Chapter 66
Suddenly the a loud growl ripped through the air.
"Shhh, quiet I hear an animal growling it's close by." Rook hushed them.
"S-sorry um that was me." Epel sighed.
"Oh la la and here I was worried we'd incurred the wrath of some forest beast who's territory we disturbed." Rook laughed.
"It's way pass when I usually eat dinner." Epel confessed.
"Heh, I can just imagine how Vil beautiful brow would crease if he heard that." Rook laughed. "Heh, yeah I can see it too." Epel laughed too.
"Very well, we shall have a quick repast before setting off. I'll go over our flight route when we're done." Rook said as took off his backpack and began to dig through it.
"Ah I'm stuffed thanks for the meal Rook." Epel said once they had finished some of Rook's prepared rations.
"I'm just glad I thought to pack food and a camping kit." Rook said. He had set up a better fire and whip up a meal.
"We just took off right after you so it didn't even cross my mind to being food." Epel confessed shaking his head.
"Worry not there are cities aplenty en route to our destination we can always buy more sustenance if we need it." Rook informed them.
"Oh good." Odette said as she sipped more tea.
"Oh yeah Rook I wanted to ask you said you didn't know where the island of woe was but you could envision I where Vil and the other are what did you mean by that?" Epel asked.
"Ah, that's what my signature spell allows me to do." Rook explained.
"You're using your signature spell?" Epel asked surprised.
"It's quite a weak one actually, I can't hurt anyone or control anything with it, nevertheless it is an essential spell for a huntsman such as myself." Rook said.
"What does it do if it's helpful for a huntsman?" Odette asked.
"It enables me to locate anyone upon whim I cast it. Even if they go over the Seven Jeweled Hills or beyond the Seventh Fall even to the very edge of the world." Rook bragged.
"Daaang that's a mighty scary piece of magic." Epel muttered.
"When those Charon goons took Vil I swiftly cast my spell on one of them." Rook explained.
"Golly, I didn't even notice." Epel remarked.
"Oh is that why you stopped fighting when the freshman attacked?" Odette asked.
"Oui, I suppose it's time for the grand unveiling. Come see if you can flee from me, Arrow Afar." Rook said as he looked down at the map.
The edge of the map began to glow then dots began to appear and branched over the map.
'Yeah that seems fitting for him.' Odette thought as she watched the map.
"Mh, as I fear." Rook sighed.
"What's wrong?" Epel asked.
"For all my boasting my spell is by no means omnipotent. If there's some magic blocking vehicle or structure between myself and the target my guideline is sharply cut off. It appears they transported our friends in a technomantic stealth aircraft that can block magic." Rook said shaking his head.
"What? Does that mean even your signature spell can't track them?" Epel asked.
"Not quite not even a technomantic plane can completely block out magic. They must drop stealth for the briefest of moment using magic or radar, and in those precious seconds I can envision the mark I've put on my prey. Every halting step is laid out before me like the lovely footprints left by a dainty princess wandering the woods. For I am a huntsman. Once I set my sights on a quarry I never let it escape." Rook smirked.
'The technology here is so different here.' Odette thought as she tried to absorb what Rook was telling them.
The map continued to glow and the dots finally stopped in the middle of an ocean.
"I see it they left the land of Dawning where Sage Island lies and ventured northward over the Coral Sea my tracking shows they crossed the Sunshine Lands and the Kingdom of Heroes then it stops well out over the water." Rook pointed out.
"So that's where the Island of Woe. is and where everyone is?" Odette asked.
"However, it's quite a ways from here to the Island of Woe, we won't be able to reach it on brooms alone." Rook said.
"Then how were you planning to get there?" Epel asked.
"One of my ancestors was an avid traveler they had villas all over the world, and those villas contain teleporters than link to each other. We'll be using those, luckily there's a villa in the Land of Dawning, the Sunshine Lands and the Kingdom of Heroes. We should be able to cover a substantial distance in one night using the teleporters." Rook explained.
