"I think it's magic," I say, grinning. She blinks.
"Well good morning to you too," she says and frowns. "What's magic?"
"The strawberry! I don't think it was poisoned, it was enchanted! That's why I didn't get any positive results for any known poisons!"
"That's... quite a leap," she says, crossing her arms. "I mean, it is also possible that your tests simply failed, surely you know that."
"I have accounted for human error, yes. But I did extensive test and came back empty handed... no trace of anything! Besides, I already know that someone in this school knows magic and has used it for unpleasant purposes."
Her eyes widen. "The hexbag! Do you think it was the same person?"
"Who knows, it's possible. I don't have enough data to determine anything with certainty yet..."
She thinks for a moment, rubbing her lip with her finger. She does that when she's concentrating.
"You know, statistically speaking, it's actually pretty likely that there are more than one person here who can do magic," she says. I raise my eyebrow. "Or at least the potential to do magic. And yes, I know it's illegal, but surprisingly many people have magic blood in their veins, so with proper tutoring they could learn simple magic at least. It's the people who can do it naturally without a lot of practice that go on to be great sorcerers and they are a lot rarer."
"Huh, really?"
"Yeah. Some people have really powerful magic in them, but they cannot tap into it like sorcerers can, to make it into spells and stuff, so instead they can posses abilities that seem almost superhuman. You know, stuff like amazing stamina or really good vision or the ability to hold their breath for really long. Ha, maybe your keen eye and deduction skills are a side result of your inability to access the vast pool of magic that rests within you!"
I pause. That's.... interesting. "How do you know all this? Magic isn't exactly an... approved field of study."
"Percy's told me."
"Percy? I didn't know you hang out with Percy."
"Oh, I don't really," she says with a shrug. "He was kinda hitting on me a few terms back, and apparently magic is a real passion for him. Purely theoretically, of course, he kept reminding me every other second. It was interesting stuff, so I humoured him for a while, although I did make it clear I had no intention of dating. I have my hands full with the two of you boys." She grins at me and then looks behind me. "Where is Gil, anyway?"
"He's still sleeping, we had a late one last night," I say. Alica's grin widens. "I thought I'd let him sleep and bring him some breakfast to our room."
"Aww, breakfast in bed!" she coos as we start to move into the hall. "How romantic of you! How come you never bring me breakfast?"
"Because if I tried to come into the girls' dorm early enough to still find you in bed, I'd get detention for indecent behaviour."
"Come on, Oz, where's your sense of adventure? I bet I could sneak into the boys' dorms that early."
"I have no doubt you could."
~x~
Gil is only slightly mad I let him sleep past the alarm, but the pile of food I bring him smooths him over quickly. The classes go by in a flash, the only thing worth even mentioning the relieved feeling I get in my chest as I notice that the boy is at least attending his classes. That means he will find the letter. He should find the letter. He doesn't look too perky though, and understandably so... Seeing his tired eyes only makes me more determined to find the cause and the cure for Tauria's ailment.
With that on my mind we head to the library after classes. I'm hoping to find Percy there, but even if I don't, I do have to get some books on curses and counter curses. He is there though, leafing through a book by the main counter.
"Hey, Percy!" I say as we walk in. His gaze snaps up and he slams the book closed, shoving it aside. Odd. He relaxes considerably when he realizes it's us though. He even blushes a little as he looks at Alica, a barely there red I no doubt would have missed if I didn't know better. I do feel kinda sorry for the bloke, falling for a girl like Alica... What's worse is that he can't know that his feelings will never be reciprocated.
"Hi, guys. You need help with something?" he says, trying to play it cool like he hadn't just had a small panic attack. Makes me curious as to what the book was though...
"I sure hope so," I say, giving him a wide smile. He knows better than to trust it, and frowns. That makes me smile even wider. "I'm sure you've heard about the, uh, poisoned girl?"
He stops, emotions flashing on his face. Surprise, disappointment, panic... guilt? Percy wears his feelings on his face like no one else I've ever met, making him an easy target for casual teasing and practicing expression recognition.
"Sure, I've heard," he says, cautious. "I mean, pretty much the whole school has, it's not something that happens every day."
"True, true," I say. He's wary now, measuring my every move. Gil is standing behind me and I can practically feel him radiating excitement; there's nothing he likes quite as much as watching me confront people. Alica on the other hand likes confronting people herself more than watching others do it, but she let's me handle the situation for now. "Now, as you may have guessed, I'm conducting a little investigation of my own into the matter, and I've come to a... dead end of sorts. See, I tried to determine exactly what the girl was poisoned with, but to no avail. Finally something occurred to me; what if she wasn't poisoned? What is she was enchanted?"
