Chapter 27
After a quick dinner Odette and Grim are locked back into the room from the night before.
"I don't know how much more of this I can keep." One of the guards outside the door said.
"Same, I don't know why Jamil doesn't say something to him." The other replied.
"I've seen him try to reason with Kalim but he won't listen." The first said.
"I think Jamil should be the dorm leader." The second sighs.
"Sh!" The first hushes then they move out of the range of hearing them.
"This isn't going to be an easy one." Odette sighed as she flopped down on the bed. "I just can't think of a way out of this one."
"Luckily for you two Grim the Fantasy is here with you!" Grim exclaimed revealing a spoon.
"Oh so that's what you were doing earlier." Odette said sitting up.
"Yup, I've seen this in a movie once. We'll tunnel our way out." Grim said as he began to dig beside the door frame.
"Grim that doesn't work." Odette groaned flopping back down. "Even if it did it'll take all vacation and then some."
"Are you going to complain or are you going to help?" Grim snapped.
"It might go faster if we take turns. We can each do an hour then trade off." Odette said.
By the morning the had made a decent dent into the floor. They hid the hole under a rug before the guards came in at six am again.
Kalim had them marched out to the oasis again. "In fifteen minutes we'll be heading back!" He order as the group came to a stop.
"Fifteen we got twenty minutes yesterday." Grim whined. "Kalim can you make it rain again?" He continued floating up to Kalim.
"Who do you think you are trying to talk to me like that?" Kalim growled.
Odette quickly reached out and took Grim. "I think the heat is just getting to him."
"I loaded up the camels with plenty of water before we left the dorm. Please go have some." Jamil said tapping her on the shoulder and pointing towards the camels that had been bringing up the rear.
"This is insane." A student muttered as they sipped their water.
"Jamil was smart enough to bring water, I bet if Jamil was the dorm leader he wouldn't do this to us." A second student replied.
"Sh! Don't let Kalim hear you." Jamil shushed them.
"Jamil you should be leading us." The first student told him.
"It's my duty no my honor to serve Kalim and the Al-Asim family." Jamil said.
"Time is up! Let's head back!" Kalim ordered everyone.
"It seems everyone wants you to be the dorm leader but you don't want to? Everyone here seems to be at the end of their ropes." Odette whispered as they started to march back.
"I'll explain later tonight after dinner in the lounge." Jamil whispered to her.
The rest of the day went as the day before had, they practiced until dark then had a simple dinner.
Odette and Grim helped clear the dishes in an effort to kill time waiting for Jamil to return.
"I gave Kalim a sleeping tea so he shouldn't disturb us." Jamil said as he finally entered the room.
During their wait other students are gathered too.
"I have tried to talk to Kalim I really have but he won't listen to me. I've never seen him be this harass." Jamil began as he took a seat at one of the tables.
"Why won't any of the rest of stand up to him? Maybe he'll listen if more than one of you speaks up." Grim suggested.
"In the past Kalim has always been so friendly and nice. He helped me adjust when I first arrived here." A student spoke up.
"He stayed up all night to helped me pass the exams, so I wouldn't have to drop out. I can't image he would do this to us." Another said.
"So you've all enjoyed being students here until recently." Odette summarized. "And Kalim has helped so many of you so you lot don't want to betray him."
"Maybe Kalim is sick, these mood swings definitely aren't healthy." Grim said from his spot in Odette's lap.
"Kalim will only see his family doctor and that will take too many days to get there." Jamil sighed. "What did the Heartsbyul dorm do in this situation?" He asked turning towards Odette and Grim.
"Ace and Deuce challenged Riddle to a dual for the position of dorm leader. The two of them didn't last long against Riddle through so the plan really didn't work." Grim informed him. "But Kalim's signature spell isn't nearly as powerful as Riddle's so I think it'll work this time." He continued.
"No, it won't. I could never challenge Kalim to a dual." Jamil sighed.
"Don't ask for advice if you're just going yo reject it!" Grim snapped at him.
"If I challenge Kalim and his father finds out it he could punish my family back home. My entire family serves the Al-Asim family." Jamil explained.
"It makes sense what happened with Riddle but not with Kalim. What has cause his personality flip?" She asked."Why was Kalim chosen for dorm head warden?"
"The previous head warden thought he would be a good fit." Jamil explained.
"I don't understand why he was chosen over you. You're a much harder worker than he is. You fit the dorm's spirit so much more." A student piped up.
"There's no way I would be chosen over the heir to the As-Alim family." Jamil said.
This seemed to strike a cord with the crowd. "That shouldn't matter." One shouted.
"I'm really not that great. I'm just so average." Jamil said looking down at his hands in his lap. "I'm not talented in anyway. I shouldn't be the dorm leader." He continued.
"But you're so helpful." One admires.
"And you try so hard." Another adds.
"Scarabia doesn't need an incompetent leader!" Someone in the back shouts. The phase begins to ripple through the crowd until they're all shouting it.
"What is going on here!" Kalim asks from the door way.
