Unfairness

Airi got up, steadying herself on the wall. She felt a rush of dizziness.

“Your arm,” Mildred said.

Airi followed her gaze to the blood-soaked bandages on her arm, wrapped by Nestor's deft hands. The battle with the Mother of Plenty had left her with scrapes all over her body—except, of course, her crystal hand.

“You’re seriously hurt. What happened?”

Too late, Airi tried to hide her arm. “Nothing.”

“Did you run into a monster?” Mildred asked, brow furrowing. “Where was it? All monster sightings should be reported to the—”

“It’s dead,” Airi said shortly. A pause. “I didn’t think you cared about non-magical people.”

“You’d do well to think more and talk less,” Mildred said without looking at Airi. “How did you kill the monster?”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk to me,” Airi said.

Mildred huffed and walked faster.

Hurrying after her, Airi pulled on her bandage to tighten it. It did look like a lot of blood, now that Mildred mentioned it, but she only felt a dull ache. Maybe the crystal glove was dampening it.

And... why on earth was Mildred walking so quickly?

“Hey,” Airi said, running after her. “To answer your question, I—”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk to me.”

Airi ignored Mildred’s response. “To answer your question, I got lucky. Nestor just happened to have learned the right spell, and I was able to hold the monster off while he cast it. That’s how I beat the monster.”

“Got lucky,” Mildred repeated with glittering eyes. She shook her head a little. “Do you expect luck to save you every time you risk your life?”

“Well, what’s wrong with getting lucky?” Airi asked with a grin.

“It wasn't... it hardly... it’s not fair,” Mildred said uncertainly.

“No, you know what’s not fair? People dying is unfair,” Airi said, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice. She was surprised to find that the face that came to mind wasn’t Kazuko’s; it was Mom’s. “Surviving is hardly unfair. So what if we got lucky? Nestor and I are both alive, aren’t we? I think that’s what matters.”

Mildred was silent for a long time after that. Airi worried that she’d finally said the wrong thing. Then Mildred said, “Here,” and extended her arm.

Airi stared at it in bewilderment. “What?”

“At this rate, you’ll bleed out before we get to the palace physician.”

Airi took Mildred’s arm, feeling very odd. Perhaps she was lightheaded from the blood loss.

While they walked, Mildred didn’t say a word. After all that arguing, it was unsettling to walk in silence.

Airi said, “You’re taking me to the palace physician? Aren’t you a mage? Don’t you know any healing spells?”

Mildred sighed and shook her head. “You really are clueless. There are no healing spells.”

“Why don’t you write one, then?”

Mildred’s black star-shaped irises flashed, and she swallowed. “It’s illegal. They do more harm than good.”

“Why?”

“No one understands the human body well enough yet. We have specialized mages who can repair skin after doctors perform the actual internal surgeries, but that's it.”

“I’m guessing you’re not one of those specialized mages?” Airi asked.

Mildred didn’t answer. Great. So now Airi had to be the extrovert.

“You study wind, don’t you?” Airi tried.

Mildred looked at her sideways. “...How did you know that?”

“Nestor told me a while back. I don’t know how he found out.”

“He... he must have seen my spellbook.”

Airi looked at Mildred’s white robes and saw a small spellbook tucked in her pocket. “The Magical Map. That doesn’t sound like a wind spell.”

“It’s the wayfinding spell,” Mildred said shortly, looking straight ahead. “An offshoot of the wind spells.”

“So it’s pretty well known, huh.”

“Well, it’s... one of the newer spells,” Mildred answered uncomfortably. She was definitely hiding something.

“What’s with that look?” Airi said slyly. “You don’t like the wayfinding spell?”

Mildred’s mouth twitched. “Not particularly.”

“Why not?”

Mildred stopped in her tracks. “Would you mind being quiet for a moment? I’m tired of your chattering.”

Airi felt a surge of annoyance. “Fine. I’ll shut up so you can go back to thinking you’re better than me in peace.”

Sharply, Mildred said, “I never said I was—”

“Right. You didn’t have to, because it’s all over your face.”

“I don’t think I’m better than you.” Mildred’s voice had become so quiet that Airi could barely hear her. She thought about taunting Mildred to speak up. But it was only a thought.

They climbed narrow stone steps, past guards who bowed at Mildred, and emerged into the most lavish streets Airi had never seen. After the dungeons, it was heaven. Fountains of spring-colored leaves spilled over creamy walls, accented by clusters of grapes and flowers. Vines climbed marble pillars and threw stripes of shade over cool benches. The people were glamorous, too. The women wore colorful summer gowns, and the men wore velvet vests and top hats.

It was the first time Airi felt that she’d arrived in a city better than those in her old world.