Orison | Celeste Academy Series BK #3

Chapter Two ۞ Takes One to Know One

Chapter Two ۞ Takes One to Know One

Valeriana could not help but sigh heavily after seeing that wild blue hair and electric blue eyes. Seriously, what got into his head this time that he ended up on the roof of their carriage? Could he really just not leave Valeriana alone for a day? He was seriously grating on her nerves.

"Tch." Corvan grunted in displeasure. "Your insolence astounds me as ever, non-ranker." He said, putting away his sword slowly back in its sheath. "To think you will go as far as jumping on the carriage's roof . . . how amusing."

He tapped on the window and spoke to them through the glass. "Yeah, well . . . I did tell Valeriana I'll never give up. So, why don't you open the door for me? It's kinda freezing out here."

"Open the door for you?" Corvan huffed loudly at the statement and gave him a sadistic grin. "Why would I do such a thing?"

"Wha—-" The shocked look on Zion's face was not any short of comical. "Bastard! And what are you doing to Valeriana? You damned first-ranker! Just because you share the same carriage, it does not give you the right to touch her!"

Valeriana, as though electrocuted, scampered back to sit properly from where she previously sat before the incident. "This . . . it's your entire fault you know! Why do you think we ended up in this sort of position?! Anyway, no open doors for you, idiot! If you wanna be here, stay outside! Mr. Driver!" She knocked on the wall. "Can we please move on?"

"Uh . . ." The driver still seemed somewhat shaken by the sudden appearance of Zion that he was unable to focus properly. "S-sure thing, miss. Uh . . . but the horses are still feeling unrest. Winter horses are easily very scared and it will take a while for them to calm down."

Valeriana heard him getting off the carriage to tend to the animals. Corvan could not help but rub his temples in frustration.

"Your impudence delayed our trip to the ports! Are you not aware of how much trouble you've brought forth because of your own selfishness?" Corvan growled at the freezing boy hanging upside-down outside their window, seething angrily as an irritated expression crossed the other boy's face.

"Well, who do you think's actually selfish keeping Valeriana all to himself?" Zion bit back.

Knowing she could do something to help, the fifth-ranker willingly disembarked the vehicle and stepped into the cold wilderness, let her feet sink into the snow. The two were busy arguing that they hardly noticed her leaving, but Corvan's perceptiveness enabled him to catch the sight of her silently weaving her way through the cold breeze.

"Valeriana, where on Valemnia are you going?" He asked her.

"Finally." Zion happily jumped off the carriage roof himself, landing in front of the fifth-ranker with a persistent grin. "Came to fetch me from out here yourself?"

Valeriana rolled her eyes and pushed him aside. "Don't flatter yourself, Zion. I didn't come out here for you."

The carriages ahead and behind them stopped as well, with Tamara's head poking out of the open window among one of the vehicles yelling questions all over the place. Charles had gotten off himself, coming to where Valeriana stood in order to investigate.

"What's going on?" He inquired. "What happened?"

Valeriana gave him a small sigh. "It's Zion. He scared the horses, now we can't move."

A look of annoyance flashed in his eyes and he threw a glare Zion's way. "For goodness's sake, what is the matter with you lot? You cause so much unnecessary trouble, especially you, Zion." He started angrily. "If you are forgetting, you forcibly tagged along uninvited and now you're causing such a liability within the group! Our ship is destined to leave the port tonight and we're already twenty minutes behind schedule! If we don't get there in time, we'll have to wait for another week for the next available one. I am sure you are quite aware of how troublesome it is, taking into consideration how long it takes to get to the Central Continent from here!"