Twisted Wonderland: The Seven Treasures

Twisted Wonderland & The Serpent's Crown-Part 2

  Jamil frowned as he continued through his day. For some reason each class seemed to leave no time in between to check on Kalim.
  What was going on? Kalim hadn't been ill in years so something was definitely wrong.
  Was it poison? No, Jamil had learned all of the signs of poisoning after that two-week coma and Kalim hadn't been showing any signs of poisoning.
  Could it be just a general illness? It was possible but just as unlikely as poisoning here at NRC. There hadn't been anything Kalim could have encountered that could make him ill today. Animal Linguistics had been his first class.
  "Jamil, you're more distracted here than in Potions," Azul said, during their final class of the day. "You've written the same note three times over."
  "Azul. Have you ever known Kalim to be ill?" Jamil asked, lifting his pen from the paper.
  "Ill? I'm not sure I follow."
  "Kalim's been absent from all of his classes today except for Animal Linguistics, in which he spoke Cat fluently."
  "Kalim spoke Cat fluently?" Azul asked. "Now that is strange."
  "I don't think Kalim is well, but I can't think of what could be going on with him to make him act this way," Jamil explained. "If I don't figure this out, I could be blamed for his condition."
  "Have you been to get a closer look at Kalim?" Azul asked.
  "There's been no time," Jamil admitted, shaking his head. "I barely saw him after Professor Crewel asked me to look into this."
  "Hm...have you noticed Kalim acting off at all earlier?" Azul inquired.
  "He was up last night," Jamil recalled. "He mentioned feeling like there was something wrong ever since the Sorcerer of Sand's Staff got put in Scaribia."
  "Is that so?" Azul asked. "Has anything else happened?"
  "N-no," Jamil said, surprised by how calm Azul was, but then again, Azul was always calm. "Kalim seems to be the only one feeling off."
  "I wonder..." Azul muttered.
  "What is it?"
  "Nothing," Azul said, smiling at Jamil. "I was simply wondering what you were going to do with all of your extra notes."
  "I'll make sure Kalim gets them," Jamil said, standing. "He'll need them, especially after missing so many classes. I should get going."
  As Jamil walked away, he heard Azul muttering to himself again. "I wonder if..."
  Then Jamil was out of earshot, cutting Azul's sentence off.
  Entering the throngs of students, Jamil looked around and noticed that many of them were smiling and chatting with one another.
  ''Idiots...' Jamil found himself thinking. 'All of them. Can't they see it? My pain? My anger?'
  'Why can't I be like them? I want to be the best, but I have to hide like a coward behind Kalim. If I could just be freed from this life...'
  Jamil's feet stopped and he looked out towards the sunlight. 'No. I have no other talents. The moon can only reflect a weak portion of the sun's light. I'm trapped...'
  "Ah. Jamil."
  Jamil looked away from the light to see Riddle, who had passed him but turned back to look at him.
  "Do you need something, Riddle?" Jamil asked.
  "Not at the moment," Riddle said. "But you appear to be distracted. Is everything alright?"
  Jamil nodded. "Yes. Why wouldn't everything be fine?"
  "I noticed Kalim was missing from class today," Riddle said. "Did something befall him?"
  Jamil ducked his head, hiding the grimace as his lips parted, his teeth clenched tightly. Why? Why couldn't something be about him for once?
  "Hmph," Jamil huffed, raising his head, hiding his anger behind the well-worn mental mask he had crafted years ago. "I don't know why the Housewarden of another dorm needs to worry about Scaribia. Kalim will be fine. Now, excuse me."
  Jamil turned away from Riddle and continued down the hall, feeling more irritated.
  What was wrong with everybody today? Couldn't they just leave him alone? Why did it always have to be about Kalim?
  Without meaning to, Jamil found himself outside, running through the sunlight till he came to the statues of the Great Seven, stopping in front of the Sorcerer of Sand's.
  Catching his breath, Jamil looked up the statue. "You must have been incredible," he said. "Foiled a plot, made the most trusted advisor. Why am I so weak that I can't even tell Kalim to leave me alone?"
  He looked down at the ground, almost in shame.
  The eyes on the snake-headed staff on the statue flashed red, making Jamil look up, having sensed something.
  I desire...
  The whisper penetrated Jamil's mind, making him grab the sides of his head. 'Why am I shaking?' He wondered, lowering one of his hands and looking at it, noting the visible trembling. 'It's just a voice...'
  Jamil Viper...I desire your hatred. Give it to me...
  The mouth of the stone statue began to glow red and Jamil dropped to his knees, feeling something being pulled out of him, a tight feeling wrapping around his throat. "Ngh..."
  Yes...More...Give me MORE!!
  "Ack," Jamil choked out. "K...Kalim..."
  The tightness faded and Jamil leaned forward, coughing as air returned to his lungs.
  Hm...I overestimated you, the voice said. You may prove troublesome...but I desire...you...
