The land of the unwanted

A week later Karaza stared at the cilling of the hospital room. Leg wrapped in thick bandages. Immersed in complete silence she lets a small sigh.

"I want to smoke"

She sites down and stretches looking at two chatting patients next of her.

- Will you need another surgery for your internal deformities? The older women asked.

- No, the doctor said I am all good, just need some time for recovery. What about you?

- Oh, I just needed to fix my Pancreas, it was a quick ten hours surgery.

Karaza laid back and looked at the celling again.

"No matter how many times I visit this land, I don't think I will get used to how they talk about surgeries. Well it makes sense for them, this is the land of the unwanted after all almost everyone has a disease or internal deformities from birth. Man I want to smoke"

She looked at her leg. "But they fixed me good. Even dukes and kings doctors aren't this good. It's probably because of the magnet science... I am getting my pipe."

As she sat down the hospital attendant came to check her.

-How are we feeling today? He asked with a smile as he put a dark gray patch on her arm, another one on her wounded leg.

"I feel like I hadn't smocked in a while"

- Good, I want to walk more though. She observe as he's looking at an awkward hexagon shaped device.

- Mmm, no inflammation or infection signs. Do you feel dizziness or you feel like objects are changing colors?

- No, it's not my first time here, I am used to the magnetic field.

-Good, you can go on a walk outside today, let me get you some crutches.

Behind the hospital she puts her weight on the crutch, exhaling the smoke in satisfaction. She looks at the sky, expressionless.

"So everything will be over when this tornado hits, huh?"

A swift hand takes the pipe from her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

- Excuse me, I have to take this back to your locker. The same sliver haired hospital attendant said, holding his own extended pipe.

She looked at him exhaling smoke with an expression of a hungry man seeing others feed.

- Staff doesn't have a place to smoke?

- We have, but my annoying coworker is also there. He says, looking curiously at her pink pipe in his hands.

- Good old Tabaco? He adds.

- I though a doctor won't smoke in front of his patient.

- I am not a doctor.

- I am pretty sure you did my surgery.

- Yeah.

- Doesn't that make you a doctor?

- No, the doctors give the diagnosis. I simply perform the surgery with the magnetic machine, but a doctor join complex surgeries.

- I don't get it.

- I thought you were here before.

- Yeah, but not for treatment.

They stood in silence. Smoke rising above with the breeze, Karaza watches it.

- Do you like it? Your job. She asked, looking at a slightly purplish cloud in the far horizon, then looking at him. He pauses for a smoke.

- On days when no one throw up on me, yeah. He joked.

He took one last inhale, setting the silence again.

- I think you have been standing long enough. He folded his pipe while continuing.

-Not my place to speak but hearing recovery surgeries are easier these days, I imagine it's inconvenient reading lips and having hearing aids.

A sound of two adolescence in the empty area interrupted them.

- Are you sure he's here? Oh here he is. Roxy said.

Roxy and Ryu walked towards them.

-Hey kids. The man said.

Ryu gave him a bag.

- President told me to tell you to not have smoke for a meal today.

- She dragged you to here for this?

- I am visiting a classmate too.

Karaza looks at them cautiously. Roxy notices her long sliver hair.

"First her and now an apex predator too" she swallows.

- You... you are not actually a pink head? Roxy asks her, with a dramatically betrayed voice.

- It was fake. She states coldly.

- So the curls!

- It’s all fake, kiddo. Ah, and thank you for the ride.

She looked at her brown suit. "So there is no party today”

- No prob.

Ryu and Karaza looked at each other. She was not sure how to react to the big black eyes staring at her soul.

- Pleasure to meet you, I am Ryu.

- Nice to meet you.

- Well, I am putting this in your locker, you should come back to your room. The older man said as he walked away.

She waited until he's far enough to give Roxy some money.

- Perhaps could you buy me a cigarette?

- I can hear you.

- Come on!

Later in the day, in Roxy's apartment Ryu was searching in his suitcase, Roxy entered the apartment.

- I am back. She looked at the tendrils lifting furniture.

-looking for something.

- Yeah, the small crown.

- It was near the kids.

She looks closely at the walls where embroidery works.

- Where is my Ojamajo doremi magical tools embroidery?

- haven't touched the walls.

They look at each other, bamboozled. Eventually Roxy goes to her house plants.

- Kids what happened here?

- Suddenly disappeared? ryu asked

-That's what they saw.

- Like someone made a wish?

- That's the most plausible theory.