"Enchanted?" Percy wheezes out. Oh, this is too easy. "What does that have to do with me?"
"Well, Alica told me that you are something of an expert on the field. Theoretical magic, of course," I say with an innocent smile. His mouth falls open and then he closes it again, apparently having not expected that, although I why it didn't cross his mind, I can't say. Did he think we were hear to blame him for the poisoning? Did he feel responsible for it? I left that thought alone for now and got back tot he matter at hand. "So, I was hoping that you could tell me if there's any kind of magic that one could put on food that would make the eater fall into a coma?"
"Well," he says finally and clears his throat. He comes out from behind the counter and motions for us to follow. "There are several curses and hexes to put someone in a coma like state, obviously, but something to put on food, now that's a lot rarer... I have heard of one spell that makes the food rot as soon as someone ingests it, but that is probably not what happened here."
"No, that's not it..." I say. We're way back in the library. Most of the books are really thick and old looking, bound in leather with no descriptions on them. "Apparently she collapsed almost immediately after eating a strawberry... I'd give it around 20 seconds after the initial bite."
Percy hums. He drags his fingers over the spines of some of the books and then picks one up. It looks incredibly heavy.
"Well, there is one curse for fast acting, undetectable poisoning," he says, flipping through the yellowing pages of the book. "But that's really complicated magic, and to think that one of the students would be capable of something like that..." He shakes his head. "Besides, it should result in... death."
Oh. "So there's no cure? How did she survive then?"I ask. I had hoped I'd get some answers, but clearly all I'm getting are more questions.
"I don't know," says Percy, handing me the book opened on a page titled 'killing curses'. I swallow. "But I guess it would be possible to counter if you got to her quickly enough. Although I would think in order to do that you'd need magic too."
"Wait, what?"
"You would need magic to get rid of the magic."
I consider this for a moment... Could there be more people in the school with magic? Had someone stumbled across the scene of Tauria dying and helped her? Or was it the boy?
"What if the magic was in her?" Alica chimes in. We turn to look at her. "You know, if it was her own immune system that fought it off?"
"If she had magic," I say.
"Theoretically, I guess it's possible," says Percy. "I mean, some amount of magic is very common in the general population, and the people who can't use magic often develop... abilities that are... boosted by the magic resting in them... She might be one of those people, which means she might've fought the curse off on her own... But this particular curse is a very potent one, so her magic would need to be a lot stronger than it is. Likely."
I stare at the page of text, unseeing. So, someone with magic had to have been involved in the situation she ate the strawberry, otherwise she'd be dead. It might've been her, although it is very unlikely. The boy had told the teachers the two of them were alone, so that means that it was him, or he's covering for someone... Why? Probably to protect the person who saved Tauria's life. I would likely lie if the person who saved someone I care about would be in danger for saving their life.
"Is it possible it's something else?" says Gil.
"What?" say Percy and I.
"Well, I just thought, while all this speculation is great, is it possible that it was some other curse that Percy just hasn't thought of? Something that was meant to put a person in a coma?"
"Oh, yes, I suppose it is," says Percy. He seems a little surprised at the prospect of not having thought of something and is trying to process it. I push the book into the shelf, on top of the other books and walk over to Gil. He looks at me with a face that reminds me of a puppy wagging his tail.
"Oh, Gil," I say, putting my hands on his cheeks. "Oh, Gil," I say, screwing my eyes closed and sighing deeply. "Always here to remind me of human nature and it fallibility. You know what this means, don't you?"
His mouth falls open.
"Aw, shit," he says.
"Oh yes," I say. "Research."
~x~
That night and the next day are spent combing through the surprisingly extensive selection of books on curses and counter curses that the school library has. Percy absolutely forbids us from checking any of them out, saying that they're not really an "official" part of the school's collection, instead collected here from burning piles and old attics during the many years since the anti-magic purge. Apparently the school's previous master librarian had believed that knowledge should be valued and had began collecting any and all books he could get his hands on, even the ones that the government deemed... not quite legal. I don't think the current librarian even knows of the existence of these books and Percy insists it's better that way.
I absolutely love the books though. It's so fascinating, and honestly it's a shame I hadn't known about this collection before this because I would love to get into detail in the books, but don't have time, trying to find an alternative cause for Tauria's condition and, hopefully, a cure for it before it's too late.
