Vertigo

The palm-sized fairy spun restlessly around Hale and Tenga as they headed to the training area. Short, pointed ears rested against rust-colored curls. He couldn’t seem to stay still; some part of him was always on the move, be it his large, inquisitive eyes or gesturing arms. He looked like an immature child but was almost a century old, though that was still considered very young to the long-lived fairies.

“I’m sooo bored! You can’t shut a fairy in a nasty place like this!” Sylvan’s translucent wings fluttered non-stop as his legs kicked in the air.

Hale exaggerated a little… well, a lot… when he talked to Orifil last night but he didn’t lie. He admired the great architect Morinith who elevated the celestials’ aeronautics, and by extension the world’s (because the celestials had the highest technological advancements of all realms), to a whole new level. How could he stand by and watch Morinith’s masterpiece get insulted?

“Nasty? You didn’t seem to think so when you soaked in the sauna or played billiards or ordered drinks from the robot mixologist.” The undead pointed out.

“Aww you know so much about me, aren’t you actually interested in me?” Sylvan put his small face on the back of his palms and blinked cutely.

Hale was so disgusted that he took out eye drops to cleanse his eyeballs, amidst Sylvan’s delightful giggles. The stupid fairy loved playing with people. Seriously, there was no one normal among Katharin’s love interests. Did she really have to end up with one of them?

Sylvan imitated the action of strolling in thin air and pouted sulkily. “And Kat refused to play with me ‘cause of her motion sickness…”

Katharin’s been unwell? Hale froze momentarily.

“Get out of this ‘nasty place’ and fly by yourself then,” Tenga grabbed the fairy and threw him lightly at the window. “Maybe you can reach by the time we graduate.”

Sylvan flitted back skillfully and cried, “No, I can’t leave Kat by her lonesome. Oh, poor Kat, she hasn’t been able to sleep or take a bite!”

Is it that bad??? They got on the airship yesterday and still had more than 24 hours’ worth of flight time. He also heard that Katharin stayed in all day yesterday. Her condition could only get worse. Hale picked his brains, thinking about where he could get the best medicine suitable for humans. Behind him, Sylvan and Tenga exchanged knowing grins, like children succeeding in a prank.

ↂ

The dragonoid’s pupils turned into vertical slits as his clawed hand crushed Hale’s neck. The undead tapped Tenga’s arm but he didn’t respond, overly-immersed in the bloodthirst. It was no secret that dragons knew how to handle themselves and the world around them right after hatching because they could inherit the memories of their ancestors. But Tenga was disturbed in the middle of receiving them so he had poor control and knowledge over many aspects, such as his human transformation arts and his innate violence.

“Rise and shine!” Sylvan made a hammer with wind magic and dropped it on Tenga’s head.

Hale took the opportunity when Tenga’s hand loosened and broke away. The large handprint on his neck and various wounds on his body stood out from the deadly pale skin. The glasses and other artifacts on him were all damaged and the boy’s original look was restored.

“There, your win.” Hale said to Tenga, whose eyes regained their clarity.

Tenga’s wild red hair stuck to his sweaty skin as he caught his breath. Of the three main departments in Harmondia Academy, Physical, Magic and Managerial, Tenga and Hale were both in the first. So they sparred a lot and Hale knew that Tenga’s persistence with fighting wasn’t just to satisfy his bellicose nature. The prideful guy didn’t like to be swayed by anything, not even his instincts. So he trained to bring it under his own control but because most people couldn’t last long against him, the dragonoid targeted the strong.

Unfortunately, Hale didn’t quite fit the bill.

He plunged a nutrient solution into the artery on his neck and sighed, “You got your fight so don’t pester Katharin, alright? You heard it. Let her rest.”

Hale didn’t wait for a reply as he left for the cargo hold, clutching his smart device. Expecting injuries, the logistics team brought a lot of potions and herbs. And Hale just received the imperial family’s secret recipe for treating motion sickness from Nikolai. The dark elf was the stealthiest of their covert agents.

ↂ

“Since you don’t answer, should I take it that you really do hate me?” Lily questioned, her soft body wrapped in a thin nightgown leaned on Hale. Pink dusted over her poor complexion and the fragile girl looked like she would cry if he uttered a word of affirmation.

Lily and some of the Watchers were also students or employees of the academy but Hale was the only one who joined the expedition so he could only give her the medicine himself. But he intended to leave the package by her door, just like the times he anonymously passed on information about the love interests. They weren’t supposed to meet.

It was the first time in 4 years, since they parted after the Nightshade Fellowship incident. Katharin had lost the petiteness of a child, the lines of her body were fuller and she no longer looked like the skin-and-bones kid wearing ill-fitting clothes. But her eyes, like mini-sunsets, were still the same, beautiful beyond imagination and carrying deep-seated emotions he couldn’t fathom.

He groped for the impression-blurring glasses on his face, only to remember that Tenga broke them. Helpless, his mouth opened.

“Of course I don’t hate you. How can I?” The words squeezed out of Hale’s throat.