"Riley, are you coming with us to the library?"
"No. I think I am just going to study here."
"Have fun." Hailey waved goodbye and left. Hailey was one of her two roommates. It had been two days since they first met and she could tell Hailey was an extrovert whose hobby was adopting introverts. It was a no-brainer with her ceaseless attempts to make Riley feel included.
'I always reject, though.' Riley was grateful but with her still recovering and her homework she didn't have time to entertain her.
Her other roommate was a mystery. She had left for a family event and wouldn't be back till the following week.
At her desk, she opened one of her books and began reading.
It was on the history of the Act.
'So it started about a thousand years ago? I am certain that the mouse mentioned the world is about the same age as Earth. The Act is recent?'
She flipped open her other books. 'But the way it's described indicates the Act started from the moment this world was born.'
'Why—' She heard knocking at her window.
She stood up and walked over. She spotted mouse fur that glistened—it was Nicholas!
She quickly opened the window. The mouse dashed inside and nestled itself in the folds of her blanket.
"Are you really that tired?"
"It has been a tiring journey," he said matter-of-factly.
She stroked him. "Thank you for accepting my request."
"The kids had grown on me so naturally fulfilling your request was like completing mine."
Nicholas had left with the children as they headed out to the Decker Cave. She had asked him to go in case of any mishaps and also as a sort of comfort for the children. With the Village Head in the hospital and herself at school, she figured they would feel uncomfortable being in the presence of unfamiliar adults. Nicholas whom they had grown accustomed to was her best bet for a more sound journey.
"Did they fuss?"
"No. They were well behaved."
Riley smiled. "That's good."
His eyes followed her as she went back to her desk and continued reading.
"So…How has school been?"
"…Fine."
"Have you looked into Xaden?"
"If you mean have I met him, I have. He is my tutor."
"Tutor?"
"I need to write this exam to fulfil my academic qualifications for me to continue learning here."
"That's quite troublesome."
"Very troublesome and to make matters worse I am the lowest in my class."
"It's because you haven't been trained, right?"
She sighed."Yeah."
"But! I am sure I will catch up and properly show my abilities," she said as her eyes lit up.
Nicholas glanced at her and allowed an awkward smile to form."You will."
She grinned. "Yeah! And I will start with tomorrow's mission."
"Mission?"
She nodded. " I am going to the Orange Isle tomorrow with my squad to hunt monsters. Though I won't be doing the hunting."
"Then how will you prove yourself?"
"At first, I thought of being a healer but—"
"There are already doctors." He finished off.
"That stumped me for a bit but then I thought of that vial!"
"Vial?"
"Do you remember when that Wraith attacked us and I fed you the cure Hilda had cooked up?"
"Vaguely, yes"
"It healed your external injuries in an instant but you didn't wake up immediately. I asked the Head and he said it did instantly healed injuries. He said something about it being Hilda's' attempt at allowing revival. If I perfect her cure, maybe—"
"You will be able to prevent the permanent deaths of your squad."
"Yes!"
He raised a brow. "How do you exactly plan to perfect it?"
She pointed to the ceiling. "With the guidance of an angel and the library."
"If you say so. But I don't think you will be able to complete it in time,"
"Maybe not. But I have already concocted something that can heal injuries."
He raised an eyebrow. "I hope this is not misplaced confidence."
"I assure you it's not."
"How did you make time for this?"
"It was tight, especially with that injury but a few all-nighters yield amazing results."
"Injury?"
She waved at him. "Forget it. A story for another time."
He looked at her and sighed. "It seems I have to tag along."
She turned to look at him quizzically." Why?"
"…" She heard light snoring coming from her bed. With a small smile, she carried him into a basket, padded with blankets and tucked him in. She placed the basket on the windowsill and added one of the toys she had received from Decker Ruin.
She glanced outside. The moon was in full view casting its lustrous glow on the world, chasing away the shadows.
"Let's continue." Unless she spotted the first light of dawn, it was still too early to sleep.
She continued with her reading.
The next day, she sprinted over to Rapunzel who was by the statue with the rest of the squad.
"Responding to duty, Squad Leader!"
Rapunzel nodded at her greeting. "A carriage will be coming for us in a little while. We are to board a ship in Looking Glass. After that, it's a tough journey to the Orange Isle."
"Yes!" They all answered.
Rapunzel proceeded with a checklist and after confirming that they had everything they boarded the carriage that had arrived.
The ride to Looking Glass was uneventful, to say the least. By the time they arrived, it was already in the afternoon. They agreed to have lunch at someplace called the Hatter Hut.
"Welcome." A cheerful atmosphere greeted them as they made their way to a table in the far corner.
After sitting, they placed their orders.
Riley glanced around. "This place is so cosy."
"I would sure hope so. It is the main theme my father was going for after all." Michael gave a cheeky grin.
"It's your father's place!"
He laughed," Yes it is."
"Yet we always pay." Flynn's words resonated with betrayal which led to booming laughter.
"You are already swimming in money. You should be giving us more"
"Haa! You wish." Flynn slapped his back.
Suddenly, the harsh screeches of a dragged chair up through their excited chatter, inviting silence to dine with them. Rapunzel's eyes were glued to something outside as she hurriedly exited Hatter's Hut.
They watched her with obvious curiosity painted on their faces.
"That startled me…" Michael slowly caressed the periphery of his ears.
"It's weird. She hates it when people drag their chairs." Flynn said with a furrowed brow.
"Why would she then?"
"Perhaps, she saw something." Riley watched him shrug and draw his attention to the streets outside.
Outside, Rapunzel glared at the inviting darkness of an alleyway she had stumbled upon.
"What is this…?"