Viridescent Shadows III: Gemma Chronicles

Do You Want To Die?

"What does she even want!?" I stretched my arms to the sky looking for an answer.

"No clue. Maybe she just hates you," I said to myself.

"Cicily could never hate me. We're like sisters."

"Really? Then why'd she abandon you these last few decades?"

"She's watching the camp."

"Yang can do that, she always has."

"What about the Alp attack?"

"Just go kill the next one before it kills anyone else."

"I'd love to, but Cicily put a curse on me that prevents me from leaving my house." A knock ended my conversation.

"Come in!" I yelled, slouching further in my bed.

"Hey, Gemma," Cicily said.

"Are you here to let me out?"

"And what would you do if I let you out?" Cicily asked, clearly talking down to me.

"Kill the Alp."

"Then no. I'm here to drop your clothes off."

"You know we need to deal with it," I noted.

"Yes, that's why I'm doing it."

"Like, alone?" I pondered.

"Yes, Gemma." She rolled her eyes.

"Let me come, at least."

"Gemma, you have the only thing worse than two left feet. None. How do you plan on fighting it with one foot and a broken sword?" She left before I could answer.

"I can still do magic," I muttered. I turned in my bed and slid off, immediately falling to the ground. I looked to my leg, mad at myself for already forgetting about my foot. I crawled over to my books and began flipping through the pages.

"What if I translocate? Does it count as leaving the house?" I'd never gotten translocation spells to work. They were only for sorceresses due to the danger. The fires are safer, albeit more limited. I read through the book on it as fast as I could before pulling my wand out. I chanted the spell, but nothing happened.

"Miss Oket!?" Yang was yelling from outside.

"Come in. And just call me Gemma." I heard the rustling of Yang coming into my home before she appeared in my bedroom.

"Why are you on the floor, ma'am?"

"My foot, Yang."

"Let me help you." She knelt down and put her arms under my body, before lifting me onto the bed like I was a toddler. She grabbed the book I was reading.

"Translocation?" She looked puzzled.

"It's like teleporting through the fires, but without needing the fire."

"Interesting."

"What did you need?" I asked.

"I just came to check on you."

"Well, I'm fine, thank you, Yang."

"Miss Oke- Gemma, may I drop formalities?"

"Sure, Yang, after all this time, that's fine."

"No you aren't," she said sternly.

"I'm... sorry?"

"You're not fine. Gemma, you've spent two weeks in bed. You are wearing the same clothes Cicily put you in after she knocked you out."