Everyone's head snap in his direction. "Since everyone still has so much energy left I think we should go run some laps." He snapped pointing to the courtyard.
A groan echoes through the room.
"Kalim be reasonable." Jamil said getting up from the table.
"I am being reasonable. Now everyone outside!" Kalim snaps and leaves the room.
"Well you heard him. "Jamil sighs and follows him.
Everyone groans again but follows him outside.
Kalim drilled everyone for another hour. Odette and Grim were escorted back to the same room afterwards. They were exhausted. That was rough." Grim whined as he sat on the floor. "I want to do nothing but sleep."
"Same, but we're almost done with that tunnel. I'm not marching to that fricking oasis again." Odette said as she uncovers the tunnel and began to dig.
Soon they reach the other side and Grim in able to get through. He unlocked the door and Odette slipped out of the room. They made their way down the hallway and were almost out of the dorm when Grim's stomach let out a large growl.
"It's the street rats!" A guard shouted as he spotted them.
"Let's try to lose them this time." She suggested as they ran away. They quickly disappeared into a dark room. They held their breaths and listened for the guards to pass by.
"What room are we any way?" Odette asked as she took out the cell phone and turned on the light. They nearly jumped at the sight in front of them. It was the carpet!
"If we can't out run the guards why don't we out fly them!" Grim exclaimed as he hopped on the carpet.
"That's the best idea you've ever had." Odette said hopping on it.
"I think Kalim used these to steer." Grim said grabbing the tassels.
They took off quickly. The blew pass the guards and outside to the courtyard. "They've stolen the carpet!" Someone shouted. The carpet flew high in the sky.
"I don't think you're doing it right!" She shouted at Grim as they spun around. "Let me try!" She said taking control. They dropped out of the sky and made their way towards the mirror. The guards chased them the whole way to the mirror chamber. They tried to block all the exits but soon the carpet quickly chose a mirror to go through and crashed within a minutes of coming out the other side.
"I'm never riding that thing again." Odette said as she threw an arm over her eyes and tried to take deep breaths to steady her shaky breath.
"Me neither!" Grim agreed splayed out next to her.
"Where are we? It's so dark?" She wondered out loud as she uncovered her eyes.
"What do we have here?" A calm voice asked as the lights were flicked on. "The Ramshackle duo, what a surprise." Jade said as he and Floyd walked up to them.
"Ah, we thought it was a few food thieves and we were gonna squeeze them." Floyd whined as Odette sat up quickly.
"Out of prison and into hell." Grim muttered shaking his head.
"Prison?" Jade questioned raising an eyebrow.
"Grim don't be rude. You're honestly are a sight for sore eyes." She said. 'I never thought I would say that to them.'
"Get back here you street rats!" A guard yelled as they ran into the lounge. Odette quickly grabbed Grim and took shelter behind the Leech brothers. Jade and Floyd look at her then back at the group of guards who had just stormed in.
"My, what is all this noise?" Azul asked as he entered the lounge from his office. He quickly looked from his body guards, the ramshackle duo and a group of Scarabia guards.
"We're here for these thieves. They've stole the house warden's magic carpet." The head guard snapped pointing at Odette and Grim. At this the carpet floated up from the ground hid behind everyone.
"It's not what it seems." Odette began.
"You have no excuse." Another guard growled.
"Shrimpy are you shaking?" Floyd asked glancing behind him again at Odette who only nodded. She was shaking significantly.
"That's no way to get a lady's attention." Jade said as he pulled out his pen.
Jade and Floyd quickly charged at the guards. Azul quickly stepped up to Odette taking place of the his bodyguards but kept his eyes on the battle. "Please only return when you can act like gentlemen." Azul called out as Jade and Floyd threw the guards out minutes later.
"Does Shrimpy feel better now?" Floyd grinned as he and Jade walked back up.
"Yes, thank you." Odette gulped as she nodded again.
"Do you mind explaining what is going on?" Azul sighed as he took survey of his trashed lounge.
She gave them a quick run down of everything they had been through in the last three days.
"Then it will be Scarabia that will be footing this bill and not the Ramshackle dorm." Azul said.
"Good, they should after everything they've been us through." Grim said.
"None of this sounds like the sea otter." Floyd said scratching the back of his head.
"Agree, Azul you have class with both Kalim and Jamil can you think of anything that would set them off like this?" Jade asked.
"No, nothing, I think of. It sounds like Scarabia is in danger and is need of help. We should pay them a proper visit tomorrow, we do have Kalim's flying carpet after all. Jade please prepare the usual gift. Floyd please help these two prepare for bed." Azul said then turning away from the group.
"Wait, we're sleeping here tonight!" Grim exclaimed.
"Yes, of course you're wanted criminals going home is the last thing you want to do." Jade chuckled as he followed Azul.
"Don't worry the night's stay will be added to Scarabia's bill." Azul called over his shoulder.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. This was a bit of a longer chapter but I ended it where I thought would be a good place. The Octa-Trio is back. The next chapter will have our favorite Diasomnia boys and a bit of Octavinelle favorism. But I promise it'll be a fun ride. I hope you stick around.