They eat dinner on the floor with their non-human pupils. The city gets darker as shop owners close for the day. She was looking at his hand, many Band-Aids on his fingers.

He avoids eye contact.

- We gonna delay more sessions because of the auction right?

-...Sorry.

- You’re so mean. She said with fake teary eyes.

- Maybe I am already strong enough to do what you need me to do.

- Well, you are technically, but you lack experience the yellow zone is more dangerous than you -

A mental shock hits them, stronger than the pervious, even karaza gets knocked out of her sleep because of it.

- is it getting closer? ryu asked, holding his head.

- Well it will take months in the worst case scenario.

He doesn't say anything, the looming danger seems closer when silence take over.

-Are you afraid? She asks. He can't tell if it's teasing or a genuine question.

Looking at the sky, pupils as narrow as a line.

- If my time comes then there is nothing I can do.

Next day, in the auction center the preparation were going smoothly, until it wasn't. Amongst workers who were hanging paintings and carrying sculptures, artists checking their pieces and slots on the auction schedule. Couple managers whispering about a missing piece. Ryu eavesdropped until his teacher called him. His teacher standing next to a mischievous looking man.

- Sir Jonathan, this is Ryu.

They shook hand, making eye contact. Jonathan gave him a smile replied by a neutral polite nod.

-This patch of students are crazy aren't they?

-Totally. Teacher agreed.

Their conversation halted when some workers hanged a portrait on the wall next to them. It was hard to decode Jonathan's smile while he looked at it. Ryu looked at the name signature in the corner, below the beautiful family. "Sami" the signature says.

- Must be tough, having that guy Andre as an advisor, lucky for you kid Yamada is much more lenient.

- Actually, I just his sculpting teacher.

-Then why isn't you're advisor with you?

Ryu points with his eyes at the portrait.

- My condolences.

They noticed a man with a long ponytail entering the room, a young blond man walking behind him.

- Speaking of the devil. Jonathan says, before walking toward them with a welcoming gesture. Ryu and Yamada moved to another corner near some ladders and scaffolds.

- Well, let's go over it one more time, Next week the auctioneers will visit, vote for the art pieces that they liked the most, then pieces that passes the pre-selection will be presented in the auction. Now who is your targeted audience?

-Rich people, I mean people who is interested in niche art.

- ... exactly, for the pre-selection your work will be shown either Saturday or Tuesday, that's when niche art enthusiasts will visit.

- So it is a matter of which day is optimal.

- More or less, auctioneers who come Tuesday are usually looking for an artist to hire, your work might not sell but you might get a patron.

-So in auctioneers with buying intentions coming Saturday.

Yamada take a deep breath.

- You gotta think for the long term kid, your advisor wants to make the greatest painter in the world, and that's not your jam which is acceptable, just not with him. I am sure you realize it more than anyone else, if you don't paint for him he will not let you stay in the academy. Getting a patron maybe the best bet for you.

He looks at his student, unable to decode the black eyes staring at his soul.

- Thank you teacher, but I want the Saturday after lunch slot.

- Come on, stubbornness will not -

He was cut off when someone slipped and bumped into a ladder, it almost fell on them but Ryu hold it in time.

Yamada watched, half confused and half impressed when he lift the metal ladder to balance with one noodle arm.

- Are you okay? Ryu asked, shifting his head to see the other person. His expression grow cold when he saw the person behind the ladder.

- Hey Sami slippery floors huh? The teacher joked as he reached his hand to him, lifting him up and noticing the Dark circles under his eyes.

- Yes, Thank you! Pardon me, I have to go now. He moved hastily.

- Andre is surly putting a lot of pressure on him, you two grew together right, can you check on him?

- We did not grow together. Irritation seeps through his polite low voice.

- Is that so?. Yamada says, not wanting to dig deeper, shooting a concerned look toward the blond young man.

At the breezy starry night, Roxy's broom was flying slowly in the sky, with a grey blob in her overalls pocket and Karaza behind her the broom was fighting for dear life.

- You were very brave broomy! Roxy's patted it after they landed. Meanwhile Karaza was looking at the sky with a binoculars.

- Well, it is not accelerating, guess we gonna make it to the end of the month.

- Can we annihilate it somehow? The mental shocks is getting annoying. Ryu asks.

- Only if there was a selfless hero to wish for it to disappear.

The three of them looked around for the source of the voice. Roxy looked at a rock on the floor.

- Oh hi, it's been a while! She said.

