Hidden Before Their Eyes

Chapter 20: You Do Not Look Like Much

Waking in a bed for the first time in weeks is refreshing. The journey to the tower had been long and the way back no shorter. While I will miss the familiarity of being with Codra, Cora and Pavlios, I am happy to be back. When it comes to Dracix, well I have yet to figure out what I am doing in that respect yet. I know he is going to confront me but I do not have answers for his ears to the questions he wishes to ask.

I get up and get dressed, having slept in night wear to be more comfortable. I fiddle with my clothes, moving them around to compensate for the choker that is now around my neck. After I am satisfied I place the key which is handing on its ribbon underneath my shirt. I gently pick up Erphi and he settles around my wrist, almost in the shape of a ball. After I make my way out of my room and towards the green space.

When I get to the green space I see that already many people are out and about, socializing and enjoying the fresh scent of the air from the trees, plants, and grass. Upon spotting Lily I make my way over to her. When she sees me she jumps up and is about to rush over to me, but Ealric beats her to the chase. When he tackles me in a bear hug he pucks me up and twirls me around, getting both me and himself laughing.

"Carino it's so good to have you back!" Ealric exclaims.

"It is good to be back," I respond smiling brightly.

"Carino you must tell us all about what happened," Lily declares coming up to us.

We all sit back down where the rest of the group that Lily and Ealric hang out with are and I begin to spin the tale for them. I keep it fun and up lifting, purposefully leaving out the depressing and nightmare parts. I tell them of Dracix's part of meeting the Sorcerer, of falling in the river, of being ambushed by giant, of the tower and of the stone, and finally I sum up my story by going over coming back and once more encountering the Sorcerer. Naturally I leave out how the stone on my neck is the Stone of Alcali, not sure if I can, or even should, tell anyone about that.

After telling my story Lily starts catching me up on all that when down here at the Academy during my absence. Apparently a shifter from the level above us fell down around two weeks ago and is still waiting for his next battle so he can hopefully return to his level once more. I am very interested in meeting him, but not sure a disgruntled shifter will be all to happy about a human bothering him.

The spell of joy is broken however when I see an anger filled Dracix making his way over. Those who are in his way part like the sea, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his wrath. I silently stand up, keeping my eyes trained on him.

"We need to talk," he snaps at me. Simultaneously the entire area falls silent. Everyone waiting for the drama to unfold.

"I have said it before, and I shall say it again, Syllax, I know more than it seems," I state.

"That is not going to cut it. The information you gave was too specific, I need to know who you got it from," he insists.

"Dracix I told Kalvik that the best day to catch you was the night before. I knew that because you are looking for her still and when you would be looking for her is when you would be able to get away from your retainers. It is only natural that you would look the day before, the day in which she would either be in town or not coming to the Academy," I say, not actually lying to him but bending the truth in my favor.

"How did you even know I was in town?" He asks, suspiciously, having apparently not entirely bought my story.

"Simple, I saw you walking in town," I say.

"When?" He asks.

"I saw you the Saturday before enrollment," I answer. "And do not even ask me how. I saw you from within a building and that little one way cloth, let me just say, you were not being careful with it."