"Wait! What?! Your family has villas all over the world? With magic teleporters that go between countries? Don't you need some kind of special government permission for that? Just what does your family DO Rook?" Epel asked.
'Why do I feel like his family like a private family run CIA or FBI.' Odette thought as she side eyed Rook.
"Wouldn't you like to know? Heh, I'm especially grateful to my ancestors right now for their love of travel. There's a chance the teachers have noticed our absence and filed a report so I'd prefer to avoid public transport. Oh I can just imagine the disapproval on my forebears' faces if they knew what I was up to. 'Don't use our legacy to upset your professors' they'd say. But this is all in service of beaute and l'amour. I can only bet my ancestors' forgiveness any way now that we have a plan of action let us away before anyone notices we've absconded." Rook said as he got up form the stump he had been sitting on.
Epel began to laugh.
"Is something amusing Monsieur Pommette?" Rook asked.
"Oh it's just,… you're such an eccentric guy and I can tell your family's super rich but here you are sneaking around like the rest of us when we do something bad, trying to hide it from the teachers." Epel chuckled.
"Is there any students on campus who doesn't fear the faculty raining lighting upon them? I am but of many troublemakers attending NRC. Oh yes I recommend you both put on something warm before we set out. Your dorm uniform would serve you well on a long broom flight. Apopos of that, here's a fun little tidbit. They're woven with magical threads that retain heat and provide insulation from the cold." Rook explained. "In fact allow me to lend you a uniform from our dorm as well Odette, here you go."
In a flash of magic Epel and Odette were in the Pomefiore dorm uniform.
"Whoa!" They gasped in unison.
Odette twirled around as she tried to look at the uniform on herself. "Well you're right I feel much warmer now. I feel like my posture is better too." Odette giggled. "I honestly love this uniform it's one of my favorites it's so pretty. But don't do bragging about that, don't want to hurt anyone else feeling." She whispered to Rook who just chuckled.
"We're visiting our queen Vil after all. We must be dressed for the occasion." He chuckled. "Epel I will not slow to match your pace will you be able to keep up whilst on the air?"
"Don't you imply my flyin's slow. I'm the best freshman flier in the whole Spelldrive club. Leona said so himself. I ain't gonna fall behind." Epel bragged.
"Merveilleux just what I like to hear from a Pomefiore student. Now to the Island of Woe! Allons-y!" Rook said as he mounted his broom again.
Odette laughed as she joined him. "I think I remember one of my favorite characters from my world saying that."
"Oh? You'll have to tell me more when we return to NRC." Rook said as they took off.
"Alright but I don't know if it'll be your kind of thing." Odette said as she wrapped her arms around him.
"You never know and we might have something like it." Rook said as they took off.
Back at the Night Raven College the teachers had not yet noticed the disappearance of Rook, Epel and Odette, they hands were too full still but someone had noticed.
"Mh, what is she up to?" Malleus muttered as he stood on the balcony near his dorm's lounge. The same balcony he had stood on for his birthday with Odette.
"Are you referring to who I think you are?" Lilia teased as he appeared beside him.
"Yes, she has left the school, the island in fact." Malleus stated.
"I am aware. She's not the only one neither. I don't know what she's up but you can bet it's reckless. Maybe she got swept up in their recklessness but I doubt that." Lilia mused.
"After all they heard today and they still off they've gone. Do they not realize the seriousness of the situation?" Malleus asked as he looked up at the moon.
"It's hard to say but if anyone can return from the Island of Woe, I have faith it'll be her and somehow she'll come back with more than she left with." Lilia chuckled.
"Maybe." Malleus mumbled as he made his way back inside.
'So utterly reckless.' Lilia sighed shaking his head then disappearing to his room.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it was so short but at least we got some Diasomnia time. I did say I was trying to work them back in more. I can't get them in every chapter but at least every 3rd or 4th chapter in some way. Thank you for being patience while I was gone. This should be the last break until we get to the end of this Arc.