That's So Wizard

Chapter 13 - The Odd Couple

The night passed quickly. Eldrian, who was still resting up at the hospital, was left with a box of leftover food from the disastrous dinner that happened the previous day. His injuries were fortunately not severe and his recovery was moving properly. Outside, Deena was walking down the sidewalk. She was not only looking for a place to open up a portal door to her home, but also felt as if she needed some fresh air and quiet.

It was still the morning. She was returning from her visit, but now she wasn't certain what to do. She was once content with sitting, studying, and silence. Eldrian and Kevin entering her life made it difficult to think of anything other than the chaos they brought.

Down the sides of the road were smiling folks, and while she wasn't joining them in that regard, it was a comforting sight. Everybody and their dog—literally—was out enjoying the last bits of sun before winter took it over. While the little witch brought the curious gaze of pedestrians she passed, she was used to it. From head to toe her body was pale, even her hair, but it wouldn't be long until the city felt the same. Her hand held out with the palm raised up, and it was greeted by the melting of a single bit of snow that floated down from the sky.

Her numb serenity was broken by a child. She nearly jumped at his intrusion, but the small boy was holding a letter in his hand, and he tugged on her skirt to get her attention. He appeared filthy, wore clothes a size too big for him, and they were patched up in more places than one.

"Hello, miss. I'm looking for either Eldrian, or a short girl with white hair and a flat chest. Are you one of those? He said they'd be at the hospital. I don't see many other people with hair like that, so it'd be awfully great if I found you already."

Aggravating description aside, she stared down at the child and muttered, "Who's asking?"

"I was asked to deliver this," he said as he pushed forward the letter. "Take it, please."

"Who's it from?"

"Wouldn't say, miss. He gave me some cash and told me he'd hit me if I didn't deliver it today."

Her eyebrow raised inquisitively and she peeled open the top of the envelope. Inside was a slip of paper with a simple paragraph of writing. The chicken scratch proved difficult to read, and the paper itself was stained and torn around the edges. Her eyes scanned it over.

It read, "Eldrian. We have your little ginger friend. If you want him back, you'll come and get him before the sun sets tonight. You'll never see him again if you ignore this message. The address is written below."

A cold bead of sweat rolled down her forehead and to the lid of her right eye. She rolled her palm across her face, and up through her hair as she squeezed the message into a crinkled mess beside her waist. She started to wonder.

Who wrote this, and why do they hate Eldrian? She realised she didn't know all that much about him, and he did already make enemies with her brothers. But he stood up for her. The worst part is that yesterday's encounter left him in no condition to battle again already. Perhaps she owed him still. She knew that if she told Eldrian, he'd run recklessly into danger and he'd end up in even worse shape. Though they hadn't spoken much, Kevin was becoming a friend too. Everything wasn't up to Eldrian.

She stood there in thought for such a lengthy time that the child had completely disappeared from view. It was soon after that she made up her mind. She would text Eldrian and ask for somebody's number.

***

A white door appeared directly in the center of a nearly vacant field far away from the city, like a cartoon, but an anthropomorphic rabbit didn't emerge when it opened—a witch did. She stepped out and the door vanished behind her. Today she wore a pair of jeans torn at the knees, and a black t-shirt sporting the logo of a band. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail. There was only one other nearby besides various animals lurking in the shrubs, and it was Daveon the druid.