was helpful, but no substitute for proper rest and recovery. Although healing magic might mend broken bones, some pain would still linger and the bone would be prone to re-fracturing under duress.
In the distance, he saw a young woman's figure sitting up against a tree; next to her lay a couple of bodies.
"Daphne!" he called. The young woman turned her head to face him.
No... that's Eurie. She's already awake?
He looked for Daphne but saw her no where near the clearing. Swearing, he broke into a harried run, the jostle of each pace reminding him of his broken limb.
"Hello, Kristoph!" she called, beaming. "Something good happened while you were away!"
"Nevermind that," he demanded. "Where did Daphne disappear off to?"
"Well, that's the thing," she said. "When I came to, it seems as if Spider met up with us and took her to a safer location!"
His vision swam.
"This is some sort of bad joke, isn't it?" he said in a low voice.
"Huh?"
"Of course it is," Reinbach went on. "There's no way anyone could be stupid enough to believe that Spider would come along and hide Daphne."
"But –"
"SPIDER'S DEAD!" He slammed his left fist into the tree trunk. Eurie cringed.
"H-he said –"
"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HE LOOKED LIKE! YOU'VE NEVER EVEN MET HIM! YOU'RE BLIND, FOR GODSSAKE!"
There was never a moment when Reinbach wanted to hit a girl more; it took every ounce of his willpower to stay his hand. He clenched his fist tighter, to the point he could almost feel his fingernails digging into his palm through his glove. Eurie's dark blue irises began to shimmer; tears began to fall from the corners of her eyes as she began to cry.
He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
"What happened?"
The dancer sniffled a couple of times.
"Ab-about five minutes ago, when I came to, I heard some footsteps not too far away. I didn't know who it was, so I asked him. He told me he was Spider."
"Well he lied!" Reinbach snapped. Eurie continued to cry quietly.
"Then why did he take Daphne away?" she asked finally.
Reinbach's head raced. The only people that were after them, or more particularly, Daphne, were either knights and crusaders, or assassins.
"When you heard that man," Reinbach said. "Did you hear anything else? Maybe the clinking of armor plates?"
She paused for a moment, in thought.
"No... I didn't hear a-anything of the sort."
If he wasn't wearing armor, then that means the man was an assassin... Come to think of it, didn't Argos mention something earlier? He said 'I think we're being followed,'at the Zimba fellow... what had he said again?
"Actually, maybe an assassin cross if yer assassin here haven't seen 'im yet. Assassins have a sense for assassins, ya see."
A chill ran down his spine. If that man had been an assassin cross, he wouldn't waste any time in killing Daphne.
"Shit!" he swore. "He must have known about our plan!"
"What plan?" asked Eurie.
"Which way did he go?" Reinbach demanded, ignoring her question.
She pointed vaguely inland, into the denser part of the foliage.
"I th-think he w-went in that direction."
Without a word, Reinbach hurried off through the trees.
Yuno Skyport
"Professor Williams?" Tolby asked. "Didn't you say we were going to Lutie?"
"Yes, I did."
"Then... why did we buy tickets to Jawaii Islands?" he asked. They were standing at the boarding gate of one of the airships at the skyport in Yuno.
"Quiet!" she ushered.
Tolby's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you want to whisk me away to Jawaii so you can marry me?"
She felt like stabbing something. Her wand was somewhat blunt; maybe if she used enough force...
"Oh, the scandal!" he gasped, holding his hand to his forehead. "I'm flattered, but what will my parents say about me marrying my professor?"
"Oh, shut up and board, will you?" Tabby growled irritably. "Besides, I'm already engaged."
"She's engaged!" he said breathlessly to no one in particular. "Do they allow polygamy in Jawaii? I'm only a minor, but please be gentle!"
"We're not going to Jawaii," she hissed. "Now shut up!"
"Eh?" Tolby said. He almost sounded disappointed.
Yuno Skyport was one of several skyports located around several cities spread around the continent of Rune Midgard. Although traveling by airship was nowhere near as instantaneous as warping, some travelers enjoyed making use of their services, to enjoy an eagle-eye's view of the land beneath them. The airships that ferried passengers from skyport to skyport were manifestations of the pinnacle of engineering; many of the continent's most brilliant minds had gathered together to develop the blueprints.
They boarded the airship and took their seats near the back. Not long afterwards, the captain of the airship announced their preparations for departure; and the engines began to rumble.
"I said we were headed to Lutie, in the infirmary because I didn't know if there were any eavesdroppers," Tabby explained. "We're actually headed to Comodo."
"But this airship arrives in Jawaii," Tolby pointed out. "Why didn't we just buy tickets directly to Comodo if we're headed there?"
Just one little stab; she wouldn't be too particularly fussy where she'd stuck it in him.
"Because," she said, emphasizing every word. "I don't want trackers on our trail. This ship makes a stop to refuel near Comodo; we'll drop off there. I said Lutie because I wanted to throw off – WHAT THE H–"
"Hello Professor Williams," a black haired girl said from the seat in front of them. She pushed her thick, round glasses back on her nose.
"What are you doing here?" Tabby asked, with a dangerous smile on her face. "How did you follow us?"
"Oh! It's Caroline," Tolby exclaimed. "Have you come to profess your undying love to me? I'm flattered, but you'll have to wait until we land until I can embrace you in my bosom- OOMPH!"
The alchemist girl shoved her vanilmirth in his face.
"Professor!" she protested. "I had a question about number 27 on the exam; it said 'conservation' but I wasn't sure whether it was talking about Goodman's theory of causal conservation, or the law of conservation!"
"Miss Cook," Tabby said. "What are you really doing here? You need to be in class right now. Go back."
"W-well," Caroline said defiantly, but flushed at the same time. "You're not a professor anymore, right? Then you can't tell me what to do anymore!" As soon as she said this, she lowered her face behind her headrest until only her glasses could be seen.
"We are now departing for Comodo," a flight attendant announced to the passengers. "Please be seated and enjoy your flight. Ah! Ma'am! Please don't attack the other passengers with your wand!"
[Author's Note] Reinbach is a meanie. Making girls cry. :(