Chapter 64
Out in the hallway outside the headmage's office the group was making their way out.
"Man, why'd Leona have to put ME in charge? Talk about drawing the short straw." Ruggie grumbled and sighed.
"It means the Roi Des Lions has great faith in you, Monsieur Dent-De-Lion. The dorm is his pride he knows he can trust you with it." Rook reminded him.
"Yeah, well trust doesn't fill an empty stomach there better be some T-bone steaks in it for me later, or it won't be worth it." Ruggie complained.
"Yes I suppose so yet another reason we need them to make it back safe and sound." Rook stated with his usually flair.
"Ruggie! I got your text. What about Leona getting kidnapped by the guys who attacked the school?" Jack shouted as he ran up to Ruggie, Rook and Odette.
"You pretty much summed it up right there. I need to round up everybody in the dorm, and check in with them could you give me a hand?" Ruggie asked.
"Oh sure of course. Odette why are you all banged up? Did they beat you guys up too?" Jack asked as he looked her over.
She had dust on her uniform which was a little damaged and a few scratches on her face.
"It's just a scratch, it's nothing compared to the others." Odette replied.
"The NRC Tribe members were together at the Ramshackle when it occurred. We were in the midst of an SDC postmortem when they attacked us. Vil, Jamil and Grim were all take just as Leona was." Rook informed them.
"They got Vil and Jamil too!?" Jack exclaimed.
"And the freshman that tried to rescue Grim were gravely injured." Rook added.
"Argh! Why are those guys so reckless." Jack muttered.
"We were caught up in the moment." Odette defended them.
"I must return to my dorm and fulfill my duties as Vice but Monsieur Fier-a-bras would you be so kind to go with Odette to check on our injured comrades in the infirmary?" Rook asked.
"That would actually help me too you can see if any students from our dorm are there." Ruggie pointed out.
"Got it. I'll be in touch once I know more. Let's go Odette." Jack said.
They headed to the infirmary which was very crowded.
"Excuse us coming in." Jack said as they weaved in and out of students.
"Stay! Sorry all beds are occupied write your names on that paper and then wait in your dorm. The nurse will attend to you alter wait you're both perfectly fine. What business do you have here?" Crewel asked cutting them off.
"Rook and Ruggie asked me to check on the guys in here. What about you Professor Crewel?" Jack asked.
"I heard a pair of pups from my class got injured, really how can these whelps be so foolhardy? Hm, on second glance I see Odette has some minor injuries come here I can patch up simple scrapes." He offered as he looked her over.
"It's fine Professor." Odette waved him off.
"Which beds are Ace and Deuce in? Oh?" Jack asked then saw them in the closest set of beds.
"They haven't woken up yet." Epel informed them as he got up from Deuce's bed, he had been sitting on.
"Should you be up Epel?" Jack asked looking him over, he looked a little worse than Odette but not as bad as Ace and Deuce.
"I'm fine still a little shaky but that's all." Epel said.
"I analyzed the residual traces of the spell they cast on you it was designed to stun. Unfortunately you sustained greater injuries because of where you fought." Crewel said.
"What do you mean Professor?" Epel asked.
"I mean, enemies and friendlies alike are bound to get hurt when you fire off magic in an old derelict building, freshmen would have a hard time using attack magic while simultaneously trying to shield themselves from falling debris. Surprise battles require the coolest of heads. Otherwise you'll wind up like they did." Crewel said gesturing to Ace and Deuce.
"You have a point I do remember a bunch of debris falling during the battle." Epel muttered as he tried to recalled the battle.
"Come to think of it there were also a number of cauldrons falling from the roof and those spell blasts sent glass shards flying everywhere." Odette mumbled.
"This is the problem with bad boys who act without thinking. I plan to train them all over again when they wake." Crewel said smacking his short whip into his hand,
"But they did it to save Grim." Epel reminded them.
"Their reasons are irrelevant it's a trainer job to scold pups when they do something this phenomenally stupid. They got lucky this time. What if those soldiers had cast lethal spells? Things would've ended much differently then." Crewel pointed out.
"You're right I'm sorry. Vil must've known that, which is why he ordered the freshmen to stay back. Then I went and made an idjit outta myself and what do I got to show for it? A big ol whoopin that's what. They hauled Vil and others off an all I could do was stand and watch." Epel sighed.
"It was a harsh reminder that I can't do anything by myself and I was so unless during the whole thing." Odette complained as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"No on can do everything right out the gate." Jack pointed out. "The housewardens and vices didn't start out as amazing mages. They went through trials of their own and that' what made them stronger. Moping about what you couldn't do isn't gonna help matters. What can you do now? That's what we should be focusing on. So quit your bellyaching it's like nails on a chalkboard."
"Nicely said Howl that's the right attitude. The faculty will look into what we can do about our abducted students and headmage. Felmier, Thropp, I except you both to rest and recuperate for now." Crewel ordered them.
"Yes sir, I can walk now so I'll be back to my dorm." Epel answered.
"I'm not seeing any Savanaclaw students here so I'd best get back too." Jack said as he took one last look around the room.
"Professor Crewel please take good care of Ace and Deuce." Epel said.
"Please don't insult me these pups are under my supervision of course I'll take care of them. That goes for Odette as well and Grim of course. All 1-A students are pups under the tutelage of the great Crewel. On that note how DARE someone else discipline a pup from my kennel I'm boiling with rage." Crewel informed them.
"Yeah! I'm real teed off myself." Epel added.
"SIT! Listen pups. The adults will figure out what to do next so stay put and don't get any funny ideas." Crewel said.
"Yes sir." They all replied then left the infirmary.
"Say Odette since Ramshackle all busted up where are you gonna stay?" Jack asked as they left the school and headed for the hall the hall or mirrors.
"It'll be fine,… as long as most of the roof's still there. I'll put up some tarps." Odette said waving off the question.
"Hey Odette you should stay at Pomefiore until Ramshackle gets fixed up. That's what Vil would say if he were here I think." Epel offered.
"Yeah, I could definitely see him saying that." Jack agreed.
"Okay then come over to Pomefiore I'm sure Rook will welcome you with open arms." Epel smiled at her.
"Thank you Epel." Odette smiled back.
They headed off to the hall of mirrors where they parted ways with Jack. "All right catch you later." Jack said as he went through his mirror.
"It's been a long day time to head back to the dorm get a shower and,…OOF!" Epel began to say but stopped when someone ran into him nearly knocking him over as he was trying to go through the Pomefiore mirror.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was a bit shorter which I'm sure is nice break the last few chapters have seemed longer and I know the next few are longer too.