The Sorcerer, Part 19 - Masked

On Friday morning, after a night of Tauria sleeping on flowers, I went to see her at the medical wing.

She looks up at me when I walk in and smiles. I get a moment of unbelievable hope that she actually remembers me now, but then she lowers her gaze and shakes her head.

"Nothing," she says quietly. I walk to her, sit on the bed and take her hand.

"Honestly?" I say and she looks up at me, "We never really thought it would. But right now anything's worth the try. Even if we don't really think it works."

"Yeah, I guess," she says, and smiles a little.

Someone else walks into the room and we both turn to look. It's one of the medics.

"And how are we feeling today?" she asks as she walks to Tauria's bed.

"Not much different than yesterday or the day before that," Tauria says, "Meaning fine, except I can't remember anyone."

The medic nods.

"Well then I have some good news for you," she smiles, "You can go. Get out of here. Back to your classes and to make some new and old friends."

And then Tauria packs the stuff people had brought her and gets into her normal clothes, getting ready to leave. It takes a while, but I'm in no hurry. I walk her out just as the Academy bells start ringing, marking the hour. I turn to look at the huge clock that can be seen from almost anywhere at the campus. Then I turn back to Tauria.

"Look, I'm really super happy that you got out of there," I frown, "But I really have a class to catch. The teachers already hate me for not having paid any attention in classes while you've been in the medical wing. I can't be late for a class as well. I suppose you still remember where your room is?"

She nods.

"I really am sorry," I try to say, but she smiles.

"I'm fine. Really. You need to go to your class," she says. I hug her quickly and head away. I feel guilty, but what can you do. Besides, she's a big girl. She'll find her way.

~x~

After the afternoon history lesson I'm sitting in the courtyard, under a tree. Tauria didn't show up for any lessons yet. I suppose she's getting used to begin outside again. I'm reading the newest letter I found in between my history book.

"What are you reading?" I hear a voice just as I'm finishing the last sentences and lift my head to see Laelia walk to me.

"Uh, it's nothing," I say and stuff the letter into my pocket.

"Didn't look like nothing," she says, "You were frowning."

I blink. Then I shake my head as she sits down next to me.

"Never mind. It's not important," I mutter and continue in a voice that very clearly states we're changing the subject, "So, did you hear Tauria got out of medical?"

"Yeah, I did," she says, following my tone, mocking me, "I had lunch with her, in fact. Ran into her in the hallway on my way to eat. She seems to be doing ok, other than not remembering anyone. Anyway, do you know if there's something going on somewhere at the Academy today?"

"Uh..." I think, "No? What kind of something are you talking about?"

"I was walking in the hallway," she says, "And I saw this guy wearing a mask. I would've gone up to him and asked what the deal with the mask was, but he was a little too far away, and besides he turned a corner and disappeared from my sight, so I figured there's just something happening today somewhere today that involves masks. But I haven't seen anyone else walking around with masks, and that guy kinda looked like he was sneaking around anyway."

She quiets. My mind starts to race. Could this have something to do with all the other stuff going on in the school? Someone sneaking around the campus in a mask, hexing and poisoning people? Or what if the masked guy isn't alone? What if it's a whole cult of people wandering around the...

I stop my train of thought. This is going too far. A cult? Really? That's what my mind goes to? My mind is an idiot. There is no evil magic cult in the Academy trying to... I don't even know what their goal would be.

"It's a big campus," I say and shrug, "Someone's probably having a dress-up party or something. Or the drama class is rehearsing some play they need masks in."

Because those are the actual most likely explanations. I mentally smack myself in the head for being an idiot and jumping straight into cults when someone sees one masked guy in the corridor.

"You're right," Laelia says. At least she's happy with the answer. We sit there quietly for a while, enjoying the sunshine.

"Oh, look!" Laelia breaks the silence and points to a low nearby stone wall, "There's a small lizard napping in the sun there."

I smile at her enthusiasm. She's clearly on a better mood now Tauria's out of medical.

"Did you know that some lizards can drop their tails and grow a new one?" she asks and I nod. "Did you know that some can grow whole limbs back?"