  The voice and the light faded away as the sound of running footsteps came closer.
Jamil made sure he was standing before the student could see him on the ground.
  "Vice-housewarden!" A Scarabia student exclaimed, coming to a halt in front of Jamil.
  "What's going on?" Jamil asked, folding his arms.
  "It's Housewarden Kalim," the student said. "Something's happened to him."
~~~~~
   Kalim tossed on the bed, his copper skin shiny with sweat and his breathing laboured.
  "I've never seen him like this," Jamil said. "When did you discover him like this?"
  "The Housewarden was sprawled out by the Sorcerer of Sand's Staff," a purple haired Scaribia student said. "I don't know how he got out there."
  "I see," Jamil said, standing. "Thank you for getting me. I'll take over caring for Kalim now, alright?"
  "Yes sir."
  Now alone with Kalim, Jamil took a closer look at Kalim's face. "It's not poison," Jamil muttered. "He's showing signs of a normal fever even though he was in good health last night...*sigh* I suppose this can't be helped. Now I'll have more on my plate."
  "J...Jamil..." Kalim said weakly before coughing.
  "It's alright Kalim," Jamil said. "Don't strain yourself."
  "Why..."
  Jamil paused.
  "Why," Kalim repeated, slipping back into the fever dream. "Did you...betray me?"
  Jamil froze. Betray? He'd hardly seen Kalim all day, so what could Kalim be talking about?
  'Get the fever down first,' Jamil reasoned. 'Then ask Kalim what he ment.'
~~~~~
  The sun was disappearing behind the sand dunes when Jamil left Kalim's room, breathing a sigh of relief.
  "The fever's gone down at least," he told himself, heading back through the dorm, doing a final check-through before he would head to dinner. "Kalim still hasn't regained consciousness though...That has me concerned..."
  Poke. Poke.
  Jamil turned and sighed. "Kalim's carpet," he said. "Of course it mangled to get out..."
  The carpet began tugging on Jamil's arm, pulling him back towards Kalim's room.
  "You don't belong there," Jamil reprimanded, trying to pull away. "The storage room is the other way."
  The rug didn't give up though and soon the two were in a stalemate.
  CRASH!!
   At the noice, Jamil released the carpet and ran down, throwing open the door just in time to see a figure, dressed in the NRC ceremonial robes, jump from the open wall and fly off towards the setting sun on a dark coloured flying carpet.
  Jamil placed two fingers in his mouth and whistled, bringing Kalim's carpet in before climbing on. "After him!" Jamil commanded.
  The carpet sprang into action, zipping off across the sand, picking up speed.
  As Jamil drew closer, the rider ahead looked back, the hood pulled down to hide his identity, then jerked to the left and right, beginning a zig-zag pattern.
  'Where can he be going?' Jamil wondered, following the pattern. 'There's nowhere to go this way. Just the edge of the desert.'
  Kalim's carpet put on a burst of speed and Jamil reached out, his fingers just brushing the robes' fabric before the rider dove off the side, plummeting down towards the sand.
  Jamil's carpet followed, diving straight down, making Jamil grip the tassels with white knuckles.
  Just before the figure could hit the sand, a third magic carpet appeared, piloted by another dark robed figure, and scooped up the falling figure before streaking off towards Scaribia dorm.
  Jamil reigned in Kalim's carpet, his eyes tracking the path the third carpet had made. "They're long gone," Jamil said. "By the time I get back to the dorm, they'll have vanished into the student body using the Mirror. Come on, let's get back and check on Kalim."
  The sun had finished sinking by the time Jamil reentered Scaribia through Kalim's window, taking a look around to find what had crashed.
  A vase lay shattered on the floor and a golden pitcher and goblet had spilt water on the floor.
  Jamil sighed then quickly cleaned up the spilt water and broken pottery. "I guess dinner is over," Jamil said, looking over at a clock. "I'll have to make myself something before curfew..."
  Looking over Kalim again, Jamil nodded. 'The fever's definitely gone down enough that I can leave,' he thought. 'But I don't know who was in here or if they'll come back. Augh. Why can't I catch a break?'
  "Hey Jamil..."
  Jamil looked up as Kalim spoke, his voice weak.
  "Good evening Kalim," Jamil said. "How do you feel?"
  "Hot..." Kalim replied. "How long...?"
  "You've been out since this morning," Jamil said. "I managed to bring your fever down but your body is still recovering..."
  He trailed off, suddenly thinking about what Kalim had said earlier.
  "What is it?" Kalim asked, sitting up.
  "...Kalim. Have I betrayed you?" Jamil inquired.
  Kalim managed one of his wide smiles. "Course not, Jamil," he said. "You wouldn't break your promise to me."
  "Not unless your life or mine is in danger," Jamil recalled. "Alright. Thank you Kalim. Now, do you feel like eating?"
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*so you're all getting this chapter early cause I'll be away at camp all week starting on Monday till Sat. Enjoy!*