Wednesday evening (the boy had skipped the afternoon's sword practice... can't say I blame him) and we've only just begun when one of the medics comes into the library.
"Oh, mister Woodsham, I had hoped to find you here," she says, hurrying over to the table we're occupying.
"Good evening, miss Chaura, what can I do for you?" I ask, trying to figure out why a medic would go through the trouble of finding me in a library.
"Well, I was told by Professor Eclaise to inform you should miss Chand's condition change," she says and I stand up with such force that my chair flies backwards, clattering on the floor.
"Is she..?" I start, a thousand possible situations racing through my head all at once.
"She's woken up!" miss Chaura says, clapping her hands together. "It's truly a miracle."
"Can..." I start. My mouth is dry and my heart is beating in my ears. "Can I go see her?"
"Oh, well, she has just woken up... Perhaps it would be better to let her rest for tonight, you can come by tomorrow," she says. I simply nod. "There is one thing I should mention though... she, uh, cannot recall any of her friends. We assume it's due to the trauma she's been through, should be temporary, but I would be prepared if I were you."
"Alright. Thank you, miss Chaura," I say and give her a smile. It's empty but she can't tell the difference. She gives me a smile of her own and then leaves. Gil puts his hand on my shoulder.
"You okay?" he asks.
"I think so," I say and shake my head. "I should be. This is good news, right? Why do I feel so... empty?"
"You're in shock," says Percy, who decided that we are not worthy of being left alone with his precious collection. "You were so relieved you couldn't handle it and your brain went to autopilot."
"Huh," I say, frowning. "Is that a thing?"
Percy shrugs and goes back to his book.
"Well, if she's awake, we can stop going through all these books, right?" says Alica and stands up. "I'm starving, let's go eat while there's still food."
"It would still be good to find out what exactly happened to her, but I guess it can wait for a bit now that she's no longer in danger," I admit. I take a deep breath. A wave of relief washes through my stomach and I let it pass. A wide smile spreads on my face and I sigh. "Well, let's go get some food."
~x~
I found a letter in the lost and found on Thursday, but didn't have time to read it yet as I make my way into the medical wing immediately after classes. In addition to the main room with several beds for minor cases of injuries and whatnot, there's also the examination room, the head medic's office, the medics' break room and several solitary rooms, for people who have to stay here longer. Like Tauria. True enough I find her in the room in the very back. To my surprise, they boy isn't there. She looks up from her book as I knock on the open door.
"Do I... know you?" she asks, squinting.
"You did," I say and smile. "Well, sort of anyway."
"What does that mean?" I sit on the chair next to her bed.
"It means we'd only just met before your, uh... incident." She makes a soft 'oh' and frowns, trying to remember.
"I'm sorry, I can't recall," she says eventually. She looks sad. I can't imagine what it must be like to not remember anyone at all. I don't want to imagine.
"That's okay, the medics said that you probably wouldn't remember," I say, because she needs to know it's not her fault. I hope she knows that. "You came to get your friend to join you on your trip to the town and he left to change his clothes. I was there and we talked for a bit. I complemented your eyes, you thought I was hitting on you and we laughed it off because I am already in a relationship and you have someone you like." I pause for a second after that, waiting for a reaction. She's not surprised, but... sad? She knows she used to like someone but can't remember who? A little more of my heart breaks. "I wished you a pleasant time at the caravan and you thought I was pretentious."
"Oh my gods, did I tell you you were pretentious?" she says with a soft chuckle she tries to hide behind her hand.
"Well, you didn't say it, but I'm pretty sure you thought it," I say.
"That's terrible!"
"Nah, I'm used to it."
"That's even worse!"
"How so?"
"Well, it means you really are pretentious."
I laugh. She smiles shyly. "Pretentious isn't the worst thing to be, I assure you. And I suppose I kind of am, so..."
She giggles and then sighs. We fall silent for a moment.
"What... do you remember?" I ask. She shrugs.
"I remember most things, I think. I know the date and the name of the country and the academia, and I remember all my studies, but I don't remember... people."
"How do you mean?"
"It's like... I know I have teachers but I don't remember their names or faces or voices, and I know we have a king but I don't know his name or which princess he's married or how many children he has. And I know I have friends, I know, but I just... I can't remember." She sniffles. I take her hand in mine and she squeezes it. "And Knute and Laelia, I know they are my friends, they must be, they were here the whole time and they want to help me remember, but I don't, I just don't remember them, I don't..."