"Ok, that I didn't know," I smile at her, "Did you know, that you can make a potion out of the scales of a kokolhan lizard that..." I stop talking. I just stare in front of me. I have no idea how this hadn't occurred me earlier, in all the hours we spent in the library trying to figure out how to make Tauria better.

"That what?" Laelia asks, drawing me out of my thoughts.

"Can cure any injury..." I'm not sure it would work. I don't even know if it's true. But the thought should've at least crossed my mind at some point. "We were at the library with Tauria, some time at the beginning of the term, looking for fun facts about kokolhan lizards, an assignment for an animalogy class. And she found a book..." I pause again, "She found a book saying you can make a potion from a kokolhan lizard's scales that will cure any injury."

I turn to look at her, my eyes wide.

"And you think that could help Tauria?" she asks, a hint of disbelief in her voice. I pause.

"Well, we don't actually know for a fact that's true," I shrug the thought away, "We actually talked about it, and neither of us really believed it. But what if it is true? We could help her."

She just stares at me for a long moment.

"Ok," she finally says, "It's worth the try. Where do we get some of those scales?"

"I don't know," I admit, "I've never seen anyone selling them. I've never heard of anyone selling them. I think it would be possible to find them further north, closer to where the lizards actually live. I should go and..."

"You should go?" Laelia interrupts me. My mouth is left open mid-speech for a second before I answer.

"You're thinking we should both go?"

"Well, yeah, she's just as much my friend as yours."

"True," I say, "But. One. I have screwed up this term already. I can just as well take off and travel north to find the scales and start all over again next term when I'm actually able to concentrate. You're actually doing well, which I find unbelievable, but so it seems to be. You shouldn't throw that away less than half way through the term.
"Two. Tauria needs one of us to stay. We can't both go. She needs a friend right now, someone who really cares. Even if she didn't remember her herself. And I think that should be you, rather than me.
"And third. Now don't be offended, but I think it's safer for me to go alone than for you to go alone. Yes, because you're a girl," I'm talking fast enough that she doesn't have time to argue with my "you're a girl" -point, "You are the toughest and the most ill-tempered and strong willed girl I've ever met, and I don't doubt for a second you'd make it out there. But other people don't know that. And as much as it sucks, a guy travelling alone is way less a target than a girl travelling alone."

She makes angry eyes at me for a moment, but I know she knows I'm right. She sighs.

"Fine," she says, "But don't be gone too long."

"No way to know. Might be I'll run into some lizard scales back in town and can come right back," I say and pause, "Ok, probably not. I think I'll have to go as far as the mountains. So yeah, it'll take a while."

I get up. She looks up at me from the ground.

"Take care of her," I say. She nods. I walk away.

And that's how it's decided. I'm travelling north. Probably for a few weeks. To try to help my friend remember. I go to my room, pack what little I think I'll need. Some clothes. Some food. I'll need to get a horse once I get to the town. The Academia's ponies won't get me anywhere fast enough. Though they might be great in the mountains. Or I'll have to join some group travelling north with a wagon. That's probably a better idea. I could work for them on the way, get some food and protection from travelling in a group and not use up all my savings I probably will have to use anyway.

I go tell the principle I'm leaving. He asks surprisingly few questions. He wishes me good luck and hopes I get back soon and safe. I'm guessing Tauria getting poisoned was a big deal for the school, and they really want to help too. And if letting me go for a some time without giving me any trouble about it helps, then they let me do it.

I go drop a letter to the lost-and-found telling Omega I won't be around for a while, so it's pointless leaving me any letters for a while. That I won't be much help for a while.

And then I'm on my way.
________________________________________________________________

You told me to stash him somewhere safe while I'm gone. Oh, that's not safe? Oh? Oh. Oh, well.

Take good care of them. Don't screw up the story.

I assume you'll explain dad how he can get anything up here?

I'll be back for part 33. I'll have to write that the day I'm back from Italy, and I hope I'll have had time (=the internet) to read all the bits in between by then. Because writing might be a little difficult if I don't know what's happened meanwhile.

Your topic is Puzzle(s).

Don't kill anyone while I'm gone, ok?

~matu