-This frequency? Is that you, walking plant?

-Yup.

- It's rare to see you with company, hello apex predator, hello human who I see a lot around here. He greeted the confused two.

- Haven't you walk far away? Roxy asked.

-Apathetic as usual, walking plant. I am trying to run from the demise with those tiny legs, but it's should be alright since you're here.

She blinks at his statement.

- You gonna burn the tornado with the box of normal matches right?

Karaza now stops playing with her blond hair and pays attention to the conversation.

- Oh right, the normal matches can do that.

- You didn't get rid of them all right? The rock says, voice shaking.

Roxy smiles politely, the rock doesn't wait for more words and moves its small legs, running toward the green zone.

-Well, that was awkward. Karaza comments.

- What it is those matches you talk about? Ryu asks as he return to his human form.

- It's a long story.

- A weapon from an ancient civilization. A pack has one match, you lit it up, then you order it to burn something, it obeys the order and burn some of your points with it, but they're rare, they say two of them exist now. Karaza explained as the two looked at her.

-Back when I was a youngster they were abundant, had to get destroy them because they kept being used to burn the forest. Roxy added.

-It can burn radioactivity? Ryu doubted

-More or less. Karaza said foundling something in her pocket.

- Actually even though it looks like it's burning the target. The function of the weapon is to cause atoms decay. Almost turned into dust once.

-So it can burn wishes?

- You still mad at the crown thieve?

- A piece in the national museum disappeared yesterday.

- I get it, but why would someone use precious points to make art disappear?

- I couldn't care less about the motivation, I can't allow this.

-Okay Mr. Art police.

-Okay Miss Forest.

-... We should work your trash talk..

- Do you know who wished for that? Karaza asked, now laying on the ground. Roxy looked at her.

- No.

- Then you will not be able to burn the wish.

-Why so sure? Roxy asked.

She took her hand of the pocket, raising her arm, holding a pack of matches, chroma blue.

- Ooo, this bring back memories.

-Can I get this one? Ryu asked.

-Guess saving art is more important than saving the world. Karaza said with light hearted sarcasm.

-Well.. I am sure certain somebody knows where the second pack of matches is, will use that for the tornado.

- It is inside a volcano, in the orange zone. Roxy said, avoiding eye contact.

Both of them gave a look that says "seriously?"

- A little unorthodox but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

-Well, Volcano or not, I will get it and give it back to you, what do you say?

- Mmm, I never said I will destroy the tornado with it.

-That's you're business, not mine.

She looked at the pack in her hand, she sits down, and Roxy takes couple steps back, tension comes out of nowhere.

- You have something to look for when you wake up, must be nice. She stood up, pulling her axe out of the dress.

- Pardon?

- Oh dear, well for today's homework bring her to her senses. Roxy said. Summoning her broom.

- I don't want to fight an injured pers-

His instincts kicks in, switching to his blob form. Invisible blast hits the area when she swing her axe, violent sound waves shakes air and ground alike.

He disappears from her field of vision only for a grey sharp pole to breakthrough the ground, almost impaling her. She jumps in the air last minute. Swinging the axe as gravity pulls her down toward the opponent.

The ungraded spot she was targeting turned into a thorny patch, a perfect bait.

She blasts sound waves that thrusts her to the opposite direction.

- You're not a minion of Dracula, don't punch holes into your foe. Roxy yells, flying closely to the fight.

-DoN't PUnCh HOles InTo. Easy for you to say!

She swings at him again, he morphs into a puddle, dodging it.

"There we go" Roxy thinks.

"All I need is one hit to knock her out, But if she dies I am banned from the green zone, do I have enough control? I do, in my hands but not in those shapeless limbs. Technically they’re my hands as well."

Karaza walked to the gray puddle, raising the axe for a final blow. He closed his eyes.

A giant glass clipper clutched on Karaza, squeezing her body until she was out. He went back to his human form, setting her free, letting out a tired sigh.

Three bodies were flying back on the thin broom. Gray tendrils acting like ropes tying Karaza and Ryu to the broom, eight limbs overflowing in the air.

-What was that? Ryu asked, unable to move.

-Normal phenomena, the air outside the green zone causes humans to become feral. It's important to know what that looks like, since you're half human.

-And yet you let her come with us.

-She escaped the hospital and hitchhiked her way to my broom.

- oh, Sure. He said sarcastically. Looking at her usual faint smile.

He gazed at the starry night, the slowness of the broom drifting him to sleep.