She hiccups, fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she starts to cry and she's clinging onto my hand like she's a child afraid of losing her parents. In a way I guess she is. I sit onto the edge of her bed and pull her close. She cries into my shoulder until there's no more tears and then she apologizes for the mess she left on my shirt.
"Don't you worry about that," I tell her and she sniffs again. "It's just a shirt, I can easily get it cleaned."
"Right..." she says, playing with the edge of her blanket. There's clearly still something on her mind.
"It's not your fault," I say and she looks up. "You know that, right? It's not your fault you can't remember and it's not your fault someone did this to you. And your friends will be your friends even if you don't remember them. You need to know that."
She looks stunned for a moment and then she smiles, happy but tired.
"Thanks," she says, as simple as that.
I leave her be soon after that. On my way out I still stop to chat with the head medic to see if she can fill me in on something about Tauria's condition. She can't, none of them have yet to come up with an explanation for Tauria's selective amnesia. One more mystery to solve... Tauria's anguish haunts me the whole way back to the dorms.
I finally get back to our room and I pull the door open. Gil looks up from his alchemy book on his bed when I slam the door closed.
"What happened to your shirt?" he asks, equal parts amused and disgusted. I don't answer, striding over to him and pulling him into a kiss. He's surprised at first but melts into it almost instantly and he seems slightly breathless as I finally pull away.
"Yeah okay," he says weakly.
"What, no kiss for me?" says Alica from the other side of the bed and I lean over and kiss her as well. I can feel her grin against my mouth. When we break apart and she pats me on the cheek. I walk backwards to the other bed and fall on it, staring up at the ceiling.
"So, uh, did something happen?" Gil asks and I can hear him put the book away. "Not that I mind being greeted like this, it's not really been commonplace and all..."
"I'm just..." I start and pause, taking a deep breath. "I'm just so glad I have you guys."
My view of the ceiling is obstructed by Gil's smiling face as he lays down next to me on the bed. Alica soon joins on the other side and though it is a tight squeeze with three people on one bed it's still the most comfortable place I could be.
~x~
It's around nine in the evening I remember the letter. Alica's already left, saying she has an important assignment to finish, so it's just Gil and me in the room and he's busy with his alchemy homework. I grab my bag from the floor and fish out the paper.
Oh, well then. I guess it was to be expected that he doesn't quite trust me. But... an enemy? Does he think that the poisoning was about him? It had crossed my mind as well, but poisoning someone's friend seems like an awfully inconvenient way to get to someone, unless you wanted to hurt them, but even then wouldn't you stay and gloat or something? The whole thing was just too vague to draw any kinds of conclusions. Of course the boy is a different matter indeed, and has taken the assault personally.
I suppose it's time to tell the boy everything, huh.
I get up from bed, go over to the desk and start writing. I write down all the things that have happened and all the things I think they mean. I include the poisoning. Tomorrow is Friday so I can easily leave it in the book for him to find.
By the time I'm finished Gil's already in bed. I put out the lights and climb in behind him, pulling him against my chest. He stirs slightly, and mutters something unintelligible about octopi and I hush him before kissing the back of his neck. He settles down with a contented sigh and I have the best night's sleep I've had in ages.
Come Friday afternoon everything gets fucked.
________________________________________________________
Yaaay. Finisheddddd. Almost forgot to include the topic completely!
It's so long! So many things happen! I didn't mean so many things to happen! That's not true, I meant for more things to happen, but I could not figure out what happened on Friday so now you get to do it. Hooray! I do have a letter for you, which has things that I think are happening/will happen, so I'm not gonna leave you empty handed. Stash Knute somewhere safe during your trip! (I almost considered putting him in a coma, lol)
I know I'm a bit late again, but in my defense I've had shitty internet and I spent most of the day doing important blog related art. Which you'll get to enjoy hopefully soon for real this time not like all the other arts I've said I've made but never post. This is an actual thing that's actually gonna happen.
But I'm almost out of internet so I need to go now. I think that's everything. Your topic is "Masked". Cheerio!
Pie out.
P.S. I CAN'T GET THIS PUBLISHED ARRGGGHHHHH!!!
P.P.S. Seriously my internet sucks so bad I can't publish this. Sorry it's a Tuesday, not my fault for a change. Good night.
P.P.P.S. Good morning it's Tuesday. Enjoy.
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